Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 3 · Verse 5-6
VERSE 5. Now the God of patience and conſolating grant you to be like minded one towards another, according to Chriſt Ieſus: 6. That ye may with one mind, and one mouth, glorifie God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
THeſe two Verſes are a Prayer for vnity and peace among the now diſſenting Romanes. It is a ſingular light and ornament of Pauls diſcourſe.
It is brought in by a Prolepſis; as if ſome ſhould ſay to Paul: you hauehave brought many ſtrong reaſons, but doe you euer thinke to bring the weake to yeeld to the ſtrong? or the ſtrong to forbeare their liberty for the weake, by arguments? no, they are too much heat in the controuerſie to heare reaſon.
To this Paul may be ſuppoſed to anſwer; that which corruption denieth, praier obtaineth: Now the God of patience and conſolation vnite their minds: For he is able to make the Lion and the Lambe ſo to dwell together, that a little childe may lead them.
In this prayer are two things: The thing prayed for, and the Amplification.
The thing prayed for, to be like minded; which implieth a vnion of their thoughts, iudgements, ſentences, affections: this we call Concord, which is a ioyning together of hearts, that as they are concorporated into one outward profeſſion, Epheſ. 3.6.ſo they may be coanimated, as I may ſay, into one inward louelove in Chriſt.
The Amplification is diuers.
1 From the Author, God, the Father of the raine, &c. but eſpecially the giuer and maintainer of vnity and peace.
God is here deſcribed by two effects, Patience and Conſolation: Of Patience before Conſolation, becauſe by diuine diſpenſation, the way to mount Thabor is by mount Caluary.
Of Patience and Conſolation together: Becauſe of the abundant ſweetneſſe and comfort, which hee powreth into the hearts of his children vnderunder the Croſſe.
But why of Patience and Conſolation here, rather then of Faith and Hope?
Becauſe in prayer it is moſt comely to ſuite the thing wee pray for with attributes to God accordingly: The ſtrong were not patient toward the weake, nor the weake toward the ſtrong, for if they had been ſo, they might in time better hauehave vnderſtood the Doctrine of Chriſtian liberty.
If hot ſpirits would hauehave patience, they ſhould not ſo much ouerſhoot themſelues, and the Church ſhould hauehave more peace.
2 The perſons which ſhould be like minded, one towards another, the ſtrong with the weake, and the weake with the ſtrong, not onelyonly with them of their owne party, but alſo of the other, that ſo parting and ſiding may be taken away.
3 According to Christ: which you may call the Kind of vnity; an vnity in truth and godlineſſe. Agreement is a thing indifferent in it ſelfe, but good or bad, according as the things are, in which the agreement is: The agreement of drunkards and theeues, &c. is againſt Chriſt; but this, according to Christ.
Or you may ſay, according to Chriſts example and commandement, which ſeemeth to be fitteſt for this place, becauſe of the Argument of Chriſts example, of which this prayer is an illuſtration, and becauſe this implyeth the other.
4 From the End of like-mindedneſſe, which is the glory of God; and this is amplified two wayes.
Firſt, from the inſtrument of this glory, which is double; the Inward, Anſelmus.one minde: the Outward, one mouth, that is, Quando vnus & idem ſenſus & ſermo per diuerſorum or a procedit; When one and the ſame meaning, and ſpeech, proceedeth out of the mouthes of diuers men.
Secondly, from a deſcription of God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Christ; adding force to his prayer by the mention of Christ, whom the Father gaue to death, to vnite vsus to himſelfe, and together.
The members of the ſame Church, Doctr. ought to be like minded one to another, that God may be glorified, 1. Cor. 1.10. Paul prayeth that the Corinthians may all ſpeake the ſame thing, that there be no diuiſions among them, but that they may perfectly be ioyned together in the ſame mind, and in the ſame iudgement, Phil. 3.16. and the Apoſtolicall Church is an example, Act. 4.32. And the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart, and one ſoule.
In trouble ſeeke patience and conſolation from God; Vſe 1 and hauing obtained them, be thankefull.
Many thinke by their owne ſtrength and manly ſtomack to beare trouble, but if God giuegive not patience, a little paine or croſſe will moue vsus to impatience.
Alſo to finde comfort in their calamities, from their purſes, from their friends, from merry company, ſeeking to driue away the euill ſpirit, by muſicke, as Saul; but it is the Holy Spirit which is the Comforter.
Reſort thou in thy trouble, to God the Author, and to the word of God the Inſtrument of Patience and Conſolation.
Paul vntounto his preaching, Ʋſe 2 and writing, and diſputing, addes Prayer: for diſputation and ſound arguments will not preuaile vntounto concord, though they doe to conuiction vnleſſe God moue the heart, as wee hauehave experience with the Papiſts and Browniſts.
Many learned Preachers profit not their hearers, for want of Prayer: Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but God will be intreated for the encreaſe.
As in the nouriſhment of the body, many feed of the daintieſt, and yet are leane and ſickly; ſo many heare and reade the Word, which is the food of the ſoule, and yet are not nouriſhed, becauſe they pray not.
Be at the Prayers as well as at the Preaching, if thou wouldeſt profit.
Vnity and Concord are here ſpecially commended vntounto vsus, Ʋſe 3 not in error or euill, but in truth and goodneſſe.
How good and pleaſant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie: It is pretious as the oyntment of Aaron, Pſal. 13.….and profitable as the dew of Hermon: The Lord make this dew abundantly to fall about the Tents of the Church of England.
Herod and Pilate ſhake hands against Chriſt, ſet on, it may be, by the High Prieſts, Annas and Caiphas, and the wicked Iewes: Let vsus agree and hold together for the defence of Chriſt and his Goſpell.
The Papiſts bragge of Vnity, as of an infallible note of the Church; and ſurely Hieruſalem is a City compact together: Pſal. 122.3.they alſo face the world downe, that wee cannot hauehave the Truth, becauſe of our Contentions: this is that which they lay in our diſh, in all their Pamphlets; the more guiltie are they which broach new opinions, which contend for trifles, and ſo cauſe the Truth, which we profeſſe, to be euill ſpoken of by the Aduerſaries.
God is not glorified there, where there is no vnity, Vſe 4 where men agree not in affection, and ſpeech, and geſture.
He cannot endure them which call him Father, and will not liue quietly and in vnity with their brethren.
By ſtrife and contention God is not glorified, but blaſphemed.
The Lords Supper is inſtituted, as a band and nouriſher of Vnity and Concord, but it is made a fountaine of diſcord and variance by ſome, and that for a geſture: there can bee no religion in this, neither is God glorified thereby.
What is the reaſon that our contentions are not coniured downe by that moſt effectuall charme of the Apoſtle to the Corinthians, in the beginning of his firſt Epiſtle to them? Now I beſeech you brethren, by our Lord Ieſus Christ, that there be no diuiſions among you, 1. Cor. 1.10.&c. And by the end of the laſt Epiſtle to them: Finally my brethren, farewell, be perfect, be of good comfort, 2. Cor. 13.11.be of one mind, liue in peace, and the God of LoueLove and Peace ſhall be with you.
Whom ſhould not that Patheticall prayer of our Sauiour going to his Croſſe, moue to vnity: Holy Father, keepe through thine owne Name, thoſe whom thou hast giuen me, that they may be one, Iohn 17.11.21.as wee are, that the world may beleeue that thou baſt ſent mee.
Surely if wee hauehave not put off Christianity, theſe ſpeeches muſt and will preuaile with vsus vntounto Peace and Ʋ nitie.