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 LIBRARY 
 
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 Mrs. SARAH P. WALS WORTH. 
 
 Received October, 1894. 
 Accessions Afo.jTG $ / / Class No. 
 
 

; N o T E s, 
 
 EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 
 
 DESIGNED FOR 
 
 BIBLE CLASSES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 
 
 BY ALBERT BARNES, 
 
 NINTH EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED. 
 
 .>:H^ ; 
 
 > ~ o* THE 
 
 - 
 
 \gj. 03 ^< 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 329 & 331 PEARL STREET, 
 FRANKLIN SQUARE. 
 
 1857. 
 
3 
 
 Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and thirty-four, by 
 
 ALBERT BARNES, 
 
 in the Clerk s Office of the District Court of the United States, in an;l 
 for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 THE Epistle to the Romans has been usually regarded as the most dimcuu 
 portion of the New Testament. It is from this cause, probably, as well as from 
 the supposition that its somewhat abstruse discussions could not be made in 
 teresting to the young, that so few efforts have been made to introduce it into 
 Sunday Schools and Bible Classes. It will doubtless continue to be a fact, that 
 Sunday School instruction will be confined chiefly to the historical parts of the 
 Bible. In the Sacred Scriptures there is this happy adaptedness to the circum 
 stances of the world, that so large a portion of the volume can thus be made in 
 teresting to the minds of children and youth; that so much of it is occupied 
 with historical narrative; with parables; with interesting biographies of the 
 holy men of other times, and with the life of our blessed Lord. But still, while 
 this is true, there is a considerable portion of the youth, in various w T ays under 
 the instruction of the Bible, who may be interested in the more abstruse state 
 ments and discussions of the doctrinal parts of the Holy Scriptures. For such- 
 for Sunday School teachers ; for Bible Classes ; and for the higher classes in 
 Sabbath Schools, these Notes have been prepared. The humble hope has been 
 cherished that this epistle might be introduced to this portion of the youth of 
 the churches; and thus tend to imbue their minds with correct views of the 
 great doctrines of the Christian Revelation. 
 
 This object has been kept steadily in view. The design has not been to make 
 a learned commentary; nor to enter into theological discussions; nor to intro 
 duce, at length, practical reflections ; nor to enter minutely into critical investi 
 gations. All these can be found in books professedly on these subjects. The 
 design has been to state, with as much brevity and simplicity as possible, the 
 real meaning of the sacred writer; rather the results of critical inquiry, as far 
 as the author has had ability and time to pursue it, than the process by which 
 those results were reached. The design has been to state what appeared to the 
 author to be the real meaning of the Epistle, without any regard to any existing 
 theological system ; and without any deference to the opinions of others, further 
 than the respectful deference and candid examination, which are due to the opi 
 nions of the learned, the wise, and the good, who have made this epistle their 
 particular study. At the same time that this object has been kept in view, ami 
 the reference to the Sabbth School teacher, and the Bible Class, has given cha 
 racter to the work, still it is hoped that the expositions are of such a nature as 
 not to be uninteresting to Christians of every age and of every class. He ac 
 complishes a service of no little moment in the cause of the church of God, and 
 of truth, who contributes in any degree to explain the profound argument, the 
 thorough doctrinal discussion, the elevated views, and the vigorous, manly, and 
 masterly reasonings of the Epistle to the Romans. 
 
 Of the defects of this work, even for the purpose contemplated, no one will 
 probably be more deeply sensible than the author. Of the time and labor ne 
 cessary to prepare even such brief Notes as these, few persons, probably, are 
 aware. This work has been prepared amidst the cares and toils of a most re- 
 ponsible pastoral charge. My brethren in the ministry, so far as they may have 
 >ccasion to consult these Notes, will know how to appreciate the cares and anx 
 ieties amidst which they have been prepared. They will be indulgent to the 
 faults of the book; they will not censure harshly what is well-meant for the ri 
 sing generation; they will be the patrons of every purpose, however humble, ti 
 do good. 
 
, v ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 It remains only to add, that free use has been made f all the helps within ing 
 reach of the author. The language of other writers ha^ not been adopted with 
 out particular acknowledgment, but their ideas have been freely used where 
 they were thought to express the sense of the text. In particular, aid has been 
 sought and obtained from the following works: the CRITICI SACRI, CALVIN S 
 COMMENTARY ON THE ROMANS, DODDRIUGE, MACKNIGHT, and ROSKNMCLLKK ; 
 and the commentaries of THOLUCK and FLATT so far as an imperfect know 
 ledge of the German language could render their aid available. A considerable 
 portion was written before Professor STUART S Commentary appeared. In the 
 remaining portion, important aid has been freely derived from that work. The 
 aim of this work is substantially the same as that of the " Notes on the Gos 
 pels," and on the Acts of the Apostles ; and the earnest wish and prayer of the 
 author is, that it may be one among many means of establishing the truth, and of 
 promoting its advancement and ultimate triumph in the w T orld. 
 
 Philadelphia, June 14, 1834. 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIFTH EDITION. 
 
 Notwithstanding the difficulty of correcting a work which is stereotyped, the 
 following Notes have undergone a careful revision, and several alterations have 
 been made. The changes refer to a few phrases which did not accuratefy ex 
 press my meaning, and to some entire paragraphs. My desire has been TO make 
 the work as little exceptionable as possible. Some expressions in the former 
 editions have been misunderstood ; some are now seen to have been ambiguous , 
 a few that have given offence have been changed, because, without abandoning 
 any principle of doctrine or interpretation, I could convey my ideas in language 
 more acceptable, and less fitted to produce offence. The changes (occurring in 
 pp. 94.95.96. 108. 115. 117. 119.120. 121. 122. 123. 128. entirely re-written, 146. 
 and 192,) have been made with -a wish to make the work more useful, and with a 
 desire to do all that can be done, without abandoning principle, to promote peace 
 and to silence the voice of alarm. On some of these passages, as is extensively 
 known to the public, charges of inculcating dangerous doctrines have been al 
 leged against me before the Presbytery of which I am a member. After a fair 
 nnd full trial the Presbytery acquitted me ; and I have taken the opportunity 
 after the trial was passed and I had been acquitted, to make these changes for 
 {he sake of peace, and not to appear to have been urged -to make them by the 
 dread of a trial. 
 
 When the work was first published, it was not anticipated that more than two 
 or three editions would be demanded. The fact that, within less than eight 
 months, a. fourth edition should be called for, is a source of gratitude, and an in 
 ducement to do all that can be done to make the work as complete as possible, 
 that it may more perfectly accomplish the design for which it was written. 
 Some of the alterations have been made by the suggestions of friends; some 
 by the cry of alarm which has been raised , but, whether from the one or the 
 other, I hold that an author should ">e grateful for all the suggestions which 
 may go to improve his works, and sh jtild amend them accordingly. 
 
 ALBERT BARNES. 
 
 Philadelphia, July 15 1835. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 
 
 Epistle nas been, with great uniformity, attributed to the apostle 
 Paul, and received as a part of the sacred canon. It has never in the church 
 been called in question as a genuine, an inspired book, except by three of the 
 ancient sects deemed heretical the Ebionites, the Encratites, and Cerinthians. 
 But they did not deny that it was written by the apostle Paul. They rejected 
 it because they could not make its doctrines harmonize with their views of 
 other parts of the Scriptures. Their rejecting it, therefore, does not militate 
 against its genuineness. That is a question to be settled historically, like the 
 genuineness of any other ancient writing. On this point the testimony of 
 antiquity is uniform. The proof on this subject may be seen at length in Lard- 
 ner s works. The internal evidence that this was written by Paul is stated in a 
 most ingenious and masterly manner by Dr. Paley in his Horse Pauline. 
 
 It is agreed by all, that this epistle was written in Greek. Though addressed 
 to a people whose language was the Latin, yet this epistle to them, like those 
 to other churches, was in Greek. On this point also, there is no debate. The 
 reasons why this language was chosen were probably the following. (1.) The 
 epistle was designed doubtless to be read by other churches as well as the 
 Roman. Comp. Col. iv. 16. Yet the Greek language, being generally known 
 and spoken, was more adapted to this design than the Latin. (2.) The Greek 
 language was then understood at Rome, and extensively spoken. It was a par 
 of polite education to learn it. The Roman youth were taught it ; and it was thi 
 fashion of the times to study it, even so much so as to make it matter of com 
 plaint that the Latin was neglected for it by the Roman youth. Thus Cicer* 
 (Pro. Arch.) says, The Greek language is spoken in almost all nations ; tht 
 Latin is confined to our comparatively narrow borders. Tacitus (Orator 29) 
 says, Jin infant born now is committed to a Greek nurse. Juvenal (vi. 185) 
 speaks of its being considered as an indispensable part of polite education, to be 
 acquainted with the Greek. (3.) It is not impossible that the Jews at Rome, 
 who constituted a separate colony, were better acquainted with the Greek than 
 the Latin. They had a Greek, but no Latin translation of the Scriptures, and it 
 is very possible that they used the language in which they were accustomed to 
 read their Scriptures, and which was extensively spoken by their brethren through 
 out the world. (4.) The apostle was himself probably more familiar with the 
 Greek, than the Latin. He was a native of Cilicia, where the Greek was 
 doubtless spoken, and he not unfrequently qaotes the Greek poets in his 
 addresses and epistles. Acts xxi. 37 ; xvii. 28. Titus i. 12. 1 Cor. xv. 33. 
 
 This epistle is placed first among Paul s epistles, not because it wa.3 the 
 first written, but because of the length and importance of the epistle itself, and 
 
 A2 K 
 
Vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the importance of the church in the imperial city. It has uniformly had this 
 place in the sacred canon, though there is reason to believe that the Epistle to 
 the Galatians, the first to the Corinthians, and perhaps the two to the Tbessa- 
 lonians were written before this. Of the time when it was written, there can be 
 little doubt. About the year 52 or 54 the Emperor Claudius banished all Jews 
 from Rome. In Acts xviii. 2, we have an account of the Jirst acquaintance 
 of Paul with Aquila and Priscilla, who had departed from Rome in conse 
 quence of that decree . This acquaintance was formed in Corinth ; and we are 
 told that Paul abode with them, and worked at the same occupation. Acts 
 xviii. 3. In Romans xvi. 3, 4, he directs the church to greet Priscilla and 
 Aquila, who had for his life laid down their own necks. This service which 
 .hey rendered him must have been therefore after the decree of Claudius ; and 
 of course the epistle must have been written after the year 52. 
 
 In Acts xviii. 19, we are told that he left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus. 
 Paul made a journey through the neighbouring regions, and then returned to 
 Ephesus. Acts xix. 1. Paul remained at Ephesus at least two years (Acts 
 xix. 8, 9, 10), and while here probably wrote the first Epistle to the Corin 
 thians. In that epistle (xvi. 19) he sends the salutation of Priscilla and 
 Aquila, who were of course still at Ephesus. The Epistle to the Romans, 
 therefore, in which he sends his salutation to Aquila and Priscilla, as being 
 then at Rome, could not be written until they had left Ephesus and returned 
 to Rome ; that is, until three years at least after the decree of Claudius in 52 
 or 54. 
 
 Still further. When Paul wrote this epistle, he was about to depart for 
 Jerusalem to convey a collection which had been made for the poor saints 
 there, by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. Rom. XT. 25, 26. When 
 he had done this, he intended to go to Rome. Rom. xv. 28. Now, by look 
 ing at the Acts of the Apostles, we can determine when this occurred. At this 
 time he sent Timotheus and Erastus before him into Macedonia, while he 
 remained in Asia for a season. Acts xix. 22. After this (Acts xx. 1,2), Paul 
 himself went into Macedonia, passed through Greece, and remained about 
 three months there. In this journey it is almost certain that he went to 
 Corinth, the capital of Achaia, at which time it is supposed this epistle was 
 written. From this place he set out for Jerusalem, where he was made a 
 prisoner, and after remaining a prisoner two years (Acts xxiv. 27), he was 
 sent to Rome about A. D. 60. Allowing for the time of his travelling and his 
 imprisonment, it must have been about three years from the time that he pur 
 posed to go to Jerusalem ; that is, from the time that he finished the epistle 
 (Rom. xv. 25 29) to the time when he reached Rome, and thus the epistle 
 must have been written about A. D. 57. 
 
 It is clear also, that the epistle was written from Corinth. In ch, xvi. 1, 
 Phebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, is commended to the Romans. 
 She probably had charge of the epistle, or accompanied those who had it. Cen 
 chrea was the port of the city of Corinth, about seven or eight miles from the 
 city. In ch. xvi. 23, Gaius is spoken of as the host of Paul, or he of whose 
 hospitality Paul partook, but Gaius was baptized by Paul at Corinth, and 
 Corinth was manifestly his place of residence. 1 Cor. i. 14. Erastus is also 
 mentioned as the chamberlain of the city where the epistle was written ; but 
 this Erastus is mentioned as having his abode at Corinth. 2 Tim. iv. 20 
 From al. this it is manifest that the Epistle was written at Corinth, about the 
 year 57. 
 
 Of the state of the church at Rome at that time it is not easy to form a pre 
 cise opinion. From this epistle it is evident that it was composed of Jews and 
 
INTRODUCTION. VL 
 
 gentiles , and that one design of writing to it was to reconcile their jatring 
 opinions, particularly about the obligation of the Jewish law ; the advantage of 
 the Jew ; and the way of justification. It is probable that the two parties in the 
 church were endeavouring to defend each their peculiar opinions, and that the 
 apostle took this opportunity and mode to state to his converted countrymen 
 the great doctrines of Christianity, and the relation of the law of Moses to the 
 Christian system. The epistle itself is full proof that the church to whoit it 
 was addressed was composed of Jews and gentiles. No small part of it is an 
 argument expressly with the Jews, ch. ii. iii. iv. ix. x. xi. And no small part 
 of the epistle also is designed to state the true doctrine about the character of 
 the gentiles, and the way in which they could be justified before God. 
 
 At this time there was a large number of Jews at Rome. When Pompey 
 the Great overran Judea, he sent a large number of Jews prisoners to Rome, to 
 be sold as slaves. But it was not easy to control them. They persevered reso 
 lutely and obstinately in adhering to the rites of their nation ; in keeping the 
 Sabbath, &c. So that the Romans chose at last to give them their freedom, and 
 assigned them a place in the vicinity of the city across the Tiber. Here a 
 town was built, which was principally inhabited by Jews. Josephus mentions 
 that 4000 Jews were banished from Rome at one time to Sardinia, and that u 
 still greater number were punished who were unwilling to become soldiers. 
 Ant. xviii. ch. 3, 5. Philo (Legat. ad Caium) says, that many of the Jews at 
 Rome had obtained their freedom ; for, says he, being made captive in ivar, and 
 brought into Italy, they -were set at liberty by their masters, neither -were 
 they compelled to change the rites of their fathers. See also Josephus, Ant. 
 xvii. ch. ii, 1. Suetonius life of Tiberius, 36, and Notes on Acts vi. 9. From 
 that large number of Jews, together with those converted from the gentiles, the 
 church at Rome was collected, and it is easy to see that in that church there 
 would be a great diversity of sentiment, and, no doubt, warm discussions about 
 the authority of the Mosaic law. 
 
 At what time, or by whom, the gospel was first preached at Rome has been 
 a matter of controversy. The Roman catholic church have maintained that it 
 was founded by Peter, and have thence drawn an argument for their high 
 claims and infallibility. On this subject they make a confident appeal to some 
 of the fathers. There is strong evidence to be derived from this epistle itself, 
 and from the Acts, that Paul did not regard Peter as having any such primacy 
 and ascendency in the Roman church as are claimed for him by the papists. 
 (1.) In this whole epistle there is no mention of Peter at all. It is not suggested 
 that he had been, or was then at Rome. If he had been, and the church had 
 been founded by him, it is incredible that Paul did not make mention of that 
 fact. This is the more striking, as it was done in other cases where churches 
 had been founded by other men. See 1 Cor. i. 12, 13, 14, 15. Especially is 
 Peter, or Cephas, mentioned repeatedly by the apostle Paul in his other epistles. 
 1 Cor. iii. 22 ; ix. 5; xv. 5. Gal. ii. 9 ; i. 18 ; ii. 7, 8. 14. In these places Peter is 
 mentioned in connexion with the churches at Corinth and Galatia, yet never 
 there as appealing to his authority, but in regard to the latter, expressly calling 
 it in question. Now, it is incredible that if Peter had been then at Rome, arid 
 had founded the church there, and was regarded as invested with any peculiar 
 authority over it, that Paul should never once have even suggested his name. 
 (2.) It is clear that Peter was not there when Paul wrote this epistle. If he 
 had been, he could not have failed to have sent him a salutation, amid the num 
 bers that he saluted in the xvith chapter. (-3.) In the Acts of the Apostles there 
 is no mention of Peter s having been at Rome, but the presumption from that 
 history is almost conclusive that he had not been. In Acts xii. 3, 4, wo have an 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTION 
 
 account of his having been imprisoned by Herod Agrippa near the clore of hi 
 reign (comp. v. 23). This occurred about the third or fourth year of the reign 
 of Claudius, who began to reign A. U. 41. It is altogether improbable that he 
 had been at Rome before this. Claudius had not reigned more than three years, 
 and all the testimony that the fathers give is, that Peter came to Rome in his 
 reign. (4.) Peter was at Jerusalem still in the ninth or tenth year of the reign 
 of Claudius Acts xv. 6, &c. Nor is there any mention made then of his having 
 been at Rome. (5.) Paul went to Rome about A. D. 60. There is no mention 
 made then of Peter s being with him, or being there. If he had been, it could 
 hardly have failed of being recorded. Especially is this remarkable when Paul s 
 meeting with the brethren is expressly mentioned (Acts xxviii. 14, 15), and 
 when it is recorded that he met the Jews, and abode with them, and spent at 
 Rome no less than two years. If Peter had been there, such a fact could not 
 fail to have been recorded, or alluded to, either in the Acts or the Epistle to the 
 Romans. (6.) The epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, . Cclossians, to 
 Philemon, and the second Epistle to Timothy (Lardner, vi. 235) were written 
 from Rome during the residence of Paul as a prisoner; and the Epistle to the 
 Hebrews probably also while he was still in Italy. In none of these epistles is 
 there any hint that Peter was then, or had been, at Rome ; a fact that cannot be 
 accounted for if he was regarded as the founder of that church, and especially 
 if he was then in that city. Yet in those epistles there are the salutations of a 
 number to those churches. In particular, Epaphras, Luke the beloved physician 
 (Col. iv. 12. 14), and the saints of the household of Caesar are mentioned. 
 Phil. iv. 22. In 2 Tim. iv. 11, Paul expressly affirms that Luke only was with 
 him, a declaration utterly irreconcilable with the supposition that Peter was 
 then at Rome. (7.) If Peter was ever at Rome, therefore, of which indeed 
 there is no reason to doubt, he must have come there after Paul ; at what time 
 is unknown. That he -was there cannot be doubted without calling in question 
 the truth of all history. 
 
 When, or by whom, the gospel was preached first at Rome, it is not easy, 
 perhaps not possible, to determine. In the account of the day of Pentecost, 
 (Acts ii. 10) we find, among others, that there were present strangers of Rome, 
 and it is not improbable that they carried back the knowledge of Jesus Christ, 
 and became the founders of the Roman church. One design and effect of that 
 miracle was doubtless to spread the knowledge of the Saviour among all na 
 tions. See Notes on Acts ii. In the list of persons who are mentioned in Rom. 
 xvi. it is not improbable that some of those early converts are included ; and 
 hat Paul thus intended to show honour to their early conversion and zeal in 
 the cause of Christianity. Thus, xvi. 7, he designates Andronicus and Junia his 
 kinsmen and fellow-prisoners, who were distinguished among the apostles, 
 and who had been converted before himself, i. e. before A. D. 34, at leait 
 eight years before it was ever pretended that Peter was at Rome. Other per 
 sons are mentioned also as distinguished, and it is not improbable that they 
 were the early founders of the church at Rome, ch. xvi. 12, 13, &c. 
 
 That the church at Rome was founded early, is evident from the celebrity 
 which it had acquired. At the time when Paul wrote this epistle (A D. 57), 
 their faith was spoken of throughout the world, ch. i. 8. The character of the 
 church at Rome cannot be clearly ascertained. Yet it is clear that it was not 
 made up merely of the lower classes of the community In Phil. iv. 22. it 
 appears that the gospel had made its way to the family of Csesar, and that a 
 part of his household had been converted to the Christian faith. Some of the 
 fathers affirm that JVero in the beginning of his reign was favourably impressed 
 in regard to Christianity and it is possible that this might have been through 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 the instrumentality of his family. But little on this subject can be known. 
 While it is probable that the great mass of believers in all the early churches 
 was of obscure and plebeian origin, it is also certain that some who were 
 rich, and noble, arid learned, became members of the church of Christ. See 
 I Tim. ii. 9. 1 Pet. iii. 3. 1 Tim. vi. 20. Col. ii. 8. 1 Cor. i. 26. Acts xvii. 34. 
 This epistle has been usually deemed the most difficult of interpretation of 
 any part of the New Testament ; and no small part of the controversies in 
 the Christian church have grown out of discussions about its meaning. Early 
 in the history of the church, even before the death of the apostles, we learn 
 from 2 Pet. iii. 16, that the writings of Paul were some of them regarded as 
 Uunghard to be understood; and that the unlearned and unstable wrested them 
 to their own destruction. It is probable that Peter has reference here to the 
 high and mysterious doctrines about justification and the sovereignty of God, 
 and the doctrines of election and decrees. From the epistle of James, it would 
 seem probable also, that already the apostle Paul s doctrine of justification by 
 faith had been perverted and abused. It seems to have been inferred that good 
 works were unnecessary ; and here was the beginning of the cheerless and 
 withering system of Antinomianism than which a more destructive or pestilen 
 tial heresy never found its way into the Christian church. Several reasons 
 might be assigned for the controversies which have grown out of this epistle. 
 (1.) The very structure of the argument, and the peculiarity of the apostle s 
 manner of writing. He is rapid ; mighty ; profound ; often involved ; readily 
 following a new thought; leaving the regular subject; and returning again after 
 a. considerable interval. Hence his writings abound with parentheses, and with 
 complicated paragraphs. (2.) Objections are often introduced, so that it re 
 quires close attention to determine their precise bearing. Though he employs 
 no small part of the epistle in answering objections, yet an objector is never 
 once formally introduced or mentioned. (3.) His expressions and phrases 
 are many of them liable to be misunderstood, and capable of perversion. Of 
 this class are such expressions as the righteousness of faith, the righteousness of 
 (iod, &c. (4.) The doctrines themselves are high and mysterious. They aje 
 those subjects on which the profoundest minds have been in all ages exercised in 
 vain. On them there has been, and always will be a difference of opinion. 
 Even with the most honest intentions that men ever have, they find it difficult 
 or impossible to approach the investigation of them without the bias of early 
 education, or the prejudice of previous opinion. In this world it is not given to 
 men fully to understand these great doctrines. And it is not wonderful that the 
 discussion of them has given rise to endless controversies ; and that they who 
 have ^ 
 
 Reasoned high 
 
 Of Providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate ; 
 Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute, 
 Have found no end, in wandering mazes lost. 
 
 (5,} It cannot be denied that one reason why the epistles of Paul have been 
 regarded as so difficult has been an unwillingness to admit the truth of the 
 plain doctrines which he teaches. The heart is by nature opposed to them ; 
 and comes to believe them with great reluctance. This feeling will account for 
 no small pa t of the difficulties felt in regard to this epistle. There is one great 
 maxim in interpreting the scriptures that can never be departed from. It is, 
 that men can never understand them aright, until they are -tvillinff to suffer 
 them to speak out their fair and proper meaning. When men are determined 
 not to find certain doctrines in the Bible, nothing is more natural than that they 
 should find difficulties in it, and complain much of its great obscurity and my*- 
 
JL INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lery. I add, (6.) That one principal reason why so much difficulty has t>fi 
 felt here, has been an unwillingness to stop where the apostle does. Men have 
 desired to advance farther, and penetrate the mysteries which the Spirit of in 
 spiration has not disclosed. Where Paul states a simple fact, men often ad 
 vance a theory. The fact may be clear and plain ; their theory is obscure, 
 involved, mysterious, or absurd. By degrees they learn to unite tne fact 
 and the theory: they regard their explanation as the only possible one; 
 and as the fact in question has the authority of divine revelation, so they in 
 sensibly come to regard their theory in the same light ; and he that calls in 
 .question their speculation about the catise, or the mode, is set down as hereti 
 cal, and as denying the doctrine of the apostle. A melancholy instance of this 
 we have in the account which the apostle gives (ch. v.) about the effect of the 
 sin of Adam. The simple fact is stated that that sin was followed by the sin 
 and ruin of all his posterity. Yet he offers no explanation of the fact. He 
 leaves it as indubitable ; and as not demanding an explanation in his argu 
 ment perhaps as not admitting it. This is the whole of his doctrine on that 
 subject. Yet men have not been satisfied with that. They have sought for a 
 theory to account for it. And many suppose they have found it in the doc 
 trine that the sin of Adam is imputed, or set over by an arbitrary arrangement 
 to beings otherwise innocent, and that they are held to be responsible for a 
 deed committed by a man thousands of years before they were born. This is 
 the theory ; and men insensibly forget that it is mere theory, and they blend 
 that and the fact which the apostle states together ; and deem the denial of the 
 one, heresy as much as the denial of the other, i. e. they make it as impious to 
 call in question their philosophy, as to doubt the facts stated on the authority 
 of the apostle Paul. If men desire to understand the epistles of Paul, and 
 avoid difficulties, they should be willing to leave it where he does ; and thia 
 single rule would have made useless whole years and whole tomes of contro 
 versy. 
 
 Perhaps, on the whole, there is no book of the New Testament that more 
 demands a humble, docile, and prayerful disposition in its interpretation than 
 tms epistle. Its profound doctrines ; its abstruse inquiries ; and the opposition 
 of many of those doctrines to the views of the unrenewed and unsubdued heart 
 of man, make a spirit of docility and prayer peculiarly needful in its investiga 
 tion. No man ever yet understood the reasonings and views of the apostle 
 Paul but under the influence of elevated piety. None ever found opposition 
 to his doctrines recede, and difficulties vanish, who did not bring the mind in a 
 humble frame to receive all that has been revealed ; and that, in a spirit oi 
 humble prayer, did* not purpose to lay aside all bias, and open the heart to 
 the full influence of the elevated truths which he inculcates. Where there is a 
 willingness that God should reign and do all his pleasure, this epistle may be in 
 its general character easily understood. Where this is wanting, it will appear 
 full of mystery and perplexity ; the. mind will be embarrassed, and the heart 
 dissatisfied with its doctrines ; t and the unhumbled spirit will rise from its 
 tudy only confused, irritated, perplexed, and dissatisfied. 
 
THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 >AUL, a servant of a Jesus 
 Christ, called b to be an apos- 
 
 SAc.9.15. ICo.l.l. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1. Paul. The original name of the 
 author of this epistle was Saul. Acts 
 vi. 58; vii. 1; viii. 1, &c. This was 
 changed to Paul (see Note, Acts 
 xiii. 9), and by this name he is ge 
 nerally known in the New Testa 
 ment. The reason why he assumed 
 this name is not certainly known. It 
 was, however, in accordance with the 
 custom of the times. See Note, Acts 
 xiii. 9. The name Saul was Hebrew ; 
 the name Paul was Roman. In ad 
 dressing ai?. epistle to the Romans, he 
 would naturally make use of the name 
 to which they were accustomed, and 
 which would excite no prejudice among 
 ihem. The ancient custom was to be- 
 rrin an epistle with the name of the 
 writer, as Cicero to Varro, &c. We 
 record the name at the end. It may 
 be remarked, however, that the placing 
 the name of the writer at the begin 
 ning of an epistle was always done, and 
 is still, when the letter was one of au 
 thority, or when it conferred any peculiar 
 privileges. Thus in the proclamation 
 of Cyrus (Ezra i. 2), " Thus saith 
 Cyrus, king of Persia," &c. See also 
 Ezra iv. 11; vii. 12. " Artaxerxes, king 
 of kings, unto Ezra the Priest," &c. 
 Dan. iv. 1. The commencement of 
 i letter by an apostle to a Christian 
 church in this manner was peculiarly 
 proper as indicating authority. | Jl 
 servant. This name was that which 
 the Lord Jesus himself directed his 
 disciples to use, as their general appel 
 lation. Matt. x. 25 ; xx. 27. Mark x. 
 44. And it was the customary name 
 which they assumed. Gal. i. 10. Col. I 
 iv. 12. 2 Pet. i. 1. Jude 1. Acts iv. I 
 29. Titus i. 1. James i. 1. The proper , 
 meaning of this word servant, Joy\s?, is [ 
 
 tie, separated c unto the gospel of 
 God, 
 
 2 (Which he had promised 
 
 cAc.13.2. Ga.1.15. 
 
 not slave. It is applicable to servants of 
 any kind, and does not necessarily imply 
 that he to whom it is applied is a slave. 
 Comp. notes on Eph. vi. 5. It is often 
 applied to courtiers, or the officers that 
 serve under a king; because in an east 
 ern monarchy the relation of an absolute 
 king to his courtiers corresponded nearly 
 to that of a master and a servant. Thus 
 the word is expressive of dignity and 
 honour; and the servants of a king 
 denote officers of a high rank and sta 
 tion. It is applied to the prophets as 
 those who were honoured by God, 01 
 peculiarly intrusted by him with office. 
 Deut. xxxiv. 5. Josh. i. 2. Jer. xxv. 4. 
 The name is also given to the Messiah, 
 Isa. xlii. 1, " Behold my servant in 
 whom my soul delighteth," &c. liii. 
 11," Shall my righteous servant justify 
 many." The apostle uses it here evi 
 dently to denote his acknowledging 
 Jesus Christ as his master ; as indi 
 cating his dignity, as peculiarly appoint 
 ed by him to his great work ; and a? 
 showing that in this epistle he intended 
 to assume no authority of his own, but 
 simply to declare the will of his master, 
 and theirs. If Called to be an apos 
 tle. This word c-alled means here not 
 merely to be invited, but has the sense 
 of appointed. It indicates that he had 
 not assumed the office himself, but that 
 tie was set apart to it by the authority 
 of Christ himself. It was important foi 
 Paul to state this, (1.) Because the other 
 apostles had been called or chosen to 
 this work (John xv. 16. 19. Matt. x. 
 1. Luke vi. 13) ; and (2.) Because Paul 
 was not one of those originally appoint 
 ed. It was of consequence for him, 
 therefore, to affirm that he had not 
 taken this high office to himself, but 
 that he had been called to it b) the au- 
 11 
 
afore by his prophets in the holy 
 scriptures,) 
 
 thority of Jesus Christ. His appoint 
 ment to this office he not unfrequently 
 takes occasion to vindicate. 1 Cor. ix. 
 l,&c. Gal. i. 12 24. 2 Cor. xii. 12. 
 1 Tim. ii. 7. 2 Tim. i. 11. Rom. xi. 13. 
 ] Jin apostle. One sent to execute a 
 commission. It is applied because the 
 apostles were sent out by Jesus Christ 
 to preach his gospel, and to establish 
 his church. Note, Matt x. 2. Luke vi. 
 1 3. t Separated. The word trans 
 lated separated unto, Wiu>, means to 
 designate, to mark out by fixed limits, to 
 bound as a field, &c. It denotes those 
 who are separated, or called out from 
 the common mass. Acts xix. 9. 2 Cor. 
 vi. 17. The meaning here does not 
 materially differ from the expression, 
 called to be an apostle, except that 
 perhaps this includes the notion of the 
 purpose or designation of God to this 
 work. Thus Paul uses the same word 
 respecting himself. Gal. i. 15, " God, 
 who separated me from my mother s 
 womb, and called me by his grace," 
 i. e. God designated me ; marked me 
 out ; or designed that I should be an 
 apostle from my infancy. In the same 
 way Jeremiah was designated to be a 
 prophet. Jer. i. 5. ^ Unto the gos 
 pel of God. Designated or designed 
 by God that I should make it my busi 
 ness to preach the gospel. Set apart to 
 this, as the peculiar, great work of my 
 life; as having no other object for 
 which I should live. For the meaning 
 of the \vordgospel, see Note, Matt. i. 1. 
 It is called the gospel of God because it 
 is his appointment ; it has been origi 
 nated by him, and has his authority. 
 The office of an apostle was to preach 
 the gospel. Paul regarded himself as 
 separated to this work. It was not to 
 livo in splendour, wealth, and ease, but 
 to devote himself to this great business 
 of proclaiming good news, that God was 
 reconciled to men in his Son. This is 
 the sole ousiness of all ministers of 
 religion. 
 
 2. jrhich he had promised afore. 
 Which gospel, or which doctrines, he 
 
 ROMANS. [A D. G5 
 
 3 Concerning his Son Jesus 
 Christ our Lord, which was 
 
 had before announced. Tf By the. 
 prophets. The word prophets here is 
 used to include those who -wrote as 
 well as those who spake. It included 
 the teachers of the ancient Jews gene 
 rally. Tf In the holy scriptures. In 
 the -writings of the Old Testament 
 They were called holy because they 
 were inspired of the Holy Ghost, and 
 were regarded as separated from all 
 other writings, and worthy of all reve 
 rence. The apostle here declares that 
 he was not about to advance any thing 
 ne-w. His doctrines were in accordance 
 with the acknowledged oracles of God. 
 Though they might appear to be new, 
 yet he regarded the gospel as entirely 
 consistent with all that had been de 
 clared in the Jewish dispensation ; and 
 not only consistent, but as actually 
 promised there. He affirms, therefore, 
 (1.) That all this was promised, and no 
 small part of the epistle is employed to 
 show this. (2.) That it was confirmed 
 by the authority of holy and inspired 
 men. (3.) That it depended on no 
 vague and loose tradition, but was re 
 corded, so that men might examine for 
 themselves. The reason why the apostle 
 was so anxious to show that his doc 
 trine coincided with the Old Testament 
 was, because the church at Rome was 
 made up in part of Jews. He wished to 
 show them, and the remainder of his 
 countrymen, that the Christian religion 
 was built on the foundation of their 
 prophets, and their acknowledged writ 
 ings. So doing, he would disarm 
 their prejudice, and furnish a proof 
 of the truth of religion. It was a con 
 stant position with the apostle that 
 he advanced nothing but what was 
 maintained by the best and holiest men 
 of the . nation. Acts xxvi. 22, 23. 
 " Saying none other things than those 
 which the prophetb and Moses did say 
 should come," &c. There was a fur 
 ther reason here for his appealing so 
 much to the Old Testament. He had 
 never been at Rome. He was there, 
 fore personally a stranger, and H was 
 
A D. CO.] 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 proper for him then especially to show ] xxi. 9. 15 , xxii. 42. 45. John vii. 42 
 
 2 Tim. ii. 8. As the Jews universally 
 believed that the Messiah would be de 
 scended from David (John vii. 42). 
 it was of great importance for the sa 
 cred writers to make it out clearly that 
 Jesus of Nazareth was of that line and 
 family. Hence it happened, that though 
 our Saviour was humble, and poor, and 
 obscure, yet he had that on which no 
 small part of the world have been ac 
 customed so much to pride themselves, 
 an illustrious ancestry. To a Jew 
 there could be scarcely any honour so 
 high as to be descended from the best 
 of their kings ; and it shows how little 
 the Lord Jesus esteemed the honours of 
 this world, that he could always evince 
 his deep humility in circumstances 
 where men are usually proud ; and that 
 when he spoke of the honours of this 
 world, and told how little they were 
 worth, he was not denouncing that 
 which was not within his reach. 
 1 According to the flesh. The word 
 flesh, <rdg, is used in the Scriptures in 
 a great variety of significations. (1.) 
 It denotes, as with us, the flesh literal 
 ly of any living being. Luke xxiv. 39, 
 " A spirit hath not flesh and bones," 
 &c. (2.) The animal system, the body 
 including flesh and bones, the visible 
 part of man, in distinction from the in 
 visible, or the soul. Actsii. 31, " Nei 
 ther did hisfles ti" (his body) "see cor 
 ruption." 1 Cor. v. 5; xv. 39. (3.) 
 The man, the whole animated system, 
 body and soul. Rom. viii. 3, " In the 
 likeness of sinful flesh." 1 Cor.xv. 50. 
 Matt. xvi. 17. Luke iii. 6. (4.) Hu 
 man nature. As a man. Thus, Acts 
 ii. 30, " God had sworn with an oath 
 that of the fruit of his loins according 
 to the flesh, i. e. in his human nature, 
 he would raise up Christ to sit on his 
 throne." Rom. ix. 5, " Whose aie the 
 fathers, and of whom as concerning 
 the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, 
 God blessed for ever." The same is its 
 meaning here. He was a descendant 
 
 his regard for the doctrines of the pro 
 phets. Hence he appeals here so often 
 to the Old Testament; and defends 
 every point by the authority of the 
 Uihle. The particular passages of the 
 Old Testament on which he relied 
 will come before us in the course of 
 i lie epistle. See particularly ch. iii. iv. 
 ix. x. xi. We may see here, (1.) The 
 reverence which Paul showed for the 
 Old Testament. He never under 
 valued it. He never regarded it as obso 
 lete, or useless. He manifestly studied 
 it ; and never fell into the impious opi 
 nion that the Old Testament is of little 
 value. (2.) If these things were pro 
 mised predicted in the Old Testament, 
 then Christianity is true. Every pas 
 sage which he adduces is therefore 
 proof that it is from God. 
 
 3. Concerning his Son. This is con 
 nected with the first verse, with the 
 word gospel. The gospel of God con 
 cerning his Son. The design of the gos 
 pel was to make a communication rela 
 tive to his Son Jesus Christ. This is 
 the whole of it. There is no good news 
 to man respecting salvation except 
 that which comes by Jesus Christ. 
 f Which was made. The word trans 
 lated tvas made means usually to be, 
 or to become. It is used, however, in 
 the sense of being born. Thus, Gal. 
 iv. 4, " God sent forth his Son made 
 of a woman," born of a woman. 
 John viii. 58, "Before Abraham was 
 [born], I am." In this sense it seems 
 to be used here, who was born, or 
 descended from the seed of David. 
 H Of the seed of David. Of the pos 
 terity or lineage of David. He was a 
 descendant of David. David was per 
 haps the most illustrious of the kings 
 of Israel. The promise to him was 
 that there should not fail a man to sit 
 on this throne. 1 Kings ii. 4 ; viii. 25 ; 
 ix. 5. 2 Chron. vi. 16. This ancient 
 promise was understood as referring to 
 the Messiah, and hence in the New 
 
 Testament he is called the descendant of David in his human nature, or as a 
 of David, and so much pains is taken | man. This implies, of course, that he 
 
 to show that he was of his line. Luke 
 1 27. Matt. ix. 27; xv. 22; xii. 23; 
 B 
 
 had another nature besides his human 
 or that while he was a man he was 
 
14 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 made of the seed of David ac 
 cording to the flesh ; 
 
 also something else ; that there was a 
 nature in which he was not descended 
 from David. That this is its meaning 
 will still further appear by the follow 
 ing observations. (1.) The apostle 
 expressly makes a contrast between 
 his condition according to the flesh, 
 and that according to the spirit of 
 holiness. (2.) The expression "ac 
 cording to the flesh" is applied to no 
 other one in the New Testament but 
 to Jesus Christ. Though the word 
 flesh often occurs, and is often used to 
 denote man, yet the peculiar expression 
 according to the flesh occurs in no 
 other connexion. In all the Scriptures 
 it is never said of any prophet or apos 
 tle, any lawgiver or king, or any man in 
 any capacity, that he came in the flesh, 
 or that he was descended from certain 
 ancestors according to the flesh. Nor 
 is such an expression ever used any 
 where else. If it were applied to a 
 mere man, we should instantly ask in 
 what other way could he come than in 
 the flesh ] Has he a higher nature 1 
 Is he an angel, or a seraph 1 The ex 
 pression would be unmeaning. And 
 when, therefore, it is applied to Jesus 
 Christ, it implies, if language has any- 
 meaning, that there -was a sense in 
 which Jesus was not descended from 
 David. What that was, appears in the 
 next verse. 
 
 4. Jlnd declared. In the margin, 
 determined. Tcy c^rS-jy-ro?. The an 
 cient Syriac has, " And he was kno-tvn 
 to be the Son of God by might and by 
 (he Holy Spirit, who rose from the 
 house of the dead." The Latin Vul 
 gate, " Who was predestinated the 
 Son of God," &c. The Arabic, " The 
 Son of God destined by power pecu 
 liar to the Holy Spirit," &c. The 
 word translated " declared to be" means 
 properly to bound, to fix limits to, as 
 to a field, to determine its proper limits 
 or boundaries, to define, &c. Acts xvii. 
 20, " And hath determined the bounds 
 of their habitation." Hence it means 
 
 [A. D.65. 
 declared b to bt the 
 
 4 And 
 Son of God with power, accord- 
 
 1 determined. b Ac.13.33,34. Re.l.lS. 
 
 to determine, constitute, ordain, decree ; 
 . e. to fix or designate the proper 
 boundaries of a truth, or a doctrine ; 
 to distinguish its lines and marks from 
 error ; or to shew, or declare a thing 
 to be so by any action. Luke xxii. 22, 
 " The Son of man goeth as it was 
 determined," as it was fixed, purposed, 
 defined, in the purpose of God, and de 
 clared in the prophets. Acts ii. 23, 
 " Him being delivered by the deter* 
 minate counsel" the definite, consti 
 tuted will, or design of God. xi. 29. 
 Heb. iv. 7, " He limiteth a certain 
 day," fixes it, defines it. In this sense 
 it is clearly used in this place. The act 
 of raising him from the dead designat 
 ed him, or constituted him the Son of 
 God. It was such an act as in the cir- 
 cumstajices of the case showed that he 
 was the Son of God in regard to a na 
 ture which was not " according to the 
 flesh." The ordinary resurrection of 
 a man, like that of Lazarus, would not 
 show that he was the Son of God ; but 
 in the circumstances of Jesus Christ 
 it did ; for he had claimed to be so ; 
 he had taught it ; and God now attested 
 the truth of his teaching by raising 
 him from the dead, f The Son of 
 God. The word son is used in a 
 great variety of senses, denoting lite 
 rally a son, then a descendant, posteri 
 ty near or remote, a disciple or ward, 
 an adopted son, or one that imitates or 
 resembles another. See Note, Matt. i. 
 1. The expression so?is of God, or 
 son of God, is used in an almost equal 
 latitude of signification. It is, (1.) 
 Applied to Adam, as being immediately 
 created by God without an earthly 
 father. Luke iii. 38. (2.) It is applied 
 to saints or Christians, as being adopted 
 into his family, and sustaining to him 
 the relation of children. John i. 12, 
 13. 1 John iii. 1, 2, &c. This name 
 is given to them because they resemble 
 him in their moral character. Matt. v. 
 45. (3.) It is given to strong men as 
 resembling God in strength. Gen. vi 
 
A D. 63.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 15 
 
 2, " The sons of God saw the daugh 
 ters of men," &c. Here these men of 
 violence and strength are called sons 
 of God, just as the high hills are call 
 ed hills of God, the lofty trees of 
 Lebanon are called cedars of God, 
 &c. (4.) Kings are sometimes called 
 his sons, as resembling him in dominion 
 and power. Ps. Ixxxii. 6. (5.) The 
 name is given to angels, because they 
 resemble God ; because he is their Crea 
 tor and Father, &c. Job i. 6; ii. 1. 
 Dan. Hi. 25. 
 
 But the name THE Son of God is in 
 the New Testament given by way of 
 eminence to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 This was the common and favourite 
 name by which the apostles designated 
 him. The expression Son of God is 
 applied to him no less than twenty- 
 seven times in the Gospels and the 
 Acts of the Apostles, and fifteen times 
 in the Epistles and the Revelation. 
 The expression my son, and his son, 
 thy son, &c. is applied to him in his 
 peculiar relation to God, times almost 
 without number. The other most com 
 mon appellation which is given to him 
 is Son of man. By this name he com 
 monly designated himself. There can 
 be no doubt that that was assumed to 
 denote that he was a man, that he sus 
 tained a peculiar relation to man, and 
 that he chose to speak of himself as a 
 man. The first, the most obvious, im 
 pression on the use of the name Son of 
 man is that he was truly a man, and 
 it was used doubtless to guard against 
 the impression that one who manifest 
 ed so many other qualities, and did so 
 many things like a celestial being, was 
 not truly a human being. The phrase 
 Son of God stands in contrast with 
 the title Son of man, and as the natu 
 ral and obvious import of that is that 
 he was a man, so the natural -and ob- 
 ; ious import of the title Son of God is 
 that he was divine ; or that fie sus 
 tained relations to God designated by 
 the name SON OE GOB, corresponding 
 to the relations -which he sustained 
 to man designated by the name SON 
 OF MAN. The natural idea of the term 
 Son of God therefore is, that he sus- 
 
 tained a relation to God in his nature 
 which implied more than was human 
 01 angelic; which implied equality 
 with God. Accordingly, this idea was 
 naturally suggested to the Jews by his 
 calling God his Father. John v. 18. 
 " But said also that God was his 
 Father, making himself equal -with 
 God.* This idea Jesus immediately 
 proceeded to confirm. See Note, John 
 v. 19 30. The same idea is also 
 suggested in John x. 29, 30, 31. 33. 
 36. " Say ye of him whom the Father 
 hath sanctified, and sent into the 
 world, thou blasphemest: because 1 
 said I am the Son of God?" There is 
 in these places the fullest proof that 
 the title suggested naturally the idea 
 of equality with God ; or the idea of his 
 sustaining a relation to God cor 
 responding to the relation of equality 
 to man suggested by the title Son of 
 man. This view is still further sustain 
 ed in the first chapter of the epistle to 
 the Hebrews, ver. 1, 2. God hath spoken 
 unto us BY HIS Sox. He is the bright 
 ness of his glory, and the express 
 image of his person, ver. 3. He is high 
 er than the angels, and they are re 
 quired to worship him. ver. 4, 5, 6. He 
 is called God, and his throne is for ever 
 and ever, ver. 8. He is the Creator of the 
 heavens and the earth, and is IMMU 
 TABLY THE SAME, ver. 10, 11, 12. Thus 
 the rank, or title of the Son of God 
 suggests the ideas and attributes of the 
 Divinity. This idea is sustained 
 throughout the New Testament. See 
 John xiv. 9. " He that hath seen me 
 hath seen the Father." v. 23. " That 
 all men shall honour the Son even as. 
 they honour the Father." Col. i. 19, 
 "It hath pleased the Father that in him 
 should all fulness dwell." ii. 9, " For in 
 him d welleth all the fulness of the God 
 head bodily ." Phil. ii. 211. Rev. v 1 3, 
 14 ; ii. 23. It is not affirmed that this 
 title was given to the second person of 
 the Trinity before he became incarnate, 
 or to suggest the idea of any derivation 
 or extraction before he was made flesh. 
 There is no instance in which the ap 
 pellation is not conferred to express his 
 relation after he assumed human flesh 
 
Irt 
 
 Of any tisrivation from God, or ema 
 nation from him in eternity, the Scrip 
 tures are silent. The title is conferred 
 on him, it is supposed, with reference 
 to his condition in this world, as the 
 Messiah. And it is conferred, it is be 
 lieved, for the following reasons, or to 
 denote the following things, viz: (1.) 
 To designate his peculiar relation to 
 God, as equal with him (John i. 14, 
 18. Matt. xi. 27. Luke x. 22; iii. 22. 
 2 Pet. i. 17), or as sustaining a most 
 intimate and close connexion with him, 
 such as neither man nor angels could 
 do, an acquaintance with his nature 
 (Matt. xi. 27), plans, and counsels, such 
 as no being but one who was equal 
 with God could possess. In this sense, 
 I regard it as conferred on him in the 
 passage under consideration. (2.) It 
 designates him as the anointed king, or 
 the Messiah. In this sense it accords 
 with the use of the word in Ps. Ixxxii. 
 6. See Matt. xvi. 16. " Thou art the 
 Christ, the Son of the living God" 
 Matt. xxvi. 63. " I adjure thee by the 
 living God, that thou tell us whether 
 thou be the Christ, the Son of God" 
 Mark xiv. 61. Luke xxii. 70. John i. 
 34. Acts ix. 20. " He preached Christ 
 in the synagogues, that he is the Son 
 of God" (3.) It was conferred on 
 him to denote his miraculous concep 
 tion in the womb of the Virgin Mary. 
 Luke i. 35. " The Holy Ghost shall 
 come upon thee, THKKEFORE (tf) also 
 that holy thing which shall be born of 
 thee shall be called the Son of God." 
 1 With po-wer. iv Swdfttt. By some, 
 this expression has been supposed to 
 mean in power or authority, after his 
 resurrection from the dead. It is said, 
 that he was before a man of sorrows ; 
 now he was clothed with power and 
 authority. But I have seen no in 
 stance in which the expression 271 po-wer 
 denotes office, or authority It denotes 
 physical energy and might, and this 
 was bestowed on Jesus before his 
 resurrection as well as after. Acts x. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 63 
 
 ment. Matt, xxh . 30. If there is an} 
 passage in which the word po-wer 
 means authority, office, &c. it is Matt. 
 xxviii. 18. " All power in heaven and 
 earth is given unto me." But this ig 
 not a power which was given unto 
 him after his resurrection, or which he 
 did not possess before. The same au 
 thority to commission his disciples he 
 had exercised before this on the same 
 ground. Matt. x. 7, 8. I am inclined 
 to believe, therefore, that the expression 
 means po-werfully, efficiently ; he was 
 with great power, or conclusiveness, 
 shown to be the Son of God by his 
 resurrection from the dead. Thus the 
 phrase in po-wer is used to qualify a 
 
 verb in Col. i. 
 
 Which worketh in 
 
 in me mightily" Greek, in power, i. e. 
 operating in me effectually, or power 
 fully. The ancient versions seem to 
 have understood it in the same way. 
 Syriac, " He was known to be the 
 Son of God by power, and by the Holy 
 Ghost." JEthiopic, " Whom he de 
 clared to be the Sou of God by his own 
 power, and by his Holy Spirit," &c. 
 Jlrabic, "Designated the Son of God 
 by power appropriate to the Holy 
 Spirit." 1 According to the spirit of 
 holiness. Kcira Tntjjusi ayteeo-Jvas. This 
 expression has been variously under 
 stood. We may arrive at its meaning 
 by the following considerations. (1.) 
 It is not the third person in the Trinity 
 that is referred to here. The designa 
 tion of that person is always in dif 
 
 ferent form. 
 Holy Ghost, 
 
 It is the Holy Spirit, the 
 ay}ov, or TO 
 
 TC ayiov ; never the spirit of holiness. 
 (2.) It stands in contrast with the 
 Jlesh. ver. 3, According to the flesh, 
 the seed of David: acco.ding to the 
 spirit of holiness, the Son of God. 
 As the former refers doubtless to his 
 human nature, so this must refer to the 
 nature designated by the title Son of 
 God, that is, to his superior or divine 
 nature. (3.) The expression is alto 
 gether peculiar to the Lord Jesus 
 
 08. " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth | Christ. Nowhere in the Scriptures, 
 with the Holy Ghost, and -with po-wer" or in any other writings, is there an 
 Korn. xv. 19. 1 Cor. xv. 43. With affirmation like this. What would be 
 ?ic/i power Jesus will come to judg- meant by it if affirmed of a mere man ? 
 
A. D 63.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 17 
 
 (4.) It cannot mean tnat the Holy I 
 Spirit, the third person in the Trinity, 
 jhowed that Jesus was the Son of 
 God by raising him from the dead, be 
 cause that act is nowhere attributed to 
 him. It is uniformly ascribed either to 
 God, as God (Acts ii. 24. 32; iii. 15. 
 26; iv. 10; v. 30; x. 40; xiii. 30. 33, 
 34;xvii. 31. Rom.x.9. Eph.i.20), or 
 to the Father (Rom. vi. 4), or to Jesus 
 himself (John x. 18). In no instance 
 is this act ascribed to the Holy Ghost. 
 (5.) It indicates a state far more eleva 
 ted than any human dignity, or honour. 
 In regard to his earthly descent, he was 
 of a royal race ; in regard to the Spirit 
 of holiness, much more than that, he 
 was the Son of God. (6.) The word 
 Spirit is used often to designate God, 
 the holy God, as distinguished from 
 all the material forms of idol worship. 
 John iv. 24. (7.) The word Spirit is 
 applied to the Messiah, in his more 
 elevated or divine nature. 1 Cor. xv. 
 45, " The last Adam was made a 
 quickening Spirit." 2 Cor. iii. 17, 
 " Now the Lord (Jesus) is that Spirit." 
 Heb. ix. 14. Christ is said to have 
 " offered himself through, the eternal 
 Spirit" 1 Peter iii. 18. He is said to 
 have been " put to death in the flesh, 
 but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Tim. 
 iii. 16. He is said to have been "jus 
 tified in the Spirit." In most of these 
 passages there is the same contrast 
 noticed between his Jlesh, his human 
 nature, and his other state, which 
 occurs in Rom. i. 3, 4. In all these 
 instances, the design is, doubtless, to 
 speak of him as a man, and as some 
 thing more than a man : he was one 
 thing as a man ; ho was another thing 
 in his other nature. In the one, he 
 was of David ; was put to death, &c. 
 In the other, he was of God, he was 
 manifested to be such, he was re 
 stored to the elevation which he had 
 sustained before his incarnation and 
 death. John xvii. 1 5. Phil. ii. 2 1 1 . 
 The expression accosting to the Spi 
 rit of holiness does not indeed of itself 
 imply divinity. It denotes that holy 
 and more exalted nature which he 
 possessed as distinguished from the hu- 
 02 
 
 man. What that is, is to be learned 
 from other declarations. This expres- 
 sio7i implies simply that it -was such 
 as to make proper the appellation, 
 the Son of God. Other places, as we 
 have seen, show that that designation 
 naturally implied divinity. And that 
 this was the true idea couched under 
 the expression, according to the Spirit 
 of holiness, appears from those nume 
 rous texts of Scripture which explicitly 
 assert his divinity. See John i. 1, &c. 
 and the Note on that place. T By 
 the resurrection from the dead. This 
 has been also variously understood. 
 Some have maintained that the word 
 by, t, denotes AFTER. He was declared 
 to be the Son of God in power after he 
 rose from the dead ; that is, he was 
 solemnly invested with the dignity thai 
 became the Son of G od after he had been 
 so long in a state of voluntary humilia 
 tion. But to this view there are some 
 insuperable objections. (1.) It is not 
 the natural and usual meaning of the 
 word by. (2.) It is not the object of the 
 apostle to state the time when the 
 thing was done, or the order, but 
 evidently to declare the fact, and the 
 evidence of the fact. If such had been 
 his design, he would have said that 
 previous to his jjeath he was shown 
 to be of the seed of David, but after- 
 wards that he was invested with 
 power. (3.) Though it must be ad 
 mitted that the preposition by, e, some 
 times means AFTEH (Matt. xix. 20, 
 Luke viii. 27 ; xxiii. 8, &c.), yet its 
 proper and usual meaning is to denote 
 the efficient cause, or the agent, or 
 origin of a thing. Matt. i. 3. 18; xxi. 
 25. John iii. 5. Rom. v. 16. Rom. xi. 
 36, " OF him are all things." 1 Cor. 
 viii. 6, " One God, the Father, OF whom 
 are all things," &c. In this sense, I 
 suppose it is used here ; and that the 
 apostle means to affirm that he was 
 clearly or decisively shown to be the 
 Son of God by his resurrection from 
 the dead. But here will it be asked 
 hotv did his resurrection show this"? 
 Was not Lazarus raised from the dead 1 
 And did not many saints rise also after 
 Jesus 1 And were not the dead raised 
 
18 
 
 ROMANS, 
 
 [A. D. 03 
 
 mg to the spirit of holiness, by 
 the resurrection from the dead : 
 
 by the apostles ; by Elijah, by the 
 bones of Elisha, and by Christ himself! 
 And did their being raised prove that 
 they were the sons of God 1 I answer 
 that the mere fact of the resurrection of 
 the body proves nothing in itse f about 
 the character and rank of the being 
 that is raised. But in the circumstances 
 in which Jesus was placed it might 
 show it conclusively. When Lazarus 
 was raised, it was not in attestation of 
 any thing which he had taught or 
 done. It was a mere display of the 
 power and benevolence of Christ. But 
 in regard to the resurrection of Jesus, 
 let the following circumstances be 
 taken into the account. (1.) He came 
 as the Messiah. (2.) He uniformly 
 taught that he was the Son of God. 
 (3.) He maintained that God was his 
 Father in such a sense as to imply 
 equality with him. John v. 17 30 ; 
 x. 36. (4.) He claimed authority to 
 abolish the laws of the Jews, to change 
 their customs, and to be himself ab 
 solved from the observance of those 
 laws, even as his Father was. John v. 
 l_17. Markii. 28. (5.) When God 
 raised him up therefore, it was not an 
 ordinary event. It was a public at 
 testation, in the face of the universe, 
 of the truth of his claims to be the 
 Son of God. God would not sanction 
 the doings and doctrines of an impos 
 tor. And when, therefore, he raised up 
 Jesus, he, by this act, showed the truth 
 of his claims, that he was the Son of 
 God. Further; in the view of the 
 apostles, the resurrection was inti 
 mately connected with the ascension 
 and exaltation of Jesus. The one 
 made the other certain. And it is not 
 impiobable that when they spoke of 
 his resurrection, they meant to include, 
 not merely that single act, but the entire 
 series of doings of which that was the 
 first, and which was the pledge of the 
 elevation and majesty of the Son of 
 God. Hence, when they had proved 
 Ills resurrection, they assumed that all 
 
 5 By whom we have received 
 grace and apostleship, * for obe- 
 
 1 or, to the obedience of faith. 
 
 the others would follow. That involved 
 and supposed all. And the series, of 
 which that was the first, proved that 
 he was the Son of God. See Acts xvii. 
 31. " He will judge the world in right 
 eousness by that man whom he hath 
 ordained, whereof he hath given AS 
 SURANCE to all men, in that he hath 
 raised him from the dead" The one 
 involves the other. See Acts i. 6. Thus 
 Peter (Acts ii. 22 32) having proved 
 that Jesus was raised up, adds, ver. 33, 
 " THEREFORE, being by the right hand 
 exalted, he hath shed forth this," &c. ; 
 and ver. 36, " THEREFORE, let all the 
 house of Israel KNOW ASSUREDLY that 
 God hath made that same Jesus whom 
 ye have crucified, BOTH LORD AND 
 CHRIST." 
 
 This verse is a remarkable instance 
 of the apostle Paul s manner of writing. 
 Having mentioned a subject, his mind 
 seems to catch fire ; he presents it in 
 new forms, and amplifies it, until he 
 seems to forget for a time the subject 
 on which he was writing. It is from 
 this cause that his writings abound so 
 with parentheses, and that there is so 
 much difficulty in following and un 
 derstanding him. 
 
 5. By -whom. The apostle here re 
 turns to the subject of the salutation of 
 the Romans, and states to them his au 
 thority to address them. That au 
 thority he had derived from the Lord 
 Jesus, and not from man. On this 
 fact, that he had received his apostolic 
 commission, not from man, but by the 
 direct authority of Jesus Christ, Paul 
 not unfrequently insisted. Gal. i. 12, 
 " For I neither received it of man, nei 
 ther was I taught it, but by revelation 
 of Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. xv. 18 
 Eph. iii. 13. 1 We. The plural 
 here is probably put for the singular. 
 See Col. iv. 3. Comp. Eph. vi. 1 9, 20. 
 It was usual for those who were clothed 
 with authority to express themselves in 
 this manner. Perhaps here, however 
 he refers to the general nature of the 
 
A. D. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 dience to the faith among all 
 nations, for his name : 
 
 6 Among whom are ye also 
 
 a Ac.6.7. c.16.26. 
 
 apostolic office, as being derived from 
 Jesus Christ, and designs to assure the 
 Romans that he had received the apos 
 tolic commission as the others had. 
 We, the apostles, have received the 
 appointment from Jesus Christ. 
 *k Grace and apostleship. Many sup 
 pose that this is a figure of speech, lien- 
 diadyu, by which one thing is express 
 ed by two words, meaning the grace 
 or favour of the apostolic office. Such a 
 figure of speech is often used. But it 
 may mean, as it does probably here, the 
 two things, grace, or the favour of God 
 to his own soul, as a personal matter ; 
 and the apostolic office as a distinct 
 thing. He often, however, speaks of 
 the office of the apostleship as a mat 
 ter of special favour. Rom. xv. 15, 16. 
 Gal. ii. 9. Eph. iii. 7, 8, 9. 1 For 
 obedience to the faith. In order to 
 produce, or promote obedience to the 
 faith ; that is, to induce them to render 
 that obedience to God which faith 
 produces. There are two things there 
 fore implied. (1.) That the design 
 of the gospel and of the apostleship 
 is to induce men to obey God. (2.) 
 That the tendency of faith is to pro 
 duce obedience. There is no true faith 
 which does not produce that. This is 
 constantly affirmed in the New Testa 
 ment. Rom. xv. 18; xvi. 19. 2 Cor. 
 vii. 15. James ii. ^f Jlmong all nations. 
 This was the original commission which 
 Jesus gave to his apostles. Mark xvi. 15, 
 16. Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. This was the 
 special commission which Paul re 
 ceived when he was converted. Acts 
 ix. 15. It was important to show that 
 the commission extended thus far, as 
 he was now addressing a distant church 
 which he had not seen. T For his 
 name. This means probably on his 
 account, that is, on account of Christ. 
 John xiv. 13, 14; xvi. 23,24. The 
 design of the apostleship was to pro 
 duce obedience to the gospel among all 
 , that thus the name of Jesus 
 
 the called of Jesus Christ : 
 
 7 To all that be in Rome, be 
 loved of G od, called b to be saints : 
 
 i 1 Cor.1.2. lTh.4.7. 
 
 might be honoured. Their work WAS 
 not one in which they were seek 
 ing to honour themselves, lut it waa 
 solely for the honour and glory of 
 Jesus Christ. For him they toiled, 
 they encountered perils, they laid down 
 their lives, because by so doing they 
 might bring men to obey the gospel, 
 and thus Jesus Christ might wear a 
 brighter crown, and be attended by a 
 longer and more splendid train of wor 
 shippers in the kingdom of his glory. 
 
 6. Jlmong -whom. That is, among 
 the Gentiles who had become obedient 
 to the Christian faith in accordance 
 with the design of the gospel, ver. 8. 
 This proves that the church at Rome 
 was made up partly at least, if not main 
 ly, of Gentiles or pagans. This is fully 
 proved in the xvith chapter by the names 
 of the persons whom Paul salutes. 
 1 The called of Jesus Christ. Those 
 whom Jesus Christ has called to be 
 his followers. The word called (see 
 ver. 1) denotes not merely an exter 
 nal invitation to a privilege, but it also 
 denotes the internal or effectual call 
 which secures conformity to the will 
 of him who calls, and is thus synony 
 mous with the name Christians, or 
 believers. That true Christians are 
 contemplated by this address, is clear 
 from the whole scope of the epistle. 
 See particularly ch. viii. Comp. Phil, 
 iii. 14. Heb. iii. 1. 
 
 7. To ail that be in Rome. That 
 is, to all who bear the Christian name. 
 Perhaps he here included not only the 
 church at Rome, but all who might 
 have been there from abroad. Rome 
 was a place of vast concourse for 
 foreigners ; and Paul probably address 
 ed all who happened to be there. ^ JJe- 
 loved of God. Whom God loves. 
 This is the privilege of all Christians. 
 And this proves that the persons whom 
 Paul addressed were not those merely 
 who had been invited to the external 
 privileges of the gospel. The import 
 
20 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 ance of this observation will appear 
 in the progress of these Notes. "J Call 
 ed to be saints. So called, or in 
 fluenced by God who had called them, 
 as to become saints. The word saints, 
 a-, 101, means those who are holy, or 
 those who are devoted or consecrated 
 to God. The radical idea of the word 
 is that which is separated from a com 
 mon to a sacred use, and answers to 
 the Hebrew word, CM I^ kados/i. It 
 is applied to any thing that is set apart 
 to the service of God, to the temple, to 
 the sacrifices, to the utensils about 
 the temple, to the garments, &c. of 
 the priests, and to the priests them 
 selves. It was applied to the Jews as 
 a people separated from other nations, 
 and devoted or consecrated to God, 
 while other nations were devoted to the 
 service of idols. It is also applied to 
 Christians, as being a people devoted 
 or set apart to the service of God. The 
 radical idea then, as applied to Chris 
 tians, is, that they are separated from 
 other men, and other objects and pur 
 suits, and consecrated to the service 
 of God. This is the peculiar charac 
 teristic of the saints. And this cha 
 racteristic the Roman Christians had 
 shown. For the use of the word as 
 stated above, see the following passages 
 of Scripture. Luke ii. 23. Ex. xih. 2. 
 Rom. xi. 16. Matt. vii. 6. 1 Pet. i. 16. 
 Acts ix. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Acts iii. 21. 
 Eph. iii. 5. 1 Pet. ii. 9. Phil. ii. 15. 1 
 John iii. 1, 2. ^ Grace. This word 
 properly means favour. It is very 
 often used in the New Testament, and 
 is employed in the sense of benignity 
 or benevolence ; felicity, or a prosper 
 ous state of affairs ; the Christian reli 
 gion, as the highest expression of the 
 benevolence or favour of God ; the 
 happiness which Christianity confers on 
 its friends in this and the future life ; 
 the apostolic; office ; charity, or alms ; 
 thanksgiving ; joy, or pleasure ; and 
 the benefits produced on the Chris 
 tian s heart and life by religion the 
 grace of meekness, patience, charity, 
 &c. Schleusner. In this place, and 
 in similar places in the beginning of 
 tho apostolic epistles, i* seems to be a 
 
 word including all those blessings that 
 are applicable to Christians in common . 
 denoting an ardent wish that all the 
 nercies and favours of God for time 
 and eternity, blended under the gene 
 ral name grace, may be conferred on 
 them. It is to be understood as con 
 nected with a word implying invoca 
 tion. I pray, or I desire, that grace, 
 &c. may be conferred on you. It is 
 the customary form of salutation in 
 nearly all the apostolic epistles. 1 Cor. 
 i. 3. 2 Cor. i. 2. Gal. i. 3. Eph. i, 2. 
 Phil. i. 2. Col. i. 2. 1 Thess. i. 1. 
 2 Thess. i. 2. Philem.3. ^ And peace. 
 Peace is the state of freedom from 
 war. As war conveys the idea of dis 
 cord and numberless calamities and 
 dangers, so peace is the opposite, and 
 conveys the idea of concord, safety, and 
 prosperity. Thus, to wish one peace 
 was the same as to wish him all safety 
 and prosperity. This form of saluta 
 tion was common among the Hebrews. 
 Gen. xliii. 23, "Peace to you! fear 
 not." Judges vi. 23; xix. 20. Luke 
 xxiv. 36. But the word peace is also 
 used in contrast with that state of agi 
 tation and conflict which a sinner has 
 with his conscience, and with God. 
 The sinner is like the troubled sea 
 which cannot rest. Isa. Ivii. 20. The 
 Christian is at peace with God through 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. v. 1. By 
 this word, denoting reconciliation with 
 God, the blessings of the Christian re 
 ligion are often described in the Scrip 
 tures. Rom. viii. 6; xiv. 17; xv. 13. 
 Gal. v. 22. Phil. iv. 7. A prayer for 
 peace, therefore, in the epistles, is not 
 a mere formal salutation, but has a 
 special reference to those spiritual 
 blessings which result from reconcilia 
 tion with God through the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. \ From God our Father. 
 The Father of all Christians. He is 
 the Father of all his creatures, as they 
 are his offspring. Acts xvii. 28, 29. He 
 is especially the Father of all Christians, 
 as they have been " begotten by him to 
 a lively hope," have been adopted into 
 his family, and are like him. Matt. v. 
 45. 1 Pet. i. 3. 1 John v. 1 ; iii. 1, 2. 
 The expression here is equivalent to a 
 
A.D.CO.] CHAPTER I. 
 
 Grace a to you, and peace, from 
 God our Father, and the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 a !Cor.l.3,kc. 2Pet.l.2. 
 
 prayer that God the Father -would be 
 stow grace and peace on the Romans. 
 It implies that these blessings proceed 
 from God, and are to be expected 
 from him. f And the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. From him. The Lord Jesus 
 Christ is especially regarded in the 
 New Testament as the source of peace, 
 and the procurer of it. See Luke ii. 
 14; xix. 38. 42. John xiv. 27; xvi. 
 33. Acts x. 36. Rom. v. 1. Eph. ii. 17. 
 Each of these places will show with 
 what propriety peace was invoked from 
 the Lord Jesus. From thus connect 
 ing the Lord Jesus with the Father in 
 this place, we may see, (1.) That the 
 apostle regarded him as the source of 
 grace and peace as really as he did the 
 Fa ! her. (2.) He introduced them in the 
 same connexion, and with reference to 
 tin: bestowment of the same blessings. 
 (3.) If the mention of the Father in 
 this connexion implies a prayer to 
 him, or an act of worship, the mention 
 of the Lord Jesus implies the same 
 thing, and was an act of homage to 
 him. (4.) All this shows that his 
 mind was familiarize d to the idea that 
 he was divine. No man would intro 
 duce his name in such connexions if 
 he did not believe that he was equal 
 with God. Comp. Phil. ii. 2 11. It 
 is from this incidental and unstudied 
 manner of expression, that we have one 
 of the most striking proofs of the man 
 ner in which the sacred writers regard 
 ed the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 These seven verses are one sentence. 
 They are a striking instance of the 
 manner of Paul. The subject is sim 
 ply a salutation to the Roman church. 
 But at the mention of some single 
 words, the mind of Paul seems to catch 
 lire, and to burn and blaze with signal 
 intensity. He leaves the immediate 
 subject before him, and advances some 
 vat thought that awes us, and fixes us 
 in contemplation, and involves us in 
 difficulty about his meaning, and then 
 
 8 First, I thank my God 
 through Jesus Christ for you 
 all, that your faith b is spoken 
 
 returns to his subject. This is iha 
 characteristic of his great mind and 
 it is this, among other things, that 
 makes it so difficult to interpret hu 
 writings. 
 
 8. First. In the first place, not in 
 point of importance, but before speak 
 ing of other things, or before proceed 
 ing to the main design of the epistle. 
 1 / thank my God. The God whom 
 I worship and serve. The expression 
 of thanks to God for his mercy to 
 them was fitted to conciliate their 
 feelings, and to prepare them for the 
 truths which he was about to commu 
 nicate to them. It showed the deep 
 interest which he had in their welfare ; 
 and the happiness it would give him to 
 do them good. It is proper to give 
 thanks to God for his mercies to others 
 as well as to ourselves. We are mem 
 bers of one great family, and we should 
 make it a subject of thanksgiving that 
 he confers any blessings, and especially 
 the blessings of salvation, on any mor 
 tals. Tf Through Jesus Christ. The 
 duty of presenting our thanks to God 
 through Christ is often enjoined in the 
 New Testament. Eph. v. 20. Heb. xiii. 
 15. comp. John xiv. 14. Christ is the 
 mediator between God and men ; or 
 the medium by which we are to pre 
 sent our prayers and also our thanks 
 givings. We are not to approach God 
 directly, but through a mediator at all 
 times, depending on him to present 
 our cause before the mercy seat ; to 
 plead for us there ; and to offer the 
 desires of our souls to God. It is no 
 less proper to present thanks in his 
 name, or through him, than it is 
 prayer. He has made the way to God 
 accessible to us, whether it be by prayer 
 or praise ; and it is owing to his mercy 
 and grace that any of our services are 
 acceptable to God. f For you alt, 
 On account of you all, i. e. of the en 
 tire Roman church. This is one evi 
 dence that that church then was rn- 
 
of throughout the whole world. 
 
 9 For God is my witness, 
 
 w horn I serve with 1 my spirit 
 
 i?i the gospel of his Son, that 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 05. 
 
 without ceasing* I make men 
 tion of you always in my prayers; 
 10 Making request if by any 
 means now at length I might 
 
 a Acts 27.23. 1 or, in. 
 
 markably pure. How few churches 
 have there been of whom a similar 
 commendation could be expressed. 
 H That your faith. Faith is put here 
 for the whole of religion, and means 
 the same as your piety. Faith is one 
 of the principal things of religion ; one 
 of its first requirements ; and hence it 
 signifies religion itself. The readiness 
 with which the Romans had embraced 
 the gospel, the firmness with which 
 they adhered to it, was so remarkable, 
 that it was known and celebrated every 
 where. The same thing is affirmed of 
 them in ch. xvi. 19, " For your obedi 
 ence is come abroad unto all men." 
 T Is spoken of. Is celebrated, or 
 known. They were in the capital of 
 the Roman empire ; in a city remark 
 able for its wickedness ; and in a city 
 whose influence extended every where. 
 It was natural, therefore, that their re 
 markable conversion to God should 
 he celebrated every where. The re 
 ligious or irreligious influence of a 
 great city will be felt far and wide, 
 and this is one reason why the apostles 
 preached the gospel so much in such 
 places. Tf Throughout the -whole 
 world. As we say, every where; or 
 throughout the Roman empire. The 
 term world is often thus limited in the 
 Scriptures ; and here it denotes those 
 parts of the Roman empire where the 
 Christian church was established. All 
 the churches would hear of the work 
 of God in the capital, and would re 
 joice in it. Comp. Col. i. 6. 23. John 
 xii. 19. It is not improper to commend 
 Christians, and to remind them of their 
 iniluence ; and especially to call to 
 tl .eir mind the great power which they 
 may have on other churches and peo 
 ple. Nor is it improper that great dis- 
 v ays of divine mercy should be cele 
 brated every whore, and excite in the 
 churches praise to God. 
 
 9. For God is my vitness. The 
 reason of this strong appeal to God is, 
 to show to the Romans the deep inte 
 rest which he felt in their welfare. 
 This interest was manifested in his 
 prayers, and in his earnest desires to 
 see them. A deep interest shown in 
 this way was well fitted to prepare 
 them to receive what he had to say to 
 them. Tf Whom I serve. See ver. 1. 
 comp. Acts xvii. 23. The expression 
 denotes that he was devoted to God 
 in this manner ; that he obeyed him ; 
 and had given himself to do his 
 will in making known his gospel. 
 f With my spirit. Greek, lv, in my 
 spirit, -i. e. with my heart. It is not an 
 external service merely ; it is internal, 
 real, sincere. He was really and sin 
 cerely devoted to the service of God. 
 t In the gospel of his Son. In mak 
 ing known the gospel, or as a minister 
 of the gospel, t That without ceas 
 ing, &5ix.KivrTes. This word means 
 constantly, always, without intermis 
 sion. It was not only once, but re 
 peatedly. It had been the burden of 
 his prayers. The same thing he also 
 mentions in regard to other churches. 
 1 Thess. i. 3; ii. 13. Tf I make men 
 tion. I call you to remembrance, and 
 present your case before God. This 
 evinced his remarkable interest in a 
 church which he had never seen, and 
 it shows that Paul was a man of prayer : 
 praying not for his friends and kindred 
 only, but for those whom he had never 
 seen. If with the same intensity of 
 prayer all Christians, and Christian mi 
 nisters, would remember the churches, 
 what a different aspect would the 
 Christian church soon assume ! ^ Al 
 ways. This word should be con 
 nected with the following verse, " Al 
 ways making request," &c. 
 
 10. Making request. It was his 
 earnest desire to see them, and he pra 
 
. D. 60. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 23 
 
 have a prosperous journey by a 
 
 the will of God to come unto you. 
 
 11 For 6 I long to see you, 
 
 that c I may impart unto you 
 
 a James4.15. b c.15.23,32. c c.15.29. 
 
 seated the subject before God. f If 
 ly any means. This shows the earnest 
 desire which he had to see them, and 
 implies that he had designed it, and had 
 been hindered. See ver. 13. \ Now at 
 length. He had purposed it a long 
 time, but had been hindered. He 
 doubtless cherished this purpose for 
 years. The expressions in the Greek 
 imply an earnest wish that this long 
 cherished purpose might be accom 
 plished before long, t JL prosperous 
 journey. A safe, pleasant journey. It 
 is right to regard all success in travel 
 ling as depending on God, and to pray 
 for success and safety from danger. 
 Yet all such prayers are not answered 
 according to the letter of the petition. 
 The prayer of Paul that he might see 
 the Romans was granted, but in a re 
 markable way. He was persecuted by 
 the Jews, and arraigned before king 
 Agrippa. He appealed to the Roman 
 emperor, and was taken there in chains 
 as a prisoner. Yet the journey might 
 in this way have a more deep effect on 
 the Romans, than if he had gone in 
 any other way. In so mysterious a 
 manner does God often hear the 
 prayers of his people ; and though 
 their prayers are answered, yet it is in 
 his own time and way. See the last 
 chapters of the Acts. 1 By the -will 
 of God. If God shall grant it ; if God 
 will by his mercy grant me the great 
 favour of my coming to you. This is 
 a proper model of a prayer ; and is in 
 accordance with the direction of the 
 Bible. See James iv. 14, 15. 
 
 11. For^[ long to see you. I ear 
 nestly desire to see you. Comp. ch. xv. 
 23. 32. Tf That I may impart. That 
 I mag^give } or communicate to you. 
 1 Some~~spiritual gift. Some have un 
 derstood this as referring to miraculous 
 gifts, which it was supposed the apos 
 tles had the power of conferring on 
 others. But this interpretation is 
 
 some spiiitual gift, to the end 
 you may be established : 
 
 12 That is, that I may be 
 comforted together with * you by 
 
 1 or, t n. 
 
 forced and unnatural. There is no in 
 stance where this expression denotes 
 the power of working miracles. Be 
 sides, the apostle in the next verse ex 
 plains his meaning, " That I may be 
 comforted together by the mutual 
 faith" &c. From this it appears that 
 he desired to be among them to exer 
 cise the office of the ministry, to esta 
 blish them in the gospel, and to confirm 
 their hopes. He expected that the 
 preaching of the gospel would be the 
 means of confirming them in the faith ; 
 and he desired to be the means of doing 
 it. It was a wish of benevolence, and 
 accords with what he says respecting 
 his intended visit in ch. xv. 29, " And 
 I am sure that when I come, I shall 
 come in the fulness of the blessing of 
 the gospel of Christ." To make 
 known to them more fully the bless 
 ings of the gospel, and thus to impart 
 spiritual gifts, was the design he had in 
 view. 1 To the end, &c. With the 
 design, or purpose. Tf Ye may be 
 established. That is, that they might 
 be confirmed in the truths of the gos 
 pel. This was one design of the minis 
 try, that Christians may be established, 
 or strengthened. Eph. iv. 13. It is 
 not to have dominion over their faith, 
 but to be " helpers of their joy." 2 
 Cor. i. 24. Paul did not doubt that 
 this part of his office might be ful 
 filled among the Romans, and he was 
 desirous there also of making full proof 
 of his ministry. His wish was to preach 
 not simply where he must, but where 
 he might. This is the nature of this 
 work. 
 
 12. That I may be comforted, &c, 
 It was not merely to confirm them that, 
 Paul wished to come. He sought 
 the communion of saints ; he expected 
 to be himself edified and strengthened; 
 and to be comforted by seeing their 
 strength of faith, and their rapid growth 
 in grace We may remark here, (1.) 
 
24 
 
 the mutual a 
 and me. 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A.T 
 
 faith both of you 
 
 13 Now I would not have you 
 ignorant, brethren, that often 
 times I purposed to come unto 
 
 That one effect of religion is to pro 
 duce the desire of the communion of 
 saints. It is the nature of Christianity 
 to seek the society of those who are 
 the friends of Christ. (2.) Nothing is 
 better fitted to produce growth in grace 
 than such communion. Every Chris 
 tian should have one or more Christian 
 friends to whom he may unbosom 
 himself. No small part of the difficul 
 ties which young Christians experience 
 would vanish, if they should commu 
 nicate their feelings and views to 
 others. Feelings which they suppose 
 no Christians ever had, which greatly 
 distress them, they will find are com 
 mon among those who are experienced 
 in the Christian life. (3.) There is 
 nothing better fitted to excite the feel 
 ings, and confirm the hopes of Christian 
 ministers, than the firm faith of young 
 converts, of those just commencing 
 the Christian life. 3 John 4. (4.) The 
 apostle did not disdain to be taught by 
 the humblest Christians. He expected 
 to be strengthened himself by the faith 
 of those just beginning the Christian 
 life. " There is none so poor in the 
 church of Christ, that he cannot make 
 some addition of importance to our 
 stores." Calvin. 
 
 13. That oftentimes I purposed. 
 Sc,e ver. 10. How often he had pur 
 posed this we have no means of ascer 
 taining. The fact, however, that he 
 had done it, showed his strong desire 
 to see them, and to witness the dis 
 plays of the grace of God in the capital 
 of the Roman world. Comp. ch. xv. 
 23, 24. One instance of his having 
 purposed to go to Rome is recorded 
 in Acts xix. 21. " After these things 
 were ended (viz. at Ephesus), Paul 
 purposed in the spirit, when he had 
 jrassed through Macedonia and Achaia 
 to go to Jerusalem ; saying, after I 
 have been there, I must also see 
 
 you, (but was lot hitherto,) that 
 I might have some fruit 4 among 
 you also, even as among other 
 Gentiles. 
 
 14 I am debtor 6 both to tho 
 
 1 or, in. b lCor.9.16. 
 
 Rome." This purpose expressed in 
 this manner in the epistle, and the 
 Acts of the Apostles, has been shown 
 by Dr. Paley (Horse Paulina? on Rom. 
 i. 13) to be one of those undesigned 
 coincidences which strongly show that 
 both books are genuine. Comp. Rom. 
 xv. 23, 24, with Acts xix. 21. A forger 
 of these books would not have thought 
 of such a contrivance as to feign such 
 a purpose to go to Rome at that time, 
 and to have mentioned it in that man. 
 ner. Such coincidences are among 
 the best proofs that can be demanded, 
 that the writers did not intend to im 
 pose on the world. See Paley. ^ But 
 was let hitherto. The word "let" 
 means to hinder, or to obstruct. In 
 what way this was done we do not 
 know, but it is probable that he refers 
 to the various openings for the preach 
 ing of the gospel where he had been, 
 and to the obstructions of various 
 kinds from the enemies of the gospel 
 to the fulfilment of his purposes. 
 1 That I might have some fruit 
 among you. That I might be the 
 means of the conversion of sinners 
 and of the edification of the church in 
 the capital of the Roman empire. It 
 was not curiosity to see the splendid 
 capital of the world that prompted 
 this desire; it was not the love of 
 travel, and of roaming from clime to 
 clime ; it was the specific purpose of 
 doing good to the souls of men. To 
 have fruit means to obtain success in 
 bringing men to the knowledge of 
 Christ. Thus the Saviour said (John 
 xv. 1 6), " I have chosen you, and 
 ordained you that you should bring 
 forth fruit, and that your fruit should 
 remain." 
 
 14, 15. / am debtor. This does 
 not mean that they had conferred any 
 favour on him, which bound him to 
 make this return, but that he was un- 
 
/V. D. 60 1 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Greeks and to the Barbarians, 
 both to the wise and to the un 
 wise. 
 
 15 So, as much as in me is, 
 
 der obligation to preach the gospel to 
 all to whom it was possible. This obli 
 gation arose from the favour that God 
 had shown him in appointing him to 
 this work. He was specially chosen 
 as a vessel to bear the gospel to the 
 Gentiles (Acts ix. 15. Rom. xi. 13), 
 and he did not feel that he had dis 
 charged the obligation until he had 
 made the gospel known as far as pos 
 sible among all the nations of the earth. 
 f To the Greeks. This term properly 
 denotes those who dwelt in Greece. But 
 as the Greeks were the most polished 
 people of antiquity, the term came to 
 be synonymous with the polished, the 
 refined, the wise, as opposed to barba 
 rians. In this place it doubtless 
 means the same as " the wise," and in 
 cludes the Romans also, as it can 
 not be supposed that Paul would de 
 signate the Romans as barbarians. Be 
 sides, the Romans claimed an ongin 
 from Greece, and Dionysius Halicar- 
 nassus (book i.) shows that the 
 Italian and Roman people vere of 
 Greek descent, t Barbarians. All 
 who were not included under the general 
 name of Greeks. Thus Ammonius 
 says that " all who were not Greeks 
 were barbarians." This term barba 
 rian, Ba$^3?, properly denotes one 
 who speaks a foreign language, a 
 foreigner, and the Greeks applied it to 
 all who did not use their tongue. 
 Gomp. 1 Cor. xiv. 11. "I shall be unto 
 him that speaketh, a barbarian," &c. 
 i. e I shall speak a language which 
 he cannot understand. The word did 
 not, therefore, of necessity denote any 
 rusticity of manners, or any want of 
 refinement. ^ To the wise. To 
 those who esteemed themselves to be 
 wise, or who boasted of their wisdom. 
 The term is synonymous with " the 
 Greeks," who prided themselves much 
 n their wisdom. 1 Cor. i. 22, " The 
 Greeks seek after wisdom." Comp. 
 
 lam ready to preach the gospel 
 to you that are at Rome also. 
 
 1 6 For I am not ashamed a 
 of the gospel of Christ : for it is 
 
 a Mark 8.3S. 2Tim.l.8. 
 
 1 Cor. i. 19; iii. 18, 19; iv. 10. 
 
 2 Cor. xi. 19. ^ Un-wisc. Thoso 
 who were regarded as the ignorant 
 and unpolished part of mankind. Tho 
 expression is equivalent to ours, to 
 the learned and the unlearned. It 
 was an evidence of the proper spirit to 
 be willing to preach the gospel to 
 either. The gospel claims to have 
 power to instruct all mankind, and they 
 who are called to preach it, should be 
 able to instruct those who esteem 
 themselves to be wise, and who are 
 endowed with science, learning, and 
 talent ; and they should be -willing to 
 labour to enlighten the most obscure, 
 ignorant, and degraded portions of the 
 race. This is the true spirit of the 
 Christian ministry. 
 
 15. So, as much as in me is. As far 
 as opportunity may be offered, and 
 according to my ability. ^ / am readv, 
 <fec. I am prepared to preach among 
 you, and to show the power of the 
 gospel, even in the splendid metropolis 
 of the world. He was not deterred by 
 any fear; nor was he indifferent to 
 their welfare ; but he was under the 
 direction of God, and as far as he gave 
 him opportunity, he was ready to make 
 known to them the gospel, as he had 
 done at Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, and 
 Corinth. 
 
 This closes the introduction or pre 
 face to the epistle. Having shown his 
 deep interest in their welfare, he pro 
 ceeds in the next verse to state to them 
 the great doctrines of that gospel which 
 ho was desirous of proclaiming to 
 them. 
 
 16. For I am not ashamed, &c 
 The Jews had cast him off, and regard 
 ed him as an apostate ; and by the -wise 
 among the Gentiles he had been per 
 secuted, and despised, and driven from 
 place to place, and regarded as the filth 
 of the world, and the offscouring of all 
 things (1 Cor. iv. 13), but still he was 
 
the power of God unto salva 
 tion, to every one thatbelieveth ; * 
 
 a Jer 23.29. lCor.1.18. i Mark 16.16. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 the Jew first, and also to the 
 
 not ashamed of the gospel. He had 
 so firm a conviction of its value 
 and its truth ; he had experienced so 
 much of its consolations ; and had seen 
 so much of its efficacy ; that he was 
 so far from being ashamed of it that he 
 gloried in it as the power of God unto 
 salvation. Men should be ashamed 
 of crime and folly. They are 
 asnamed of their own offences, and of 
 the follies of their conduct, when they 
 come to reflect on it. But they are 
 not ashamed of that which they feel to 
 be right, and of lhat which they know 
 will contribute to their welfare, and to 
 the benefit of their fellow men. Such 
 were the views of Paul about the gos 
 pel ; and it is one of his favourite doc 
 trines that they who believe on Christ 
 shall not be ashamed. Rom. x. 1 1 ; v. 5. 
 2 Cor. vii. 14. 2 Tim. i. 12. Phil. i. 
 20. Rom. ix. 33. 2 Tim. i. 8. Comp. 
 Mark viii. 38. 1 Peter iv. 16. 1 John 
 ii. 28. 1 Of the gospel. This word 
 means the good news, or the glad in 
 telligence. See Note, Mark i. 1. It is 
 so called because it contains the glad 
 annunciation that sin may be pardoned, 
 and the soul saved. U Of Christ. 
 The good news respecting the Messiah ; 
 or which the Messiah has brought. 
 The expression probably refers to the 
 former, the good news which relates to 
 the Messiah, to his character, advent, 
 preaching, death, resurrection, and 
 ascension. Though this was " to the 
 Jews a stumbling block, and to the 
 Greeks foolishness," yet he regarded it 
 as the only hope of salvation, and was . 
 ready to preach it even in the rich and | 
 splendid capital of the world. \ The 
 poiver of God. This expression means 
 that it is the way in which God exerts 
 his power in the salvation of men. It 
 is the efficacious or mighty plan, by 
 which power goes forth to save, and 
 by which all the obstacles of man s 
 edemption are taken away. This ex 
 pression implies, (1.) That it is God s j 
 plan, or his appointment It is not the 
 
 to 
 
 Greek. 
 
 device of man. (2.) It is adapted t 
 the end. It is fitted to overcome the 
 obstacles in the way. It is not merely 
 the instrument by which God exerts his 
 power, but it has an inherent adapted* 
 ness to the end, it is fitted to accom 
 plish salvation to man so that it may 
 be denominated potver. (3.) It is 
 mighty, hence it is called power, and 
 the power of God. It is not a feeble 
 and ineffectual instrumentality, but it 
 is "mighty to the pulling down of strong 
 holds." 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. It has shown 
 its power as applicable to every degree 
 of sin, to every combination of wick 
 edness. It has gone against the sins 
 of the world, and evinced its power to 
 save sinners of all grades, and to over 
 come and subdue every mighty form 
 of iniquity. Comp. Jer. xxiii. 29, " Is 
 not my word like as a fire saith the 
 Lord ; and like a hammer that break- 
 eth the rock in pieces ?" 1 Cor. i. 18. 
 " The preaching of the cross is to them 
 that perish, foolishness, but unto us 
 which are saved, it is the power of 
 God." Tf Unto salvation. This word 
 means complete deliverance from sin 
 and death, and all the foes and dangers 
 that beset man. It cannot imply any 
 thing less than eternal life. If a man 
 should believe and then fall away, he 
 could in no correct sense be said to 
 be saved. And hence when the apos 
 tle declares that it is the power of God 
 unto salvation " to every one that be- 
 lieveth," it implies that a^who become 
 believers " shall be kept by the power 
 of God through faith unto salvation" 
 (see 1 Pet. i. 5), and that none shall 
 ever fall away and be lost. The apos 
 tle thus commences his discussion with 
 one of the important doctrines of the 
 Christian religion, the final preser 
 vation of the saints. He is not de 
 fending the gospel for any temporary 
 object, or with any temporary hope. 
 He looks through the system, and sees 
 in it a plan for the complete and eter 
 nal recovery of all those who believf 
 
A. D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 17 For therein a is the right 
 eousness of God revealed from 
 
 a c. 3. 2 1,25. 
 
 in the Lord J^sus Christ. When he 
 says it is the power of God unto salva 
 tion, ho means that it is the power of 
 God for the attainment of salvation. 
 This is the end, or the design of this 
 exertion of power. ^ To every one 
 \hat belie-ueth. Comp. Mark xvi. 16, 
 17. This expresses the condition, or the 
 terms, on which salvation is conferred 
 through the gospel. It is not indis 
 criminately to all men, whatever may 
 be their character. It is only to those 
 who confide or trust in it ; and it is 
 conferred on all who receive it in this 
 manner. If this qualification is pos 
 sessed, it bestows its blessings freely and 
 fully. All men know what faith is. It is 
 exercised when we confide in a parent, a 
 friend, a benefactor. It is such a recep 
 tion of a promise, a truth, or a threat 
 ening, as to suffer it to make its appro 
 priate impression on the mind, and 
 such as to lead us to act under its in 
 fluence, or to act as we should on the 
 supposition that it is true. Thus a 
 sinner credits the threatenings of God, 
 and feais. This is faith. He credits his 
 promises, and hopes. This is faith. He 
 feels that he is lost, and relies on Jesus 
 Christ for mercy. This is faith. And, 
 in general, faith is such an impression 
 on the mind made by truth as to lead 
 us to feel and act as if it were true ; 
 to have the appropriate feelings, and 
 views, and conduct under the com 
 mands, and promises, and threatenings 
 of God. See Note, Mark xvi. 16. 
 1 To the Jew first. First in order 
 if time. Not that the gospel was 
 any more adapted to Jews than to 
 others ; bui to them had been commit 
 ted the oracles of God; the Messiah 
 had come through them ; they had had 
 the law, the temple, and the service of 
 God, and it was natural that the gos 
 pel should be proclaimed to them be 
 fore it was to the Gentiles. This was 
 the order in which the gospel was 
 actually preached to the world, first to 
 ;he Jews, and then to the Gentiles. 
 Oomp. Acts ii. and x. Matt. x. 6. 
 
 faith to faith : as it is written, 
 The just shall live by faith. 
 
 Luke xxiv. 4J. Acts xiii. 46, " It was 
 necessary that the word of God should 
 first have been spoken to you; but 
 seeing ye put it from you, and judge 
 yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 
 
 10, we turn to the Gentiles." Comp. 
 Matt. xxi. 43. | And also to the 
 Greek. To all who were not Jews, 
 that is, to all the world. It was not 
 confined m its intention or efficacy to 
 any class or nation of men. It was 
 adapted to all, and was designed to 
 be extended to all. 
 
 1 7. For. This word implies that 
 he is now about to give a reason for 
 that which he had just said, a reason 
 why he was not ashamed of the gospel 
 of Christ. That reason is stated in 
 this verse, it embodies the substance, 
 of all that is contained in the epistle. 
 It is the doctrine which he seeks to es 
 tablish ; and there is not perhaps a more 
 important passage in the Bible than 
 this verse ; or one more difficult to be 
 understood. ^ Therein. In it, Iv Ji/ra, 
 i. e. in the gospel. If Is the righteous 
 ness of God, <tix.xjo<ruvn Qtoy. There 
 is not a more important expression to 
 be found in the epistle than this. It 
 is capable of only the following inter 
 pretations. (1.) Some have said that 
 it means that the attribute of God 
 which is denominated righteous7iess or 
 justice, is here displayed. It has been 
 supposed that this was the design of 
 the gospel to make this known ; or to 
 evince his justice in his way of saving 
 men. There is an important sense in 
 which this is true (ch. Hi. 26). But 
 this does not seem to be the meaning 
 in the passage before us. For, (a) The 
 leading- design of the gospel is not to 
 evince the justice of (tod, or the at 
 tribute of justice, but the love of God. 
 See John Hi. 16. Eph. ii. 4. 2 Thess. 
 
 11. 16. 1 John iv. 8. (6) The attribute 
 of justice is not that which is princi 
 pally evinced in the gospel. It is rathei 
 mercy, or mercy in a manner consis- 
 tent -with justice, or that does not 
 interfere with justice, (V.) Tht> pus- 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A.D.60 
 
 sage, therefore, is not designed to teach 
 simply that the righteousness of God, 
 05 an attribute, is brought forth in the 
 gospel, or that the main idea is to re 
 veal his justice. 
 
 (2.) A second interpretation which 
 has been affixed to it is, to make it the 
 same as goodness, the benevolence of 
 God is revealed, &c. But to this there 
 are still stronger objections. For (a) 
 It does not comport with the design of 
 the apostle s argument. (6) It is a 
 departure from the established mean 
 ing of the word justice, and the phrase 
 " the righteousness of God." (c) If 
 this had been the design, it is remarka 
 ble that the usual words expressive of 
 goodness or mercy had not been used. 
 Another meaning, therefore, is to be 
 sought as expressing the sense of the 
 phrase. 
 
 (3.) The phrase righteousness of 
 God is equivalent to God s plan of 
 justifying men ; his scheme of de 
 claring them just in the sight of the 
 laio ; or of acquitting them from 
 punishment, and admitting them to 
 favour. In this sense it stands op 
 posed to mail s plan of justification, 
 i. e. by his own works. God s plan is 
 by faith. The -way in which that is 
 done is revealed in the gospel. The 
 object contemplated to be done is to 
 treat men as if they were righteous. 
 Man attempted to accomplish this by 
 obedience to the law. The plan of 
 God was to arrive at it by faith. Here 
 the two schemes differ ; and the great 
 design of this epistle is to show that 
 man cannot be justified on his own 
 plan, to wit, by works ; and that the 
 plan of God is the only way, and a 
 wise and glorious way of making man 
 just in the eye of the law. No small 
 part of the perplexity usually attend 
 ing this subject will be avoided if it is 
 remembered that the discussion in this 
 epistle pertains to the question, " how 
 can mortal man be just with God?" 
 The apostle shows that it cannot be 
 by works ; and that it can be by faith. 
 This latter is what he calls the right 
 t jusness of God which is revealed in 
 foe gospel. 
 
 To sec that this is the meaning, ii is 
 
 needful only to look at the connexion 
 and at the usual meaning of the words, 
 The word to justify, /auufa, means 
 properly to be just, to be innocent, to be 
 righteous. It then means to declare, 
 or treat as righteous ; as when a man is 
 charged with an offence, and is acquit 
 ted. If the crime alleged is not proved 
 against him. he is declared by the law 
 to be innocent. It then means to treat 
 as if innocent, to regard as innocent ; 
 tha is, to pardon, to forgive, and con- 
 sequ mtly to treat as if the offence 
 had not occurred. It does not mean that 
 the man did not commit the offence ; 
 or that the law might not have held him 
 ans-weruble for it ; but that the offence 
 is forgiven ; and it is consistent to re 
 ceive the offender into favour, and 
 treat him as if he had not committed 
 it. In -what -way this may be done 
 rests with him who has the pardoning 
 power. And in regard to the salvation 
 of man, it rests solely with God, and 
 must be done in that way only which 
 he appoints and approves. The de 
 sign of Paul in this epistle is to show 
 hoio this is done, or to show that it 
 is done by faith. It may be remarked 
 here that the expression before us does 
 not imply any particular manner in 
 which it is done ; it does not touch 
 the question whether it is by imputed 
 righteousness or not ; it does not say 
 that it is on legal principles ; it simply 
 affirms that the gospel contains God s 
 plan of justifying men by faith. 
 
 The primary meaning of the word is, 
 therefore, to be innocent, pure, &c. and 
 hence the name means righteousnes* 
 in general. For this use of the word, 
 see Matt. iii. 15; v. 6. 10. 20; xxi. 
 32. Luke i. 75. Acts x. 35 ; xiii. 10 
 Rom. ii. 26 ; viii. 4, &c. 
 
 In the sense of pardoning sin, or of 
 treating men as if they were innocent, 
 on the condition of faith, it is used 
 often, and especially in this epistle. 
 See Rom. iii. 24. 26. 28. 30 ; iv. 5 ; v. 
 1; viii. 30. Gal. ii. 16; iii. 8. 24. 
 Rom. iri. 21, 22. 25 ; iv 3. 6. 13 ix 
 30, &c. 
 
 It is called God s righteousness be 
 cause it is God s plan, in distinction 
 from all the plans set *ap by men. I 
 <. -3j j. f^ 
 
\. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 29 
 
 was originated by him ; it differs from 
 all others; and it claims him as its 
 author, and tends to his glory. It is 
 called his righteousness, as it is the 
 way by which he receives and treats 
 men as righteous. This same p an 
 was fc-rr;old in various places, where the 
 word righteousness is nearly synony 
 mous with salvation. Isa. Ivi. 5, " My 
 righteousness is near ; my salvation is 
 gone forth." 6, " My salvation shall 
 be for ever, and my righteousness shall 
 not be abolished." Isa. Ivi. 1, " My 
 salvation is near to come, and my right- 
 eousness to be revealed." Dan. ix. 
 24, " To make reconciliation for ini 
 quity, and to bring in everlasting right 
 eousness." 
 
 In regard to this plan, it may be ob 
 served, (1.) That it is not to declare 
 that men are innocent and pure. That 
 would .not be true. The truth is just 
 the i-everse ; and God does not esteem 
 men to be different from what they 
 are. (2.) It is not to take part 
 with the sinner, arid to mitigate his 
 offences. It admits them to their full 
 extent ; and makes him feel them also. 
 (3.) It is not that we become partakers 
 of the essential righteousness of God. 
 That is impossible. (4.) It is not that 
 his righteousness becomes ours. This 
 is not true ; and there is no intelligible 
 sense in which that can be understood. 
 But it is God s plan for pardoning sin, 
 and for treating us as if we had not 
 committed it; that is, adopting us as 
 his children, and admitting us to heaven 
 on the ground of what the Lord Jesus 
 has done in our stead. This is God s 
 plan. Men seek to save themselves 
 by their own works. God s plan is to 
 save them by the merits of Jesus 
 Christ. \ Revealed. Made known, 
 and communicated. The gospel states 
 the fact that God has such a plan of 
 justification ; and shows the -way or 
 manner in which it might be done. 
 The fact seems to have been under 
 stood by Abraham, and the patriarchs 
 (Heb. XL), but the full mode or man 
 ner in which it was to be accomplish 
 ed, was not revealed until it was done 
 in the gospel of Christ. And because 
 
 this great and glorious truth was thus 
 made known, Paul was not ashamed 
 of the gospel. Nor should -we be. 
 1 From faith, in. iria-TtoK* This phrase 
 I take to be connected with the ex 
 pression, " the righteousness of God. * 
 Thus, " the righteousness of God ;" and 
 it means, that God s method of justifying 
 men is from or out of a. system of salvation 
 by faith alone. The great truth of the gos 
 pel is brought out, that men are justified 
 by faith, and not by the deeds of the law 
 The common interpretation of the pas 
 sage has been, that the righteousness o) 
 God in this is revealed from one degree oj 
 faith to another. But to this inter 
 pretation there are many objections 
 (1.) It is not true. The gospel was 
 not designed for this. It did not sup 
 pose that men had a certain degree of 
 faith by nature, which needed only to 
 be strengthened in order that they 
 might be-saved. (2.) It does not make 
 good sense. To say that the right 
 eousness of God, meaning, as is COIP- 
 monly understood, his essential ju 
 tice, is revealed from one degree of 
 faith to another, is to use words with 
 out any meaning. (3.) The connexion 
 of the passage does not admit of this 
 interpretation. The design of the pas 
 sage is evidently to set forth the doc 
 trine of justification as the grand theme 
 of remark, and it does not comport 
 with that design to introduce here the 
 advance from one degree of faith to 
 another, as the main topic. (4.) The 
 epistle is intended clearly to establish 
 the fact that men are justified by faith. 
 This is the grand idea which is kept up : 
 and to show how this may be done is 
 the main purpose before the apostle. 
 See ch. iii. 22 30 ; ix. 30 ; ix. 32 ; 
 x. 6, &c. (5.) The passage which he 
 immediately quotes shows that he did 
 not speak of different degrees of faith, 
 but of the doctrine that men are to be 
 justified by faith. ^ To faith. Unto 
 those who believe (comp. ch. iii. 22) ; 
 or to every one that has faith, ver. 16. 
 The abstract is here put for the con 
 crete. It is designed to express the 
 idea, that God s plan of justifying 
 men is -evealed in the gospel t which 
 
18 For the wrath a of God is 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 revealed from heaven against all 
 
 a Eph.5.6. 
 
 plan is by faith, and the benefits of 
 which plan shall be extended to all 
 that have faith, or that believe, ^f Jls 
 it is -written. Sec Habakkuk ii. 4. 
 1 The just shall live by faith. The 
 LXX. translate the passage in Habak 
 kuk, " If any man shall draw back, my 
 soul shall have no pleasure in him, but 
 the just by my faith," or by faith in me, 
 shall live." The very words are 
 dsed by them which are employed by 
 the apostle, except they add the word 
 " my, u.w? my faith. The Syriac ren 
 ders it in a similar manner, " The just 
 by faith shall live." The meaning of 
 the Hebrew in Habakkuk is the same. 
 It does not refer originally to the doc 
 trine of justification by faith ; but its 
 meaning is this, The just man, or the 
 righteous man, shall live by his confi 
 dence in God. The prophet is speak 
 ing of the woes attending the Baby 
 lonish captivity. The Chaldeans were 
 to come upon the land and destroy it, 
 and remove the nation, ch. i. 6 10. 
 But this was not to be perpetual. It 
 should have an end (ch. ii. 3), and 
 they who had confidence in God should 
 live (ver. 4) ; that is, should be restored 
 to their country, should be blessed and 
 made happy. Their confidence in God 
 should sustain them, and preserve 
 them. This did not refer primarily to 
 the doctrine of justification by faith, 
 nor did the apostle so quote it, but it 
 expressed a general principle that 
 those who had confidence in God 
 should be happy, and be preserved, and 
 blessed. This would express the doc 
 trine which Paul was defending. It 
 was not by relying on his own merit 
 that the Israelite would be delivered, 
 but it was by confidence in God, by his 
 strength, and mercy. On the same 
 principle would men be saved under 
 the gospel. It was not by reliance on 
 their own works or merit ; it was by 
 confidence in God, by faith that they 
 were to live. ^ Shall five. In Ha 
 bakkuk this means to be made happy, 
 or blessed ; shall find comfort, and sup 
 
 port, and deliverance. So in the gop- 
 pel the blessings of salvation are repre 
 sented as life, eternal life. Sin is 
 represented as death, and man by nature 
 is represented as dead in trespasses and 
 sins. Eph. ii. 1. The gospel restores 
 to life and salvation. John iii. 36 ; v. 
 29, 40, vl. 33. 51. 53; xx. 31. Acts 
 ii. 28. Rom. v. 18; viii. 6. This ex 
 pression, therefore, does not mean, as 
 if is sometimes supposed, the justified 
 by faith shall live ; but it is expressive 
 of a general principle in relation to 
 men, that they shall be defended, pre 
 served, made happy, not by their own 
 merits or strength, but by confidence 
 in God. This principle is exactly ap 
 plicable to the gospel plan of salvation. 
 Those who rely on God the Saviour 
 shall be justified, and saved. 
 
 18. For. This word denotes that 
 the apostle is about to give a reason 
 for what he had just said. This verse 
 commences the argument of the epistle, 
 an argument designed to establish the 
 proposition advanced in ver. 17. The 
 proposition is, that God s plan of justi 
 fication is revealed in the gospel. To 
 show this, it was necessary to show 
 that all other plans had failed ; and that 
 there was need of some net* plan or 
 scheme to save men. To this he devotes 
 this and the two following chapters. 
 The design of this argument is, to show 
 that men were sinners. And in order 
 to make this out, it was necessary to 
 show that they were under law. This 
 was clear in regard to the Jews. They 
 had the Scriptures ; and the apostle in 
 this chapter shows that it was equally 
 clear in regard to the Gentiles, and 
 then proceeds to show that both had 
 failed of obeying the law. To see this 
 clearly it is necessary to add on y, that 
 there can be but two ways of justifica 
 tion conceived of; one by obedience to 
 law, and the other by grace. The 
 former was the one by which Jews and 
 Gentiles had sought to be justified ; 
 and if it could be shown that in thi* 
 they had failed, the way was clear ti 
 
A. D. 60.1 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 show that there was need of some 
 other plan, t The -wrath of God, 
 igyii &tc,u. The word rendered -wrath 
 properly denotes that earnest appetite, 
 or desire by which we seek any thing, 
 jr an intense effort to obtain it. And it 
 is particularly applied to the desire 
 which a man has to take vengeance 
 who is injured, and who is enraged. 
 It is thus synonymous with revenge. 
 Eph. iv. 31, "Let all bitterness, and 
 wrath," &c. Col. iii. 8, "Anger, 
 wrath, malice," &c. 1 Tim. ii. 8. James 
 i. 19. But it is also often applied to 
 God ; and it is clear that when we 
 think of the word as applicable to him, 
 it must be divested of every thing like 
 human passion, and especially of the 
 passion of revenge. As he cannot be 
 injured by the sins of men (Job xxv. 
 6 8), he has no motive for vengeance 
 properly so called, and it is one of the 
 most obvious rules of interpretation 
 that we are not to apply to God pas 
 sions and feelings which, among us, 
 have their origin in evil. In making a 
 revelation, it was indispensable to use 
 words which men used ; but it does 
 not follow that when applied to God 
 they mean precisely what they do 
 when applied to man. When the Sa 
 viour is said (Mark iii. 5) to have 
 looked on his disciples with anger 
 (Greek, wrath, the same word is here), 
 it is not to be supposed that he had the 
 feelings of an implacable man seeking 
 vengeance. The nature of the feeling 
 is to be judged of by the character of 
 the person. So, in this place, the word 
 denotes the divine displeasure or in 
 dignation against sin ; the divine pur 
 pose to inflict punishment. It is the 
 opposition of the divine character 
 against sin ; and the determination of 
 the divine rnind to express that oppo 
 sition in a proper way, by excluding 
 the offender from the favours which he 
 bestows on the righteous. It is not an 
 unamiable, or arbitrary principle of 
 conduct. We all admire the character 
 of a father who is opposed to disorder, 
 and vice, and disobedience in his fami 
 ly, and who expresses his opposition 
 in a proper way. We admir> the 
 
 character of a ruler who is opposed to 
 all crime in the community, and who 
 expresses those feelings in the laws. 
 And the more he is opposed to vice 
 and crime, the more we admire his 
 character and his laws ; and why shall 
 we be not equally pleased with God, 
 who is opposed to all crime in all parts 
 of the universe, and who determines 
 to express it in the proper way for the 
 sake of preserving order and promoting 
 peace ] The word divine displeasure 
 or indignation, therefore, expresses the 
 meaning of this phrase. See Matt. iii. 
 7. Luke iii. 7 ; xxi. 23. John iii. 36 
 Rom. ii. 5. 8 ; iii. 5 ; iv. 15 ; v. 9 ; ix. 
 22; xii. 19; xiii. 4, 5. Eph. ii. 3; v. 
 6. 1 Thess. i. 10; ii. 16, &c. The 
 word occurs thirty-five times in the 
 New Testament, t & revealed. That 
 is, revealed to the Jews by their law 
 and to the Gentiles in their reason, 
 and conscience, as the apostle pro 
 ceeds to show. ^ From heaven. This 
 expression I take to mean simply that 
 the divine displeasure against sin is 
 made known by a divine appointment ; 
 by an arrangement of events, commu 
 nications, and arguments, which evince 
 that they have had their origin in 
 heaven ; or are divine. How this is, 
 Paul proceeds to state, in the works of 
 creation, and in the law which the He 
 brews had. A variety of meanings 
 have been given to this expression, but 
 this seems the most satisfactory. It 
 does not mean that the wrath -will be 
 sent from heaven ; or that the heavens 
 declare his wrath ; or that the heavenly 
 bodies are proofs of his wrath against 
 sin ; or that Christ, the executioner of 
 wrath, will be manifest from heaven 
 (Origen, Cyrill, Beza, &c.) ; or that it 
 is from God who is in heaven ; but that 
 it is by an arrangement which shows 
 that it had its origin in heaven, or has 
 proofs that it is divine. 1 Against all 
 ungodliness. This word properly 
 means impiety towards God, or neglect 
 of the worship and honour due to him. 
 dariQaxv. It refers to the feet that men 
 had failed to honour the true God, arid 
 had paid to idols the homage which 
 was due to him. Multitudes also i 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A.D. tiO 
 
 every age refuse to honour him, and 
 neglect his worship, though they are 
 not idolaters. Many men suppose that 
 if they do not neglect their duty to 
 their fellow-men, if they are honest 
 and upright in their dealings, they are 
 not guilty, even though they are not 
 righteous, or do not do their duty to 
 < iod ; as though it were a less crime 
 to dishonour God than man; and as 
 though it were innocence to neglect 
 and disobey our Maker and Redeemer. 
 The apostle here shows that the wrath 
 of God is as really revealed against the 
 neglect of God as it is against positive 
 iniquity ; and that this is an offence of 
 so much consequence as to be placed 
 first, and as deserving the divine in 
 dignation more than the neglect of our 
 duties towards men. Comp. Rom. xi. 
 26. 2 Tim. ii. 10. Titus ii. 12. Jude 
 15. 18. The word does not elsewhere 
 occur in the New Testament. ^ Un 
 righteousness of men. Unrighteous 
 ness, or iniquity towards men. All 
 offences against our neighbour, our pa 
 rents, our country, &c. The word un 
 godliness includes all crimes against 
 God ; this, all crimes against our fellow- 
 men. The two words express that 
 which comprehends the violation of all 
 the commands of God ; " Thou shall love 
 the Lord thy God, &c. and thy neigh 
 bour as thyself." Matt. xxii. 37 40. 
 The wrath of God is thus revealed 
 against all human wickedness. ^ Who 
 hold the truth. Who keep back, or 
 restrain the truth. The word trans 
 lated hold here, sometimes means to 
 maintain, to keep, to observe (1 Cor. 
 vii. 30. 2 Cor. vi. 12) ; but it also means 
 to hold back, to detain, to hinder. 
 Luke iv. 42, " The people sought him 
 (Jesus), and came to him, and stayed 
 him." (Greek, the same as here.) 
 Philemon 13, "Whom I would have 
 retained with me," &c. 2 Thess. ii. 6, 
 f< And nowyeknow what -urithholdcth" 
 &c. In this place it means also that 
 they held back, or restrained the 
 truth, by their wickedness. ^ The 
 truth. The truth of God, in whatever 
 way made known, and particularly, as 
 the apostle goes on to say that which is 
 
 made known by the light of nature 
 The truth pertaining to his perfections, 
 his law, &c. They hold it back, or 
 restrain its influence. ^ In -unright- 
 eousness. Or rather, by their iniquity. 
 Their -wickedness is the cause why the 
 truth had had so little progress among 
 them, and had exerted so little influ 
 ence. This was done by their yielding 
 to corrupt passions and propensities, 
 and by their being therefore unwilling 
 to retain the knowledge of a pure and 
 holy God, who is opposed to such deeds, 
 and who will punish them. As they 
 were determined to practise iniquity, 
 they chose to exclude the knowledge 
 of a pure God, and to worship impure 
 idols, by which they might give a 
 sanction to their lusts. Their vice and 
 tendency to iniquity was, therefore, the 
 reason why they had so little know 
 ledge of a holy God ; and by the love 
 of this, they held back the truth from 
 making progress, and becoming diffused 
 among them. 
 
 The same thing is substantially true 
 now. Men hold back or resist the 
 truth of the gospel by their sins in the 
 following ways. (1.) Men of influ 
 ence and wealth employ both, hi di 
 rectly opposing the gospel. (2.) Men 
 directly resist the doctrines of religion, 
 since they know they could not hold 
 to those doctrines without abandoning 
 their sins. (3.) Men who resolve to 
 live in sin, of course, resist the gospel, 
 and endeavour to prevent its influence. 
 (4.) Pride, and vanity, and the love of 
 the world also resist the gospel, and 
 oppose its advances. (5.) Unlawful 
 business business that begins in evil, 
 and progresses, and ends in evil has 
 this tendency to hold back the gospel. 
 Such is the effect of the traffic in 
 ardent spirits, in the slave-trade, &c. 
 They begin in the love of money, the 
 root of all evil (1 Tim. vi. 10) ; they 
 progress in the tears and sorrows of 
 the widow, the orphan, the wife, the 
 sister, or the child ; and they end in the 
 deep damnation of multitudes in the 
 world to come. Perhaps the-e has 
 been nothing that has so much hela 
 back the influence of truth, and of the 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ungodliness, and unrighteous 
 ness of men, who hold the truth 
 in unrighteousness : 
 
 19 Because that which may 
 
 be known of God is manifest in * 
 them ; for a God hath shewed it 
 unto them. 
 
 20 For the invisible things of 
 
 1 or, to. a Johnl.9. 
 
 gsspel, as indulgence in the vice of in 
 temperance, and traffic in liquid fire. 
 (6.) Indulgence in vice, or wickedness 
 of any kind, holds back the truth of 
 God. Men who are resolved to in 
 dulge their passions -will not yield 
 themselves to this truth. And hence 
 all the wicked, the proud, and vain, 
 nd worldly are responsible, not only 
 for their own sins directly, but for hin 
 dering, by their example and their 
 crimes, the effect of religion on others. 
 They are answerable for standing in the 
 way of God and his truth; and for 
 opposing him in the benevolent design 
 of doing good to all men. There is 
 nothing that prevents the universal 
 spread and influence of truth but sin. 
 And men of wickedness are answer 
 able for all the ignorance and wo 
 which are spread over the community, 
 and which have extended themselves 
 over the world. 
 
 19. Because. The apostle pro- 
 Deeds to show hoto it was that the 
 heathen hindered the ttuth by their 
 iniquity. This he does by showing 
 that the truth might be known by the 
 works of creation ; and that nothing 
 but their iniquity prevented it. \ That 
 which may be known of God. That 
 which is knoivable concerning God. 
 The expression implies that there may 
 be many things concerning God which 
 cannot be known. But there are also 
 many things which may be ascertained. 
 Such are his existence, and many of 
 his attributes, his power, and wisdom, 
 and justice, &c. The object of the 
 apostle was not to say that every thing 
 pertaining to God could be known by 
 thorn, or that they could have as clear 
 a view of him as if they had possessed 
 a revelation. We must interpret the 
 expression according to the object 
 which he had in view. That was to 
 show \\ at so much might be known of 
 
 God as to prove that they had no ex 
 cuse for their crimes ; or that God 
 would be just in punishing them for 
 their deeds. For this it was needful 
 only that his existence and his justice, 
 or his determination to punish sin, 
 should be known ; and this, the apostle 
 affirms, -was known among them, and 
 had been from the creation of the 
 world. This expression, therefore, is 
 not to be pressed as implying that they 
 knew all that could be known about 
 God, or that they knew as much as 
 they who had a revelation ; but that 
 they knew enough to prove that they 
 had no excuse for their sins. ^ Is 
 manifest. Is known ; is understood. 
 ^ In them. Among them. So the 
 preposition in is often used. It means 
 that they had this knowledge ; or it 
 had been communicated to them. The 
 great mass of the heathen world was 
 indeed ignorant of the true God ; but 
 their leaders, or their philosophers, had 
 this knowledge. See Note on ver. 21. 
 But this was not true of the mass, or 
 body of the people. Still it was true 
 that this knowledge was in the posses 
 sion of man, or was among the pagan 
 world, and would have spread, had it 
 not been for the love of sin. \ God 
 hath showed it to them. Comp. John 
 i. 9. He had endowed them with rea 
 son and conscience (ch. ii. 14, 15) ; he 
 had made them capable of seeing and 
 investigating his works ; he had spread 
 before them the proofs of his wisdom, 
 and goodness, and power, and had thus 
 given, them the means of learning his 
 perfections and will. 
 
 20. For the invisible things of him. 
 The expression " his invisible things" 
 refers to those things which cannot be 
 perceived by the senses. It does not 
 imply that there are any things per 
 taining to the divine character which 
 may be seen by the eye ; but *hjU 
 
84 
 
 him from 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 (A. D. 60. 
 
 the creation of the 
 
 world are clearly seen, being- 
 understood by the things * that 
 
 , Ps.l9.1,&c. 
 
 are made, even his eternal power 
 and Godhead : * so that they are 
 without excuse. 
 
 1 or, that they may be. 
 
 there are things which may be known 
 of him, though not discoverable by the 
 eye. We judge of the objects around 
 us by the senses, the sight, the touch, 
 the ear, &c. Paul affirms, that though 
 we cannot judge thus of God, yet 
 there is a way by which we may come 
 to the knowledge of him. What he 
 means by the invisible things of God 
 he specifies at the close of the verse, 
 Ins eternal power and Godhead. The 
 affirmation extends only to that ; and 
 the argument implies that that was 
 enough to leave them without any ex 
 cuse for their sins. ^ From the 
 creation of the "world. The word 
 creation may either mean the act of 
 creating, or more commonly it means 
 the thing created, the world, the uni 
 verse. In this sense it is commonly 
 used in the New Testament. Comp. 
 Mark x. 6 ; xiii. 19 ; xvi. 5. Rom. 
 i. 25. 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. Col. 
 i. 15. 23. Heb. iv. 13; ix. 11. 1 Pet. 
 ii. 13. 2 Pet. iii. 4. Rev. Hi. 14. 
 The word " from" may mean since, 
 or it may denote by means of. And 
 the expression here may denote that, 
 as an historical fact, God has been 
 known since the act of creation; or 
 it may denote that he is known 
 by means of the material universe 
 which he has formed. The latter is 
 doubtless the true meaning. For, (1.) 
 This is the common meaning of 
 the word creation; and, (2.) This 
 accords with the design of the argu 
 ment. It is not to state an historical 
 fact, but to show that they had the 
 means of knowing their duty within 
 their reach, and were without excuse. 
 Those means were in the wisdom, 
 powei, and glory of the universe, by 
 which they were surrounded, f Are 
 clearly seen. Are made manifest; 
 or may be perceived. The word 
 ased here does not occur elsewhere 
 n the New Testament, ^ Being un 
 
 derstood. His perfections may be 
 investigated, and comprehended by 
 means of his works. They are the 
 evidences submitted to our intellects, 
 by which we may arrive at the true 
 knowledge of God. 1 Things that 
 are made. By his works. Comp. Heb. 
 xi. 3. This means, not by the original 
 act of creation, but by the continual 
 operations of God in his Providence, 
 by his doings, KM fjun, by what he is 
 continually producing and accomplish 
 ing in the displays of his power and 
 goodness in the heavens and the earth. 
 What they were capable of under 
 standing, he immediately adds, and 
 shows that he did not intend to affirm 
 that every thing could be known of 
 God by his works ; but so much as to 
 free them from excuse for their sins, 
 1 His eternal power. Here are two 
 things implied. (1.) That the universe 
 contains an exhibition of his power, or 
 a display of that attribute which we 
 call omnipotence ; and, (2.) That this 
 power has existed from eternity, and 
 of course implies an eternal existence 
 in God. It does not mean that this 
 power has been exerted or put forth 
 from eternity, for the very idea of 
 creation supposes that it had not, but 
 that there is proof, in the works of 
 creation, of power which must have 
 existed from eternity, or have belonged 
 to an eternal being. The proof of 
 this was clear, even to the heathen, with 
 their imperfect views of creation and 
 of astronomy. Comp. Ps. xix. The 
 majesty and grandeur of the heavens 
 would strike their eye, and be full 
 demonstration that they were the work 
 of an infinitely great and glorious God. 
 But to us, under the full blaze of 
 modern science, with our knowledge 
 of the magnitude, and distances, and 
 revolutions of the heavenly bodies, the 
 proof of this power is much more 
 grand and impressive. We may apply 
 
A. D. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 the remark of the apostle to the pre 
 sent state of the science, and his lan 
 guage will cover all the ground, and the 
 proof to human view is continually 
 rising of the amaring power of God, 
 03 every new discovery in science, and 
 especially in astronomy. Those who 
 wish to see this subject presented in a 
 most impressive view, may find it 
 done in Chalmer s Astronomical Dis 
 courses, and in Dick s Christian Philo 
 sopher. Equally clear is the proof that 
 this power must have been eternal. If 
 X; had not always existed, it could in 
 no way have been produced. But it 
 is not to be supposed that it was 
 always exerted, any more than it is 
 that God noio puts forth all the power 
 that he can, or than that toe constantly 
 put forth all the power which we pos 
 sess. God s power was called forth 
 at the creation. He showed his om 
 nipotence ; and gave, by that one great 
 act, eternal demonstration that he was 
 almighty ; and we may survey the 
 proof of that, as clearly as if we had 
 seen the operation of his hand there. 
 The proof is not weakened because we 
 do not see the process of creation con 
 stantly going on. It is rather augmented 
 by the fact that he sustains all things, 
 and controls continually the vast masses 
 of matter in the material worlds, ^f God 
 head. His divinity. The Greek word dei- 
 OTJJC is not elsewhere used in the New 
 Testament, though the similar words 0e- 
 )n?f and decor, both rendered Godhead, 
 occu r in Col. ii. 9. Acts xvii. 29. The pas- 
 fiaoe here proves the truth that the su 
 premacy, or supreme divinity of God, was 
 exhibited in the works of creation, or that 
 he was exalted above all creatures and 
 things. It would not be proper, however, 
 to press this word as implying that all 
 that we know of God by revelation was 
 known to the heathen; but that so 
 much was known as to show his supre 
 macy ; his right to their homage ; and 
 of course the folly and wickedness of 
 idolatry. This is all that the ar 
 gument of the apostle demands, and, 
 of course, on this principle the ex 
 pression is to be interpreted ^ S o 
 
 that they are -without excuse. God 
 has given them so clear evidence of his 
 existence and claims, that they have 
 no excuse for their idolatry, and for 
 hindering the truth by their iniquity 
 It is implied here that in order that 
 men should be responsible, they should 
 have the means of knowledge ; and 
 that he does not judge them when 
 their ignorance is involuntary, and the 
 means of knowing the truth have not 
 been communicated. But where men 
 have these means within their reach, 
 and will not avail themselves of them, 
 all excuse is taken away. This was 
 the case with the Gentile world. They 
 had the means of knowing so much 
 of God, as to show the folly of wor 
 shipping dumb idols. Comp. Isa. xliv. 
 8 20. They had also traditions 
 respecting his perfections ; and they 
 could not plead for their crimes and 
 folly that they had no means of know 
 ing him. If this was true of he pa 
 gan world then, how much more is it 
 true of the world now 1 And especial 
 ly how true and fearful is this, respect 
 ing that great multitude in Christian 
 lands who have the Bible, and who 
 never read it; who are within the reach 
 of the sanctuary, and never enter it; 
 who are admonished by friends, and by 
 the providences of God, and who re 
 gard it not ; and who look upon the 
 heavens, and even yet see no proof of 
 the eternal power and Godhead of him 
 who made them all! Nay, there are 
 those who are apprized of the discove 
 ries of modern astronomy, and who 
 yet do not seem to reflect that all 
 these glories are proof of the existence 
 of an eternal God ; and who live in 
 ignorance of religion as really as the 
 heathen, and in crimes as decided 
 and malignant as disgraced *he dark 
 est ages of the world. For such there 
 is no excuse, or shadow of excuse, to 
 be offered in the day of doom. And 
 there is no fact more melancholy in 
 our history, and NO one thing thai 
 more proves the stupidity of men, 
 than this sad forgetfulness of Him that 
 made the heavens, even amid all the 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 21 Because that, when they 
 knew God, they glorified him 
 
 wonders and glories that have come 
 fresh from the hand of God, and that 
 every where speak his praise. 
 
 21. Because that. The apostle 
 here is showing that it was right to 
 condemn men for their sins. To do 
 this it -was needful to show them that 
 they had the knowledge of God, ad 
 the means of knowing what was right ; 
 and that the true source of their sins 
 and idolatries was a corrupt and evil 
 heart. ^ When they knew God. 
 Greek, knowing Gad. That is, they 
 had an acquaintance with the exist 
 ence and many of the perfections of 
 one God. That many of the philoso 
 phers of Greece and Rome had a 
 knowledge of one God, there can be 
 no doubt. This was undoubtedly the 
 case with Pythagoras, who had travel 
 led extensively in Egypt, and even in 
 Palestine ; and also with Plato and his 
 disciples. This point is ctearly shown 
 by Cudworth in his Intellectual Sys 
 tem, and by Bishop Warburton in the 
 Divine Legation of Moses. Yet the 
 knowledge of this great truth was not 
 communicated to the people. It was 
 confined to the philosophers ; and not 
 improbably one design of the mysteries 
 celebrated throughout Greece was to 
 keep up the knowledge of the one 
 true God. Gibbon has remarked that 
 " the philosophers regarded all the 
 popular superstitions as equally false ; 
 the common people as equally true ; 
 and the politicians as equally useful." 
 This was probably a correct account 
 of the prevalent feelings among the 
 ancients. A single extract from Ci 
 cero (de Natura Deorum, lib. ii. c. 6) 
 will show that they had the know 
 ledge of one God. " There is some 
 thing in the nature of things, which 
 the mind of man, which reason, which 
 human power cannot effect ; and cer 
 tainly that which produces this must 
 be better than man. What can this 
 be called but God?" Again (c. 2), 
 * What can be so plain and marii- 
 
 not as God, neither were thank 
 ful, but became vain* in theii 
 
 a Je.2.5. Eph.4.17,18. 
 
 fest, when we look at heaven, an*- 
 contemplate heavenly things, as that 
 there is some divinity of most excellen 
 mind, by which these things are 
 governed!" ^ They glorified him 
 not as God. They did not honour 
 him as God. This was the true source 
 of their abominations. To glorify him 
 as God is to regard with proper reve 
 rence all his perfections and laws ; to 
 venerate his name, his power, his holi 
 ness, and presence, &c. As they were 
 not inclined to do this, so they were 
 given over to their own vain and wick 
 ed desires. Sinners are not willing to 
 give honour to God as God. They are 
 not pleased with his perfections; and 
 therefore the mind becomes fixed on 
 other objects, and the heart gives free 
 indulgence to its own sinful desires. 
 A willingness to honour God as God 
 to reverence, love, and obey him, would 
 effectually restrain men frora sin. 
 U Neither -were thankful. The obli 
 gation to be thankful to God for his 
 mercies, for the goodness which we 
 experience, is plain and obvious. Thus 
 we judge of favours received of our 
 fellow-men. The apostle here clearly 
 regards this unwillingness to render 
 gratitude to God for his mercies as 
 one of the causes of their subsequent 
 corruption and idolatry. The reasons 
 of this are the following. (1.) The 
 effect of ingratitude is to render the 
 heart hard and insensible. (2.) Men 
 seek to forget the Being to whom they 
 are unwilling to exercise gratitude. 
 (3.) To do this, they fix their affec 
 tions o~ other things; and hence the 
 heathen expressed their gratitude not 
 to God, but to the sun, and moon, and 
 stars, &c., the mediums by which 
 God bestows his favours on men. And 
 we may here learn that an unwilling 
 ness to thank God for his mercies is 
 one of the most certain causes of 
 alienation and hardness of heart. 
 H But became vain. To become 
 vain, with us, means to be elated, Ji 
 
i. D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 37 
 
 imaginations, and their foolish 
 heart was darkened : 
 
 42 Professing themselves to 
 
 or self-conceited, or to seek praise from 
 others. The meaning here seems t, 
 be, they became foolish, frivolous in 
 their thoughts and reasonings. They 
 acted foolishly; they employed them 
 selves in useless and frivolous ques 
 tions, the effect of which was to lead 
 the mind farther and farther from the 
 truth respecting God. ^ Imaginations. 
 This word means properly thoughts, 
 then reasonings, and also disputations. 
 Perhaps our word, speculations, would 
 convey its meaning here. It implies 
 that they were unwilling to honour God, 
 and being unwilling to honour him, 
 they commenced those speculations 
 which resulted in all their vain and 
 foolish opinions about idols, and the 
 various rites of idolatrous worship. 
 Many of the speculations and in 
 quiries of the ancients were among the 
 most vain and senseless which the 
 mind can conceive, t And their fool 
 ish heart. The word heart is not 
 unfrequently used to denote the mind, 
 or the understanding 1 . We apply it 
 to denote the affections. But such 
 was not its common use among the 
 Hebrews. We speak of the head 
 when we refer to the understanding, 
 but this was not the case with the 
 Hebrews. They spoke of the heart 
 in this manner, and in this sense it is 
 clearly used in this place. See Eph. i. 
 18. Rom. ii. 15. 2 Cor. iv. 6. 2 Pet. 
 i. 19. The word foolish means literally 
 that which is without understanding. 
 Matt. xv. 16. J Was darkened. Was 
 rendered obscure, so that they did not 
 perceive and comprehend the truth. 
 The process which is stated in this 
 verse is, (1.) That men had the know 
 ledge of God. (2.) Th?t they refused 
 to honour him when they kuew him, 
 and were opposed to his character and 
 government. (3.) That they were 
 ungrateful. (4.) That they then be 
 gan to doubt, to reason, to speculate, 
 and wandered far into darkness. This 
 D 
 
 be wise, they a became fools, 
 
 23 And changed the glory of 
 the uncorruptible God into an 
 
 is substantially the process by which 
 men wander away from God now. 
 They have the knowledge of God, but 
 they do not love him ; and being dis 
 satisfied with his character and govern 
 ment, they begin to speculate, fall into 
 error, and then " find no end in wander 
 ing mazes lost," and sink into the depths 
 of heresy and of sin. 
 
 22. Professing themselves to be 
 wite. This was the common boast of 
 the philosophers of antiquity. The 
 very word by which they chose to be 
 called, philosophers, means literally 
 lovers of -wisdom. That it was their 
 boast that they were wise, is well 
 known. Comp. ch. i. 14. 1 Cor. i. 19, 
 20, 21, 22; iii. 19. 2 Cor. xi. 19 
 1 They became fools. Comp. Jer. viii. 
 8, 9. They becan?? really foolish in 
 their opinions and conduct. There is 
 something particularly pungent and 
 cutting in this remark, and as true as 
 it is pungent. In what way they 
 evinced their folly, Paul proceeds im 
 mediately to state. Sinners of all 
 kinds are frequently spoken of as fools 
 in the Scriptures. In the sense in 
 which it is thus used, the word is ap 
 plied to them as void of understanding 
 or moral sense ; as idolaters, and as 
 wicked. Ps. xiv. 1. Prov. xxvi. 4 ; i. 
 17. 22; xiv. 8, 9. The senses in 
 which this word here is applied to the 
 heathen are, (1.) That their specula 
 tions and doctrines were senseless ; and 
 (2.) That their conduct was corrupt. 
 
 23. And changed. This does not 
 mean that they literally transmuted 
 God himself; but that in their views 
 they exchanged him ; or they changed 
 him as an object of -worship for idols. 
 They produced, of course, no real 
 change in the glory of the infinite God 
 but the change was in themselves. 
 They forsook him of whom they had 
 knowledge (ver. 21), and offered tliu 
 homage which was due to him, to idols 
 \ The glory. The majesty, the honour 
 
38 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 image like to corruptible man, 
 and to birds, and four-footed 
 
 a Isa.4C.18,26. Ezek.3.10. 
 
 &c. This word stands opposed here 
 to the degrading nature of their wor 
 ship. Instead of adoring a Being 
 clothed with majesty and honour, they 
 bowed down to reptiles, &c. They 
 exchanged a glorious object of worship 
 for that which was degrading and hu 
 miliating. The glory of God, in such 
 places as this, means his essential 
 honour, his majesty, the concentration 
 and expression of his perfections, as 
 the glory of the sun (I Cor. xv. 41) 
 means his shining, or his splendour. 
 Comp. Jer. ii. 11, and Ps. cvi. 20. 
 T The uncorruptible God. The word 
 uncorruptible is here applied to God 
 in opposition to man. God is un 
 changing, indestructible, immortal. 
 The word conveys also the idea that 
 God is eternal. As he is incorruptible, 
 he is the proper object of worship. In 
 all the changes of life, man may come 
 to him, assured that he is the same. 
 When man decays by age or infirmi 
 ties, he may come to God, assured that 
 he undergoes no such change, but is 
 the same yesterday, to-day, and for 
 ever. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 17. ^ Into an 
 image. An image is a representation 
 or likeness of any thing, whether made 
 by painting, or from wood, stone, &c*. 
 Thus the word is applied to idols, as 
 being images or representations of 
 heavenly objects. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 7. 
 Dan. iii. 1. Rev. xi. 4, &c. See in 
 stances of this among the Jews de 
 scribed in Isa. xl. 18 26, and Ezek. 
 viii. 10. ^ To corruptible man. This 
 stands opposed to the incorruptible 
 God. Many of the images or idols 
 of the ancients were in the forms of 
 men and women. Many o2 their gods 
 were heroes and benefactors, who were 
 deified, and to whom temples, altars, 
 ind statues were erected. Such were 
 fupiter, and Heraules, and Romulus, 
 &,<. The worship of these heroes 
 thus constituted no small part of their 
 dolatry, and their images would be of 
 mjwe representations of thrm in hu- 
 
 beasts, and creeping things. 
 24 Wherefore God also gave 
 
 i Ps.81.12. ZThess.i 11. 
 
 man form. It was proof of great de 
 gradation, that they thus adored men 
 with like passions as themselves ; and 
 attempted to displace the true God 
 from the throne, and to substitute in 
 his place an idol in the likentss of 
 men. Tf Jlnd to birds. The ibis was 
 adored with peculiar reverence among 
 the Egyptians, on account of the great 
 benefits resulting from its destroying 
 the serpents which, but for this, would 
 have overrun the country. The haiak 
 was also adored in Egypt, and the 
 eagle at Rome. As one great princi 
 ple of pagan idolatry was to adore all 
 objects from which important benefits 
 were derived, it is probable that all 
 birds would come in for a share of 
 pagan worship, that rendered service in 
 the destruction of noxious animals. 
 If Jlnd four-footed beasts. Thus the 
 ox, under the name apis, was adored in 
 Egypt; and even the dog and the 
 monkey. In imitation of the Egyptian 
 ox, the children of Israel made their 
 golden calf, Ex. xxii. 4. At this 
 day, two of the most sacred objects of 
 worship in Hindoostan are the cow 
 and the monkey. 1 Jlnd creeping 
 things. Reptiles. " Anirrals that have 
 no feet, or such short ones that they 
 seem to creep or crawl on the ground." 
 ( Calmet.} Lizards, serpents, &c. come 
 under this description. The crocodile 
 in Egypt was an object of adoration, 
 and even the serpent. So late as the 
 second century of the Christian era, 
 there was a sect in Egypt, called 
 Ophites from their worshipping a ser 
 pent, and who even claimed to be 
 Christians. (Murdock s Mosheim, vol. i. 
 p. 180, 181.) There was scarcely an 
 object, animal or vegetable, which the 
 Egyptians did not adore. Thus the 
 leek, the onion, &c. were objects of 
 worship, and men bowed down and 
 paid adoration to the sun and moon, to 
 animals, to vegetables, and to reptiles. 
 Egypt was the source of the views of 
 religion that pervaded other nations, 
 
A.. D. 60.] CHAPTER 1. 
 
 them up to uncleanness through 
 the lusts of their own hearts, to 
 dishonour their own bodies be 
 tween themselves : 
 
 and hence their worship partook of the 
 same wretched and degrading charac 
 ter. (See Leland s " Advantage and 
 Necessity of Revelation.") 
 
 24. Wherefore. That is, because 
 they were unwilling to retain him in 
 their knowledge, and chose to worship 
 idols. Here is traced the practical 
 tendency of heathenism ; not as an 
 innocent and harmless system, but as 
 resulting in the most gross and shame 
 less acts of depravity. ^ God gave 
 them up. He abandoned them, or he 
 ceased to restrain them, and suffered 
 them to act out their sentiments, and 
 to manifest them in their life. This 
 does not imply that he exerted any 
 positive influence in inducing them to 
 sin, any more than it would if we 
 should seek, by argument and entreaty, 
 to restrain a headstrong youth, and 
 when neither would prevail, should 
 leave him to act out his propensities, 
 and to go as he chose to ruin. It is 
 implied in this, (1.) That the tendency 
 of man was to these sins ; (2.) That 
 the tendency of idolatry was to pro 
 mote them ; and (3.) That all that was 
 needful, in order that men should com 
 mit them, was for God to leave him to 
 follow the devices and desires of his 
 own heart. Comp. Ps. Ixxxi. 12. 2 
 Thess. ii. 10. 12. \ To uncleanness. 
 To impurity, or moral defilement ; par 
 ticularly to those impurities which 
 he proceeds to specify, ver. 26, &c. 
 If Through the lusts of their own 
 hearts. Or, in consequence of their 
 own evil and depraved passions and 
 desires. He left them to act out, or 
 manifest, their depraved affections and 
 inclinations. ^ To dishonour. To 
 disgrace, ver. 26, 27. ^ Between 
 themselves. Among themselves; or 
 mutually. They did it by unlawful 
 and impure connexions with one 
 mother. 
 25. Who changed the truth of God. 
 
 39 
 
 25 Who changed the truth of 
 God a into a lie, and worshipped 
 and served the creature more * 
 
 a Amos 2.4. 1 or, rather. 
 
 This is a repetition of the declaration 
 in ver. 23, in another form. The 
 phrase, " the truth of God is a He 
 brew phrase, meaning the true God. 
 In such a case, where two nouns come 
 together, one is employed as an adjec 
 tive to qualify the other. Most com 
 monly the latter of two nouns is 
 used as the adjective, but sometimes it 
 is the former, as in this case. God is 
 called the true God in opposition to 
 idols, which are called false gods. 
 There is but one real or true God, and 
 all others are false, 1 Into a lie. Into 
 idols, or false gods. Idols are not un- 
 frequently called falsehood and lies, 
 because they are not true representa 
 tions of God. Jer. xiii. 25. Isa. xxviii. 
 15. Jer. x. 14. Ps. xl. 4. 1 The crea 
 ture. Created things, as the sun, 
 moon, animals, &c. ^ Who is blessed 
 for ever. It was not uncommon to add 
 a doxology, or ascription of praise to 
 God, when his name was mentioned. 
 See Rom. ix. 5. 2 Cor. xi. 31. Gal. i. 
 5. The Jews also usually did it. In 
 this way they preserved veneration for 
 the name of God, and accustomed 
 themselves to speak of him with reve 
 rence. " The Mahometans also bor 
 rowed this custom from the Jews, and 
 practise it to a great extent. Tholuck 
 mentions an Arabic manuscript in the 
 library at Berlin which contains an 
 account of heresies in respect to Islam 
 ism, and as often as the writer has oc 
 casion to mention the name of a new 
 heretical sect, he adds, God be exalted 
 above all which they say. " (Stuart.) 
 ^ Jirnen. This is a Hebrew word de 
 noting strong affirmation. So let it 
 be. It implies here the solemn assent 
 of the writer to what was just said ; or 
 his strong wish that what he had said 
 might be that the name of God might 
 be esteemed and be blessed for ever. 
 The mention of the degrading idolatry 
 of the heathens was strongly calcu- 
 
40 
 
 than the Creator, who is blessed 
 for ever. Amen. 
 
 26 For this cause God gave 
 them up unto vile a affections : 
 for even their women did change 
 
 aEph.5.12. JudelO. 
 
 ROMANS. [A.D.60 
 
 the natural use into that which 
 is against nature : 
 
 27 And likwise also the men t 
 leaving the natural use of the 
 women, burned in theii lust one 
 
 lated to impress on his mind the supe 
 rior excellency and glory of the one 
 living God. It is mentioned respecting 
 the honourable Robert Boyle, that he 
 never mentioned the name of God 
 without a solemn pause, denoting his 
 profound reverence. Such a practice 
 would tend eminently to prevent an 
 unholy familiarity and irreverence in 
 regard to the sacred name of the Most 
 High. Comp. Ex. xx. 7. 
 
 26. For this cause. On account of 
 what had just been specified; to wit, 
 that they did not glorify him as God, 
 that they were unthankful, that they 
 became polytheists and idolaters. In 
 the previous verses he had stated their 
 speculative belief. He now proceeds 
 to show its practical influences on their 
 conduct. Tf Vile affections. Disgrace 
 ful passions or desires. That is, to 
 those which are immediately specified. 
 The great object of the apostle here, it 
 will be remembered, is to shew the 
 state of the heathen world, and to prove 
 that they had need of some other way 
 of justification than the law of nature. 
 For this purpose, it was necessary for 
 him to enter into a detail of their sins. 
 The sins which he proceeds to specify 
 are the most indelicate, vile, and de 
 grading which can be charged on man. 
 But this is not the fault of the apostle. 
 If they existed, it was necessary for 
 him to charge them on the pagan 
 world. His argument would not be 
 complete without it The shame is not 
 in Specifying them, but in their ex* 
 istence ; not in the apostle, but in 
 those who practised them, and imposed 
 on him the necessity of accusing them 
 of these enormous offences. It may 
 be further remarked, that the mere fact 
 of his charging them with these sins 
 is strong presumptive proof of their 
 practised. If they did not exist, 
 
 it would be easy for them to deny it, 
 and put him to the proof of it. No 
 man would venture charges like these 
 without evidence ; and the presumption 
 is, that these things were known and 
 practised without shame. But this is 
 not all. There is still abundant proof 
 on record in the writings of the heathen 
 themselves, that these crimes were 
 known and extensively practised. 
 f For even their -women, &c. Evi 
 dence of the shameful and disgraceful 
 fact here charged on the women is 
 abundant in the Greek and Roman 
 writers. Proof may be seen, which it 
 would not be proper to specify, in the 
 lexicons, under the words Tg//2a?, 
 oKta-fav, and iT3u^i<rrn(. See also Seneca, 
 epis. 95. Martial, epis. i. 90. Tholuck 
 on the State of the heathen World, in 
 the Biblical Repository vol. ii. Lu- 
 cian, Dial. Meretric. v. and Tertullian 
 de Pallio. 
 
 27. Jind likewise the men, &c. 
 The sin which is here specified is that 
 which was the shameful sin of Sodom, 
 and which from that has been called 
 sodomy. It would scarcely be credible 
 that man had been guilty of a crime so 
 base and so degrading, unless there 
 was ample and full testimony to it. 
 Perhaps there is no sin which so dcep- 
 y shows the depravity of man as this ; 
 none which would so much induce one 
 " to hang his head, and blush to think 
 himself a man." And yet the evidence 
 that the apostle did not bring a railing 
 accusation against the heathen world ; 
 that he did not advance a charge which 
 was unfounded, is too painfully clear. 
 It has been indeed a matter of contro 
 versy whether psedcrastry, or the love 
 of boys, among the ancients was not a 
 pure and harmless love, but the evi 
 dence is against it. <[See this discussed 
 in Dr. Leland s Advantage and Neces 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 41 
 
 toward another ; men with men 
 working that which is unseemly, 
 and receiving in themselves that 
 
 sity of Revelation, vol. i. 49 56.) 
 The crime with which the apostle 
 charges the Gentiles here was by no 
 means confined to the lotoer classes of 
 the people. It doubtless pervaded all 
 classes, and we have distinct specifica 
 tions of its existence in a great num 
 ber of cases. Even Virgil speaks of 
 the attachment of Corydon to Alexis, 
 without seeming to feel the necessity 
 of a blush for it Maximus Tyrius 
 (Diss. 10) says that in the time of 
 Socrates, this vice was common among 
 the Greeks; and is at pains to vindicate 
 Socrates from it as almost a solitary 
 exception. Cicero (Tuscul. Ques. iv. 
 34) says, that " Dicearchus had accused 
 Plato of it, and probably not unjustly." 
 He also says (Tuscul. Q. iv. 33), that 
 the practice was common among the 
 Greeks, and that their poets and great 
 men, and even their learned men and 
 philosophers, not only practised, but 
 gloried in it And he adds, that it was 
 the custom, not of particular cities 
 only, but of Greece in general. 
 (Tuscul. Ques. v. 20.) Xenophon 
 says, that " the unnatural love of boys 
 is so common, that in many places it 
 is established by the public laws." He 
 particularly alludes to Sparta. (See 
 Leland s Advantage &c, i. 56.) Plato 
 says that the Cretans practised this 
 crime, and justified themselves by the 
 example of Jupiter and Ganymede. 
 (Book of Laws, i.) And Aristotle 
 says, that among the Cretans there was a 
 law encouraging that sort of unnatural 
 love. (Arist. Politic, b. ii. ch. 10.) 
 Plutarch says, that this was practised 
 at Thebes, and at Elis. He further 
 Bays, that Solon, the great lawgiver of 
 Athens, " was not proof against beauti- 
 tiful boys, and had riot courage to re 
 sist the force of love." (Life of Solon.) 
 Diogeues Laertius says that this vice 
 was practised by the stoic Zeno. 
 Among the Romans, to whom Paul 
 was writing, this vice was no less com 
 mon. Cicero introduces, without any 
 D 2 
 
 recompense of their error which 
 was meet. 
 
 28 And even as they (fid not 
 
 mark of disapprobation, Cotta, a mar 
 of the first rank and genius, freely am" 
 familiarly owning to other Romans of 
 the same quality, that this worse than 
 beastly vice was practised by himself, 
 and quoting the au hority of ancient 
 philosophers in vindication of it (De 
 Natura Deorum, b. i. ch. 28.) It ap 
 pears from what Seneca says (epis. 95) 
 that in his time it was practised openly 
 at Rome, and without shame. He 
 speaks of flocks and troops of boys, 
 distinguished by their colours and na 
 tions ; and says that great care was 
 taken to train them up for this detesta 
 ble employment Those who may wish 
 to see a further account of the morality 
 in the pagan world may find it de 
 tailed in Tholuck s " Nature and moral 
 Influence of Heathenism," in the Bib 
 lical Repository, vol. ii., and in Le- 
 land s Advantage and Necessity of the 
 Christian Revelation. There is not the 
 least evidence that this abominable 
 vice was confined to Greece and Rome. 
 If so common there, if it had the 
 sanction even of their philosophers, it 
 may be presumed that it was practised 
 elsewhere, and that the sin against na 
 ture was a common crime throughout 
 the heathen world. Navaratte, in his 
 account of the empire of China 
 (bookii. ch. 6), says that it is extreme 
 ly common among the Chinese. And 
 there is every reason to believe, that 
 both in the old world and the new, this 
 abominable crime is still practised. If 
 such was the state of the pagan world, 
 then surely the argument of the apos 
 tle is well sustained, that there was 
 need of some other plan of salvation 
 than was taught by the light of nature. 
 | 1 That which is unseemly. That which 
 ! is shameful, or disgraceful. \ ~lnd 
 : receiving in themselves, &c. The 
 I meaning of this doubtless is, that the 
 effect of such base and unnatural pas 
 sions was, to enfeeble the body, to pro 
 duce premature old age, disease, de- 
 i cay, and an early death. That this u 
 
12 
 
 like 
 
 to retain God in their \ 
 
 knowledge, God gave them over 
 to * a reprobate mind, to do those 
 things which are not convenient ; 
 
 1 or, to achnowltdgt. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 29 Being filled with all un 
 righteousness, fornication, wick 
 edness, covetousness, malicious 
 ness ; full of envy, murder, de- 
 
 2 or, a mind void of judgment. 
 
 the effect of the indulgence of licen 
 tious passions, is amply proved by the 
 history of man. The despots who 
 practise polygamy, and keep harems in 
 in the east, are commonly superannu 
 ated at forty years of age; and it is well 
 known, even in Christian countries, 
 that the effect of licentious indulgence 
 is to break down and destroy the con 
 stitution. How much more might this 
 be expected to follow the practice of 
 the vice specified in the verse under 
 examination ! God has marked the 
 indulgence of licentious passions with 
 his frown. Since the time of the Ro 
 mans and the Greeks, as if there had 
 not been sufficient restraints before, he 
 has originated a new disease, which is 
 one of the most loathsome and dis 
 tressing which has ever afflicted man, 
 and which has swept off millions of 
 victims. But the effect on the body 
 was not all. It tended to debase the 
 mind ; to sink man below the level of 
 the brute ; to destroy the sensibility ; 
 and to " sear the conscience as with a 
 hot iron." The last remnant of reason 
 and conscience, it would seem, must be 
 extinguished in those who would in 
 dulge in this unnatural and degrading 
 vice. See Suetonius Life of Nero, 28. 
 28. And even as they did not like, 
 &c. This was the true source of their 
 crimes. They did not choose to ac 
 knowledge God. It was not because 
 they could not, but because they were 
 displeased with God, and chose to for 
 sake him, and follow their own pas 
 sions and lusts. ^ To retain God, 
 &c. To think of him, or to serve and 
 adore him. This was the jirst step in 
 their sin. It was not thaf, God com 
 pelled them ; or that he did not give 
 them knowledge; nor even is it said 
 that he arbitrarily abandoned them as 
 the first step ; but they forsook him, and 
 as a consequence he gave them up to 
 
 a reprobate mind. 1 To a reprobate 
 mind. A mind destitute of judgment, 
 In the Greek the same word is used 
 here, which, in another form, occurs in 
 the previous part of the verse, and which 
 is translated " like." The apostle meant 
 doubtless to retain a reference to that 
 in this place. " As they did not ap 
 prove, fj*x.t{j.ct<raiv, or choose to retain 
 God, &c. he gave them up to a 
 mind disapproved, rejected,rcprobaie," 
 nt/uov, and he means that the state 
 of their minds was such that God 
 could not approve it. It does not 
 mean that they were reprobate by any 
 arbitrary decree; but that, as a conse 
 quence of their headstrong passions, 
 their determination to forget him, he 
 left them to a state of mind which 
 was evil, and which he could not ap 
 prove, f Which are not conve 
 nient. Which are not fit or proper ; 
 which are disgraceful and shameful ; 
 to wit, those things which he proceeds 
 o state in the remainder of the chapter. 
 29. Being filled. That is, the 
 hings which he specifies were corn- 
 won or abounded among them. This 
 a strong phrase, denoting that these 
 hings were so often practised as that 
 t might be said they were full of 
 hem. We have a phrase like this 
 itill, when we say of one that he is 
 ull of mischief, &c. ^ Unrighteous 
 ess, aJuudL. This is a word denoting 
 njustice, or iniquity in general. The 
 particular specifications of the iniquity 
 follow. ^[ Fornication. This was a 
 common and almost universal sin 
 among the ancients, as it is among the 
 moderns. The word denotes all illicit 
 intercourse. That this was a com 
 mon crime among the ancient heathen, 
 it would be easy to show, were it pro 
 per, even in relation to their wisest 
 and most learned men. They who 
 wish to see ample evidence of this 
 
. D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 43 
 
 charge may find it in Tholuck s 
 " Nature and moral Influence of Hea- 
 ihenism," in the Biblical Repository, 
 vol. ii. p. 441464. ^ Wickedness. 
 The word used here denotes a desire 
 if injuring others ; or, as we should 
 express it, malice. It is that depravity 
 and obliquity of mind which strives to 
 produce injury on others. (Calvin.) 
 t Covetonsness. Avarice, or the de 
 sire of obtaining thai which belongs to 
 others. This vice is common in the 
 world ; but it would be particularly so 
 where the other vices enumerated here 
 abounded, and men were desirous of 
 luxury, and the gratification of their 
 senses. Rome was particularly de 
 sirous of the wealth of other nations, 
 and hence its extended wars, and the 
 various evils of rapine and conquest. 
 ^[ Licentiousness, K.MU&. This word 
 denotes evil in general ; rather the act 
 of doing wrong than the desire which 
 was expressed before by the word wick 
 edness. ^[ Full of envy. " Pain, uneasi 
 ness, mortification or discontent, excited 
 by another s prosperity, accompanied 
 with some degree of hatred or maligni 
 ty, and often with a desire or an effort to 
 depreciate the person, and with pleasure 
 in seeing him depressed." (Webster.} 
 This passion is so common still, that 
 it is not necessary to attempt to prove 
 that it was common among the an 
 cients. It seems to be natural to the 
 human heart. It is one of the most 
 common manifestations of wickedness, 
 and shows clearly the deep depravity 
 of man. Benevolence rejoices at the 
 happiness of others, and seeks to pro 
 mote it. But envy exists almost every 
 where, and in almost every human 
 bosom . 
 
 " All human virtue, to its latest breath, 
 Finds envy never conquered but by 
 
 death." Pope. 
 
 \ Murder. " The taking of human 
 life with premeditated malice by a per 
 so i of a sane mind." This is necessa 
 ry to constitute murder now, but the 
 word used here denotes all manslaugh 
 ter, or taking human life, except thai 
 which occurs as the punishment of 
 -rime. It is scarcely necessary to 
 
 show that this was common among the 
 Gentiles. It has prevailed in all commu 
 nities, but it was particularly prevalent 
 n Rome. It is necessary only to refer 
 the reader to the common events in the 
 Roman history of assassinations, deaths 
 by poison, and the destruction of slaves. 
 But in a special manner the charge was 
 properly alleged against them, on ac 
 count of the inhuman contests of the 
 gladiators in the amphitheatres. These 
 were common at Rome, and constituted 
 a favourite amusement with the peo 
 ple. Originally captives, slaves, and 
 criminals were trained up for combat ; 
 but it afterwards became common for 
 even Roman citizens to engage in these 
 bloody combats, and Nero at one show 
 exhibited no less than four hundred 
 senators and six hundred knights as 
 gladiators. The fondness for this 
 bloody spectacle continued till the 
 reign of Constantino the Great, the 
 first Christian emperor, by whom they 
 were abolished about six hundred years 
 after the original institution. " Several 
 hundred, perhaps several thousand, 
 victims were annually slaughtered in 
 the great cities of the empire." Gib 
 bon s Decline and Fall, ch. xxx. A. D. 
 404. As an instance of what might 
 occur in this inhuman spectacle, we 
 may refer to what took place on such 
 an occasion in the reign of Probus 
 (A. D. 281). During his triumph, near 
 seven hundred gladiators were reserved 
 to shed each other s blood for the 
 amusement of the Roman people. But 
 " disdaining to shed their blood for the 
 amusement of the populace, they killed 
 their keepers, broke from their place of 
 confinement, and filled the streets of 
 Rome with blood and confusion." 
 Gibbon s Decline and Fall, ch. xii, 
 With such views and with such spec 
 tacles before them, it is not wonderful 
 that murder was regarded as a matter of 
 little consequence, and hence thit 
 crime prevailed throughout the world. 
 K Debate. Our word debate does not 
 commonly imply evil. It denotes com 
 monly discussion for elucidating truth , 
 or for maintaining a proposition, as the 
 debates in Congress, &c. But the 
 
41 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 bate, deceit, malignity ; whis 
 perers, 
 
 30 Backbiters, haters of God, 
 
 word in the original meant also con 
 tention, strife, altercation, connected 
 with anger and heated zeal. Rom. xiii. 
 13. 1 Cor. i. 11 ; iii. 3. 2 Cor. xii. 20. 
 Gal. v. 20. Phil. i. 15. 1 Tim. vi. 4. 
 Titus iii. 9. This contention and 
 strife would, of course, follow from 
 malice and ccvetousness, &c. ^ De 
 ceit. This denotes fraud, falsehood, 
 &c. That this was common is also 
 plain. The Cretans are testified by 
 one of the Greek poets to have been 
 always liars. (Titus i. 12.) Juvenal 
 charges the same thing on the Romans. 
 (Sat. iii. 41.) What, says he, should 
 I do at Rome] / cannot lie." Inti 
 mating that if he were there, it would 
 follow, of course, that he would be ex 
 pected to be false. The same thing is 
 still true. Writers on India tell us 
 that the word of a Hindoo even under 
 oath is not to be regarded ; and the 
 same thing occurs in most pagan coun 
 tries. If Malignity. This word sig 
 nifies here, not malignity in general, 
 but that particular species of it which 
 consists in misinterpreting the words 
 or actions of others, or putting the 
 worst construction on their conduct. 
 K Whisperers. Those who secretly, 
 and in a sly manner, by hints and in 
 nuendoes, detract from others, or excite 
 suspicion of them. It does not mean 
 those who openly calumniate, but that 
 more dangerous class who give hints 
 of evil in others, who affect great 
 knowledge, and communicate the evil 
 report under an injunction of secrecy, 
 knowing that it will be divulged. This 
 class of people abounds every where, 
 and there is scarcely any one more 
 dangerous to the peace or happiness of 
 society. 
 
 30. Backbiters. Those who calum 
 niate, slander, or speak ill of those who 
 are absent. Whisperers declare secret 
 ly, and with great reserve, the supposed 
 faults of others. Backbiters proclaim 
 them publicly and avowedly. ^ Hater*. 
 
 despiteful ; proud, boasters, in 
 ventors of evil things, disobe 
 dient tc parents, 
 
 of God. There is no charge which 
 can be brought against men more se 
 vere than this. It is the highest possi 
 ble crime; yet it is a charge which the 
 conduct of men will abundantly justify, 
 and the truth of which all those expe 
 rience who are brought to see their 
 true character. To an awakened sin 
 ner there is often nothing more plain 
 and painful than that he is a hater of 
 God. His heart rises up against Him, 
 and his law, and his plan of saving 
 men ; and he deeply feels that nothing 
 can subdue this but the mighty power 
 of the Holy One. This is a charge 
 which is not unfrequently brought 
 against men in the Bible. See John 
 vii. 7; xv. 18. 24, 25; iii. 19, 20. 
 Surely, if this be the native character 
 of man, then it is "far gone from 
 original righteousness." No more 
 striking proof of depravity could be 
 given ; and in no creed or confession 
 of faith is there a more painful and 
 humiliating representation given of 
 human wickedness, than in this decla 
 ration of an inspired apostle, that men 
 are by nature HATERS OF Gon. 
 ^[ Despiteful. This word denotes those 
 who abuse, or treat with unkindness 
 or disdain, those ivho are present. 
 Whisperers and backbiters are those 
 who calumniate those who are absent. 
 1 Proud. Pride is well understood. 
 It is an inordinate self-esteem ; an un 
 reasonable conceit of one s superiority 
 in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplish 
 ments, &c. ( Webster.} Of the existence 
 of this every where, there is abundant 
 proof. And it was particularly striking 
 among the ancients. The sect of the 
 Stoics was distinguished for it, and this 
 was the general character of their phi 
 losophers. Men will be proud where 
 they suppose none are superior; and 
 it is only the religion that reveals a 
 great and infinite God, and that teaches 
 that all blessings are his gift, and that 
 he has given us the station wh ; r,h we 
 
\. D. 60.J 
 31 Without 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 understanding, 
 
 covenant-breakers, without 1 na- 
 
 1 or, untocialile. 
 
 tural affection, implacable, un 
 merciful : 
 
 occupy, that will produce true humility. 
 We may add, that the system of hea 
 thenism did not disclose the wickedness 
 of the heart, and that *his was a main 
 reason why they were elevated in ielf- 
 esteem. ^ Boasters. Those who ar 
 rogate to themselves that which they 
 do not possess, and glory in it. This 
 .s closely connected with pride. A 
 man who has an inordinate self-con 
 ceit, will not he slow to proclaim his 
 own merits to those around him. ^ In 
 ventors of evil things. This doubtless 
 refers to their seeking to find out new 
 arts or plans to practise evil; new de 
 vices to gratify their lusts and passions ; 
 new forms of luxury, and vice, &c. 
 So intent were they on practising evil, 
 so resolved to gratify their passions, 
 that the mind was excited to discover 
 new modes of gratification. In cities 
 of luxury and vice, this has always 
 been done. Vices change their form, 
 men become satiated, and they are 
 obliged to resort to some new form. 
 The passions cease to be gratified with 
 old forms of indulgence, and conse 
 quently men are obliged to resort to 
 new devices to pamper their appetites, 
 and to rekindle their dying passions to 
 a flame. This was eminently true of 
 ancient Rome ; a place where all the 
 arts of luxury, all the devices of pas 
 sion, all the designs of splendid grati 
 fication, were called forth to excite and 
 pamper the evil passions of men. 
 Their splendid entertainments, their 
 games, their theatres, their sports 
 cruel and bloody were little else than 
 new and ever-varying inventions of 
 evil things to gratify the desires of lust 
 and of pride, ^f Disobedient to pa 
 rents. This expresses the idea that 
 they did not show to parents that 
 honour, respect, and attention which 
 was due. This has been a crime of 
 paganism in every age; and though 
 among the Romans the duty of honour 
 ing parents was enjoined by the laws, 
 is not improbable that the duty 
 
 was often violated, and that parents 
 were treated with great neglect and 
 even contempt. " Disobedience to pa 
 rents was punished by the Jewish law 
 with death, and with the Hindoos it is 
 attended with the loss of the child s in 
 heritance. The ancient Greeks con 
 sidered the neglect of it to be extremely 
 impious, and attended with the most 
 certain effects of divine vengeance. 
 Solon ordered all persons who refused 
 to make due provision for their parents 
 to be punished with infamy, and the 
 same penalty was incurred for personal 
 violence towards them." Kent s Com 
 mentaries on American Law, vol. ii. p. 
 207. Comp. Virg. ^Eniad ix. 283. 
 The feelings of pride and haughtiness 
 would lead to disregard of parents. It 
 might also be felt that to provide for 
 them when aged and infirm was a bur 
 den ; and hence vhere would arise dis 
 regard f )T their wants, and probably 
 open opposition to thei* wishes, as be 
 ing the demands of petulance and age. 
 It has been one characteristic of hea 
 thenism every where, that it leaves chil 
 dren to treat their parents with neglect 
 Among the Sandwich islanders it was 
 customary, when a parent was old, in 
 firm, and sick beyond the hope of re 
 covery, for his own children to bury 
 him alive ; and it has been the common 
 custom in India for children to leave 
 their aged parents to perish on the 
 banks of the Ganges. 
 
 31. Without understanding. In 
 considerate, or foolish. See ver. 21,22. 
 1 Covenant breakers. Perfidious; 
 false to their contracts, *{ Without 
 natural affection. This expression 
 denotes the want of affectionate regard 
 towards their children. The attachment 
 of parents to children is one of the 
 strongest in nature, and nothing can 
 overcome it but the most confirmed 
 and established wickedness. And yet 
 the apostle charges o.i the heathen 
 generally the want of this affection. 
 He doubtless refers here to the practice 
 
iti 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO 
 
 so common among heathens of expos 
 ing their children, or putting them to 
 death. This crime, so abhorrent to all 
 the feelings of humanity, was common 
 among the heathen, and is still. The 
 Canaanites, we are told (Ps. cvi. 37, 
 38), "sacrificed their sons and their 
 daughters unto devils, and shed inno 
 cent blood, even the blood of their sons 
 and their daughters, whom they sacri 
 ficed unto the idols of Canaan." Ma- 
 nasseh among the Jews imitated their 
 example, and introduced the horrid 
 custom of sacrificing children to Mo 
 loch, and set the example by offering 
 his own. 2 Chron. xxxhi. 6. Among 
 the ancient Persians it was a common 
 custom to bury children alive. In most 
 of the Grecian states, infanticide was 
 not merely permitted, but actually en 
 forced by law. The Spartan lawgiver 
 expressly ordained that every child 
 that was born should be examined by 
 the ancient men of the tribe, and that 
 if found weak or deformed, should be 
 thrown into a deep cavern at the foot 
 of Mount Taygetus. Aristotle, in his 
 work on government, enjoins the ex 
 posure of children that are naturally 
 feeble and deformed, in order to pre 
 vent an excess of population. But 
 among all the nations of antiquity, the 
 Romans were the most unrelenting in 
 their treatment of infants. Romulus 
 obliged the citizens to bring up all 
 their male children, and the eldest of 
 the females, proof that the others were 
 to be destroyed. The Roman father 
 had an absolute right over the life of 
 his child, and we have abundant proof 
 that that right was often exercised. 
 Romulus expressly authorized the 
 destruction of all children that were 
 deformed, only requiring the parents 
 to exhibit them to their five nearest 
 neighbours, and to obtain their consent 
 to their deatL. The law of the Twelve 
 Tables, enacteu in the 301st year of 
 Rome, sanctioned the same barbarous 
 practice. Minucius Felix thus describes 
 the barbarity of the Romans in this 
 respect: "I see you exposing your 
 infants to wild beasts and birds, or 
 trang)ing them after the most misera 
 
 ble manner." (ch. xxx.) Pliny the 
 elder defends the right of parents tc 
 destroy their children, upon the ground 
 of its being necessary in order to pre 
 serve the population within proper 
 bounds. Tertullian, in his apology, 
 expresses himself boldly on this sub 
 ject " How many of you (addressing 
 himself to the Roman people, and to. 
 the governors of cities and provinces) 
 might I deservedly charge with infant 
 murder; and not only so, but among 
 the different kinds of death, for choos 
 ing some of the cruelest for their own 
 children, such as drowning, or starving 
 with cold or hunger, or exposing to the 
 mercy of dogs; dying by the sword 
 being too sweet a death for children." 
 Nor was this practice arrested in the 
 Roman government until the time of 
 Constantine, the first Christian prince. 
 The Phenicians and Carthagenians 
 were in the habit of sacrificing infants 
 to the gods. It may be added that the 
 crime is no less common among 
 modern pagan nations. No less than 
 9000 children are exposed in Pekin in 
 China, annually. Persons are employ 
 ed by the police to go through the 
 city with carts every morning to pick 
 up all the children that may have been 
 thrown out during the night. The 
 bodies are carried to a common pit 
 without the walls of the city, into 
 which all, whether dead or living, are 
 promiscuously thrown. (Barrow s 
 Travels in China, p. 113, Am. eo.) 
 Among the Hindoos the practice is 
 perhaps still more common. In the 
 provinces of Cutch and Guzerat alone 
 the number of infantile murders 
 amounted, according to the lowest calcu 
 lation in 1807, to 3000 annually ; ac 
 cording to another calculation, to 
 30,000. Females are almost the only 
 victims. (Buchanan s Researches in 
 Asia, Eng. ed. p. 49. Ward s Vie\* 
 of the Hindoos.) In Otaheite, pre- 
 iously to the conversion of the people 
 to Christianity, it was estimated that 
 at least tioo-thirds of the children 
 were destroyed. (Turnbull s Voyage 
 round the Worid in 1800, 2, 3, and 4.) 
 The natives of New 8outh WaJej 
 
A U. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 47 
 
 32 AVho knowing the judg 
 ment of God, that they which 
 commit such things are worthy 
 
 were in the habit of burying the child 
 with its mother, if it should happen to 
 die. (Collins Account of the Colony 
 of New South Wales, p. 124, 125.) 
 Among the Hottentots, infanticide is a 
 common crime. " The altars of the 
 Mexicans were continually drenched 
 in the blood of infants." In Peru, no 
 less than two hundred infants were 
 sacrificed on occasion of the corona 
 tion of the Inca. The authority for 
 these melancholy statements may be 
 seen in Beck s Medical Jurisprudence, 
 vol. i. 184197, ed. 1823. See also 
 Robertson s History of America, p. 221, 
 ed. 1821. This is a specimen of the 
 views and feelings of the heathen 
 world ; and the painful narrative 
 might be continued to almost any 
 length. After this statement, it can 
 not surely be deemed a groundless 
 charge when the apostle accused them 
 of being destitute of natural affection. 
 H Implacable. This word properly 
 denotes those who will not be recon 
 ciled where there is a quarrel ; or who 
 pursue the offender with unyielding 
 revenge. It denotes an unforgiving 
 temper; and was doubtless common 
 among the ancients, as it is among all 
 heathen people. The aborigines of this 
 country have given the most striking 
 manifestation of this that the world 
 has known. It is well known that 
 among them, neither time nor distance 
 will obliterate the memory of an of 
 fence; and that the avenger will pursue 
 the offender over hills and streams, 
 and through heat or snow, happy if 
 he may at last, though at the expira 
 tion of years, bury the tomahawk in 
 the head of his victim, though it may 
 be at the expense of his own life. See 
 Robertson s America, book iv. Ixxiii. 
 Ixxxi. T Unmerciful. Destitute 
 ot compassion. As a proof of this, 
 we may remark that no provisions for 
 the poor or the infirm were made 
 among the heathen. The sick and 
 
 of death, not ,nly do the same, 
 but * have pleasure in them thai 
 do them. 
 
 1 01, tvnsent toith them. 
 
 the infirm were cast out, and doomed 
 to depend on the stinted charity of in 
 dividuals. Pure religion, only, opens 
 the heart to the appeals of want ; and 
 nothing but Christianity has yet ex 
 panded the hearts of men to make 
 public provisions for the poor, the 
 ignorant, and the afflicted. 
 
 32. Who knowing. That the Gen- 
 tiles had a moral sense, or were capable 
 of knowing the will of God in this 
 case, is clear from ch. ii. 14, 15. The 
 means which they had of arriving at 
 the knowledge of God were, their own 
 reason, their conscience, and an ob 
 servation of the effects of depravity. 
 If The judgment of God. The word 
 judgment here denotes the declared 
 sentiment of God that such things de 
 served death. It does not mean his 
 inflictions, or his statutes or precepts 
 but it means that God thought 01 
 judged that they which did such 
 things ought to die. As they were 
 aware of this, it showed their guilt in 
 still persevering in the face of his 
 judgments, and his solemn purpose to 
 inflict punishment. K Were -worthy 
 of death. The word death in the 
 Scriptures is often used to denote 
 punishment. But it does not mean 
 here that these deserved capital punish 
 ment from the civil magistrate, but 
 that they knew they were evil, and 
 offensive to God, and deserving of 
 punishment from his hand. See John 
 viii. 51. Rom. v. 12 19. *f Have plea 
 sure, &c. They delight in those who 
 commit sin; and hence encourage 
 them in it, and excite them to it. This 
 was a grievous aggravation of the 
 offence. It greatly heightens guilt 
 when we excite others to do it, and 
 seduce them from the ways of inno 
 cence. That this was the case with 
 the heathen there can be no doubt 
 Men do not commit sin often alone 
 They need the countenance of others 
 They "join hand in hand," and be- 
 
48 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 come confederate in iniquity. Jill 
 social sins are of this class; and most 
 of those which the apostle mentioned 
 were sins of this character. 
 
 If this revolting and melancholy 
 picture of the pagan world was a true 
 representation, then it was clear that 
 *.here was need of some other plan of 
 religion. And that it was true has 
 already in part been seen. In the 
 conclusion of this chapter we may 
 make a few additional observations. 
 
 1. The charges which the apostle 
 makes here were evidently those which 
 were well known. He does not even 
 appeal to their writings, as he does on 
 some other occasions, for proof. Comp. 
 Titus i. 12. So well known were 
 they, that there was no need of proof. 
 A writer would not advance charges in 
 this manner unless he was confident 
 that they were well-founded, and could 
 not be denied. 
 
 2. They are abundantly sustained 
 by the heathen writers themselves. 
 This we have in part seen. In addi 
 tion we may adduce the testimony of 
 two Roman writers respecting the state 
 of things at R /me in the time of 
 the apostle. Livy says of the age of 
 Augustus, in some respects the bright 
 est period of the Roman history, 
 " Rome has increased by her virtues 
 until now, -whey. ioe can neither bear 
 our vices nr their remedy." Preface 
 to his History. Seneca, one of the 
 purest moralists of Rome, who died 
 A. D. 65, siys of his own time, " All 
 is full of criminality and vice; indeed 
 much more of these is committed than 
 jan be remedied by force. A monstrous 
 :ontest of abandoned wickedness is 
 jarried Dn. The lust of sin increases 
 Jaily ; and sh&mt is daily more and 
 liore extinguished Discarding respect 
 for all that is g(od and sacred, lust 
 i ashes on wherever it will. Vice no 
 lunger hides itself. It stalks forth be 
 fore all eyes. So public has abandoned 
 wickedness become, and so openly 
 vloes it flame up in the minds of all, 
 \hat innocence is no longer seldom, 
 but has wholly ceased to exist." Seneca 
 de Ira, ii. 8, Further authorities of 
 
 this kind could be easily given, bat 
 these will show that the apostle Paul did 
 net speak at random when he charged 
 them with these enormous crimej. 
 
 3. If this was the state of hings, 
 then it was clear that there was need 
 of another plan of saving men. It 
 will be remembered that, in these 
 charges, the apostle speaks of the most 
 enlightened and refined natons of an 
 tiquity ; and especially that he speaks 
 of the Romans at the very height of 
 their power, intelligence, and splen 
 dour. The experiment whether man 
 could save himself by his own works, 
 had been fairly made. After all that 
 their greatest philosophers could do, 
 this was the result, and it is clear that 
 there was need of some better plan 
 than this. More profound and labori 
 ous philosophers than had arisen, the 
 pagan world could not hope to see ; 
 more refinement and civilization than 
 then existed, the world could not ex 
 pect to behold under heathenism. At 
 this time, when the experiment had 
 been made for four thousand years, and 
 when the inefficacy of all human means, 
 even under the most favourable circum 
 stances, to reform mankind, had been 
 tried, the gospel was preached to men. 
 It disclosed another plan ; and its ef 
 fects were seen at once throughout the 
 most abandoned states and cities of the 
 ancient world. 
 
 4. If this was the state of things in 
 the ancient heathen world, the same 
 may be expected to be the state of 
 heathenism still. And it is so. The 
 account given here of ancient heathens 
 would apply substantially still to the 
 pagan world. The same things have 
 been again and again witnessed in 
 China, and Hindoostan, and Africa, 
 the Sandwich Islands, and in aboriginal 
 America. It would be easy to multiply 
 proofs almost without end of this ; and 
 to this day the heathen world is ex 
 hibiting substantially the same charac 
 teristics that it was in the time of Paul. 
 
 5. There was need of some better 
 religion than the pagan. After all tnat 
 infidels and deists have said of the 
 sufficiency of natural religion, yet here 
 
A I) tiO. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 ^HEREFORE thou art inex 
 cusable, O man, whosoever 
 thou art that judgest : for a 
 
 a 2Sm. 12.6,7. 
 
 wherein thou judgest another, 
 thou condemnest thyself; for 
 thou that judgest, doest the same 
 things. 
 
 is the sad result. This shows what 
 man can do, and these facts will demon 
 strate for ever that there was neetl of 
 some other religion than that furnished 
 by the light of nature. 
 
 6. The account in this chapter 
 shows the propriety of missionary ex 
 ertions. So Paul judged ; and so we 
 should judge still. If this be the state 
 
 f the world, and if Christianity, as all 
 Christians believe, contains the remedy 
 for all these evils, then it is wisdom 
 and benevolence to send it to them. 
 And it is not wisdom or benevolence 
 to withhold it from them. Believing 
 as they do, Christians are bound to 
 send the gospel to the heathen world. 
 It is on this principle that modern mis 
 sions to the heathen are established ; 
 and if the toils of the apostles were de 
 manded to spread the gospel, then are 
 the labours of Christians now. If it was 
 right, and wise, and proper for them to 
 go to other lands to proclaim " the un 
 searchable riches of Christ," then it is 
 equally proper and wise to do it now. 
 If there was danger that the heathen 
 world tlien would perish without the 
 gospel, there is equal danger that the 
 heathen world will perish now. 
 
 7. If it should be said that many of 
 these things are practised now in na 
 tions which are called Christian, and 
 that, therefore, the charge of the apos 
 tle that this was the effect of heathen 
 ism could not be well-founded, we may 
 reply, (1.) That this is true, too true. 
 But this very fact shows the Jeep and 
 dreadful depravity of human nature. 
 If such things exist in lands that have 
 a revelation, what must have been the 
 state of those countries that had none 
 of its restraints and influences ! But, 
 (2.) These things do not exist where 
 religion exerts its influence. They are 
 not in the bosom of the Christian 
 church. They are not practised by 
 Christians. And the effect of the 
 
 E 
 
 Christian religion, so far as it has in 
 fluence, is to call off men from such 
 vices, and to make them holy and pure 
 in their life. Let religion exert its full 
 infiitence on any nominally Christian 
 nation, and these things would cease. 
 Let it send its influence into other 
 lands, and the world, the now polluted 
 world, would become pure before God. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1. Therefore. A/o. The force of 
 this word here has been the subject of 
 much discussion. The design of this 
 and the following chapter is to show 
 that the Jews were no less guilty than 
 the Gentiles, and that they needed the 
 benefit of the same salvation. This 
 the apostle does by showing that they 
 had greater light than the Gentiles , 
 and yet that they did the same things. 
 Still they were in the habit of accusing 
 and condemning the Gentiles as wicked 
 and abandoned ; while they excused 
 themselves on the ground that they 
 possessed the law and oracles of God, 
 and were his favourite people. The 
 apostle here affirms that they were in 
 excusable in their sins, that they must 
 be condemned in the sight of God, on 
 the same ground on which they con 
 demned the Gentiles ; to wit, that they 
 had light and yet committed wicked 
 ness. If the Gentiles were without 
 excuse (ch. i. 20) in their sins, much 
 more would the Jew, who condemned 
 them, be without excuse on the same 
 ground. The word therefore, I sup 
 pose, refers not to any particular word 
 in the previous chapter, or to any par 
 ticular verse, but to the general con 
 siderations which were suggested by a 
 view of the whole case. And its 
 sense might be thus expressed. Since 
 you Jews condemn the Gentiles for their 
 sins, on the ground that they have the 
 means of knowing their duty, THKKE- 
 FOIIE, you who are far more favoured 
 than they, are entirely without an ex 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 
 
 cuse for the same things. ^ Thou art 
 inexcusable. This does not mean 
 that they were inexcusable for judging 
 others; but that they had no excuse 
 for their sins before God; or that they 
 were under condemnation for their 
 crimes, and needed the benefits of 
 another plan of justification. As the 
 Gentiles whom they judged were con 
 demned, and were without excuse (i. 
 20), so were the Jeivs who condemned 
 them without excuse on the same prin 
 ciple; and in a still greater degree. 
 1 O man. This address is general to 
 any man who should do this. But it 
 is plain, from the connexion, that he 
 means especially the Jews. The use 
 of this word is an instance of the apos 
 tle s skill in argument. If he had 
 openly named the Jews here, it would 
 have been likely to have excited oppo 
 sition from them. He therefore ap 
 proaches the subject gradually, affirms 
 it of man in general, and then makes 
 a particular application to the Jews. 
 This he does not do, however, until he 
 has advanced so far in the general 
 principles of his argument that it 
 would be impossible for them to evade 
 his conclusions ; and then he does it 
 in the most tender, and kind, as well 
 as convincing manner, ver. 17, &c. 
 If JFhosoever thou art that jitdgest. 
 The word jitdgest ( Kg /vac) here is used 
 in the sense of condemning. It is not 
 a word of equal strength with that 
 which is rendered" condemnest" (K^T^.- 
 C/r&c). It implies, however, that thev 
 were accustomed to express themselves 
 freely and severely of the character and 
 doom of the Gentiles. And from the 
 New Testament, as well as from their 
 own writings, there can be no doubt 
 that such was the fact ; that they re 
 garded the entire gentile world with 
 abhorrence, considered them as shut 
 out from the favour of God, and ap 
 plied to them terms expressive of the 
 utmost contempt. Comp. Matt. xv. 27. 
 1 For -wherein. For in the same thing. 
 Tliis implies that substantially the 
 same crimes which were committed 
 among the heathen were also commit- 
 *H! amonu: the Jews. 1 Thonjudgest 
 
 another. The mean mg of this cloari) 
 is, for the same thing for which you 
 condemn the heathen, you condemn 
 yourselves. ^ Thou that jnilgest. 
 You Jews who condemn other nations. 
 ^ Doest the same thi?igs. It is clearly 
 implied here, that they were guilty of 
 offences similar to those practised by 
 the Gentiles. It would not be a just 
 principle of interpretation to press this 
 declaration as implying that precisely 
 the same offences, and to the same ex 
 tent, were chargeable on them. Thus 
 they were not guilty, in the time of the 
 apostle, of idolatry ; but of the other 
 crimes enumerated in the first chapter, 
 the Jews might be guilty. The cha 
 racter of the nation, as given in the 
 New Testament, is that they were " an 
 evil and adulterous generation" (Matt. 
 xii. 39. Comp. John viii. 7) ; that they 
 were a " generation of vipers" (Matt. 
 iii. 7 ; xii. 34) ; that they were wick 
 ed (Matt. xii. 45) ; that they were sin 
 ful (Mark viii. 38 > ; that they were 
 proud, haughty, hypocritical, &c. 
 (Matt, xxiii.) If such was the cha 
 racter of the Jewish ration in general, 
 there is no improbability in supposing 
 that they practised most of the crimes 
 specified in ch. i. On this verse we 
 may remark, (1.) That men are prone 
 to be severe judges of others. (2.) 
 This is often, perhaps commonly, done 
 when the accusers themselves are 
 guilty of the same offences. It often 
 happens, too, that men are remarkably 
 zealous in opposing those offences which 
 they themselves secretly practise. A 
 remarkable instance of this occurs in 
 John viii. 1, &c. Thus David readily 
 condemned the supposed act of injus 
 tice mentioned by Nathan. 2 8am. xii. 
 1 6. Thus also kings and emperors 
 have enacted severe laws against the 
 very crimes which they have constantly 
 committed themselves. Nero executed 
 the laws of the Roman empire against 
 the very crimes which he was con 
 stantly committing; and it was a com 
 mon practice for Roman masters to 
 commit offences which they punished 
 with death in their slaves. (See in- 
 stirices in Grotiua en this place % 
 
A.l>. 60] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 51 
 
 2 But we ars sure th.it the 
 judgment of God is according to 
 truth, against them which com- 
 
 (3.) Remarkable zeal against sin may be 
 no proof of innocence. Comp. Matt. vii. 
 3. The zeal of persecutors, and often 
 of pretended reformers, may be far 
 from proof that they are free from the 
 very offences which they are condemn 
 ing in others. It may all be the work 
 of the hypocrite to conceal some base 
 design ; or of the man who seeks to 
 show his hostility to one kind of sin, 
 in order to be a salvo to his conscience 
 for committing some other. (4.) The 
 heart is deceitful. When we judge 
 others we should make it a rule to ex 
 amine ourselves on that very point. 
 Such an examination might greatly 
 mitigate the severity of our judgment ; 
 or might turn the whole of our indig 
 nation against ourselves. 
 
 2. But -we are sure. Greek, " We 
 know." That is, it is the common 
 and admitted sentiment of mankind. 
 It is known and believed by men gene 
 rally that God will punish such crimes. 
 It is implied in this declaration that 
 this was known to the Jews, and it 
 was particularly to the purpose of the 
 apostle so to express himself as to in 
 clude the Jews. They knew it be 
 cause it was every where taught in the 
 Old Testament, and it was the acknow 
 ledged doctrine of the nation. The 
 design of the apostle here, says Calvin, 
 is to take away the subterfuges of the 
 hypocrite, lest he should pride himself 
 if he obtained the praise of men, for a 
 f;ir more important trial awaited him at 
 the bar of God. Outwardly he might 
 appear well to men ; but God searched 
 the heart, and saw the secret as well as 
 the open deeds of men, and they who 
 practised secretly what they condemn 
 ed openly, could not expect to escape 
 the righteous judgment of God. God, 
 without respect of persons, would pu 
 nish wickedness, whether it was open, 
 as among the Gei i ss, or whether it 
 was concealed und&i the guise of great 
 regard for religion, ar among the Jews. 
 ^ The judgment of God. That God 
 
 mit such things. 
 
 3 And thinkest thou this, O 
 man, that judgest them which do 
 
 condemns it, and will punish it. He 
 regards those who do these things aa 
 guilty, and will treat them accordingly 
 t According to truth. This expres 
 sion is capable of two meanings. The 
 Hebrews sometimes use it to denote 
 truly or certainly. God will certain* 
 ly judge and punish such deeds. 
 Another meaning, which is probably 
 the correct one here, is that God will 
 judge those who are guilty of such 
 things, not according to appearance, 
 but in integrity, and with righteous 
 ness. He will judge men according to 
 the real nature of their conduct ; and 
 not as their conduct may appear unto 
 men. The secret, as well as the open 
 sinner therefore ; the hypocrite, as well 
 as the abandoned profligate ; must ex 
 pect to be judged according to their 
 true character. This meaning com 
 ports with the design of the apostle, 
 which is to show that the Jew, who 
 secretly and hypocritically did the 
 very things which he condemned in the 
 Gentile, could not escape the righteous 
 judgment of God. Tf Against him. 
 That is, against every man, no matter 
 of what age or nation. f Which com 
 mit such things. The crimes enume 
 rated in ch. i. The apostle is not to 
 be understood as affirming that each 
 and every individual among the Jews 
 was guilty of the specific crimes charged 
 on the heathen, but that they were as 
 a people inclined to the same things. 
 Even where they might be externally 
 moral, they might be guilty of cherish 
 ing evil desires in their hearts, and thus 
 be guilty of the offence. Matt. v. 28. 
 When men desire to do evil, and are 
 prevented by the providence of God, it 
 is right to punish them for their evil 
 intentions. The fact that God prevents 
 them from carrying their evil purposes 
 into execution does not constitute a 
 difference between their real character 
 and the character of those who are 
 su tiered to act out their wicked designs. 
 3. And thinnest t/tott, &c Thi* is. 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 uch things, and doest the same, | 4 Ordespisestthou the riches 
 that thou shall escape the judg- of his goodness and forbearance 
 
 ment of God ? 
 
 and long-suffering, c not know- 
 
 c.9.23. fclsa.30.18. e John 4.2. 
 
 an Appeal to their common sense, to 
 their deep and instinctive conviction of 
 what was right. If they condemned 
 those who practised these things; if, 
 imperfect and obscure as their sense 
 of justice was; if, unholy as they 
 were, they yet condemned those who 
 were guilty of these offences, would 
 not a holy and just God be far more 
 likely to pronounce judgment ? And 
 could they escape who had themselves 
 delivered a similar sentence 1 God is 
 of " purer eyes than to behold evil, and 
 cannot look upon iniquity." (Hab. i. 
 13.) And if men condemned their 
 fellow men, how much more would a 
 pure and holy God condemn iniquity. 
 This appeal is evidently directed 
 against the Jetv. It was doubtless a 
 prevalent sentiment among them, that 
 provided they adhered to the rites cf 
 their religion, and observed the cere 
 monial law, God would not judge 
 them with the same severity as he 
 would the abandoned and idolatrous 
 Gentiles. Comp. Matt. iii. 9. John viii. 
 33. The apostle shows them that 
 crime is crime, wherever committed ; 
 that sin does not lose its essential cha 
 racter by being committed in the midst 
 of religious privileges; and that those 
 who professed to be the people of God 
 have no peculiar license to sin. Anti- 
 nomians in all ages, like the Jews, have 
 supposed that they, being the friends of 
 God, have a right to do many things 
 which would not be proper in others ; 
 that what -would be sin in others, they 
 may commit with impunity ; and that 
 God will not be strict to mark the 
 offences of his people. Against all 
 this Paul is directly opposed, and the 
 Bible uniformly teaches that the most 
 aggravated sins among men are those 
 committed by the professed people of 
 God. Comp. Isa. i. 11 17; Ixv. 2 5. 
 Rev. iii. 16. 
 
 4. Or despisest. This word properly 
 means to contemn, or to treat with 
 
 neglect. It does not mean here that 
 they professedly treated God s good 
 ness with neglect or contempt; but 
 that they perverted and i bused it; 
 they did not make a proper use of it ; 
 they did not regard it as fit sd to lead 
 them to repentance ; but they derived 
 a practical impression, that because 
 God had not come forth in judgment 
 and cut them off. but had continued to 
 follow them witn blessings, that there 
 fore he did not regard them as sinners, 
 or they inferred that they were inno- 
 cen 4 . and safe. This argument the 
 Jewrf were accustomed to use (comp. 
 Luke xiii. 1 5. John ix. 2); and 
 thus sinners still continue to abuse 
 the goodness and mercy of God. 
 Tf The riches of his goodness. This 
 is a Hebrew mode of speaking, fo 
 " his rich goodness," i. e. few his abun 
 dant or great goodness. Riches de 
 note superfluity, or that which abounds, 
 or which exceeds a man s present 
 wants; and hence the word in the 
 New Testament is used to denote 
 abundance ; or that which is very great 
 and valuable. See Note, ch. ix. 23. 
 Comp. ch. xi. 12. 33. 2 Cor. viii. 2. 
 Eph. i. 7. 18; iii. 8. 16. Col. i. 27. 
 Eph. ii. 4. The word is used here to 
 qualify each of the words which fol 
 low it, his rich goodness, and forbear 
 ance, and long suffering. ^ Good 
 ess. Kindness, benignity. If For 
 bearance, uvo%*f. Literally his hold- 
 mg-in or restraining his indignation; 
 or forbearing to manifest his displea 
 sure against sin. ^ Lang-suffering. 
 This word denotes his slowness to 
 anger ; or his suffering them to com 
 mit sins long without punishing them. 
 [I does not differ essentially from for 
 bearance. This is shown by his not 
 coming forth, at the moment that sin is 
 committed, to punish it. He might do 
 t justly, but he spares men from day 
 o day, and year to year, to give them 
 opportunity to repent, and be saved. 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 53 
 
 The way in which men despise or 
 abuse the goodness of God is to infer 
 that He does not intend to punish sin ; 
 that they may do it safely ; and instead 
 of turning from it, to go on in com 
 mitting it more constantly, as if 
 they were safe. " Because sentence 
 against an evil work is not executed 
 speedily, therefore the heart of the 
 sons of men is fully set in them to do 
 evil." Eccl. viii. 11. The same thing 
 was true in the time of Peter. 2 Pet. 
 iii. 3, 4. And the same thing is true 
 of wicked men in every age; nor is 
 there a more decisive proof of the 
 wickedness of the human heart, than 
 this disposition to abuse the goodness 
 of God, and because he shows kind 
 ness and forbearance, to take .occasion 
 to plunge deeper into sin, to forget his 
 mercy, and to provoke him to anger. 
 If Not knowing. Not considering. 
 The word used here, ^.yvtZv, means 
 not merely to be ignor.int of, but it 
 denotes such a degree of inattention as 
 to result in ignorance. Comp. Hosea ii. 
 8. In this sense it denotes a voluntary, 
 and therefore a criminal ignorance. 
 1 Leadeth thee, &c. Or the tendency, 
 the design of the goodness of God is 
 to induce men to repent of their sins, 
 and not to lead them to deeper and 
 more aggravated iniquity. The same 
 sentiment is expressed in 2 Pet. iii. 9, 
 " The Lord is long-suffering to us- 
 ward, not willing that any should 
 perish, but that all should come to re 
 pentance." See also Isa. xxx. 18, " And 
 therefore will the Lord wait, that he 
 may be gracious unto you." Hosea v. 
 15. Ezek. xviii. 23. 32. ^ Repent 
 ance. Change of mind, and purpose, 
 and life. The word here evidently 
 means, not merely sorrow, but a forsak 
 ing of sin, and turning from it. The ten 
 dency of God s goodness and forbear 
 ance to lead men to repentance, is mani 
 fest in the following ways. (1.) It shows 
 the evil of transgression when it is seen 
 to be committed against so kind and 
 merciful a Being. (2.) It is fitted to melt 
 and soften the heart. Judgments often 
 harden the sinner s heart, and make him 
 obstinate. But if while he does evil 
 
 God is as constantly doing him good ; 
 if the patience of God is seen from 
 year to year, while the man is rebel 
 lious, it is adapted to melt and sub 
 due the heart. (3.) The great mercy 
 of God in this often appears to men to 
 be overwhelming; and so it would to 
 all, if they saw it as it is. God beara 
 with men from childhood to youth ; 
 from youth to manhood ; from man 
 hood to old age ; often while they vio 
 late every law, contemn his mercy, 
 profane his name, and disgrace their 
 species ; and still, notwithstanding all 
 this, his anger is turned away, and the 
 sinner lives, and " riots in the benefi 
 cence of God." If there is any thing 
 that can affect the heart of man, it is 
 this ; and when he is brought to see it, 
 and contemplate it, it rushes over the 
 soul and overwhelms it with bitter sor 
 row. (4.) The mercy and forbearance 
 of God are constant. The manifest 
 ations of his goodness come in every 
 form; in the sun, and light, and air; 
 in the rain, the stream, the dew-drop , 
 in food, and raiment, and home; in 
 friends, and liberty, and protection ; in 
 health and peace ; and in the gospel 
 of Christ, and the offers of life ; and 
 in all these ways God is appealing to 
 his creatures each moment, and setting 
 before them the evils of ingratitude, 
 and beseeching them to turn and live. 
 And from this passage, we cm. not 
 but remark, (1.) That the most effect 
 ual preaching is that which sets before 
 men most of the goodness of God. 
 (2.) Every man is under obligation to 
 forsake his sins, and turn to God. 
 There is no man who has not seen re 
 peated proofs of his mercy and love. (3.) 
 Sin is a stubborn and an amazing evil. 
 Where it can resist all the appeals of 
 God s mercy ; where the sinner can 
 make his way down to hell through all 
 the proofs of God s goodness; where 
 he can refuse to hear God speaking to 
 him each day, and each hour, it shows 
 an amazing extent of depravity to re 
 sist all this, and still remain a sinner. 
 Yet there aie thousands and millions 
 who do it ; and who can be won by no 
 exhibition of love or mercy to fo^saka 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO 
 
 ing that the goodness of Goc 
 leadeth thee to repentance ? 
 
 5 But, after thy hardness and 
 impenitent heart, treasures! * up 
 
 aIsa.30.1S. fcDeut.32.34 
 
 unto thyself wrath, against the 
 day of wrath, and c revelation 
 of the righteous judgment of 
 God; 
 
 their sins, and turn to God. Happy is 
 the man who is melted into contrition 
 by the goodness of God, and who sees 
 and mourns over the evil of sinning 
 against so good a Being as is the Crea 
 tor and Parent of all. 
 
 5. But after thy hardness. The 
 word " after" herd (ICATU) means 
 respect to, or you act according to the 
 direct tendency of a hard heart in 
 treasuring up wrath. The word hard 
 ness is used to denote insensibility of 
 mind. It properly means that which 
 is insensible to the touch, or on which 
 no impression is made by contact, as a 
 stone, &c. Hence it is applied to the 
 mind, to denote a state where no mo 
 tives make an impression ; which is 
 inse?isible to all the appeals made to 
 it. See Matt. xxv. 24 ; xix. 8. Acts 
 xix. 9. And here it expresses a state 
 of mind where the goodness and for 
 bearance of God have no effect. The 
 man still remains obdurate, to use a 
 word which has precisely the meaning 
 of the Greek in this place. It is im 
 plied in this expression that the direct 
 tendency, or the inevitable result, of 
 that state of mind was to treasure up 
 wrath, &c. ^ Impenitent heart. A 
 heart which is not affected with sor 
 row for sin, in view of the mercy and 
 goodness of God. This is an expla 
 nation of what he meant by hardness. 
 1 Treasurest up. To treasure up, or 
 to lay up treasure, commonly denotes 
 a laying by in a place of security of 
 property that may be of use to us at 
 some future period. In this place it 
 is used, however, in a more general 
 sense, *o accumulate, to increase. It 
 still has the idea of hoarding up, car 
 ries the thought beautifully and im 
 pressively onward to future times. 
 Wrath, like wealth treasured up, is 
 not exhausted at present, and hence 
 Ihe skner becomes bolder in sin. But 
 
 it exists, for future use ; it is ktpt in 
 store (comp. 2 Peter iii. 7) against 
 future times; and the man who com 
 mits sin is only increasing this by 
 every act of transgression. The same 
 sentiment is taught in a most solemn 
 manner in Deut. xxxii. 34, 35. It 
 may be remarked here, that most men 
 have an immense treasure of this 
 kind in store, which eternal ages of 
 pain will not exhaust or diminish! 
 Stores of wrath are thus reserved foi 
 a guilty world, and in due time it 
 " will come upon man to the utter 
 most. " 1 Thess. ii. 16. J Unto thy 
 self. For thyself, and not for another; 
 to be exhausted on thee, and not on 
 your fellow man. This is the case 
 with every sinner, as really and as 
 certainly as though he were the only 
 solitary mortal in existence, 1 Wrath 
 Note ch. i. IS. 1 Day of -wrath. 
 The day when God shall show or exe 
 cute his wrath against sinners. Comp. 
 Rev. vi. 17. 1 Thess. i. 10. John iii. 
 36. Eph. v. 6. 1 Jlnd revelation. 
 Or the day when the righteous judg 
 ment of God will be revealed, or 
 made known. Here we learn, (1.) 
 That the punishment of the wicked 
 will be just. It will not be a judg 
 ment of caprice or tyranny, but 
 a righteous judgment ; that is, such 
 a judgment as it will be right to 
 render, or as ought to be rendered, and 
 THEREFORE such as God ivill render, 
 or he will do right. 2 Thess. i. 6. (2.) 
 The punishment of the wicked is 
 r uture. It is not exhausted in this 
 ife. It is treasured up for a future 
 day, and that day is a day of wrath. 
 How contrary to this text are the pre- 
 ences of those who maintain that all 
 punishment is executed in this life. 
 ^3.) How foolish as well as wicked is 
 t to lay up such a treasure for the 
 "uture; to have the only inheritance in 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 6 Who 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 55 
 
 will render to every 
 
 man according to his deeds : 
 
 aProv.24.12. Matt.16.27. Rev.20.12. 
 
 7 To them, who, by patient 
 continuance in well doing, seek 
 
 the eternal world, an inheritance of 
 wrath and ivo ! 
 
 6. Who will render. That is, who 
 will make retribution as a righteous 
 Judge ; or who will give to every man 
 as he deserves. Tf To every man. To 
 each one. This is a general principle, 
 and it is clear that in this respect God 
 would deal with the Jew as he does 
 with the Gentile. This general prin 
 ciple the apostle is establishing, that he 
 may bring it to bear on the Jew, and to 
 show that he cannot escape simply be 
 cause he is a Jew. Tf According to 
 his deeds. That is, a* he deserves ; 
 or God will be just, and will treat 
 every man as he ought to be treated, 
 or according to his character. The 
 word deeds (tgyai) is sometimes applied 
 to the external conduct. But it is 
 plain that this is not its meaning here. 
 It denotes every thing connected with 
 conduct, including the acts of the 
 mind, the motives, the principles, as 
 well as the mere external act. Our 
 word character more aptly expresses 
 it than any single word. It is not true 
 that God will treat men according to 
 their external conduct; but the whole 
 language of the Bible implies that he 
 will judge men according to the whole 
 of their conduct, including their 
 thoughts, and principles, and motives ; 
 i. e. as they deserve. The doctrine of 
 this place is elsewhere abundantly 
 taught in the Bible. Prov. xxiv. 12. 
 Matt. xvi. 27. Rev. xx. 12. Jer. xxxii. 
 19. It is to be observed here that the 
 apostle does not say that men will be 
 rewarded for their deeds (comp. Luke 
 xvii. 10), but according to (**/ra) their 
 deeds. Christians will be saved on ac- 
 tount of the merits of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ (Titus hi. 5), but still the re 
 wards of heaven will be according to 
 their works; that is. they who have 
 laboured most, and been most faithful, 
 shall receive the highest reward, or 
 their fidelity in their Master s service 
 shall be the measure or rule according 
 
 to which the rewards of heaven shall 
 be distributed. Matt xxv. 14 29. 
 Thus the ground or reason ivhy they 
 are saved shall be the merits of the 
 Lord Jesus. The measure of their 
 happiness shall be according to theii 
 character and deeds. On what prin 
 ciple God will distribute his rewards 
 the apostle proceeds immediately lo 
 state. 
 
 7. To them. Whoever they may 
 be. Tf Patient continuance. Who 
 by perseverance in well doing, or in a 
 good work. It means that they who 
 so continue, or persevere in good 
 works as to evince that they are dis 
 posed to obey the law of God. It does 
 not mean those who perform one sin 
 gle act, but those who so live as to 
 show that this is their character to 
 obey God. It is the uniform doctrine 
 of the Bible that none will be saved 
 but those who persevere in a life of 
 holiness. Rev. ii. 10. Matt. x. 22. 
 Heb. x. 38, 39. No other conduct 
 gives evidence of piety but that which 
 continues in the ways of righteousness. 
 Nor has God ever promised eternal life 
 to men unless they so persevere in a 
 life of holiness as to show that this is 
 their character, their settled and firm 
 rule of action. The words well doing 
 here denote such conduct as shall be 
 conformed to the law of God ; not 
 merely external conduct, but that 
 which proceeds from a heart attached 
 to God and his cause. ^ Seek for. 
 This word properly denotes the act of 
 endeavouring to find any thing that is 
 lost. Matt, xviii. 12. Luke ii. 48, 49 t 
 But it also denotes the act when one 
 earnestly strives, or desires to obtain 
 any thing; when he puts forth his 
 efforts to accomplish it. Thus, Matt. 
 vi. 33, " Seek ye first the kingdom of 
 God," &c. Acts xvi. 10. 1 Cor. x. 24. 
 Luke xiii. 24. In this place it denotes 
 an earnest and intense desire to obtain 
 eternal life. It does not mean simply 
 the desire of a sinner to be happy, or 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 FA. D. 60 
 
 for glory and honour and immor 
 tality, eternal life: 
 
 8 But unto them that are 
 contentious, and * do not obey 
 
 a lTim.6.3,4. J2Thess.I.8 
 
 the efforts of those who are not willing 
 to forsake their sins and yield to God, 
 but the intense effort of those who are 
 willing to forsake all their crimes, and 
 submit to God and obey his laws. 
 t Glo." g and honour and immortality. 
 The three words used here, denote 
 the happiness of the heavenly world. 
 They vary somewhat in their meaning, 
 nd are each descriptive of something 
 in heaven, that renders it an object of 
 intense desire. The expressions are 
 cumulative, or they are designed to 
 express the happiness of heaven in 
 the highest possible degree. The 
 word glory (f*Z*v} denotes properly 
 praise, celebrity, or any thing distin 
 guished for beauty, ornament, ma 
 jesty, splendour, as of the sun, &c. ; 
 and then it is used to denote the highest 
 happiness or felicity, as expressing 
 every thing that shall be splendid, rich, 
 and grand. It denotes that there will 
 be an absence of every thing mean, 
 grovelling, obscure. The \vord honour 
 (T^JIV) implies rather the idea of re 
 ward, or just retribution the honour 
 and reward which shall be conferred in 
 heaven on the friends of God. It 
 stands opposed to contempt, pover 
 ty, and want among men. Here 
 they are despised by men ; there, they 
 shall be honoured by God. ^ Immor 
 tality. That which is not corruptible, 
 or subject to decay. It is applied to 
 heaven as a state where there shall be 
 no decay or death, in strong contrast 
 with our present condition, where all 
 things are corruptible, and soon vanish 
 away. These expressions are un 
 doubtedly descriptive of a state of 
 things beyond the grave. They are 
 never applied in the Scriptures to any 
 condition of things on the earth. 
 This consideration proves, therefore, 
 that the expressions in the next verse, 
 indignation, &e. apply to the punish 
 ment of the wicked beyond the grave. 
 1 Eternal life. That is, God will 
 render" eternal life to those who 
 
 seek it in this manner. This is a great 
 principle ; and this shows that the 
 apostle means by " their deeds" (vei. 6), 
 not merely their external conduct, but 
 their inward thoughts, and effort* 
 evinced by their seeking for glory, &c 
 For the meaning of -the expression 
 " eternal life," see Note, John v. 24. 
 
 8. Who are contentious. This ex 
 pression usually denotes those who 
 are of a quarrelsome or litigious dispo 
 sition ; and generally has reference to 
 controversies among men. But here 
 it evidently denotes a disposition 
 towards God, and is of the same sig 
 nification as rebellious, or as opposing 
 God. They who contend with the 
 Almighty ; who resist his claims, who 
 rebel against his laws, and refuse to 
 submit to his requirements, however 
 made known. The LXX. use the verb 
 to translate the Hebrew word mo. 
 marah, in Deut. xxi. 20. One striking 
 characteristic of the sinner is, that he 
 contends with God, i. e. that he op 
 poses and resists his claims. This is 
 the case with all sinners ; and it was 
 particularly so with the Jews, and 
 hence the apostle used the expression 
 here to characterize them particularly. 
 His argument he intended to apply to 
 the Jews, and hence he used such an 
 expression as would exactly describe 
 them. This character of being a re 
 bellious people was one which was 
 often charged on the Jewish nation. 
 Deut. ix. 7. 24; xxxi. 27. fsa. i. 2; 
 xxx. 9 ; Ixv. 2. Jer. v. 23. Ezek. ii. 3. 
 5. ^ Do not obey the truth. Comp. 
 ch. i. 18. The truth here denotes the 
 divine will, which is alone the light of 
 truth. (Calvin.) It means true doc 
 trine in opposition to false opinions ; 
 and to refuse to obey it is to regard it 
 a. ialse, and to resist its influence. 
 j The truth here means all the correct 
 | representations which had been made 
 i of God, and his perfections, and law, 
 and claims, whether by the light of 
 i nature or by revelation. The descrip- 
 
A. D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 57 
 
 the truth, but obey unrighteous 
 ness ; indignation and wrath, 
 
 tion thus included Gentiles and Jews 
 but particularly the latter, as they hac 
 been more signally favoured with th< 
 light of truth. It had been an eminen 
 characteristic of the Jews that they hac 
 refused to obey the commands of the 
 true God. Josh. v. 6. Judg. ii. 2 ; vi 
 10. 2 Kings xviii. 12. Jer. iii. 13. 25 
 xlii. 21 ; xliii. 4. 7; ix. 13. ^ Bu\ 
 obey unrighteousness. The expres 
 sion means that they yielded them 
 selves to iniquity, and thus became the 
 servants of sin. Rom. vi. 13. 16, 17. 
 1 9. Iniquity thus may be said to reign 
 over men, as they follow the dictates of 
 evil, make no resistance to it, and im 
 plicitly obey all its hard requirements. 
 1 Indignation and wrath. That is, 
 these shall be rendered to those who 
 are contentious, &c. The difference 
 Detween indignation and wrath, says 
 Ammonius, is that the former is of 
 short duration, but the latter is a long 
 continued remembrance of evil. The 
 one is temporary, the other denotes 
 continued expressions of hatred of 
 evil. Eustathius says that the word 
 indignation denotes the internal emo 
 tion, but -wrath the external manifesta 
 tion of indignation. (Tholuck.) Both 
 words refer to the opposition which 
 God will cherish and express against 
 sin in the world of punishment. 
 
 9. Tribulation. This word com 
 monly denotes affliction, or the situa 
 tion of being pressed down by a bur 
 den, as of trials, calamities, &c. ; and 
 hence to be pressed down by punish 
 ment or pain inflicted for sins. As ap 
 plied to future punishment, it denotes 
 the pressure of the calamities that will 
 come ;pon the soul as the just reward 
 of siri. T And anguish, a-Ttvo^a^ict. 
 This noun is used in but three other 
 places in the New Testament. Rom. 
 viii. 35. 2 Cor. vi. 4 ; xii. 10. The verb 
 is used in 2 Cor. iv. 8 ; vi. 12. It means, 
 literally narrowness of place, want of 
 room, and then the anxiety and distress 
 of mind which a man experiences who 
 s pressed on every side by afflictions. 
 
 9 Tribulation and anguish, 
 upon every soul of man that 
 
 and trials, and want, or by punish 
 ment, and who does not know where 
 he may turn himself to find relief. 
 (Schleusner.} It is thus expressive 
 of the punishment of the wicked. It 
 means that they shall be compressed 
 with the manifestations of God s dis 
 pleasure, so as to be in deep distress, 
 and so as not to know where to find 
 relief. These words affliction and 
 anguish are often connected. Rom. 
 viii. 35. Tf Upon every soul of man. 
 Upon all men. In Hebrew the word 
 soul often denotes the man himself. 
 But still, the apostles, by the use of 
 this word here, meant perhaps to signi 
 fy that the punishment should not be 
 corporeal, but afflicting the soul. It 
 should be a spiritual punishment, a 
 punishment of mind. (Ambrose. See 
 Tholuck.) t Of the Jew Jir st. Having 
 stated the general principle of the 
 divine administration, he comes now 
 to make the application. To the prin~ 
 ciple there could be no objection. And 
 the apostle now shows that it was ap 
 plicable to the Jew as well as the Greek, 
 and to the Jew pre-eminently. It was 
 applicable^/? rst, or in an eminent degree, 
 to the Jew, because, (1.) He had been 
 peculiarly favoured with light and 
 mowledge on all these subjects. (2.) 
 These principles were fully stated in 
 lis own law, and were in strict accord 
 ance with all the teaching of the pro 
 )hets. See Note on ver. 6. Also Ps 
 vii. 11; ix. 17; cxxxix. 19. Prov. xiv. 
 32. t Of the Gentile. That is, of 
 all who were not Jews. On what 
 mnciples God will inflict punishment 
 >n them, he states in ver. 12 16. Ii 
 s clear that this refers to the future 
 )unishment of the wicked, for, (1.) It 
 tands in contrast with the eternal 
 ife of those who seek for glory (ver. 
 f). If this description of the effect of 
 in refers to this life, then the effects 
 ipoken of in relation to the righteous 
 efer to this life also. But in no place 
 n the Scriptures is it said I hat men 
 experience all the blessings of eterntA 
 
doeth evil, of the Jew first, 
 also of the * Gentile. 
 
 10 But glory, fl honour, and 
 peace, to every man that work- 
 
 r, Greek, a lPet.1.7. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 and eth good, to the Jew first, and 
 also to the * Gentile : 
 
 1 1 For * there is no respect of 
 persons with God. 
 
 I Deut.10.17. 2Chron.l9.7. Gal.6.7,8. lPet.1.17. 
 
 life in this world; and the very sup 
 position is absurd. (2.) It is not true 
 that there is a just and complete 
 retribution to every man, according to 
 his deeds, in this life. Many of the 
 wicked are prospered in life, and 
 " there are no bands in their death, 
 but their strength is firm." Ps. Ixxiii. 
 4. Many of the righteous pine in 
 poverty and want and affliction, and 
 die in the flames of persecution. 
 Nothing is more clear than there is 
 not in this life a full and equitable dis 
 tribution of rewards and punishments ; 
 and as the proposition of the apostle 
 nere is, that God WILL render to every 
 man ACCORDING to his deeds (ver. 6), 
 it follows that this must be accomplish 
 ed in another world. (3.) The Scrip 
 tures uniformly affirm, that for the very 
 things specified here, God will consign 
 men to eternal death. 2 Thess. i. 8, " In 
 flaming fire, taking vengeance on them 
 that know not God, and that OBEY NOT 
 the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who shall be punished with everlasting 
 destruction," &c. 1 Pet. iv. 1 7. We 
 may remark also, that there could be 
 no more alarming description of future 
 suffering than is specified in this pas 
 sage. It is indignation ; it is -wrath ; 
 it is tribulation; it i? anguish which 
 .he sinner is to endure for ever. Truly 
 men exposed to this awful doom should 
 ne alarmed, and should give diligence 
 to escape from the wo which is to come ! 
 11. For. This particle is used here 
 to confirm what is said before, particu 
 larly that fthis punishment should be 
 experienced by the Jtrw as well as the 
 Gentile. For God would deal with 
 both on the principles of justice. 
 f Respect of persons. The word thus 
 rendered means partiality, in pro 
 nouncing judgment, in favouring one 
 party or individual more than another, 
 not because his cause is more just, but 
 
 on account of something personal on 
 account of his wealth, or rank, ot 
 office, or influence, or .by personal 
 friendship, or by the fear of him. It 
 has special reference to a judge who 
 pronounces judgment between parties 
 at law. The exercise of such par 
 tiality was strictly and often forbidden 
 to the Jewish magistrates. Lev. xix. 
 15. Deut. i. 17. Prov. xxiv. 23. James 
 ii. 1. 3. 9. In his capacity as a Judge, 
 it is applied often to God. It means 
 that he will not be influenced in 
 awarding the retributions of eternity, 
 in actually pronouncing and executing 
 sentence, by any partiality, or by icgard 
 to the wealth, office, rank, or appear 
 ance of men. He will judge righteous 
 judgment ; he will judge men as they 
 ought to be judged ; according to their 
 character and deserts ; and not con 
 trary to their character, or by partiality. 
 The connexion here demands that 
 this affirmation should be limited sole 
 ly to his dealing with men AS THEIR 
 JUDGE. And in this sense, and this 
 only, this is affirmed often of God in 
 the Scriptures. Deut. x. 17. 2 Chron. 
 xix. 7. Eph. vi. 9. Col. iii. 25. Gal. 
 vi. 7, 8. 1 Pet. i. 17. Acts x. 34. It 
 does not affirm that he must make all 
 his creatures equal in talent, health, 
 wealth, or privilege ; it does not imply 
 that, as a sovereign, he may not make a 
 difference in their endowments, their 
 beauty, strength, or graces; it does 
 not imply that he may not bestow his 
 favours where he pleases where all are 
 undeserving, or that he may not make a 
 difference in the characters of men by 
 his providence, and by the agency of his 
 Spirit. All these are actually done, 
 done not out of any respect to then 
 persons, to their rank, office, or wealth, 
 but according to his own sovereign 
 good pleasure. Eph. i. To deny that 
 this is d ne, would be to deny th*> 
 
A. D. GO.] CHAPTER II. 5i) 
 
 12 For as many as have sin- ned without law, shall also pe- 
 
 manifest arrangement of things every 
 where on the earth. To deny that 
 God had a right to do it, would be, 
 (1.) To maintain that sinners had a 
 clairtt on his favours. (2.) That he 
 might not do what he willed with his 
 own ; or, (3.) To affirm that God was 
 under obligation to make all men with 
 just the same talents and privileges, 
 i. e. that all creatures must be, in all 
 respects, just alike. This passage, 
 therefore, is very improperly brought to 
 disprove the doctrine of decrees, or 
 election, or sovereignty. It has re 
 spect to a different thing, to the actual 
 exercise of the office of the Judge of 
 the world; and whatever may be the 
 truth about God s decrees, or his electing 
 love, this passage teaches nothing in 
 relation to either. It may be added that 
 this passage contains a most alarming 
 (ruth for guilty rnen. It is that God will 
 uot be influenced by partiality, but 
 will treat them just as they de 
 serve. He will not be won or awed 
 by their rank or office ; by their 
 wealth or endowments ; by their num 
 bers, their power, or their robes of 
 royalty and splendour. Every man 
 should tremble at the prospect of fall 
 ing into the hands of a just God, who 
 will treat him just as he deserves, and 
 should without delay seek a refuge in 
 the Saviour and Advocate provided for 
 the guilty. 1 John ii. 1, 2. 
 
 12. For. This is used to give a 
 reason for what he had just said, or to 
 si /w on what principles God would 
 eat man so as not to be a respecter of 
 persons. ^ Jla many. Whosoever. This 
 includes all who have done it, and evi 
 dently has respect to the gentile world. 
 It is of the more importance to remark 
 this, because he does not say that it is 
 applicable to a few only, or to great 
 and incorrigible instances of pagan 
 wickedness, but it is a universal, sweep 
 ing declaration, obviously including all. 
 1 Have sinned. Have been guilty of 
 crimes of any kind toward God or 
 man. Sin is the transgression of a 
 rule of conduct, however made known 
 
 to mankind. \ Without law, dvo .*. 
 This expression evidently means with 
 out revealed 4 or -written law, a r the 
 apostle immediately says that they had 
 a law of nature (ver. 14, 15). The 
 word law, V:<MOC, is often used to denote 
 the revealed law of God, the Scrip 
 tures, or revelation in general. Matt 
 xii. 5. Luke ii. 23, 24 ; x. 28. John 
 viii. 5. 17. J Shall also perish, 
 u.froKouvTaj. The Greek word used here 
 occurs frequently in the New Testa 
 ment. It means to destroy, to lose, or 
 to corrupt, and is applied to life 
 (Matt. x. 39) ; to a re-ward of labour 
 (Matt. x. 42); to wisdom (1 Cor. i. 
 19) ; to bottles (Matt. ix. 17). It is 
 also used to denote future punishment, 
 or the destruction of soul and body in 
 hell (Matt. x. 28 ; xviii. 14. Jobn iii. 
 15), where it is opposed to eternal life, 
 and therefore denotes eternal death. 
 Rom. xiv. 15. John xvii. 12. In this 
 sense the word is evidently used in this 
 verse. The connexion demands that 
 the reference should be to a future 
 judgment to be passed on the heathen, 
 It will be remarked here that the apos 
 tle does not say they shall be saved 
 without law. He does not give even 
 an intimation respecting their salva 
 tion. The strain of the argument, 
 as well as this express declaration, 
 shows that they who had sinned and 
 in the first chapter he had proved that 
 all the heathen were sinners would be 
 punished. If any of the heathen arc 
 saved, it will be, therefore, an exception 
 to the general rule in regard to them. 
 The apostles evidently believed that 
 the great mass of them would be de 
 stroyed. On this ground they evinced 
 such, zeal to save them ; on this ground 
 the Lord Jesus commanded the gospel 
 to be preached to them; and on this 
 ground Christians are now engaged in 
 the effort to bring them to the know 
 ledge of the Lord Jesus. It may be 
 added here, that all modern investiga 
 tions have gone to confirm the position 
 tha.t the heathen are as degraded now 
 as they were in thn ime of Paul 
 
60 
 
 risli without law 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [AD. GO. 
 
 and as many 
 as have sinned in the law, shall 
 
 T Without lato. That is, they shall 
 not be judged by a law which they 
 have not. They shall not be tried and 
 condemned by. the revelation which 
 the Jews had. They shall be con 
 demned only according to the know 
 ledge and the law which they actuajly 
 possess. Tliis is the equitable rule on 
 which God will judge the world. Ac 
 cording to this, it is not to be appre 
 hended that they will suffer as much 
 as those who have the revealed wi!i of 
 God. Comp Matt. x. 15 ; xi. 24. 
 Luke x. 1 2. ^ Have sinned in the 
 aiv. Have sinned having the reveal 
 ed will of God, or endowed with great 
 er light and privileges than the heathen 
 world. The apostle here has undoubt 
 ed reference to the Jeivs who had the 
 law of God, and who prided them 
 selves much on its possession. ^ Shall 
 be judged by the la-ut. This is an 
 equitable and just rule ; and to this the 
 Jews could make no objection. Yet 
 the admission of this would have led 
 Jirectly to the point to which Paul was 
 conducting his argument, to show that 
 they also were under condemnation, 
 and needed a Saviour. It will be ob 
 served here, that the apostle uses a 
 different expression in regard to the 
 Jews from what he does of the Gen 
 tiles. He says of the former, that they 
 " shall be judged ;" of the latter, that 
 they " shall perish" It is not certain 
 ly known why he varied this expres 
 sion. But if conjecture may be allow 
 ed, it may have been for the following 
 reasons. (1.) If he had affirm od of the 
 Jews that they should perish, it would 
 at once have excited their prejudice, 
 and have armed them against the con 
 clusion to which he was about to come. 
 Yet they could bear the word to be 
 applied to the heathen, for it was in 
 accordance with their own views and 
 their own mode of speaking, and was 
 strictly true. (2.) The word "judged" 
 \ apparently more mild, and yet really 
 
 be judged by the law ; 
 
 13 (For a not the hearers of 
 
 a JSBIM J. 22,25. 
 
 more severe. It would arouse no pre 
 judice to say that they would be judged 
 by their law. It was indeed paying a 
 sort of tribute cr regard to that on 
 which they prided themselves so much, 
 the possession of the law of God. 
 Still, it was a word implying all thai 
 he wished to say, and involving the 
 idea that they would be punished and 
 destroyed. If it was admitted that the 
 heathen would perish ; and if God was 
 to judge the Jews by an unerring rule, 
 that is, according to their privileges and 
 light; then it would follow that they 
 would also be condemned, and their 
 ow?i minds would come at once to the 
 conclusion. The change of words 
 here may indicate, therefore, a nice 
 tact, or delicate address in argument, 
 urging home to the conscience an of 
 fensive truth rather by the deductions 
 of the mind of the opponent himself 
 than by a harsh and severe charge of 
 the writer. In instances of this, the 
 Scriptures abounds ; and it was this 
 especially that so eminently character 
 ized the arguments of our Saviour. 
 
 13. For not the hearers, &c. The 
 same sentiment is implied in James i. 
 22. Matt. vii. 21. 24. Luke vi. 47. 
 The apostle here doubtless designed tc 
 meet an objection of the Jews ; to wit, 
 that they had the law, that they mani 
 fested great deference for it, that they 
 heard it read with attention, and pro 
 fessed a willingness to yield themselves 
 to it To meet this, he states a verj 
 plain and obvious principle, that this 
 was insufficient to justify them before 
 God, unless they rendered actual obe 
 dience. 1 Are just. Are justified 
 before God, or are personally holy. Or, 
 in other words, simply heading the law 
 is not meeting all its requirements 
 and making men holy If they ex 
 pected to be saved by the laiv, it re 
 quired something more than merely to 
 hear it. It demanded perfect obedi 
 ence. ^ But the doe^s of the laiv. 
 
A.D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 61 
 
 the law are just before God, bu 
 the doers of the law shall be 
 justified. 
 
 They who comply entirely with its de 
 mands ; or who yield to it perfect and 
 perpetual obedience. This was the 
 plain and obvious demand, not only of 
 common sense, but of the Jewish law 
 itself. Deut. iv. 1. Lev. xviii. 5. Comp. 
 Rom. x. 9. 1 Shall be justified. Thi 
 expression is evidently synonymous 
 with that in Lev. xviii. 5, where it is 
 said that " he shall live in them." The 
 meaning is, that it is a maxim or 
 principle of the law of God, that if a 
 creature will keep it, and obey it en 
 tirely, he shall not be condemned, but 
 shall be approved and live for ever. 
 This does not affirm that any one ever 
 has thus lived in this vrorld, but it is 
 an affirmation of a great general prin 
 ciple of law, that if a creature is justi 
 fied BY the law, the obedience must be 
 entire and perpetual. If such were 
 the case, as there would be no ground 
 of condemnation, man would be saved 
 by the law. If the Jews, therefore, ex 
 pected to be saved by their law, it must 
 be, not by hearing the law, nor by being 
 called a Jew, but by perfect and un 
 qualified obedience to all its require 
 ments. This passage is designed, 
 doubtless, to meet a very common and 
 pernicious sentiment of the Jewish 
 teachers, that all who became hearers 
 and listeners to the law would be saved. 
 The inference from the passage is, 
 that no man can be saved by his exter 
 nal privileges, or by an outward re 
 spectful deference to the truths and 
 ordinances of religion. 
 
 14. For when. The apostle, in ver. 
 13, had stated a general principle, that 
 the doers of the law only can be justi 
 fied, if justification is attempted by the 
 law. In this verse and the next, he 
 proceeds to show that the same princi 
 ple is applicable to the heathen ; that 
 though they have not the written law 
 of God, yet that they have sufficient 
 knowledge of his will to take away 
 wery excuse fcr sin, and consequently 
 F 
 
 14 For when the Oentiles, 
 which have not the law, do by 
 nature the things contained in 
 
 that the course of reasoning by which 
 he had come to the conclusion that 
 they were guilty, is well founded. 
 This verse is not to be understood as 
 affirming, as an historical fact, that any 
 of the heathen ever did perfectly obey 
 the law which they had, any more than 
 the previous verse affirms it of the 
 Jews. The main point in the argu 
 ment is, that if men are justified by 
 the law, their obedience must be en 
 tire and perfect ; that this is not to be 
 external only, or to consist in hearing 
 or in acknowledging the justice of th*> 
 law ; and that the Gentiles had an op 
 portunity of illustrating this principle 
 as well as the Jews, since they also had 
 a law among themselves. The word 
 when (iWv) does not imply that the 
 lung shall certainly take place, but 
 s one form of introducing a supposi- 
 ion; or of stating the connexion of 
 one thing with another. Matt. v. 1 1 ; 
 vi. 2. 5, 6. 16 ; x. 19. It is, however, 
 rue that the main things contained in 
 his verse, and the next, actually oc 
 curred, that the Gentiles did many 
 hings which the law of God required. 
 The Gentiles. All who were not 
 ews. 1 Which .have not the law. 
 Who have not a revelation, or the 
 written word of God. In the Greek 
 he article is omitted, " who have not 
 aw," i. e. any revealed law. ^ JJy 
 lature. By some, this phrase has been 
 upposed to belong to the previous 
 member of the sentence, "who have 
 ot the law by nature" But our 
 ranslation is the more natural and 
 isual construction. The expression 
 means clearly by the light of con- 
 c-ienceand reason, and whatever other 
 lelps they may have without revela 
 ion. It denotes simply, in that state 
 which is without the revealed will of 
 God. In that condition they had many 
 iclps of tradition, conscience, reason 
 nd the observation of the dealings o. 
 ivine .Providence, so that to a consi 
 
KUMANS. 
 
 [A. D. CO. 
 
 tue law, these, having not the 
 
 raw, are a law unto themselves. 
 
 15 Which si ow the work of 
 
 ;he law written in their hearts, 
 
 derable extent they knew what was 
 right and what was wrong. 1 Do the 
 things. Should they not merely un 
 derstand and approve, but actually 
 perform the things required in the law. 
 f Contained in the laio. Literally 
 the things of the law, i. e. the things 
 which the law requires. Many of 
 those things might be done by the hea 
 then, as, e. g. respect to parents, truth, 
 justice, honesty, chastity. So far as 
 they did any of those things, so far 
 they showed that they had a law 
 among themselves. And wherein they 
 failed in these things, they showed 
 that they were justly condemned. 
 Tf .ire a law unto themselves. This 
 is explained in the following verse. It 
 means that their own reason and con 
 science constituted, in these things, a 
 l:uv, or prescribed that for them which 
 the revealeu law did to the Jews. 
 
 15. Which show. Who thus evince 
 or show. ^ The tvorh of the laiv. 
 The design, purpose, or object which is 
 contemplated by the revealed law ; 
 that is, to make known to man his 
 duty, and to enforce the obligation to 
 perform it. This does not mean, by 
 any means, that they had all the 
 knowledge which the law would im 
 part, for then there would have been 
 no need of a revelation, but that, as far 
 as it went, as far as they had a know 
 ledge of right and wrong, they coin- 
 idedvj\\\\ the revealed will of God. In 
 other words, the will of God, whether 
 made known by reason or revelation, 
 will be (lie fame so far as reason goes. 
 The diflerence is that revelation goes 
 farther than reason ; sheds light on 
 new duties and doctrines; as the in 
 formation given by the naked eye and 
 the telescope is the same, except that 
 the telescope carries the sight forward, 
 ami reveals new worlds to the sight of 
 muii. 11 Written in their hearts. 
 
 their * conscience also bearing 
 witness, and their thoughts the * 
 mean while accusing or else 
 excusing one another.) 
 
 i or, the conscience witnessing with them. 
 3 or, between themselves. 
 
 The revealed law of God was written 
 on tables of stone, and then recorded 
 in the books of the Old Testament. 
 This law the Gentiles did not possess, 
 but, to a certain extent, the same re 
 quirements were written on their 
 hearts. Though not revealed to them 
 as to the Jews, yet they had obtained 
 the knowledge of them by the light of 
 nature. The word hearts here denotes 
 the mind itself, as it does also fre 
 quently in the sacred Scriptures ; not 
 the heart, as the seat of the affections. 
 It does not mean that they loved or 
 even approved of the law, but that 
 they had knowledge of it ; and that 
 that knowledge was deeply engraven 
 on their minds. ^ Their conscience. 
 This word properly means the judg 
 ment of the mind respecting right and 
 wrong; or the juogment which the 
 mind passes on the morality or immo 
 rality of its own actions, when it in 
 stantly approves or condemns them. It 
 has usually been termed the moral 
 sense, and is a very important principle 
 in a moral government. Its design is 
 to answer the purposes of an ever at 
 tendant -witness of a man s conduct ; 
 to compel him to pronounce on his 
 own doings, and thus to excite him to 
 virtuous deeds, to give comfort and 
 peace when he does right, to deter from 
 evil actions by making him, whether 
 he will or no, his own executioner. 
 See John viii. 9. Acts xxiii. 1 ; xxiv. 
 16. Rom. ix. 1. 1 Tim. i. 5. By na 
 ture every man thus approves or con 
 demns his own acts ; and there is not 
 a profounder principle of the Divine 
 administration, than thus compelling 
 every man to pronounce on the moral 
 character of his own conduct. Con 
 science may be enlightened or unen 
 lightened; and its use may be greatly 
 perverted by false opinions. Its pro 
 vince is not to cornmuiiicate any new 
 
A.D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1 G In tne day when God shall 
 
 truth, it is simply to express judg 
 ment, and to impart pleasure or inflict 
 pain for a man s own good or evil 
 conduct. The apostle s argument does 
 not require him to say that conscience 
 revealed any truth, or any knowledge 
 of duty, to the Gentiles, but that its 
 actual exercise proved that they had 
 a knowledge of the law of God. Thus 
 it was a -witness simply of that fact. 
 
 I Bearing -witness. To bear witness 
 is to furnish testimony, or proof. And 
 the exercise of the conscience here 
 showed or proved that they had a 
 knowledge of the law. The expres 
 sion does not mean that the exer 
 cise of their conscience bore witness 
 of any thing to them, but that its ex 
 ercise may he alleged as a proof that 
 they were not without some knowledge 
 of the law. ^ Jlnd their thoughts. 
 The word thoughts (xc^./o/^wi ) means 
 properly reasonings, or opinions, sen 
 timents, &c. Its meaning here may 
 be expressed by the word reflections. 
 Theii reflections on their own conduct 
 would be attended with pain or plea 
 sure. It differs from conscience, inas 
 much as the decisions of conscience 
 are instantaneous, and without any 
 process of reasoning. This supposes 
 subsequent reflection, and it means that 
 such reflections would only deepen and 
 confirm the decisions of conscience. 
 
 II The mean -while. Margin, " Between 
 themselves." The rendering in the 
 margin is more in accordance with the 
 Greek. The expression sometimes 
 means, in the mean time, or at the 
 same time ; and sometimes afterward, 
 ui subsequently. The Syriac and 
 Latin Vulgate render this mutually. 
 They seem to have understood this as 
 affirming that the heathen among 
 themselves, by their writings, accused 
 or acquitted one another, ^f Accusing. 
 If the actions were evil. ^ Excusing. 
 That is, if their actions were good. 
 i One, another. The margin renders 
 this expression in connexion with the 
 adverb, translated " in the meai while, ? 
 
 judge the secrets of men, by 
 
 " between themselves." This view is 
 also taken by many commentators, arid 
 this is its probable meaning. If so, 
 it denotes the fact that in their re 
 flections, or their reasonings or dis" 
 cussions, they accused each other of 
 crime, or acquitted one another; they 
 showed that they had a law ; that they 
 acted on the supposition that they had. 
 To show this was the design of the 
 apostle; and there was no further proof 
 of it needed than that which he here 
 adduced. (1.) They had a conscience, 
 pronouncing on their oivn acts; and, 
 (2.) Their reasonings, based on the 
 supposition of some such common and 
 acknowledged standard of accusing 
 or acquitting, supposed the same thing. 
 If, therefore, they condemned or ac 
 quitted themselves ; if in these reason 
 ings and reflections, they proceeded on 
 the principle that they had some rule 
 of right and wrong, then the proposi 
 tion of the apostle was made out that 
 it was right for God to judge them, 
 and destroy them, ver. 8 12. 
 
 16. In the day. This verse is doubt 
 less to be connected with verse 12, and 
 the intermediate verses are a parenthesis, 
 and it implies that the heathen world, 
 as well as the Jews, will be arraigned at 
 the bar of judgment. At that time God 
 will judge all in righteousness, the Jew 
 by the law which he had, and the 
 heathen by the law which he had. 
 t When God shall judge. God is 
 often represented as the Judge of man 
 kind. Deut. xxxii. 36. Ps. 1. 4. 1 Sam. 
 ii. 10. Eccl. iii. 17. Rom. hi. 6. Heb. 
 xiii. 4. But this does not militate 
 against the fact that he will do it by 
 Jesus Christ. God has appointed his 
 Son to administer judgment; and it 
 will be not by God directly, but by 
 Jesus Christ that it will be administer 
 ed. ^[ The secrets of men. See Luke 
 viii. 17. Eccl. xii. 14, "For God shall 
 bring every work into judgment, -with 
 every secret thing" &c. Matt. x. 26. 
 1 Cor. iv. 5. The expression de 
 notes the hidden desires, lusts, pass^*ons 
 
Jesus Christ, according to my* 
 gospel. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO 
 
 17 Behold, thou * art call 
 ed a Jew, and reslest in the 
 
 b rer.28. 
 
 and motives of men ; the thoughts of 
 the hearts, as well as the outward 
 actions of the life. It will be a cha 
 racteristic of the day of judgment, 
 that all these will be brought out, and 
 receive their appropriate reward. The 
 propriety of this is apparent, for, 
 (1.) It is by these that the character 
 is really determined. The motives and 
 principles of a man constitute his 
 character, and to judge him impartially, 
 these must be known. (2.) They are 
 not judged or rewarded in this life. 
 The external conduct only can be seen 
 by men, and of course that only can 
 be rewarded or punished here. (3.) 
 I.len of pure motives and pure hearts 
 are often here basely aspersed and ca 
 lumniated. They are persecuted, tra 
 duced, and often overwhelmed with 
 ignominy. It is proper that the secret 
 motives of their conduct should be 
 brought out, and approved. On the 
 other hand, men of base motives ; men 
 of unprincipled character, and who 
 are corrupt at the heart, are often 
 lauded, nattered, and exalted into pub 
 lic estimation. It is proper that their 
 secret principles should be detected, 
 and that they should take their proper 
 place in the government of God. In 
 regard to this expression, we may fur- 
 cher remark, (1.) That the fact that 
 all secret thoughts and purposes will 
 be brought into judgment, invests the 
 judgment with an awful character. 
 Who should not tremble at the idea 
 that the secret plans and desires of his 
 soul, which he has so long and so 
 studiously concealed, should be brought 
 out into noon-day in the judgment? 
 All his artifices of concealment shall 
 be then at an end. He will be able to 
 practise disguise no longer. He will 
 be seen as he is ; and he will receive 
 the doom he deserves. There will be 
 one place, at least, where the sinner 
 shall be treated as he ought. (2.) To 
 execute this judgment implies the 
 power of searching the heart of know- 
 
 ing the thoughts ; and of developing 
 and unfolding all the purposes and 
 plans of the soul. Yet this is intrusted 
 to Jesus Christ, and the fact that he 
 will exercise this, shows that he is di 
 vine. Tf Of men. Of all men, whe 
 ther Jew or Gentile, infidel or Chris 
 tian. The day of judgment, therefore, 
 may be regard ed as a day of universal 
 development of all the plans and pur 
 poses that have ever been entertained in 
 this world. ^ By Jesus Christ. The fact 
 that Jesus Christ is appointed to judge 
 the world is abundantly taught in 
 the Bible. Acts xvii. 31. 2 Tim. iv. 1. 
 1 Pet. iv. 5. John v. 22. 27. 1 Thess. 
 iv. 16 18. Matt. xxv. 31 46. J Ac 
 cording to my gospel. According to the 
 gospel which / preach. Comp. Acts 
 xvii. 31. 2 Tim. iv. 8. This does not 
 mean that the gospel which he preached 
 would be the rule by which God would 
 judge all mankind, for he had just 
 said that the heathen world would be 
 judged by a different rule, ver. 12. 
 But it means that he was intrusted 
 with the gospel to make it known ; 
 and that one of the great and prime 
 articles of that gospel was, that God 
 would judge the world by Jesus Christ. 
 To make this known he was appoint 
 ed ; and it could be called his gospel 
 only as being a part of the important 
 message with which he was intrusted. 
 17. Behold. Having thus stated the 
 general principles on which God 
 would judge the world ; having shown 
 how they condemned the Gentiles ; 
 and having removed all objections to 
 them, he now proceeds to another part 
 of his argument, to show how they ap 
 plied to the Jews. By the use of the 
 word behold, he calls their attention 
 to it, as to an important subject ; and 
 with great skill and address, he states 
 their privileges, before he shows them 
 how those privileges might enhance 
 their condemnation. He admits an 
 their claims to pre-eminence in privi 
 leges, and then with great faithfulness 
 
A.D. 60. J 
 
 law, and makest thy boast of 
 God. 
 
 a Ps.l47.1,ai. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 65 
 
 18 And knowest his will 
 and l approves! b the things thai 
 
 i or, Mat the things that differ. b "hil.1.10. 
 
 proceeds to show how, if abused, these 
 might deepen their final destruction. It 
 should be observed, however, that the 
 word rendered behold is in many MSS. 
 written in two words, It <fi, instead of 
 iJt. If this, as is probable, is the cor 
 rect reading there, it should be ren 
 dered, " if now thou art," &c. Thus 
 the Syriac, Latin, and Arabic read it. 
 t Thou art called. Thou art named 
 Jew, implying that this name was one 
 of very high honour. This is ihe first 
 thing mentioned on which the Jew 
 would be likely to pride himself. ^ A 
 Jeio. This was the name by which the 
 Hebrews were at that time generally 
 known; and it is clear that they re 
 garded it as a name of honour, and 
 valued themselves much on it. See 
 Gal. ii. 1ft. Rev. ii. 9. Its origin is 
 not certainly known. They were call 
 ed the children of Israel until the time 
 of Rehoboam. When the ten tribes 
 were carried into captivity, but two re 
 mained, the tribes of Judah and Ben 
 jamin. The name Jeivs was evidently 
 given to denote those of the tribe of 
 Judah, The reasons why the name of 
 Benjamin was lost in that of Judah, 
 were probably, (1.) Because the tribe 
 of Benjamin was small, and compara 
 tively without influence or importance. 
 (2.) The Messiah was to be of the 
 tribe of Judah (Gen. xlix. 10) ; and that 
 tribe would therefore possess a con 
 sequence proportioned to their expec 
 tation of that event. The name of 
 Jeivs would therefore be one that would 
 suggest the facts that they were pre 
 served from captivity, that they had 
 received remarkably the protection of 
 God, and that the Messiah was to be 
 sent to that people. Hence it is not 
 wonderful that they should regard it 
 as a special favour to be a Jew, and 
 particularly when they added to this 
 the idea of all the other favours 
 connected with their being the peculiar 
 people ot God. The ria:ne Jew came 
 thus to denote all the peculiarities and 
 
 F2 
 
 special favours of their religion. U And 
 restest in the laiv. The word rest here 
 is evidently used in the sense of trust 
 ing 1 to, or leaning upon. The Jew 
 leaned on, or relied on the law for ac 
 ceptance or favour ; on the fact that he 
 had the law, and on his obedience to 
 it. It does mean that he relied on his 
 own works, though that was true, but 
 that he leaned on the fact that he had 
 the law, and was thus distinguished 
 above others. The laiv here means the 
 entire Mosaic economy ; or all the 
 rules and regulations which Moses had 
 given. Perhaps also it includes, as it 
 sometimes does, the whole of the Old 
 Testament. 1 Makest thy boast in 
 God. Thou dost boast, or glory, that 
 thou hast the knowledge of the true 
 God, while other nations are in dark 
 ness. On this account the Jew felt 
 himself far elevated above all other 
 people, and despised them. It was true 
 that thev only had the true knowledge 
 of God, and that he had declared him 
 self to be their God (Deut. iv. 7. Ps. 
 cxlvii. 19, 20); but this was not a 
 ground for boasting, but for gratitude. 
 This passage shows us that it is much 
 more common to boast of privileges 
 than to be thankful for them, and that 
 it is no evidence of piety for a man to 
 boast of his knowledge of God. A 
 humble, ardent thankfulness that we 
 have that knowledge a thankfulness 
 which leads us not to despise others, 
 but to desire that they may have the 
 same privilege is an evidence of piety. 
 18. And knoivcst his will. The 
 will or commands of God. This know 
 ledge they obtained from the Scriptures ; 
 and of course in this they were distin 
 guished from other nations. ^ And 
 approvest. The word used here is 
 capable of two interpretations. It may 
 mean either to distinguish, or to ap 
 prove. The word is properly and 
 usually applied to the process of testing 
 or trying metals by fire. Hence il 
 comes to be used in a general sense 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 -ire more excellent, being in 
 structed out of the law ; 
 
 19 And art confident that thou 
 thyself art a guide of the blind, 
 
 to try or to distinguish any thing ; to 
 ascertain its nature, quality, &c. Luke 
 xii. 66. This is probably its meaning 
 here, referring rather to the intellectual 
 process of discriminating, than to the 
 moral process of approving. It could 
 not, perhaps, be said with propriety, at 
 least the scope of the passage does not 
 properly suppose this, that the Jew 
 approved or loved the things of God ; 
 but the scope of the passage is, that the 
 Jew valued himself on his knowledge 
 of that which was conformable to the 
 will of God. See Notes on ch. xiv. 
 If The things that are more excellent. 
 The word here translated more excel 
 lent denotes properly the things that 
 differ from others, and then also the 
 things that excel. It has an ambiguity 
 similar to the word translated " ap 
 proved." If the interpretation of that 
 word above given is correct, then this 
 word here means those things that 
 differ from others. The reference is 
 to the rites and customs, to the dis 
 tinctions of meats and days, &c. 
 prescribed by the law of Moses. The 
 Jew would pride himself on the fact 
 that he had been taught by the law to 
 make these distinctions, while all the 
 heathen world had been left in ignorance 
 of them. This was one of the advan 
 tages on which he valued himself and 
 his religion, f lleing instructed, &c. 
 That is, in regard to the one God, his 
 will, and the distinguishing rites of his 
 worship. 
 
 19. And art confident. This ex 
 pression denotes the full assurance of 
 the Jew that he was superior in know 
 ledge to all other people. It is a re 
 markable fact that the Jews put the 
 fullest confidence in their religion. 
 Though proud, wicked, and hypocriti 
 cal, yet they were not speculative infi 
 dels. It was one of their characteris 
 tics, evinced through all their history, 
 l),r>t they ha/1 the fullest assurance that 
 
 a light of them which are in 
 darkness, 
 
 20 An instructor of the fool 
 ish, a teacher of babes, which 
 
 God was the author of their institu 
 tions, and that their religion was his 
 appointment. 1 A guide of the blind. 
 A guide of the blind is a figurative ex 
 pression to denote an instructor of the 
 ignorant. The blind here properly 
 refers to the Gentiles, who were thus 
 regarded by the Jews. The meaning 
 is, that they esteemed themselves qua 
 lified to instruct the. heathen world. 
 Matt. xv. 14; xxiii. 15. ^ A light. 
 Another figurative expression to de 
 note a teacher. Comp. Isa. xlix. 6. 
 John i. 4, 5. 8, 9. J In darkness. A 
 common expression to denote the ig 
 norance of the gentile world. Sje 
 Note, Matt. iv. 16. 
 
 20. Of the foolish. The word fool 
 ish is used in the Scriptures in two 
 significations: to denote those who are 
 void of understanding, and to denote 
 the wicked. Here it is clearly used in 
 the former sense, signifying that the 
 Jew esteemed himself qualified to in 
 struct those without knowledge, ^f Of 
 babes. This is the literal meaning of 
 tne original word. The expression is 
 figurative, and denotes those who were 
 zsignorant as children an expression 
 which they would be likely to apply to 
 all the Gentiles. It is evident that the 
 character here given by Paul to the 
 Jews is one which they claimed, and 
 of which they were proud. They are 
 often mentioned as arrogating this pre 
 rogative to themselves, of being quali 
 fied to be guides and teachers of others. 
 Matt. xv. 14 ; xxiii. 2. 16. 24. It will 
 be remembered, also, that the Jews 
 considered themselves to be qualified 
 to teach all the world, and hence 
 evinced great zeal to make prose 
 lytes. And it is not improbable (TAo- 
 luck} that their Rabbles were accus 
 tomed to give the names " foolish" and 
 " babes" to the ignorant proselytes 
 which they had made from the hea 
 then, t Which hast the form of know 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 07 
 
 hast the form a of knowledge and 
 of the truth in the law : 
 
 21 Thou * therefore .which 
 teachest another, teachest thou 
 *ot thyself ? thou that preachest 
 
 t2Tim.l.l3;3.5, 
 
 b Matt.23.3,&c. 
 
 ledge. The word here translated form 
 properly denotes a delineation or pic 
 turing of a thing. It is commonly used 
 to denote also the appearance of any 
 object ; that which we see, without re 
 ference to its internal character; the 
 external figure. It sometimes denotes 
 the external appearance as distinguish 
 ed from that which is internal ; or a 
 hypocritical profession of religion with 
 out its reality. 2 Tim. iii. 5, " Having 
 ,he form of godliness, but denying its 
 power." It is sometimes used in a 
 good, and sometimes in a bad sense. 
 Here it denotes that in their teaching 
 they retained the semblance, sketch, or 
 outline of the true doctrines of the Old 
 Testament. They had in the Scrip 
 tures a correct delineation of the truth. 
 Truth is the representation of things 
 as they are ; and the doctrines which 
 the Jews had in the Old Testament 
 were a correct representation or deli 
 neation of the objects of knowledge. 
 Comp. 2 Tim. i. 13. \ In the latv. 
 In the Scriptures of the Old Testament. 
 In these verses the apostle concedes to 
 the Jews all that they would claim. 
 Having made this concession of their 
 superior knowledge, he is prepared 
 with the more fidelity and force to 
 convict them of their deep and dread 
 ful depravity in sinning against the 
 superior light and privileges which 
 God had conferred on them. 
 
 21. Thou therefore, &c. He who 
 is a teacher of others may be expected 
 to be learned himself. They ought to 
 be found to be possessed of superior 
 knowledge; and by this question the 
 apostle impliedly reproves them for 
 their ignorance. The form of a ques 
 tion is chosen because it conveys the 
 {ruth with greater force. He puts the 
 question as if it were undeniable that 
 they were grossly ignorant. Comp 
 
 a man should not steal, dost thou 
 steal ? 
 
 22 Thou that sayest a man 
 should not commit adultery, 
 dost thou commit adultery ? thou 
 
 Matt, xxiii. 3, " They say, and do not," 
 &c. t That preachest. This word 
 means to proclaim in any manner, 
 whether in the synagogue, or in any 
 place of public teaching. ^ Dost thou 
 steal ? It cannot be proved, perhaps, 
 that the Jews were extensively guilty 
 of this crime. It is introduced partly, 
 no doubt, to make the inconsistency 
 of their conduct more apparent. We 
 expect a man to set an example of 
 what he means by his public instruc 
 tion. 
 
 22. Dost thou commit adultery? 
 There is no doubt that this was a crime 
 very common among the Jews. See 
 Notes, Matt. xii. 39. John viii. 1 11. 
 The Jewish Talmud accuses some of 
 the most celebrated of their Rabbies, 
 by name, of this vice. (Grotius.) Jo- 
 sephus also gives the same account of 
 the nation. K Thou that abhorrest 
 idols. It was one of the doctrines ot 
 their religion to abhor idolatry. This 
 they were every where taught in the 
 Old Testament ; and this they doubt 
 less inculcated in their teaching. It 
 was impossible that they could recom 
 mend idolatry. 1 Dost thou commit 
 sacrilege ? Sacrilege is the crime of 
 violating or profaning sacred things ; 
 or of appropriating to common pur 
 poses what has been devoted to the 
 service of religion. In this question, 
 the apostle shows remarkable tact and 
 skill. He could not accuse them of 
 idolatry, for the Jews, after the Baby 
 lonish captivity, had never fallen into 
 it. But then, though they had not the 
 form, they might have the spirit of 
 idolatry. That spirit consisted in with 
 holding from the true God that which 
 was his due, and bestowing the affec 
 tions upon something else. This the 
 Jew s did by perverting from their pro 
 per ise the offerings which were de 
 
f8 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 that abhorrest idols, dost t .iou 
 
 commit sacrilege ? 
 
 23 Thou that makest 
 
 thy 
 
 boast of the law, through break- 
 
 bigned for his honour ; by withholding 
 that which he demanded of tithes and 
 offerings; and by devoting to other 
 uses that which was devoted to him, 
 and which properly belonged to his 
 service. That this was a common 
 crime among them is apparent from 
 Mai. i. 8. 1214 ; iii. 8, 9. It is also 
 evident from the New Testament that 
 the temple was in many ways dese 
 crated and profaned in the time of our 
 Saviour. Notes, Matt. xxi. 12, 13. 
 
 23. Makest thy boast, &c. To boast 
 in the law implied their conviction of 
 its excellence and obligation, as a man 
 does not boast of that which he esteems 
 to be of no value. ^ Dishonourest thou 
 God. By boasting of the law, they 
 proclaimed their conviction that it was 
 from God. By breaking it, they denied 
 it. And as actions are a true test of 
 man s real opinions, their breaking the 
 law did it more dishonour than their 
 boasting of it did it honour. This is 
 always the case. It matters little what 
 a man s speculative opinions may be ; 
 his practice may do far more to dis 
 grace religion, than his profession does 
 to honour it. It is the life and con 
 duct, and not merely the profession of 
 the lips, that does real honour to the 
 true religion. Alas, with what perti 
 nency and force may this question be 
 put to many who call themselves 
 Christians ! 
 
 24. The name of God. The name 
 and character of the true God. 1 Is 
 blasphemed. Note, Matt. ix. 3. That 
 is, your conduct is such as to lead the 
 heathen world to blaspheme and re 
 proach both your religion and its Au 
 thor. By your hypocrisy and crimes 
 the pagan world is led to despise a re 
 ligion which is observed to have no 
 effect in purifying and restraining its 
 professors; and of course the reproach 
 will terminate on the Author of your 
 religion that is, the tr< e God. A life 
 
 ing the law dishouourest thou 
 God? 
 
 24 For the name of God is 
 blasphemed among the Gentiles 
 
 of purity would tend to honour religion 
 and its Author ; a life of impurity does 
 the reverse. There is no doubt that 
 this was actually the effect of the de 
 portment of the Jews. They were 
 scattered every where ; every where 
 they were corrupt and wicked ; and 
 every where they and their religion 
 were despised. 1 Among the Gentiles. 
 In the midst of whom many Jews lived. 
 1 Through ym. By means of you, 
 or as the result of your conduct. It 
 may mean, that you Jews do it, or pro 
 fane the name of God; liut the con 
 nexion seems rather to require the for 
 mer sense. ^ Jls it is -written. To 
 what place the apostle has reference, 
 cannot be certainly determined. There 
 are two passages in the Old Testament 
 which will bear on the case, and per 
 haps he had them both in his view. 
 Isa. Hi. 5. Ezek. xxxvi. 22, 23. The 
 meaning is not that the passages in 
 the Old Testament, referred to by th* 
 phrase " as it is written," had any par 
 ticular reference to the conduct of the 
 Jews in the time of Paul, but that this 
 had been the character of the people, 
 and the effect of their conduct a* a na 
 tion, instances of which had been be 
 fore observed and recorded by the pro 
 phets. The same thing has occurred 
 to a most melancholy extent in regard 
 to professed Christian nations. For 
 purposes of commerce, and science, 
 and war, and traffic, men from nations 
 nominally Christian have gone into 
 almost every part of the heathen world. 
 But they have not often been real 
 Christians. They have been intent on 
 gain; and have to a melancholy ex 
 tent been profane, and unprincipled, 
 and profligate men. Yet the heathen 
 have regarded them as Christian* ; as 
 fair specimens of the effect of the reli 
 gion of Christ. They have learned, 
 therefore, to abuse the name of Chris 
 tian, and the Author of the Christian 
 
A. D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 through you, as it is written." 
 
 25 For circumcision verily 
 profiteth, if thou keep the law : 
 but b if thou be a breaker of the 
 
 a Ezek.3ti.20,23. 
 
 law, thy circumcision is made 
 
 uncircumcision. 
 
 26 Therefore if c the uncir 
 cumcision keep the righteous- 
 
 : Acts 10.34,35. 
 
 religion, as encouraging and promoting 
 profligacy of life. Hence one reason, 
 among thousands, of the importance 
 of Christian missions to the heathen. 
 It is well to disabuse the pagan world 
 of their erroneous opinions of the ten 
 dency of Christianity. It is well to 
 teach them that we do not regard these 
 men as Christians. As we have sent 
 to them the -worst part of our popula 
 tion, it is well to send them holy men, 
 who shall exhibit to them the true na 
 ture of Christianity, and raise our cha 
 racter in their eyes as a Christian peo 
 ple. And were there no other result 
 of Christian missions, it would be worth 
 all the expense and toil attending them, 
 to raise the national character in the 
 view of the pagan world. 
 
 25. For circumcision. Note, John 
 vii. 22. Acts vii. 8. This was the 
 peculiar rite by which the relation to 
 the covenant of Abraham was recog 
 nised ; or by which the right to all the 
 privileges of a member of the Jewish 
 commonwealth was acknowledged. The 
 Jews of course affixed a high impor 
 tance to the rite, f Ferity profiteth. 
 Is truly a benefit ; or is an advantage. 
 The meaning is, that their being re 
 cognised as members of the Jewish 
 commonwealth, and introduced to the 
 privileges of the Jew, was an advan 
 tage. See ch. iii. 1, 2. The apostle 
 was not disposed to deny that they pos 
 sessed this advantage, but he tells them 
 why it was a benefit, and how it might 
 fail of conferring any favour, f If thou 
 keep the laiv. The mere sign can be 
 of no value. The mere fact of being 
 a Jew is not what God requires. It 
 may be a favour to have his law, but 
 the mere possession of the law cannot 
 entitle to the favour of God. So it is 
 a privilege to be born in a Christian 
 land; to have had pious parents; to 
 be amidst the ordinances of religion ; 
 
 to be trained in Sunday-schools ; and 
 to be devoted to God in baptism : for 
 all these are favourable circumstances 
 for salvation. But none of them en 
 title to the favour of God ; and unless 
 they are improved as they should be, 
 they may be only the means of increas 
 ing our condemnation. 2 Cor. ii. 16. 
 \ Thy circumcision is made uncir- 
 cumcision. Thy circumcision, or thy 
 being called a Jew, is of no value. It 
 will not distinguish you from those 
 who are not circumcised. You will be 
 treated as a heathen. No external ad 
 vantages, no name, or rite, or ceremo 
 ny will save you. God requires the 
 obedience of the heart and of the life. 
 Where there is a disposition to render 
 that, there is an advantage in possess 
 ing the external means of grace. Where 
 that is wanting, no rite or profession 
 can save. This applies with as much 
 force to those who have been baptized 
 in infancy, and to those who have made 
 a profession of religion in a Christian 
 church, as to the Jew. 
 
 26. Therefore, if the uncircumct- 
 sion. If those who are not circumcised, 
 i. e. the heathen. If Keep the right 
 eousness of the laiv. Keep that which 
 the law of Moses commands. It could 
 not be supposed that a heathen would 
 understand the requirements of the ce 
 remonial law ; but reference is had here 
 to the moral law. The apostle does 
 not expressly affirm that this was 
 ever done ; but he supposes the case, 
 to show the true nature and value of 
 the rites of the Jews. Tf Shall not Ms 
 uncircumcision. Or, shall the fact 
 that he is uncircumcised stand in the 
 way of the acceptance of his services \ 
 Or, shall he not as certainly and as 
 readily be accepted by God as if he 
 were a Jew 1 Or in other words, the 
 apostle teaches the doctrine that ac 
 ceptance with God does not depend on 
 
70 
 
 his 
 for 
 
 ness of the law, shall not 
 uncircumcision be counted 
 circumcision ? 
 
 27 And shall not uncircumci 
 sion which is by nature, if it ful 
 fil the law, "judge thee, who by 
 the letter and circumcision dost 
 transgress the law ? 
 
 28 For he b is not a Jew which 
 
 a Matt.12.41,42. b Matt.3.9. Jno.8.39. c.9.6,7. 
 
 Oal.o.!5. Rev.2.9. 
 
 a man s external privileges, but on the 
 state of the heart and life. T Be 
 counted for circumcision. Shall he 
 not be treated as if he were circum 
 cised ? Shall his being uncircumcised 
 be any barrier in the way of his ac 
 ceptance with God ] The word ren 
 dered " be counted," is that which is 
 commonly rendered to reckon, TO IM 
 PUTE ; and its use here shows that the 
 Scripture use of the word is not to 
 transfer, or to charge with that which 
 is not deserved, or net true. It means 
 simply that a man shall be treated as 
 if it were so ; that this want of circum 
 cision shall be no bar to acceptance. 
 There is nothing set over to his ac 
 count ; nothing transferred ; nothing 
 reckoned different from what it is. 
 God judges things as they are ; and a 
 the man, though uncircumcised, who 
 keeps the law, ought to be treated as 
 if he had been circumcised, so he who 
 believes in Christ agreeably to the di 
 vine promise, and trusts to his merits 
 alone for salvation, ought to be treated 
 as if he were himself righteous. God 
 judge* the thing as it is, and treats 
 men as it is proper to treat them, as 
 being pardoned and accepted through 
 his Son. 
 
 27. Which is by nature. Which is 
 the natural state of man ; his condition 
 before he is admitted to any of the pe 
 culiar rites of the Jewish religion. H If 
 it fulfil the law. If they who are un 
 circumcised keep the law. ^ Judge 
 ihee. Condemn thee as guilty. As we 
 sny, the conduct of such a man con 
 demns us. He acts so much more 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D 60, 
 
 is one outwardly; neither is that 
 circumcision which is outward 
 in the flesh : 
 
 29 But he is a Jew, which is 
 one inwardly ; and circumcision 
 is that of the heart, c in the spi 
 rit, and not in the letter ; whose 
 
 praise d is not of men, but of 
 God. 
 
 cDeut.l0.16;30.6. Jer.4.4 Pbil.3.3. Col.2.11. 
 d2Cor.10.18. 
 
 consistently and uprightly than we do, 
 that we see our guilt. For a similar 
 mode of expression, see Matt. xii. 4 1 , 42. 
 1 Who by the letter, &c. The transla 
 tion here is certainly not happily express 
 ed. It is difficult to ascertain its mean 
 ing. The evident meaning of the ori 
 ginal is, Shall not a heathen man 
 who has none of your external privi 
 leges, if he keeps the law, condemn you 
 who are Jews; who, although you have 
 the letter and circumcision, are never 
 theless transgressors of the law? 
 1 The letter. The word letter pro 
 perly means the mark or character 
 from which syllables and words are 
 formed. It is also used in the sense 
 of -writing of any kind (Luke xvi. 6, 7 
 Acts xxviii. 21. Gal. vi. 11), particu 
 larly the writings of Moses, denoting, 
 by way of eminence, the letter, or the 
 writing. Rom. vii. 6. 2 Tim. iii. 15. 
 
 28. For he is not a Jeiv, &c. He 
 who is merely descended from Abra 
 ham, and is circumcised, and externally 
 conforms to the law only, does not pos 
 sess the true character, and manifest 
 the true spirit, contemplated by the 
 separation of the Jewish people. Their 
 separation required much anore. 1 Nei 
 ther is that circumcision, &c. Nei 
 ther does it meet the full design of the 
 rite of circumcision, that it is externally 
 performed. It contemplated much moi-e. 
 See ver. 29. 
 
 29. But he is a Jet. He comes up 
 to the design of the Jewish institution ; 
 he manifests truly what it is to be a 
 Jew. t Which is one imoardly. Who 
 is in heart a Jew. Who has the true 
 
A. D.GO.j 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 71 
 
 spirit, and fulfils the design of their 
 being separated as a peculiar people. 
 This passage proves that the design of 
 separating them was not merely to per 
 form certain external rites, or to con 
 form to external observances, but to be 
 ft people holy in heart and in life. It 
 cannot be denied that this design was 
 not generally understood in the time 
 of the apostles ; but it was abundantly 
 declared in the Old Testament. Deut. 
 vi. 5; x. 12, 13. 20; xxx. 14. Isa. i. 
 1120. Mic. vi. 8. Ps. li. 16, 17 ; 1. 7 
 23. ^ And circumcision is that of 
 the heart. That is, that circumcision 
 which is acceptable to God, and which 
 meets the design of the institution, is 
 that which is attended with holiness of 
 heart ; with the cutting off of sins ; 
 and with a pure life. The design of 
 circumcision was to be a sign of sepa 
 ration from the heathen world, and of 
 consecration to the holy God. And 
 this design implied the renunciation 
 and forsaking of all sins ; or the cut 
 ting off of every thing that was offen 
 sive to God. This was a work pecu 
 liarly of the heart. This design was 
 often stated and enforced in the writ 
 ings of the Old Testament. Deut. x. 
 16, " Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin 
 of your heart, and be no more stiff- 
 necked." Jer. iv. 4. Deut. xxx. 6. 
 1 In the spirit. This is an expression 
 explaining further what he had just 
 said. It does not mean by the Holy 
 Spirit, but that the work was to take 
 place i7i the soul, and not in the body 
 only. It was to be an internal, spirit 
 ual work, and not merely an external 
 service. K And not in the letter. That 
 is, not only according to the literal, ex 
 ternal command, t Whose praise, 
 <Scc. Whose object is not to secure the 
 praise of men. One of the main cha 
 racteristics of the Jews in the time of 
 Christ was, a desire to secure honour 
 among men, as being exactly scrupulous 
 in the performance of all the duties of 
 their religion. They prided themselves 
 on their descent from Abraham, and 
 on their regular conformity to the pre 
 cepts of the law of Moses. Matt. iii. 
 
 9; vi. 2. 5. Luke xviii. 10, 11, 12 
 Matt, xxiii. 23. 1 But of God. " Man 
 looketh on the outward appearance, 
 but the Lord looketh on the heart." 
 1 Sam. xvi. 7. The praise of God can 
 be bestowed only on those who con 
 form really, and not externally only, to 
 his requirements. 
 
 The remarks which are made here 
 respecting the Jews, are also strictly 
 applicable to professing Christians, and 
 we may learn, 
 
 1. That the external rites of religion 
 are of much less importance than the 
 state of the heart. 
 
 2. That the only value of those 
 rites is to promote holiness of heart 
 and life 
 
 3. That the mere fact that we are 
 born of pious ancestors will not save us. 
 
 4. That the fact that we were dedi 
 cated to God in baptism will not save us. 
 
 5. That a mere profession of reli 
 gion, however orthodox may be our 
 creed, will not save us. 
 
 6. That the estimate which men 
 may put on our piety is not the pro 
 per measure of our true character and 
 standing. 
 
 7. It is an inexpressible privilege to 
 be in possession of the word of God, 
 and to know our duty. It may, if im 
 proved, conduce to our elevation in 
 holiness and happiness here, and to 
 our eternal felicity hereafter. 
 
 8. It is also a fearful thing to neg 
 lect the privileges which we enjoy. 
 We shall be judged according to the 
 light which we have ; and it will be 
 an awful event to go to eternity from 
 a Christian land unprepared. 
 
 9. Whatever may be the destiny of 
 the heathen, it is our duty to make 
 preparatim to meet God. The most 
 wicked of the heathen may meet a far 
 milder doom than many who are ex 
 ternally moral, or who profess religion 
 in Christian lands. Instead, therefore, 
 of speculating on what may be their 
 destiny, it is the duty of every indi 
 vidual to be at peace himself with 
 God, and to flee from the wrath to 
 come. 
 
72 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 T advantage then hath 
 the Jew ? or what profit is 
 there of circumcision. 
 
 2 Much every way : chiefly, 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GW, 
 
 because that unto them wei 
 committed the oracles of God. 
 
 3 For what if some 6 did not be 
 lieve ? Shall their unbelief mak? 
 the faith of God without effect ? 
 
 a Deut.4.7.8. fc c.lO.! Heb.4.2. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 1. What advantage, &c. The de 
 sign of the first part of this chapter is to 
 answer some of the objections which 
 might Ije offered by a Jew to the state 
 ments in the last chapter. The first 
 objection is stated in this verse. A Jew 
 would naturally ask, if the view which 
 the apostle had given were correct, 
 what peculiar benefit could the Jew 
 derive from his religion ? The objec 
 tion would arise particularly from the 
 position advanced (ch. ii. 25, 26), that 
 if a heathen should do the things re 
 quired by the law, he would be treated 
 as if he had been circumcised. Hence 
 the question, " what profit is there of 
 circumcision 1" 
 
 2. Much every -way. Or, in every 
 respect. This is the answer of the 
 apostle to the objection in ver. 1. 
 1 Chiefly. That is, this is the princi 
 pal advantage, and one including all 
 others. The main benefit of being a 
 Jew is, to possess the sacred Scriptures 
 and their instructions. ^ Unto them 
 were committed. Or were intrusted, 
 were confided. The word translated 
 "were committed," is that which is 
 commonly employed to express faith 
 or confidence, and it implied confidence 
 in them "on the part of God in intrust 
 ing his oracles to them ; a confidence 
 which was not misplaced, for no peo 
 ple ever guarded a sacred trust or de- 
 posite with more fidelity, than the 
 Jews did the sacred Scriptures. \ The 
 oracles. The word oracle among the 
 heathen meant properly the answer or 
 response of a god, or of some priest 
 supposed to be inspired, to an inquiry 
 of importance, usually expressed in a 
 brief sententious way, and often with 
 great ambiguity. The place from which 
 such a response was usually obtained 
 was also called an oracle, as the oracle 
 
 at Delphi, &c. These oracles were fre 
 quent among the heathen, and affairs of 
 great importance were usually submitted 
 to them. The word rendered oraclci 
 occurs in the New Testament but foui 
 times, Acts vii.38. Heb. v. 12. 1 Pet. iv. 
 1 1 . Rom. iii. 2. It is evidently here used 
 to denote the Scriptures, as being that 
 which was spoken by God, and par- 
 ticularly perhaps the divine promises. 
 To possess these was of course an 
 eminent privilege, and included all 
 others, as they instructed them in their 
 duty, and were their guide in every 
 thing that pertained to them in this 
 life and the life to come. They con 
 tained, besides, many precious promises 
 respecting the future dignity of the na 
 tion in reference to the Messiah. No 
 higher favour can be conferred on a 
 people than to be put in possession of 
 the sacred Scriptures. And this fact 
 should excite us to gratitude, and lead 
 us to endeavour to extend them also to 
 other nations. Comp. Deut. iv. 7, 8 
 Ps. cxlvii. 1 9, 20. 
 
 3. For -what if some did not be 
 lieve ? This is to be regarded as 
 another objection of a Jew. What 
 then ? or what follows ? if it be admit 
 ted that some of the nation did not 
 believe, does it not follow that the 
 faithfulness of God in his promises 
 will fail T The points of the objection 
 are these : ( 1 .) The apostle had main 
 tained that the nation was sinful (ch. 
 ii.) ; that is, that they had not obeyed 
 or believed God. (2.) This, the objector 
 for the time admits or supposes in re 
 lation to some of them. But, (3.) He 
 asks whether this does not involve a 
 consequence which is not admissible, 
 that God is unfaithful. Did not the 
 fact that God chose them as his people, 
 and entered into covenant with them 
 imply that the Jews should be kept 
 
A.D. 60.] CHAPTER III. 
 
 4 God forbid : yea, let God 
 be true, but every man a liar ; as 
 it is written, a That thou might- 
 
 from perdition ! It was evidently their 
 Selief that all Jews would be saved, 
 and this belief they grounded on his 
 covenant with their fathers. The doc 
 trine of the apostle (ch. ii.) would 
 seem to imply that in certain respects 
 they were on a level with the gentile 
 nations; that if they sinned, they 
 would be treated just like the heathen ; 
 and hence they asked of what value 
 was the promise of God 1 Had it not 
 became vain and nugatory? If Make 
 the faith. The word faith here evi 
 dently means the faithfulness or fidelity 
 of God to his promises. Comp. Matt, 
 xiii. 23. 2 Tim. iii. 10. Hos. ii. 20. 
 1 Of none effect. Destroy it ; or pre 
 vent him from fulfilling his promises. 
 The meaning of the objection is, that 
 the fact supposed, that the Jews would 
 become unfaithful and be lost, would 
 imply that God had failed to keep his 
 promises to the nation ; or that he had 
 made promises which the result showed 
 ne was not able to perform. 
 
 4. God forbid. Greek, Let not this 
 be. The sense is, let not this by any 
 means be supposed. This is the an 
 swer of the apostle, showing that no 
 such consequence followed from his 
 doctrines ; and that if any such conse 
 quence should follow, the doctrine 
 should be at once abandoned, and that 
 every man, no matter who, should 
 be rather esteemed false than God. 
 The veracity of God -was a great 
 first principle, which was to be held, 
 whatever might be the consequence. 
 This implies that the apostle believed 
 that the fidelity of God could be main 
 tained in strict consistency with the 
 fact that any number of the Jews 
 might be found to be unfaithful, and 
 be cast off. The apostle has not enter 
 ed into an explanation of this, or shown 
 how it could be, but it is not difficult 
 to understand how it was. The promise 
 made to Abraham, and the fathers, was 
 not unconditional and absolute, that 
 G 
 
 73 
 
 est be justified in thy sayings, 
 and mightest overcome when 
 thou art judged. 
 
 all the Jews should be saved. It wa. 
 implied that they were to be obedient : 
 and that if they were not, they would 
 be cast off. Gen. xviii. 19. Though 
 the apostle has not stated it here, yet 
 he has considered it at length in another 
 part of this epistle, and showed that it 
 was not only consistent with the origi 
 nal promise that a part of the Jews 
 should be found unfaithful, and be cast 
 off, but that it had actually occurred 
 according to the prophets, ch. x. 16 
 21 ; xi. Thus the fidelity of God was 
 preserved ; at the same time that it was 
 a matter of fact that no .small part of 
 the nation was rejected and lost, f Let 
 God be true. Let God be esteemed true 
 and faithful, whatever consequence 
 may follow. This was a first principle, 
 and should be now, that God should be 
 believed to be a God of truth, what 
 ever consequence it might involve. 
 How happy would it be, if all men 
 would regard this as a fixed principle, 
 a matter not to be questioned in their 
 hearts, or debated about, that God is 
 true to his word ! How much doubt 
 and anxiety would it save professing 
 Christians ; and how much error would 
 it save among sinners ! Amidst all the 
 agitations of the world, all conflicts, 
 debates, and trials, it would be a fixed 
 position where every man might find 
 rest, and which would do more than all 
 other things to allay the tempests and 
 smooth the agitated waves of human 
 life. ^ But every man a liar. Though 
 every man and every other opinion 
 should be found to be false. Of course 
 this included the apostle and his rea 
 soning ; an.l the expression is one of 
 those which show his magnanimity 
 and greatness of soul. It implies that 
 every opinion which he and all others 
 held ; every doctrine which had been 
 defended ; should be at once abandoned, 
 if it implied that God was false. It 
 was to be assumed as a first principle 
 in all religion and all reasoning, that 
 
if a doctrine implied that God was not 
 faithful, it was of course a false doc 
 trine. This showed his firm convic 
 tion that the doctrine which he advanc 
 ed was strictly in accordance with the 
 veracity of the divine promise. What 
 a noble principle is this ! How stri 
 kingly illustrative of the humility of 
 true piety, and of the confidence which 
 true piety places in God above all the 
 deductions of human reason ! And 
 if all men were willing to sacrifice their 
 opinions when they appeared to impinge 
 on the veracity of God ; if they started 
 back with instinctive shuddering at the 
 very supposition of such a want of fide 
 lity in him ; how soon would it put an 
 end to the boastings of error, to the 
 j ride of philosophy, to lofty dictation 
 in religion ! No man with this feeling 
 could be for a moment a Universalist ; 
 and none could be an infidel. Tf Jls it 
 is -written. Ps. li. 4. To confirm the 
 sentiment which he had just advanced, 
 and to show that it accorded with the 
 spirit of religion as expressed in the 
 Jewish writings, the apostle appeals 
 to the language of David, uttered in 
 a state of deep penitence for past trans 
 gressions. Of all quotations ever made, 
 this is one of the most beautiful and 
 most happy. David was overwhelmed 
 with grief; he saw his crime to be 
 awful ; he feared the displeasure of 
 God, and trembled before him. Yet 
 lie held it as a Jixed, indisputable 
 principle that GOD WAS RIGHT. This 
 he never once thought of calling in ques 
 tion. He had sinned against God, God 
 only ; and he did not once think of call 
 ing in question the fact that God was 
 just altogether in reproving him for his 
 sin, and in pronouncing against him 
 the sentence of condemnation. ^ That 
 th -ni mightest be justified. That thou 
 mightcst be regarded as just or right; 
 or, that it may appear that God is not 
 unjust. This aces not mean that Da 
 vid had sinned against God for the 
 [mrpoae of justifying him, but that 
 he now clearly saw that his sin had 
 b^en so directly against him, and so 
 aggravated, that God was right in his 
 sentence of condemnation. ^ In thi 
 
 KOMANS. [A.D.oO 
 
 sayings. In what thou hatit spoken , 
 that is, in thy, sentence of condemna 
 tion ; in thy words in relation to this 
 offence. It may help us to understand 
 this, to remember that the psalm was 
 written immediately after Nathan, at 
 the command of God, had gone to re 
 prove David for his crime. (See the 
 title of the psalm.) God, by the mouth 
 of Nathan, had expressly condemned 
 David for his crime. To this expres 
 sion of condemnation David doubtless 
 refers by the expression " in thy say 
 ings." See 2 Sam. xii. 7 13. 1 Anil 
 mightest overcome. In the Hebrew, 
 mightest be pure, 1 or mightest be es 
 teemed pure, or just. The word which 
 the LXX. and the apostle have used, 
 "mightcst overcome," is sometimes used 
 with reference to litigations or trials in 
 a court of justice. He that was accused 
 and acquitted, or who was adjudged to 
 be innocent, might be said to overcome, 
 or to gain the cause. The expression 
 is thus used here. As if there were a 
 trial between David and God, God 
 would overcome ; that is, would be 
 esteemed pure and righteous in his 
 sentence condemning the crime of Da 
 vid. \ When thou art judged. The 
 Hebrew is, -when thou judgest ; that 
 is, in thy judgment pronounced on this 
 crime. The Greek may also be in the 
 middle voice as well as the passive, and 
 may correspond, therefore, in meaning 
 precisely with the Hebrew. So the 
 Arabic renders it. The Syriac renders 
 it, " -when they (i. e. men) shall judgp 
 thee." The meaning, as expressed by 
 David, is, that God is to be esteemed 
 right and just in condemning men for 
 their sins, and that a true penitent, 
 i. e. a man placed in the best circum 
 stances to form a proper estimate of 
 God, will see this, though it should 
 condemn himself. The meaning of 
 the expression in the connexion in 
 which Paul uses it, ; s, that it is to be 
 held as a fixed, unwavering principle, 
 that God is right and true, whatever 
 consequences it may involve ; what 
 ever doctrine it may overthrow; OT 
 whatever man it may prove to be a 
 liar. 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 IHAPTEK III. 
 
 75 
 
 5 But if oui unrighteousness 
 commend the righteousness of 
 God, what shall we say ? Is 
 God unrighteous, who taketh 
 
 vengeance ? (I speak as 
 man.) 
 
 6 God forbid : for then how 
 shall God judge the world ? 
 
 a Job 8.3. 
 
 5. Hut if our unrighteousness. If 
 our sin. The particular sin which 
 had been specified (ver. 3) was unbe 
 lief. But the apostle here gives the 
 objection a general form. This is to 
 be regarded as an objection which a 
 Jew might make. The force of it is 
 this: (1.) It had been conceded that 
 some had not believed ; that is, had 
 sinned. (2.) But God was true to his 
 promises. Notwithstanding their sin, 
 God s character was the same. Nay, 
 (3.) In the very midst of sin, and as 
 one of the results of it, the character 
 of God as a just Being, shone out illus 
 triously. The question then was, (4.) 
 If his glory resulted from it; if the 
 effect of all was to shoio that his cha 
 racter was pure ; how could he punish 
 that sin from which his own glory re 
 sulted ] And this is a question which 
 is often asked by sinners. 1 Commend. 
 Recommend ; show forth ; render illus 
 trious. ^ The righteousness of God. 
 His just and holy character. This was 
 the effect on David s mind, that he saw 
 more clearly the justice of God in his 
 threatenings against sin, in consequence 
 of his own transgression. And if this 
 effect followed, if honour was thus 
 done to God, the question was, how 
 he could consistently punish that which 
 tended to promote his own glory ] 
 1 What shall -we say? What fol 
 lows 1 or, what is the inference 1 This 
 is a mode of speech as if the objector 
 hesitated about expressing an inference 
 which would seern to follow, but which 
 was horrible in its character. H Is God 
 unrighteous ? The meaning of this 
 would be better expressed thus ; Is 
 not God unrighteous in punishing 1 ! 
 Does it not follow that if God is ho 
 noured by sin, that it would be wrong 
 for him to inflict punishment ? f Who 
 taketh vengeance. The meaning of 
 this is simply, -who injlicts punishment. 
 The idea of vengeance is not necessa 
 
 rily in the original (i>" f). It is com 
 monly rendered -wrath, but it often 
 means simply punishment, without any 
 reference to the state of the mind of 
 him who inflicts it. Matt. iii. 7. Luke 
 iii. 7; xxi. 23. John iii. 36. Note, 
 Rom. i. 18; iv. 15. ^ I speak as a 
 man. 1 speak after the manner of 
 men. I speak as appears to be the 
 case to human view ; or as would 
 strike the human mind. It does not 
 mean that the language was such as 
 Tjicked men were accustomed to use ; 
 but that the objector expressed a senti 
 ment which to human view would 
 seem to follow from what had been 
 said. This I regard as the language 
 of an objector. It implies a degree of 
 reverence for the character of God, and 
 a seeming unwillingness to state an 
 objection which seemed to be disho 
 nourable to God, but which neverthe 
 less pressed itself so strong on the 
 mind as to appear irresistible. No way 
 of stating the objection could have 
 been more artful or impressive. 
 
 6. God forbid. Note, ver. 4. J For 
 then. If it be admitted that it would 
 be unjust for God to inflict punishment. 
 1 How shall God, &c. How will it be 
 right or consistent for him to judge the 
 world. Tf Judge. To judge implies 
 the possibility and the correctness of 
 condemning the guilty ; for if it were 
 not right to condemn them, judgment 
 would be a farce. This does not mean 
 that God would condemn all the world ; 
 but that the fact of judging men im 
 plied the possibility and propriety of 
 condemning those who were guilty. It 
 is remarkable that the apostle does not 
 attempt to explain hotu it could be 
 that God could take occasion from the 
 sins of men to promote his glory ; nor 
 does he even admit the fact ; but .be 
 meets directly the objection To un 
 derstand the force of his answer, it 
 must be remembered that it was an 
 
7 For if the truth of God hath 
 more abounded through my lie 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 unto his glory, -why yet am I 
 also judged as a sinner ? 
 
 admitted fact, a fact which no one 
 among the Jews would call in ques 
 tion, that God would judge the world. 
 This fact was fully taught in their own 
 writings. Gen. xviii. 25. Eccl. xii. 14; 
 ti. 9. It was besides an admitted 
 point with them that God would con- 
 lemn the heathen -world ; and perhaps 
 he term " world" here refers particu 
 larly to them. But how could this be 
 if it ivere not right for God to inflict 
 punishment at all ] The inference of 
 ehe objector, therefore, could not be 
 true ; though the apostle does not tell 
 UP hoto it was consistent to inflict pu 
 nishment for offences from which God 
 took occasion to promote his glory. It 
 may be remarked, however, that God 
 will judge offences, not from what he 
 may do in overruling them, but from 
 the nature of the crime itself. The 
 question is not, what good, God may 
 bring out of it, but what does the crime 
 itself deserve 1 what is the character 
 of the offender] what was his inten 
 tion ? It is not what God may do to 
 overrule the offence when it is com 
 mitted. The just punishment of the 
 murderer is to be determined by the 
 law, and by his own desert; and not 
 from any reputation for integrity and 
 uprightness which the judge may ma 
 nifest on his trial ; or from any honour 
 which may accrue to the police for de 
 tecting him ; or any security which 
 may result to the common wealth from 
 his execution ; or from any honour 
 which the laiv may gain as a just law 
 by his condemnation. NOT should any 
 of these facts and advantages which 
 may result from his execution, be plead 
 ed in bar of his condemnation So it 
 is with the sinner under the divine ad 
 ministration. It is indeed a truth (Ps. 
 Ixxvi. 10) that the wrath of man shall 
 praise God, and that he will take occa 
 sion from men s wickedness to glorify 
 Himself as a just judge and moral go 
 vernor ; but this will be no ground of 
 acquittal for the sinner. 
 
 7. For if, &c. This is an objection 
 similar to the former. It is indeed but 
 another form of the same. ^ The truth 
 of God. His truth or faithfulness in ad 
 hering to his ihreatenings. God threat 
 ened to punish the guilty. By their guilt 
 he will take occasion to show his own 
 truth ; or their crime will furnish occa 
 sion for such an exhibition, t Hath 
 more abounded. Has been more strik 
 ing, or more manifest. His tmth will 
 be shown by the fulfilment of all his 
 promises to his people, and of all his 
 predictions. But it will also be shown 
 by fulfilling his threatenings on the 
 guilty. It will, therefore, more abound 
 by their condemnation ; that is, their 
 condemnation will furnish new and 
 striking instances of his truth. Every 
 lost sinner will be, therefore, an eter 
 nal monument of the truth of God. 
 ^f Through my lie. By means of my 
 lie, or as one of the results of my false 
 hood. The word lie here means false 
 hood, deceitfulness, unfaithfulness. If 
 by the unfaithfulness of the Jewish 
 people to the covenant, occasion should 
 be given to God to glorify himself, how 
 could they be condemned for it 1 ^ Un 
 to his glory. To his praise, or so as 
 to show his character in such a way as 
 to excite the praise and admiration of 
 his intelligent creation. ^ Why yet 
 am I, &c. How can that act be re 
 garded as evil, which tends to promote 
 the glory of God 1 The fault in the 
 reasoning of the objector is this, that 
 he takes for granted that the direct 
 tendency of his conduct is to promote 
 God s glory, whereas it is just the re 
 verse ; and it is by God s reversing 
 that tendency, or overruling it, that he 
 obtains his glory. The tendency of 
 mucder is not to honour the law, or to 
 promote the security of society, but just 
 the reverse. Still, his execution shall 
 avert the direct tendency of his crime, 
 and do honour to the law and the judge, 
 and promote the peace and security of 
 the community by restraining others. 
 
L. D. 60.] 
 8 And not rather (as 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 77 
 
 be 
 
 slanderously reported, and as 
 
 8. And not rather. This is the an 
 swer of the apostle. He meets the 
 objection by showing its tendency if 
 carried out, and if it were made a 
 principle of conduct. The meaning is, 
 * If the glory of God is to be promoted 
 by sin, and if a man is not therefore to 
 be condemned, or held guilty for it ; if 
 this fact absolves man from crime, 
 why not carry the doctrine out, and 
 make it a principle of conduct, and 
 BO ALL THE EA iL WE CAN, in order to 
 promote his glory? This was the fair 
 consequence of the objection. And yet 
 this was a result so shocking and mon 
 strous, that all that was necessary in 
 order to answer the objection was merely 
 to state this consequence. Every man s 
 moral feelings would revolt at the doc 
 trine ; every man would know that it 
 could not be true ; and every man, 
 therefore, could see that *he objection 
 was not valid. \ Jls we. This refers, 
 doubtless, to the apostles, and to Chris 
 tians generally. It is unquestionable, 
 that this accusation was often brought 
 against them. \ Slanderously report 
 ed. Greek, As we are blasphemed. 
 This is the legitimate and proper use 
 of the word blaspheme, to speak of one 
 in a reproachful and calumnious man 
 ner. Tf *1s some affirm, &c. Doubtless 
 Jews. Why they should affirm this, is 
 not known. It was doubtless, however, 
 some perversion of the doctrines that the 
 apostles preached. The doctrines which 
 were thus misrepresented and abused 
 were probably these : the apostles taught 
 that the sins of men were the occasion 
 of promoting God s glory in the plan 
 of salvation. That " where sin abound 
 ed, grace did much more abound." ch. 
 v. 20. That God, in the salvation of 
 men, would be glorified just in propor 
 tion to the depth and pollution of the 
 guilt which was forgiven. This was 
 true ; but how easy was it to misrepre 
 sent this as teaching that men ought 
 to sin in order to promote God s glory ! 
 and instead of stating it as an infer- 
 
 G2 
 
 some affirm that we say) Let" 
 us do evil, that good may come ? 
 
 o c.6.1,15. 
 
 ence which THEY drew from the doc 
 trine, to state it as what the apostles 
 actually taught. This is the common 
 mode in which charges are brought 
 against others. Men draw an infer 
 ence themselves, or suppose that* the 
 doctrine leads to such an inference, 
 and then charge it on others as what 
 they actually hold and teach. There 
 is one maxim which should never be 
 departed from : That a man is not to 
 be held responsible for the inferences 
 which WE may draw from his doc 
 trine ; and that he is never to be re 
 presented as holding and teaching 
 that which WE suppose follows from 
 his doctrine. He is answerable only 
 for what he avows. ^ Let us do evil. 
 That is, since sin is to promote the 
 glory of God, let us commit as much 
 as possible. ^ That good may come. 
 That God may take occasion by it to 
 promote his glory, f Whose damna 
 tion is just. Whose condemnation. 
 See Note, ch. xiv. 23. This does not 
 necessarily refer to future punishment, 
 but it means that the conduct of those 
 who thus slanderously perverted the 
 doctrines of the Christian religion, and 
 accused the apostles of teaching this 
 doctrine, was deserving of condemna 
 tion or punishment. Thus he express 
 ly disavows, in strong language, the 
 doctrine charged on Christians. Thus 
 he silences the objection. And thus 
 he teaches, as a great fundamental law, 
 that evil is not to he done that good 
 may come. This is a universal rule. 
 And this is in no case to be departed 
 from. Whatever is evil is not to be 
 done under any pretence. Any ima 
 ginable good which we may think will 
 result from it ; any advantage to our 
 selves or to our cause or any glory 
 which we may think may result to 
 God, will not sanction or justify the 
 deed. Strict; uncompromising integrity 
 and honesty is to be the maxim of our 
 lives; and in such a life only can we hop? 
 for success, or for the blessing of God, 
 
78 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A D. 60 
 
 tvhose damnation is just. 
 
 9 What then? are we better 
 than they? No, in no wise : for 
 we have beibre proved * both 
 
 > charged 
 
 9. What then ? This is another re 
 mark supposed to be made by a Jew 
 ish objector. What follows 1 or are we 
 to infer that we are better than others ? 
 ^ Jlre we better than they ? Are we 
 Jews better than the Gentiles 1 Or ra 
 ther, have we any preference, or ad 
 vantage as to character and prospects, 
 over the Gentiles ] These questions 
 refer only to the g~eat point in debate, 
 to wit, about justification before God. 
 The aposile had admitted (ver. 2) that 
 the Jews had important advantages in 
 some respects, but he now affirms that 
 those advantages did not make a dif 
 ference between them and the Gentiles 
 about justification. ^ No , in no -wise 
 Not at all. That is, the Jews have no 
 preference or advantage over the Gen 
 tiles in regard to the subject of justifi 
 cation before God. They have failed 
 to keep the law ; they are sinners ; and 
 if they are justified, it must be in the 
 same way as the rest of the world. 
 t IVe have before proved, &c. ch. 
 i. 21 32. ch. u. J Under sin. Sin 
 ners. Under the power and dominion 
 of sin. 
 
 10. As it is -written. The apostle is 
 reasoning with Jews ; and he proceeds 
 to show from their own Scriptures, 
 that what he had affirmed was true. 
 The point to be proved was, that the 
 Jews, in the matter of justification, had 
 no advantage or preference over the 
 Gentiles; ihat the Jew had failed to 
 keep the law which had been given 
 him, as the Gentile had failed to keep j 
 the law which had been given him ; \ 
 arid that both, therefore, were equally ! 
 dependent on the mercy of God, inca- j 
 pable of being justified and saved by < 
 their works. To show this, the apos- i 
 tie adduces texts to show what was 
 thr, character of the Jewish people ; \ 
 or to show that according to their own 
 Scriptures, they were sinners no less j 
 
 Jews and Gentiles, that they are 
 all under sin : 
 
 10 As it is written, There 
 is none righteous, no, not one 
 
 a Ps.14.Sc53. 
 
 than the Gentiles. The point, then, is 
 to prove the depravity of the Jews, not 
 that of universal depravity. The in 
 terpretation should be confined to the 
 bearing of the passages on the Jews, 
 and the quotations should not be ad 
 duced as directly proving the doctrine 
 of universal depravity. In a certain 
 sense, which will be stated soon, they 
 may be adduced as bearing on that 
 subject. But their direct reference is 
 to the Jewish nation. The passages 
 which follow, are taken from various 
 parts of the Old Testament. The 
 design of this is to show, that this 
 characteristic of sin was not confined 
 to any particular period of the Jewish 
 history, but pertained to them as a peo 
 ple ; that it had characterized them 
 throughout their existence as a nation. 
 Most of the passages are quoted in the 
 language of the Septuagint. The quo 
 tation in ver. 10, 11, 12, is from Ps. 
 xiv. 1, 2, 3, and from Ps. liii. 1, 2, 3. 
 The liiid psalm is the same as the 
 xivth, with some slight variations. 
 1 There is none righteous. The He 
 brew (Ps. xiv. 1) is, there is none that 
 doeth good. The Septuagint has the 
 same. The apostle quotes according 
 to the sense of the passage. The de 
 sign of the apostle is to show that 
 none could be justified by the law. 
 He uses an expression, therefore, which 
 is exactly conformable to his argument, 
 and which accords in meaning with 
 the Hebrew, there is none just, SIX-M.;. 
 H No, not one. This is not in the 
 Hebrew, but is in the Septuagint. It 
 is a strong universal expression, de 
 noting the state of almost universal cor 
 ruption which existed in the time of 
 the psalmist. The expression should 
 not be interpreted to mean that there 
 was not literally one pious man in the 
 nation ; but that the characteristic of 
 the nation was, at that time, that it wa* 
 
A.D. 60.J 
 
 ] 1 There is none that under- 
 standeth, there is none that seek- 
 eth after God. 
 
 12 They are all gone out of 
 
 CHAPTER 111. 
 
 79 
 
 exceedingly corrupt. Instead of being 
 righteous, as the Jew claimed, because 
 they were Jews, the testimony of their 
 own Scriptures was, that they were 
 universally wicked. 
 
 11. There is none that understand- 
 eth. In the Hebrew (Ps. xiv. 2), God 
 is represented as looking down from 
 heaven to see, that is, to make inves 
 tigation, whether there were any that 
 understood or sought after him. This 
 circumstance gives not only high poetic 
 beauty to the passage, but deep solem 
 nity and awfulness. God, the search 
 er of hearts, is represented as making 
 investigation on this very point. He 
 looks down from heaven for this very 
 purpose, to ascertain whether there 
 were any righteous. In the Hebrew 
 it is not asserted, though it is clearly 
 and strongly implied, that none such 
 were found. That fact the apostle 
 states. If, as the result of such an in 
 vestigation, none were found; if God 
 did not specify that there -were any 
 such; then it follows that there were 
 none. For none could escape the no 
 tice of his eye ; and if there had been 
 any, the benevolence of his heart 
 would have led him to record it. To 
 understand is used in the sense of 
 being wise ; or of having such a state 
 of moral feeling as to dispose them to 
 serve and obey God. The word is often 
 used in the Bible, not to denote a 
 mere intellectual operation of the mind, 
 but the state of the heart inclining 
 the mind to obey and worship God. Ps. 
 cvii. 43 ; cxix. 27. 100. Prov. v. 5. 
 Isa. vi. 10. " Lest they should under 
 stand with their heart," &c. f That 
 seeketh after God. That endeavours to 
 know and do his will, and to he acquaint 
 ed with his character. A disposition 
 not to seek after God, that is, to neglect 
 and forget him, is one of the most de 
 cided proofs of depravity. A righteous 
 
 the way, they are together be 
 come unprofitable ; there is none 
 that doeth good, no, not one. 
 1 3 Their a throat is an open 
 
 man counts it his highest privilege and 
 honour to know God, and to under 
 stand his will. A man can indulge in 
 wickedness only by forgetting God. 
 Hence a disposition not to seek God 
 is full proof of depravity. 
 
 12. They have all gone out of the 
 way. They have declined from the 
 true path of piety and virtue. \ They 
 are together. They have at the same 
 time; or they have equally become 
 unprofitable. They are as one ; they 
 are joined, or united in this declension. 
 The expression denotes union, or simi 
 larity. ^ Become unprofitable. This 
 word in Hebrew means to become pu 
 trid and offensive, like fruit that is 
 spoiled. In Arabic, it is applied to milk 
 that becomes sour. Applied to moral 
 subjects, it means to become corrupt 
 and useless. They are of no value 
 in regard to works of righteousness. 
 1 There is none, &c. This is taken 
 literally from the Hebrew. 
 
 13. Their throat, &cc. This expres 
 sion is taken from Ps. v. 9, literally 
 from the Septuagint. The design of 
 the psalm is to reprove those who were 
 false, traitorous, slanderous, &c. (Ps. 
 v. 6.) The psalmist has the sin of 
 deceit, and falsehood, and slander par 
 ticularly in his eye. The expressions 
 here are to be interpreted in accordance 
 with that. The sentiment here may 
 be, as the grave is ever open to re 
 ceive all into it, that is, into destruc 
 tion, so the mouth or the throat of the 
 slanderer is ever open to swallow up 
 the peace and happiness of all. Or it 
 may mean, as from an open sepulchre 
 there proceeds an offensive and pesti 
 lential vapour, so from the mouths of 
 slanderous persons there proceeds noi 
 some and ruinous words. (Stuart.) 
 I think the connexion demands the 
 former interpretation. ^ With their 
 tongues, &c. In their conversation, 
 
ROMAN IS. 
 
 sepulchre ; ^ ith their tongues 
 they have used deceit ; the poi 
 son a of asps is under their 
 lips. 
 
 14 Whose mouth * is full of 
 cursing and bitterness. 
 
 a Fs ,40.3. i Ps. 1 0.7. 
 
 their promises, &c. they have been false, 
 treacherous, and unfaithful. Tf The 
 poison of asps. This is taken literally 
 from the Septuagint of Ps. cxl. 3. The 
 asp, or adder, is a species of serpent 
 whose poison is of such active opera 
 tion that it kills almost the instant that 
 it penetrates, and that without remedy. 
 It is small, and commonly lies conceal 
 ed, often in the sand in a road, and 
 strikes the traveller before he sees it. 
 It is found chiefly in Egypt and Ly- 
 bia. It is said by ancient writers that 
 the celebrated Cleopatra, rather than 
 be carried a captive to Rome by Au 
 gustus, suffered an asp to bite her in 
 the arm, by which she soon died. The 
 precise species of serpent which is here 
 meant by the psalmist, however, can 
 not be ascertained. All that is neces 
 sary to understand the passage is, that 
 it refers to a serpent whose bite was 
 deadly, and rapid in its execution. 
 ^ /* under their lips. The poison of 
 the serpent is contained in a small bag 
 which is concealed at the root of the 
 tooth. When the tooth is struck into 
 the flesh, the poison is pressed out, 
 through a small hole in the tooth, into 
 the wound. Whether the psalmist was 
 acquainted with that fact, or referred to 
 it, cannot be known : his words do not 
 of necessity imply it. The sentiment 
 is, that as the poison of the asp is 
 rapid, certain, spread ing quickly through 
 the system, and producing death; so 
 the \rsrds of the slanderer are deadly, 
 pestiferous, quickly destroying the re 
 putation and happiness of man. They 
 are as subtle, as insinuating, and as 
 deadly 1o the reputation, as the poison 
 of the adder is to the body. Wicked 
 men, in the Bible are often compared 
 to serpents. Matt, xxiii. 33. Gen. xlix. 
 
 [A. D. CO, 
 
 are swift to 
 
 15 Their feet 
 shed blood : 
 
 1 6 Destruction and misery art 
 in their ways : 
 
 17 And the way of peao? 
 have they not known : 
 
 e Isa.59.7,8 
 
 14. Whose mouth. Ps. x. 7. The 
 apostle has not quoted this literally, but 
 has given the sense. David in the 
 psalm is describing his bitter enemies. 
 If Cursing. Reproachful and oppro 
 brious language, such as Shimei used 
 in relation to David. 2 Sam. xvi. 5. 7, 
 8. ^ Bitterness. In the psalm, de- 
 celts. The word bitterness is used to 
 denote severity, harshness, cruelty ; re 
 proachful and malicious words. 
 
 15. Their feet, &c. The quotation 
 in this and the two following verses, is 
 abridged or condensed from Isa. lix. 7, 
 8. The expressions occur in the midst 
 of a description of the character of the 
 nation in the time of the prophet. The 
 apostle has selected a few expressions 
 out of many, rather making a reference 
 to the entire passage, than a formal 
 quotation. The expression, "their feet 
 are swift," &c. denotes the eagerness 
 of the nation to commit crime, particu 
 larly deeds of injustice and cruelty. 
 They thirsted for the blood of inno 
 cence, and hasted to shed it, to gratify 
 their malice, or to satisfy their ven 
 geance. 
 
 16. Destruction. That is, they 
 cause the destruction or the ruin of the 
 reputation, happiness, and peace of 
 others. ^ Misery. Calamity, ruin. 
 If In their ivays. Wherever they go. 
 This is a striking description not only 
 of the wicked then, but of all times. 
 The tendency of their conduct is to 
 destroy the virtue, happiness, and peace 
 of all with whom they come in con 
 tact. 
 
 17. And the tvay of peace &c. 
 What tends to promote their own hap 
 piness, or that of others, they do riot 
 regard. Intent on their plans of evil, 
 they do not know or regard that which 
 is fitted to promote the welfare of them- 
 
A.D. 60.] 
 18 There 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 81 
 
 is no fear of God 
 
 before their eyes. 
 
 19 Now we knew, that what 
 things soever the law saith, it 
 
 selves or others. This is the case with 
 all who are selfish, and who seek to 
 gain their own purposes of crime and 
 ambition. 
 
 18. There Is no fear of God. Ps. 
 xxxvi. 1. The word fear here denotes 
 ^everence, awe, veneration. There is 
 no such regard or reverence for the 
 character, authority, and honour of 
 God as to restrain them from crime. 
 Their conduct shows that they are not 
 withheld from the commission of ini 
 quity by any regard to the fear or fa 
 vour of God. The only thing that 
 will be effectual in restraining men 
 from sin, will be a regard to the honour 
 and law of God. 
 
 In regard to these quotations from 
 the Old Testament, we may make the 
 following remarks. (1.) They fully 
 establish the position of the apostle, 
 that the nation, as such, was far from 
 being righteous, or that they could be 
 justified by their own works. By quo 
 tations from no less than six distinct 
 places in their own writings, referring 
 to different periods of their history, he 
 shows what the character of the nation 
 was. Arid as this was the characteris 
 tic of those times, it followed that a 
 Jew could not hope to be saved simply 
 because he -was d Jeiu. He needed, 
 as much as the Gentile, the benefit of 
 some other plan of salvation. (2.) These 
 passages show us how to use the Old 
 Testament, and the facts of ancient 
 history. They are to be adduced not 
 as showing directly what the charac 
 ter of man is now, but to show what 
 human nature is. They demonstrate 
 what man is when under the most 
 favourable circumstances; in different 
 situations ; and at different periods of 
 the world. The concurrence of past 
 facts shows what the race is. And as 
 past facts are uniform ; as man thus far, 
 in tae most favourable circumstances, 
 has been sinful ; it follows that this is 
 the characteristic of man every where. 
 Ft is settled by the facts of the world, 
 
 just as any other characteristic of rran 
 is settled by ihe uniform occurrence of 
 facts in all circumstances and times. 
 Ancient facts, and quotations of Scrip 
 ture, therefore, are to be adduced as 
 proofs of the tendency of human na 
 ture. So Paul used them ; and so it is 
 lawful for us to use them. (3.) It may 
 be observed further, that the apostle has 
 given a view of human depravity which 
 is very striking. He does not confine 
 it to one faculty of the mind, or to one 
 set of actions ; he specifies each mem 
 ber and each faculty as being perverse, 
 and inclined to evil. The depravity 
 extends to all the departments of ac 
 tion. The tongue, the mouth, the 
 feet, the lips, are all involved in it ; all 
 are perverted, and all become the occa 
 sion of the commission of sin. The 
 entire man is corrupt ; and the painful 
 description extends to every department 
 of action. (4.) If such was the cha 
 racter of the Jewish nation under all 
 its advantages, what must have been 
 the character of the heathen ? We are 
 prepared thus to credit all that is said 
 in ch. i. and elsewhere, of the sad state 
 of the pagan world. (5.) What a 
 melancholy view we have thus of hu 
 man nature. From whatever quarter 
 we contemplate it, we come to the 
 same conclusion. Whatever record wo 
 examine ; whatever history we read ; 
 whatever time or period we contem 
 plate ; we find the same facts, and are 
 forced to the same conclusion. All 
 are involved in sin, and are polluted, 
 and ruined, and helpless. Over these 
 ruins we should sit down and weep, 
 and lift our eyes with gratitude to the 
 God of mercy, that he has pitied us in 
 our low estate, and has devised a plan 
 by which " these ruins may be built 
 again," and lost, fallen man be raised 
 up to forfeited " glory, honour, and im 
 mortality." 
 
 19. JVow -we know. We all admit. If 
 is a conceded, plain point. ^ What 
 things soever. Whether given as pre 
 
82 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 saitli to them who are under the stopped, and aF the world may 
 
 law ; that every a mouth may be 
 
 a Ps.107.42. 
 
 cepts, or recorded as historical facts. 
 Whatever things are found in the law. 
 f The laiv snith. This means here 
 evidently the Old Testament. From 
 that the apostle had been drawing his 
 arguments, and his train of thought 
 requires us here to understand the 
 whole of the Old Testament by this. 
 The same principle applies, however, 
 to all law, that it speaks only to those 
 to whom it is expressly given, ^f It 
 saith to them, &c. It speaks to them 
 for whom it was expressly intended ; 
 to them for whom the law was made. 
 The apostle makes this remark in order 
 to prevent the Jew from evading the 
 force of his conclusion. He had brought 
 proofs from their own acknowledged 
 laws, from writings given expressly 
 for them, and which recorded their 
 own history, and which they admitted 
 to be divinely inspired. These proofs, 
 therefore, they could not evade. ^ That 
 every mouth may be stopped. This 
 is, perhaps, a proverbial expression. Job 
 v. 15. Ps. cvii. 42. It denotes that 
 they would be thoroughly convinced ; 
 that the argument would be so conclu 
 sive as that they would have nothing to 
 reply ; that all objections would be 
 silenced. Here it denotes that the 
 argument for the depravity of the Jews 
 from the Old Testament was so clear 
 and satisfactory, that nothing could be 
 alleged in reply. This may be regarded 
 as the conclusion of his whole argu 
 ment, and the expressions may refer 
 not to the Jews only, but to all the 
 world. Its meaning may, perhaps, be 
 thus expressed, The Gentiles are 
 proved guilty by their own deeds, and 
 by a violation of the laws of nature. 
 They sin against their own conscience ; 
 and have thus been shown to be guilty 
 before God (ch. i.). The Jews have also 
 been shown to be guilty ; all their ob 
 jections have been silenced by an in 
 dependent train of remark ; by appeals 
 to their oivn lato ; by arguments drawn 
 from the authority which they admit. 
 
 become * guilty before God. 
 
 or, iubjtct to the judgment of God. 
 
 Thus the mouths of both are stopped. 
 Thus the whole world becomes guilty 
 before God. I regard, therefore, the 
 word" that 1 here(iW) as referring, not 
 particularly to the argument from the 
 la-zv of the Jews, but to the -whole pre 
 vious train of argument, embracing 
 both Jews and Gentiles. His conclu 
 sion is thus general or universal,, 
 drawn from arguments adapted to the 
 two great divisions of mankind. T And 
 all the -world. Both Jews and Gentiles, 
 for so the strain of the argument shows. 
 That is, all by nature ; all who are out 
 of Christ; all who are not pardoned. 
 All are guilty where there is not some 
 scheme contemplating forgiveness, and 
 which is not applied to purify them. 
 The apostle in all this argument speaks 
 of what man is, and ever would be, 
 without some plan of justification ap 
 pointed by God. Tf May become. May 
 be. They are not made guilty by the 
 law ; but the argument from the law, 
 and from fact, proves that they are 
 guilty. H Guilty before God, vfntm/K 
 T Q. Margin, subject to the judg 
 ment of God. The phrase is taken from 
 courts of justice. It is applied to a man 
 who has not vindicated or defended 
 himself; against whom therefore the 
 charge or the indictment is found true ; 
 and who is in consequence subject to 
 punishment. The idea is that of sub 
 jection to punishment ; but always 
 because the man personally deserves 
 it, and because being unable to vindi 
 cate himself, he ought to be punished. 
 It is never used to denote simply an 
 obligation to punishment, but with 
 reference to the fact that the punish 
 ment is personally deserved. This 
 word, rendered guilty, is not elsewhere 
 used in the New Testament, nor is it 
 found in the Septuagint. The argu 
 ment of the apostle here shows, (1.1 
 That in order to guilt, there must be a 
 law, either that of nature or by revela 
 tion (ch. i. ii, iii.) ; and, (2.) That in 
 order to guilt, there must be a violator 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 20 Therefore a by the deeds 
 01 the law there shall no flesh 
 be justified in his sight : for by 
 
 of that law which may be charged on 
 them as individuals, and for which they 
 are to be held personally responsible. 
 
 20. By the deeds of the laio. By 
 works ; or by such deeds as the law 
 requires. The word law has, in the 
 Scriptures, a great variety of signi 
 fications. Its strict and proper mean 
 ing is, a rule of conduct prescribed 
 by superior authority. The course of 
 "easoning in these chapters shows the 
 sense in which the apostle uses it here. 
 He intends evidently to apply it to those 
 rules or laws by which the Jews and 
 Gentiles pretended to frame their lives; 
 and to affirm that men could be justi 
 fied by no conformity to those laws. 
 He had shown (ch. i.) that t/ie hea 
 then, the entire gentile world, had vio 
 lated the laws of nature ; the rules of 
 virtue made known to them by reason, 
 tradition, and conscience. He had shown 
 the same (ch. ii. iii.) in respect to the 
 Jews. They had equally failed in ren 
 dering obedience to their law. In both 
 these cases the reference was, not to 
 ceremonial or ritual laws, but to the 
 moral law ; whether that law was made 
 known by reason or by revelation. The 
 apostle had not been discussing the 
 question whether they had yielded 
 obedience to their ceremonial law, but 
 whether they had been found holy, i. e. 
 whether they had obeyed the moral 
 law. The conclusion was, that in all 
 this they had tailed, and that therefore 
 they could not be justified by that law. 
 That the apostle did not intend to 
 speak of external works only is appa 
 rent ; for he all along charges them 
 with a want of conformity of the heart 
 no less than with a want of conformity 
 9f the life. See ch. i. 26. 2931 ; ii. 
 28, 29. The conclusion is therefore a 
 general one, that by no law, made known 
 either by reason, conscience, tradition, 
 or revelation, could man be justified ; 
 that there was no form of obedience 
 wLich could be rendered, that would 
 
 the law is the knowledge oi sin. 
 
 21 But now the righteousness 
 
 of God without the law is mani- 
 
 justify men in the sight of a holy 
 God. f There shall no flesh. No 
 man; no human being, either among 
 the Jews or the Gentiles. It is a strong 
 expression, denoting the absolute uni 
 versality of his conclusion. See Note 
 on ch. i. 3. Be justified. Be regard 
 ed and treated as righteous. None 
 shall be esteemed as having kept the 
 law, and as being entitled to the re 
 wards of obedience. See Note, ch. i. 17. 
 \ In his sight. Before him. God sits 
 as a Judge to determine the characters 
 of men, and he shall not adjudge any 
 to have kept the law. *{ For by the 
 lata. That is by all law. The con 
 nexion shows that this is the sense. 
 Law is a rule of action. The effect of 
 applying a rule to our conduct is to 
 show us what sin is. The meaning 
 of the apostle clearly is, that the appli 
 cation of a law to try our conduct, in 
 stead of being a ground of justifica 
 tion, will be merely to show us our 
 own sinfulness and departures from 
 duty. A man may esteem himself to 
 be very right and correct, until he com 
 pares himself with a rule, or law ; so 
 whether the Gentiles compared their 
 conduct with their laws of reason and 
 conscience, or the Jew his with his 
 -written law, the effect would be to 
 show them how far they had departed. 
 The more closely and faithfully it 
 should be applied, the more they would 
 see it. So far from being justified by 
 it, they would be more and more con 
 demned. Comp. Rom. vii. 7 10. The 
 same is the case now. This is the way 
 in which a sinner is converted ; and 
 the more closely and faithfully the law 
 is preached, the more will it condemn 
 him, and show him that he needs some 
 other plan of salvation. 
 
 21. But now. The apostle, having 
 shown the entire failure of all attempts 
 to be justified by the law, whether 
 among Jews or Gentiles, proceeds to 
 state fully the plan of justification bj; 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 {A. D. 60. 
 
 Tested, being witnessed by the 
 law and the prophets ; 
 
 a Acts 26.23. 
 
 Jesus Christ in the gospel. To do this, 
 was the main design of the epistle, ch. 
 i. 17. He makes, therefore, in the 
 close of this chapter, an explicit state 
 ment of the nature of the dostrine ; 
 and in the following parts of the epis 
 tle he fully proves it, and illustrates its 
 effects. 1 The righteousness of God. 
 God s plan of justifying men. See 
 Note, ch. i. 17. t Without the law. 
 In a way different from personal obe 
 dience to the law. It does not mean 
 that God abandoned his law ; or that 
 lesus Christ did not regard the law, 
 for he came to " magnify" it (Isa. xlii. 
 21); or that sinners after they are 
 justified have no regard to the law ; 
 but it means simply what the apostle 
 had been endeavouring to show, that 
 justification could not be accomplished 
 by personal obedience to any law of 
 Jew or Gentile, and that it must be 
 accomplished in some other way. 
 1 Ecing witnessed. Being borne wit 
 ness to. It was not a new doctrine; 
 it was found in the Old Testament. 
 The apostle makes this observation 
 with special reference to the Jews. He 
 does not declare any new thing, but 
 that which was fully declared in their 
 own sacred writings. ^ By the law. 
 This expression here evidently denotes, 
 as it did commonly among the Jews, 
 the five books of Moses. And the 
 apostle means to say that this doctrine 
 was found in those books ; not that it 
 was in the ten commandments, or in 
 the law, strictly so called. It is not a 
 part of law to declare justification ex 
 cept by strict and perfect obedience. 
 That it was found in those books, the 
 apostle shows by the case of Abraham, 
 ch. iv. See also his reasoning on Lev. 
 xviii. 5, and Deut. xxx. 12 14, in 
 Rom. x. 5 I 1 . Comp. Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7. 
 1 And the prophets. Generally, the 
 remainder of the Old Testament. The 
 phrase the law and the prophets com 
 prehended the whole of the Old Testa 
 ment. Matt. v. 17; xi. 13; xxii. 40. 
 
 22 Even the righteousness of 
 God, which is by faith *of Jesus 
 
 6 c.5.1,ic. 
 
 Acts xiii. 15; xxviii. 23. That this 
 doctrine was contained in the prophets, 
 the apostle showed by the passage quot 
 ed from Hab. ii. 4, in ch. i. 1 7, " The 
 just shall live by faith." The same 
 thing he showed in ch. x. 11, from Isa, 
 xxviii. 16; xlix. 23; and ch. iv. 6 8, 
 from Ps. xxxii. The same thing is 
 fully taught in Isa. liii. 1 1 . Dan. ix. 24. 
 Indeed, the general tenor of the Old 
 Testament the appointment of sacri 
 fices, &c. taught that man was a sin 
 ner, and that he could not be justified 
 by obedience to the moral law. 
 
 22. Even the righteousness of God . 
 The apostle, having stated that the de 
 sign of the gospel was to reveal a new 
 plan of becoming just in the sight of 
 God, proceeds here more fully to ex 
 plain it. The explanation which he 
 offers, makes it plain that the phrase so 
 often used by him, " righteousness of 
 God," does not refer to an attribute of 
 God, but to his plan of making men right 
 eous. Here he says that it is by faith 
 j in Jesus Christ; but surely an attribute 
 I of God is not produced by faith in Je- 
 I sus Christ. It means God s mode of 
 regarding men as righteous through 
 their belief in Jesus Christ. ^ JBy 
 faith of Jesus Christ. That is, by 
 faith in Jesus Christ. Thus the ex 
 pression, Mark xi. 22, " Have the faith 
 of God" (margin"), means, have faith 
 in God. So Acts iii. 16, the "faith 
 of his name" ( Greek}, means, faith in 
 his name. So Gal. ii. 20, the " faith 
 of the Son of God" means, faith in the 
 Son of God. This cannot mean that 
 faith is the meritorious cause of salva 
 tion, but that it is the instrument or 
 means by which we become justified. 
 It is the state of mind, or condition of 
 the heart, to which God has been 
 pleased to pronise justification. (On 
 the nature of feith see Note, Mark xvi, 
 16.) God has promised that they who 
 believe in Ciirist shall be pardoned and 
 saved. This is his plan in distinction 
 from the plan of those who seek to b 
 
A. D. CO.] 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 85 
 
 Christ, unto all and upon all 
 them that believe: for there is 
 no difference ; 
 
 23 For all have sinned, and 
 
 Justified by works. f Unto all and 
 upon all. It is evident that these ex 
 pressions are designed to be emphatic, 
 but why both are used is not very ap 
 parent. Many have supposed that there 
 was no essential difference in the mean 
 ing If there be a difference, it is pro 
 bably this : the first expression, " unto 
 all" (si? Travrot.;), may denote that this 
 plan of justification has come (Luther ) 
 unto all men, to Jews and Gentiles ; 
 i. e. that it has been provided for them, 
 and offered to them without distinction. 
 The plan was ample for all, was fitted 
 for all, was equally necessary for all, 
 and was offered to all. The second 
 phrase, "upon all" ( TT\ Travret-s), may 
 be designed to guard against the sup 
 position that all therefore would be 
 benefited by it, or be saved by the 
 mere fact that the announcement had 
 come to all. The apostle adds, there 
 fore, that the benefits of this plan must 
 actually come upon all, or must be ap 
 plied to all, if they would be justified. 
 They could not be justified merely by 
 the fact that the plan was provided, 
 and that the knowledge of it had come 
 to all, but by their actually coming un 
 der this plan, and availing themselves 
 of it. Perhaps there is reference in 
 the last expression, " upon all," to a 
 robe, or garment, that is placed upon 
 one to hide his nakedness, or sin. 
 Comp. Isa. Ixiv. 6, also Phil. iii. 9. 
 T For there is no difference. That is, 
 there is no difference in regard to the 
 waiter under discussion. The apostle 
 does not mean to say that there is no 
 difference in regard to the talents, dis 
 positions, education, and property of 
 men ; but there is no distinction in re 
 gard to the way in which they must be 
 justified. All must be saved, if saved 
 at all, in the same mode, whether Jews 
 or Gentiles, bond or free, rich or poor, 
 learned or ignorant. None can be 
 saved by works ; arid all are therefore 
 H 
 
 come short of the glory of God ; 
 24 Being justified freely by 
 his grace through the redemp 
 tion that is in Christ Jesus : 
 
 dependent on the mercy of God in Je 
 sus Christ. 
 
 23. For all have sinned. This was 
 the point which he had fully establish 
 ed in the discussion in these chapters. 
 If Have come short. Greek, Jlre defi 
 cient in regard to ; are wanting, &c. 
 Here it means, that they had failed to 
 obtain, or were destitute of. If Th* 
 glory of God. The praise or approba 
 tion of God. They had sought to be 
 justified, or approved, by God ; but all 
 had failed. Their works of the law 
 had not secured his approbation ; and 
 they were therefore under condemna 
 tion. The word glory (<$<>%*} is often 
 used in the sense of praise, or appro 
 bation. John v. 41.44; vii. 18; viii. 
 50. 54 ; xii. 43. 
 
 24. Being justified. Being treated 
 as if righteous ; that is, being regarded 
 and treated as if they had kept the law. 
 The apostle has shown that they could 
 not be so regarded and treated by any 
 merit of their own, or by personal obe 
 dience to the law. He now affirms 
 that if they were so treated, it must be 
 by mere favour, and as a matter not of 
 right, but of gift. This is the essence 
 of the gospel. And to show this, and 
 the way in which it is done, is the 
 main design of this epistle. The ex 
 pression here is to be understood as re 
 ferring to all who are justified, ver. 22. 
 The righteousness of God by faith in 
 Jesus Christ, is " upon all who believe," 
 who are all "justified freely by his 
 grace." Tf Freely (</a>gav). This word 
 stands opposed to that which is pur 
 chased, or which is obtained by labour, 
 or which is a matter of claim. It is a 
 free, undeserved gift, not merited by 
 our obedience to the law, and not that 
 to which we have any claim. Tho 
 apostle uses the word here in reference 
 to those who are justified. To them 
 it is a mere undeserved gift. It does 
 not mean hat it has been obtained. 
 
Hh 
 
 25 Whom God haJi 1 set forth 
 to be a propitiation through faith 
 in his blood, to declare his right- 
 
 or, fore-i 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 eousness for the * remission of 
 sins that are past, through the 
 forbearance of God ; 
 
 * or, pasting over. 
 
 nowever, without any price or merit 
 from any one, for the Lord Jesus has 
 purchased it with his own blood, and 
 to him it becomes a matter of justice 
 that those who were given to him 
 should be justified. 1 Cor. vi. 20 ; vii. 
 23. 2 Pet. ii. 1. 1 Pet. ii. 9 (Greek). 
 Acts xx. 28. Isa. liii. 11. We have no 
 offering to bring, and no claim. To us, 
 therefore, it is entirely a matter of gift. 
 1 By kis grace. By his favour ; by 
 his mere undeserved mercy. See Note, 
 ch. i. 7. \ Through the redemption 
 (Jta T*7? dsroXwT^o-sac). The word used 
 here occurs but ten times in the New 
 Testament. Luke xxi. 28. Rom. iii. 24 ; 
 viii. 23. 1 Cor. i. 30. Eph. i. 7. 14 ; 
 iv. 30. Col. i. 14. Heb. ix. 15; xi. 35. 
 Its root (xyTgev, lutron) properly de 
 notes the price which is paid for a pri 
 soner of war ; the ransom, or stipulated 
 purchase-money, which being paid, the 
 captive is set free. The word here 
 used is then employed to denote libera 
 tion from bondage, captivity, or evil of 
 any kind, usually keeping up the idea 
 of a price, or a ransom paid, in conse 
 quence of which the delivery is effected. 
 It is sometimes used in a large sense, 
 to denote simple deliverance by any 
 means, without reference to a price 
 paid, as in Luke xxi. 28. Rom. viii. 23. 
 Eph. i. 14. That this is not the sense 
 here, however, is apparent. For the 
 apostle in the next verse proceeds to 
 specify the price which has been paid, 
 or the means by which this redemption 
 has been effected. The word here de 
 notes that deliverance from sin, and 
 from the evil consequences of sin, 
 which has been effected by the offering 
 of Jesus Christ as a propitiation, ver. 
 25. t That is in Christ Jeaus. Or, 
 that has been effected by Christ Jesus ; 
 that of which he is the author and pro 
 curer. Comp. John iii. 16 
 
 25. Whom God hath set forth. Mar- 
 yin, Fore-ordained (a-^e^-wt). The 
 
 word properly means, to place in pub 
 lic vietv ; to exhibit in a conspicuous 
 situation, as goods are exhibited or ex 
 posed for sale, or as premiums or re 
 wards of victory were exhibited to pub 
 lic view in the games of the Greeks. 
 It sometimes has the meaning of de 
 creeing, purposing, or constituting, 
 as in the margin (comp. Rom. i. 13. 
 Eph. i. 9) ; and many have supposed 
 that this is its meaning here. But the 
 connexion seems to require the usual 
 signification of the word ; and it means 
 that God has publicly exhibited Jesus 
 Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice for the 
 sins of men. This public exhibition 
 was made by his being offered on the 
 cross, in the face of angels and of men. 
 It was not concealed ; it was done 
 openly. He was put to open shame ; 
 and so put to death as to attract to 
 wards the scene the eyes of ang-ete, and 
 of the inhabitants of all worlds. Tf To 
 be a propitiation (/xsw~ giov). This 
 word occurs but in one other place in 
 the New Testament. Heb. ix. 5, " And 
 over it (the ark) the cherubim of glory 
 shadowing the mercy-seat." It is used 
 here to denote the lid or cover of the 
 ark of the covenant. It was made of 
 gold, and over it were the cherubim. 
 In this sense it is often used by the 
 LXX. Ex. xxv 17, "And thou shalt 
 make a propitiatory (bjt&nyti) of 
 gold." 18, 19, 20. 22; xxx. 6 ; xxxi. 
 7 ; xxxv. 1 1 ; xxxvii. 6, 7, 8, 9 ; xl. 18. 
 Lev. xvi. 2. 13. The Hebrew name 
 for this was capphoreth, from the verb 
 caphar, to cover, or conceal. It was 
 from this place that God was repre 
 sented as speaking to the children of 
 Israel. Ex. xxv. 22, "And I will speak 
 to thee from above the Ilasterion," the 
 propitiatory, the mercy-seat. Lev. xvi. 
 2, " For I will appear in the cloud 
 upon the mercy-seat." This seat, or 
 cover, was covered with the smoke of 
 the incense, when the high-priest en- 
 
A D 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 87 
 
 tered the nu>st holy place. Lev. xvi. 13. 
 And the blood of the bullock offered on 
 the great day of atonement, was to be 
 sprinkled " upon the mercy-seat," and 
 " before the mercy-seat" " seven times." 
 Lev. xvi. 14, 15. This sprinkling or 
 offering of blood was called making 
 " an atonement for the holy place be 
 cause of the uncleanness of the children 
 of Israel," &c. Lev. xvi. 16. It was 
 from this mercy-seat that God pro 
 nounced pardon, or expressed himself 
 as reconciled to his people. The atone 
 ment was made, the blood was sprink 
 led, and the reconciliation thus effected. 
 The name was thus given to that cover 
 of the ark, because it was the place 
 from which God declared himself re 
 conciled to his people. Still the in 
 quiry is, why is this name given to 
 Jesus Christ ! In what sense is he 
 declared to be a propitiation 1 It is 
 evident that it cannot be applied to 
 him in any literal sense. Between the 
 golden cover of the ark of the cove 
 nant and the Lord Jesus the analogy 
 must be very slight, if any. Such 
 analogy can be perceived. We may 
 observe, however, (1.) That the main 
 idea, in regard to the cover of the 
 ark called the mercy-seat, was that of 
 God s being reconciled to his people ; 
 and that this is the main idea in regard 
 to the Lord Jesus, whom " God hath 
 set forth." (2.) This reconciliation 
 was effected then by the sprinkling of 
 blood on the mercy-seat. Lev. xvi. 1 5, 
 1 6. The same is true of the Lord Je 
 sus by blood. (3.) In the former 
 case it was the blood of atonement ; 
 the offering of the bullock on the great 
 day of atonement, that the reconcilia 
 tion was effected. Lev. xvi. 17, 18. 
 In the case of the Lord Jesus it was 
 also by blood ; by ihe blood of atone 
 ment. But it was by his otvn blood. 
 This the apostle distinctly states in this 
 verse. (4.) In the former case there 
 was a sacrifice, or expiatory offering ; 
 and so it is in reconciliation by the 
 Lord Jesus. In the former, the mercy- 
 seat was the visible, declared place 
 where God would express his reconci- 
 l *tion with nis people. So in the lat 
 
 ter, the offering of the Lord Jesus is 
 the manifest and open way by whicb 
 God will be reconciled to men. (5.) In 
 the former, there was joined the idea 
 of a sacrifice for sin. Lev. xvi. So 
 in the latter. And hence the main 
 idea of the apostle here is to convey 
 the idea of a sacrifice for sin ; or to 
 set forth the Lord Jesus as such a sa 
 crifice. Hence the word " propitia 
 tion" in the original may express the 
 idea of a propitiatory sacrifice, as well 
 as the cover to the ark. The word is 
 an adjective, and may be joined to the 
 noun sacrifice, as well as to denote the 
 mercy-seat of the ark. This meaning 
 accords also with its classic meaning 
 to denote a propitiatory offering, or 
 an offering to produce reconciliation. 
 Christ is thus represented, not as a 
 mercy-seat, which would be unintelli 
 gible ; but as the medium, the offering, 
 the expiation, by which reconciliation 
 is produced between God and man. 
 1 Through faith. Or by means of 
 faith. The offering will be of no avail 
 without faith. The offering has been 
 made ; but it will not be applied, ex 
 cept where there is faith. He has made 
 an offering which may be efficacious in 
 putting away sin ; but it produces no 
 reconciliation, no pardon, except where 
 it is accepted by faith. ^ In his blood. 
 Or in his death his bloody death 
 Among the Jews, the blood was re 
 garded as the seat of life, or vitality. 
 Lev. xvii. 11, "The life of the flesh is 
 in the blood." Hence they were com 
 inanded not to eat blood. Gen. ix. 4, 
 " But flesh with the life thereof, which 
 is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." 
 Lev. xix. 26. Deut. xii. 23. 1 Sam. xiv. 
 34. This doctrine is contained uni 
 formly in the sacred Scriptures. And 
 it has been also the opinion of not a 
 few celebrated physiologists, as well in 
 modern as in ancient times. The same 
 was the opinion of the ancient Par- 
 sees and Hindoos. Homer thus often 
 speaks of blood as the seat of life, as in 
 the expression wsgpw^ec O^V^TCC ,or purple 
 death. And Virgil speaks of purple fife 
 
 Purpuream vomit ille animam. 
 
 SEniud. u. 349 
 
88 
 
 CHAPTER 111. 
 
 [A. D. 6C 
 
 Empedocles and Cntias among the 
 Greek philosophers also embraced this 
 opinion. Among the moderns, Harvey, 
 to whom we are indebted for a know 
 ledge of the circulation of the blood, 
 fully believed it. Hoffman and Hux- 
 ham believed it. Dr. John Hunter has 
 fully adopted the belief, and sustained 
 it, as he supposed, by a great variety 
 of considerations. See Good s Book 
 of Nature, pp. 102. 108, Ed. New 
 York, 1828. This was undoubtedly 
 the doctrine of the Hebrews ; and hence 
 with them to shed the blood was a 
 phrase signifying to kill ; hence the 
 efficacy of their sacrifices was sup 
 posed to consist in the blood, that is, in 
 the life of the victim. Hence it was 
 unlawful to eat it, as it were the life, 
 the seat of vitality ; the more immediate 
 nd direct gift of God. When there 
 fore the blood of Chrut is spoken of 
 in the New Testament, it means the 
 offering of his life as a sacrifice, or i 
 his death as an expiation. His life was 
 given to make atonement. See the j 
 word blood thus used in Rom. v. 9. i 
 Eph. i. 7. Col. i. 14. Heb. ix. 12. 14; I 
 xiii. 12. Rev. i. 5. 1 Pet. i. 19. 1 John i. | 
 7. By faith in his death as a sacrifice for \ 
 sin ; by believing that he took our sins ; 
 that he died in our place; by thus, in i 
 some sense, making his offering ours ; : 
 by approving it, loving it, embracing \ 
 it, trusting it, our sins become pardon- ! 
 ed, and our souls made pure. ^ To 
 declare (tis W&^/y). For the purpose 
 of showing, or exhibiting ; to present 
 it to man. The meaning is, that the 
 plan was adopted ; the Saviour was 
 given ; he suffered and died : and the 
 scheme is proposed to men, for the 
 Purpose of making a full manifestation 
 of his plan, in contradistinction from 
 all the plans of men. f His righteous 
 ness. His plan of justification. The 
 method or scheme which he has adopt 
 ed, in distinction from that of man; 
 and which he now exhibits, or proffers 
 to sinners. There is great variety in 
 the explanation of the word here ren- 
 dered righteousness. Some explain it 
 as meaning veracity ; others as holi 
 ness ; others as goodness} others as 
 
 essential justice. Mjst interpreters 
 perhaps, have explained it as referring 
 to an attribute of God. But the whole 
 connexion requires us to understanu 
 it here as in eh. i. 17, not of an attri 
 bute of God, but of his plan of justi 
 fying sinners. He has adopted and 
 proposed a plan by which men may 
 become just by faith in Jesus Christ, 
 and not by their own works. His ac 
 quitting men from sin ; his regarding 
 them and treating them as just, is set 
 forth in the gospel by the offering of 
 Jesus Christ as a sacrifice on the 
 cross. ^ For the remission of sins. 
 J Margin, Passing over. The word 
 ! here used (jrdgwvv) occurs nowhere 
 I else in the New Testament, nor in 
 j the Septuagint. It means pausing by, 
 as not noticing, and hence forgiving. 
 A similar idea occurs in 2 Sam. xxiv. 
 10, and Micah vii. 18. "Who is a 
 God like unto thee, that passeth by the 
 transgression of the remnant of his 
 inheritance ?" In Romans it means for 
 the pardoning, or in order to pardon 
 past transgression, ^ That are past. 
 TLat have been committed; or that 
 have existed before. This has been 
 commonly understood to refer to past 
 generations, as affirming that sins under 
 all dispensations of the world are to be 
 forgiven in this manner, through the 
 sacrifice of Christ. And it has been 
 supposed that all who have been justi 
 fied have received pardon by the merits 
 of the sacrifice of Christ. This may 
 be true ; but there is no reason to 
 think that this is the idea in this pas 
 sage. For, (1.) The scope of the pas 
 sage does not require it. The argu 
 ment is not to show how men had 
 been justified, but how they might be 
 lt is not to discuss an historical fact, 
 but to state the way in which sin was 
 to be forgiven under the gospel. (2.) 
 The language has no immediate or 
 necessary reference to past generations 
 It evidently refers to the past lives oi 
 the individuals who are justified 
 and not to the sins of former times. 
 All that the passage means, therefore, 
 is, that the plan of paidon is such ai 
 completely to remove all the former 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 89 
 
 26 To declare, / say, at this 
 time, his righteousness : that he 
 
 a Acts 13.38,39. 
 
 sins of the life, not of all former 
 generations. If it referred to the sins 
 of former times, it would not be easy 
 to avoid the doctrine of universal sal 
 vation. 1 Through the forbearance 
 of God. Through his patience, his long 
 suffering. That is, he did not come forth 
 in judgment -when the sin was com 
 mitted ; he spared us, though deserving 
 of punishment ; and now he comes 
 forth completely to pardon those sins 
 concerning which he has so long and 
 so graciously exercised forbearance. 
 This expression obviously refers not to 
 the remission of sins, but to the fact 
 that they were committed while he 
 evinced such long suffering. Comp. 
 Acts xvii. 30. I do not know better 
 how to show the practical value and 
 bearing of this important passage of 
 Scripture, than by transcribing a part 
 of the affecting experience of the poet, 
 Cowper. It is well known that before 
 his conversion he was oppressed by a 
 long and dreadful melancholy ; that 
 this was finally heightened to despair ; 
 and that he was then subjected to the 
 kind treatment of Dr. Cotton in St. 
 Alban s, as a melancholy case of de 
 rangement. His leading thought was 
 tha k he was doomed to inevitable de 
 struction, and that there was no hope. 
 From this he was roused only by the 
 kindness of his brother, and by the 
 promises of the gospel. (See Taylor s 
 Life of Cowper.) The account of his 
 conversion I shall now give in his own 
 words. " The happy period, which was 
 to shake off my fetters, and afford me a 
 clear discovery of the free mercy of 
 God in Christ Jesus, vras now ar 
 rived. I flung myself into a chair 
 near the window, and seeing a Bible 
 there, ventured once more to apply 
 to it for comfort and instruction. The 
 first verse I saw was the 25th of the 
 iiid of Romans; Whom God hath set 
 forth, &c. Immediately I received 
 strength to believe, and the full beam 
 of the Sun of Righteousness shone 
 a 2 
 
 might be just, and the justifier of 
 him which beliereth in Jesus. 
 
 upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the 
 atonement he had made for my pardon 
 and justification. In a moment [ be 
 lieved, and received the peace of the 
 gospel. Unless the Almighty arm had 
 been under me, I think I should have 
 been overwhelmed with gratitude and 
 joy. My eyes filled with tears, and my 
 voice choked with transport. I could 
 only look up to heaven in silent fear, 
 overwhelmed vith love and wonder. 
 How glad should I now have been to 
 have spent every moment in prayer 
 and thanksgiving. I lost no opportu 
 nity of repairing to a throne of grace ; 
 but flew to it with an earnestness irre 
 sistible, and never to be satisfied." 
 
 26. M this time. The time now 
 since the Saviour has come, now is the 
 time when he manifests it. Tf That 
 he might be just. This verse contains 
 the substance of the gospel. The word 
 "just" here does not mean benevolent, 
 or merciful, though it may sometimes 
 have that meanings, See Note, Matt, 
 i. 19, also John xvii. 25. But it refers 
 to the fact that God had retained the 
 integrity of his character as a moral 
 governor; that he had shown a due 
 regard to his law, and to the penalty 
 of the law by his plan of salvation. 
 Should he forgive sinners without an 
 atonement, justice would be sacrificed 
 and abandoned. The law would cease 
 to have any terrors for the guilty, and 
 its penalty would be a nullity. In the 
 plan of salvation, therefore, he has 
 shown a regard to the law by appoint 
 ing his Son to be a substitute in the 
 place of sinners ; not to endure its 
 precise penalty, for his sufferings were 
 not eternal, nor were they attended 
 with remorse of conscience, or by 
 despair, which are the proper penalty 
 of the law; but he endured so much 
 as to accomplish the same ends as if 
 those who shall be saved by him had 
 been doomed to eternal death. That 
 is, he showed that the law could not 
 be violated without introducing suffer- 
 
 iJi 
 
90 
 
 ROMANS 
 
 fA. 1) CO 
 
 27 Where is boasting then ? 
 It is excluded. By what law? 
 of works ? Nay ; but by the law 
 of faith. 
 
 ing ; and that it could not be broken 
 with impunity. He showed that he 
 I i:id so great a regard for it, that he 
 would not pardon one sinner without 
 an atonement. And thus he secured 
 the proper honour to his character as a 
 .over of his law, a hater of sin, and a 
 just God. He has shown that if sin 
 ners do not avail themselves of the 
 offer of pardon by Jesus Christ, they 
 must experience in their own souls 
 for ever the pains which this substitute 
 for sinners endured in behalf of men 
 on the cross. Thus, no principle of 
 justice has been abandoned ; no threat 
 ening has been modified ; no claim 
 of his law has been let down; no 
 disposjtion has been evinced to do 
 injustice to the universe by suffering 
 the guilty to escape. He is, in all this 
 great transaction, a just moral gover 
 nor, as just to his ^aw, to himself, to 
 his Son, to the universe, when he 
 pardons, as he is when he sends the 
 incorrigible sinner down to hell. A full 
 compensation, an equivalent has been 
 provided by the sufferings of the Saviour 
 in the sinner s stead, and the sinner 
 may be pardoned, ^ Jin d thejustifier of 
 him, &c. Greek, Even justifying him 
 that believeth, &c. This is the pecu 
 liarity and the wonder of the gospel. 
 Even while pardoning, and treating the 
 ill-deserving a* if they were innocent, 
 he can retain his pure and holy cha 
 racter. His treating the guilty with 
 favour does not show that he loves 
 guilt and pollution, for he has ex 
 pressed his abhorrence of it in the atone 
 ment. His admitting them to friend 
 ship and heaven does not show that 
 he approves their past conduct and 
 character, for he showed how much he 
 hated even their sins by giving his Son 
 to a shameiul death for them. When 
 an executive pardons offenders, there 
 is an abandonment of the principles 
 of justice and law. The sentence 
 
 28 Therefore we conclude 
 that a man is justified by faith 
 without the deeds of the law. 
 
 a ver.20-22. c.8.3. Gal.2.16 
 
 is set aside ; the threatenings of the 
 law are departed from ; and it is done 
 without compensation. It is declared 
 that in certain cases the law may 
 be violated, and its penalty not be in 
 flicted. But not so with God. He 
 shows no less regard to his law in par 
 doning than in punishing. This is the 
 grand, glorious, peculiar feature of the 
 gospel plan of salvation. | Him ivhich 
 believeth in Jesus. Greek, Him -who 
 is of the faith of Jesus ; in contradis 
 tinction from him who is of the works 
 of the law ; that is, who depends on his 
 own works for salvation. 
 
 27. Where is boasting then ? Where 
 is there ground or occasion of boasting 
 or pride 1 Since all have sinned, and 
 since all have failed of being able to 
 justify themselves by obeying the law, 
 and since all are alike dependent on 
 the mere mercy of God in Christ, all 
 ground of boasting is of course taken 
 away. This refers particularly to the 
 Jews, who were much addicted to boast 
 ing of their peculiar privileges. See 
 Note, ch. iii. 1, &c. 1 By ivhat laiv? 
 The word law here is used in the sense 
 of arrangement, rule, or economy. By 
 what arrangement, or by the operation 
 of what rule, is boasting excluded 1 
 (Stuart.} See Gal. iii. 21. Acts xxi.20. 
 \ Ofivorks? The law which com 
 mands works, and on which the Jews 
 relied. If this were complied with, 
 and they were thereby justified, they 
 would have had ground of self-confi 
 dence, or boasting, as being justified by 
 their own merits. But a plan which 
 led to this, which ended in boasting, 
 and self-satisfaction, and pride, could 
 not be true, f Nay. No. Tf The law 
 of faith. The rule, or arrangement 
 which proclaims that we have no 
 merit; that we are lost sinners; and 
 that we arc to be justified only by faith. 
 28. Therefore. As the result of the 
 previous train of argument. ^ That a 
 
A.. D. 60.] CHAPTER III 
 
 29 Is he the God of the Jews 
 only ? is he not also of the Gen 
 tiles ? Yes, of the Gentiles also : 
 
 30 Seeing it is one God, 
 which shall justify the circum- 
 
 a Gal.3.8,28. 
 
 man. That all who are justified ; that 
 is, that there is no other way. | Is jus- 
 fad by faith. Is regarded and treated 
 as righteous, by believing in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. If Without the deeds of 
 the law. Without works as a merito 
 rious srround of justification. The apos 
 tle, of course, does not mean that Chris 
 tianity does not produce good works, 
 or that they who are justified will not 
 obey the law, and be holy ; but that no 
 righteousness of their own will be the 
 ground of their justification. They are 
 sinners ; and as such can have no claim 
 to be treated as righteous. God has 
 devised a plan by which they may be 
 pardoned and saved ; and that is by 
 faith alone. This is the grand pecu 
 liarity of the Christian religion. This 
 was the peculiar point in the reforma- 
 Jion from popery. Luther often called 
 this doctrine of justification by faith 
 the article on which the church stood 
 or fell articulus stantis, vel cadentis 
 ecclesise and it is so. If this doctrine 
 is held entire, all others will be held 
 with it. If this is abandoned, all others 
 will fall also. It may be remarked 
 here, however, that this doctrine by no 
 means interferes with the doctrine that 
 good works are to be performed by 
 Christians. Paul urges this as much 
 as any other writer in the New Testa 
 ment. His doctrine is, that they are 
 not to be relied on as a ground of jus 
 tification ; but that he did not mean to 
 teach that they are not to be performed 
 by Christians is apparent from the 
 connexion, and from the following 
 places in his epistles : Rom. ii. 7. 2 Cor. 
 ix. 8 Eph. ii. 10. 1 Tim. ii. 10 ; v. 10. 
 25 ; vi. 18. 2 Tim. iii. 17. Titus ii. 7. 
 14 ; iii. 8. Heb. x. 24. That we are 
 not justified by our works is a doctrine 
 which he has urged and repeated with 
 great power and frequency. See Rom. 
 
 91 
 
 cision by faith, and uncircum- 
 cision through faith. 
 
 31 Do we then make void the 
 law through b faith ? God forbid: 
 yea, we establish the law. 
 
 I Heb.10.15,16. 
 
 iv. 2. 6; ix. 11. 32; xi. 6. Gal. ii. 
 16 ; iii. 2. 5. 10. Eph. ii. 9. 2 Tim. i. 9. 
 
 29. 30. Is he the God, &c. The 
 Jews supposed that he was the God of 
 their nation only, that they only were 
 to be admitted to his favour. In these 
 verses Paul showed that as all had 
 alike sinned, Jews and Gentiles ; and 
 as the plan of salvation by faith was 
 adapted to sinners, without any special 
 reference to Jews ; so God could show 
 favours to all, and all might be admit 
 ted on the same terms to the benefit* 
 of the plan of salvation. 
 
 30. It is one God. The same God ; 
 there is but one, and his plan is equally 
 fitted to Jews and Gentiles. Tf The cir 
 cumcision. Those who are circumcised 
 the Jews, f The uncircumcision. 
 Gentiles ; all who were not Jews. 
 If By faith. ..through faith. There 
 is no difference in the meaning of these 
 expressions. Both denote tb/tt faith is 
 the instrumental cause of justification, 
 or acceptance with God. 
 
 31. Do -we then make void the law. 
 Do we render it vain and useless ; do 
 we destroy its moral obligation ; and 
 do we prevent obedience to it, by the 
 doctrine of justification by faith 1 This 
 was an objection which would natu 
 rally be made ; and which has thousands 
 of times been since made, that the doc 
 trine of justification by faith tends to 
 licentiousness. The word law here, I 
 understand as referring to the moral 
 law, and not merely to the Old Testa 
 ment. This is evident from ver. 20, 21, 
 where the apostle shows that no man 
 could be justified by deeds of law, by 
 conformity with the moral law. See 
 Note. ^[ God forbid. By no means. 
 Note, ver. 4. This is an explicit denial 
 of any such tendency, f Yea, we es 
 tablish the law. That is, by the doc 
 trine of justification by faith ; by this 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. b.60. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 shall we say 
 
 then 
 
 that Abraham, our father 
 
 scheme of treating men as righteous, 
 the moral law is confirmed, its obliga 
 tion is enforced, obedience to it is se 
 cured. This is done in the following 
 manner: (1.) God showed respect to 
 it, in being unwilling to pardon sinners 
 without an atonement. He showed 
 that it could not be violated with im 
 punity ; that he was resolved to fulfil 
 its threatenings. (2.) Jesus Christ 
 came to magnify it, and to make it 
 honourable. He showed respect to it 
 in his life ; and he died tt show that 
 God was determined to inflict its pe 
 nalty. (3.) The plan of justification 
 by faith leads to an observance of the 
 law. The sinner sees the evil of trans 
 gression. He sees the respect which 
 God has shown to the law. He gives 
 his heart to God, and yields himself to 
 obey his law. All the sentiments that 
 arise from the conviction of sin; that 
 flow from gratitude for mercies ; that 
 spring from love to God , all his views 
 of the sacredness of the law, prompt 
 him to yield obedience to it. The fact 
 that Christ endured such sufferings to 
 show the evil of violating the law, is 
 one of the strongest motives prompting 
 to obedience. We do not easily and 
 readily repeat that which overwhelms 
 our best friends in calamity ; and we 
 are brought to hate that which inflicted 
 such woes on the Saviour s soul. The 
 sentiment recorded by Watts is as true 
 as it is beautiful : 
 
 Twas for my sins my dearest Lord 
 Hung on the cursed tree, 
 And groan d away his dying life, 
 For thee, my soul, for thee. 
 
 * O how I hate those lusts of mine 
 
 That crucified my Lord; 
 Those sins that pierc d and nail d his flesh 
 
 Fast to the fatal wood. 
 Yej, my Redeemer, they shall die, 
 
 My heart hath so decreed ; 
 Nor will I spare the guilty things 
 
 That made my baviour bleed." 
 
 1 his is an advantage in moral influ 
 ence which no cold, abstract law ever 
 
 as pertaining to the flesh, hath 
 found ? 
 
 , Uatt.3.9. 
 
 has over the human mind. And one 
 of the chief glories of the plan of sal 
 vation is, that while it justifies the sin 
 ner, it brings a new set of influences 
 from heaven, more tender and mighty 
 than can be drawn from any other 
 source, to pioduce obedience to the 
 law of God. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE main object of this chapter is 
 to show that the doctrine of justification 
 by faith, which the apostle was defend 
 ing, was found in the Old Testament. 
 The argument is to be regarded as ad 
 dressed particularly to a Jew, to show 
 him that no new doctrine was advanc 
 ed. The argument is derived, first, 
 from the fact that Abraham was so 
 justified (ver. 1 5) ; Secondly, from 
 the fact that the same thing is declared 
 by David (ver. 68). 
 
 A question might still be asked, whe 
 ther this justification was not in conse 
 quence of their being circumcised, and 
 thus grew out of conformity to the 
 law 1 To answer this, the apostle 
 shows (ver. 9 12) that Abraham was 
 justified by faith before he was circum 
 cised, and that even his circumcision 
 was in consequence of his being justi 
 fied by faith, and a public seal or at 
 testation of that fact. 
 
 Still further, the apostle shows that 
 if men were to be justified by works, 
 faith would be of no use ; and the pro 
 mises of God would have no effect. 
 The law works wrath (ver. 13, 14), 
 but the conferring of the favour by 
 faith is demonstration of the highest 
 favour of God (ver. 16). Abraham, 
 moreover, had evinced a strong faith ; 
 he had shown what it was ; he was an 
 example to all who should follow. And 
 he had thus shown that as he was jus 
 tified before circumcision, and before 
 the giving of the law, so the same thing 
 might occur in regard to those who had 
 never been circumcised. In ch. ii. and 
 iii. the apostle had shown that all had 
 failed of keeping the law, and thai 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 2 For if Abraham were jus 
 tified by works, he hath where- 
 
 there was no other way of justifica 
 tion but by faith. To the salvation 
 of the heathen, the Jew would have 
 strong objections. He supposed that 
 none could be saved but those who had 
 been circumcised, and who were Jews. 
 This objection the apostle meets in this 
 chapter by showing that Abraham was 
 justified in the very way in which he 
 maintained the heathen might be ; that 
 Abraham was justified by faith -without 
 being circumcised. If the father of the 
 faithful, the ancestor on whom the 
 Jews so much prided themselves, was 
 thus justified, then Paul was advancing 
 no new doctrine in maintaining that the 
 same thing might occur now. He was 
 keeping strictly within the spirit of 
 their religion in maintaining that the 
 gentile world might also be justified by 
 faith. This is the outline of the rea 
 soning in this chapter. The reasoning 
 is such as a serious Jew must feel and 
 acknowledge. And keeping in mind 
 the main object which the apostle had 
 in it, there will be found little difficulty 
 in its interpretation. 
 
 1. What shall tve say then ? See 
 ch. iii. 1 . This is rather the objection 
 of a Jew. How does your doctrine 
 of justification by faith agree with what 
 the Scriptures say of Abraham 1 Was 
 the law set aside in his case ? Did 
 he derive no advantage in justification 
 from the rite of circumcision, and from 
 the covenant which God made with 
 him. The object of the apostle now is 
 to answer this inquiry. ^ That Abra 
 ham our father. Our ancestor ; the 
 father and founder of the nation. See 
 Note, Matt. iii. 9. The Jews valued 
 themselves much on the fact that he 
 was their father; and an argument, 
 drawn from his example or conduct 
 therefore, would be peculiarly forcible. 
 If As pertaining to the flesh. This 
 expression is one that has been much 
 controverted, In the original, it may 
 refer either to Abraham as their father 
 * according to the tiesh" that is, their 
 
 of to glory ; 
 God. 
 
 93 
 
 but not a before 
 
 a c.3.27. 
 
 natural father, or from whom they 
 were descended ; or it may be con 
 nected with " hath found." What 
 shall we say that Abraham our father 
 hath found in respect to the flesh 1* 
 jt*Ta e-ag**. The latter is doubtless 
 the proper connexion. Some refer the 
 wordjlesh to external privileges and 
 advantages ; others to his own strength 
 or power ( Calvin and Grotius) ; and 
 others make it refer to circumcision. 
 This latter I take to be the correct in 
 terpretation. It agrees best with the 
 connexion, and equally well with the 
 usual meaning of the word. The idea 
 is, If men are justified by faith ; if 
 works are to have no place ; if, there 
 fore, all rites and ceremonies, all legal 
 observances, are useless in justification ; 
 what is the advantage of circumcision] 
 What benefit did Abraham derive from 
 it 1 Why was it appointed 1 And 
 why is such an importance attached to 
 it in the history of his life! A simi 
 lar question was asked in ch. iii. 1 
 [[ Hath found. Hath obtained. What 
 advantage has he derived from it 1 
 
 2. For if Abraham, &c. This is 
 the answer of the apostle. If Abraham 
 was justified on the ground of his own 
 merits, he would have reason to boast, 
 or to claim praise. He might regard 
 himself as the author of it, and take the 
 praise to himself. See ver. 4. The in 
 quiry, therefore, was, whether in the 
 account of the justification of Abraham, 
 there was to be found any such state 
 ment of a reason for self-confidence 
 and boasting, f But not before God. 
 In the sight of God. That is, in his 
 recorded judgment, he had no ground 
 of boasting on account of works. To 
 show this, the apostle appeals at once 
 to the Scriptures, to show that there 
 was no such record as that Abraham 
 could boast that he was justified by his 
 works. As God judges right in all 
 cases, so it follows that Abiaham had 
 no just ground of boasting, and of 
 course tha he was not justified by his 
 
94 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 3 For what saith the Scrip 
 ture?" Abraham believed God, 
 
 own works. The sense of this verse 
 is well expressed by Calvin. " If 
 Abraham was justified by his works, he 
 might boast of his own merits. But 
 he has no ground of boasting before 
 God. Therefore he was not justified 
 by works." 
 
 3. For what saith the Scripture? 
 The inspired account of Abraham s 
 justification. This account was final, 
 and was to settle the question. This 
 account is found in Gen. xv. 6. J .Abra 
 ham believed God. In the Hebrew, 
 "Abraham believed Jehovah." The 
 sense is substantially the same, as the 
 argument turns on the act of believing. 
 The faith which Abraham exercised 
 was, that his posterity should be like 
 the stars of heaven in number. This 
 promise was made to him when he had 
 no child, and of course when he had no 
 prospect of such a posterity. See the 
 strength and nature of this faith further 
 illustrated in ver. 16 21. The reason 
 why it was counted to him for right 
 eousness was, that it was such a strong, 
 direct, and unwavering act of confi 
 dence in the promise of God. Tf Jlndit. 
 The word " it" here evidently refers to 
 the act of believing. It does not refer 
 to the righteousness of another of 
 God, or of the Messiah; but the dis 
 cussion is solely of the strong act of 
 Abraham s faith, which in some sense 
 was counted to him for righteousness. 
 In what sense this was, is explained 
 directly after. All that is material to 
 remark here is, that the act of Abraham, 
 ihe strong confidence of his mind in 
 the promises of God, his unwavering 
 assurance that what God had promised 
 he would perform, was reckoned for 
 righteousness. The same thing is more 
 fuliv expressed in ver. 18 22. When 
 therefore it is said that the righteous 
 ness of Christ is accounted or imputed 
 to us ; wh^n it is said that his merits 
 are transferred and reckoned as ours; 
 whatever may be the truth of the doc 
 trine, it cannot be defended by this pas- 
 
 and it was counted unto him for 
 righteousness. 
 
 sage of Scripture. Faith is always an 
 act of the mind. It is not a created 
 essence which is placed within the 
 mind. It is not a substance created 
 independently of the soul, and placed 
 within it by almighty power. It is not 
 a principle, for the expression a prin 
 ciple of faith is as unmeaning as a prin 
 ciple of joy, or a principle of sorrow, or 
 a principle of remorse. God promises ; 
 the man believes ; and this is the whole 
 of it. While the word faith is sometimes"^ 
 used to denote religious doctrine, or the / 
 system that is to be believed (Acts vi. 7; \ 
 xv. 9. Rom. i. 5; x. 8; xvi. 26. Eph. iii. 
 17; iv. 5. I Tim. ii. 7, &c.) ; yet, when it i 
 is used to denote that which is required 
 of men, it always denotes an acting 1 of 
 the mind exercised in relation to some 
 object, or some promise, or threatening, 
 or declaration of some other being. See 
 Note, Mark xvi. 16. ^ Was counted 
 (ixcyitr&H*). The same word in ver. 22 is~ 
 rendered " it was imputed." The word 
 occurs frequently in the Scriptures. 
 In the Old Testament, the verb jipn 
 (hashab), which is translated by the 
 word \c,"ytcjucu, means literally, to think, 
 to intend, or purpose ; to imagine, in 
 vent, or devise; to reckon, or ac 
 count; to esteem; to impute, i. e. to 
 impute to a man what belongs to him 
 self, or what ought to be imputed to 
 him. It occurs only in the following 
 places : 1 Sam. xviii. 25. Esth. viii. 3 
 ix. 24, 25. Isa. xxxiii. 8. Jer. xlix. 20 ; 
 1. 45 ; Lam. ii. 8. 2 Sam. xiv. 14. Jer. 
 xlix. 30. Gen. 1. 20. Job xxxv. 2. 
 2 Sam. xiv. 13. Ezek. xxxviii. 10. Jer. 
 xviii. 8. Ps. xxi. 12 ; cxl. 3. 5. Jer. xi. 
 19 ; xlviii. 2. Amos vi. 5. Ps. x. 2. 
 Isa. liii. 3, 4. Jer. xxvi. 3. Micah ii. 3. 
 Nah. i. 11. Jer. xviii. 11. Job xiii. 34; 
 xli. 19. 24. Ps. xxxii. 2 ; xxxv. 5. Isa. 
 x. 7. Job xix. 11; xxxiii. 10. Gen. 
 xvi. 6; xxxviii. 15. 1 Sam. i. 13. Ps. 
 Iii. 4. Jer. xviii. 18. Zech. vii. 10. Job 
 vi. 40; xix. 16. Isa. xiii. 17. 1 Kings 
 x. 21. Num. xviii. 27. 30. Ps Ixxxviii 
 4. Isn. xl. 17. Lam. iv. 2. Isa \\ 1ft 
 

 A. D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 4 Now to him that \vorketh 
 
 Gen. xxxi. 16. I have examined all 
 the passages, and as the result of my 
 examination have come to the conclu 
 sion, that there is not one in which the 
 word is used in the sense of reckoning 
 or imputing to a man that which does 
 not strictly belong to him ; or of charg 
 ing on him that which ought not to be 
 charged on him as a matter of personal 
 right. The word is never used to de 
 note imputing in the sense of trans 
 ferring, or of charging that on one 
 which does not properly belong to him. 
 The same is the case in the New Tes 
 tament. The word occurs about forty 
 times (see Schmidius 1 Concord. ), and 
 in a similar signification. No doctrine 
 of transferring, or of setting over to a 
 man what does not properly belong to 
 him, be it sin or holiness, can be de 
 rived, therefore, from this word. What 
 ever is meant by it here, it evidently is 
 declared that the act of believing is that 
 which is intended, both by Moses and 
 by Paul. 1 For righteousness. In or 
 cki to justification; or fo regard and treat 
 him in connexion with this as a right 
 eous man; as one who was admitted 
 to the favour and friendship of God. 
 In reference to this we may remark, 
 (1.) That it is evidently not intended 
 that the act of believing, on the part of 
 Abraham, was the meritorious ground 
 of acceptance ; for then it would have 
 been a work. Faith was as much his own 
 act, as any act of obedience to the law. 
 (2.) The design of the apostle was to 
 show that by the laio y or by -works, man 
 could not be justified, ch. iii. 28 ; iv. 2. 
 (3.) Faith was not that which the law 
 required. It demanded complete and 
 perfect obedience ; and if a man was 
 justified by faith, it was in some other 
 way than by the law. (4.) As the 
 law did not demand this ; and as faith 
 was something different from the de 
 mand of the law ; so if a man were 
 justified by that, it was on a principle 
 altogether different from justification by 
 works. It was not by personal merit, 
 ft was not by complying with the law 
 
 is the reward not reckoned- of 
 grace, but of debt 
 
 It was in a mode entirely different. 
 (5.) In being justified by faith, it is 
 meant, therefore, that we are treated 
 as righteous ; that we are forgiven ; that 
 we are admitted to the favour of God, 
 and treated as his friends. (6.) In this 
 act, faith is a mere instrument, an ante 
 cedent, a sine qua non, that which God 
 has been pleased to appoint as a condi 
 tion on which men may be treated as 
 righteous. It expresses a state of mind 
 which is demonstrative of love to God ; 
 of affection for his cause and charac 
 ter ; of reconciliation and friendship ; 
 and is therefore that state to which he 
 has been graciously pleased to promise 
 pardon and acceptance. (7.) As this 
 is not a matter of law; as the law 
 could not be said to demand it ; as it 
 is on a different principle ; and as the 
 acceptance of faith, or of a believer, 
 cannot be a matter of merit or claim, 
 so justification is of grace, or mere fa 
 vour. It is in no sense a matter of 
 merit on our part, and thus stands dis 
 tinguished entirely from justification by 
 works, or by conformity to the law. 
 From beginning to end, it is, so far as 
 we are concerned, a matter of grace. 
 The merit by which all this is obtain 
 ed, is the work of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, through whom this plan is pro 
 posed, and by whose atonement alone 
 God can consistently pardon and treat 
 as righteous those who are in them 
 selves ungodly. See ver. 5. In this 
 place we have also evidence that faith 
 is always substantially of the same cha 
 racter. In the cae of Abraham it was 
 confidence in God and his promises 
 All faith has the same nature, whether 
 it be confidence in the Messiah, or in 
 any of the divine promises or truths. 
 As this confidence evinces the same 
 state of mind, so it was as consistent to 
 justify Abraham by it, as it is to justify 
 him who believes in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ under the gospel. See Heb. xi. 
 4. J\"otv to 1dm that ivorketh, &c. 
 This passage is not to be understood as 
 affirming that any actually have worked 
 
* 
 
 96 
 
 5 But to him that worketh 
 not, but believeth on him that 
 justineth the ungodly, his faith" 
 is counted for righteousness. 
 
 ROMANS [A D. 60. 
 
 6 Ever, as David also describ- 
 eth the blessedness of the man 
 unto whom God imputeth right 
 eousness without works, 
 
 out their salvation by conformity to the 
 law so as to be saved by their own 
 merits ; but it expresses a general truth 
 in regard to works. On that plan, if 
 a man were justified by his works, it 
 would be a matter due to him. It is a 
 general principle in regard to contracts 
 and obligations, that where a man ful 
 fils them he is entitled to the reward as 
 that which is due to him, and which he 
 can claim. This is well understood in 
 all the transactions among men. Where 
 a man has fulfilled the terms of a con 
 tract, to pay him is not a matter of 
 favour ; he has earned it ; and we 
 are bound to pay him. So, says the 
 apostle, it -would be, if a man were jus 
 tified by his works. He would have a 
 claim on God. It would be wrong not 
 to justify him. And this is an addi 
 tional reason why the doctrine cannot 
 be true. Comp. Rom. xi. 6. f The re 
 gard. The pay, or wages. The word 
 is commonly applied to the pay of sol 
 diers, day-labourers, &c. Matt. xx. 8. 
 Luke x. 7. 1 Tim. v. 18. James v. 4. 
 It has a similar meaning here. ^ Reck 
 oned. Greek, Imputed. The same word 
 which, in ver. 3, is rendered counted, 
 and in ver. 22, imputed. It is here 
 used in its strict and proper sense, to 
 reckon that as belonging to a man 
 which is his own, or which is due to 
 him. ^ Of grace. Of favour; as a 
 gift. \ Of debt. As due; as a claim; 
 as a fair compensation according to the 
 contract. 
 
 5. But to him that ivorketh not. 
 Who does not rely on his conformity 
 to tte law for his justification; who 
 does not depend on his works ; who 
 seeks to be justified in some other way. 
 The reference here is to the Christian 
 plan of justification, t Sut believeth. 
 Note, ch. iii. 26. \ On him. On God. 
 Thus the connexion requires ; for the 
 discussion has immediate reference to 
 
 Abraham, whose faith was in the pro 
 mise of God. \ That justifieth the 
 ungodly. This is a very important 
 expression. It implies, (1.) That men 
 are sinners, or are ungodly. (2.) That 
 God regards them as such when they 
 are justified. He does not justify them 
 because he sees them to be, or regards 
 them to be righteous ; but knowing that 
 they are in fact polluted. He does not 
 first esteem them, contrary to fact, to 
 be pure ; but knowing that they are 
 polluted, and that they deserve no fa 
 vour, he resolves to forgive them, and 
 to treat them as his friends. (3.) In 
 themselves they are equally undeserv 
 ing, whether they are justified or not. 
 Their souls have been defiled by sin ; 
 and that is known when they are par 
 doned. God judges things as they are; 
 and sinners who are justified, he judges 
 not as if they were pure, or as if they 
 had a claim ; but he regards them as 
 united, by faith to the Lord Jesus ; 
 and ITU THIS RELATION he judges that 
 they SHOULD be treated as his friends, 
 though they have been, are, and al 
 ways -will be, personally undeserving. 
 It is not meant that the righte 
 ousness of Christ is transferred to 
 them, so as to become personally 
 theirs for moral character cannot 
 be transferred ; nor that it is infused 
 into them, making them personally 
 meritorious for then they could not 
 be spoken of as ungodly; but that 
 Christ died in their stead, to atone 
 for their sins, and is regarded and 
 esteemed by God to have died and 
 that the results or benefits of his 
 death are so reckoned or imputed 
 to believers as to make it proper 
 for God to regard and treat them 
 as if they had themselves obeyed 
 the law; that is, as righteous in his 
 sight. 
 6. Even as David. The apostle- 
 
A. D. 60.J 
 
 7 Saying, Blessed are they 
 whose iniquities are forgiven, 
 and whose sins are covered. 
 
 8 Blessed is the man to whom 
 the Lord will not impute sin. 
 
 a Fs.32.1,2. 
 
 having adduced the example of Abra 
 ham to show that the doctrine which 
 he was defending was not new, and 
 contrary to the Old Testament, pro 
 ceeds to adduce the case of David also ; 
 and to show that he understood the 
 same doctrine of justification without 
 works. ^ Describeth. Speaks of. 
 ^ The blessedness. The happiness ; 
 or the desirable state or condition. 
 ^f Unto -whom God imputeth right 
 eousness. Whom God treats as right 
 eous, or as entitled to his favour in a 
 way different from his conformity to 
 the law. This is found in Ps. xxxii. 
 And the whole scope and design of the 
 psalm is to show the blessedness of the 
 man who is forgiven, and whose sins 
 are not charged on him, but who is 
 freed from the punishment due to his 
 sins. Being thus pardoned, he is treat 
 ed as a righteous man. And it is evi 
 dently in this sense that the apostle 
 uses the expression "imputeth right 
 eousness," i. e. he does not impute, or 
 charge on the man his sins ; he reckons 
 and treats him as a pardoned and right 
 eous man. Ps. xxxii. 2. He regards 
 him as one who is forgiven and admit 
 ted to his favour, and who is to be 
 treated henceforward as though he had 
 not sinned. That is, he partakes of 
 the benefits of Christ s atonement, so 
 as not henceforward to be treated as a 
 sinner, but as a friend of God. 
 
 7. Blessed. Happy are they : they 
 are highly favoured. See Note, Matt. 
 v. 3. ^ Whose sins are covered. Are 
 concealed ; cw hidden from vhe view. 
 On which God will no more look, 
 and which he will no more remember. 
 " By these words," says Calvin (in 
 loco), " we are taught that justification 
 with Paul is nothing else but pardon 
 of sin." The word cover here has not 
 eference to the atonement, but is ex- 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 97 
 
 9 Cometh this blessedness 
 then upon the circumcision only, 
 or upon the uncircumcision also ? 
 for we say that faith was reckon 
 ed to Abraham for righteousness* 
 
 pressive of hiding, or concealing i. e. 
 of forgiving sin. 
 
 8. Will not impute sin. On whom 
 the Lord will not charge his sins ; or 
 who shall not be reckoned or regarded 
 as guilty. This shows clearly what 
 the apostle meant by imputing faith 
 without works. It is to pardon sin 
 and to treat with favour ; not to reckon 
 or charge a man s sin to him ; but to 
 treat him, though personally undeserv 
 ing and ungodly (ver. 5), as though 
 the sin had not been committed. The 
 word " impute" here is used in its na 
 tural and appropriate sense, as denot 
 ing to charge on man that which pro 
 perly belongs to him. 
 
 9. Cometh, &c. The apostle has now 
 prepared the way for an examination 
 of the inquiry whether this came in 
 consequence of obedience to the law! 
 or whether it was -without obedience to 
 the law 1 Having shown that Abraham 
 was justified by faith in accordance 
 with the doctrine which he was de 
 fending, the only remaining inquiry 
 was whether it was after he was cir 
 cumcised or before ; whether in conse 
 quence of his circumcision or not. If 
 it was after his circumcision, the Jew 
 might still maintain that it was by 
 complying with the works of the law ; 
 but if it was before, the point of the 
 apostle would be established, that it 
 was without the works of the law. 
 Still further, if he was justified by 
 faith before he was circumcised, then 
 here was an instance of justification 
 and acceptance without conformity to 
 the Jewish law; and if the father 
 of the Jewish nation was so jus 
 tified, and reckoned as a friend of God, 
 without being circumcised, i. e. in the 
 condition in which the heathen world 
 then was, then it would follow that the 
 Gentiles might be justified in % similar 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO 
 
 10 How was it then reckon 
 ed? when he was in circum 
 cision, or in uncircumc sion? 
 Not in circumcision, but n un- 
 circumcision. 
 
 way now. It would not be departing, 
 therefore, from the spirit of the Old 
 Testament itself, to maintain, as the 
 apostle had done (ch. iii.), that the 
 Gentiles who had not been circumcised 
 might obtain the favour of God as well 
 as the Jew ; that is, that it was inde 
 pendent of circumcision, and might be 
 extended to all. ^ This blessedness. 
 This happy state, or condition. This 
 state of being justified by God, and of 
 being regarded as his friends. This is 
 the sum of all blessedness; the only 
 state that can be truly pronounced 
 happy. ^ Upon the circumcision only. 
 The Jeivs alone, as they pretended. 
 Tf Or upon the uncircumcision also. 
 The Gentiles who believed, as the 
 apostle maintained. ^ For toe say. 
 We all admit. It is a conceded point. 
 It was the doctrine of the apostle, as 
 well as of the Jews; and as much 
 theirs as his. With this, then, as a 
 conceded point, what is the fair infer 
 ence to be drawn from it 1 
 
 10. Hotv. In what circumstances, or 
 time. T When he was in circumcision, 
 &c. Before or after he was circum 
 cised ? This was the very point of the 
 inquiry. For if he was justified by 
 faith after he was circumcised, the 
 Jew might pretend that it was in vir 
 tue of his circumcision ; that even his 
 faith was acceptable, because he was 
 circumcised. But if it was before he 
 was circumcised, this plea could not 
 be set up ; and the argument of the 
 apostle was confirmed by the case of 
 Abraham, the great father and model 
 of the Jewish people, that circumcision 
 and the deeds of the law did not conduce 
 to justification ; and that as Abraham 
 was justified tvithont those works, so 
 might others be, and the heathen, there 
 fore, might be admitted to similar privi 
 leges. 7 ,Y"a/m tirciimcision. "Not being , 
 
 1 1 And a he received the sign 
 of circumcision; a seal of the 
 righteousness of the faith which 
 he had, yet being uncircum- 
 cised ; that he might be the 
 
 e Gen.l7.10,lU 
 
 circumcised, or after he was circum 
 cised, but before. This was the record 
 in the case. Gen. xv 6. Comp. Gen. 
 xvii. 10. 
 
 11. JLndlie received the sign. &c. A 
 sign is that by which any thing is 
 shoivn, or represented. And circum 
 cision thus showed that there was a 
 covenant between Abraham and God. 
 Gen. xvii. 1 10. It became the pub 
 lic mark or token of the relation 
 which he sustained to God. ^ A seal. 
 See Note, John iii. 33. A seal is that 
 mark of wax or other substance, which 
 is attached to an instrument of writing, 
 as a deed, &c., to confirm, ratify it, or 
 to make it binding. Sometimes instru 
 ments were sealed, or made authentic 
 by stamping on them some word, letter, 
 or device, which had been engraved on 
 silver, or on precious stones. The seal 
 or stamp was often worn as an orna 
 ment on the finger. Esth. viii. 8. Gen. 
 xli. 42; xxxviii. 18. Ex. xxviii. 11. 
 36 ; xxix. 6. To affix the seal, whe 
 ther of wax, or otherwise, was to con 
 firm a contract or an engagement. In 
 allusion to this, circumcision is called 
 a seal of the covenant which God had 
 made with Abraham. That is, he ap 
 pointed this as a public attestation to 
 the fact that he had previously ap 
 proved of Abraham, and had made 
 important promises to him. f Which 
 he had, yet being circumcised. He 
 believed (Gen. xv. 5) ; was accept 
 ed, or justified ; was admitted to the 
 favour of God, and favoured with clear 
 and remarkable promises (Gen. xv. 18 
 21 ; xvii. 1 9), before he was 
 circumcised. Circumcision, therefore, 
 could have contributed neither to his 
 justification, nor to the promises made 
 to him by God. ^ That he might be 
 the father, &c. All this was done tha . 
 Abraham mi^ht he held np as an ev 
 
D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 99 
 
 father of all them that believe, 
 though they be not circumcised ; 
 that righteousness might be im 
 puted unto them also : 
 
 12 And the father of circu in 
 cision to them who are not of the 
 
 ample, or a model, of the very doctrine 
 which the apostle was defending. The 
 word father here is used evidently in 
 a spiritual sense, as denoting that he 
 was the ancestor of all true believers ; 
 that he was their model, and example. 
 They are regarded as his children be 
 cause they are possessed of his spirit ; 
 are justified in the same way, and are 
 imitators of his example. See Note, 
 Matt. i. 1. In this sense the expres 
 sion occurs in Luke xix. 9. John viii. 
 33. Gal. iii. 7. 29. 1 Though they 
 be not circumcised. This was stated in 
 opposition to the opinion of the Jews 
 that all ought to be circumcised. As 
 the apostle had shown that Mraham 
 enjoyed the favour of God previous 
 to his being circumcised, i. e. -with 
 out circumcision ; so it followed 
 that others might on the same prin 
 ciple also. This instance settles the 
 point ; and there is nothing which a 
 Jew can reply to this. \ That right 
 eousness, &c. That is, in the same 
 way, by faith without works: that 
 they might be accepted, and treated as 
 righteous. 
 
 1 2. Jind the father of circumcision. 
 The father, i. e. the ancestor, exemplar, 
 or model of those who are circumcised, 
 and who possess the same faith that he 
 did. Not only the father of all believers 
 ( ver. 11), but in a special sense the father 
 of the Jewish people. In this, the apos 
 tle intimates that though all who be 
 lieved would be saved as he was, yet 
 the Jews had a special proprietorship 
 in Abraham ; they had special favours 
 and privileges from the fact that he was 
 their ancestor. ^ Not of the circum 
 cision only. Who are not merely cir 
 cumcised, but who possess his spirit 
 and his faith. Mere circumcision would 
 not avail ; but circumcision connected 
 
 circumcision on?y, but also walk 
 in the steps of the faith of our 
 father Abraham which he had, 
 being yet uncirc umcised. 
 
 13 For the promise thit * he 
 should be the heir of the world, 
 
 i Gen.l".4,&c. 
 
 with faith like his, showed that they 
 were peculiarly his descendants. See 
 Note, ch. ii. 25. f Who -walk in the 
 steps, &c. Who imitate his example ; 
 who imbibe his spirit ; who have his 
 faith, t Being yet uncircumcised. 
 Before he was uncircuincised. Comp. 
 Gen. xv. 6, with Gen. xvii. 
 
 13. For the promise, &c. To show 
 that the faith of Abraham, on which his 
 justification depended, was not by the 
 law, the apostle proceeds to show that 
 the promise concerning which his faith 
 was so remarkably evinced was before 
 the law was given. If this was so, then it 
 was an additional important considera 
 tion in opposition to the Jew, showing 
 that acceptance with God depended OR 
 faith, and not on works. K That he 
 should be heir of the -world. An heir 
 is one who succeeds, or is to succeed to 
 an estate. In this passage, the -world, 
 or the entire earth, is regarded as the 
 estate to which reference is made, and 
 the promise is, that the posterity of 
 Abraham should succeed to that, or 
 should possess it as their inheritance. 
 The precise expression here used, " heir 
 of the world," is not found in the 
 promises made to Abraham. Those 
 promises were that God would make 
 of him a great nation (Gen. xii. 2) ; that 
 in him all the families of the earth 
 should be blessed (ver. 3) ; that his 
 posterity should be as the stars for mul 
 titude (Gen. xv. 5) ; and that he should 
 be a father of many nations (Gen. 
 xvii. 5). As this latter promise is one to 
 which the apostle particularly refers 
 (see ver. 17), it is probable that he 
 had this in his eye. This promise had, 
 at first, respect to his numerous natural 
 descendants, and to their possessing the 
 land of Canaan. But it is also regarded 
 in the New Testament as extending to 
 
100 
 
 v-as not to Abraham, or to his 
 seed, through the law, but through 
 the righteousness of faith. 
 14 For if they which are 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. CO. 
 
 of the law be heirs, faith is made 
 void, and the promise made of 
 none effect : 
 
 15 Because the law b work- 
 
 the Messiah (Gal. iii. 16) as his descend 
 ant, and to all his followers as the spi 
 ritual seed of the father of the faithful. 
 When the apostle calls him " the heir 
 of the world," he sums up in this com 
 prehensive expression all the promises 
 made to Abraham, intimating that his 
 spiritual descendants, i. e. those who 
 possess his faith, shall yet be so nume 
 rous as to possess all lands. t Or to 
 his seed. To his posterity, or descend 
 ants. Tf Through the law. By the 
 observance of the law ; or made in con 
 sequence of observing the law ; or de 
 pending on the condition that he should 
 observe the law. The covenant was 
 made before the law of circumcision 
 was given ; and long before the law of 
 Moses (comp. Gal. iii. 16, 17, 18), 
 and was independent of both. <[ But 
 through, &c. In consequence of, or in 
 connexion with the strong confidence 
 which he showed in the promises of 
 God. Gen. xv. 6. 
 
 14. For if they -which are of the 
 law. Who seek for justification and 
 acceptance by the law. ^ Faith is 
 made void. Faith would have no place 
 in the scheme ; and consequently the 
 strong commendations bestowed on the 
 faith of Abraham, would be bestowed 
 without any just cause. If men are 
 justified by the law, they cannot be by 
 faith, and faith would be useless in 
 this work, f And the promise, &c. A 
 promise looks to the future. Its design 
 and tendency is to excite trust and 
 confidence in him who makes it. All 
 the promises of God have this design 
 and tendency; and consequently, as 
 God has given many promises, the ob 
 ject is to call forth the lively and con 
 stant faith of men, all going to show 
 that in the divine estimation,/azVA is 
 of inestimable value. But if men are 
 justified by the laiv ; if they are ren 
 dered acceptable by conformity to the 
 
 institutions of Moses ; then they can 
 not depend for acceptance on any pro- 
 mise made to Abraham, or his seed. 
 They cut themselves off from that pro 
 mise, and stand independent of it 
 That promise, like all other promises, 
 was made to excite faith. If, therefore, 
 the Jews depended on the law for 
 justification, they were cut off from 
 all the promises made to Abraham; 
 and if they could be justified by the 
 law, the promise was useless. This is 
 as true now as it was then. If men 
 seek to be justified by their morality, 
 or their forms of religicn, they cannot 
 depend on any promise of God; for 
 he has made no promise to any such at 
 tempt. They stand independently of 
 any promise, covenant, or compact, 
 and are depending on a scheme of 
 their own ; a scheme which would ren 
 der his plan vain and useless ; which 
 would render his promises, and the 
 atonement of Christ, and the work of the 
 Spirit of no value. It is clear, there 
 fore, that such an attempt at salvation 
 cannot be successful. 
 
 15. Because the laiv. All ?aw. I 
 is the tendency of law. Tf Worketh 
 wrath. Produces or causes wrath. 
 While man is fallen, and a sinner, its 
 tendency, so far from justifiing him, 
 and producing peace, is just the re 
 verse. It condemns, denounces wrath, 
 and produces suffering. The word 
 wrath here is to be taken in the sense 
 of punishment, ch. ii. 8. And the 
 meaning is, that the law of God, de 
 manding perfect purity, and denounc 
 ing every sin, condemns the sinner, 
 and consigns him to punishment. As 
 the apostle had proved (ch. i. ii. iii.) 
 that all were sinners, so it followed 
 that if any attempted to be justified by 
 the law, they would be involved only 
 in condemnation and wrath. ^ For 
 where no law is, &c. This is a geno- 
 
A.D.60.] CHAPTER IV. 
 
 eth wrath : for where no law 
 is, there is no transgression. 
 
 16 Therefore it is of faith, 
 that it might be by grace ; to the 
 end the promise might be sure 
 to all the seed ; not to that only 
 which is of the law, but to that 
 
 101 
 
 ral principle; a maxim of common 
 justice and of common sense. Law is 
 a rule of conduct. If no such rule is 
 given and known, there can be no 
 crime. Law expresses what may be 
 done, and what may not be done. If 
 there is no command to pursue a cer 
 tain course, no injunction to forbid 
 certain conduct, actions will be inno 
 cent. The connexion in which this 
 declaration is made here, seems to imply 
 that as the Jews had a multitude of 
 clear laws, and as the Gentiles had the 
 laws of nature, there could be no hope 
 of escape from the charge of their vio 
 lation. Since human nature was de 
 praved, and men were prone to sin, 
 the more just and reasonable the laws, 
 the less hope was there of being justi 
 fied by the law, and the more certainty 
 was there that the law would produce 
 wrath and condemnation. 
 
 16. Therefore. In view of the 
 course of reasoning which has been 
 pursued. We have come to this con 
 clusion, f It is of faith. Justification 
 is by faith ; or the plan which God has 
 devised of saving men is by faith, ch. 
 iii. 26. H That it might be by grace. 
 As a matter of mere undeserved mercy. 
 If men were justified by laiv, it would 
 be by their own merits ; now it is of 
 mere unmerited favour. ^ To the end. 
 For the purpose, or design, t The 
 promise, &c. ver. 13. Tf JMig-ht be sure. 
 Might be firm, or established. On any 
 other ground, it could not be establish 
 ed. If it had depended on entire con 
 formity to the laiv, the promise would 
 never have been established, for none 
 ".vould have yielded such obedience. 
 But now it may be secured to all the 
 posterity of Abraham. ^ To all the 
 teed, ver. 13. Tf Not to that only. 
 i 2 
 
 also which .is of the faith of Abra 
 ham, who . s the father of us all, 
 17 (As . t is written, b I have 
 made thee a father of many na 
 tions,) * before him whom he be 
 lieved, even God, who quicken- 
 eth c the dead, and calleth those 
 
 b Gen.17.4. or, like unto. c Eph.2.1,5. 
 
 Not to that part of his descendants 
 alone who were Jews, or who had the 
 law. U But to that, &c. To all who 
 should possess the same faith as Abra 
 ham. f The father of us all. Of all 
 who believe, whether they be Jews or 
 Gentiles. 
 
 17. As it is -written. Gen. xvii. 5. 
 t / have made thee. . The word here 
 used in the Hebrew (Gen. xvii. 5) means 
 literally, to give, to grant ; and also, 
 to set, or constitute. This is also the 
 meaning of the Greek wonl used both 
 by the LXX. and the apostle. The 
 quotation is taken literally from the 
 Septuagint. The argument of the apos 
 tle is founded in part on the fact that 
 the past tense is used I have made 
 thee and that God spoke of a thing as 
 already done, which he had promised 
 or purposed to do. The sense is, h<e 
 had, in his mind or purpose, constitut 
 ed him the father of many nations; 
 and so certain was the fulfilment of the 
 divine purposes, that he spoke of it as 
 already accomplished, f Of many na 
 tions. The apostle evidently under 
 stands this promise as referring, not to 
 his natural descendants only, but to 
 the great multitude who should believe 
 as he did. Tf Before him. In his view, 
 or sight; i. e. Gud regarded him as 
 such a father. Tf Whom he believed. 
 Whose promise he believed ; or in 
 whom he trusted. 1 Who quickeneth 
 the dead. Who gives life to the dead. 
 Eph. ii. 1. 5. This expresses the power 
 of God to give life. But why it is used 
 here has been a subject of debate. I 
 regard it as having reference to the 
 strong natural improbability of the ful 
 filment of the prophecy when it was 
 given, arising from the age of Abraham 
 and Sarah, ver. 19. Abraham exer* 
 
>02 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 * things which be not as hough 
 they were. 
 
 18 Who against hope believ 
 ed in hope, that he might be 
 come the father of many nations, 
 according to that which was 
 rpoken, * So shall thy seed be. 
 
 19 And being not weak in 
 faith, he considered not his own 
 body now dead, when he was 
 
 o lCor.1.28. lPet.2.10. b Gen.15.5. 
 
 about an hundred years old, nei 
 ther yet the deadness c of Sa 
 rah s womb : 
 
 20 He staggered not at the 
 promise of God through unbe 
 lief; but was strong in faith, 
 giving glory to God ; 
 
 2 1 And being fully persuaded 
 that what he had promised, he 
 was able d also to perform. 
 
 cHeb.ll.ll. d Gen.18.14. Lu.1.37,45. Heb.11.19. 
 
 cised power in the God who gives life, 
 and who gives it as he pleases. It is 
 one of his prerogatives to give life to 
 the dead (vatgci/f), to raise up those who 
 are in their graves ; and a power simi 
 lar to that, or strongly reminding of 
 that, was manifested in fulfilling the 
 promise to Abraham. The giving of 
 this promise, and its fulfilment, were 
 such as strongly to remind us that God 
 has power to give life to the dead. 
 If And calleth, &c. That is, those things 
 which he foretels and promises are so 
 certain, that he may speak of them as 
 already in existence. Thus in relation 
 to Abraham, God, instead of simply 
 promising that he ivould make him the 
 father of many nations, speaks of it as 
 already done, " I have made thee," &c. 
 In his own mind, or purpose, he had 
 so constituted him, and it was so cer 
 tain that it -would take place, that he 
 might speak of it as already done. 
 
 18. Who against hope. Who against 
 all apparent or usual ground of hope. 
 He refers here to the prospect of a pos 
 terity. See ver. 19 21. t Believed 
 in hope. Believed in that which was 
 promised to excite his hope. Hope 
 here is put for the object of his hope 
 that which was promised. ^ Accord 
 ing to that -which was spoken. Gen. 
 xv. 5, t S shall thy seed be. That 
 is, as the stars in heaven for multitude. 
 Thy posterity shall be very numerous. 
 
 19. And being not weak in faith. 
 That is, having strong "aith. f He 
 considered not. He did not regard (he 
 fact that his body was now dead, as 
 any obstacle to the fulfilment of the 
 
 promise. He did not suffer that fact 
 to influence him, or to produce any 
 doubt about the fulfilment. Faith looks 
 to the strength of God, not to second 
 causes, or to difficulties that may ap 
 pear formidable to man. ^ JVoiv dead. 
 Aged ; dead as to the purpose under 
 consideration. Comp. Heb. xi. 12, " As 
 good as dead." That is, he was now at 
 an age when it was highly improbable 
 that he would have any children. 
 Comp. Gen. xvii. 17. ^f Deadness, 
 &c. Heb. xi. 11, "When she was 
 past age." Comp. Gen. xviii. 1 1 . 
 
 20. He staggered not. He was not 
 moved, or agitated; he steadily and 
 firmly believed the promise. ^ Giving 
 glory to God. Giving honour to God 
 by the firmness with which he believed 
 his promises. His conduct was such 
 as to honour God; that is, to show 
 Abraham s conviction that he was wor 
 thy of implicit confidence and trust. 
 In this way all who believe in the pro 
 mises of God do honour to him. They 
 bear testimony to him that he is wor 
 thy of confidence. They become so 
 many witnesses in his favour ; and fur 
 nish to their fellow-men evidence that 
 God has a claim on the credence and 
 trust of mankind. 
 
 21. And being fully persuaded. 
 Thoroughly or entirely convinced. 
 Luke i. 1. Rom. xiv. 5. 2 Tim. iv. 5. 
 17. f He -was able. Comp. Gen. xviii. 
 14. This was not the only time in 
 which Abraham evinced this confi- 
 
 ence His faith was equally implicit 
 and strong when he was commanded to 
 sacrifice his promised son, Heb. xi. 19. 
 
A. I). <JG 1 
 
 CHAPTER JV. 
 
 103 
 
 22 And therefore it was im 
 puted to him for righteousness. 
 
 23 Now a it was not written 
 for his sake alone, that it was 
 imputed to him ; 
 
 24 But for us b also, to whom 
 
 ac.15.4. ICor.lO.ll. 
 1C.16. Jno.3.14-16. 
 
 b Acts 2.39. 
 
 e Mark 
 
 22. Jlnd therefore. His faith was 
 eo implicit, and so unwavering, that it 
 was a demonstration that he was the 
 firm friend of God. He was tried, and 
 he had such confidence in God that he 
 showed that he was supremely attach 
 ed to him, and would obey and serve 
 him. This was reckoned as a full proof 
 of friendship; and he was recognised 
 and treated as righteous; i. e. as the 
 friend of God. See Note on ver. 3. 5. 
 
 23. JVow it -was not written. The 
 record of this extraordinary faith was 
 not made on his account only ; but it was 
 made to show the way in which men 
 may be regarded and treated as right 
 eous by God. If Abraham was so re 
 garded and treated, then, on the same 
 principle, all others may be. God has 
 but one mode of justifying men. Tf Im 
 puted. Reckoned ; accounted. He was 
 regarded and treated as the friend of 
 God. 
 
 24. But for us also. For our use 
 (comp. ch. xv. 4. 1 Cor. x. 11), that 
 we might have an example of the way 
 in which men may be accepted of God. 
 It is recorded for our encouragement 
 and imitation, to show that -we may in 
 a similar manner be accepted and saved. 
 If If -we believe on him, &c. Abraham 
 showed his faith in God by believing 
 just -what God revealed to him. This 
 was his faith, and it might be as strong 
 and implicit as could be exercised under 
 the fullest revelation. Faith, now, is 
 belief in God just so Jar as he has re- 
 veuled his will to us. It is therefore 
 the same in principle, though it may 
 have reference to different objects. It 
 is confidence in the same God, accord 
 ing to what we know of his will. Abra 
 ham showed his faith mainly in con 
 fiding in the promises of God respect- 
 
 it shall be imputed, if we believe 
 c on him that raised up Jesus our 
 Lord from the dead ; 
 
 25 Who was delivered d for 
 our offences, and was raised* 
 again for our justification. 
 
 d Isa.53.5,6. 2Cor.5.21. Heb.9.28 lPet.2.24. Rev.l 6. 
 e 1 Cor.15.17. lPet.1.21. 
 
 ing a numerous posterity. This was 
 the leading truth made known to him, 
 and this he believed. The main or 
 leading truths that God has made 
 known to us are, that he has given his 
 Son to die ; that he has raised him up ; 
 and that through him he is ready to 
 pardon. To put confidence in these 
 truths is to believe now. Doing this, 
 we believe in the same God that Abra 
 ham did ; we evince the same spirit ; 
 and thus show that we are the friends 
 of the same God, and may be treated 
 in the same manner. This is faith 
 under the gospel (comp. Notes, Mark 
 xvi. 16), and shows that the faith of 
 Abraham and of all true believers is 
 substantially the same, and is varied 
 only by the difference of the truths 
 made known. 
 
 25. Who -was delivered. To death. 
 Comp. Notes, Acts ii. 23. Tf For our 
 offences. On account of our crimes. 
 He was delivered up to death in order 
 to make expiation for our sins. | And 
 was raised again. From the dead. 
 Tf For our justification. On account 
 of our justification. In order that we 
 may be justified. The word justifica 
 tion here seems to be used in a large 
 sense, to denote acceptance with God ; 
 including not merely the formal act by 
 which God pardons sins, and by which 
 we become reconciled to him, but also 
 the completion of the work the treat 
 ment of us as righteous, and raising us 
 up to a state of glory. By the dcatn 
 of Christ an atonement is made for si. 
 If it be asked how his resurrection 
 contributes to our acceptance with 
 God, we may answer, (1.) It tendered 
 his work complete. His death w iuld 
 have been unavailing, his work w uid 
 have been imperfect, if he had r.ot i ?en 
 
i04 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THEREFORE a being justi 
 fied by faith, we have peace 
 
 raised up from the dead. He submitted 
 to death as a sacrifice, and it was need 
 ful that he should rise, and thus con 
 quer death and subdue our enemies, 
 that the work which he had undertaken 
 might be complete. (2.) His resurrec 
 tion was a proof that his work was ac 
 cepted by the Father. What he had 
 done, in order that sinners might be 
 saved, was approved. Our justifica 
 tion, therefore, became sure, as it was 
 for this that he had given himself up 
 lo death. (3.) His resurrection is the 
 main-spring of all our hopes, and of all 
 our efforts to be saved. Life and im 
 mortality are thus brought to light, 
 2 Tim. i. 10. God "hath begotten us 
 again to a lively hope (a living, active, 
 real hope), by the resurrection of Jesus 
 Christ from the dead." 1 Pet i.3. Thus 
 he fact that he was raised becomes the 
 ground of hope that -we shall be raised 
 and accepted of God. The fact that lie 
 was raised, and that all who love him 
 shall be raised also, becomes one of the 
 most efficient motives to us to seek to 
 he justified and saved. There is no 
 higher motive that can be presented to 
 induce man to seek salvation than the 
 fact that he may be raised up from 
 death and the grave, and made immor 
 tal. There is no satisfactory proof that 
 man can be thus raised up, but the re 
 surrection of Jesus Christ. In that re 
 surrection we have a pledge that all his 
 people will rise. " For if we believe 
 that Jesus died and rose again, even so 
 them also which sleep in Jesus v/ill 
 God bring with him." 1 Thess. iv. 14. 
 " Because I live," said the Redeemer, 
 "ye shall live also." John xiv. 19. 
 Comp. 1 Pet. i. 21. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE design of this chapter, which 
 has usually been considered as one of 
 the most difficult portions of the New 
 Testament, especially ver. 12 21, is 
 evidently to show the results or benefits 
 of the doctrine of justification by faith. 
 That doctrine the apostle had now fully 
 
 with God through our Lord Je 
 sus Christ : 
 
 a Isa.32.17. Eph.S.14. Col.l 20. 
 
 established. He had shown in the pre 
 vious chapters, (1.) That men \vers 
 under condemnation for sin ; (2.) That 
 this extended alike to the Jews and the 
 Gentiles ; (3.) That there was no way 
 of escape now but by the doctrine of 
 pardon, not by personal merit, but by 
 grace ; (4.) That this plan was fully 
 made known by the gospel of Christ ; 
 and (5.) That this was no new doc 
 trine, but was in fact substantially the 
 same by which Abraham and David 
 had been accepted before God. 
 
 Having thus stated and vindicated 
 the doctrine, it was natural to follow 
 up the demonstration, by stating its 
 bearing and its practical influence. This 
 he does by showing that its immediate 
 effect is to prod uce peace, ver. 1. Itgives 
 us the privilege of access to the favour 
 of God. ver. 2. But not only this, we 
 are in a world of affliction. Christians, 
 like others, are surrounded with trials ; 
 and a very important question was, 
 whether this doctrine would have an 
 influence in supporting the soul in 
 those trials. This question the apostle 
 discusses in ver. 3 11. He shows 
 that in fact Christians glory in tribu 
 lation, and that the reasons why the} 
 do so are, (1.) That the natural effect 
 of tribulations under the gospel was to 
 lead to hope. ver. 3, 4. (2.) That the 
 cause of this was, that the love of God 
 was shed abroad in the heart by the 
 Holy Ghost. This doctrine he further 
 confirms by showing the consolation 
 which would be furnished by the fact 
 that Christ had died for them. This 
 involved a security that they would I* 
 sustained in their trials, and that a vic 
 tory would be given them. For, (1.) 
 It was the highest expression of love 
 that he should die for enemies, ver. P. 
 7, 8. (2.) It followed that if he was 
 given for them when they were ene 
 mies, it was much more probable, it 
 was certain, that all needful grace 
 would be furnished to them now that 
 they were reconciled, ver. 0, 10, 11 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 105 
 
 But there was another very mate 
 rial inquiry. Men were not only ex 
 posed to affliction, but they were in the 
 midst of a -wreck of things of a fall 
 en -world of ike proofs and memori 
 als of sin every -where. The first man 
 had sinned, and the race was subject 
 to sin and death. The monuments of 
 death and sin were every where. It 
 was to be expected that a remedy from 
 God would have reference to this uni 
 versal state of sin and wo ; and that it 
 would tend to meet and repair these 
 painful and wide spread ruins. The 
 apostle then proceeds to discuss the 
 question how the plan of salvation 
 which involved justification by faith 
 was adapted to meet these univer 
 sal and distressing evils, ver. 12 21. 
 The design of this part of the chapter 
 is to show that the blessings procured 
 by the redemption through Christ, and 
 the plan of justification through him, 
 greatly exceed all the evils which had 
 come upon the world in consequence 
 of the apostacy of Adam. And if this 
 was the case, the scheme of justifica 
 tion by faith was complete. It was 
 adapted to the condition of fallen and 
 ruined man ; and was worthy of his 
 affection and confidence. A particular 
 examination of this argument of the 
 apostle will occur in the Notes on ver. 
 12 21. 
 
 1. Therefore (ovy). Since we are 
 thus justified, or as a consequence of 
 being justified, we have peace, f Being 
 justified by faith. See Notes, ch. i. 
 17; iii. 24; iv. 5. J We. That is, all 
 who are justified. The apostle is evi 
 dently speaking of true Christians. 
 1 Have peace -with God. See Note, 
 John xiv. 27. True religion is often 
 represented as peace with God. See 
 Acts x. 36. Rom. viii. 6; x. 15; xiv. 
 17. Gal. v. 22. See also Isa. xxxii. 17. 
 
 " And the work of righteousness shall be 
 
 peace, 
 
 And the effect of righteousness 
 Quietness and assurance for ever." 
 
 This is called peace, because, (1.) The 
 sinner is represented as the enemy of 
 God. Rom. viii. 7. Eph. ii. 16. James 
 iv. 4. John xv. 18. 24; xvii. 14. Rom. 
 
 i. 30. (2.) The state of a sinners 
 mind is far from peace. He is oftt:n 
 agitated, alarmed, trembling. He feels 
 that he is alienated from God. For 
 
 " The wicked are like the troublea sea, 
 
 For it never can be at rest ; 
 
 Whose waters cast up mire and dirt." 
 
 Isa Ivii 20. 
 
 The sinner in this state regards God aa 
 his enemy. He trembles when he 
 thinks of his law ; fears his judgments; 
 is alarmed when he thinks of hell. His 
 bosom is a stranger to peace. This has 
 been felt in all lands, alike under the 
 thunders of the law of Sinai among 
 the Jews ; in the pagan world ; and in 
 lands where the gospel is preached. It 
 is the effect of an alarmed and troubled 
 conscience. (3.) The plan of salva 
 tion by Christ reveals God as willing 
 to be reconciled. He is ready to par 
 don, and to be at peace. If the sinner 
 repents and believes, God can now con 
 sistently forgive him, and admit him to 
 favour. It is therefore a plan by which 
 the mind of God and of the sinner 
 can become reconciled, or united in 
 feeling and in purpose. The obstacles 
 on the part of God to reconciliation, 
 arising from his justice and law, have 
 been removed, and he is now willing 
 to be at peace. The obstacles on the 
 part of man, arising from his sin, his 
 rebellion, and his conscious guilt, may 
 be taken away, and he can now regard 
 God as his friend. (4.) The effect of 
 this plan, when the sinner embraces it, 
 is to produce peace in his own mind. 
 He experiences peace ; a peace which 
 the world gives not, and which the world 
 cannot take away. Phil. iv. 7. 1 Pet. 
 i. 8. John xvi. 22. Usually in the 
 work of conversion to God, this peace 
 is the first evidence that is felt of the 
 change of heart. Before, the sinner 
 was agitated and troubled. But often 
 suddenly, a peace and calmness is felt, 
 which is before unknown. The alarm 
 subsides ; the heart is calm ; the fears 
 die away, like the waves of the ocean 
 after a storm. A sweet tranquillity visits 
 the heart a pure shining light, like 
 the sunbeams that break through the 
 opening clouds after a tempest Tho 
 
106 
 
 2 By whom also we have 
 access by faith into this grace 
 wherein we stand, and rejoice * 
 in hope of the glory of God. 
 
 a John 14.6. b Heb.3.6 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO 
 
 3 And not only so, but we 
 glory c in tribulations also: know 
 ing that tribulation worketh pa 
 tience ; 
 
 cMatt.5.11,12. James 1.2,12. 
 
 views, the feelings, the desires are 
 changed ; and the bosom that was just 
 before filled with agitation and alarm, 
 that regarded God as its enemy, is 
 now at peace with him, and with all 
 the world. Tf Through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. By means of the atone 
 ment of the Lord Jesus. It is his me 
 diation that has procured it. 
 
 2. We have access. See Note, John 
 xiv. 6. " I am the way," &c. Doddridge 
 renders it " by whom we have been in 
 troduced" &c. It means, by -whom -we 
 have the privilege of obtaining the fa 
 vour of God -which -we enjoy -when toe 
 are justified. The word rendered "ac 
 cess" occurs but in two other places in 
 the New Testament Eph. ii. 18 ; iii. 
 12. By Jesus Christ the way is opened 
 for us to obtain the favour of God. 
 K By faith. By means of faith, ch. i. 
 
 17. ^ Into this grace. Into this 
 favour of reconciliation with God. 
 f Wherein -we stand. In which we 
 now are in consequence of being justi 
 fied. ^ Jind rejoice. Religion is often 
 represented as ptoducing joy. Isa. xii. 
 3; xxxv. 10; iU. 9; Ixi. 3. 7; Ixv. 14. 
 
 18. John xvi. 2,2. 24. Acts xiii. 52. 
 Rom. xiv. 17. Gal. v. 22. 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 The sources 01 steps of this joy are 
 ijiese: (1.) Wo are justified, or re 
 garded by Gol as righteous. (2.) We 
 ure admitted i lto his favour, and abide 
 .here. (3.) We have the prospect of 
 /till higher r.nd richer blessings in the 
 Ailness of hi , glory when we are admit- 
 r ed to heavec, ^ 7?i hope. In the earnest 
 Icsiro and expectation of obtaining that 
 {lory, ffipe is a complex emotion 
 made up *jf a desire for an object ; and 
 in exf ectation of obtaining it. Where 
 Hither of these is wanting, there is not 
 lope. Where they are mingled in im 
 proper proportions, there is not peace. 
 But where the desire of obtaining an 
 object is attended with an expectation 
 Df obtaining it in proportion to that 
 
 desire, there exists that poaceful, happy 
 state of mind which we denominate 
 hope. And the apostle here implies 
 that the Christian has an earnest desire 
 for that glory ; and that he has a con 
 fident expectation of obtaining it. The 
 result of that he immediately states to 
 be, that we are by it sustained in oui 
 afflictions, t The glory of God. The 
 glory that God will bestow on us. The 
 word glory usually means splendour, 
 magnificence, honour ; and the apostle 
 here refers to that honour and dignity 
 which will be conferred on the redeem 
 ed when they are raised up to the full 
 honours of redemption ; when they 
 shall triumph in the completion of the 
 work ; and be freed from sin, and pain, 
 and tears, and permitted to participate 
 in the full splendours that shall encom 
 pass the throne of God in the heavens. 
 See Note, Luke ii. 9. Comp. Rev. xxi. 
 2224; xxii. 5. Isa. Ix. 19, 20. 
 
 3. Jlnd not only so. We not only 
 rejoice in times of prosperity, and of 
 health. Paul proceeds to show that this 
 plan is not less adapted to produce sup 
 port in trials, t But " a}e gl r y- T ne 
 word used here is the same that is, 
 in verse 2, translated "we rejoice" 
 (lawx^txiBsL). It should have been so 
 rendered here. The meaning is, that 
 we rejoice not only in hope; not only 
 in the direct results of justification, in 
 the immediate effect which religion 
 itself produces ; but we carry oir joy 
 and triumph even into the midst of 
 trials. In accordance with this, oui 
 Saviour directed his followers to re 
 joice in persecutions. Matt. v. 11, 12. 
 Comp. James i. 2. 12. 1 In tribula 
 tions. In afflictions. The word used 
 here refers to all kinds of trials which 
 men are called to endure ; though it if 
 possible that Paul referred particularly 
 to the various persecutions and trials 
 which they were called to endure as 
 Christians. 1 Knowing. Being as 
 
A.. D. GO.j 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 107 
 
 4 And patience, experience ; 
 and experience, hope ; 
 
 sured of this. Paul s assurance might 
 have arisen from reasoning on the na 
 ture of religion, and its tendency to 
 produce comfort; or it is more probable 
 that he was speaking here the language 
 of his own experience. He had found 
 it to be so. This was written near the 
 close of his life, and it states the per 
 sonal experience of a man who en 
 dured, perhaps, as much as any one 
 ever did, in attempting to spread the 
 gospel; and far more than commonly 
 falls to the lot of mankind. Yet he, 
 like all other Christians, could leave his 
 deliberate testimony to the fact that 
 Christianity was sufficient to sustain 
 the soul in its severest trials. See 2 
 Cor. i. 36; xi. 2429; xii. 9, 10. 
 1 Worketh, Produces; the effect of 
 afflictions on the minds of Christians 
 is to make them patient. Sinners are 
 irritated and troubled by them, they 
 murmur, and become more and more 
 obstinate and rebellious. They have 
 no sources of consolation ; they deem 
 God a hard master ; and they become 
 fretful and rebellious just in proportion 
 to the depth and continuance of their 
 trials. But in the mind of a Christian, 
 who regards his Father s hand in it ; 
 who sees that he deserves no mercy ; 
 who has confidence in the wisdom and 
 goodness of God ; who feels that it is 
 necessary for his own good to be 
 aftlicted ; and who experiences its hap 
 py, subduing, and mild effect in re 
 straining his sinful passions, and in 
 weaning him from the world the effect 
 is to produce patience. Accordingly 
 it will usually be found that those 
 Christians who are longest and most 
 severely afflicted are the most patient. 
 Year after year of suffering produces 
 increased peace and calmness of soul ; 
 ami at the end of his course the Chris- 
 liar, is more willing to be afflicted, and 
 bears his afflictions more calmly, than at 
 the beginning. He who on earth was 
 most afflicted was the most r atient of all 
 sqiferers; and not less patient when he 
 
 5 And hope a maketh not 
 ashamed; because the love of 
 
 was " led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
 than when he experienced the first trial 
 in kis great work, f Patience. " A 
 calm temper, which suffers evils with 
 out murmuring or discontent." ( Web 
 ster.} 
 
 4. JJnd patience, experience. Pa 
 tient endurance of trial produces expe 
 rience. The word rendered experience 
 (/oc^Gtiiy) means trial, testing, or that 
 thorough examination by which we 
 ascertain the quality or nature of a 
 thing, as when we test a metal by fire, 
 or in any other way, to ascertain that 
 it is genuine. It also means appro 
 bation, or the result of such a trial ; 
 the being approved, and accepted as 
 the effect of a trying process. The 
 meaning is, that long afflictions borne 
 patiently show a Christian what he 
 is; they test his religion, and prove 
 that it is genuine. Afflictions are often 
 sent for this purpose, and patience in 
 the midst of them shows that the re 
 ligion which can sustain them is from 
 God. ^ JLnd experience, hope. The 
 result of such long trial is to produce 
 hope. They show that religion is 
 genuine ; that it is from God ; and not 
 only so, but they direct the mind on- 
 ward to another world ; and sustain 
 the soul by the prospect of a glorious 
 immortality there. The various steps 
 and stages of the benefits of afflictions 
 are thus beautifully delineated by the 
 apostle in a manner which accords 
 with the experience of all the children 
 of God. 
 
 5. And hope maketh not ashamed 
 That is, this hope will not disappoint, 
 or deceive. When we hope for an 
 object which we do not obtain, we are 
 conscious of disappointment ; perhaps 
 sometimes of a feeling of shame. But 
 the apostle says that the Christian hope 
 is such that it will be fulfilled ; it will 
 not disappoint ; what we hope for we 
 shall certainly obtain. See Phil. i. 20. 
 The expression used here is probablv 
 taken from Ps. xxii. 4, 5, 
 
108 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 (.A. i>. GO. 
 
 God is shed abroad in our hearts 
 by the Holy Ghost, which is 
 given unto us. 
 
 a Eph.1.13.14. 
 
 Our fathers trusted in thee ; 
 
 The f trusted ; and them didst deliver them. 
 
 They cried unto thee, 
 
 And were delivered ; 
 
 They trusted in thee, 
 
 Arid were not confounded" [ashamed], 
 
 T[ Because the love of God. Love to 
 ward God. There is produced an 
 abundant, an overflowing love to God. 
 t Is shed abroad. Is diffused ; is 
 poured out; is abundantly produced 
 (jxjts^uTsu) . This word is properly ap 
 plied to water, or to any other liquid 
 that is poured out, or diffused. It is 
 used also to denote imparting, or com 
 municating freely or abundantly, and 
 is thus expressive of the influence of 
 the Holy Spirit poured doiun, or abun 
 dantly imparted to men. Acts x. 45. 
 Here it means that love towards God 
 is copiously or abundantly given to a 
 Christian ; his heart is conscious of 
 high and abundant love to God, and 
 by this he is sustained in his afflictions. 
 1 By the Holy Ghost. It is produced 
 by the influence of the Holy Spirit. 
 All Christian graces are traced to his 
 influence. Gal. v. 22, "But the fruit 
 of the Spirit is love, joy," &c. 1 Which 
 is given unto us. Which Spirit is 
 given or imparted to us. The Holy 
 Spirit is thus represented as dwelling 
 in the hearts of believers. 1 Cor. vi. 
 19; iii. 16. 2 Cor. vi. 16. In all these 
 places it is meant that Christians are 
 under his sanctifying influence ; that 
 he produces in their hearts the Chris 
 tian graces ; and fills their minds with 
 peace, and love and joy. 
 
 6. For -when, &c. This opens a 
 new view of the subject, or it is a new 
 argument to show that our hope will 
 not make ashamed, or will not disap 
 point us. The first argument he had 
 stated in the previous verse, that the 
 Holy Ghost was given to us. The 
 next, which he now states, is, that 
 God had given the most ample proof 
 
 6 For when we were yet 
 without strength, * in due * time 
 Christ died for the ungodly. 
 
 or, according to the time. h Gai4.4 
 
 that he would save us by giving h:u 
 Son when we were sinners ; and that 
 he who had done so much for us when 
 we were enemies, would not now fail 
 us when we are his friends, ver. 610. 
 He has performed the more difficult 
 part of the work by reconciling us 
 when we were enemies ; and he will 
 not now forsake us, but will carry for 
 ward and complete what he has begun. 
 Tf We -were yet -without strength. The 
 word here used (us-fiet/wv) is usually ap 
 plied to those who are sick and feeble, 
 deprived of strength by disease. Matt. 
 xxv. 38. Luke x. 9. Acts iv. 9 ; v. 15. 
 But it is also used in a moral sense, to 
 denote inability or feebleness with re 
 gard to any undertaking or duty. Here 
 it means that we were without strength 
 in regard to the case which the apos 
 tle -was considering ; that is, we had 
 no power to devise a scheme of justifi 
 cation, to make an atonement, or to 
 put away the wrath of God, &c. While 
 all hope of man s being saved by 
 any plan of his own was thus taken 
 away ; while he was thus lying ex 
 posed to divine justice, and dependent 
 on the mere mercy of God ; God pro 
 vided a plan which met the case, and 
 secured his salvation. The remark of 
 the apostle here has reference only to 
 the condition of the race before an 
 atonement is made. It does not per 
 tain to the question whether man has 
 strength to repent and to believe af 
 ter an atonement is made, which is a 
 very different inquiry, f In due time. 
 Margin, According to the time (JWT 
 *at/gov). In a timely manner ; at the pro 
 per time. Gal. iv. 4, " But when the 
 fulness of time was come," &c. This 
 may mean, (1.) That it was a. Jit or 
 proper time. All experiments had fail 
 ed to save men. For four thousand 
 years the trial had been made under 
 the law among the Jews ; and by the 
 aid of the most enlightened reason in 
 
A. D. GO.J 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ioy 
 
 7 For scarcely for a righteous ture for a good man some would 
 
 man will one die ; yet peradven- 
 
 Greece and Rome ; and still it was in 
 ~ain. No scheme had been devised to 
 meet the maladies of the world, and to 
 save men from death. It was then 
 time that a better plan should be pre 
 sented to men. (2.) It was the time 
 fixed and appointed by God for the 
 Messiah to come ; the time which had 
 been designated by the prophets. Gen. 
 xlix. 10. Dan. ix. 2427. See John 
 xiii. 1 ; xvii. 1. (3.) It was a jnost 
 favourable time for the spread of the 
 gospel. The world was expecting such 
 an event; was at peace; and was sub 
 jected mainly to the Roman power; 
 and furnished facilities never before 
 experienced for introducing the gospel 
 rapidly into every land. See Notes, 
 Matt. ii. 1, 2. \ For the ungodly. 
 Those who do not worship God. It 
 here means sinners in general, and 
 does not differ materially from what is 
 meant by the word translated " without 
 strength." See Note, ch. iv. 5. 
 
 7. For scarcely, &c. The design 
 of this verse and the following is, to 
 illustrate the great love of God by com 
 paring it with what man was willing to 
 do. It is an unusual occurrence, an 
 event which is all that we can hope for 
 from the highest human benevolence 
 and the purest friendship, that one 
 would be willing to die for a good man. 
 There are none who would be willing 
 to die for a man who was seeking to 
 do us injury, to calumniate our charac 
 ter, to destroy our happiness or our 
 property. But Christ was willing to 
 die for bitter foes. Tf Scarcely. With 
 difficulty. It is an event which cannot 
 be expected to occur often. There 
 would scarcely be found an instance in 
 which it would happen. ^ Jl right 
 eous man. A. just man ; a man dis 
 tinguished simply for integrity of con 
 duct ; one who has no remarkable claims 
 for amiableness of character, for bene 
 volence, or for personal friendship. 
 Much as we may admire such a man, 
 and applaud him, yet he has not the 
 characteristics which would appeal tc 
 
 even daie to die. 
 
 our hearts to induce us to lay down 
 our lives for him. Accordingly, it is 
 not known that any instance has oc 
 curred where for such a man one would 
 be willing to die. *j[ For a righteous 
 man. That is, in his place, or in his 
 stead. A man would scarcely lay down 
 his own life to save that of a righteous 
 man. f Will one, die. Would one be 
 willing to die. ^ Yet peradventure. 
 Perhaps ; implying that this was an 
 event which might be expected to oc 
 cur, ^f For a good man. That is, 
 not merely a man who is coldly just; 
 but a man whose characteristic is that 
 of kindness, amiableness, tenderness. 
 It is evident that the case of such a 
 man would be much more likely to ap 
 peal to our feelings, than that of one 
 who is merely a man of integrity. Such 
 a man is susceptible of tender friend 
 ship ; and probably the apostle intend 
 ed to refer to such a case a case where 
 we would be willing to expose life for 
 a kind, tender, faithful friend. Tf Some 
 -would even dare to die. Some would 
 have courage to give his life. Instances 
 of this kind, though not many, have 
 occurred. The affecting case of Da 
 mon and Pythias is one. Damon had 
 been condemned to death by the tyrant 
 Dionysius of Sicily, and obtained leave 
 to go and settle his domestic affairs on 
 promise of returning at a stated hour 
 to the place of execution. Pythias 
 pledged himself to undergo the punish 
 ment if Damon should not return in 
 time, and deliver himself into the hands 
 of the tyrant. Damon returned at the 
 appointed moment, just as the sentence 
 was about to be executed on Pythias ; 
 and Dionysius was so struck with the 
 f Jelity of the two friends, that he re 
 mitted their punishment, and entreated 
 them to permit him to share their 
 friendship. (Val. Max. 4. 7.) This 
 case stands almost alone. Our Saviour 
 says that it is the highest expression 
 of love among men. "Greater love 
 hath no man than this, that a man laj 
 down his life for his friends." John xv 
 
110 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A, D. 60 
 
 8 But God commendeth his 
 love towards us, in that, while a 
 sinners, Christ 
 
 we were yet 
 died for us. 
 
 9 Much more then, being now 
 
 a Jno.15.13. lPet.3.18. Uno.3.16. 
 
 13, The friendship of David and Jona 
 than seems also to have been of this 
 character, that one would have been 
 willing to lay down his life for the 
 other. 
 
 8. But God commendeth, &c. God 
 has exhibited or showed his love in 
 this unusual and remarkable manner. 
 1 Ifis love. His kind feeling ; his be 
 neficence; his willingness to submit to 
 sacrifice to do good to others, f While 
 we toere yet sinners. And of course 
 his enemies. In this, his love surpasses 
 all that has ever been manifested among 
 men. ^ Christ died for us. In our 
 Btead ; to save us from death. He took 
 our place ; and by dying himself on 
 the cross, saved us from dying eternally 
 in hell. 
 
 3. .Much more, then. It is much 
 more reasonable to expect it. There 
 are fewer obstacles in the way. If, 
 when we were enemies, he overcame 
 all that was in the way of our salva 
 tion; much more have we reason to 
 expect that he will afford us protection 
 now that we are his friends. This is 
 ijne ground of the hope expressed in 
 ver. 5. ^f Being noiv justified, Par- 
 
 i dpned ; accepted as his friends. ^ By 
 
 l^is blood. By his death. Note, ch. 
 lii. 25. The fact that we are purchased 
 by his blood, and sanctified by it, ren 
 ders us sacred in the eye of God ; be 
 stows a value on us proportionate to 
 the worth of the price of our redemp 
 tion ; and is a pledge that he will keep 
 that which has been so dearly bought. 
 1 Saved from -wrath. From hell ; 
 from the punishment due to sin. Note, 
 ch. ii. 8. 
 
 10. For if. The idea in this verse 
 is simply a repetition and enlargement 
 of that in ver. 9. The apostle dwells 
 on the thought, and places it in a new 
 light, furnishing thus a strong conlir- 
 
 justified by his blood, fr we shall 
 be saved from c wrath through 
 him. 
 
 10 For if, when we were ene 
 mies, we were reconciled to God 
 
 b Heb.9.14.22. IThess.l 10. 
 
 mation of his position, f Wher, toe 
 were enemies. The work was under 
 taken while we were enemies. From 
 being enemies we were changed to 
 friends by that work. Thus it was 
 commenced by God ; its foundation 
 was iaid while we were still hostile to 
 it ; it evinced, therefore, a determined 
 purpose on the part of God to perform 
 it ; and he has thus given a pledge that 
 it shall be perfected. ^ We tvere re 
 conciled. Note, Matt. v. 24. We arc 
 brought to an agreement ; to a state 
 of friendship and union. We became 
 his friends, laid aside our opposition, 
 and embraced him as our friend and 
 portion. To effect this is the great 
 design of the plan of salvation. 2 Cor 
 v. 1 20. Col. i. 21. Eph. ii. 16. It 
 means that there were obstacles exist 
 ing on both sides to a reconciliation ; 
 and that these have been removed by 
 the death of Christ ; and that a union 
 has thus been effected. This has been 
 done in removing the obstacles on the 
 part of God by maintaining ths ho 
 nour of his law ; showing his hatred 
 of sin ; upholding his justice, and 
 maintaining his truth, at the same time 
 that he pardons. Note, ch. iii. 26. And 
 on the part of man, by removing his 
 untvillingness to be reconciled ; by sub 
 duing, changing, and sanctifying his 
 heart; by overcoming his hatred of 
 God, and of his law : and bringing him 
 into submission to the government of 
 God. So that the. Christian is in fact 
 reconciled to God ; he is his friend ; lie 
 is pleased with his law, his character, 
 and his plan of salvation. And all this 
 has been accomplished by the sacrifice 
 of the Lord Jesus as an offering in our 
 place. If Much more. It is much more 
 to be expected; there are still stronger 
 and more striking considerations* to 
 show it. ^ By his life. We were re- 
 
 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Ill 
 
 by the death of his Son, much a 
 more, being reconciled, we shall 
 be saved by * his life. 
 
 1 1 And not only so, but we 
 also joy c in God, through our 
 
 concited by his death. Death may in 
 clude possibly his low, humble, and 
 suffering condition. Death has the ap 
 pearance of srreat feebleness ; the death 
 of Christ had the appearance of the 
 defeat of his plans. His enemies tri 
 umphed and rejoiced over him on the 
 cross, and in the tomb. Yet the effect 
 cf this feeble, low, and humiliating 
 state was to reconcile us to God. If in 
 this state, when humble, despised, dying, 
 dead, he had power to accomplish so 
 great a work as to reconcile us to God, 
 how much more may we expect that 
 he will be able to keep us now that he 
 is a living, exalted, and triumphant Re 
 deemer. If his fainting powers in dying 
 were such as to reconcile us, how much 
 more shall his full, vigorous powers as 
 an exalted Redeemer, be sufficient to 
 keep arid save us. This argument is 
 but an expansion of what the Saviour 
 himself said. John xiv. 19, "Because 
 I live, ye shall live also." 
 
 11. Jlnd not only so. The apostle 
 states another effect of justification. 
 1 JVe also joy in God. In ver. 2, he 
 had said that we rejoice in tribulations, 
 and in hope of the glory of God. But 
 he here adds that we rejoice in God 
 himself; in his existence ; his attri 
 butes ; his justice, holiness, mercy, 
 truth, love. The Christian rejoices 
 that God is such a being as he is ; and 
 glories that the universe is under his 
 administration. The sinner is opposed 
 to him ; he finds no pleasure in him ; 
 he fears or hates him; and deems him 
 unqualified for universal empire. But 
 it is one characteristic of true piety, 
 one evidence that we are truly recon 
 ciled to God, that we rejoice in him as 
 \e is , and find pleasure in the contem 
 plation of his perfections as they art 
 revealed in the Scriptures. ^ Through 
 sv>- Lord, &c. B_y the mediation of 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we 
 have now received the 1 atone 
 ment. 
 
 12 Wherefore, as d by one 
 man sin entered into the world* 
 
 i or, reconciliation. d Gen.3.6,19. 
 
 our Lord Jesus, who has revealed the 
 true character of God, and by whom 
 we have been reconciled to him. f The 
 atonement. Margin, or reconciliation. 
 This is the only instance in which our 
 translators have used the word atone 
 ment in the New Testament. The 
 word frequently occurs in the Old. 
 Ex. xxix. 33. 3G, 37 ; xxx. 10. 15, 16, 
 &c. &c. As it is now used by ss, 
 it commonly means the ransom, or 
 the sacrifice, by means of which re 
 conciliation is effected between God 
 and man. But in this place it has. a 
 different sense. It means the reconci 
 liation itself between God and man ; 
 not the means by which reconciliation 
 is effected. It denotes not that we 
 have received a ransom, or an offering 
 by which reconciliation migJit be ef 
 fected ; but that in fact tve have be 
 come reconciled throitgh him. This 
 was the ancient meaning of the Eng 
 lish word atonement AT ONE MENT 
 being at one, or reconciled. 
 
 He seeks to make atonement 
 Between the duke of Glo ster and your 
 
 brothers. Shakspeare. 
 The Greek word which denotes the 
 expiatory offering by which a reconcili 
 ation is effected, is different from thj 
 one here. See Note, ch. iii. 25. The 
 word used here (**T^XA=t>) is never 
 used to denote such an offering, but 
 denotes the reconciliation itself. 
 
 12 21. This passage has been usu 
 ally regarded as the most difficult part 
 of the New Testament. It is not the 
 design of these Notes to enter into a 
 minute criticism of contested points 
 like this. They who wish to see a full 
 discussion of the passage, may find i> 
 in the professedly critical commentaritrN, 
 and especially in the commentaries of 
 Tholuck and of Professor Stuart on 
 thn Romans. The meaning of the pas- 
 
KOMAINS. 
 
 and death by sin; and so death 
 
 or, in whom. 
 
 sage in its general bearing is not dif 
 ficult ; and probably the whole passage 
 would have been found far less difficult 
 if il had not been attached to a phi 
 losophical theory on the subject of 
 man s sin, and if a strenuous and in 
 defatigable effort had not been made 
 to prove that it teaches what it was 
 never designed to teach. The plain and 
 obvious design of the passage is this, to 
 shoiv one of the benefits of the doc 
 trine of justification by faith. The 
 apostle had shown, (1.) That that 
 doctrine produced peace, ver. 1. (2.) 
 That it produces joy in the prospect of 
 future glory, ver. 2. (3.) That it sus 
 tained the soul in afflictions ; (a) by 
 the regular tendency of afflictions un 
 der the gospel, ver. 3, 4; and (6) by 
 the fact that the Holy Ghost was im 
 parted to the believer. (4.) That this 
 doctrine rendered it certain that we 
 should be saved, because Christ had 
 died for us, ver. 6 ; because this v/as the 
 highest expression of love, ver. 7, 8 ; 
 and because if we had been reconciled 
 when thus alienated, we should be 
 saved now that we are the friends of 
 God, ver. 9, 10. (5.) That it led 
 us to rejoice in God himself; produced 
 joy in his presence, and in all his attri- 
 outes. He now proceeds to show the 
 bearing on that great mass of evil which 
 had been introduced into the world by 
 sin, and to prove that the benefits of 
 the atonement were far greater than 
 the evils which had been introduced 
 by the acknowledged effects of the sin 
 of Adam. " The design is to exalt our 
 views of the work of Christ, and of the 
 plan of justification through him, by 
 comparing them with the evil conse 
 quences of the sin of our first father, 
 and by showing that the blessings in 
 question not only extend to the remo 
 val of these evils, but far beyond this, 
 so that the grace of the gospel has not 
 only abounded, but super abounded" 
 (Prof. Stuart.) In doing this, the 
 apostle admits, as an undoubted and 
 well-understood fact, 
 
 passed upon all men, 
 all have sinned. 
 
 ;A D GO, 
 
 1 for that 
 
 1. That sin came into the world by 
 one man, and death as the consequence. 
 ver. 12. 
 
 2. That death had passed on all; 
 even on those who had not (he light 
 of revelation, and the express com 
 mands of God. ver. 13, 14. 
 
 3. That Adam was the figure, the 
 type of him that was to come ; that 
 there was some sort of analogy or re 
 semblance between the results of his 
 act and the results of the work of 
 Christ. That analogy consisted in 
 the fact that the effects of his doings 
 did not terminate on himself, but ex 
 tended to numberless other persons, 
 and that it was thus with the work of 
 Christ, ver. 14. But he shows, 
 
 4. That there were very material 
 and important differences in the two 
 cases. There was not a perfect paral 
 lelism. The effects of the work of 
 Christ were far more than simply to 
 counteract the evil introduced by the 
 sin of Adam. The differences between 
 the effect of his act and the work of 
 Christ are these. (1.) The sin of 
 Adam led to condemnation. The work 
 of Christ has an opposite tendency, 
 ver. 15. (2.) The condemnation which 
 came from the sin of Adam was the re 
 sult of one offence. The work of 
 Christ was to deliver from many 
 offences, ver. 16. (3.) The work of 
 Christ was far more abundant and 
 overflowing in its influence. It extend 
 ed deeper and farther. It was more 
 than a compensation for the evils of 
 the fall. ver. 17. 
 
 5. As the act of Adam threw its 
 influence over all men to secure their 
 condemnation, so the work of Christ 
 was fitted to affect all men, Jews and 
 Gentiles, in bringing them into a state 
 by which they might be delivered from 
 the fall, and restored to the favour of 
 God. It was in itself adapted to pro 
 duce far more and greater benefits than 
 the crime of Adam had done evil ; and 
 was thus a glorious plan, just fitted tr 
 meet the actual condition of a world 
 
A. D GO.J 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 113 
 
 of sin ; and to repair the evils which 
 apostasy had introduced. It had thus 
 the evidence that it originated in the 
 benevolence of God, and that it was 
 adapted to the human condition, ver. 
 1821. 
 
 12. Wherefore (ftd TOWTS). On this 
 account. This is not an inference 
 from what has gone before, but a 
 continuance of the design of the apos 
 tle to show the advantages of the plan 
 of justification by faith ; as if he had 
 said, The advantages of that plan have 
 been seen in our comfort and peace, 
 and in its sustaining power in afflic 
 tions. Further, the advantages of the 
 plan are seen in regard to this, that it is 
 applicable to the condition of man in a 
 world where the sin of one man has pro 
 duced so much wo and death. On this 
 account also it is a matter of joy. It 
 meets the ills of a fallen race ; and it is 
 therefore a plan adapted to man. Thus 
 understood, the connexion and design 
 of the passage is easily explained. In 
 respect to the state of things into 
 which man is fallen, the benefits of 
 this plan may be seen, as adapted to heal 
 the maladies, and to be commensurate 
 with the evils which the apostasy of 
 one man brought upon the world. This 
 explanation is not that which is usually 
 given to this place, but it is that which 
 seems to me to be demanded by the 
 strain of the apostle s reasoning. The 
 passage is elliptical, and there is a ne 
 cessity of supplying something to make 
 out the sense, f Jls (Zmrsg). This is 
 the form of a comparison. But the 
 other part of the comparison is deferred 
 to ver. 18. The connexion evidently 
 requires us to understand the other part 
 of the comparison of the work of 
 Christ. In the rapid train of ideas in 
 the mind of the apostle, this was de 
 ferred to make room for explanations 
 (ver. 13 17). As by one man sin 
 entered into the world, &c., so by the 
 work of Christ a remedy has been pro 
 vided, commensurate with the evils. 
 As the sin of one man had such an in 
 fluence, so the work of the Redeemer 
 has an influence to meet and to coun 
 teract those evils. The passage in ver. 
 
 13 17 is therefore to be icgarded as 
 a parenthesis thrown in for th purpose 
 of making explanations, and to show 
 how the cases of Adam and of Christ 
 differed from each other. Tf By one 
 man, &c. By means of one man ; by 
 the crime of one man. His act was 
 the occasion of the introduction of all sin 
 into all the world. The apostle hero 
 refers to the well known historical fact 
 (Gen. iii. 6, 7), without any explana 
 tion of the mode or cause of this. He 
 adduced it as a fact that was well 
 known; and evidently meant to speak 
 of it riot for the purpose of explaining 
 the mode, or even of making this the 
 leading or prominent topic in ,the dis 
 cussion. His main design is not to 
 speak of the manner of the introduction 
 of sin, but to show that the work of 
 Christ meets and removes well-known 
 and extensive evils. His explanations, 
 therefore, are chiefly confined to the 
 work of Christ. He speaks of the in 
 troduction, the spread, and the effects 
 of sin, not as having any theory to 
 defend on that subject, not as design 
 ing to enter into a minute description 
 of the case, but as it was manifest on 
 the face of things, as it stood on the 
 historical record, and as it was under 
 stood and admitted by mankind. Great 
 perplexity has been introduced by for 
 getting the scope of the apostle s argu 
 ment here, and by supposing that he 
 was defending a peculiar theory on 
 the subject of the introduction ot sin; 
 whereas, nothing is more foreign to his 
 design. He is showing how the plan 
 of justification meets -well understood 
 and acknowledged universal evils. 
 Those evils he refers to just as they 
 were seen, and admitted to exist. Ah 
 men see them, and feel them, and prac 
 tically understand them. The truth is, 
 that the doctrine of the fall of man, 
 and the prevalence of sin and death, 
 do not belong peculiarly to Christianity 
 any more than the introduction and 
 spread of disease does to the science of 
 the healing art. Christianity did not 
 introduce sin ; nor is it responsible foi 
 it. The existence of sin and wo be 
 longs to the race ; appertains equally 
 
Ill 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. i). 60. 
 
 in nil systems of religion, and is a part 
 of the melancholy history of man, whe 
 ther Christianity be true or false. The 
 existence and extent of sin and death 
 are not affected if the infidel could 
 show that Christianity was an imposi 
 tion. They would still remain. The 
 Christian religion is just one mode oj 
 proposing a remedy for -well-knoivn 
 and desolating evils ; just as the sci 
 ence of medicine proposes a remedy foi 
 diseases which it did not introduce, 
 and which could not be stayed in their 
 desolations, or modified, if it could be 
 shown that the whole science of heal 
 ing was pretension and quackery. 
 Keeping this design of the apostle 
 in view, therefore, and remembering 
 that he is not defending or stating 
 a theory about the introduction of sin, 
 but that he is explaining the way ill 
 which the work of Christ delivers from 
 a deep-felt universal evil, we shall find 
 the explanation of this passage disen 
 cumbered of many of the difficulties 
 with which it has been thought usually 
 to be invested, ^ J3y one man. By 
 Adam. See ver. 14. It is true that 
 sin was literally introduced by Eve, 
 who was first in the transgression. 
 Gen. iii. 6. 1 Tim. ii. 14. But the 
 apostle evidently is not explaining the 
 precise mode in which sin was intro 
 duced, or making this his leading 
 point. He therefore speaks of the in 
 troduction of sin in a popular sense, as 
 it was generally understood. The fol 
 lowing reasons may be suggested why 
 the man is mentioned rather than the 
 woman as the cause of the introduc 
 tion of sin : (1.) It was the natural and 
 asual way of expressing such an event. 
 We say that man sinned, that man is 
 redeemed, man dies, &c. We do not 
 pause to indicate the sex in such ex 
 pressions. So in this, he undoubtedly 
 meant to say that it was introduced by 
 the parentage of the human race. 
 (2.) The name Adam in Scripture 
 tvas given to the created pair, the pa 
 rents of the human family, a name de 
 signating their earthly origin. Gen. v. 
 1, 2, "In the day that God created 
 man, in the likeness of God made he 
 
 him ; male and female created he them, 
 and blessed them, and called THEIR 
 name Adam", The name Adam, there 
 fore, used in this connexion (ver. 14), 
 would suggest the united parentagt 
 of the human family. (3.) In trans 
 actions where man and woman arc 
 mutually concerned, it is usual to speak 
 of the man first, on account of his being 
 constituted superior in rank and autho 
 rity. (4.) The comparison on the one 
 side, in the apostle s argument, is of the 
 man Christ Jesus ; and to secure the fit 
 ness, the congruity (Stuart ) of the 
 comparison, he speaks of the man only 
 in the previous transaction. (5.) The 
 sin of the woman was not complete in 
 its effects without the concurrence of 
 the man. It was their uniting in it 
 which was the cause of the evil. Hence 
 the man is especially mentioned as hav 
 ing rendered the offence ivhat it ivas ; 
 as having completed it, and entailed its 
 curses on the race. From these re 
 marks it is clear that the apostle does 
 not refer to the man here from any idea 
 that there was any particular covenant 
 transaction with him, but that he means 
 to speak of it in the usual, popular 
 sense; referring to him as being the 
 fountain of all the woes that sin has 
 introduced into the world. 1 Sin en 
 tered into the -world. He was the first 
 sinner of the race. The word sin here 
 evidently means the violation of the law 
 of God. He was the first sinner among 
 men, and in consequence all others be 
 came sinners. The apostle does not 
 here refer to Satan, the tempter, though 
 he was the svggester of evil ; for his 
 design was to discuss the effect of the 
 plan of salvation in meeting the sins 
 and calamities of our race. This de 
 sign, therefore, did not require him to 
 introduce the sin of another order of 
 beings. He says, therefore, that Adam 
 was the first sinner of the race, and 
 that death was the consequence. *jj Into 
 the -world. Among mankind. John i. 
 10; iii. 16, 17. The term -world is 
 often thus used to denote human 
 beings, the race, the human family. 
 The apostle here evidently is not dis 
 cussing the doctrine of original mi; 
 
 f i-vU^t-K. 
 
 TV 
 
 LJ 
 
A..D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 115 
 
 out he is stating a simple fact, intelli 
 gible to all : The first man violatei 
 the law of God, and in this way sin 
 was introduced among men. In thit> 
 fact this general, simple declaration 
 there is no mystery, f And death by 
 sin. Death was the consequence of 
 sin; or was introduced because man 
 sinned. This is a simple statement of 
 an obvious and well-known fact. It is 
 repeating simply what is said in Gen 
 iii. 19, " In the sweat of thy face shalt 
 thou eat bread, till thou return into the 
 ground ; for out of it wast thou taken ; 
 for dust thou art, and unto dust shall 
 thou return." The threatening was 
 (Gen. ii. 17), " Of the tree of the know 
 ledge of good and evil, thou shalt not 
 _eat of it, for in the day that thou eat- 
 est thereof, thou shalt surely die." If 
 an inquiry be made here, how Jldam 
 would understand this ; I reply, that we 
 have no reason to think he would un 
 derstand it as referring to any thing 
 more than the loss of life as an ex 
 pression of the displeasure of God. 
 Moses does not intimate that he was 
 learned in the nature of laws and pe 
 nalties; and his narrative would lead 
 us to suppose that this was all that 
 would occur to Adam. And indeed, 
 there is the highest evidence that the 
 case admits of, that this -was his under 
 standing of it. For in the account of the 
 infliction of the penalty after the law 
 was violated ; in God s own interpreta 
 tion of it, in Gen. iii. 19, there is still 
 no reference to any thing further. 
 " Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt 
 thou return." Now it is incredible 
 that Adam should have understood 
 this as referring to what has been call 
 ed " spiritual death," and to " eternal 
 death," when neither in the threaten 
 ing, nor in the account of the infliction 
 of the sentence, is there the slightest 
 recorded reference to it. Men have 
 done great injury in the cause of cor 
 rect interpretation by carrying their 
 notions of doctrinal subjects to the ex 
 planation of words and phrases in the 
 Old Testament. They have * usually 
 described Adam as endowed with all 
 me refinement, and possessed of all the 
 
 FT -r 
 U. <j 
 
 
 knowledge, and adorned with all the 
 metaphysical acumen and subtilty of a 
 modern theologian. They have deemed 
 him qualified, in the very infancy of 
 the world, to understand and discuss 
 questions, which, under all the light of 
 the Christian revelation, still perplex 
 and embarrass the human mind. After 
 these accounts of the endowments of 
 Adam, which occupy so large a space 
 in books of theology, one is surprised, 
 on opening the Bible, to find how un 
 like all this, is the simple statement in 
 Genesis. And the wonder cannot be 
 suppressed that men should describe 
 the obvious infancy of the race as su 
 perior to its highest advancement ; or 
 that the first man, just looking up 
 on a world of wonders, imperfectly 
 acquainted with law, and moral rela 
 tions, and the effects of transgression, 
 should be represented as endowed with 
 knowledge which four thousand years 
 afterwards it required the advent of the 
 Son of God to communicate ! The ac 
 count in Moses is simple. Created man 
 was told not to violate a simple law, on 
 pain of death. He did it ; and God 
 announced to him that the sentence 
 would be inflicted, and that he should 
 return to the dust whence he was taken. 
 What else this might involve ; what 
 other consequences sin might intro 
 duce, might be the subject of future 
 developements and revelations. It is 
 absurd to suppose that all the conse 
 quences of the violation of a law can 
 be foreseen, or must necessarily be 
 foreseen, in order to make the law and 
 the penalty just. It is sufficient that 
 the law be known ; that its violation 
 be forbidden ; and what the conse 
 quences of that violation will be, must 
 left in great part to future develope 
 ments. Even we, yet know not half 
 the results of violating the law of God. 
 The murderer knows not the results 
 fully of taking a man s life. He breaks 
 a just law, and exposes himself to the 
 numberless unseen woes which rnav 
 flow from it. 
 
 We may ask, therefore, what light 
 subsequent revelations have cast on 
 ihe character and result of the first sin, 
 
 . 
 
 
 : 
 
116 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 and whether the apostle here meant to 
 state that the consequences of sin were 
 in fact as limited as they must have 
 appeared to the mind of Adam 1 or had 
 subsequent developements and revela 
 tions, through four thousand years, 
 greatly extended the right understand 
 ing of the penalty of the law 1 This 
 can be answered only by inquiring in 
 what sense the apostle Paul here uses 
 the word death. The passage before 
 us shows in what sense he intended 
 here to use the word. In his argument 
 it stands opposed to " the grace of God, 
 and the gift by grace" (ver. 15) ; to 
 "justification" by the forgiveness of 
 " many offences" (ver. 16) ; to the 
 reign of the redeemed in eternal life 
 (ver. 17) ; and to "justification of life" 
 (ver. 18). To all these, the words 
 " death" (ver. 12. 17) and "judgment" 
 (ver. 16. 18) stand opposed. These are 
 the benefits which result from the work 
 of Christ ; and these benefits stand 
 opposed to the evils which sin has in 
 troduced ; and as it cannot be supposed 
 that these benefits relate to temporal 
 life, or solely to the resurrection of the 
 body, so it cannot be that the evils in 
 volved in the words " death," "judg 
 ment," &c. relate simply to temporal 
 death. The evident meaning is, that 
 the word " death," as here used by the 
 apostle, refers to the train of evils 
 which have been introduced by sin. 
 It does not mean simply temporal 
 death; but that group and collection 
 of woes, including temporal death, con 
 demnation, and exposure to eternal 
 death, which is the consequence of 
 transgression. The apostle often uses 
 the word death, and to die, in this 
 v/ide sense. Rom. i. 32; vi. 16. 31 ; 
 vii. 5. 10. 13. 24; viii. 2. 6. 13. 2 Cor. 
 ii. 16; vii. 10. Heb. ii. 14. In the 
 same sense the word is often used else 
 where. John viii. 51 ; xi. 26. 1 John 
 v. 16, 17. Rev. ii. 11 ; xx. 6, &c. &c. 
 In contrasting with this the results of 
 the work of Christ, he describes not the 
 resurrection merely, nor deliverance 
 from temporal death, but eternal life 
 in heaven ; and it therefore follows 
 that he here intends by death that 
 
 gloomy and sad train of woes which 
 sin has introduced into the world. The 
 consequences of sin are, besides, else 
 where specified to be far more than 
 temporal death. Ezek. xviii. 4. Rom. 
 ii. 8, 9. 12. Though therefore Adam 
 might not have foreseen all the evils 
 which were to come upon the race as 
 the consequence of his sin, yet these 
 evils might nevertheless follow. And 
 the apostle, four thousand years after 
 the reign of sin had commenced, and 
 under the guidance of inspiration, had 
 full opportunity to see and describe that 
 train of -woes which he comprehends 
 under the name of death. That train 
 included evidently temporal death, con 
 demnation for sin, remorse of con 
 science, and exposure to eternal death, 
 as the penalty of transgression. ^ An d 
 so. Thus. In this way it is to be ac 
 counted for that death has passed upon 
 all men, to -wit, because all men have 
 sinned. As death followed sin in the 
 first transgression, so it has in all ; for 
 all have sinned. There is a connexion 
 between death and sin which existed 
 in the case of Adam, and which sub 
 sists in regard to all who sin. And as 
 all have sinned, so death has passed 
 on all men. If Death passed upon 
 (//itX &w). Passed through ; pervaded ; 
 spread over the whole race, as pesti 
 lence passes through, or pervades a 
 nation. Thus death, with its train of 
 woes, with its withering and blighting 
 influence, has passed through the world, 
 laying prostrate all before it. t Upon 
 all men. Upon the race ; all die. Tf For 
 that (<}> w). This expression has been 
 greatly controverted ; and has been very 
 variously translated. Eisner renders it, 
 " on account of whom." Doddridge, 
 " unto which all have sinned." The 
 Latin Vulgate renders it, " in whom 
 [Adam] all have sinned." The same 
 rendering has been given by Augus 
 tine, Beza, &c. But it has never yet 
 been shown that our translators have 
 rendered the expression improperly 
 The old Syriac and the Arabic agrcfc 
 with the English translation in this in 
 terpretation. With this agree Calvin, 
 Vatab us, Erasmus, &c. And this reu- 
 
 
 
 

 A. 1). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 117 
 
 13 (For until the law, sin 
 was in the world : but sin is 
 
 not " imputed when there is no 
 law. 
 
 o c.4.15. Uno.3.4. 
 
 dering is sustained also by many other 
 considerations. (1.) If a> be a relative 
 pronoun here, it would refer naturally 
 to death, as its antecedent, and not to 
 man. But this would not make sense 
 (2,) If this had been its meaning, the 
 preposition tv would have been used. 
 See Note of Erasmus on the place. 
 (3.) It comports with the apostle s ar- 
 gumen to state a cause -why all died 
 and not to state that men sinned in 
 Adam. He was inquiring into the 
 cause -why death was in the world ; 
 and it would not account for that to 
 say that all sinned in Adam. It would 
 require an additional statement to see 
 how that could be a cause. (4.) As 
 his posterity had not then an exis 
 tence, they could not commit actual 
 transgression. Sin is the transgres 
 sion of the law by a moral agent; and 
 AS the interpretation because all have 
 sinned meets the argument of the 
 Apostle, and as the Greek favors that 
 certainly as much as it does the other, 
 it is to be preferred. ^ All have 
 sinned. To sin is to transgress the law 
 of Go:l ; to do wrong. The apostle in 
 this expression does not say that all 
 have sinned in Adam, or that their na 
 ture has become corrupt, which is true, 
 but which is not affirmed here ; nor 
 that the sin of Adam is imputed to 
 them ; but simply affirms that all men 
 have sinned. He speaks evidently of 
 the great universal fact that all men 
 are sinners. He is not settling a meta 
 physical difficulty ; nor does he speak 
 of the condition of man as he comes 
 into the world. He speaks as other 
 men would ; he addresses himself to 
 the common sense of the world ; and 
 is discoursing of universal, well-known 
 facts. He-e is the fact that ail men 
 fypc~ience calamity, condemnation, 
 death. How is this to be accounted 
 for ? The answer is, " All have sin 
 ned." This is a sufficient answer ; it 
 meets the case. And as his design 
 cannot be shown to be to discuss a 
 
 metaphysical question about the nature 
 of man, or about the character of in 
 fants, the passage should be interpret 
 ed according to his design, and should 
 not be pressed to bear on that of 
 which he says nothing, and to whicli 
 the passage evidently has no reference. 
 I understand it, therefore, as refer 
 ring to the fact that men sin in their 
 oivn persons, sin themselves as, in 
 deed, how can they sin. in any other 
 way I and that therefore they die. If 
 men maintain that it refers to any me 
 taphysical properties of the nature of 
 man, or to infants, they should not in- 
 fer or suppose this, but should show 
 distinctly that it is in the text. Where 
 is there evidence of any such refer 
 ence 1 
 
 13. For until the law, &c. This 
 verse, with the following verses to the 
 17th, is usually regarded as a paren 
 thesis. The laiv here evidently means 
 the law given by Moses. Until the 
 commencement of that administration, 
 or state of things under the law. To 
 see the reason why he referred to this 
 period between Adam and the law, we 
 should recall the design of the apostle, 
 which is, to show the exceeding grace 
 of God in the gospel, abounding, and 
 superabounding, as a complete remedy 
 for all the evils introduced by sin. 
 For this purpose he introduces three 
 leading conditions, or states, where 
 men sinned, and where the effects of 
 sin were seen ; in regard to each and 
 all of which the grace of the gospe* 
 superabounded. The first was that o f 
 Adam, with its attendant train of ills 
 (ver. 12), which ills were all met by 
 the death of Christ, ver. 1518. The 
 second period or condition was that 
 ong interval in which men had only 
 the light of nature, that period occur 
 ring bet-ween Adam and Moses. This 
 was a fair representation of the condi 
 tion of the world without revelation, 
 and without law. ver. 13, 14. Sin 
 hen reigned reigned every where 
 
 c i 
 
 
118 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60, 
 
 14 Nevertheless death reign 
 ed from Adam to Moses, even 
 over them that had not sinned 
 
 where there was no law. But the 
 grace of the gospel abounded over the 
 evils of this state of man. The third 
 was under the law. ver. 20. The law 
 
 after the similitude of Adam s 
 transgression, who is the * figure 
 of him that was to come. 
 
 b 1 Cor. 15.22,45. 
 
 entered, and sin was increased, and its I 
 evils abounded. But the gospel of | 
 Christ abounded even over this, and 
 grace triumphantly reigned. So that the 
 plan of justification met all the evils of 
 sin, and was adapted to remove them; sin 
 and its consequences as flowing from j 
 Adam ; sin and its consequences when 
 there was no written revelation ; and 
 sin and its consequences under the 
 light and terrors of the law. f Sin ivas 
 in the -world. Men sinned. They did 
 that which was evil, ^f Hut sin is not 
 imputed. Is not charged on men, or 
 they are not held guilty of it where 
 there is no law. This is a self-evident 
 proposition, for sin is a violation of 
 law ; and if there is no law, there can 
 be no wrong. Assuming this as a self- 
 evident proposition, the connexion is, 
 that there must have been a law of 
 some kind ; a " law written on their 
 hearts," since sin was in the world, 
 and men could not be charged with sin, 
 or treated as sinners, unless there was 
 some law. The passage here states 
 a great and important principle, that 
 men will not be held to be guilty un 
 less there is a law which binds them of 
 which they are apprized, and which 
 they voluntarily transgress. See Note, 
 ch. iv. 15. This verse, therefore, meets 
 an objection that might be started from 
 what had been said in ch. iv. 15. The 
 apostle had affirmed that " where no 
 law is there is no transgression." He 
 here stated that all were sinners. It 
 might be objected, that as during this 
 long period of time they had no 
 law, they could not be sinners. To 
 meet this, he says that men were then 
 in fact sinners, and were treated as 
 such, which showed that there must 
 have been a law. 
 
 4. Nevertheless. Notwithstanding 
 
 that sin is not imputed where there is 
 no law, yet death reigned, f Death 
 "eigned. Men died ; they were under 
 the dominion of death in its various 
 melancholy influences. The expres 
 sion "death reigned" is one that is 
 very striking. It is a representation 
 of death as a monarch ; having domi 
 nion over all that period, and over all 
 those generations. Under his dark and 
 withering reign men sank down to the 
 grave. We have a similar expression 
 when we represent death as " the king 
 of terrors." It is a striking and affect 
 ing personification, for, (1.) His reign 
 is absolute. He strikes down whom he 
 pleases, and when he pleases. (2.) 
 There is no escape. All must bow to 
 his sceptre, and be humbled beneath 
 his hand. (3.) It is universal. Old 
 and young alike are the subjects of his 
 gloomy empire. (4.) It would be an 
 eternal reign if it were not for the gos 
 pel. It would shed unmitigated woes 
 upon the earth ; and the silent tread 
 of this terrific king would produce only 
 desolation and tears for ever, \ From 
 JLdam to Jlfoses. From the time when 
 God gave one revealed law to Adam 
 to the time when another revealed law 
 was given to Moses. This was a period 
 of 2500 years; no inconsiderable portion 
 of the history of the world. Whether 
 men were regarded and treated as sinners 
 then, was a very material inquiry in the 
 argument of the apostle. The fact that 
 they died is alleged by him as full 
 proof that they were sinners ; and that 
 sin had therefore scattered extensive 
 and appalling woes among men. t Even 
 over them. Over all those generations. 
 The point or emphasis of the remark 
 here is, that it reigned over those that 
 had sinned under a different economy 
 from that of Adam. This was that 
 which rendered it so remarkable ; and 
 which showed that the withering curse 
 of sin had been felt in all dispensations, 
 and in all times. Tf After the simih 
 
A.I). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 119 
 
 tude, &c. In the same way ; in like 
 manner. The expression " after the 
 similitude" is an Hebraism, denoting in 
 like manner, or as. The difference be 
 tween their case and that of Adam was 
 jlainly that Adam had a revealed and 
 positive law. They had not. They 
 had only the law of nature, or of 
 tradition. The giving of a law to 
 Adam, and again to the world by 
 Moses, were two great epochs between 
 v/hich no such event had occurred. 
 The race wandered without revelation. 
 The difference contemplated is not that 
 Adam was an actual sinner, and that 
 they had sinned only by imputation. 
 For, (1.) The expression to sin by 
 imputation is unintelligible, and con 
 veys no idea. (2.) The apostle makes 
 no such distinction, and conveys no 
 such idea. (3.) His very object is 
 different. It is to show that they -were 
 actual sinners ; that they transgressed 
 law ; and the proof of this is that they 
 died. (4.) It is utterly absurd to sup 
 pose that men from the time of Adam 
 to Moses were sinners only by impu 
 tation. All history is against it ; nor is 
 there the slightest ground of plausi 
 bility in such a supposition. ^ Of 
 Jldam s transgression. When he broke 
 a plain, positive, revealed law. This 
 transgression was the open violation of 
 a positive precept ; theirs the violation 
 of the laws communicated in a different 
 way ; by tradition, reason, conscience, 
 &c. Many commentators have sup 
 posed that infants are particularly re 
 ferred to here. Augustine first suggest 
 ed this, and he has been followed by 
 many others. But probably in the 
 whole compass of the expositions of 
 the Bible, there is not to be found a 
 more unnatural and forced construc 
 tion than this. For, (1.) The apostle 
 makes no mention of infants. He does 
 tloes not in the remotest form allude to 
 them by name, or give any intimation 
 that he had reference to them. (2.) The 
 scope of his argument is against it. 
 Did infants only die 1 Were they the 
 only persons that lived in this long 
 period? His argument is complete 
 without supposing that he referred fo 
 
 them. The question in regard U this 
 long interval was, whether men were 
 sinners 1 Yes, says the apostle. They 
 died. Death reigned ; and this proves 
 that they were sinners. If it should be 
 said that the death of infants would 
 prove that they were sinners also, I 
 answer, (a) That this was an inference 
 which the apostle does not draw, and 
 for which he is not responsible. It is 
 not affirmed by him. (6) If it did re 
 fer to infants, what would it prove 7 
 Not that the sin of Adam was imputed, 
 but that they were personally guilty, 
 and transgressors. For this is the only 
 point to which the argument tends. 
 The apostle here says not one ivord 
 about imputation. He does not even 
 refer to infants by name ; nor does he 
 here introduce at all the doctrine of 
 imputation. All this is mere philosophy 
 introduced to explain difficulties; but 
 whether true or false, whether the theo 
 ry explains or embarrasses the subject, 
 it is not needful here to inquire. (3.) 
 The very expression here is against 
 the supposition that infants are in 
 tended. One form of the doctrine of 
 imputation as held by Edwards, Stap- 
 fer, &c. has been that there was a 
 constituted oneness or personal iden 
 tity between Adam and his posterity; 
 and that his sin was regarded as truly 
 and properly theirs; and they as per 
 sonally blameworthy or ill-deserving 
 for it, in the same manner as a man at 
 40 is answerable for his crime com 
 mitted at 20. If this doctrine be true, 
 then it is certain that they not only had 
 sinned after the similitude of Adam s 
 transgression, but had committed the 
 very identical sin, and that they were 
 answerable for it as their own. But 
 this doctrine is now abandoned by all, 
 or nearly all who profess to be Calvin- 
 ists ; and as the apostle expressly says 
 that they had not sinned after the si 
 militude of Adam s transgression, it 
 cannot be intended here. (4.) The 
 game explanation of the passage io 
 given by interpreters who nevertheless 
 held to the doctrine of imputation. 
 Thus CALVIN says on this 
 " Although this passage is 
 
 
 
 i 
 AM 
 
(20 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D 60. 
 
 commonly of infants, who, being guilty 
 of no actual sin, perish by original de 
 pravity, yet I prefer that it should be 
 interpreted generally of those who have 
 not the law. For this sentiment is con 
 nected with the preceding words, where 
 it is said that sin is not imputed where 
 there is no law. For they had not sin 
 ned according to the similitude of 
 Adam s transgression, because they had 
 not as he had the will of God revealed. 
 For the Lord forbid Adam to touch the 
 fruit [of the tree] of the knowledge of 
 good and evil ; but to them he gave 
 no command but the testimony of con 
 science." Calvin, however, supposes 
 that infants are included in the " uni 
 versal catalogue" here referred to. 
 Turretine also remarks that the dis- 
 t-ussion here pertains to all the adults 
 between Adam and Moses. Indeed, it is 
 perfectly manifest that the apostle here 
 lias no particular reference to infants ; 
 nor would it have ever been supposed, 
 but for the purpose of giving support to 
 the mere philosophy of a theological 
 system. ^ Who is the figure (rums ). 
 Type. This word occurs sixteen times 
 in the New Testament. John xx. 25 
 (twice). Acts vii. 43, 44; xxiii. 25. 
 Rom. v. 14; vi. 17. 1 Cor. x. 6. 11. 
 Phil. hi. 17. 1 Thess. i. 7. 2 Thess. iii. 
 9. 1 Tim. iv. 12. Titus ii. 7. Heb. viii. 
 5. - 1 Pet. v. 3. It properly means, 
 (1.) Any impression, note, or mark 
 which is made by percussion, or in 
 any way. John xx. 25, " the print 
 (type} of the nails." (2.) An effigy 
 or image wnich is made or formed by 
 any rule ; a model, pattern. Acts vii. 
 43, " Ye took up the tabernacle of Mo 
 loch, and the star of your god Rem- 
 phan, figures (types} which ye had 
 made." 44, " That he should make it 
 [the tabernacle] according to the fashion 
 (type} which he had seen." Heb. viii. 
 ft. (3.) A brief argument, or summary. 
 Acts xxiii. 25. (4.) A rule of doc 
 trine, or a law or form of doctrine. 
 Rom. vi. 17. (5.) An example or 
 model to be imitated ; an example of 
 what we ought to be (Phil. iii. 17. 
 1 Thess. i. 7. 2 Thess. iii. 9. 1 Tirn. 
 ^. 12. Titus ii. 7. 1 Pet. v. 3) ; or an 
 
 example which is to be avoided, an ex 
 ample to -warn us. 1 Cor. x. 0. 11. 
 In this place it is evidently applied to 
 the Messiah. The expression " he who 
 was to come" is often used to denote 
 the Messiah. As applied to him, it 
 means that there was in some respects 
 a similarity between the results of the 
 conduct of Adam and the effects of the 
 work of Christ. It does not mean that 
 Adam was constituted or appointed 
 a type of Christ, which would convey 
 no intelligible idea; but that a resem 
 blance may be traced between the 
 effects of Adam s conduct and the 
 work of Christ. It does not mean that 
 the person of Adam was typical of 
 Christ ; but that between the results 
 of his conduct and the work of Christ 
 there may be instituted a comparison, 
 there may be traced some resemblance. 
 What that is, is stated in the following 
 verses. It is mainly by way of con 
 trast that the comparison is instituted, 
 and may be stated as consisting in the 
 following points of resemblance or con 
 trast. ( 1 .) Contrast, (a) By the crime 
 of one, many are dead ; by the work 
 of the other, grace will much more 
 abound, ver. 15. (b) In regard to the 
 acts of the two. In the case of Adam, 
 one offence led on the train of woes ; 
 in the case of Christ, his work led to 
 the remission of many offences, ver. 16. 
 (c) In regard to the effects. Death 
 reigned by the one; but life much 
 more over the other. (2.) Resem 
 blance. By the disobedience of one, 
 many were made sinners; by the obe 
 dience of the other, many shall be made 
 righteous, ver. 18, 19. It is clenr, 
 therefore, that the comparison which is 
 instituted is rather by way of antithe 
 sis, or contrast, than by direct resem 
 blance. The main design is to sho-w 
 that greater benefits have resulted 
 from the -work of Christ than evils 
 from the fall of Jldam. A comparison 
 is also instituted between Adarn and 
 Christ in 1 Cor. xv. 22. 45. The 
 reason is, that Adam was the first 
 of the race; he was the fountain, the 
 head, the father; and the consequen 
 ces of that first act could be seen 
 
 ?u 
 
D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 121 
 
 15 But riot as the offence, 
 80 also is the free gift. For 
 if through the offence of one 
 many be dead ; much more the 
 
 every where. By a divine constitu 
 tion the race was so connected with 
 him, that it was made certain that, 
 if he fell, all would come into the 
 world with a nature depraved, and 
 subject to calamity and death, and 
 would be treated as if fallen, and 
 ais sin would thus spread crime, and 
 wo, and death every where. The evil 
 effects of the apostasy were every 
 where seen; and the object of the 
 apostle was to show that the plan 
 of salvation was adapted to meet 
 and more than countervail the evil 
 effects of the fall. He argued on 
 great and acknowledged facts that 
 Adarn was the first sinner, and that 
 from him, as a fountain, sin and 
 death had flowed through the world. 
 Since the consequences of that sin 
 had been so disastrous and wide 
 spread, his design is to show that 
 from the Messiah effects had flowed 
 more beneficent than the former were 
 ruinous. 
 
 In him the tribes of Adam boast 
 More blessings than their father lost. 
 
 WATTS. 
 
 15. But not as the offence. This 
 is the first point of contrast between 
 the effect of the sin of Adam and of 
 the work of Christ. The word offence 
 means properly a fall, where we stum 
 ble over any thing lying in our way 
 It then means sin in general, or crime. 
 Matt. vi. 14, 15: xviii. 35. Here it 
 means the fall, or first sin of Adam. 
 We use the word fall as applied to 
 Adam, to denote his first offence, as 
 being that act by which he fell from 
 an elevated state of obedience and hap 
 piness into one of sin and condemna 
 tion. ^ So also. The gift is not in 
 its nature and effects like the offence. 
 ^ The free gift. The favour, benefit, 
 or good bestowed gratuitously on us. 
 It refers to the favours bestowed ir the 
 
 #$.if* 
 
 grace of God, and the gift by 
 
 grace, 
 Jesus 
 
 which is by 
 Christ, hath 
 
 one mau 
 abounded 
 
 unto many. 6 
 
 a Eph.2.8. 6 Isa.53.11. Matt.20.28; 26.28. UaoJJI 
 
 ospel by Christ. These &refree, i. e. 
 without merit on our part, and bestow 
 ed on the undeserving. Tf For if, <Scc, 
 The apostle does not labour to prove 
 that this is so. This is not the point 
 of his argument. He assumes that as 
 what was seen and known every where. 
 His main point is to show that greater 
 benefits have resulted from the work 
 of the Messiah than evils from the fall 
 of Adam, f Through the offence of 
 one. By the fall of one. This simply 
 concedes the fact that it is so. The 
 apostle does not attempt an explana 
 tion of the mode or manner in which 
 it happened. He neither says that it 
 is by imputation, nor by inherent de 
 pravity, nor by imitation. Whichever 
 of these modes may be the proper one 
 of accounting for the fact, it is certain 
 that the apostle states neither. His 
 object was, not to explain the manner 
 in which it was done, but to argue from 
 the acknowledged existence of the fact. 
 All that is certainly established from 
 this passage is, that as a certain fact 
 resulting from the transgression of 
 Adam, " many" were " dead." This 
 simple fact is all that can be proved 
 from this passage. Whether it is to be 
 explained by the doctrine of imputa 
 tion, is to be a subject of inquiry inde 
 pendent of this passage. Nor have we 
 a right to assume that this teaches the 
 doctrine of the imputation of the sin 
 of Adam to his posterity. For, (1.) 
 The apostle says nothing of it. (2.) That 
 doctrine is nothing but an effort to ex 
 plain the manner of an event which the 
 apostle Paul did not think it proper to 
 attempt to explain. (3.) That doctrine 
 ia in fact no explanation. It is introdu 
 cing an additional difficulty. For to sa_ 
 that I am blameworthy, or ill deserving 
 for a sin in which I had no agency, is no 
 explanation but is involving me in en 
 1 Additional difficulty still more perplex* 
 
 ,: ,V,.-U 
 
 JMSWI 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ^ 1 fi 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. L) til) 
 
 <ng, to ascertain how such a doctrine 
 can possibly be just. The way of wis 
 dom would be, doubtless, to rest satis- 
 tied with the simple statement of a fact 
 which the apostle has assumed, without 
 attempting to explain it by a philo 
 sophical theory. Calvin accords with 
 the above interpretation. " For we do 
 Dot so perish by his [Adam s] crime, 
 as if we were ourselves innocent ; but 
 Paul ascribes our ruin to him because 
 his sin is THE CAUSE of our sin." 
 1 Many, Greek, The many. Evi 
 dently meaning all; the whole race; 
 Jews and Gentiles. That it means all 
 here is proved in ver. 18. If the in 
 quiry be, why the apostle used the 
 word " many" rather than all, we may 
 reply, that the design was to express 
 an antithesis, or contrast to the cause 
 one offence. One stands opposed to 
 many, rather than to all. ^ e dead. 
 See Note on the word death, ver. 12. 
 The race is under the dark and gloomy 
 reign of death. This is a simple fact 
 which the apostle assumes, and which 
 no man can deny, ^ Jlfuch more. 
 The reason of this " much more" is to 
 be found in the abounding mercy and 
 goodness of God. If a wise, merciful, 
 and good Being has suffered such a 
 train of woes to be introduced by the 
 offence of one, have we not much more 
 reason to expect that his grace will 
 superabound 1 Tf The grace of God. 
 The favour or kindness of God. We 
 have reason to expect under the admi 
 nistration of God more extensive bene 
 fits, than we have ills, flowing from 
 a constitution of things which is the 
 result of his appointment. K And the 
 gift by grace. The gracious gift; 
 the benefits flowing from that grace. 
 This refers to the blessings of salva 
 tion. Tf Which is by one man. Stand 
 ing in contrast with Adam. His ap 
 pointment was the result of grace ; and 
 as he was constituted to bestow fa 
 vours, we have reason to expect that 
 they will superabound. t Hath abound 
 ed. Has been abundant, or ample ; 
 will be more than a counterbalance 
 for the ills which have been introduced 
 by the sin of Adam. ^ Unto many. 
 
 Greek, Unto the many. The obvious 
 interpretation of this is, that it is as 
 unlimited as " the many" who are 
 dead. Some have supposed that Adam 
 represented the -whole of the human race, 
 and Christ a part, and that " the many" 
 in the two members of the verse refer 
 to the ivhole of those who were thus 
 represented. But this is to do violence 
 to the passage ; and to introduce a 
 theological doctrine to meet a supposed 
 difficulty in the text. The obvious 
 meaning is ~- one from which we can 
 not depart without doing violence to 
 the proper laws of interpretation that 
 " the many" in the two cases are co 
 extensive ; and that as the sin of Adam 
 has involved the race the many in 
 death ; so the grace of Christ has 
 abounded in reference to the many, to 
 the race. If asked how this can be 
 possible, since all have not been, and 
 will not be savingly benefited by the 
 work of Christ, we may reply, (1.) 
 That it cannot mean that the benefits 
 of the work of Christ should be lite 
 rally co-extensive with the results of 
 Adam s sin, since it is a fact that men 
 have suffered, and do suffer, from the 
 effects of that fall. In order that the 
 Universalist may draw an argument 
 from this, he must show that it was 
 the design of Christ to destroy ALL the 
 effects of the sin of Adam. But this 
 has not been in fact. Though the fa 
 vours of that work have abounded, yet 
 men have suffered and died. And 
 though it may still abound to the 
 many, yet some may suffer here, and 
 suffer on the same principle for ever. 
 \%.) Though men are indubitably af 
 fected by the sin of Adam, as, e. g. 
 by being born with a corrupt disposi 
 tion; with loss of righteousness , with 
 subjection to pain and wo; and with 
 exposure to eternal death ; yet there 
 \s reason to believe that all those who 
 die in infancy are, through the merits 
 of the Lord Jesus, and by an influence 
 which we cannot explain, changed and 
 prepared for heaven. As nearly hall 
 the race die in infancy, therefore thert 
 is reason to think that, in regard to 
 this large portion of the human fami- 
 
W itt 
 
 A. D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 123 
 
 16 And not as it was by one 
 lliat sinned, so is the gift : for 
 the judgment ivas by one to 
 
 ly, the work of Christ has more than 
 repaired the evils of the fall, and in 
 troduced them into heaven, and that 
 his grace has thus abounded unto 
 many. In regard to those who live 
 to the period of moral agency, a 
 scheme has been introduced by which 
 the offers of salvation may be made 
 to them, and by which they may be 
 renewed, and pardoned, and saved. 
 The work of Christ, therefore, may 
 have introduced advantages adapted 
 to meet the evils of the fall as man 
 comes into the world ; and the ori 
 ginal applicability of the one be as 
 extensive as the other. Jn this way 
 the work of Christ was in its nature 
 fitted to abound unto the many. (1.) 
 The intervention of the plan of atone 
 ment by the Messiah, prevented the 
 immediate execution of the penalty of 
 the law, and produced all the benefits 
 to all the race, resulting from the spar 
 ing mercy of God. In this respect it 
 was co-extensive with the fall. (4.) He 
 died for all the race. Heb. ii. 9. 2 Cor. 
 v. 14, 15. 1 John ii. 2. Thus his death, 
 in its adaptation to a great and glorious 
 result, was as extensive as the ruins of 
 the fall. (5.) The offer of salvation 
 is made to all. Rev. xxii. 17. John vii. 
 37. Matt. xi. 28, 29. Mark xvi. 15. 
 Thus his grace has extended unto the 
 many to all the race. Provision has 
 been made to meet the evils of the 
 fall ; a provision as extensive in its ap 
 plicability as was the ruin. (6.) More 
 will probably be actually saved by the 
 work of Christ, than will be finally 
 ruined by the fall of Adam. The num- 
 oer of those who shall be saved from 
 all the human race, it is to be believed, 
 will yet be many more than those who 
 shall be lost. The gospel is to spread 
 throughout the world. It is to be evan 
 gelized. The millennial glory is to rise 
 upon the earth ; and the Saviour is to 
 reign with undivided empire. Taking 
 the race as a whole, there is no reason 
 
 condemnation ; but t! e free gif 
 is of many offences unto justi 
 fication. 
 
 to think that the number of those who 
 shall be lost, compared with the im 
 mense multitudes that shall be saved 
 by the work of Christ, will be more 
 than are the prisoners in a community 
 now, compared with the number of 
 peaceful and virtuous citizens. A me 
 dicine may be discovered that shall he 
 said to triumph over disease, though it 
 rray have been the fact that thousands 
 have died since its discovery, and thou 
 sands yet -will not avail themselves of 
 it; yet the medicine shall have the 
 properties of universal triumph ; it is 
 adapted to the many ; it might be ap 
 plied by the many ; where it is applied, 
 it completely answers the end. Vac 
 cination is adapted to meet the evils of 
 the small-pox every where ; and -when 
 applied, saves men from the ravages 
 of this terrible disease, though thou 
 sands may die to whom it is not ap 
 plied. It is a triumphant remedy. So 
 of the plan of salvation. Thus, though 
 all shall not be saved, yet the sin of 
 Adam shall be counteracted ; and grace 
 abounds unto the many. All this ful 
 ness of grace the apostle says we have 
 reason to expect from the abounding 
 mercy of God. 
 
 16. And not, &c. This is the se 
 cond point in which the effects of the 
 work of Christ differ from the sin of 
 Adam. The Jirst part (ver. 15) was, 
 that the evil consequences flowed from 
 the sin of one MAN, Adam ; and that 
 the benefits flowed from the work oi 
 one MAN, Jesus Christ. The point in 
 this verse is, that the evil consequences 
 flowed from one CRIME, one act of guilt; 
 but that the favours had respect to M ANT 
 ACTS of guilt The effects of Adam s 
 sin, whatever they were, pertained to 
 the one sin ; the effects of the work of 
 Christ, to many sins. 1 By one that 
 sinned (ii tvc>fu.ju.&pTn<rciV TG?)* By means 
 of ne [man] sinning ; evidently mean 
 ing by one offence, or by one act of sir.. 
 So the Vulgate, and many MSS And 
 
 7 Y *-i ^ 
 
 I 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 17 For if 1 by one man s of 
 fence deaih reigned by one ; 
 much more they which receive 
 
 * or, by one offence. 
 
 the connexion shows that this is the 
 sense. 1 The gift. The benefits re 
 sulting from the work of Christ. ^ The 
 judgment. The sentence; the declar 
 ed penalty. The word expresses pro 
 perly the sentence which is passed by 
 a judge. Here it means the sentence 
 which God passed, as a judge, on 
 Adam for the one offence, involving 
 himself and his posterity in ruin. Gen. ii. 
 17; Hi. 17 19. K Was by one. By one 
 offence ; or one act of sin. ^ Unto 
 condemnation. Producing condemna 
 tion ; or involving in condemnation. It 
 is proved by this, that the effect of the 
 sin of Adam was to involve the race 
 in condemnation, or to secure this as a 
 result that all mankind would be under 
 the condemning sentence of the law, and 
 be transgressors. But in -what ivay it 
 would have this effect, the apostle does 
 not state. He does not intimate that his 
 sin would be imputed to them ; or that 
 they would be held to be personally 
 guilty for it He speaks of a broad, 
 every where perceptible fact, that the 
 effect of that sin had been somehow to 
 whelm the race in condemnation. In 
 what mode this was done is a fair sub 
 ject of inquiry ; but the apostle does 
 not attempt to explain it. Tf The free 
 gift. The unmerited favour, by the 
 work of Christ. ^ Is of many offences. 
 In relation to many sins. It differs thus 
 from the condemnation. That had 
 respect to one offence ; this has re 
 spect to many crimes. Grace therefore 
 abounds. ^ Unto justification. Note, 
 ch. iii. 24. The work of Christ is de 
 signed to have reference to many 
 offences, so as to produce pardon or 
 justification in regard to them all. 
 But the apostle here does not intimate 
 ho-w this is done. He simply slates the 
 fact, without attempting in this place 
 to explain it; and as we know that 
 that work does not produce its effect to 
 Justify without some act on the part of 
 the individual are we not hence led to 
 
 abundance a of grace, and of the 
 gift b of righteousness shall reign 
 in life by one, Jesus Christ :) 
 
 a JohnlO.10. b c.6.23. 
 
 conclude the same respecting the con 
 demnation for the sin of Adam ? As the 
 work of Christdoes not benefit the race 
 unless it is embraced, so does not the 
 reasoning of the apostle imply, that the 
 deed of Adam does not involve in cri. 
 minality and ill-desert unless there be 
 some voluntary act on the part of each 
 individual? However this may be, it is 
 certain that the apostle has in neithei 
 case here explained the mode in which it 
 is done. He has simply stated the fact, a 
 fact which he did not seem to consider 
 himself*called on to explain. Neithei 
 has he affirmed that in the two cases 
 the mode is the same. On the contrary, 
 it is strongly implied that it is not the 
 same, for the leading object here is to 
 present, not an entire resemblance, 
 but a strong contrast between the ef 
 fects of the sin of Adam and the work 
 of Christ. 
 
 17. For if. This verse contains 
 the same idea as before presented, but 
 in a varied form. It is condensing the 
 the whole subject, and presenting it in 
 a single view. ^ By one mail s offence. 
 Or, by one offence. Margin. The read 
 ing of the text is the more correct. If, 
 under the administration of a just and 
 merciful being, it has occurred, that 
 by the offence of one, death has exerted 
 so wide a dominion ; we have reason 
 much more to expect under that ad 
 ministration, that they who are brought 
 under his plan of saving mercy shall be 
 brought under a dispensation of life. 
 Tf Death reigned. Note, ver. 14. ^By 
 one. By means of one man. ^ JYIuch 
 more. We have much more reason to 
 expect it. It evidently accords much 
 more with the administration of a 
 Being of infinite goodness, f Thei 
 which receive abundance of grace. 
 The abundant favour ; the mercy 
 that shall counterbalance and surpass 
 the evils introduced by the sin of 
 Adam. That favour shall be more 
 than sufficient tc counterbalance all 
 \/^- 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAFFER V. 
 
 125 
 
 18 Therefore, as * by the of 
 fence of one judgment came 
 upon all men to condemnation ; 
 
 or, by one offence. 
 
 those evils. This is particularly true 
 of the redeemed, of whom the apostle in 
 this verse is speaking. The evils which 
 they suffer in consequence of the sin 
 of Adam bear no comparison with the 
 mercies of eternal life that shall flow to 
 them from the work of the Saviour. 
 K The gift of righteousness. This 
 stands opposed to the evils introduced 
 by Adam. As the effect of his sin was 
 to produce condemnation, so here the 
 gift of righteousness refers to the oppo 
 site, to pardon, to justification, to ac 
 ceptance with God. To show that 
 men were thus justified by the gospel, 
 was the leading design of the apostle ; 
 and the argument here is, that if by 
 one man s sin, death reigned over those 
 who were under condemnation in con 
 sequence of it, we have much more 
 reason to suppose that they who are 
 delivered from sin by the death of 
 Christ, and accepted of God, shall 
 reign with him in life. ^ Shall reign. 
 The word reign is often applied to the 
 condition of saints in heaven. 2 Tim. 
 ii. 12, "If we suffer, we shall also 
 reign with him." Rev. v. 10; xx. 6; 
 xxii. 5. It means that they shall be 
 exalted to a glorious state of happiness 
 in heaven ; that they shall be triumph 
 ant over all their enemies ; shall gain 
 an ultimate victory ; and shall partake 
 with the captain of their salvation in 
 the splendours of his dominion above. 
 Rev. iii. 21. Luke xxii. 30. 1 In life. 
 This stands opposed to the death that 
 reigned as the consequence of the sin 
 of Adam. It denotes complete freedom 
 from condemnation ; from temporal 
 death ; from sickness, pain, and sin. It 
 is the usual expression to denote the 
 complete bliss of the saints in glory. 
 Note, John iii. 36. ^ By one, Jesus 
 Christ. As the consequence of his 
 work. The apostle here does not state 
 the mode or manner in which this 
 was done ; nor does he say that it was 
 perfectly parallel in the mode with the 
 
 even so * by the righteousness 
 of one the free gift came upon 
 all a men unto justification of life. 
 
 or, by one righttcumtss. 
 
 effects of the sin of Adam. He ig 
 comparing the results or consequences 
 of the sin of the one and of the work 
 of the other. There is a similarity in 
 the consequences. The way in which 
 the work of Christ had contributed to 
 this he had stated in ch. iii. 24. 28. 
 
 18. Therefore. Wherefore ("A* 
 cyy). This is properly a summing up, 
 a recapitulation of what had been stat 
 ed in the previous verses. The apostle 
 resumes the statement or proposition 
 made in ver. 12, and after the interme 
 diate explanation in the parenthesis 
 (ver. 13 17), in this verse and the 
 following sums up the whole subject. 
 The explanation, therefore, of the pre 
 vious verses is designed to convey 
 the real meaning of ver. 18 and 19. 
 If As by the offence of one. Admitting 
 this as an undisputed and every where 
 apparent fact, a fact which no one can 
 call in question. T Judgment came. 
 This is not in the Greek, but it is evi 
 dently implied, and is stated in ver. 16. 
 The meaning is, that all have been 
 brought under the reign of death by one 
 man. K Upon all men. The whole 
 race. This explains what is meant by 
 " the many" in ver. 15. 1 To con 
 demnation, ver. 16. ^ Even so. In the 
 manner explained in the previous 
 verses. With the same certainty, and 
 to the same extent. The apostle does 
 not explain the mode in which it was 
 done, but simply states the fact. ^ R\j 
 the righteousness of one. This stands 
 opposed to the one offence of Adam, 
 and must mean, therefore, the holiness, 
 obedience, purity of the Redeemer. 
 The sin of one man involved men in 
 ruin ; the obedience unto death of the 
 other (Phil. ii. 8) restored them to the 
 favour of God. ^ Came upon all men 
 (c w-tfVTfs uvS^w^rcy"). Was with refer 
 ence to all men; had a bearing upon 
 all men ; was originally adapted t< 
 the race. As the sin of Adam was ol 
 such a nature in the relation in vuicl 
 
126 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. CO. 
 
 19 For as by one man s dis 
 obedience many were made sin- 
 he stood as to affect all the race, so the 
 work of Christ in the relation in which 
 he stood was adapted also to all the 
 race. As the tendency of the one was 
 to involve the race in condemnation, so 
 the tendency of the other was to re 
 store them to acceptance with God. 
 There was an original applicability 
 in the work of Christ to all men a 
 richness, a fulness of the atonement 
 fitted to meet the sins of the entire 
 world, and restore the race to favour. 
 Tf Unto justification of life. With re 
 ference to that justification which is 
 connected with eternal life. That is, 
 his work is adapted to produce ac 
 ceptance with God, to the same extent 
 as the crime of Adam has affected the 
 race by involving them in sin and 
 misery. The apostle does not affirm 
 that in fact as many -will be affected 
 by the one as by the other ; but that 
 it is fitted to meet all the consequences 
 of the fall ; to be as wide-spread in 
 its effects ; and to be as salutary as that 
 had been ruinous. This is all that 
 the argument requires. Perhaps there 
 could not be found a more striking de 
 claration any where, that the work of 
 Christ had an original applicability 
 to all men ; or that it is in its own na 
 ture fitted to save all. The course of 
 argument here leads inevitably to this; 
 nor is it possible to avoid it without 
 doing violence to the obvious and fair 
 course of the discussion. It does not 
 prove that all will in fact be saved, but 
 that the plan is Jit ted to meet all the 
 evils of the fall. A certain kind of me 
 dicine may have an original applica 
 bility to heal all persons under the 
 same disease ; and may be abundant 
 and certain, and yet in fact be applied 
 to few. The sun is fitted to give light 
 to all, yet many may be blind, or may 
 voluntarily close their eyes. Water is 
 adapted to the wants of all men, ar.d 
 the supply may be ample for the hu 
 man family, yet in fact, from various 
 causes, many may be deprived of it. So 
 
 ners, so by the obedience of one 
 shall many be made righteous. 
 
 of the provisions of the plan of redemp 
 tion. They are adapted to all ; they 
 are ample, and yet in fact, from causes 
 which this is not the place to explain, 
 the benefits, like those of medicine,, 
 water, science, &c. may never be en 
 joyed by all the race. Calvin concurs 
 in this interpretation, and thus shows 
 that it is one which commends itself even 
 to the most strenuous advocates of the 
 system which is called by his name. 
 He says, " He [the apostle] makes the 
 grace common to all, because it is of 
 fered to all, not because it is in fact 
 applied to all. For although Christ 
 suffered for the sijis OF THE WHOLE 
 WOULD (nam etsi passus est Christus 
 pro peccatis totius mundi), and it is 
 offered to all without distinction (in- 
 differenter), yet all do not embrace it." 
 See Cal. Comm. on this place. 
 
 19. For, &c. This verse is not a 
 mere repetition of the former, but it IK 
 an explanation. By the former state 
 ments it might perhaps be inferred that 
 men were condemned without any guilt 
 or blame of theirs. The apostle in this 
 verse guards against this, and affirms 
 that they are in fact sinners. He af 
 firms that those who are sinners are 
 condemned, and that the sufferings 
 brought in on account of the sin of 
 Adam, are introduced because many 
 were made sinners. Calvin says, " Lest 
 any one should arrogate to himself in 
 nocence, [the apostle] adds, that eacf 
 one is condemned because he is a sin 
 ner." \ By one man s disobedience 
 By means of the s*n of Adam. This 
 affirms simply the fact that such a re 
 sult followed from the sin of Adam. 
 The word by (/;a) is used in the Scrip- 
 tures as it is in all books and in all lan 
 guages. It may denote the efficient 
 cause; the instrumental cause; the 
 principal cause , the meritorious cause ; 
 or the chief occasion by which a thing 
 occurred. (See Schleusner.) It does 
 not express one mode, and one only, 
 in which a thing is done ; but that one 
 
A D. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 12? 
 
 thing is the result of another. When 
 we say that a young man is ruined in 
 his character by another, we do not ex 
 press the mode, but the fact. When 
 we say that thousands have been made 
 infidels by the writings of Paine and 
 Voltaire, we make no affirmation about 
 the mode, but about the fact. In each 
 of these, and in all other cases, we 
 should deem it most inconclusive rea 
 soning to attempt to determine the 
 mode by the preposition by ; and still 
 more absurd if it were argued from the 
 use of that preposition that the sins of 
 the seducer were imputed to the young 
 man ; or the opinions of Paine and 
 Voltaire imputed to infidels. If Many. 
 Greek, The many. ver. 15. t Were 
 made (jtstTwraSvxrstv). The verb here 
 used, occurs in the New Testament in 
 the following places: Matt. xxiv. 45. 
 47; xxv. 21. 23. Luke xii. 14. 42.44. 
 Acts vi. 3; vii. 10. 27. 35; xvii. 15. 
 Rom. v. 19. Titus i. 5. Heb. ii. 7; v. 
 
 1 ; vii. 28 ; viii. 3. James iii. 6 ; iv. 4. 
 
 2 Pet. i. 8. It usually means to con 
 stitute, set, or appoint. In the New 
 Testament it has two leading significa 
 tions. (1.) To appoint to an office, 
 to set over others (Matt. xxiv. 45. 47. 
 Luke xii. 42, &c.) ; and (2.) It means 
 to become, to be in fact, &c. James iii. 
 6, " So is the tongue among our mem 
 bers," &c. That is, it becomes such. 
 James iv. 4, " The friendship of the 
 world is enmity with God ;" it becomes 
 such ; it is in fact thus, and is thus to 
 be regarded. The word is in no in~ 
 stance used to express the idea of im 
 puting" that to one -which belongs to 
 another. It here either means that this 
 was by a constitution of divine ap 
 pointment that they in fact became 
 sinners, or simply declares that they 
 were so in fact. There is not the 
 slightest intimation that it was by im 
 putation. The whole scope of the ar 
 gument is, moreover, against this : for 
 the object of the apostle is not to show 
 that they were charged with the sin of 
 another, but that they were in fact sin 
 ners themselves. If it means that they 
 were condemned for his act, without 
 any concurrence of their own will, then 
 
 the coi respondent part will be true, 
 that all are constituted righteous in the 
 same way ; and thus the doctrine of 
 universal salvation will be inevitable. 
 But as none are constituted righteous 
 who do not voluntarily avail themselves 
 of the provisions of mercy, so it follows 
 that those who are condemned, are not 
 condemned for the sin of another with 
 out their own concurrence, nor unless 
 they personally deserve it. ^ Sinners. 
 Transgressors; those who deserve to 
 be punished. It does not mean those 
 who are condemned for the sin of an 
 other ; but those who are violators of 
 the law of God. All who are condemn 
 ed are sinners. They are not innocent 
 persons condemned for the crime of 
 another. Men may be involved in the 
 consequences of the sins of others 
 without being to blame. The conse 
 quences of the crimes of a murderer, a 
 drunkard, a pirate, may pass over from 
 them, and affect thousands, and whelm 
 them in ruin. But this does not prove 
 that they are blameworthy. In the 
 divine administration none are regard- 
 ed as guilty who are not guilty ; none 
 are condemned who do not deserve to 
 be condemned. All who sink to hell 
 are sinners, f By the obedience of 
 one. Of Christ. This stands opposed 
 to the disobedience of Adam, and evi 
 dently includes the entire work of the 
 Redeemer which has a bearing on the 
 salvation of men. Phil. ii. 8, " He. . . . 
 became obedient unto death." f Shall 
 many. Greek, The many ; correspond 
 ing to the term in the former part of 
 the verse, and evidently commensurate 
 with it ; for there is no reason for limit 
 ing it to a part in this member, any 
 more than there is in the former, f Be 
 made. The same Greek word as be 
 fore be appointed, or become. The 
 apostle has explained the mode in 
 which this is done. ch. i. 17 ; iii. 24 
 26 ; iv. 1 5. That explanation is to 
 limit the meaning here. No more are 
 considered righteous than become so 
 in that -way. And as all do not be 
 come righteous thus, the passage can 
 not be adduced to prove the doctrine 
 of universal salvation. 
 
 
i28 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 A. D. 00 
 
 The following remarks may express 
 the doctrines which are established 
 by this much-contested and difficult 
 passage. (1.) Adam was created holy; 
 capable of obeying law; yet free to 
 fall. (2.) A law was given him, adapt 
 ed to his condition simple, plain, easy 
 to be obeyed, and fitted to give human 
 nature a trial in circumstances as fa 
 vourable as possible. (3.) Its viola 
 tion exposed him to the threatened 
 penalty as he had understood it, and 
 to all the collateral woes which it 
 might carry in its train-^involving, 
 as subsequent developements showed, 
 the loss of God s favour ; his displea 
 sure evinced in man s toil, and sweat, 
 and sickness, and death; in hereditary 
 depravity, and the curse, and the pains 
 of hell for ever. (4.) Adam was the 
 head of the race ; he was the fountain 
 of being; and human nature was so 
 far tried in him. that it may be said he 
 was on trial not for himself alone, but 
 for his posterity, inasmuch as his fall 
 would involve them in ruin. Many 
 have chosen to call this a covenant, 
 and to speak of him as a federal head; 
 and if the above account is the idea 
 involved in these terms, the explana 
 tion is not exceptionable. As the word 
 covenant, however, is not applied in 
 the transaction in the Bible, and as it 
 is liable to be misunderstood, others 
 prefer to speak of it as a law given to 
 Adam, and as a divine constitution un 
 der which he was placed. (5.) His 
 posterity are, in consequence of his sin. 
 subjected to the same train of ills as if 
 they had bezn personally the transgres 
 sors. Not that they are regarded as 
 personally ill-deserving, or criminal 
 for his sin. God reckons things as 
 they are, and not falsely, (see Note, 
 ch. iv. 3.) and his imputations are all 
 according to truth. He regarded Adam 
 as standing at the head of the race; 
 and regards and treats all his posteri 
 ty as corning into the world subject to 
 pain, and death, and depravity, as a 
 consequence of his sin. See Note, p. 
 122 This is the Scripture idea of im 
 putation ; and this is what has been 
 eommonrv meant when it has been said 
 
 3-6 
 
 that " the GUILT of his first sin " wv 
 the sin itself 11 is imputed to his pos 
 terity." (6.) There is something ante 
 cedent to the moral action of his pos 
 terity, and growing out of the relation 
 which they sustain to him, which 
 makes it certain that they will sin as 
 soon as they begin to act as moral 
 agents. What this is, we may not be 
 able to say; but we may be certain 
 that it is not physical depravity, or 
 any created essence of the soul, or 
 any thing which prevents the first act 
 of sin from being voluntary. This 
 hereditary tendency to sin has been 
 usually called "original sin;" and tbis 
 the apostle evidently teaches. (7.) As 
 an infant comes into the world with 
 a certainty that he will sin as soon as 
 he becomes a moral agent here, there 
 is the same certainty that, if he were 
 removed to eternity, he would sin 
 there also, unless he were changed. 
 There is, therefore, need of the blood 
 of the atonement and of the agency 
 of the Holy Ghost, that an infant may 
 be saved. (8.) The facts here stated 
 accord with all the analogy in the mo 
 ral government of God. The drunk 
 ard secures as a result commonly, 
 that his family will be reduced to 
 beggary, want, and wo. A pirate, or 
 a traitor, wiH whelm not himself only, 
 but his family in ruin. Such is the 
 great law or constitution on which 
 society is now organized ; and we are 
 not to be surprised that the same 
 principle occurred in the primary or 
 ganization of human affairs. (9.) As 
 this is the fact every where, the 
 analogy disarms all objections which 
 have been made against the scriptu 
 ral statements of the effects of the 
 sin of Adam. If just note, it was 
 just then. If it exists now, it existed 
 then. (10.) The doctrine should be 
 left, therefore, simply as it is in the 
 Scriptures. It is there the simple 
 statement of a fact, without any at 
 tempt at explanation. That fact ac 
 cords with all that we see and feel. It 
 a great principle in the constitution 
 of things, that the conduct of one man 
 may pass over in its effects on others, 
 
 i 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 20 Moreover, a the law enter 
 ed, that the offence might abound. 
 
 a Jno.15.22. c.7.8-13. Gal.3.19. 
 
 But where sin abounded, grace 
 did much more * abound ; 
 
 6Jno.10.10. lTim.1.14. 
 
 mnd have an influence on their happi 
 ness. The simple fact in regard to 
 Adam is, that he sinned ; and that such 
 is the organization of the great society 
 of which he was the head and father, 
 that his sin has secured as a certain 
 result that all the race will be sinners 
 also. Hoiv this is, the Bible has not 
 explained. It is a part of a great system 
 of things. That it is unjust no man can 
 prove, for none can show that any sin 
 ner suffers more than he deserves. That 
 it is -wise is apparent, for it is attended 
 with numberless blessings. It is con 
 nected with all the advantages that grow 
 out of the social organization. Tne race 
 might have been composed of independ 
 ent individuals, where the conduct of 
 an individual, good or evil, might have 
 affected no one but himself. But then 
 society would have been impossible. All 
 the benefits of organization into families, 
 and communities, and nations would 
 have been unknown. Man would have 
 lived alone; wept alone ; rejoiced alone ; 
 died alone. There woujd have been no 
 sympathy; no compassion; no mutual 
 aid. God has therefore grouped the 
 race into separate communities. He 
 nas organized society. He has consti 
 tuted families, tribes, clans, nations; 
 and though on the general principle 
 the conduct of one may whelm another 
 in misery, yet the union, the grouping, 
 the constitution, is the source of most 
 of the blessings which man enjoys in 
 this life, and may be of numberless 
 mercies in regard to that which is to 
 come. If it was the organization on 
 which the race might be plunged into 
 ein, it is also the organization on which 
 it may be raised to life eternal. If, on 
 the one hand, it may be abused to pro 
 duce misery, it may, on the other, be 
 improved to the advancement of peace, 
 sympathy, friendship, prosperity, salva 
 tion. At all events, such is the organi 
 zation in common life and in religion, 
 and it becomes man not to murmur, 
 but to act on it, and to endeavour, by 
 
 the tender mercy of God, to turn it to 
 his welfare here and hereafter. As by 
 this organization, through Adam, he 
 has been plunged into sin, so by the 
 same organization, he shall, through 
 " the second Adam," rise to life, and 
 ascend to the skies. 
 
 20. Moreover. But. What is said 
 in this verse and the following, seema 
 designed to meet the Jew, who might 
 pretend that the law of Moses was 
 intended to meet the evils of sin 
 introduced by Adam and therefore 
 that the scheme defended by the apos 
 tle was unnecessary. He therefore 
 shows them that the effect of the law of 
 Moses was to increase rather than to 
 diminish the sins which had been in 
 troduced into the world. And if such 
 was the fact, it could not be plead that it 
 was adapted to overcome the acknow 
 ledged evils of the apostasy. ^ The 
 law. The Mosaic laws and institutions. 
 The word seems to be used here to de 
 note all the laws which were given in 
 the Old Testament. 1 Entered. This 
 word usually means to enter secretly 
 or surreptitiously. But it appears to be 
 used here simply in the sense that the 
 law came in, or was given. It came in 
 addition to, or it supervened the state 
 before Moses, when men were living 
 without a revelation. ^ That sin, &c. 
 The word " that" (iW) in this place 
 does not mean that it was the design 
 of giving the law that sin might 
 abound or be increased, but that such 
 was in fact the effect. It had this ten 
 dency, not to restrain or subdue sin, 
 but to excite and increase it. That the 
 word has this sense may be seen in 
 the lexicons. The way in which the 
 law produces this effect is stated more 
 fully by the apostle in ch. vii. 7 11. 
 The law expresses the duty of man ; it 
 is spiritual and holy ; it is opposed to 
 the guilty passions and pleasures of 
 the world; and it thus excites oppo 
 sition, provokes to anger, and is the 
 occasion by which sin is railed into 
 
2 1 That as sin hath reigned 
 unto teath, even so might grace" 
 
 ROMANS. [A.D. 60. 
 
 reign through righteousness, un 
 to eternal life, by Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. 
 
 exercise, and shows itself in the heart. 
 All law, wnere there is a disposition 
 to Jo wrong, has this tendency. A 
 joramand given to a child that is dis 
 posed to indulge his passions, only 
 tends to excite anger and opposition. 
 If the heart was holy, and there was a 
 disposition to do right, law would have 
 no such tendency. See this subject 
 further illustrated in the Notes on ch. 
 vii. 7 11. H The offence. The of 
 fence which had been introduced by 
 Adam; i.e. sin. Comp. ver. 15. ^ Might 
 abound. Might increase ; that is, would 
 be more apparent, more violent, more 
 extensive. The introduction of the 
 Mosaic law, instead of diminishing the 
 sins of men, only increases them. 
 ^ But tvhere sin abounded. Alike in 
 all dispensations before the law, and 
 under the law. In all conditions of the 
 human family before the gospel, it was 
 the characteristic that sin was preva 
 lent. \ Grace. Favour; mercy. *J Did 
 much more abound. Superabounded. 
 The word is used nowhere else in the 
 New Testament, except in 2 Cor. vii. 
 4. It means that the pardoning mercy 
 of the gospel greatly triumphed over 
 ein, even over the sins of the Jews, 
 though those sins were greatly aggra 
 vated by the light which they enjoyed 
 under the advantages of divine revela 
 tion. 
 
 21. That as sin hath reigned. Note, 
 ve>. 14. ^ Unto death. Producing or 
 causing death. T Even so. In like 
 manner, also. The provisions of re 
 demption are in themselves ample to 
 meet all the ruins of the fall. H Might 
 %-race reign. Might mercy be tri 
 umphant. See John i. 17, " Grace and 
 (ruth came by Jesus Christ." ^ Through 
 righteousness. Through, or by means 
 of, God s plan of justification. Note, 
 ch. i. 17. 1 Unto eternal life. This 
 stands opposed to " death" in the for 
 mer part of the verse, and shows that 
 there the apostle had reference to eter 
 nal death. The result of God s plan 
 
 of justification shall be to produce ttr~- 
 nal life. The triumphs of the gospel 
 here celebrated cannot refer to the 
 number of the subjects, for it has not 
 actually freed all men from the domi 
 nion of sin. But the apostle refers to 
 the fact that the gospel is able to over 
 come sin of the most malignant form, 
 of the most aggravated character, of the 
 longest duration. Sin in all dispensa 
 tions and states of things can be thus 
 overcome ; and the gospel is more than 
 sufficient to meet all the evils of the 
 apostasy, and to raise up the race to 
 heaven. 
 
 This chapter is a most precious por 
 tion of divine revelation. It brings into 
 view the amazing evils which have re 
 sulted from the apostasy. The apostle 
 does not attempt to deny or palliate 
 those evils ; he admits them fully ; ad 
 mits them in their deepest, widest, most 
 melancholy extent ; just as the physi 
 cian admits the extent and ravages of 
 the disease which he hopes to cure. At 
 the same time,-Christianity is not re 
 sponsible for those evils. It did not intro 
 duce them. It finds them in existence, 
 as a matter of sober and melancholy 
 fact pertaining to all the race. Chris 
 tianity is no more answerable for the 
 introduction and extent of sin, than the 
 science of medicine is responsible for 
 the introduction and extent of disease. 
 Like that science, it finds a state of 
 wide-spread evils in existence; and like 
 that science, it is strictly a remedial 
 system. And whether true or false, 
 still the evils of sin exist, just as the 
 evils of disease exist, whether the sci 
 ence of medicine be well-founded or 
 not. Nor does it make any difference 
 in the existence of these evils, whether 
 Christianity be true or false. If the 
 Bible could be proved to be an imposi 
 tion, it would not prove that men are 
 not sinners. If the whole work of 
 Christ could be shown to be impos 
 ture, still it would annihilate no sin, 
 nor would it prove that man has not 
 
. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 131 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 shall we say then ? 
 Shall a we continue in sin 
 that grace may abound? 
 
 2 God forbid. How shall we, 
 that are dead * to sin, live any 
 longer therein ? 
 
 a c.3.8. b Ter.16.11. Co..3.3. lPet.2.24. 
 
 fallen. The fact would still remain 
 a fact certainly quite as universal, and 
 quite as melancholy, as it is under the 
 admitted truth of the Christian revela 
 tion and a fact which the infidel is jus 
 as much concerned to account for as 
 is the Christian. Christianity proposes 
 a remedy ; and it is permitted to the 
 Christian to rejoice that that remedy is 
 ample to meet all the evils ; that it is 
 just fitted to recover our alienated 
 world ; and that it is destined yet to 
 raise the race up to life, and peace, 
 and heaven. In the provisions of that 
 scheme we may and should triumph ; 
 and on the same principle as we may 
 rejoice in the triumph of medicine over 
 disease, so may we triumph in the as 
 cendency of the Christian plan over all 
 the evils of the fall. And while Chris 
 tians thus rejoice, the infidel, the deist, 
 the pagan, and the scoffer shall contend 
 with these evils which their systems 
 cannot alleviate or remove, and sink 
 under the chilly reign of sin and death ; 
 just as men pant, and struggle, and 
 expire under the visitations of disease, 
 because they will not apply the proper 
 remedies of medicine, but choose rather 
 to leave themselves to its unchecked 
 ravages, or to use all the nostrums of 
 quackery in a vain attempt to arrest 
 evils which are coming upon them. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE argument commenced in this 
 chapter is continued through the two 
 following. The general design is the 
 same to show that the scheme of jus 
 tification which God had adopted 
 does not lead men to sin, but on the 
 contrary to holiness. This is intro 
 duced by answering an objection, ch. 
 vi. 1. The apostle pursues this subject 
 by various arguments and illustrations, 
 all tending to show that the design and 
 bearing of the scheme of justification 
 was to produce the hatred of sin, and the 
 love and practice of holiness. In this 
 
 chapter, the argument is mainly drawn 
 from the following sources : (1.) From 
 the baptism of Christians, by which they 
 have professed to be dead to sin, and 
 to be bound to live to God. ver, 2 13, 
 (2.) From the fact that they were now 
 the servants of God, and under obliga 
 tion, by the laws of servitude, to obey 
 him. ver. 1520. (3.) From their 
 former experience of the evil of sin, 
 from its tendency to produce misery 
 and death, and from the fact that 
 by the gospel they had been made 
 ashamed of those things, and had now 
 given themselves to the pure service of 
 God. By these various considerations, 
 he repels the charge that the tendency 
 of the doctrine was to produce licen 
 tiousness, but affirms that it was a sys 
 tem of purity and peace. The argu 
 ment is continued in the two following 
 chapters, showing still further the puri 
 fying tendency of the gospel. 
 
 1. What shall we say then ? This 
 is a mode of presenting an objection. 
 The objection refers to what the apos 
 tle had said in ch. v. 20. What shall 
 we say to such a sentiment as tha 
 where sin abounded grace did much 
 more abound 1 f Shall we continue 
 in sin ? &c. If sin has been the occa 
 sion of grace and favour, ought we not 
 to continue in it, and commit as much 
 as possible, in order that grace might 
 abound? This objection the apostle 
 proceeds to answer. He shows that 
 the consequence does not follow ; and 
 proves that the doctrine of justification 
 does not lead to it. 
 
 2. God forbid. By no means. 
 Greek, It may not be. Note, ch. iii. 4. 
 The expression is a strong denial of 
 what is implied in the objection in ver," 
 f How shall we, &c. This con- 
 ;ains a reason of the implied statement 
 of the apostle, that we should not con 
 tinue in sin. The reason is drawn 
 from the fact that we are dead in fa - 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A.D 60. 
 
 3 Know ye not, that so many 
 of us as were 1 baptized into Je- 
 
 to sin. It is impossible for those who 
 are dead to act as if they were alive. 
 Tt is just as absurd to suppose that a 
 Christian should desire to live in sin 
 as that a dead man should put forth 
 ihe actions of life. If That are dead 
 to nn. That is, all Christians. To be 
 dead to a thing is a strong expression 
 denoting that it has no influence over 
 us. A man that is dead is uninfluenced 
 and unaffected by the affairs of this life. 
 He is insensible to sounds, and tastes, 
 and pleasures ; to the hum of business, 
 to the voice of friendship, and to all the 
 scenes of commerce, gayety, and ambi 
 tion. When it is said, therefore, that 
 a Christian is dead to gin, the sense is, 
 that it has lost its influence over him ; 
 he is not subject to it ; he is in regard 
 to that, as the man in the grave is to 
 the buey scenes and cares of this life. 
 The expression is not infrequent in the 
 New Testament. Gal. i). 19, " For I 
 .... am dead to the law." Col. iii. 3, 
 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid 
 with Christ in God." 1 Pet. ii. 24, 
 
 "Who. ...bare our sins that we, 
 
 being dead to sin," &c. The apostle 
 does not here attempt to prove that 
 Christians are thus dead, nor to state 
 in what way they become so. He as 
 sumes the fact without argument. All 
 Christians are thus in fact dead to sin. 
 They do not live to sin ; nor has sin 
 dominion over them. The expression 
 used here by the apostle is common in 
 all languages. We familiarly speak of 
 a man s being dead to sensual pleasures, 
 to ambition, &c. to denote that they 
 have lost their influence over him. 
 ^ Live any longer therein. How shall 
 we, who have become sensible of the 
 evil of sin, and who have renounced it 
 .by solemn profession, continue to prac 
 tise it? It is therefore abhorrent to 
 the very nature of the Christian pro 
 fession. It is remarkable that the apos 
 tle did not attempt to argue the ques 
 tion on metaphysical principles. He 
 Jid not attempt to show by abstruse 
 
 sus Christ were baptized into 
 his death ? 
 
 argument that this consequence did not 
 follow ; but he appeals at once to Chris 
 tian feeling, and shows that the suppo 
 sition is abhorrent to that. To convince 
 the great mass of men, such an appea] 
 is far better than laboured metaphysical 
 argumentation. All Christians can un 
 derstand that ; but few would compre 
 hend an abstruse speculation. The best 
 way to silence objections is, sometimes, 
 to show that they violate the feelings 
 of all Christians, and that therefore the 
 objection must be wrong. 
 
 3. Knoto ye not. This is a further 
 appeal to the Christian profession, and 
 the principles involved in it, in answer 
 to the objection. The simple argument 
 in this verse and the two following is, 
 that by our very profession made in 
 baptism, we have renounced sin, and 
 have pledged ourselves to live to God. 
 If So many of us, &c. All who were 
 baptized ; i. e. all professing Christians. 
 As this renunciation of sin had been 
 thus made by all who professed reli 
 gion, so the objection could not have 
 reference to Christianity in any man 
 ner. ^ Were baptized. The act of 
 baptism denotes dedication to the ser 
 vice of him in whose name we are 
 baptized. One of its designs is to dedi 
 cate or consecrate us to the service 
 of Christ. Thus (1 Cor. x. 2) the Is 
 raelites are said to have been " baptized 
 unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea ;" 
 i. e. they became consecrated, or dedi 
 cated, or bound to him as their leader 
 and lawgiver. In the place before us, 
 the argument of the apostle is evidently 
 drawn from the supposition that we 
 have been solemnly consecrated by bap 
 tism to the service of Christ ; and that 
 to sin is therefore a violation of the 
 very nature of our Christian profession. 
 t Into (c). This is the word which 
 is used in Matt, xxviii. 19, "Teach all 
 nations, baptizing them into ( ?) the 
 name of the Father," &c. It means> 
 being baptized unto his service ; receiv 
 ing him as the Saviour and guide, de- 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 4 Therefore we are buried a 
 with him by baptism into death ; 
 that like b as Christ was raised 
 
 a Col.2.12. lPet.3.21. b c.8.11. 2Cor.l3.4. 
 
 voting all unto him and his cause. 
 ^ Were baptized unto his death. We 
 were baptized with special reference to 
 his death. Our baptism had a strong 
 resemblance to his death. By that he 
 became insensible to the things of the 
 world ; by baptism we in like manner 
 become dead to sin. Farther, we are 
 baptized with particular reference to 
 the design of his death, the great lead 
 ing feature and purpose of his work. 
 That was, to expiate sin ; to free men 
 from its power ; to make them pure. 
 We have professed our devotion to the 
 same cause ; and have solemnly conse 
 crated ourselves to the same design 
 to put a period to the dominion of ini 
 quity. 
 
 4. Therefore tve are buried, &c. 
 It is altogether probable that the apos 
 tle in this place had allusion to the cus 
 tom of baptizing by immersion. This 
 cannot, indeed, be proved, so as to be 
 liable to no objection : but I presume 
 that this is the idea which would strike 
 the great mass of unprejudiced readers. 
 But while this is admitted, it is also 
 certain that his main scope and inten 
 tion was not to describe the mode of 
 japtism ; nor to affirm that that mode 
 was to be universal. The design was 
 very different. It was to show that 
 by the solemn profession made at 
 our baptism, we had become dead to 
 sin, as Christ -was dead to the living 
 world around him -when he -was buried,- 
 and that as he was raised up to life, so 
 we should also rise to a new life. A 
 similar expression occurs in Col. ii. 12, 
 ** Buried with him in baptism," &c. 
 1 Into death (K). Unto death ; i. e. 
 with a solemn purpose to be dead to 
 sin and to the world. Grotius and 
 Doddridge, however, understand this 
 as referring to the death of Christ in 
 order to represent the death of Christ 
 or to bring us into a kind of fellowship 
 with his death. [ That like at. In a 
 similar manner. Christ rose from death 
 
 up from the dead by e the glory 
 of the Father, even so we also 
 should walk in newness d of life 
 
 c Matt.28.2,3. d Gal.6.15. Eph.4.22-24. Uno.2.6. 
 
 in the sepulchre ; and so we are bound 
 by our vows at baptism to rise to a holy 
 life. 1 By the glory of the Father. 
 Perhaps this means, amidst the glory, 
 the majesty and wonders evinced by 
 the Father when he raised him up. 
 Matt, xxviii. 2, 3. Or possibly the 
 word glory is here used to denote 
 simply his power, as the resurrection 
 was a signal and glorious display of 
 his omnipotence. ^ Even so. As he 
 rose to new life, so should we. As he 
 rose from death, so we, being made 
 dead to sin and the world by that re 
 ligion whose profession is expressed by 
 baptism, should rise to a new life, a life 
 of holiness. 1 Should -walk. Should 
 live, or conduct. The word -walk is 
 often used to express the course of a 
 man s life, or the tenor of his conduct. 
 Note, ch. iv. 12; viii. 1. 1 Cor. v. 7; 
 x. 3. Eph. ii. 10 ; iv. 1, &c. \ In new 
 ness of life. This is a Hebraism to 
 denote new life. We should rise with 
 Christ to a new life ; and having been 
 made dead to sin, as he was dead in 
 the grave, so should we rise to a holy 
 life, as he rose from the grave. The 
 argument in this verse is, therefore, 
 drawn from the nature of the Christian 
 profession. By our very baptism, by 
 our very profession, we have becom 
 dead to sin, as Christ became dead ; 
 and being devoted to him by that bap 
 tism, we are bound to rise as he did to 
 a new life. 
 
 While it is admitted that the allusion 
 here was probably to the custom of im 
 mersion in baptism, yet the passage 
 cannot be adduced as an argument that 
 that is the only mode, or that it is bind 
 ing on all Christians in all places and 
 ages, for the following reasons: (1.) 
 The scope or design of the apostle is 
 not to discuss the mode of baptism, or 
 to state any doctrine on the subject. It 
 is an incidental allusion in the course 
 of an argument, without stating or im 
 plying that this was the universal mud 
 
134 
 
 5 Fur if 8 we have been plant 
 ed together in the likeness of his 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 death; we shall be also in the 
 likeness of his resurrection 
 
 even then, still less that it was the 
 only possible mode. His main design 
 was to state the obligation of Chris 
 tians to be holy, from the nature of 
 their profession at baptism an obliga- 
 ion just as impressive, and as forcible, 
 from the application of water in any 
 other moJe as by immersion. It arises 
 from the fact of baptism, not from the 
 mode. It is just as true that they who 
 are baptized by affusion, or by sprink 
 ling, are baptized into his death ; be 
 come professedly dead to sin and the 
 world, and under obligations to live to 
 God, as those who are immersed. It 
 results from the nature of the ordi 
 nance, not from the mode. (2.) If this 
 was the mode commonly, it does not 
 follow that it was the only mode, nor 
 that it was to be universally observed. 
 Th<re is no command that this should 
 be the only mode. And the simple fact 
 that it was usually practised in a warm 
 climate, where ablutions were common, 
 does not prove that it is to be observed 
 amidst polar snows and ice, and in in 
 fancy, and age, and feebleness, and 
 sickness. See Note on Acts viii. 38, 
 39. (3.) If this is to be pressed lite 
 rally as a matter of obligation, why 
 should not also the following expres 
 sion, " If we have been planted toge 
 ther, &c. be pressed literally, and it 
 be demanded that Christians should 
 somehow be " planted" as well as " bu 
 ried"? Such an interpretation only 
 shows the absurdity of insisting on a 
 literal interpretation of the Scriptures 
 in cases of simple allusion, or where 
 the main scope is illustration by figu 
 rative language. 
 
 5. For if -we have been planted to 
 gether. The word here used (fJ*- 
 
 , does not elsewhere occur in the 
 New Testament. It properly means 
 sown or planted at the same time ; that 
 which sprouts or springs up together ; 
 and is applied to plants and trees that 
 are planted at the same time, and that 
 
 sprout and grow together. Thus the 
 name would be given to a field of grain 
 that was sown at the same time, and 
 where the grain sprung up and grew 
 simultaneously. Hence it means inti 
 mately connected, or joined together. 
 And here it denotes that Christians and 
 the Saviour have been united intimate 
 ly in regard to death ; as he died and 
 was laid in the grave, so have they by 
 profession died to sin. And it is there 
 fore natural to expect, that, like grain 
 sown at the same time, they should 
 grow up in a similar manner, and re 
 semble each other, f We shall be also. 
 We shall be also fellotv-plants ; i. e. 
 we shall resemble him in regard to the 
 resurrection. As he rose from the 
 grave, so shall we rise from sin. As 
 he lived a neiv life, being raised up, so 
 shall we live a new life. The propriety 
 of this figure is drawn from the doc 
 trine often referred to in the New Tes 
 tament, of a union between Christ and 
 his people. See this explained in the 
 Notes on John xv. 1 10. The senti 
 ment here inferred is but an illustra 
 tion of what was said by the Saviour 
 (John xiv. 19), "Because I live, ye 
 shall live also." There is perhaps not 
 to be found a more beautiful illustra 
 tion than that employed here by the 
 apostle of seed sown together in the 
 earth, sprouting together, growing toge 
 ther, and ripening together for the bar 
 est. Thus the Saviour and his people 
 are united together in his death, start 
 p to life together in his resurrection, 
 and are preparing together for the same 
 larvest of glory in the heavens. 1| In 
 .he likeness of his resurrection. This 
 Joes not mean that we shall resemble 
 :iim when we are raised up at the last 
 day which may be, however, true 
 )Ut that our rising from sin will resem- 
 )le his resurrection from trr * ivt. As 
 rose rom the tomb ana lived, so 
 shall we rise from sin and live a new 
 ife 
 
D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 6 Knowing this, that our old 
 nan is crucified with him, that 
 the body a of sin might be de- 
 
 6. Knowing this. We all knowing 
 this. All Christians are supposed to 
 know this. This is a new illustration 
 drawn from the fact that by his cruci 
 fixion our corrupt nature has been cru 
 cified also, or put to death ; and that 
 thus we should be free from the servi 
 tude of sin. ^ Our old man. This 
 expression occurs also in Eph. iv. 22, 
 " That ye put off. . . .the old man which 
 is corrupt according to the deceitful 
 lusts." Col. iii. 9, " Lie not to one an 
 other, seeing that ye have put off the 
 old man with his deeds." From these 
 passages it is evident that Paul uses the 
 expression to denote our sinful and cor 
 rupt nature; the passions and evil pro 
 pensities that exist before the heart is 
 renewed. It refers to the love of sin, 
 the indulgence of sinful propensities, 
 in opposition to the new disposition 
 which exists after the soul is converted, 
 and which is called " the new man." 
 t Is crucified. Is put to death, as if 
 on a cross. In this expression there is 
 a personification of the corrupt pro 
 pensities of our nature represented as 
 " our old man," our native disposition, 
 &c. The figure is here carried out, and 
 this old man, this corrupt nature, is re 
 presented as having been put to death 
 in an agonizing and torturing manner. 
 The pains of crucifixion were perhaps 
 the most torturing of any that the hu 
 man frame could bear. Death in this 
 manner was most lingering and dis 
 tressing. And the apostle here by the 
 expression " is crucified" doubtless re 
 fers to the painful and protracted strug 
 gle which every one goes through when 
 his evil propensities are subdued ; when 
 his corrupt nature is slain ; and when, 
 a converted sinner, he gives himself up 
 to God. Sin dies within him, and he 
 becomes dead to the world, and to sin ; 
 " for as by the cross death is most lin 
 gering and severe, so that corrupt na- 
 *ure is not subdued but by anguish." 
 All who have been born 
 
 stroyed, that henceforth we 
 should not serve sin. 
 
 again can enter into this description. 
 They remember " the wormwood and 
 the gall." They remember the anguish 
 of conviction ; the struggle of coi- 
 rupt passion for the ascendency ; the 
 dying convulsions of sin in the heart ; 
 the long and lingering conflict before 
 it was subdued, and the soul became 
 submissive to God. Nothing will bet 
 ter express this than the lingering ago 
 ny of crucifixion : and the argument 
 of the apostle is, that as sin has pro 
 duced such an effect, and as the Chris 
 tian is now free from its embrace and 
 its power, he will live to God. t With 
 him. The word " with" (<ruv) here is 
 joined to the verb " is crucified," and 
 means " is crucified as he was." ^ That 
 the body of sin. This expression doubt 
 less means the same as that which he 
 had just used, " our old man." But 
 why the term bo dy is used, has been a 
 subject in which interpreters have not 
 been agreed. Some say that is a He 
 braism, denoting mere intensity or em 
 phasis. Some, that it means the same 
 as flesh, i. e. denoting our sinful pro 
 pensities and lusts. Grotius thinks that 
 the term " body" is elegantly attributed 
 to sin because the body of man is made 
 up of many members joined together 
 compactly, and sin also consists of nu 
 merous vices and evil propensities join 
 ed compactly, as it were, in one body. 
 But the expression is evidently merely 
 another form of conveying the idea 
 contained in the phrase " our old man" 
 a personification of sin as if it had a 
 iving form, and as if it had been put to 
 death on a cross. It refers to the moral 
 destruction of the power of sin in the 
 aeart by the gospel, and not to any 
 physical change in the nature or facul 
 ties of the soul. Compare Col. ii. 1 1 
 Jllight be destroyed. Might be put 
 to death ; might become inoperative 
 and powerless. Sin becomes enervated, 
 weakened, and finally annihilated, by 
 the work of the cross, f We shon/. i 
 
136 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 7 For he that is dead is 
 freed from sin. 
 
 8 Now if we be dead with 
 
 a lPet.4.1. justified. 
 
 Christ, we believe that we shall 
 also live with him : 
 
 9 Knowing that Christ, * be- 
 
 not serve. Should not be the slave of 
 sin (tfsi/Ajy iflr). That we should not be 
 subject to its control. The sense is, 
 that before this we were slaves of sin 
 (comp. ver. 17), but that now we are 
 made free from this bondage, because 
 the moral death of sin has freed us 
 from it. T[ Sin. Sin is here personified 
 as a master that had dominion over 
 us, but is now dead. 
 
 7. For he that is dead. This is evi 
 dently an expression having a prover 
 bial aspect, designed to illustrate the 
 sentiment just expressed. The Rabbins 
 had an expression similar to this, 
 " When one is dead he is free from 
 commands." (Grotius.~) So says Paul, 
 when a man dies he is exempt from the 
 power and dominionof his master,of him 
 who reigned over him. The Christian 
 had been subject to sin before his con 
 version. But he has now become dead 
 to it. And as when a servant dies, he 
 ceases to be subject to the control of 
 his master, so the Christian being now 
 dead to sin, on the same principle, 
 is released from the control of his 
 former master, sin. The idea is con 
 nected with ver. 6, where it is said that 
 we should not be the slaves of sin any 
 more. The reason of this, is assigned 
 here where it is said that we are freed 
 from it as a slave is freed when he dies. 
 Of course, the apostle here is saying 
 nothing of the future world. His 
 whole argument has respect to the state 
 of the Christian here; to his being 
 freed from the bondage of sin. It is 
 evident that he who is not freed from 
 this bondage here, will not be in the 
 future world. But the argument of the 
 apostle has no bearing on that point. 
 If In freed. Greek, Is justified. The 
 word here is used clearly in the sense 
 of setting at liberty, or destroying the 
 po-wer or dominion. The word is often 
 used in this sense. Comp. Acts xiii. 
 38, 39. Comp. a similar expression in 
 1 Pet. iv. 1, "He that hath suffered 
 
 in the flesh hath ceased from sin." 
 The design of the apostle is not to say 
 that the Christian is perfect, but that 
 sin has ceased to have dominion orei 
 him, as a master ceases to have power 
 over a slave when he is dead. That 
 dominion may be broken, so that the 
 Christian may not be a slave to sin, 
 and yet he may be conscious of many 
 failings and of much imperfection. See 
 ch. vii. 
 
 8 1 1 . This passage is a confirma 
 tion and illustration of what the apostle 
 had said before, ver. 5 7. The argu 
 ment is, that as Christ was once dead 
 but now lives to God, and will no more 
 die, so we, being dead to sin, but living 
 unto God, should not obey sin, but 
 should live only to God. 
 
 8. J\"oiv if -we be dead -with Christ. 
 If we Se dead in a manner similar to 
 what he was ; if we are made dead 
 to sir by his work, as he was dead in 
 the g.ave. See Note, ver. 4. \ We be 
 lieve. All Christians. It is an article 
 of our faith. This does not refer to 
 the future world so much as to the pre 
 sent. It becomes an article of our be 
 lief that we are to live with Christ 
 1 That -we shall also live -with him. 
 This does not refer primarily to the 
 resurrection, and to the future state, 
 but to the present. We hold it as an 
 article of our faith, that tve shall be 
 alive -with Christ. As he was raised 
 up from death, so we shall be raised 
 from the death of sin. As he lives, so 
 we shall live in holiness. We are 
 in fact raised up here, and, as it were, 
 made alive to him. This is not confined, 
 however, to the present life, but as 
 Christ lives for ever, so the apostle goes 
 on to show that toe shall. 
 
 9. Knowing. As we all know. This 
 is assumed as an undoubted article of 
 belief. ^ Dieth no more. Will never 
 die again. He will have occasion tc 
 make no other atonement for sin; for 
 that which he has made is sufficient 
 
A. D. CO.] 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 ing raised from the dead, dieth 
 no more ; death hath no more 
 dominion over him. 
 
 10 For in that he died, he 
 died a unto sin once : but in that 
 he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
 
 11 Likewise reckon ye also 
 
 for all. He is beyond the dominion of 
 death, and will live for ever. Rev. i. 18, 
 " I am he that liveth and was dead, and 
 behold I am alive for evermore." This 
 is not only a consolation to the Chris 
 tian, but it is an argument why he 
 should be holy. ^ No more dominion. 
 No rule ; no lordship ; no power. He 
 is free from its influence; and the king 
 of terrors cannot reach his throne. 
 Comp. Heb. ix. 2528 ; x. 12. 
 
 10. For in that he died. For in 
 respect to the design of his death. ^ He 
 died unto sin. His death had respect 
 to sin. The design of his death was to 
 destroy sin ; to make an atonement for 
 it, and thus to put it away. As his 
 death was designed to effect this, so it 
 follows that Christians being baptized 
 into his death, and having it as their 
 object to destroy sin, should not indulge 
 in it. The whole force of the motive, 
 therefore, drawn from the death of 
 Christ, is to induce Christians to for 
 sake sin. Comp. 2 Cor. v. 15, "And 
 that he died for all, that they which 
 live should not henceforth live unto 
 themselves, but unto him which died 
 for them and rose again." Tf Once 
 (iqaTra.g ). Once only; once for all. 
 This is an adverb denying a repetition 
 (Schleusner), and implies that it will 
 not be done again. Comp. Heb. vii. 
 ~7; ix. 12; x. 10. The argument of 
 the apostle rests much on this, that his 
 death was once for all ; that it would 
 not be repeated. 1 In that he Hveth. 
 The object, the design of his living. 
 He aims with his living power to pro 
 mote the glory of God. ^ Unto God. 
 He seeks to promote his glory. The 
 argument of Paul is this : Christians 
 by their profession are united to him. 
 They are bound to imitate him. As 
 M 2 
 
 137 
 
 6 indeed 
 
 yourselves to be dead 
 
 unto sin, but alive c unto God 
 
 through Christ Jesus our Lord 
 
 12 Let d not sin therefore 
 reign in your mortal body, that 
 ye should obey it in the lusts 
 thereof. 
 
 i ver.2 c Gal .2. 19. d Fs.19.13; 119.133 
 
 he now lives only to advance the glory 
 of God; as all his mighty power,nowthat 
 he is raised from the dead, and ele 
 vated to his throne in heaven, is exerted 
 to promote his glory ; so should their 
 powers, being raised from the death 
 of sin, be exerted to promote the glory 
 of God. 
 
 11. Like-wise. In like manner. 
 This is an exhortation drawn from the 
 argument in the previous verses. It 
 shows the design and tendency of the 
 Christian scheme. 1 Reckon ye your 
 selves. Judge, or esteem yourselves. 
 T To be dead indeed unto sin. So 
 that sin shall have no influence or 
 control over you, any more than the 
 objects of this world have over the dead 
 in their graves. See Note, ver. 2. 
 Tf But alive unto God. Bound to live 
 to promote his glory ; to make this the 
 great and sole object of your living. 
 If Through Jesus Christ. By means 
 of the death, and resurrection, and ex 
 ample of Jesus Christ. The apostle 
 regards all our disposition to live to 
 God as resulting from the work of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 12. Let not sin therefore. This is a 
 conclusion drawn from the previous 
 train of reasoning. The result of all 
 these considerations is, that sin should 
 not be suffered to reign in us. ^ Jleign. 
 Have dominion ; obtain the ascendency, 
 or rule. Tf In your mortal body. In 
 you. The apostle uses the word "mor 
 tal" here, perhaps, for these reasons, 
 (1.) To remind them of the tendency 
 of the flesh to sin and corruption, as 
 equivalent to "fleshly," since the Jlesh 
 is often used to denote evil passions 
 and desires (comp. ch. vii. 5. 23: 
 viii. 3. 6) ; and (2.) To remind them 
 of their -weakness, as thn body \vas 
 
J38 ROMANS. 
 
 13 Neither yield ye your 
 members as instruments * of 
 unrighteousness unto sin: but 
 yield b yourselves unto God, as 
 those that are alive from the 
 dead, and your members as in- 
 
 a Co!.3.5. i armt, or, weapon*. b c.12.1. 
 
 LA. D. 60. 
 
 struments of righteousness unto 
 God. 
 
 14 For sin shall not have 
 dominion over you : for ye are 
 not under the law, but under 
 grace. 
 
 mortal, was soon to decay, and was 
 therefore liable to be overcome by 
 temptation. Perhaps, also, he had his 
 eye on thefol/y of suffering the "mor 
 tal body" to overcome the immortal 
 mind, and to bring it into subjection to 
 sin and corruption. ^ That ye should 
 obey it. That sin should get such an 
 ascendency as to rule entirely over 
 you, and make you the slave. \ 2u 
 the lusts thereof. In its desires, or 
 propensities. 
 
 13. Neither yield ye your members. 
 Do not give up, or devote, or employ 
 your members, &c. The word mem 
 bers here refers to the members of the 
 body the hands, feet, tongue, &c. It 
 is a specification of what in ver. 12 
 is included under the general term 
 " body." See ch. vii. 5. 23. 1 Cor. vi. 
 15 ; xii. 12. 18. 20. 1 As instruments. 
 This word (OTTKA) properly signifies 
 arms, or implements of war; but it 
 also denotes an instrument of any kind 
 which we use for defence or aid. Here 
 it means that we should not devote our 
 members our hands, tongue, &c. as 
 if under the direction of sinful passions 
 and corrupt desires, to accomplish pur 
 poses of iniquity. We should not make 
 the members of our bodies the slaves 
 of sin reigning within us. T Unto sin. 
 In the service of sin ; to work iniquity. 
 T Hat yield yourselves, &c. Give or 
 devote yourselves to God. ^ That are 
 ahve. ver. 11. Tf Jlr.d your members, 
 &.c. Christians should devote every 
 member of the body to God and to his 
 service. Their tongue should be conse 
 crated to his praise, and to the office 
 of truth, and kindness, and benevo 
 lence ; their hands should be employed 
 in useful labour for him and his cause ; 
 thnr feet should be swift in his service, 
 and should not go in the paths of ini 
 
 quity ; their eyes should contemplate 
 his works to excite thanksgiving and 
 praise; their ears should not be em 
 ployed to listen to words of deceit, or 
 songs of dangerous and licentious ten 
 dency, or to persuasion that would lead 
 astray, but should be open to catch the 
 voice of God as he utters his will in 
 -the Book of truth, or as he speaks in 
 the gale, the zephyr, the rolling thun 
 der, the ocean, or in the great events 
 of his providence. He speaks to us 
 every day, and we should hear him ; 
 he spreads his glories before us, and 
 we should survey them to praise him ; 
 he commands, and our hands, and 
 heart, and feet should obey. 
 
 14. For sin, &c. The propensity 
 or inclination to sin. ^ Shall not have 
 dominion. Shall not reign, ch. v. 12 ; 
 vi. 6. This implies that sin ought not 
 to have this dominion ; and it also ex 
 presses the conviction of the apostle 
 that it would not have this rule over 
 Christians, f For tve are not under 
 law. We who are Christians are not 
 subject to that law where sin is excited, 
 and where it rages unsubdued. But it 
 may be asked here, what is meant by this 
 declaration ? Does it mean that Chris 
 tians are absolved from all the obliga 
 tions of the law ! I answer, (1.) The 
 apostle does not affirm that Christians 
 are not bound to obey the moral la-w. 
 The whole scope of his reasoning shows 
 that he maintains that they are. The 
 whole structure of Christianity sup 
 poses the same thing. Comp. Matt. v. 
 17 19. (2.) The apostle means to 
 say that Christians are not under the 
 law as legalists, or as attempting to be 
 justified by it. They seek a different 
 plan of justification altogether: and 
 they do not attempt to be justified by 
 their own obedience. The Jews did ; 
 
A. E. (JO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 139 
 
 15 What the;i ? Shall we sin, 
 bec.ause we are not under the 
 law, but under grace ? God 
 forbid. 
 
 16 Know ye not, that to 
 
 they do not. (3.) It is implied here 
 that the effect of an attempt to be jus 
 tified by the law was, not to subdue 
 sins, but to excite them, and to lead to 
 indulgence in them. Justification by 
 works would destroy no sin, would 
 check no evil propensity, but would 
 leave a man to all the ravages and riot- 
 ings of unsubdued passion. If, there 
 fore, the apostle had maintained that 
 men were justified by works, he could 
 not have consistently exhorted them to 
 abandon their sins. He would have 
 had no powerful motives by which to 
 urge it; for the scheme would not lead 
 to it. But he here says that the Chris 
 tian was seeking justification on a plan 
 which contemplated and which accom 
 plished the destruction of sin ; and he 
 therefore infers that sin should not have 
 dominion over them. Tf But under 
 grace. Under a scheme of mercy, the 
 design and tendency of which is to 
 subdue sin, and destroy it. In what 
 way the system of grace removes and 
 destroys sin, the apostle states in the 
 following verses. 
 
 15. What then? shall -we sin, &c. 
 The apostle proceeds to notice an ob 
 jection which might be suggested. 
 If Christians are not under the law, 
 which forbids all sin, but are under 
 grace, which pardons sin, will it not 
 follow that they will feel themselves 
 released from obligation to be holy ] 
 Will they not commit sin freely, since 
 the system of grace is one which con 
 templates pardon, and which will lead 
 them to believe that they may be for 
 given to any extent V This conse 
 quence has been drawn by many pro 
 fessing Christians ; and it was well, 
 therefore, for the apostle to guard 
 against it. f God forbid. Note, ch. 
 iii. 4. 
 
 1 6. Knoio ye not, &c. The objection 
 
 whom ye a yield yourselves ser 
 vants to obey, his servants ye 
 are to whom ye obey ; whethei 
 of sin unto death, or of obedi 
 ence unto righteousness ? 
 
 aJno.8.34. 2Pet.2.19. 
 
 noticed in ver. 15, the apostle answers 
 by a reference to the known laws of 
 servitude or slavery (ver. 16 20), and 
 by showing that Christians, who had 
 been the slaves of sin, have now become 
 the servants of righteousness, and were 
 therefore bound by the proper laws of 
 servitude to obey their new master : as 
 if he had said, I assume that you 
 know; you are acquainted with the 
 laws of servitude ; you know what is 
 required in such cases/ This would 
 be known to all who had been either 
 masters or slaves, or who had observed 
 the usual laws and obligations of servi 
 tude. Tf To -whom ye yield yourselves. 
 To whom ye give up yourselves for 
 servitude or obedience. The apostle 
 here refers to voluntary servitude ; but 
 where this existed, the power of the 
 master over the time and services of 
 the servant was absolute. The argu 
 ment of the apostle is, that Christians 
 had become the voluntary servants of 
 God, and were therefore bound to obey 
 him entirely. Servitude among the 
 ancients, whether voluntary or invo 
 luntary, was rigid, and gave the master 
 an absolute right over his slave. Luke 
 xvii. 9. John viii. 34; xv. 15. ^ To 
 obey. To be obedient ; or for the pur 
 pose of obeying his commands, ^f To 
 whom ye obey. To whom ye come 
 under subjection. That is, you are 
 bound to obey his requirements. 
 1 Whether of sin. The general law 
 of servitude the apostle now applies to 
 the case before him. If men became 
 the servants of sin, if they gave them 
 selves to its indulgence, they would 
 obey it, let the consequences be what 
 they might. Even with death, and 
 ruin, and condemnation before them, 
 they would obey sin. They give in 
 dulgence to their evil passions and de 
 sires, and follow them as obedient ser* 
 
140 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 17 But God be thanked, that 
 ye were the servants of sin : but 
 ye have obeyed from the heart 
 that form a of * doctrine which 
 
 c 2Tim. 1 . 1 3. t whereto ye were delivered. 
 
 vants, even if they lead them down to 
 hell. Whatever be the consequences 
 of sin, yet he who yields to it must 
 aoide by them, even if it leads him 
 down to death and eternal wo. f Or of 
 obedience, &c. The same law exists in 
 regard to holiness or obedience. The 
 man who becomes the servant of holi 
 ness will feel himself bound by the law 
 of servitude to obey, and to pursue it 
 to its regular consequences, ^ Unto 
 righteousness. Unto justification ; that 
 is, unto eternal life. The expression 
 stands contrasted with "death," and 
 doubtless means that he who thus be 
 comes the voluntary servant of holiness 
 will feel himself bound to obey it, unto 
 compiete and eternal justification and 
 life. Comp. ver. 21, 22. The aigument 
 is drawn from what the Christian 
 would feel of the nature ot obligation. 
 He -would obey him to whom he had 
 devoted himself. 
 
 17. But God be thanked. The ar 
 gument in this verse is drawn from a 
 direct appeal to the feelings of the 
 Roman Christians themselves. From 
 their experience Paul was able to draw 
 a demonstration to his purpose, and 
 this was with him a ground of gratitude 
 to God. T That ye were, &c. The 
 sense of this passage is plain. The 
 ground of the thanksgiving was not 
 that they had been the slaves of sin ; 
 but it is, that notwithstanding this, or 
 although they had been thus, yet that 
 they were now obedient. To give 
 thanks to God that men were sinners, 
 would contradict the whole spirit of 
 this argument, and of the Bible. But 
 to give thanks that although m.en had 
 been sinners, yet that now they had be 
 come obedient ; that is, that great sin 
 ners had become converted, is in entire 
 accordance with the spirit of the Bible, 
 and \vith propriety. The word although 
 or whereas, understood here, expresses 
 Ihe sense, But thanks unto God, that 
 
 was delivered you. 
 
 18 Being then made fiee 
 from sin, ye became the ser 
 vants of righteousness. 
 
 b Jno.8.32. 
 
 whereas ye were the servants of sin, 
 &c. Christians should thank God that 
 they themselves, though once great 
 sinners, have become converted ; and 
 when others who are great sinnern are 
 converted, they should praise him. 
 Tf The servants of sin. This is a 
 strong expression implying that they 
 had been in bondage to sin ; that they 
 had been completely its slaves. ^ From 
 the heart. Not in external form only ; 
 but as a cordial, sincere, and entire ser 
 vice. No other obedience is genuine. 
 ^ That form of doctrine. Greek, Type. 
 See Note, ch. v. 14. The form or type 
 of doctrine means that shape or model 
 of instruction which was communi 
 cated. It does not differ materially from 
 the doctrine itself, "you have obeyed 
 that doctrine," &c. You have yielded 
 obedience to the instructions, the rules, 
 the tenor of the Christian revelation. 
 The word doctrine does not refer to an 
 abstract dogma, but means instruction, 
 that -which is taught. And the 
 meaning of the whole expression is 
 simply, that they had yielded a cheer 
 ful and hearty obedience to that 
 which had been communicated to them 
 by the teachers of the Christian reli 
 gion. Comp. ch. i. 8. Tf Which -was 
 delivered you. Marg. " Whereto ye 
 were delivered." This is a literal 
 translation of the Greek ; and the 
 sense is simply in which you have 
 been instructed. 
 
 18. Being then made free from sin. 
 That is, as a master. You are not un 
 der its dominion ; you are no longer 
 its slaves. They were made free, 
 as a servant is who is set at liberty, 
 and who is, therefore, no longer under 
 obligation to obey. Tf Ye became the 
 servants, &c. You became voluntarily 
 under the dominion of righteousness ; 
 you yielded yourselves to it ; and are 
 therefore bound to be holy. Comp. 
 Note, John viii. 32. 
 
V. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 141 
 
 191 speak after, the manner 
 ji men, because of the infirmity 
 of your flesh: for as ye have 
 yielded your members servants 
 to uncleanness and to iniquity, 
 unto iniquity ; even so now yield 
 
 19. I speak after the manner of men. 
 I speak as men usually speak; or I 
 draw an illustration from common life, 
 in order to make myself better under 
 stood, ^f Because of the infirmity of 
 your flesh. The word infirmity means 
 weakness, feebleness ; and is opposed to 
 vigour and strength. The \\ordjlesh is 
 used often to denote the corrupt pas 
 sions of men ; but it may refer here to 
 their intellect, or understanding ; -Be 
 cause of your imperfection of spiritual 
 knowledge ; or incapacity to discern 
 arguments and illustrations that would 
 be more strictly spiritual in their cha 
 racter. This dimness or feebleness had 
 been caused by long indulgence in sin 
 ful passions, and by the blinding in 
 fluence which such passions have on 
 the mind. The sense here is, I use an 
 illustration drawn from common affairs, 
 from the well-known relations of mas 
 ter and slave, because you will better 
 see the force of such an illustration 
 with which you have been familiar, 
 than you would one that would be more 
 abstract, and more strictly spiritual. It 
 is a kind of apology for drawing an illus 
 tration from the relation of master and 
 slave. ^ For as ye have yielded. Note, 
 ver. 13. Tf Servants to uncleanness. 
 Have been in bondage to impurity. The 
 word uncleanness here refers to impuri 
 ty of life in any form ; to the degraded 
 passions that were common among the 
 heathen. See ch. i. ^ And to iniquity. 
 Transgression of law. ^ Unto iniquity. 
 For the purpose of committing ini 
 quity. It implies that they had done it 
 in an excessive degree. It is well for 
 Christians to be reminded of their for 
 mer lives, to awaken repentance, to ex 
 cite gratitude, to produce humility and 
 a firmer purpose to live to the honour 
 >! God. This is the use which the 
 
 your members servants to right 
 eousness, unto holiness. 
 
 20 For when ye were the 
 servants a of sin, ye were free * 
 from righteousness. 
 21 What fruit b had ye then 
 
 apostle here makes of it. ^ Unto 
 holiness. In order to practise holiness, 
 Let the surrender of your members tc 
 holiness be as sincere and as unquali 
 fied as the surrender was to sin. This 
 is all that is required of Christians. 
 Before conversion they were -wholly 
 given to sin ; after conversion they 
 should be -wholly given to God. If all 
 Christians would employ the same 
 energies in advancing the kingdom of 
 God lhat they have in promoting the 
 kingdom of Satan, the church would 
 rise with dignity and grandeur, and 
 every continent and island would soon 
 feel the movement. No requirement 
 is more reasonable than this; and it 
 should be a source of lamentation and 
 mourning with Christians that it is not 
 so ; that they have employed so mighty 
 energies in the cause of Satan, and do 
 so little in the service of God. This 
 argument for energy in the divine life, 
 the apostle proceeds further to illustrate 
 by comparing the rewards obtained in 
 the two kinds of servitude, that of the 
 world, and of God. 
 
 20. Ye -were free from righteous 
 ness. That is, in your former state, 
 you were not at all under the influence 
 of righteousness. You were entirely 
 devoted to sin ; a strong expression of 
 total depravity. It settles the question ; 
 and proTes that they had no native 
 goodness. The argument which is im 
 plied here ratner than expressed is, 
 that now they ought to be equally free 
 from sin, since they had become re 
 leased from their former bondage, and 
 had become the servants of another 
 master. 
 
 21. What fruit then, &c. What 
 reward, or what advantage. This is an 
 argument drawn from the experience 
 of Christians respecting the indulgence 
 
142 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 TA. D. GO 
 
 in those things whereof ye are 
 now ashamed ? for the end of 
 those things is death. 
 
 22 But now being made free 
 from sin, and become servants to 
 God, ye have your fruit unto 
 
 ac.1.32. Ja.1.15. 
 
 of sinful passions. The question dis 
 cussed throughout this chapter is, whe 
 ther the gospel plan of justification by 
 faith leads to indulgence in sin 1 The 
 argument here is drawn from the past 
 experience which Christians have had 
 in the ways of transgression. They 
 have tried it; they know its effects; 
 they have tasted its bitterness ; they 
 /lave reaped its fruits. It is implied 
 here that having once experienced 
 these effects, and knowing the tenden 
 cy of sin, they will not indulge in it 
 now. Comp. ch. vii. 5. \ Whereof 
 ye are no-w ashamed. Having seen 
 their nature and tendency, you are now 
 ashamed of them. Comp. ch. i. Eph. 
 v. 12, " For it is a shame to speak of 
 those things which are done of them 
 in secret." 2 Cor. iv. 2. Jude 13. Phil, 
 iii. 19. Tf For the end. The tendency; 
 the result. Those things lead to death. 
 1 Is death. Note, ver. 22. 
 
 22. But no-w. Under the Christian 
 plan of justification. 1 Being made 
 free from sin. Being delivered from 
 its dominion, and from bondage ; in the 
 same manner as before conversion they 
 were free from righteousness, ver. 20. 
 H Ye have your fruit unto holiness. 
 The fruit or result is holiness. This 
 service produces holiness, as the other 
 did sin. It is implied here, though no*, 
 expressly affirmed, that in this service 
 which lead to holiness, they received 
 important benefits, as in the service of 
 sin they had experienced many evils. 
 Tf J)nd the end. The final result the 
 ultimate consequence will be. At pre 
 sent this service produces holiness ; 
 hereafter it will terminate in everlast 
 ing life. By this consideration the 
 apostle states the tendency of the plan 
 of justification, and urges on them the 
 duty of striving after holiness, f Eve*"- 
 
 holiness ; and the end, everlast 
 ing life. 
 
 23 For * the wages of sin is 
 death ; but the gift e of God is 
 eternal life, d through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
 i Gen.2.17. c c.5.17,2i. d lPet.1.4. 
 
 lasting- life. Note, John iii. 36. This 
 stands in contrast with the word death 
 in ver. 21, and shows its meaning. 
 One is just as long 1 in duration as the 
 other; and if the one is limited, the 
 other is. If those who obey shall be 
 blessed with life for ever, those who 
 disobey will be cursed with death for 
 ever. Never was there an antithesis 
 more manifest and more clear. And 
 there could not be a stronger proof that 
 the word death in ver. 21, refers not to 
 temporal death, but to eternal punish 
 ment. For what force would there be 
 in the argument on the supposition that 
 temporal death only is meant ? The 
 argument would stand thus. The end 
 of those sins is to produce temporal 
 death ; the end of holiness is to pro 
 duce eternal life ! Will not temporal 
 death be inflicted, it would be immedi 
 ately asked, at any rate 1 Are Chris 
 tians exempt from it 1 And do not men 
 suffer this, whether they become Chris 
 tians or not 1 How then could this be 
 an argument bearing on the tenor of 
 the apostle s reasoning 1 But admit the 
 fair and obvious construction of the pas 
 sage to be the true one, and it becomes 
 plain. They were pursuing a course 
 tending to everlasting ruin ; they are 
 now in a path that shall terminate in 
 eternal life. By this weighty conside 
 ration, therefore, they are urged to be 
 holy. 
 
 23. For the -wages of sin. The word 
 here translated -wages (o;^v/*) properly 
 denotes what is purchased to be eaten 
 with bread, as fish, flesh, vegetables, 
 &c. (Schleusner) ; and thence it meana 
 the pay of the Roman soldier, because 
 formerly it was the custom to pay the 
 soldier in these things. It means hence 
 that which a man earns or deserves 
 that which is his proper y ay, or what 
 
A.. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 LT1NOW ye not, brethren, (for 
 IY - I speak 
 
 CHAPTER Vli. 
 
 113 
 
 to them that know 
 
 the law,) how that the law hath 
 dominion over a man as long as 
 he liveth ? 
 
 be merits. As applied to sin, it means 
 that death is what sin deserves ; that 
 which will be its proper reward. Death 
 is thus called the wages of sin, not be 
 cause it is an arbitrary, undeserved ap 
 pointment, but, (1.) Because it is its 
 proper aesert. Not a pain will be in 
 flicted on the sinner which he does not 
 deserve. Not a sinner will die who 
 ought not to die. Sinners even in hell 
 will be treated just as they deserve to 
 be treated; and there is not to man a 
 more fearful and terrible consideration 
 than this. No man can conceive a 
 more dreadful doom than for himself to 
 be treated for ever just as he deserves 
 to be. But, (2.) This is the wages of 
 sin, because, like the pay of the soldier, 
 it is just what was threatened. Ezek. 
 xviii. 4, " The soul that sinneth, it shall 
 die." God will not inflict any thing 
 more than was threatened, and there 
 fore it is just, t Is death. This stands 
 opposed here to eternal life, and proves 
 that one is just as enduring as the 
 other. 1 But the gift of God. Not 
 the wages of man ; not that which is 
 due u him; but the mere gift and 
 mercy of God. The apostle is careful 
 to distinguish, and to specify that this is 
 not what man deserves, but that which 
 is gratuitously conferred on him. Note, 
 ver. 15. 1 Eternal life. The same 
 words which in ver. 22 are rendered 
 " everlasting life." The phrase is op 
 posed to death ; and proves incontesta- 
 bly that that means eternal death. We 
 may remark, therefore, (1.) That the 
 one will be as long as the other. 
 (2.) As there is no doubt about the 
 duration of life, so there can be none 
 about the duration of death. The one 
 will be rich, blessed, everlasting; the 
 other sad, gloomy, lingering, awful, 
 eternal. (3.) If the sinner is lost, he 
 will deserve to die. He will have his 
 reward. He will sufTer only what shall 
 te the just due of sin. He will not be 
 a inu- tyr in the cause of injured inno 
 
 cence. He will not have the coinpas 
 sion of the universe in his favour. He 
 will have no one to take his part against 
 God. He will suffer just as much, and 
 just as long, as he ought to suffer. He 
 will suffer as the culprit pines in the 
 dungeon, or as the murderer dies on 
 the gibbet, because this is the proper 
 reivard of sin. (4.) They who are 
 saved will be raised to heaven, not be 
 cause they merit it, but by the rich and 
 sovereign grace of God. All their sal 
 vation will be ascribed to him ; and 
 they will celebrate his mercy and grace 
 for ever. (5.) It becomes us, there 
 fore, to flee from the wrath to come. 
 No man is so foolish and so wicked as 
 he who is willing to reap the proper 
 wages of sin. None so blessed as he 
 who has part in the mercy of God, an<? 
 who lays hold on eternal life. 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 FEW chapters in the Bible have been 
 the subject of more decidedly different 
 interpretations than this. And after alJ 
 that has been written on it by the 
 learned, it is still made a matter of dis 
 cussion, whether the apostle has refer 
 ence in the main scope of the chapter 
 to his own experience before he became 
 a Christian ; or to the conflicts in the 
 mind of a man who is renewed. Which 
 of these opinions is the correct one I 
 shall endeavour to state in the Notes 
 on the particular verses in the chapter. 
 The main design of the chapter is not 
 very difficult t6 understand. It is, evi 
 dently, to show the insufficiency of the 
 law to produce peace of mind to a 
 troubled sinner. In the previous cliap- 
 ters he had shown that it was incapa 
 ble of producing justification, ch. i 
 iii. He had shown the way in which 
 men were justified by faith, ch. iii. 21 
 31 ; iv. He had shov/n how that 
 plan produced peace, and met the evils 
 introduced by the fall of Adam. ch. v. 
 He had showed thvt Christians wero 
 freed from the law as a matter of obli 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 2 For* the woman which hath 
 husband is bound by the law 
 
 gation, and yet that this freedom did 
 not lead to a licentious life. ch. vi. 
 And he now proceeds still further to 
 illustrate the tendency of the law on a 
 man both in a state of nature and of 
 grace ; to show that its uniform effect 
 in the present condition of man, whe 
 ther impenitent and under conviction, 
 or in a state of grace under the gospel, 
 so far from promoting peace, as the 
 Jew maintained, was to excite the mind 
 to conflict, and anxiety, and distress. 
 Nearly all the peculiar opinions of the 
 Jews the apostle had overthrown in the 
 previous argument. He here gives the 
 finishing stroke, and shows that the 
 tendency of the law, as a practical mat 
 ter, was every where the same. It was 
 riot in fact to produce peace, but agita 
 tion, conflict, distress. Yet this was 
 not the fault of the law, which was in 
 itself good, but of sin. ver. 7 24. I 
 regard this chapter as not referring ex 
 clusively to Paul in a state of nature, 
 or of grace. The discussion is con 
 ducted without particular reference to 
 that point. It is rather designed to 
 group together the actions of a man s 
 life, whether in a state of conviction for 
 sin or in a state of grace, and to show 
 that the effect of the law is every where 
 substantially the same. It equally fails 
 every -where in producing peace and 
 ganctification. The argument of the 
 Jew respecting the efficacy of the law, 
 and its sufficiency for the condition of 
 man, is thus overthrown by a succession 
 of proofs relating to justification, to par 
 don, to peace, to the evils of sin, and 
 o the agitated and conflicting moral 
 elements in man s bosom. The effect 
 is every where the same. The defi 
 ciency is apparent in regard to ALL the 
 great interests ot man. And having 
 shown this, the apostle and the reader 
 are prepared for the language of tri 
 umph and gratitude, that deliverance 
 from all these evils is to be traced to 
 tin gospel of Jesus Christ tl x e Lord, 
 cb vii. 25 ; viii 
 
 to her husband, so long 1 as he 
 liveth; but if the husband be 
 
 1. Knoio ye not. This is an appeai 
 to their own observation respecting the 
 relation ^tween husband and wife. 
 The illustration (ver. 2, 3) is designed 
 simply to show that as when a man 
 dies, and the connexion between him 
 and his wife is dissolved his law ceases 
 to be binding on her. so also a separa 
 tion has taken place between Christians 
 and the law, in which they have be 
 come dead to it, and they are not now 
 to attempt to draw their life and peace 
 from it, but from that ncto source with 
 which they Are connected by the gos 
 pel, ver. 4. \ For I speak to them, 
 &c. Probably the apostle refers here 
 more particularly to the Jewish mem 
 bers of the Roman church, who were 
 qualified particularly to understand the 
 nature of the law, and to appreciate 
 the argument. That there were many 
 Jews in the church at Rome has been 
 shown (see Introduction) ; but the il 
 lustration has no exclusive reference to 
 them. The law to which he appeals is 
 sufficiently general to make the illus 
 tration intelligible to all men. ^ That 
 the la-w. The immediate reference here 
 is probably to the Mosaic law. But 
 what is here affirmed is equally true 
 of all laws. Tf Hath dominion. Greek,, 
 Rules; exercises lordship. The law is 
 here personified, and represented as 
 setting up a lordship over a man, and 
 exacting obedience. ^ Over a man. 
 Over the man who is under it. ^ As 
 long as he liveth. The Greek here may 
 mean either "as HE liveth," or as IT 
 liveth," i. e. the law. But our transla 
 tion has evidently expressed the sense. 
 The sense is, that death releases a man 
 from the laws by which he was bound 
 in life. It is a general principle, relat 
 ing to the laws of the land, the law of 
 a parent, the law of a contract, &c, 
 This general principle the apostle pro 
 ceeds to apply in regard to the law of 
 God. 
 
 2 For the -woman. This verse is a 
 specific illustration of the general prin 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 145 
 
 dead, she is loosed from the law 
 of her husband. 
 
 3 So then, if, while a her hus 
 band liveth, she be married to 
 another man, she shall be called 
 an adulteress : but if her husband 
 be dead, she is free from that 
 
 ciple in ver. 1, that death dissolves 
 those connexions and relations which 
 make law binding in life. It is a sim 
 ple illustration ; and if this had been 
 kept in mind, it would have saved much 
 of the perplexity which has been felt 
 by many commentators, and much of 
 their wild vagaries in endeavouring to 
 show that " men are the wife, the law 
 the former husband, and Christ the 
 new one :" or that " the old man is the 
 wife, sinful desires the husband, sins 
 the children." Beza. (See Stuart.) 
 Such expositions are sufficient to hum 
 ble us, and to make us mourn over 
 the puerile and fanciful interpretations 
 which even wise and good men often 
 give to the Bible. If Is bound by the 
 law, &.c. See the same sentiment in 
 1 Cor. vii. 39. T To her husband. 
 She is united to him ; and is under his 
 authority as the head of the household. 
 To him is particularly committed the 
 headship of the family, and the wife is 
 subject to his law, in the Lord. Eph. 
 v. 22. 33. If She is loosed, &c. The 
 husband has no more authority. The 
 connexion from which obligation re 
 sulted is dissolved. 
 
 3. So then if, &c. Cornp. Matt. v. 
 32. If She shall be called. She will 
 b<j. The word used here (.^pij/KmVet) 
 is often used to denote being called by 
 an oracle, or by divine revelation. But 
 it is here employed in the simple sense 
 of being commonly called, or of being 
 so regarded. 
 
 4. Wherefore. This verse contains 
 an application of the illustration in the 
 two preceding. The idea there is, 
 that death dissolves a connexion from 
 which obligation resulted. This is the 
 ingle point of the illustration, and con 
 sequently there is no need of inquiring 
 
 N 
 
 law ; so that she is no adulteress, 
 though she be married to another 
 
 man. 
 
 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye 
 also are become dead to the law* 
 by the body of Christ : that ye 
 should be married to another, 
 
 whether by the wife the apostle meant 
 to denote the old man, or the Christian, 
 &c. The meaning is, as death dis 
 solves the connexion between a wife 
 and her husband, and of course the 
 obligation of the law resulting from 
 that connexion, so the death of the 
 Christian to the law dissolves that 
 connexion, so far as the scope of the 
 argument here is concerned, and pre 
 pares the way for another union, a 
 union with Christ, from which a new 
 and more efficient obligation results. 
 The design is to show that the new 
 connexion would accomplish more im 
 portant effects than the old. If Ye also 
 are become dead to the law. Notes, ch. 
 vi. 3, 4, 8. The connexion between us 
 and the law is dissolved, so far as the 
 scope of the apostle s argument is con 
 cerned. He does not say that we are 
 dead to it, or released from it as a rule 
 of duty, or as a matter of obligation to 
 obey it; for there neither is, nor can 
 be, any such release, but we are dead 
 to it as a way of justification and sanc- 
 tification. In the great matter of ac 
 ceptance with God, we have ceased to 
 rely on the law, having become dead 
 to it, and having embraced another 
 plan. V By the body of Christ. That 
 is, by his body crucified; or in other 
 words, by his death. Comp. Eph. 
 ii. 15, " Having abolished in his flesh 
 the enmity," &c. i. e. by his death. 
 Col. i. 22, " In the body of his flesh 
 through death," &-c. ii. 14. 1 Pet. ii. 
 24, " Who bare our sins in his own 
 body on the tree." The sense is, there 
 fore, that by the death of Christ as an 
 atoning sacrifice ; by his suffering for 
 us that which would be sufficient to 
 meet the demands of the law; by his 
 taking our place, ho has released ug 
 
146 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 even to him who is raised from the 
 dead, that we should bring forth 
 fruit a unto God. 
 
 5 For when we were in b the 
 
 b Rom.8,8,9. 
 
 from the law as a way of justification ; 
 freed us from its penalty ; and saved us 
 from its curse. Thus released, we are 
 at liberty to be united to the law of 
 him who has thus bought us with his 
 blood. IT That ye should lie married 
 to another. That you might be united 
 to another, and come under his law. 
 This is the completion of the illustra 
 tion in ver. 2, 3. As the woman that 
 is freed from the law of her husband 
 by his death, when married again comes 
 under the authority of another, so we 
 who are made free from the law and 
 its curse by the death of Christ, are 
 brought under the new law of fidelity 
 and obedience to him with whom we 
 are thus united. The union of Christ 
 and his people is not unfrequently 
 illustrated by the most tender of all 
 earthly connexions, that of a husband 
 and wife. Eph. v. 23 30. Rev. xxi. 
 9, " I will show thee the bride, the 
 Lamb s wife." xix. 7. ^ Even to him 
 who is raised, &c. See the force of 
 this explained, ch. vi. 8. ^ That we 
 should bring forth fruit unto God. 
 That we should live a holy life. This 
 is the point and scope of all this illus 
 tration. The new connexion is such as 
 will make us holy. It is also implied 
 that the tendency of the law was only 
 to bring forth fruit unto death (ver. 5), 
 and that the tendency of the gospel is 
 to make man holy and pure. Com p. 
 Gal. v. 22, 23. 
 
 5. For when, &c. The illustration 
 in this verse and the following is de 
 signed to show more at length the effect 
 of the law, whenever and wherever ap 
 plied ; whether in a state of nature or 
 of grace. It was always the same. It 
 was the occasion of agitation and con 
 flict in a man s own mind. This was 
 true when a sinner was under convic 
 tion ; and it was true when a man was 
 a Christian. In all circumstances where 
 
 flesh, the motions of sins, which 
 were by the law, did work in our 
 members, to bring forth fruit e 
 unto death. 
 
 1 passiont 
 
 the law was applied to the corrupt 
 mind of man, it produced this agitation 
 and conflict. Even in the Christian s 
 mind it produced this agitation (ver. 
 14 24), as it had done and would do 
 in the mind of a sinner under convic 
 tion (ver. 7 12), and consequently 
 there was no hope of release but in the 
 delivering and sanctifying power of 
 the gospel (ver. 25. ch. viii. 1 3). 
 IT In the Jlesh. Unconverted ; subject 
 to the controlling passions and propen 
 sities of a corrupt nature. Comp. ch. 
 viii. 8, 9. The connexion shows that 
 this must be the meaning here, and the 
 design of this illustration is to show 
 the effect of the law before a man is 
 converted (ver. 5 12). This is the 
 obvious meaning, and all the laws of 
 interpretation require us so to under 
 stand it. IT The motions of sins (TO. 
 j>7/mra). This translation is unhap 
 py. The expression " motions of sins" 
 conveys no idea. The original means 
 simply the passions, the evil affec 
 tions, the corrupt desires. See the 
 margin. The expression, passions of 
 sins, is a Hebraism meaning sinful pas 
 sions, and refers here to the corrupt 
 propensities and inclinations of the 
 unrenewed heart. IT Which were by 
 the law. Not that they were originated 
 or created by the law; for a law does 
 not originate evil propensities, and a 
 holy law would not cause sinful pas 
 sions ; but they were excited, called 
 up, inflamed by the law, which forbide 
 their indulgence. IT Did icork in out 
 members. In our body ; that is, in us. 
 Those sinful propensities made use of 
 our members as instruments, to secure 
 gratification. Note, ch. vi. 12, 13. 
 Comp. ver. 23. IT To bring forth fruit 
 unto death. To produce crime, agita 
 tion, conflict, distress, and to lead to 
 death. We were brought under the 
 dominion of death; and the conse- 
 
A. D. 60 .] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 147 
 
 6 But now we are delivered 
 from the law, 1 that being dead 
 wherein we were held; that we 
 should serve in newness of spi- 
 
 1 or, being dead to that. 
 
 quence of the indulgence of those pas- 
 sions would be fatal. Comp. Note, ch. 
 vi. 21. 
 
 6. But now. Under the gospel. 
 This verse states the consequences of 
 the gospel, in distinction from the 
 effects of the law. The way in which 
 this is accomplished, the apostle illus 
 trates more at length in ch. viii. with 
 which this verse is properly connected. 
 The remainder of ch. vii. is occupied 
 in illustrating the statement in ver. 5 
 of the effects of the law; and after 
 having shown that its effects always 
 were to increase crime and distress, he 
 is prepared in ch. viii. to take up the 
 proposition in this verse, and to show 
 the superiority of the gospel in pro- 
 ducing peace. IT We are delivered. 
 We who are Christians. Delivered 
 from it as a means of justification, as a 
 source of sanctification, as a bondage 
 to which we were subjected, and which 
 tended to produce pain and death. It 
 does not mean that Christians are freed 
 from it as a rule of duty. IT That being 
 dead. Margin, "Being dead to that." 
 There is a variation here in the MSS. 
 Some read it, as in the text, as if the 
 Zaic was dead ; others, as in the margin, 
 as if we were dead. The majority is in 
 favour of the reading as in the margin; 
 and the connection requires us to under 
 stand it in this sense. So the Syriac, 
 the Arabic, the Vulgate, ^Ethiopic. 
 The sentiment here, that we are dead 
 to the law, is that which is expressed 
 in ver. 4. IT Wherein we were held. 
 That is. as captives, or as slaves. We 
 were held in bondage to it, ver. 1. 
 V That we should serve. That we may 
 now serve or obey God. IT In newness 
 of spirit. In a new spirit; or in a new 
 and spiritual manner. This is a form 
 of expression implying, (1.) That 
 their service under the gospel was to 
 be of a new kind, differing from that 
 
 rit, and not in the oldness of the 
 latter. 
 
 7 What shall we say then? 
 7s the law sin? God forbid. 
 
 under the former dispensation. (2.) 
 That it was to be of a spiritual nature, 
 as distinguished from that practised by 
 the Jews. Comp. 2 Cor. iii. 6. Note, 
 Rom. ii. 28, 29. The worship required 
 under the gospel is uniformly described 
 as that of the spirit and the heart, 
 rather than that of form and ceremony. 
 John iv. 23, "The true worshippers 
 shall worship the Father in spirit and 
 in truth." Phil. iii. 3 IT And not in 
 the oldness of the letter. Not in the 
 old letter. It is implied here in this, 
 (1.) That the form of worship here 
 described pertained to an old dispensa 
 tion that had now passed away ; and 
 (2.) That that was a worship that was 
 in the letter. To understand this, it is 
 necessary to remember that the law 
 which prescribed the forms of worship 
 among the Jews, was regarded by the 
 apostle as destitute of that efficacy and 
 power in renewing the heart which he 
 attributed to the gospel. It was a ser 
 vice consisting in external forms and 
 ceremonies ; in the offering of sacri 
 fices and of incense, according to the 
 literal requirement of the law rather 
 than the sincere offering of the heart. 
 2 Cor. iii. 6, " The letter killcth ; the 
 spirit giveth life." John vi. 63. Heb. x. 
 1 4 ; i x . 9, 10. It is not to be denied 
 that there were many holy persons un 
 der the law, and that there were many 
 spiritual offerings presented, but it is at 
 the same time true that the great mas? 
 of the people rested in the mere form 
 and that the service offered was thv 
 mere service of the letter, and not of 
 the heart. The main idea is, that th.6 
 services under the gospel are purely and 
 entirely spiritual, the offering of the 
 heart, and not the service rendered by 
 external forms and rites. 
 
 7. What shall tc say then? The 
 objection which is here urged is one 
 that would very naturally rise, and 
 
148 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 Nay, I had not a known sin, but 
 by the law : for I had not known 
 
 which we may suppose would be urged 
 with no slight indignation. The Jew 
 would ask, " Are we then to suppose 
 that the holy law of God is not only 
 insufficient to sanctify us, but that it is 
 the mere occasion of increased sin ? 
 Is its tendency to produce sinful pas 
 sions, and to make men worse than 
 they were before ?" To this objection 
 the apostle replies with great wisdom, 
 by showing that the evil was not in the 
 luw, but in man ; that though these 
 effects often followed, yet that the law 
 itself was good and pure. IT Is the 
 law sin? Is it sinful? Is it evil? For 
 if, as it is said in ver. 5, the sinful 
 passions were " by the law," it might 
 naturally be asked whether the law 
 itself was not an evil thing? IT God 
 forbid. Note, ch. iii. 4. 1T Nay, I 
 had not known sin. The word trans- 
 lated nay (aAA) means more properly 
 but; and this would have more correctly 
 expressed the sense, I deny that the 
 law is sin. My doctrine does not lead 
 to that; nor do I affirm that it is evil. 
 I strongly repel the charge ; BUT, not 
 withstanding this, I still maintain that 
 it had an cftect in exciting sins, yet so 
 as that / perceived that the law itself 
 was good. ver. 8 12. At the same 
 time, therefore, that the law must be 
 admitted to be the occasion of exciting 
 sinful feelings, by crossing the inclina 
 tions of the rnirid,yet the fault was not 
 to be traced to the law. The apostle 
 in these verses refers, doubtless, to the 
 state of his mind before he found that 
 peace which the gospel furnishes by 
 the pardon of sin. IT But by ihe law. 
 ch. iii. 20. By the law here, the apos 
 tle has evidently in his eye every law 
 of God, however made known. He 
 means to say that the effect which he 
 describes attends all law, and this effect 
 he illustrates by a single instance 
 drawn Irorn the tenth commandment. 
 When he says that he should not have 
 known sin, he evidently means to 
 
 lust, except the law 
 b Thou shalt not covet. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 had said 
 
 , concupiscence. 
 
 affirm, that he had not understood thai 
 certain things were sinful unless they 
 had been forbidden ; and having stated 
 this, he proceeds to another thing, to 
 show the effect of their being thus for 
 bidden on his mind. He was not mere 
 ly acquainted abstractly with the na 
 ture and existence of sin, with what 
 constituted crime because it was for 
 bidden, but he was conscious of a cer 
 tain effect on his mind resulting from 
 this knowledge, and from the effect of 
 strong, raging desires when thus re 
 strained, ver. 8, 9. IT For I had not 
 known lust. I should not have been 
 acquainted with the nature of the sin 
 of covetousness. The desire might have 
 existed, but he would not have known 
 it to be sinful, and he would not have 
 experienced that raging, impetuous, 
 and ungoverned propensity which he 
 did when he found it to be forbidden. 
 Man without law might have the strong 
 feelings of desire. He might covet that 
 which others possessed. He might take 
 property, or be disobedient to parents; 
 but he would not know it to be evil. The 
 law fixes bounds to his desires, and 
 teaches him what is right and what is 
 wrong. It teaches him where lawful 
 indulgence ends, and where sin begins. 
 The word " lust " here is not limited as 
 it is with us. It refers to all covetous 
 desires; to all wishes for that which 
 is forbidden us. IT Except the law had 
 said. In the tenth commandment. Ex. 
 xx. 17. IF Thou shalt not covet. This is 
 the beginning of the command, and all 
 the rest is implied. The apostle knew 
 that it would be understood without 
 repeating the whole. This particular 
 commandment he selected because it 
 was more pertinent than the others to 
 his purpose. The others referred par- 
 ticularly to external actions. But his 
 object was to show the effect of sin on 
 the mind and conscience. He there 
 fore chose one that referred particu 
 larly to the desires of the heart. 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 149 
 
 8 But sin, taking occasion by 
 the commandment, wrought in 
 
 8. But sin. To illustrate the effect 
 of the law on the mind, the apostle in 
 this verse depicts its influence in ex- 
 citing to evil desires and purposes. 
 Perhaps nowhere has he evinced more 
 consummate knowledge of the human 
 heart than here. He brings an illustra 
 tion that might have escaped most per 
 sons, but which goes directly to es 
 tablish his position that the law is 
 insufficient to promote the salvation of 
 man. Sin here is personified. It means 
 not a real entity ; not a physical sub 
 sistence ; not something independent of 
 the mind, having a separate existence, 
 and lodged in the soul, but it means the 
 corrupt passions, inclinations, and de 
 sires of the mind itself. Thus we say 
 that lust burns, and ambition rages, 
 and envy corrodes the mind, without 
 meaning that lust, ambition, or envy 
 are any independent physical subsist 
 ences, but meaning that the wind that 
 is ambitious, or envious, is thus ex 
 cited. TF Taking occasion. The word 
 occasion (a^op^^v) properly denotes 
 any material, or preparation for accom 
 plishing any thing ; then any opportu 
 nity, occasion, &c. of doing it. Here it 
 means that the. law was the exciting 
 cause of sin; or was that which called 
 the sinful principle of the heart into 
 exercise. But for this, the effect 
 here described would not have existed. 
 Thus we say that a tempting object 
 of desire presented is the exciting cause 
 of covetousness. Thus an object of 
 ambition is the exciting cause of the 
 principle of ambition. Thus the pre 
 sentation of wealth, or of advantages 
 possessed by others which we have not, 
 may excite eovetousness, or envy. Thus 
 the fruit presented to Eve was the ex 
 citing cause of sin; the wedge of gold 
 to Achan excited his covetousness. 
 Had not these objects been presented, 
 the evil principles of the heart might 
 have slumbered, and never have been 
 called ibrth. And hence no men under 
 stand the full force of their native pro- 
 N 2 
 
 me all manner of concupiscence. 
 For without the law, sin was dead. 
 
 pensities until some object is presented 
 that calls them forth into decided 
 action. The occasion which called 
 these forth in the mind of Paul was 
 the law crossing his path, and irrita 
 ting and exciting the native strong 
 inclinations of the mind. 1T By the 
 commandment. By all law appointed 
 to restrain and control the mind. 
 IF Wrought in me. Produced or work 
 ed in me. The word used here means 
 often to operate in a powerful and effi 
 cacious manner. (Doddridge.} IF All 
 manner of. Greek, "All desire." Every 
 species of unlawful desire. It was not 
 confined to one single desire, but ex 
 tended to every thing which the law 
 declared to be wrong. IF Concupis 
 cence. Unlawful or irregular desire. 
 Inclination for unlawful enjoyments. 
 The word is the same which in ver. 7 
 is rendered lust. If it be asked in what 
 way the law led to this, we may reply 
 that the main idea here is, that oppo 
 sition by law to the desires and pas- 
 sions of wicked men only tends to in 
 flame and exasperate them. This is the 
 case with regard to sin in every form. 
 An attempt to restrain it by force; to 
 denounce it by laws and penalties; to 
 cross the path of wickedness; only 
 tends to irritate, and to excite into 
 living energy, that which otherwise 
 would be dormant in the bosom. This 
 it does, because, (1.) It crosses the 
 path of the sinner, and opposes his in 
 tention, and the current of his feelings 
 and his life. (2.) The law acts the 
 part of a detector, and lays open to 
 view that which was in the bosom, but 
 was concealed. (3.) Such is the depth 
 and obstinacy of sin in man, that the 
 very attempt to restrain often only serves 
 to exasperate, and to urge to greater 
 deeds of wickedness. Restraint by law 
 rouses the mad passions ; urges to 
 greater deeds of depravity; makes the 
 sinner stubborn, obstinate, and more 
 desperate. The very uttempt to set up 
 authority over him throws him into a 
 
150 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 9 For I was alive without the I mandment came, sin revived, and 
 (aw once : but when the com- 1 I died. 
 
 posture of resistance, and makes him a 
 party, and excites all the feelings of 
 party rage. Any one may have wit 
 nessed this effect often on the mind of 
 i wicked and obstinate child. (4.) This 
 is particularly true in regard to a sin- 
 fler. He is calm often, and apparently 
 tranquil. But let the law of God be 
 brought home to his conscience, and 
 he becomes maddened and enraged. 
 He spurns its authority, yet his con 
 science tells him it is right; he attempts 
 to throw it off,yet trembles at its pow 
 er ; and to show his independence, or 
 his purpose to sin, he plunges into 
 iniquity, and becomes a more dread 
 ful and obstinate sinner. It becomes 
 a struggle for victory ; and in the con 
 troversy with God he resolves not to be 
 overcome. It accordingly happens that 
 many a man is more profane, blasphe 
 mous and desperate when under convic 
 tion for sin than at other times. In revi 
 vals of religion it often happens that men 
 evince violence, and rage, and cursing, 
 which they do not in a state of spirit 
 ual death in the church ; and it is often 
 a very certain indication that a man is 
 under conviction for sin when he be 
 comes particularly violent, and abusive, 
 and outrageous in his opposition to 
 God. (5.) The effect here noticed by 
 the apostle is one that has been observ 
 ed at all times, and by all classes of 
 writers. Thus Cato says (Livy, xxxiv. 
 4), " Do not think, Romans, that it will 
 be hereafter as it was before the law 
 was enacted. It is more safe that a 
 bad man should not be accused, than 
 that he should be absolved ; and luxury 
 not excited would be more tolerable 
 than it will be now, by the very chains 
 irritated and excited as a wild beast." 
 Thus Seneca says (de dementia, i. 23), 
 " Parricides began with the law. " Thus 
 Horace (Odes, i. 3), u The human race, 
 bold to endure all things, rushes through j 
 forbidden crimes." Thus Ovid (Amor, 
 iii. 4), "We always endeavour to ob- 
 tain that which is forbidden, and desire 
 that which is denied." (These pas- ! 
 
 sages are quoted from Tholuck.) See 
 also Prov. ix. 17, "Stolen waters are 
 sweet, and bread eaten in secret is plea- 
 sant." If such be the effect of the law, 
 then the inference of the apostle is un 
 avoidable, that it is not adopted to save 
 and sanctify man. V For without the 
 law. Before it was given ; or where 
 it was not applied to the mind. 1 Sin 
 was dead. It was inoperative, inac 
 tive, unexcited. This is evidently in a 
 comparative sense. The connexion re 
 quires us to understand it only so far 
 as it was excited by the law. Men s 
 passions would exist ; but without law 
 they would not be known to be evil, 
 and they would not be excited into 
 wild and tumultuous raging. 
 
 9. For /. There seems to be no 
 doubt that the apostle here refers to his 
 own past experience. Yet in this he 
 speaks the sentiment of all who are un 
 converted, and who are depending on 
 their own righteousness. IT Was alive. 
 This is opposed to what he immedi 
 ately adds respecting another state, in 
 which he was when he died. It must 
 mean, therefore, that he had a certain 
 kind of peace; he deemed himself se 
 cure ; he was free from the convictions 
 of conscience and the agitations of 
 alarm. The state to which he refers 
 here must be doubtless that to which 
 he himself elsewhere alludes, when he 
 deemed himself to be righteous, depend 
 ing on his own works, and esteeming" 
 himself to be blameless. Phil. iii. 4 6. 
 Acts xxiii. ] ; xxvi. 4, 5. It means 
 that he was then free from those agita 
 tions and alarms which he afterwards 
 experienced when he was brought under 
 conviction for sin. At tbnt time, though 
 he had the law, and was attempting to 
 obey it, yet he was unacquainted with 
 its spiritual and holy nature. He aim 
 ed at external conformity. Its claims 
 on the heart were unfplt. This is the 
 condition of every self-confident sin 
 ner, and of every one who is unawa- 
 ken-d. ^ \\ithou* the law. Not that 
 Paul was ever re^Hy without the law. 
 
A.D. 60.] 
 10 And 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 151 
 
 the commandment y 
 
 aEzek.20.11,&c. 
 
 that is, without the law of Moses ; but 
 he means before the law was applied to 
 his heart in its spiritual meaning, and 
 with power. ^ But when the com 
 mandment, came. When it was ap 
 plied to the heart and conscience. This 
 is the only intelligible sense of the ex 
 pression ; for it cannot refer to the time 
 when the law was given. When this 
 was, the apostle does not say. But the 
 expression denotes whenever it was so 
 applied ; when it was urged with power 
 and efficacy on his conscience, to con 
 trol, restrain, and threaten him, it pro 
 duced this effect. We are unacquaint 
 ed with the early operations of his 
 mind, and with his struggles against 
 conscience and duty. We know enough 
 of him before conversion, however, to 
 be assured that he was proud, impetu 
 ous, and unwilling to be restrained. 
 See Acts viii. ix. In the state of his 
 self-confident righteousness and impe 
 tuosity of feeling, we may easily sup 
 pose that the holy law of God, which 
 is designed to restrain the passions, to 
 humble the heart, and to rebuke pride, 
 would produce only irritation, and im 
 patience of restraint and revolt. IT Sin 
 revived. Lived again. This means 
 that it was before dormant (ver. 8), but 
 was now quickened into new life. The 
 word is usually applied to a renewal of 
 life (Rom. xiv. 19. Luke xv. 24, 32), 
 but here it means substantially the same 
 as the expression in ver. 8, " Sin. . . . 
 wrought in me all manner of concupis 
 cence." The power of sin, which was 
 before dormant, became quickened and 
 active. IT / died. That is, I was by 
 it involved in additional guilt and mi 
 sery. It stands opposed to " I was 
 alive," and must mean the opposite of 
 that ; and evidently denotes that the 
 effect of the commandment was to bring 
 him under what he calls death (comp. 
 ch. v. 12, 14, 15) ; that is, sin reigned, 
 and raged, and produced its withering 
 and condemned effects ; it led to aggra 
 vated guilt and misery. The sense may 
 be thus expressed that before, he was 
 
 which was ordained to life, tt I 
 found to be unto death. 
 
 self-confident and secure, but that by 
 the commandment he was stricken 
 down and humbled, his self-confidence 
 was blasted, and his hopes were pros 
 trated in the dust. Perhaps no words 
 would better express the humble, sub 
 dued, melancholy, and helpless state of 
 a converted sinner than the expressive 
 phrase "/ died." The essential idea 
 here is, that the law did not answer the 
 purpose which the Jew would claim 
 for it, to sanctify the soul and to give 
 comfort, but that all its influence on 
 the heart was to produce aggravated, 
 unpardoned guilt and wo. 
 
 10. And the commandment. The 
 law to which he had referred before. 
 IF Which was ordained to life. Which 
 was intended to produce life, or happi 
 ness. Life here stands opposed to 
 death, and means felicity, peace, eter 
 nal bliss. Note, John iii. 36. When 
 j the apostle says that it was ordained to 
 j life, he probably has reference to the 
 j numerous passages in the Old Testa 
 ment which speak of the law in this 
 ! manner. Lev. xviii. 5, " Ye shall keep 
 i my statutes and my judgments ; which 
 ! if a man do, he shall live in them." 
 ! Ezck. xx. 11. 13. 21; xviii. 9. 21. The 
 meaning of these passages, in connex 
 ion with this declaration of Paul, may 
 
 be thus expressed : (1.) The law is 
 1 good ; it has no evil, and is itself fitted 
 
 to produce no evil. (2.) If man was 
 pure, and it was obeyed perfectly, it 
 
 would produce life and happiness only. 
 On those who have obeyed it in hea- 
 
 i ven, it has produced only happiness. 
 
 | (3.) For this it was ordained ; it is 
 adapted to it; and when perfectly obey 
 ed, it produces no other effect. But, 
 
 | (4.) Man is a sinner ; he has not 
 obeyed it ; and in sucli a case the law 
 threatens wo. It crosses the inclination 
 of man, and instead of producing peace 
 and life, as it would on a being per 
 fectly holy, it produces only wo and 
 crime. The law of a parent may be 
 good, and may be appointed to pro- 
 mote the happiness of his children ; it 
 
152 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 11 For sin, taking occasion by 
 the commandment, deceived me, 
 and by it slew me. 
 
 12 A\ 7 herefore the law a is holy; 
 
 \nay be admirably fitted to it if all were 
 obedient ; yet in the family there may 
 be one obstinate, self-willed, and stub- 
 born child, resolved to indulge his evil 
 passions, and the results to him would 
 be wo arid despair. The command 
 ment, which was ordained for the good 
 of the family, and which would be 
 adapted to promote their welfare, he 
 alone, of all the number, would find to 
 be unto death. T / found. It was to 
 me. It produced this effect. ^ Unto 
 death. Producing aggravated guilt and 
 condemnation, ver. 9. 
 
 11. For sin. This verse is a repeti 
 tion, with a little variation, of the sen 
 timent in ver. 8. IT Deceived me. The 
 word here used properly means to lead 
 or seduce from the right way ; and 
 then to deceive, solicit to sin, cause to 
 err from the way of virtue. Rom. xvi. 
 18. 1 Cor. iii. 18. 2 Cor. xi. 3, " The 
 serpent beguiled Eve through his sub- 
 tilty." 2 Thess. ii. 3. The meaning 
 here seems to be, that his corrupt and 
 rebellious propensities, excited by the 
 law, led him astray ; caused him more 
 and more to sin; practised a species of 
 deception on him by urging him on 
 headlong, and without deliberation, into 
 aggravated transgression. In this sense, 
 all sinners are decived. Their passions 
 urge them on, deluding them, and lead 
 ing them farther and farther from hap 
 piness, and involving them, before they 
 are aware, in crime and death. No 
 being in the universe is more deluded 
 than a sinner in the indulgence of evil 
 passions. The description ot Solomon 
 in a particular case will apply to all. 
 Prov. vii. 2123. 
 
 " With much fair speech she caused him 
 
 to yield, 
 With the flattering of her lips she forced 
 
 him. 
 
 He goeth after her straightway, 
 As an ox goeth to the slaughter 
 
 land the commandment holy, and 
 
 just, and good. 
 13 Was then 
 
 that which is 
 
 good made death unto me ? God 
 
 Or as a fool to the correction of the 
 
 stocks ; 
 
 Till a dart strike through his liver, 
 As a bird hasteth to the snare." 
 
 IT By it. By the law. ver. 8. IT Slew 
 me. Meaning the same as " I died." 
 ver. 8. 
 
 12. Wherefore. So that. The con- 
 elusion to which we come is, that the 
 law is not to be blamed, though these 
 are its effects under existing circum 
 stances. The source of all this is not 
 the law, but the corrupt nature of man. 
 The law is good ; and yet the position 
 of the apostle is true, that it is not adapt 
 ed to purify the heart of fallen man. Its 
 tendency is to excite increased guilt, 
 conflict, alarm, and despair. This verse 
 contains an answer to the question in 
 ver. 7, " Is the law sin ?" IT Is holy. 
 Is not sin. Comp. ver. 7. It is pure in 
 its nature. IT And the commandment. 
 The word commandment is here syno 
 nymous with the law. It properly 
 means that which is enjoined. 1T Holy. 
 Pure. IT Just. Righteous in its claims 
 and penalties. It is not unequal in its 
 exactions. IT Good. In itself good; and 
 in its own nature tending to produce 
 happiness. The sin and condemnation 
 of the guilty is not the fault of the 
 law. If obeyed, it would produce hap 
 piness every where. See a most beau 
 tiful description of the law of God in 
 Ps. xix. 711. 
 
 13. Was then that which is good, 
 &c. This is another objection, which 
 the apostle proceeds to answer. The 
 objection is this, Can it be possible that 
 that which is admitted to be good and 
 pure, should be changed into evil? Can 
 that which tends to life, be made death 
 to a man? In answer to this, the apos 
 tle repeats that the fault was not in the 
 law, but was in himself, and in his sinful 
 propensities. IT Made death, ver. 8, 10. 
 IT God forbid. Note, ch. iii. 4. f But 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 153 
 
 forbid. But sin, that it might 
 
 appear sin 
 
 working death in me 
 
 by that which is good ; that sin by 
 
 .Jin. This is a personification of sin as 
 in ver. 8. IT That it might appear sin. 
 That it might develope its true na 
 ture, and no longer be dormant in the 
 mind. The law of God is often a p. 
 plied to a man s conscience, that he 
 may see how deep and desperate is his 
 depravity. No man knows his own 
 heart until the law thus crosses his path, 
 and shows him what he is. IT By the 
 commandment. Note, ver. 8. IT Might 
 become exceeding sinful. In the origi 
 nal this is a very strong expression, 
 and is one of those used by Paul to 
 express strong emphasis, or intensity 
 (*a$ i;rp/?oXr>). By hyperboles. In 
 an excessive degree ; to the utmost 
 possible extent. I Cor. xii. 31. 2 Cor. 
 i. 8; iv. 7 ; xii. 7. Gal. i. 13. The phrase 
 occurs in each of those places. The 
 sense here is, that by the giving of the 
 command, and its application to the 
 mind, sin was completely developed ; 
 it was excited, inflamed, aggravated, 
 and showed to be excessively malig 
 nant and deadly. It was not a dor 
 mant, slumbering principle ; but it was 
 awfully opposed to God and his law. 
 Calvin hap well expressed the sense : 
 " It was proper that the enormity of 
 sin should be revealed by the law ; be 
 cause unless sin should break forth by 
 some dreadful and enormous excess 
 (as they say), it would not be known to 
 be sin. This excess exhibits itself the 
 more violently, while it turns life into 
 death." The sentiment of the whole 
 is, that the tendency of the law is to 
 excite the dormant sin of the bosom 
 into active existence, and to reveal its 
 true nature. It is desirable that that 
 should be done, and as that is all that 
 the law accomplishes, it is not adapted 
 to sanctify the soul. To show that 
 this was the design of the apostle, it 
 is desirable that sin should be thus 
 seen in its true nature, because, (1.) 
 Man should be acquainted with his 
 true character. He should not deceive 
 
 the commandment might become 
 exceeding sinful. 
 
 14 For we know that the law 
 
 himself. (2.) Because it is one part 
 of God s plan to develope the secret feel 
 ings of the heart, and to show to all 
 creatures what they are. (3.) Because 
 only by knowing this, will the sinner 
 be induced to take a remedy, and strive 
 to be saved. God often thus svffers 
 men to plunge into sin ; to act out 
 their nature, that they may see them- 
 selves, and be alarmed at the conse 
 quences of their own crimes. 
 
 14. The remainder of this chapter 
 has been the subject of no small degree 
 of controversy. The question has been 
 whether it describes the state of Paul 
 before his conversion, or afterwards. It 
 is not the purpose of these Notes to 
 enter into controversy, or into extended 
 discussion. But after all the attention 
 which I have been able to give to this 
 passage, I regard it as describing the 
 state of a man under the gospel, as 
 descriptive of the operations of th& 
 mind of Paul subsequent to his con- 
 version. This interpretation is adopted 
 for the following reasons : (1.) Because 
 it seems to me to be the most obvious. 
 It is that which will strike plain men 
 as being the natural meaning; men 
 who have not a theory to support, and 
 who understand language in its usual 
 sense. (2.) Because it agrees with 
 the design of the apostle, which is to 
 show that the law is not adapted to 
 produce sanctification and peace. This 
 he had done in regard to a man before 
 he was converted, If this relates to the 
 same period, then it is a useless dis 
 cussion of a point already discussed. 
 If it relates to that period also, then 
 there is a large field of action, including 
 the whole period after a man s conver 
 sion to Christianity, in which the ques 
 tion might still be unsettled, whether 
 the law there might not be adapted to 
 sanctify. The apostle therefore makes 
 thorough work with the argument, and 
 shows that the cperation of the law is 
 everywhere the same. (3.) Because 
 
154 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 the expressions which occur are such 
 as cannot be understood of an impeni 
 tent sinner. See Notes on ver. 15, 22. 
 (4.) Because it accords with parallel 
 expressions in regard to the state of 
 the conflict in a Christian s mind. (5.) 
 Because there is a change made here 
 from the past tense to the present. In 
 ver. 7, &c. he had used the past tense, 
 evidently describing some former state. 
 In ver. 14 there is a change to the pre 
 sent, a change inexplicable, except on 
 the supposition that he meant to de 
 scribe some state different from that be 
 fore described. That could be no other 
 than to carry his illustration forward in 
 showing the inefficacy of the law on a 
 man in his renewed state; or to show 
 that such was the remaining depravity 
 of the man, that it produced substan 
 tially the same effects as in the former 
 condition. (6.) Because it accords with 
 the experience of Christians, and not 
 with sinners. It is just such language 
 as plain Christians, who are acquainted 
 with their own hearts, use to express 
 their feelings. I admit that this last 
 consideration is not by itself conclusive ; 
 but if the language did not accord with 
 the experience of the Christian world, 
 it would be a strong circumstance 
 against any proposed interpretation. 
 The view which is here expressed of 
 this chapter, as supposing that the pre 
 sent part (ver. 7 13) refers to a man 
 in his unregenerate state, and that the 
 remainder describes the effect of the 
 law on the mind of a renewed man, 
 was adopted by studying the chapter 
 itself, without aid from any writer. I am 
 happy, however, to find that the views 
 thus expressed are in accordance with 
 those of the late Rev. Dr. J. P. Wilson, 
 than whom, perhaps, no man was ever 
 better qualified to interpret the Scrip 
 tures. He says, " In- the fourth verse, 
 he (Paul) changes to the first person 
 plural, because he intended to speak of 
 the former experience of Christians, 
 who had been Jews. In the seventh 
 verse, he uses the first person singular, 
 but speaks in the past tense, because 
 he describes his own experience when 
 he was an unconverted Pharisee. In 
 
 the fourteenth verse, and tmto the end 
 of the chapter, he uses the first person 
 singular, and the present tense, because 
 he exhibits his own experience since 
 he became a Christian and an apostle." 
 IT We know. We admit, it is a con 
 ceded, well-understood point. IT That 
 the law is spiritual. This does not 
 mean that the law is designed to con 
 trol the spirit, in contradistinction from 
 the body, but it is a declaration show 
 ing that the evils of which he was 
 speaking were not the fault of the law. 
 That was not, in its nature, sensual, 
 corrupt, earthly, carnal ; but was pure 
 and spiritual. The effect described 
 was not the fault of the law, but of the 
 man, who was sold under sin. The 
 word spiritual is often thus used to de 
 note that which is pure and holy, in 
 opposition to that which is fleshly or 
 carnal. Ch. viii. 5, 6. Gal. v. 1623. 
 The flesh is described as the source of 
 evil passions and desires : the spirit as 
 the source of purity ; or as that which 
 is agreeable to the proper influences of 
 the Holy Spirit. If But I am. The 
 present tense shows that he is describing 
 himself as he was at the time of writ 
 ing. This is the natural and obvious 
 construction, and if this be not the 
 meaning, it is impossible to account for 
 his having changed the past tense 
 (ver. 7) to the present. If Carnal. 
 Fleshly; sensual; opposed to spiritual. 
 This word is used because in the Scrip 
 tures the flesh is spoken of as the 
 source of sensual passions and pro 
 pensities. Gal. v. 19 21. The sense 
 is, that these corrupt passions still re 
 tained a strong and withering and dis 
 tressing influence over the mind. The 
 renewed man is exposed to tempta 
 tions from his strong native appetites ; 
 and the power of these passions, 
 strengthened by long habit before he 
 was converted, has travelled over into 
 religion, and they continue still to in 
 fluence and distress him. It does not 
 mean that he is wholly under their in 
 fluence ; but that the tendency of his 
 natural inclinations is to indulgence. 
 IT Sold under sin. This expression is 
 often adduced to show that it cannot 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold 
 a under sin. 
 
 15 For that which I do, I 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 155 
 
 a2Kings 17.17. 
 
 allow not: for what I would, 
 that do I not; but what I hate, 
 that do I. 
 
 oe of a renewed man that the apostle is 
 speaking. The argument is, that it can 
 not be affirmed of a Christian that he is 
 sold under sin. A sufficient answer to 
 this might be, that, IN FACT, this is the 
 very language which Christians often 
 now adopt to express the strength of that 
 native depravity against which they 
 struggle, and that 110 language would 
 better express it. It does not mean 
 that they choose or prefer sins. It 
 strongly implies that the prevailing 
 bent of their mind is against it, but 
 that such is its strength that it brings 
 them into slavery to it. The expres 
 sion here used, " sold under sin," is 
 a borrowed from the practice of selling 
 captives taken in war, as slaves." 
 (Stuart.} It hence means to deliver in 
 to the power of any one, so that he shall 
 be dependent on his will and control. 
 (Schleusner.) The emphasis is not on 
 the word sold, as if any act of selling 
 had taken place, but the effect was as 
 if he had been sold ; i. e. he was sub 
 ject to it, and under its control, and it 
 means that sin, contrary to the prevail 
 ing inclination of his mind (ver. 15 
 17), had such an influence over him 
 as to lead him to commit it, and thqs 
 to produce a state of conflict and grief. 
 ver. 19 24. The verses which follow 
 this are an explanation of the sense, 
 and of the manner in which he was 
 " sold under sin." 
 
 15. For that which I do. That is, 
 the evil which I do, the sin of which 
 I am conscious, and which troubles 
 me, IT / allow not. I do not approve ; 
 I do not wish it ; the prevailing bent 
 of my inclinations and purposes is 
 against it. Greek, "I know not." See 
 the margin. The word know, however, 
 is sometimes used in the sense of ap 
 proving. Prov. ii. 24, " Which have 
 not known [approved] the depths of 
 Satan." Comp. Ps. ci. 4, " I will not 
 know a wicked person " Jer, i, 5, 
 
 IT For what I would. That which I 
 approve ; and which is rny prevailing 
 and established desire. What I would 
 wish always to do. IT But what 1 
 hate. What I disapprove of: what is 
 contrary to my judgment; my prevail 
 ing inclination ; my established princi 
 ples of conduct. IT That do I. Under 
 the influence of sinful propensities, and 
 carnal inclinations and desires. This 
 represents the strong native propensity 
 to sin; and even the power of cor 
 rupt propensity under the restraining 
 influence of the gospel. On this re 
 markable and important passage we 
 may observe, (1.) That the prevailing 
 propensity ; the habitual fixed inclina 
 tion of the mind of the Christian, is to 
 do right. The evil course is hated ; the 
 right course is loved. This is the cha. 
 racteristic of a pious mind. It distin, 
 guishes a holy man from a sinner, (2.) 
 The evil which is done is disapproved ; 
 is a source of grief; and the habitual 
 desire of the rnind is to avoid it, and 
 be pure. This also distinguishes the 
 Christian from the sinner. (3.) There 
 is no need of being embarrassed here 
 with any metaphysical difficulties or 
 inquiries how this can be ; for (a) it is 
 in fact the experience of all Christians. 
 The habitu.al, fixed inclination and de 
 sire of their minds is to serve God. 
 They have a fixed abhorrence of sin ; 
 and yet they are conscious of imper 
 fection, and error, and sin, that is the 
 source of uneasiness and trouble. The 
 strength of natural passion may in an 
 unguarded moment overcome them. 
 The power of long habits of previous 
 thoughts may annoy them. A man 
 who was an infidel before his conver, 
 s}on, ar^d whose mind was filled with 
 skepticism, and cavile, and blasphemy, 
 will find the effect of his former habits 
 of thinking lingering in his mind, and 
 annoying his peace for years, These 
 thoughts will start yp with the rapidity 
 
156 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 16 If then I do that which I 
 would not, I consent unto the law, 
 that it is good. 
 
 of the lightning. Thus it is with every 
 vice and every opinion. It is one of 
 the effects of habit. " The very passage 
 of an impure thought through the 
 mind leaves pollution behind it," and 
 where sin has been long indulged, it 
 leaves its withering, desolating effect 
 on the soul long after conversion, and 
 produces that state of conflict with 
 which every Christian is familiar, (b) 
 An effect somewhat similar is felt by 
 all men. All are conscious of doing 
 that, under the excitement of passion 
 and prejudice, which their conscience 
 and better judgment disapprove. A 
 conflict thus exists, which is attended 
 with as much metaphysical difficulty 
 as the struggle in the Christian s mind 
 referred to here, (c) The same thing 
 was observed and described in the writ 
 ings of the heathen. Thus Xenophon 
 (Cyrop. vi. 1), Araspes, the Persian, 
 says in order to excuse his treasonable 
 designs, "Certainly I must have two 
 souls ; for plainly it is not one and the 
 same which is both evil and good ; and 
 at the same time wishes to do a thing 
 and not to do it. Plainly then, there are 
 two souls ; and when the good one pre 
 vails, then it does good ; and when the 
 evil one predominates, then it does evil." 
 So also Epictetus (Enchixid. ii. 26) 
 says, " He that sins does not do what 
 he would, but what he would not, that 
 he does." With this passage it would 
 almost seem that Paul was familiar, 
 and had his eye on it when he wrote. 
 So also the well-known passage from 
 Ovid, Meta. vii. 9. 
 
 Aliudque Cupido, 
 Mens aliud suadet. Video meliora, pro- 
 
 boque, 
 Deteriora sequor. 
 
 1 Desire prompts to one thing, but the 
 mind persuades to another. I see the 
 good, and approve it, and yet pursue 
 the wrong. See other passages of si 
 milar import quoted in Grotius and 
 Tholuck. 
 
 17 Now then it is no more I that 
 do it, but sin that dwelleth in 
 
 me. 
 
 16. / consent unto the law. The 
 very struggle with evil shows that it 
 is not loved, or approved, but that the 
 law which condemns it is really loved. 
 Christians may here find a test of their 
 piety. The fact of struggling against 
 evil, the desire to be free from it, and 
 to overcome it, the anxiety and grief 
 which it causes, is an evidence that we 
 do not love it, and that therefore we 
 are the friends of God. Perhaps no 
 thing can be a more decisive lest of 
 piety than a long-continued and painful 
 struggle against evil passions and de 
 sires in every form, and a panting of 
 the soul to be delivered from the power 
 and dominion of sin. 
 
 17. It is no more I that do it. This 
 is evidently figurative language, for it 
 is really the man that sins when evil 
 is committed. But the apostle makes 
 a distinction between sin and that 
 which he intends by the pronoun /. 
 by the former he evidently means his 
 corrupt nature. By the latter he refers 
 to his renewed nature, his Christian 
 principles. He means to say that he 
 does not approve or love it in his pre 
 sent state, but that it is the result of his 
 native propensities and passions. In 
 his heart, and conscience, and habitual 
 feeling, he did not choose to commit 
 sin, but abhorred it. Thus every Chris 
 tian can say that he does not choose to 
 do evil, but would wish to be perfect ; 
 that he hates sin, and yet that his cor 
 rupt passions lead him astray. IT But 
 sin. My corrupt passions and native 
 propensities. IT That dwelleth in me. 
 Dwelling in me as its home. This is a 
 strong expression, denoting that sin 
 had taken up its habitation in the 
 mind, and abode there. It had not been 
 yet wholly dislodged. This expression 
 stands in contrast with another that 
 occurs, where it is said that " the Spirit 
 of God dwells" in the Christian. Rom. 
 viii. 9. 1 Cor. iii. 16. The sense is, 
 that he is strongly influenced by ain 
 
A. D. 60.1 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 157 
 
 18 For I know that in me 
 (that is, in ray flesh) dwelleth 
 no a good thing : for to will is 
 present with me : but how to 
 perform that which is good I find 
 
 not. 
 
 19 For * the good that I would, 
 
 [ do not : but the evil which I 
 would not, that I do. 
 
 20 Now if I do that I would 
 not, it is no more I that doit, but 
 sin that dwelleth in me. 
 
 21 I find then a law, that 
 when I would do good, evil is 
 
 : Get). 6.5. lGal.5.17. 
 
 on the one hand, and by the Spirit on 
 the other. From this expression has 
 arisen the phrase so common among 
 Christians, in-dwelling sin. 
 
 18. For I know. This is designed 
 as an illustration of what he had just 
 said, that sin dwelt in him. IT That 
 is, in my flesh. In my unrenewed na 
 ture ; in my propensities and inclina 
 tions before conversion. Does not this 
 qualifying expression show that in this 
 discussion he was speaking of himself 
 as a renewed man ? Hence he is care 
 ful to imply that there was at that time 
 in him something that was right or 
 acceptable with God, but that that did 
 not pertain to him by nature. IT Dwell 
 eth. His soul was wholly occupied by 
 that which was evil. It had taken en 
 tire possession. IT No good thing. 
 There could not be possibly a stronger 
 expression of belief of the doctrine of 
 total depravity. It is Paul s own re 
 presentation of himself. It proves that 
 his heart was wholly evil. And if this 
 was true of him, it is true of all others. 
 It is a good way to examine ourselves, 
 to inquire whether we have such a 
 view of our own native character as to 
 say that we know that in our flesl 
 there dwelleth no good thing. The 
 sense here is, that so far as the flesh 
 was concerned, that is, in regard to his 
 natural inclinations and desires, there 
 was nothing good ; all was evil. This 
 was true in his entire conduct before 
 conversion, where the desires of the 
 flesh reigned and rioted without con 
 trol ; and it was true after conversion 
 so far as the natural inclinations anc 
 propensities of the flesh were concern 
 ed. All those operations in every state 
 were evil, and not the less evil because 
 they are experienced under the ligh 
 O 
 
 and amidst the influences of the gos 
 pel. If To will. To purpose or intend 
 to do good. IT Is present with me. I 
 can do that. It is possible ; it is in my 
 power. The expression may also imply 
 that it was near to him (ir/Mfaifttrai), 
 that is, it was constantly before him ; 
 it was now his habitual inclination and 
 purpose of mind. It is the uniform, 
 regular, habitual purpose of the Chris 
 tian s mind to do right. T But how. 
 The sense would have been better re 
 tained here if the translators had not 
 introduced the word how. The difficulty 
 was not in the mode of performing it, 
 but to do the thing itself. ^ IJind 
 not. I do not find it in my power ; or I 
 find strong, constant obstacles, so that 
 I fail of doing it. The obstacles are not 
 natural, but such as arise from long in 
 dulgence in sin ; the strong native pro 
 pensity to evil. 
 
 19. For the good, &c. This is sub. 
 stantially a repetition of what is said in 
 ver. 15. The repetition shows how full 
 the mind of the apostle was of the sub 
 ject ; and how much inclined he was 
 to dwell upon it, and to place it in 
 every variety of form. It is not uncom 
 mon for Paul thus to express his in 
 tense interest in a subject, by placing 
 it in a great variety of aspects, even 
 at the hazard of much repetition. 
 
 20 Now if I do, &.c. This verse is 
 also a repetition of what was said in 
 vcr. 16, 17. 
 
 21. / Jind then a law. There is 
 a law whose operation I experience 
 whenever 1 attempt to do good. There 
 have been various opinions about the 
 meaning of the word law in this place. 
 It is evident that is used here in a sense 
 somewhat unusual. But it retains the 
 notion which commonly attaches to it 
 
158 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 present a with me. 
 
 22 For I delight b in the law 
 
 of that which binds, or controls. And 
 though this to which he refers differs 
 from&law, inasmuch as it is not imposed 
 by a superior, which is the usual idea of 
 a law, yet it has so far the sense of law 
 that it binds, controls, influences, or is 
 that to which he was subject. There 
 can be no doubt that he refers here to 
 his carnal and corrupt nature ; to the 
 evil propensities and dispositions which 
 were leading him astray. His represent 
 ing this as a law is in accordance with 
 all that he says of it, that it is servi 
 tude, that he is in bondage to it, and 
 that it impedes his efforts to be holy 
 and pure. The meaning is this, I find 
 a habit, a propensity, an influence of 
 corrupt passions and desires, which, 
 when I would do right, impedes my 
 progress, and prevents my accomplish 
 ing what I would. Comp. Gal. v. 17. 
 Every Christian is as much acquainted 
 with this as was the apostle Paul. 
 IT Do good. Do right. Be perfect. 
 IT Evil. Some corrupt desire, or im 
 proper feeling, or evil propensity. V Is 
 present with me. Is near ; is at hand. 
 It starts up unbidden, and undesired. 
 It is in the path, and never leaves us, 
 but is always ready to impede our 
 going, and to turn us from our good 
 designs. Comp. Ps. Ixv. 3, " Iniquities 
 prevail against me. * The sense is, that 
 to do evil is agreeable to our strong 
 natural inclinations arid passions. 
 
 22 For I delight. The word used 
 here (Zi;y<5o^at), occurs nowhere else 
 in the New Testament. It properly 
 means to rejoice with anyone; and ex 
 presses not only approbation of the 
 understanding, as the expression, " I 
 consent unto the law," in ver. 16, but 
 more than that it denotes sensible plea 
 sure in the heart. It indicates not only 
 intellectwtl assent, but emotion, an 
 emotion of pleasure in the contempla 
 tion of the law. And this shows that 
 the apostle is not speaking of an unre- 
 newed man. Of such a man it might 
 be said that his conscience approved 
 
 of God after the inward c man. 
 23 But I see another law in 
 
 ;2Cor.4.l6. 1 Pet.3.4. 
 
 dc.6. 13,19. 
 
 the law ; that his understanding was 
 convinced that the law was good ; but 
 never yet did it occur that an impeni 
 tent sinner found emotions of pleasure 
 in the contemplation of the pure and 
 spiritual law of God. If this expression 
 can be applied to an unrenewed man, 
 there is, perhaps, not a single mark of 
 a pious mind which may not with 
 equal propriety be so applied. It is the 
 natural, obvious, and usual mode of 
 denoting the feelings of piety, an assent 
 to the divine law followed with emo 
 tions of sensible delight in the contem 
 plation. Comp. Ps. cxix. 97, " O how 
 love I thy law; it is my meditation all 
 the day." Ps. i. 2, "But his delight is 
 in the law of the LORD." Ps. xix. 7 
 11. Job xxiii. 12. IT In the law of 
 God. The word law here is used in a 
 large sense to denote all the communi 
 cations which God had made to control 
 man. The sense is, that the apostle 
 was pleased with the whole. One mark 
 of genuine piety is to be pleased with 
 the whole of the divine requirements. 
 IT After the inward man. In respect to 
 the inward man. The expression " the 
 inward man" is used sometimes to de 
 note the rational part of man as op 
 posed to the sensual; sometimes the 
 mind as opposed to the body (comp 
 2 Cor. iv. 16. 1 Pet. iii. 4). It is 
 thus used by the Greek classic writers. 
 Here it is used evidently in opposition 
 to a carnal and corrupt nature ; to the 
 evil passions and desires of the soul in 
 an unrenewed state ; to what is called 
 elsewhere " the old man which is cor 
 rupt according to the deceitful lusts." 
 Eph. iv. 22. The "inward man" is 
 elsewhere called "the new man" (Eph. 
 iv. 24); and denotes not the mere intel 
 lect, or conscience, but is a personifica 
 tion of the principles of action by which 
 a Christian is governed ; the new na 
 ture ; the holy disposition ; the inclina 
 tion of the heart that is renewed. 
 
 23. But I see another law. Note, 
 ver. 21. IT In my members. In ray 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VII, 
 
 159 
 
 my members, warring against 
 the law of my mind, and bring 
 
 * A " ! A a i. ^ A I* ,, 
 
 ing 
 
 into captivity 
 
 o Ps. 142. 7. 
 
 a to the 
 
 body ; in my flesh ; in my corrupt and 
 sinful propensities. Note, ch. vi. 13.. 
 Comp. 1 Cor. vi. 15. Col. iii. 5. The 
 body is composed of many members ; 
 and as the flesh is regarded as the 
 source of sin (ver. 18), the law of sin 
 is said to be in the members, i. e., in 
 the body itself. 1T Warring against. 
 Fighting against; or resisting. 1T The 
 law of my mind. This stands opposed 
 to the prevailing inclinations of a cor 
 rupt nature. It means the same as was 
 expressed by the phrase " the inward 
 man," and denotes the desires and pur 
 poses of a renewed heart. IT And 
 bringing me into captivity. Making 
 me a prisoner, or a captive. This is 
 the completion of the figure respecting 
 the warfare. A captive taken in war 
 was at the disposal of the victor. So 
 the apostle represents himself as en 
 gaged in a warfare ; and as being over 
 come, and made an unwilling captive 
 to the evil inclinations of the heart. 
 The expression is strong ; and denotes 
 strong corrupt propensities. But though 
 strong, it is believed it is language 
 which all sincere Christians can adopt 
 of themselves, as expressive of that 
 painful and often disastrous conflict 
 in their bosoms when they contend 
 against the native propensities of their 
 hearts. 
 
 24. O wretched man that I am ! 
 The feeling implied by this lamentation 
 is the result of this painful conflict; and 
 this frequent subjection to sinful pro 
 pensities. The effect of this conflict is, 
 (1.) To produce pain and distress. It 
 is often an agonizing struggle between 
 good and evil; a struggle which annoys 
 the peace, and renders life wretch 
 ed. (2.) It tends to produce humility. 
 It is humbling to man to be thus under 
 the influence of evil passions. It is de 
 grading to his nature ; a stain on his 
 glory; and it tends to bring him into 
 the dust, that he is under the control 
 of such propensities, and so often give* 
 
 law of sin which is in my mem 
 
 bers. 
 
 24 O fi wretched man that I 
 
 iPs.38.2,10; 77.3-9. 
 
 indulgence to them. In such circum 
 stances, the mind is overwhelmed with 
 wretchedness, and instinctively sighs 
 for relief. Can the law aid 1 Can man 
 aid? Can any native strength of con 
 science or of reason aid ? In vain all 
 these are tried, and the Christian then 
 calmly and thankfully acquiesces in 
 the consolations of the apostle, that aid 
 can be obtained only through Jesus 
 Christ. IT W7io shall deliver me. Who 
 shall rescue me ; the condition of a 
 mind in deep distress, and conscious 
 of its own weakness, and looking for 
 aid. T The body of this death. Marg. 
 This body of death. The word body 
 here is probably used as equivalent to 
 flesh, denoting the corrupt and evil 
 propensities of the soul. Note, ver. 18. 
 It is thus used to denote the law of sin 
 in the members, as being that with 
 which the apostle was struggling, and 
 from which he desired to be delivered. 
 The expression " body of this death" is 
 a Hebraism, denoting a body deadly in 
 its tendency ; and the whole expression 
 may mean the corrupt principles of 
 man; the carnal, evil affections that 
 lead to death or to condemnation. The 
 expression is one of vast strength, and 
 strongly characteristic of the apostle 
 Paul. It indicates, (1.) That it was 
 near him, attending him, and was dis 
 tressing in its nature. 2.) An earnest 
 wish to be delivered from it. Some 
 have supposed that he refers to a cus 
 tom practised by ancient tyrants, of 
 binding a dead body to a captive as a 
 punishment, and compelling him to 
 drag the cumbersome and offensive 
 burden with him wherever he went. I 
 do not see any evidence that the apos 
 tle had this in view. But such a fact 
 may be used as a striking and perhaps 
 not improper illustration of the mean- 
 ing of the apostle here. No strength 
 of words could express deeper feeling; 
 none more feelingly indicate the ne- 
 cessity of the grace of God to accom- 
 
160 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 from 
 
 am ! who shall deliver me 
 1 the body of this death ? a 
 
 25 I * thank God, through Je 
 sus Christ our Lord. So then, 
 with the mind I myself serve the 
 
 1 or, thit boily of death a Ps.SS.S. b ICor. 15.57. 
 
 plish that to which the unaided human 
 powers are incompetent. 
 
 25. / thank God. That is, I thank 
 God for effecting a deliverance to which 
 I arn myself incompetent. There is a 
 way of rescue, and I trace it altogether 
 to nis mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 What conscience could not do, what 
 the law could not do, what unaided 
 human strength could not do, has been 
 accomplished by the plan of the gospel; 
 and complete deliverance can be ex 
 pected there, and there alone. This is 
 the point to which all his reasoning 
 had tended ; and having thus shown 
 that the law was insufficient to effect 
 this deliverance, he is now prepared to 
 utter the language of Christian thank 
 fulness that it can be effected by the 
 gospel. The superiority of the gospel 
 to the law in overcoming all the evils 
 under which man labours, is thus tri 
 umphantly established. Comp. 1 Cor. 
 xv. 57. V So then. As the result of 
 the whole inquiry we have come to 
 this conclusion. IT With the mind. 
 With the understanding, the con 
 science, the purposes, or intentions of 
 the soul. This is a characteristic of 
 the renewed nature. Of no impenitent 
 sinner could it be ever affirmed that 
 with his mind he served the law of 
 God. IT / myself. It is still the same 
 person, though acting in this apparently 
 contradictory manner. If Serve the. 
 law of God. Do honor to it as a just 
 and holy law (ver. 12, 16), and am in 
 clined to obey it. ver. 22. 24. IT But 
 with the flesh. The corrupt propen 
 sities and lusts, ver. 18. IT The law 
 of sin. That is, in the members. The 
 flesh throughout, in all its native pro 
 pensities and passions, leads to sin ; it 
 has no tendency to holiness ; and its 
 corruptions can be overcome only by 
 the grace of God. We have thus, 
 
 law of God, but with the flesh the 
 law of sin. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 rj^HERE is, therefore, now 
 no c condemnation to them 
 
 c Jno.3. IS. 
 
 (1.) A view of the sad and painful 
 conflict between sin and God. They 
 are opposed in all things. (2.) We see 
 the raging, withering effect of sin on 
 the soul. In all circumstances it tends 
 to death and wo. (3.) We see the 
 feebleness of the law and of conscience 
 to overcome this. The tendency of 
 both is to produce conflict and wo. 
 And, (4.) We see that the gospel only 
 can overcome sin. To us it should be 
 a subject of ever-increasing thankful 
 ness, that what could not be accom 
 plished by the law, can be thus effected 
 by the gospel ; and that God has de 
 vised a plan that thus effects complete 
 deliverance, and which gives to the 
 captive in sin an everlasting triumph. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 THIS chapter is one of the most in 
 teresting and precious portions of the 
 sacred Scriptures. Some parts of it 
 are attended with great difficulties ; but 
 its main scope and design is apparent 
 to all. It is a continuation of the sub 
 ject discussed in the previous chapter, 
 and is intended mainly to show that 
 the gospel could effect what the law 
 was incapable of doing. In that chap 
 ter the apostle had shown that the law 
 was incapable of producing sanctifica- 
 tion or peace of mind. He had traced 
 its influence on the mind in different 
 conditions, and shown that equally be 
 fore regeneration and afterwards, it was 
 incapable of producing peace and holi 
 ness. Such was man, such were his 
 propensities, that the application of law 
 only tended to excite, to irritate, to pro 
 duce conflict. The conscience, indeed, 
 testified to the law that it was good ; 
 but still it had shown that it was not 
 adapted to produce holiness of heart 
 and peace, but agitation, conflict, and 
 a state of excited sin. In opposition to 
 this, he proceeds to show in this chap- 
 
A.D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 161 
 
 which are in Christ Jesus, who 
 
 a Gal.5.16. 
 
 walk "not after the flesh, but after 
 ,he Spirit. 
 
 ter the power of the gospel to produce 
 that which the law could not. In doing 
 this, he illustrates the subject by seve 
 ral considerations. (1.) The gospel 
 does what the law could not do in giv 
 ing life and delivering from condem 
 nation, ver. 1 13. (2.) It produces 
 a spirit of adoption, and all the bless 
 ings which result from the filial confi 
 dence with which we can address God 
 as our Father, in opposition to the law 
 which produced only terror and alarm, 
 ver. 14 17. (3.) It sustains the soul 
 amidst its captivity to sin, and its trials, 
 with the hope of a future deliverance 
 a complete and final redemption of the 
 body from all the evils of this life. ver. 
 1825. (4.) It furnishes the aid of 
 ihe Holy Spirit to sustain us in our 
 trials and infirmities, ver. 26, 27. (5.) 
 It gives the assurance that all things 
 shall work together for good, since all 
 things are connected with the purpose 
 of God, and all that can occur to a 
 Christian comes in as a part of the plan 
 of him who has resolved to save him. 
 ver. 28 30. (6.) It ministers conso 
 lation from the fact that every thing 
 that can affect the happiness of man is 
 on the side of the Christian, and will 
 co-operate in his favour; as, e. g. (a) 
 God, in giving his Son, and in justify 
 ing the believer, ver. 3133. (b) Christ, 
 in dying, and rising, and interceding 
 for Christians, ver. 34. (c) The love 
 of a Christian to the Saviour is in itself 
 so strong that nothing can separate him 
 from it. ver. 35 39. By all these con 
 siderations the superiority of the gospe 
 to the law is shown, and assurance is 
 given to the believer of his final salva. 
 tion. By this interesting and conclu 
 sive train of reasoning, the apostle is 
 prepared for the triumphant language 
 of exultation with which he closes thi 
 most precious portion of the word oi 
 God. 
 
 1. There is, therefore, now. Thi 
 
 is connected with the closing verses of 
 
 cl vii. The apostle had there shcwi 
 
 o2 
 
 .hat the law could not affect deliver, 
 ance from sin, but that such deliver- 
 nce was to be traced to the gospel 
 ilone. ch. vii. 23 25. It is implied 
 icre that there was condemnation un 
 der the law, and would be still, but for 
 the intervention of the gospel. IT A T 
 condemnation. This does not mean 
 that sin in believers is not to be con- 
 dernned as much as any where, for the 
 contrary is every where taught in the 
 Scriptures; but it means, (1.) That 
 the gospel does not pronounce condem 
 nation like the law. Its office is to par 
 don ; the office of the law, to condemn. 
 The one never affords deliverance, but 
 always condemns ; the object of the 
 other is to free from condemnation, and 
 to set the soul at liberty. (2.) There 
 is no final condemnation under the 
 gospel. The office, design, and ten 
 dency of the gospel is to free from the 
 condemning sentence of law. This 
 is its first and its glorious announce 
 ment, that it frees lost and ruined men 
 from a most fearful and terrible con- 
 demnation. IT Which are in Christ 
 Jesus. Who are united to Christ. To 
 be in him is an expression not seldom 
 used in the New Testament, denoting 
 close and intimate union. Phil. i. 1 ; 
 iii. 9. 2. Cor. v. 17. Rom. xvi. 711. 
 The union between Christ and his peo 
 ple is compared to that between the 
 vine and its branches (John xv. 1 6), 
 and hence believers are said to be in 
 him in a similar sense, as deriving their 
 support from him, and as united in 
 feeling, in purpose, and destiny. IT Who 
 walk. Who conduct, or live. Note, 
 ch. iv. 12. IT Not after the flesh. Who 
 do not live to gratify the corrupt de 
 sires and passions of the flesh. Note, 
 ch. vii. 18. This is a characteristic of 
 a Christian. What it is to walk after 
 the flesh may be seen in Gul. v. 19 
 21. It follows that a man whose pur 
 pose of life is to gratify his corrupt de 
 sires, cannot be a Christian. Unless 
 he lives not to gratify his flesh, he can 
 
162 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 2 For the law of the Spirit of 
 Christ Jesus hath made 
 b from the law of sin and 
 
 life " m 
 me free 
 death. 
 
 3 For what the law could not 
 
 a2Cor.36. b Gal.2.19;5.1. 
 
 have no evidence of piety. This is a 
 test which is easily applied ; and if 
 every professor of religion were honest, 
 there could be no danger of mistake, 
 and there need be no doubts about his 
 true character. IT But after the Spirit. 
 As the Holy Spirit would lead or 
 prompt. What the Spirit produces 
 may be seen in Gal. v. 22, 23. If a 
 man has these fruits of the Spirit, he is 
 a Christian ; if not, he is a stranger to 
 religion, whatever else he may possess. 
 And this test also is easily applied. 
 
 2. For the law. The word law here 
 means that rule, command, or influ 
 ence which "the Spirit of Life" pro 
 duces. That exerts a control which is 
 here called a law, for a law often means 
 any thing by which we are ruled or 
 governed. See Notes, ch. vii. 21. 23. 
 IT Of the Spirit. I see no reason to 
 doubt here that this refers to the Holy 
 Spirit. Evidently, at the close of ver. 
 1, the word has this reference. The 
 phrase " the Spirit of life " then means 
 the Holy Spirit producing or giving life ; 
 i. e. giving peace, joy, activity, salvation ; 
 in opposition to the law spoken of in ch. 
 vii. that produced death and condemna 
 tion. IT In Christ Jesus. Under the 
 Christian religion ; or sent by Christ to 
 apply his work to men. John xvi. 7 
 14. The Spirit is sent by Christ; his 
 influence is a part of the Christian 
 scheme ; and his power accomplishes 
 that which the law could not do. 
 IT Hath made me free. That is, has 
 delivered me from the predominating in 
 fluence and control of sin. He cannot 
 mean that he was perfect, for the whole 
 tenor of his reasoning is opposed to 
 that. But the design, the tendency, 
 and the spirit of the gospel was to pro 
 duce this freedom from what the law 
 could not deliver ; and he was now 
 
 c do, in that it was weak through 
 the flesh, God, sending his own 
 
 Son 
 flesh, 
 
 in the likeness of sinful 
 and ! for sin, condemned 
 
 sin in the flesh : 
 
 c Acts 12.39. Heb.7. 18,19. 
 sacrifice for tin. 
 
 d Gal.3.13. 1 or, ly a 
 
 brought under the general power of 
 this scheme. In the former state he 
 was under a bitter and most galling 
 bondage, ch. vii. 7 11. Now, he was 
 brought under the influence of a scheme 
 which contemplated freedom, and 
 which produced it. IT The law of sin 
 and death. The controlling influence 
 of sin, leading to death and condem 
 nation, ch. vii. 5 11. 
 
 3. For what the law could not do. 
 The law of God, the moral law. It 
 could not free from sin and condem 
 nation. This the apostle had fully 
 shown in ch. vii. IT In that. Because. 
 IF It was weak. It was feeble and in 
 efficacious. It could not accomplish it. 
 IF Through the flesh. In consequence 
 of the strength of sin, and of the evil 
 and corrupt desires of the unrenewed 
 heart. The fault was not in the law, 
 which was good (ch. vii. 12), but it 
 was owing to the strength of the natu 
 ral passions and the sinfulness of the 
 unrenewed heart. See ch. vii. 7 11, 
 where this influence is fully explained. 
 IT God, sending his own Son. That is, 
 God did or accomplished that, by send 
 ing his Son, which the law could not 
 do. The word did, or accomplished, 
 it is necessary to understand here, in 
 order to complete the sense. IT In the 
 likeness of sinful flesh. That is, he 
 so far resembled sinful flesh that he 
 partook of flesh, or the nature of man, 
 but without any of its sinful propsn- 
 sities or desires. It was not human 
 nature; not, as the Docetse taught, hu 
 man nature in appearance only ; but 
 it was human nature without any of its 
 corruptions. IT And for sin. Margin, 
 " By a sacrifice for sin." The expres 
 sion evidently means, by an offering 
 for sin, or that he was given as a sacri 
 fice on account of sin. His being given 
 
A..D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 163 
 
 4 That the righteousness of the 
 law might be fulfilled in us, who 
 walk * not after the flesh, but after 
 the Spirit. 
 
 5 For they that are after the 
 flesh, * do mind the things of 
 
 fcJno.3.6. ICor. 15.48. 
 
 had respect to sin. 1T Condemned sin 
 in Hit Jlesh. The flesh is regarded as 
 the source of sin. Note, ch. vii. 18. 
 The flesh being the seat and origin of 
 transgression, the atoning sacrifice was 
 made in the likeness of sinful flesh, that 
 thus he might meet sin, as it were, on 
 its own ground, and destroy it. He 
 may be said to have condemned sin in 
 this manner. (1.) Because the fact that 
 he was given for it, and died on its ac 
 count, was a condemnation of it. If 
 sin had been approved by God, he 
 would not have made an atonement to 
 secure its destruction. The depth and 
 intensity of the woes of Christ on its 
 account show the degree of abhorrence 
 with which it is regarded by God. 
 (2.) The word condemn may be used 
 in the sense of destroying, overcoming, 
 or subduing. 2 Pet. ii. 6, " And turn 
 ing the cities of Sodorn and Gomorrah 
 into ashes, condemned them with an 
 overthrow." In this sense the sacrifice 
 of Christ has not only condemned sin 
 as being evil, but has weakened its 
 power and destroyed its influence, and 
 will finally annihilate its existence in 
 all who are saved by the death. 
 
 4. That Ike righteousness of the law. 
 That we might be conformed to the 
 law, or be obedient to its requirements, 
 and no longer under the influence 
 of the flesh and its corrupt designs. 
 1 Might be fulfilled. That we might 
 be obedient, or comply with its de 
 mands. IT Who walk. Note, ver. 1. 
 
 5. For they that are after the Jlesh. 
 They that are under the influence of 
 the corrupt and sinful desires of the 
 flesh. Gal. v. 1921. Those who are 
 unrenewed. T Do mind (he things of 
 the Jlesh. They are supremely devoted 
 to the gratification of thfir corrupt de- 
 
 the flesh; but they that are after 
 the Spirit, the things c of the 
 Spirit. 
 
 6 For ! to be carnally minded 
 is death ; d but 2 to be spiritually 
 minded is life and peace : 
 
 c 1 Cor.2. 14. I the minding of the flesh 
 2 the minding of the Spirit. 
 
 dGal.6.8. 
 
 sires. IT But they that are after the 
 Spirit. Who are under its influence ; 
 who are led by the Spirit. IT The 
 things of the Spirit. Those things 
 which the Spirit produces, or which he 
 ! effects in the mind. Gal. v. 21 23. 
 | This verse is for the purpose of illus- 
 j tration,- and is designed to show that 
 j the tendency of religion is to produce 
 as entire a devotedness to the service 
 of God as men had before rendered to 
 sin ; that is, that they would be fully 
 engaged in that to which they had 
 j devoted themselves. As the Chris 
 tian, therefore, had devoted himself 
 to the service of the Spirit, and had 
 been brought under his influence, it 
 was to be expected that he would make 
 j it his great and only object to cherish 
 I and cultivate the graces which that 
 [ Spirit would produce. 
 
 6. For to be carnally minded. Mar- 
 1 gin, " The minding of the flesh." The 
 I sense is, that to follow the inclinations 
 | of the flesh, or the corrupt propensities 
 i of our nature, leads to condemnation 
 j and death. The expression is one of 
 great energy, and shows that it not 
 only leads to death, or leads to misery, 
 but that it is death itself; there is wo 
 and condemnation in the very act and 
 purpose of being supremely devoted to 
 ; the corrupt passions. Its only tendency 
 I is condemnation and despair. ^ Is 
 death. The penalty of transgression ; 
 condemnation and eternal ruin. Note, 
 ch. v. 12. IT But to be spiritually 
 minded. Margin, " The minding of 
 j the Spirit." That is, making it the 
 object of the mind, the end and aim of 
 the actions, to cultivate the graces of 
 the Spirit, and to submit to his influ 
 ence. To be spiritually minded is to 
 seek those feelings and views which 
 
164 
 
 7 Because the carnal mind 
 is enmity against God; for it is 
 
 KOMANS. [A. D. 60, 
 
 not subject to the law of God ; 
 neither indeed can be. 
 
 the Holy Spirit produces, and to follow 
 his leadings. 1 Is life. This is opposed 
 to death in ver. 5. It tends to life, and 
 is in fact real life. For to possess and 
 cultivate the graces of the Spirit, to be 
 lead where he would guide us, is the 
 design of our existence, and is the only 
 path of happiness. IT And peace. Note, 
 ch. vi. 
 
 7. Because. This is given as a rea 
 son for what is said in ver. 6. In that 
 verse the apostle had affirmed that to 
 be carnally minded was death, but he 
 had not stated why it was. He now 
 explains it by saying that it is enmity 
 against God, and thus involves a sin- 
 ner in conflict with him, and exposes 
 to his condemnation. IT The carnal 
 mind. This is the same expression as 
 occurs in ver. 6 (ri tppdvrjua 7% <rap*dj ). 
 It does not mean the mind itself, the 
 intellect, or the will ; it does not sup 
 pose that the mind or soul is physical, 
 ly depraved, or opposed to God ; but it 
 means that the minding of the things 
 of the flesh, giving to them supreme 
 attention, is hostility against God; and 
 involves the sinner in a controversy 
 with him, and hence leads to death and 
 wo. This passage should not be alleged 
 in proof that the soul is physically de 
 praved, but merely that where there is 
 a supreme regard to the flesh there is 
 hostility to God. It does not directly 
 prove the doctrine of universal depra 
 vity; but it proves only that where 
 such attention exists to the corrupt de 
 sires of the soul, there is hostility to 
 God. It is indeed implied that that 
 supreme regard to the flesh exists 
 every where by nature, but this is not 
 expressly affirmed. For the object of 
 the apostle here is not to teach the 
 doctrine of depravity, but to show that 
 where such depravity in fact exists, it 
 involves the sinner in a fearful contro 
 versy with God. IT Is enmity. Hos 
 tility ; hatred. It means that sucli a re 
 gard to the flesh is in fact hostility to 
 God, because it is opposed to his law, 
 
 and to his plan for purifying the soul. 
 Cornp. James iv. 4. 1 John ii. 15. 
 The minding of the tilings of the flesh 
 also leads to the hatred of God himself, 
 because he is opposed to it, and has ex- 
 pressed his abhorrence of it. IF Against 
 God. Towards God ; or in regard to 
 him. It supposes hostility to him. 
 IT For it. The word " it " here refers 
 to the minding of the things of the 
 flesh. It does not mean that the soul 
 itself is not subject to his law, but that 
 the minding of those things is hostile - 
 to his law. The apostle does not ex 
 press any opinion about the metaphy 
 sical ability of man, or discuss that 
 question at all. The amount of his 
 affirmation is simply, that the minding 
 of the flesh, the supreme attention to 
 its dictates and desires, is not and 
 cannot be subject to the law of God. 
 They are wholly contradictory and 
 irreconcilable, just as much as the love 
 of falsehood is inconsistent with the 
 laws of truth ; as intemperance is in 
 consistent with the law of temperance; 
 and as adultery is a violation of the 
 seventh commandment. But whether 
 the man himself might not obey the 
 law, whether he has, orhas not, ability 
 to do it, is a question which the apostle 
 does not touch, and on which this pas 
 sage should not be adduced. For whe 
 ther the law of a particular sin is utter 
 ly irreconcilable with an opposite vir 
 tue, and whether the sinner is able to 
 abandon that sin and pursue a different 
 path, are very different inquiries. IT / 
 not subject. It is not in subjection to 
 the command of God. The minding of 
 the flesh is opposed to that law, and 
 thus shows that it is hostile to God. 
 IT Neither indeed can be. This is ab 
 solute and certain. It is impossible that 
 it should be. There is the utmost 
 inability in regard to it. The things zye 
 utterly irreconcilable. But the aiiirma- 
 tion does not mean that the heart o f 
 the sinner might not be subject to 
 God or that his soul is so physically 
 
 J 
 
L. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 165 
 
 8 So then they that are in the 
 flesh cannot please God. 
 
 9 But ye are not in the flesh, 
 but in the Spirit, if so be that 
 
 depraved that he cannot obey, or that 
 he. might not obey the law. On that, 
 the apostle here expresses no opinion. 
 That is not the subject of the discus 
 sion. It is simply that the supreme re 
 gard to the flesh, the minding of that, 
 is utterly irreconcilable with the law 
 of God. They are different things, and 
 can never be made to harmonize ; just 
 as adultery cannot be chastity ; false- 
 hood cannot be truth; dishonesty can 
 not be honesty ; hatred cannot be love. 
 This passage, therefore, should not be 
 adduced to prove the doctrine of man s 
 inability to love God, for it does not re 
 fer to that, but it proves merely that a 
 supreme regard to the things of the flesh 
 is utterly inconsistent with the law of 
 God; can never be reconciled with it; 
 and involves the sinner in hostility 
 with his Creator. 
 
 8. So then. It follows; it leads to 
 this conclusion. IT They that are in 
 the flesh. They who are unrenewed 
 sinners; who are following supremely 
 the desires of the flesh, ch. vii. 18. 
 Those are meant here who follow 
 fleshly appetites and desires, and who 
 aie not led by the Spirit of God. 
 IT Cannot please God. That is, while 
 they are thus in the flesh ; while they 
 thus pursue the desires of their corrupt 
 nature, they cannot please God. But 
 this affirms nothing respecting their 
 ability to turn from this course, and to 
 pursue a different mode of life. That 
 is a different question. A child maybe 
 obstinate, proud, and disobedient; and 
 while in this state, it may be affirmed of 
 him that he cannot please his parent. 
 But whether he might not cease to 
 be obstinate, and become obedient, is a 
 very different inquiry; and the two sub 
 jects should never be confounded. 11 
 follows from this, (1.) That those who 
 are unrenewed are totally depraved, 
 since in this state they cannot please 
 God. (2.) That none of their actions 
 
 the Spirit of God dwell a in 
 you. Now if any man have not 
 the Spirit of Christ, he is none 
 of his. 
 
 aICor.8.19. Ga ,4.6. 
 
 while in this state can be acceptable 
 to him, since he is pleased only with 
 those who are spiritually minded. (3.) 
 That those who are in this state should 
 turn from it without delay; so it is de 
 sirable that every man should please 
 God. (4.) That if the sinner does not 
 turn from his course, he will be ruined. 
 With his present character he can 
 never please him ; neither in health nor 
 sickness ; neither in life nor death ; 
 neither on earth nor in hell. He is en 
 gaged in hostility against God ; and if 
 he does not himself forsake it, it will 
 be endless, and involve his soul in all 
 the evils of a personal, and direct, 
 and eternal warfare with the Lord 
 Almighty. 
 
 9. But ye. You who are Christians. 
 This is the opposite character to that 
 which he had been describing, and 
 shows the power of the gospel. ^ Not 
 in thejlesh. Not under the full influ 
 ence of corrupt desires and passions. 
 IF But in the spirit. That is, you are 
 spiritually minded ; you are under the 
 direction and influence of the Holy 
 Spirit. 1T The Spirit of God. The Holy 
 Ghost. IT Dwell in you. The Holy 
 Spirit is often represented as dwelling 
 in the hearts of Christians (comp. 
 1 Cor. ii. 16, 17; vi. 19. 2 Cor. vi. 
 16. Eph. ii. 21, 22. Gal. iv. 6) ; and 
 the meaning is not that there is a per 
 sonal or physical indwelling of the 
 Holy Ghost, but that he influences, 
 directs, and guides Christians, produc 
 ing meekness, love, joy, peace, long, 
 suffering, gentleness, goodness, &c. 
 Gal. v. 22, 23. The expression, to 
 dwell in one, denotes intimacy of con 
 nexion, and means that those things 
 which arn the fruits of the Spirit are 
 produced in the heart. IT have not the 
 Spirit of Christ. The word Spirit is 
 used in a great variety of significations 
 in the Scriptures. It most commonly 
 in the New Testament refers to the 
 
166 
 
 10 And if Christ be in you, 
 the body is dead because of sin ; 
 
 third person of the Trinity, the Holy 
 Ghost. But the expression " the Spirit 
 of Christ " is not, I believe, any where 
 applied to him, except it may be 1 Pet. 
 i. 11. He is called often the Spirit of 
 God (Matt. iii. 16; xii. 28. 1 Cor. ii. 
 11. 14; iii. 16; vi. 11. Eph. iv. 30), 
 but not the Spirit of the Father. The 
 word spirit is often used to denote the 
 temper, disposition; thus we say, a 
 man of a generous spirit, or of a re 
 vengeful spirit, &c. It may possibly 
 have this meaning here, and denotes 
 that he who has not the temper or dis 
 position of Christ is not his, or has 
 no evidence of piety. But the con 
 nexion seems to demand that it should 
 be understood in a sense similar to the 
 expression " the Spirit of God," and 
 " the Spirit of him that raised up Je 
 sus " (ver. 11) ; and if so, it means the 
 Spirit which Christ imparts, or sends 
 to accomplish his work (John xiv. 26), 
 the Holy Spirit, sent to make us like 
 Christ, and to sanctify our hearts. And 
 in, this sense it evidently denotes the 
 Spirit which Christ would send to pro 
 duce in us the views and feelings which 
 he came to establish, and which shall 
 assimilate us to himself. If this refers 
 to the Holy Spirit, then we see the 
 manner in which the apostle spoke of 
 the Saviour, He regarded " the Spi 
 rit" as equally the Spirit of God and 
 of Christ, as proceeding from both ; and 
 thus evidently believed that there is a 
 union of nature between the Father 
 and the Son. Such language could 
 never be used except on the supposi 
 tion that the Father and the Son are 
 one ; that is, that Christ is divine. 
 ^ Is none of his. Is not a Christian. 
 This is a test of piety that is easily ap 
 plied ; and this settles the question. 
 If a man is not influenced by the meek, 
 pure, and holy spirit of the Lord Jesus, 
 if he is not conformed to his image, if 
 his life does not resemble that of the 
 Saviour, he is a stranger to religion. 
 No test could be more easily applied, 
 and none is more decisive. It matters 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 but the Spirit is life because of 
 
 righteousness. 
 
 not what else he may have. He may 
 be loud in his professions, amiable ir. 
 his temper, bold in his zeal, or active 
 in promoting the interests of his own 
 party or denomination in the church; 
 but if he has not the temper of the Sa 
 viour, and does not manifest his Spirit, 
 it is as sounding brass or a tinkling 
 cymbal. May all who read this, ho 
 nestly examine themselves ; and may 
 they have that which is the source of 
 the purest felicity, the spirit and tem 
 per of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 10. And if Christ be in you. This 
 is evidently a figurative expression, 
 where the word " Christ " is used to 
 denote his spirit, his principles; that is. 
 he influences the man. Literally, he 
 cannot be in a Christian ; but the close 
 connexion between him and Christians, 
 and the fact that they are entirely un 
 der his influence, is expressed by this 
 strong figurative language. It is lan 
 guage which is not unfrequenjtly used. 
 Comp. Gal. ii. 20. Col. i. 27. IT Th( 
 body is dead. This passage has been 
 interpreted in very different ways 
 Some understand it to mean that tht 
 body is dead in respect to sin ; that is 
 that sin has no more power to excite 
 evil passions and desires ; others, that 
 the body must die on account of sin 
 but that the spiritual part shall live 
 and even the body shall live also in tht 
 resurrection. Thus Calvin, Beza, am 
 Augustine. Doddridge understands ii 
 thus : " Though the body is to die or 
 account of the first sin that entered intc 
 the world, yet the spirit is life, and shali 
 continue to live on for ever, through 
 that righteousness which the second 
 Adam has introduced." To each of 
 these interpretations there are serious 
 objections, which it is not necessary to 
 urge. I understand the passage in the 
 following manner : The body refers to 
 that of which the apostle had said so 
 much in the previous chapters the 
 flesh, the man before conversion. It is 
 subject to corrupt passions and desires, 
 and may be said thus to b dead, as ii 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 167 
 
 11 But if the Spirit of him 
 that raised up Jesus from the 
 dead dwell in you, he * that rais 
 ed up Christ from the dead shall 
 also quicken your mortal bodies 
 
 has none of the elements of spiritual 
 life. It is under the reign of sin and 
 death. The word ptv, indeed, or truly, 
 has been omitted in our translation, and 
 the omission has obscured the sense. 
 The expression is an admission of the 
 apostle, or a summary statement of 
 what had before been shown. It is to 
 be admitted, indeed, or it is true, that 
 the unrenewed nature, the man before 
 conversion, under the influence of the 
 flesh, is spiritually dead. Sin has its 
 seat in the fleshly appetites; and the 
 whole body may be admitted thus to 
 be dead or corrupt. 1T Because of sin. 
 Through sin (SI a/iapn av) ; by means 
 of sinful passions and appetites. IT But 
 ihe spirit. This stands opposed to the 
 body ; and it means that the soul, the 
 immortal part, the renovated man, was 
 alive, or was under the influence of 
 living principles. It was imbued with 
 the life which the gospel imparts, and 
 had become active in the service of 
 God. The word " sp.rit " here does not 
 refer to the Holy Ghost, but to the spi 
 rit of man, the immortal part, recover 
 ed, renewed, and imbued with life under 
 the gospel. IF Because of righteousness. 
 Through righteousness (Sid StKatoffvvrjv). 
 This is commonly interpreted to mean, 
 with reference to righteousness, or that 
 it may become righteous. But I under 
 stand the expression to be used in the 
 sense in which the word is so frequent 
 ly used in this epistle, as denoting God s 
 plan of justification. See Note, ch. 
 i. 17. * The spirit of man has been 
 recovered and made alive through his 
 plan of justification. It communicate 
 life, and recovers man from his death 
 in sin to life. 
 
 11. But if the Spirit of him, &c 
 The Holy Spirit, ver. 9. IT He that 
 raised up Christ, &c. He that hac 
 power to restore him to life, has power 
 
 by his Spirit that dwelleth in 
 
 you. 
 
 12 Therefore, brethren, we are 
 debtors, not b to the flesh, to live 
 after the flesh. 
 
 or, because of. 
 
 ;o give life lo you. He that did, in 
 fact, restore him to life, will also re 
 store you. The argument here seems 
 to be founded, first, on the power of 
 God ; and, secondly, on the connexion 
 between Christ and his people. Comp. 
 John xiv. 19, " Because I live, ye shall 
 ive also." IT Shall also quicken. Shall 
 make alive. IT Your mortal bodies. 
 That this does not refer to the resur 
 rection of the dead seems to be appa 
 rent, because that is not attributed to 
 the Holy Spirit. I understand it as re 
 ferring to the body, subject to carnal 
 desires and propensities; by nature un 
 der the reign of death, and therefore 
 mortal ; i. e. subject to death. The 
 sense is, that under the gospel, by the 
 influence of the Spirit, the entire man 
 will be made alive in the service of 
 God. Even the corrupt, carnal, and 
 mortal body, so long under the domi 
 nion of sin, shall be made alive and re 
 covered to the service of God. This 
 will be done by the Spirit that dwells 
 in us, because that Spirit has restored 
 life to our souls, abides with us with 
 his purifying influence, and because 
 the design and tendency of his in 
 dwelling is to purify the entire man, 
 and restore all to God. Christians 
 thus in their bodies and in their spirits 
 become sacred. For even their body, the 
 seat of evil passions and desires, shall 
 become alive in the service of God. 
 
 12. We are debtors. We owe it as 
 a matter of solemn obligation. This 
 obligation arises, (1.) From the fact 
 that the Spirit dwells in us ; (2.) Be 
 cause the design of his indwelling is 
 to purify us; (3.) Because we are thus 
 recovered from the death of sin to the 
 life of religion ; and he who has im 
 parted life, has a right to require that 
 it be spent in his service. IT To the 
 Jlesh. To the corrupt propensities and 
 
168 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. CO. 
 
 13 For if yc live after the 
 flesh, yc shall die : but if yc 
 through the Spirit do mortify 
 
 passions. We ;irc not bound to indulge 
 them, because the end of such indul 
 gence is death and ruin. ch. vii 21,22. 
 But we arc bound to live to God, and 
 to follow the leadings of his Spirit, for 
 the end is life and peace, ch. vii. 22, 
 23. The reason for this is stated in 
 the following verse. 
 
 13. For if yc /ice, &c. If you live 
 to indulge your carnal propensities, you 
 will sink to eternal death, ch. vii. 23. 
 IT Through the Spirit. By the aid of 
 the Spirit; by cherishing and cultivat 
 ing his influences. What is here re 
 quired can be accomplished only by the 
 aid of the Holy Ghost. 1T Do mortify. 
 Do put to death ; do destroy. Sin is 
 mortified when its power is destroyed 
 and it ceases to be active. T The deeds 
 of the body. The corrupt inclinations 
 and passions; called deeds of the body, 
 because they arc supposed to have their 
 origin in the fleshly appetites. IT Ye 
 shall live. You shall be happy and 
 saved. Either your sins must die, or 
 you must. If they arc suffered to live, 
 you will die. If they arc put to death, 
 you will be saved. No man can be 
 saved in his sins. This closes the ar 
 gument of the apostle for the supe 
 riority of the gospel to the law in pro 
 moting the purity of man. By this 
 train of reasoning, he has shown that 
 the gospel has accomplished what the 
 law could not do the sanctification of 
 the soul, the destruction of the corrupt 
 passions of our nature, and the recovery 
 of man to God. 
 
 14. For as many. Whosoever; all 
 who are thus led. This introduces a 
 new topic, illustrating the benefits of 
 the gospel, to wit, that it produces a 
 spirit of adoption, vcr. 14 17. IT As 
 are led. As submit to his influence and 
 control. The Spirit is represented as 
 influencing, suggesting and controlling. 
 One evidence of piety is, a willingness 
 to yield to that influence, and submit 
 to him. One decided evidence of the 
 
 the deeds of the body, ye shall 
 live. 
 
 14 For as many as are led by 
 
 //G.il.5.18. 
 
 want of piety is, where there is an un- 
 willingness to submit to that influence, 
 but where the Holy Spirit is grieved 
 and resisted. All Christians submit to 
 his influence; all sinners decidedly re 
 ject it and oppose it. The influence 
 of the Spirit, if followed, would lead 
 every man to heaven. But when neg 
 lected, rejected, or despised, man goes 
 down to hell. The glory belongs to 
 the conducting Spirit when man is 
 saved ; the fault is man s when he is 
 lost. The apostle here docs not agitate 
 the question how it is that the people 
 of God arc led by the Spirit, or why 
 they yield to it when others resist it. 
 His design is simply to stale the fact, 
 that they who are thus led arc the 
 sons of God, or have evidence of piety 
 IT Are the Sons of God. Are adopted 
 into his family, and are his children. 
 This is a name of endearment, mean- 
 ing that they sustain to him this rela 
 tion ; that they arc his friends, disc 1 
 pics, and imitators ; that they arc part 
 of the great family of the redeemed, or 
 whom he is the Father and Protector. 
 It is often applied to Christians in the 
 Bible. Job i. G. John i. 12. Phil. ii. 15. 
 1 John iii. 1, 2. Matt. v. 9. 45. Luke 
 vi. 35. This is a test of piety which 
 is easily applied. (1.) Arc we con 
 scious that an influence from above has 
 been drawing us away from the cor 
 rupting passions and vanities of this 
 World ? This is the work of the Spirit. 
 (2.) Arc we conscious of a desire to 
 yield to that influence, and to be con 
 ducted in the path of purity and life ? 
 This is an evidence that we arc the 
 sons of God. (3.) Do we offer no re 
 sistance ; do we follow cheerfully and 
 obey this pure influence, leading us to 
 mortify pride, subdue passion, destroy 
 lust, humble ambition, and annihilat* 
 the love of wealth and of the world ? 
 If so, we arc his children. God will not 
 lead us astray ; and our peace and happi 
 ness consists only in yielding ourselves 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 160 
 
 the Spirit of God, they are the 
 sons of God. 
 
 15 For ye have not received 
 the spirit of bondage again, to 
 fear ; but b ye have received the 
 
 I lCor.2.12. 
 
 Spirit of adoption, c whereby wo 
 cry, Abba, Father. 
 
 16 The Spirit itself beareth 
 witness d with our spirit, that we 
 are the children of God : 
 
 cJer.3.19. Gal.4.5.6. d2Cor.l.22. Uchn.4.13. 
 
 to this influence entirely, and in being 
 willing to be conducted by this unseen 
 hand " beside the still waters of salva 
 tion." 
 
 15. The spirit of bondage. The 
 spirit that binds you ; or the spirit of a 
 slave, that produces only fear. The 
 slave is under constant fear and alarm. 
 But the spirit of religion is that of free 
 dom and of confidence ; the spirit of 
 children and not of slaves. Compare 
 Note, John viii. 3236. V Again to 
 fear. That you should again be 
 afraid, or be subjected to servile fear. 
 This implies that in their former state 
 under the law, they were in a state of 
 servitude, and that the tendency of it 
 was merely to produce alarm. Every 
 sinner is subject to such fear. He has 
 every thing of which to be alarmed. 
 God is angry with him ; his conscience 
 will trouble him ; and he has every 
 thing to apprehend in death and in 
 eternity. But it is not so with the 
 Christian. Comp. 2 Tim. i. 7. V The 
 spirit of adoption. The feeling of af 
 fection, love, and confidence which per 
 tains to children ; not the servile, trem 
 bling spirit of slaves, but the temper 
 and affectionate regard of sons. Adop 
 tion is the taking and treating a stran 
 ger as one s own child. It is applied 
 to Christians because God treats them 
 as his children ; he receives them into 
 this relation, though they were by na 
 ture strangers and enemies. It implies, 
 (1.) That we by nature had no claim 
 on him ; (2.) That, therefore, the act 
 is one of mere kindness of pure, sove 
 reign love ; (3.) That we are now un 
 der his protection and care ; and, (4.) 
 That we are bound to manifest towards 
 him the spirit of children, and yield to 
 him obedience. See Note, John i. 12. 
 Comp. Gal. iv. 5. Eph. i. 5. It is for 
 this that Christians are so often called 
 
 the sons of God. IT Whereby we cry. 
 As children who need protection and 
 help. This evinces the habitual spirit 
 of a child of God ; a disposition, (1.) To 
 express towards him the feelings due 
 to a father ; (2.) To call upon him ; 
 to address him in the language of af 
 fection and endearing confidence ; (3.) 
 To seek his protection and aid. H" Abba. 
 This word is Chaldee (JOfcO, and 
 means father. Why the apostle re 
 peats the word in a different language, 
 is not known. The Syriac reads it, 
 " By which we call the Father our Fa 
 ther." It is probable that the repetition 
 here denotes merely intensity, and is 
 designed to denote the interest with 
 which a Christian dwells on the name, 
 in the spirit of an affectionate, tender 
 child. It is not unusual to repeat such 
 terms of affection. Comp. Matt. vii. 22. 
 Ps. viii. 1. This is an evidence of piety 
 that is easily applied. He that can in 
 sincerity and with ardent affection ap 
 ply this term to God, addressing him 
 with a filial spirit as his Father, has 
 the spirit of a Christian. Every child 
 of God has this spirit; and he that has 
 it not is a stranger to piety. 
 
 16. The Spirit. The Holy Spirit. 
 That the Holy Spirit here is intended, 
 is evident, (1.) Because this is the na 
 tural meaning of the expression ; (2.) 
 Because it is of the Holy Spirit that 
 the apostle is mainly treating here ; 
 (3.) Because it would be an unnatural 
 and forced construction to say of the 
 temper of adoption that it bore witness. 
 IT Bearetk witness. Testifies, gives 
 evidence. IT With our spirit. To oui 
 minds. This pertains to the adoption , 
 and it means that the Holy Spirit fur 
 nishes evidence to our minds that we 
 are adopted into the family of God. 
 This effect is riot unfrequenlly attri 
 buted to the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. i. 22. 
 
170 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 17 And if chil dfen, then 
 heirs; " heirs of God, and joint- 
 heirs with Christ; * if so be 
 
 Z>2Tim.2. 11,12. 
 
 1 John v. 10, 11. 1 Cor. ii. 12. If it 
 be asked how this is done, I answer, 
 it is not by any revelation of new 
 truth ; it is not by inspiration ; it is 
 not always by assurance ; it is not 
 by a mere persuasion that we are 
 elected to eternal life ; but it is by pro 
 ducing in us the appropriate effects of 
 his influence. It is his to renew the 
 heart ; to sanctify the soul ; to produce 
 " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gen 
 tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tem 
 perance." Gal. v.22,23. If a man has 
 these, he has the evidence of the witness 
 ing of the Spirit with his spirit. If not, 
 he has no such evidence. And the 
 way, therefore, to ascertain whether 
 we have this witnessing of the Spirit, 
 is by an honest and prayerful inquiry 
 whether these fruits of the Spirit ac 
 tually exist in our minds. If they do, 
 ".he evidence is clear. If not, all vain 
 .-onfidence of good estate ; all visions, 
 and raptures, and fancied revelations, 
 vill be mere delusions. It may be 
 idded, that the effect of these fruits of 
 ,he Spirit on the mind is to produce a 
 calm and heavenly frame; and in that 
 frame, when attended with the appro 
 priate fruits of the Spirit in a holy 
 life, we may rejoice as an evidence of 
 piety. V That we are the children 
 of God. That we are adopted into his 
 family. 
 
 17. And if children. If adopted into 
 his family. IT Then heirs. That is, 
 he will treat us as sons. An heir is 
 one who succeeds to an estate. The 
 meaning here is, that if we sustain the 
 relation of sons to God, that we shall 
 be treated as such, and admitted to 
 share his favours. An adopted son 
 comes in for a part of the inheritance. 
 Num. xxvii. T Heirs of God. This 
 expression means that we shall be par 
 takers of that inheritance which God 
 confers on his people. That inheritance 
 is his favour here, and eternal life 
 Liereafter. This is an honour infinitely 
 
 that we suffer with him, that 
 we may be also glorified toge 
 ther. 
 
 higher than to be heir to the most 
 princely earthly inheritance; or than to 
 be the adopted son of the most magni 
 ficent earthly monarch. IT And joint- 
 heirs with Christ. Christ is by emi 
 nence THE Son of God. As such, he is 
 heir to the full honours and glory of 
 heaven. Christians are united to him : 
 they are his friends ; and they are thus 
 represented as destined to partake with 
 him of his glory. They are the sons of 
 God in a different sense from what he 
 is ; he by his nature and high relation, 
 they by adoption ; but still the idea of 
 sonship exists in both ; and hence both 
 will partake in the glories of the eter 
 nal inheritance. Comp. Phil. ii. 8, 9. 
 Heb. ii. 9, 10. The connexion between 
 Christ and Christians is often referred 
 to in the New Testament. The fact 
 that they are united here is often al 
 leged as a reason why they will be in 
 glory. John xiv. 19, " Because I live, 
 ye shall live also." 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12, 
 " For if we be dead with him, we shall 
 also live with him ; if we suffer, we 
 shall also reign with him." Rev. iii. 
 21, "To him that overcometh will I 
 grant to sit with me in my throne," &c. 
 John xvii. 2224. IT Jf so be. If this 
 condition exist. We shall not be treat 
 ed as co-heirs with him, unless we here 
 give evidence that we are united to 
 him. IT That we suffer with him. 
 Greek, " If we suffer together, that we 
 may also be glorified together." If we 
 suffer in his cause ; bear afflictions as 
 he did ; are persecuted and tried for 
 the same thing ; and thus show that we 
 are united to him. It does not mean 
 that we suffer to the same extent that 
 he did, but we may imitate him in the 
 kind of our sufferings, and in the spirit 
 with which they are borne ; and thus 
 show that we are united to him. 
 IT That we may be also glorified to 
 gether. If united in the same kind of 
 sufferings, there is propriety in being 
 united in destiny beyond the scenes 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 171 
 
 18 For I reckon a that the I with the glory which shall be 
 
 sufferings of the present time 
 are not worthy to be compared 
 
 a2Cor.4.17. 
 
 of all suffering 1 , the kingdom of blessed 
 ness and love. 
 
 18 For 1 reckon. I think; I judge. 
 This verse commences a new division 
 of the subject, which is continued to 
 ver. 25. Its design is to show the 
 power of the gospel in sustaining the 
 soul in trials ; a very important and 
 material part of the scheme. This had 
 been partially noticed before (ch. v. 
 3 5), but its full power to support the 
 soul in the prospect of a glorious im 
 mortality had not been fully discussed. 
 This topic seems here to have been 
 suggested by what is said of adoption. 
 The mind of the apostle instantly ad 
 verted to the effects or benefits of that 
 adoption; arid one of the most material 
 of those benefits was the sustaining 
 grace which the gospel imparted in the 
 midst of afflictions. It should be borne 
 in mind that the early Christians were 
 comparatively few and feeble, and ex 
 posed to many trials, and that this topic 
 would be often, therefore, introduced 
 into the discussions about their privi 
 leges and conditions. 1T The sufferings. 
 The afflictions ; the persecutions, sick 
 nesses, &c. The expression evidently 
 includes not only the peculiar trials 
 of Christians at that time, but all that 
 believers are ever called to endure. 
 IT Of this present time. Probably the 
 apostle had particular reference to the 
 various calamities then endured. But 
 the expression is equally applicable to 
 afflictions of all times and in all places. 
 TT Are not worthy to be compared. 
 Are nothing in comparison ; the one is 
 far more than an equivalent in compen 
 sation for the other. T With the glory. 
 The happiness ; the honour in heaven. 
 TT Which shall be revealed in us. 
 That shall be disclosed to us ; or of 
 which we shall be the partakers in hea 
 ven. The usual representation of hea 
 ven is that of glory, splendour, mag 
 nificence, or light. Comp. Rev. xvi. 
 10, 23, 24 ; xxii. 5. By this, therefore, 
 
 revealed in us. 
 
 19 For the earnest expectation 
 
 Christians may be sustained. Their 
 sufferings may seem great ; but they 
 should remember that they are nothing 
 in comparison with future glory. They 
 are nothing in degree. For these are 
 light compared with that "eternal 
 weight of glory " which they shall 
 "work out." 2 Cor. iv. 17. They are 
 nothing in duration. For these suffer 
 ings arc but for a moment ; but the 
 glory shall be eternal. These will soon 
 pass away ; but that glory shall never 
 become dim or diminished ; it will in 
 crease and expand for ever and ever. 
 IT In us. Unto us (ds fj^as). 
 
 19. For the earnest expectation 
 (aTtoKapaSoicia). This word occurs only 
 here and in Phil. i. 20, " According to 
 my ear-nest expectation and my hope," 
 &c. It properly denotes a state of ear 
 nest desire to see any object when the 
 head is thrust forward ; an intense 
 anxiety; an ardent wish ; and is thus 
 well employed to denote the intense 
 interest with which a Christian looks 
 to his future inheritance. IT Of the 
 creature (TIJS KTtawg). Perhaps there 
 is not a passage in the New Testa- 
 ment that has been deemed more diffi 
 cult of interpretation than this (ver. 
 1923) ; and after all the labours be 
 stowed on it by critics, still there is no 
 explanation proposed which is perfectly 
 satisfactory, or in which commentators 
 concur. The object here will be to give 
 what appears to the writer the true 
 meaning, without attempting to contro 
 vert the opinions of critics. The main 
 design of the passage is, to show the 
 sustaining power of the gospel in the 
 midst of trials, by the prospect of the 
 future deliverance and inheritance 
 of the. sons of God. This scope of the 
 passage is to guide us in the interpre 
 tation. The following are, I suppose, 
 the leading points in the illustration. 
 (1.) The word creature refers to the re 
 newed nature of the Christian, or to the 
 Christian as renewed. (2.) He is wait- 
 
172 KOMANS. [A. P. 60. 
 
 of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
 
 ing for his future glory ; i. e. desirous 
 of obtaining the full developement of 
 the honours that await him as the child 
 of God. ver. 19. (3.) He is subjected 
 to a state of trial and vanity, affording 
 comparatively little comfort and much 
 disquietude. (4.) This is not in ac 
 cordance with the desire of his heart, 
 " not willingly," but is the wise ap 
 pointment of God. ver. 20. (5.) In 
 this state there is the hope of deliver 
 ance into glorious liberty, ver. 21. 
 (6.) This condition of things does not 
 exist merely in regard to the Christian, 
 but is the common condition of the 
 world. It all groans, and is in trial, as 
 much as the Christian. He therefore 
 should not deem his condition as pe 
 culiarly trying. It is the common lot 
 of all things here. ver. 22. But, (7.) 
 Christians only have the prospect of 
 deliverance. To them is held out the 
 hope of final rescue, and of an eternal 
 inheritance beyond all these sufferings. 
 They wait, therefore, for the full bene 
 fits of the adoption ; the complete re 
 covery even of the body from the effects 
 of sin, and the toils and trials of this 
 life ; and thus they are sustained by 
 hope, which is the argument which the 
 apostle has in view. ver. 23, 24. With 
 this view of the general scope of the 
 passage, we may examine the particular 
 phrases. 1" Of the creature. The 
 word here rendered creature (/cric-is), 
 occurs in the New Testament nineteen 
 times, and is used in the following 
 senses; (1.) Creation ; the act of cre 
 ating. Rom. i. 20. (2.) The creature; 
 that which is created or formed ; the 
 universe. Mark x. 6 ; xiii. 19. 2 Pet. 
 iii. 4. Rom. i. 25 ; viii. 39. (3.) The 
 rational creation ; man as a rational 
 being ; the world of mankind. Mark 
 xvi. 15. Col. i. 23. 1 Pet. ii. 13. (4.) 
 Perhaps the church, the new creation 
 of God, taken collectively. Col. i. 15. 
 Rev. iii. 14. (5.) The Christian, the 
 new creation, regarded individually; the 
 work of the Holy Spirit on the renewed 
 heart; the new man. After all the 
 attention which I can give to this pas 
 
 sage, I regard this to be the meaning 
 here, for the following reasons, viz. 
 (1.) Because this alone seems to me 
 to suit the connexion, and to make 
 sense in the argument. If the word 
 refers, as has been supposed by differ 
 ent interpreters, either to angels, or to 
 the bodies of men, or to the material 
 creation, or to the rational creation 
 to men, or mankind ; it is difficult to 
 see what connexion either would have 
 with the argument. The apostle is 
 discoursing of the benefits of the gospel 
 to Christians in time of trial ; and the 
 bearing of the argument requires us to 
 understand this illustration of them, un 
 less we are compelled not to understand 
 it thus by the proper laws of interpret 
 ing words. (2.) The word creature is 
 used in a similar sense by the same 
 apostle. Thus 2 Cor. v. 17, "If any 
 man be inChrist, he is a new creature" 
 (Kaivti Krlaig}. Gal. vi. 15, "For in 
 Christ Jesus neither circumcision avail- 
 eth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but 
 a new creature." (3.) The verb cre 
 ate is thus used. Thus Eph. ii. 10, 
 " For we are his workmanship, created 
 in Christ Jesus unto good works." 
 Ver. 15, " Having abolished in his flesh 
 the enmity. . . . for to make in himself 
 of twain one new man:" Greek, That 
 he might create (KTICTJ ) the two into 
 one new man. iv. 24, " The new man, 
 which is created in righteousness," &c. 
 (4.) Nothing was more natural than 
 for the sacred writers thus to speak of 
 a Christian as a new creation, a new 
 creature. The great power of God in 
 volved in his conversion, and the strong 
 resemblance between the creation and 
 imparting spiritual life, led naturally to 
 this use of the language. (5.) Lan 
 guage similar to this occurs in the Old 
 Testament, and it was natural to trans 
 fer it to the New. The Jewish people 
 were represented as made or created 
 by God for his service, and the phrase, 
 therefore, might come to designate those 
 who were thus formed by him to his 
 service. Deul. xxxii. 6, " Hath he not 
 made thee^ and established thee?" Isa. 
 
. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 173 
 
 20 For the creature was made 
 subject to vanity, not willingly, 
 
 xliii. 7, " .... Every one that is called 
 by my name ; for I have created him 
 for my glory, I have formed him ; yea, 
 
 1 have made him." 21, " This people 
 have I formed for myself." From all 
 which reasons, it seems to me that the 
 expression here is used to denote Chris-* 
 tians, renewed men. Its meaning, 
 however, is varied in ver. 22. IT Wait- 
 eth for. Expects ; is not in a state of 
 possession, but is looking for it with 
 interest. 1T The manifestations of the 
 sons of God. The full development 
 of the benefits of the sons of God ; the 
 time when they shall be acknowledged, 
 and received into the full privileges of 
 sons. Here Christians have some evi 
 dence of their adoption. But they are 
 in a world of sin ; they are exposed to 
 trials ; they are subject to many cala 
 mities ; and though they have evidence 
 here that they are the sons of God, yet 
 they wait for that period when they 
 shall be fully delivered from all these 
 trials, and be admitted to the enjoyment 
 of all the privileges of the children of 
 the Most High. The time when this 
 shall take place will be at the day of 
 judgment, when they shall be fully ac 
 knowledged in the presence of an as 
 sembled universe as his children. All 
 Christians are represented as in this 
 posture of waiting for the full posses 
 sion of their privileges as the children 
 of God. 1 Cor. i. 7, " Waiting for the 
 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 2 Thess. iii. 5. Gal. v. 5, "For we 
 through the Spirit wait for the hope 
 of righteousness by faith." 1 Thess. 
 i. 10. 
 
 20. For the creature. The renewed 
 creature ; the Christian mind. This is 
 given as a reason for its aspiring to 
 the full privileges of adoption, that the 
 present state is not one of choice, or 
 one which is preferred, but one to 
 which it has been subjected for wise 
 reasons by God. IT Subject to vanity. 
 The word "subject to" means placed 
 in such a state ; subjected to it by the 
 appointment of another, as a soldier 
 p2 
 
 but by reason of him who hath 
 subjected the same in hope ; 
 
 has his rank and place assigned him 
 in an army. The word vanity here 
 (narai(>TTis) is descriptive of the present 
 condition of the Christian, as frail and 
 dying ; as exposed to trials, tempta 
 tions, and cares ; as in the midst of 
 conflicts, and of a world which may be 
 emphatically pronounced vanity. More 
 or less, the Christian is brought under 
 this influence; his joys are marred; 
 his peace is discomposed ; his affections 
 wander ; his life is a life of vanity and 
 vexation. IT Not willingly. Not vo 
 luntarily. It is not a matter of choice. 
 It is not that which is congenial to his 
 renewed nature. That would aspire to 
 perfect holiness and peace. But this 
 subjection is one that is contrary to it, 
 and from which he desires to be deli 
 vered. This describes substantially the 
 same condition as ch. vii. 15 24. 
 IT But by reason. By him (Sia). It 
 is the appointment of God, who has 
 chosen to place his people in this con 
 dition ; and who for wise purposes re 
 tains them in it. IT Who hath subject 
 ed the same. Who has appointed his 
 people to this condition. It is his wise 
 arrangement. Here we may observe, 
 (1.) That the instinctive feelings of 
 Christians lead them to desire a purer 
 and a happier world. Phil. i. 23. (2.) 
 That it is not what they desire, to be 
 subjected to the toils of this life, and 
 to the temptations and vanities of this 
 world. They sigh for deliverance. (3.) 
 Their lot in life ; their being subjected 
 to this state of vanity, is the arrange 
 ment of God. Why it is, he has not 
 seen fit to inform us fully. He might 
 have taken his people at once to hea 
 ven as soon as they are converted. But 
 though we know not all the reasons 
 why they are continued here in this 
 state of vanity, we can see some of 
 them : (a) Christians are subjected to 
 this state to do good to their fellow 
 sinners. They remain on earth for this 
 purpose ; and this should be their lead 
 ing aim. (6) By their remaining hero 
 the power of the gospel is shown iu 
 
174 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. *,. 
 
 21. Because a the creature it 
 self also shall be delivered from 
 the bondage of corruption into the 
 
 & lorious liberty of the children of 
 God. 
 
 22 For we know that l the 
 
 1 or, every crcatur 
 
 overcoming their sin ; in meeting their 
 temptations ; in sustaining them in 
 trial; and in thus furnishing living 
 evidence to the world of the power and 
 excellency of that gospel. This could 
 not be attained if they were removed 
 at once to heaven, (c) It furnishes 
 occasion for some interesting exhibi 
 tions of character for hope, and faith, 
 and love, and for increasing and pro 
 gressive excellence, (d) It is a proper 
 training for heaven. It brings out the 
 Christian character, and Jits it for the 
 skies. There may be inestimable advan 
 tages, all of which we may not see, in 
 subjecting the Christain to a process 
 of training in overcoming his sins, and 
 in producing confidence in God, before 
 he is admitted to his state of final rest, 
 (e) It is fit and proper that he should 
 engage here in the service of Him who 
 has redeemed him. He has been ran 
 somed by the blood of Christ, and God 
 has the highest claim on him in all the 
 conflicts and toils, in all the labours 
 and services to which he may be sub 
 jected in this life. 1T In hope. See 
 Note, ch. v.4. Hope has reference to the 
 future; and in this state of the Christian, 
 he sighs for deliverance, and expects it. 
 21. Because. This is the ground of 
 his hope, and this sustains him now. 
 It is the purpose of God that deliver 
 ance shall be granted, and this supports 
 the Christian amidst the trials to which 
 he is subjected here. The hope is, that 
 this same renewed man shall be de 
 livered from all the toils, and cares, 
 and sins of this state. IT The creature 
 itself. The very soul that is renewed ; 
 the ransomed man without essential 
 change. It will be the same being, 
 though purified; the same man, possess 
 ed of the same body and soul, though 
 freed from all the corruptions of hu 
 manity, and elevated above all the 
 degradations of the present condition. 
 The idea is every where presented, that 
 the .identical oerson shall be admitted to 
 
 heaven without essential change. 1 
 Cor. xv. 3538. 4244. That this is 
 the hope of all Christians, see 2 Pet. 
 iii. 13. IF From the bondage of cor 
 ruption. This does not differ materially 
 from " vanity," ver. 20. It implies that 
 this state is not a willing state, or not 
 a condition of choice, but is one of 
 bondage or servitude (see ch. vii. 
 15 24) ; and that it is a corrupt, im 
 perfect, perishing condition. It is one 
 that leads to sin, and temptation, and 
 conflict and anxiety. It is a condition 
 often which destroys the peace, mars 
 the happiness, dims the hope, enfeebles 
 the faith, and weakens the love of 
 Christians, and this is called the bond 
 age of corruption. It is also one in 
 which temporal death has dominion, 
 and in the bondage of which, believers 
 as well as unbelievers shall be held. Yet 
 from all this bondage the children of 
 God shall be delivered. IT The glorious 
 liberty. Greek, The freedom of the 
 glory of the children of God. This is, 
 (1.) Liberty. It is freedom from the 
 bondage under which the Christian 
 groans. It will be freedom from sin; 
 from corruption ; from evil desires ; 
 from calamity; from death. The high 
 est freedom in the universe is that 
 which is enjoyed in heaven, where the 
 redeemed are under the sovereignty and 
 government of their king, but where 
 they do that, and that only, which they 
 desire. All is slavery but the service of 
 God ; all is bondage but that law which 
 accords with the supreme wish of the 
 soul, and where commands accord with 
 the perfect desires of the heart. (2.) 
 This is glorious liberty. It is encom 
 passed with majesty ; attended with 
 honour ; crowned with splendour. The 
 heavenly >\vorld is often described as a 
 state of glory. Note, ch. ii. 10. IT Of 
 the children of God. That the children 
 of God shall enjoy. 
 
 22. For we know. The sentiment 
 of this verse is designed as an illustra- 
 
A. D. CO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 whole creation groaneth and tra- 
 vaileth in pain together until now. 
 
 tion of what had just been said. T That 
 the whole creation. Margin, "every 
 creature" This expression has been 
 commonly understood as meaning the 
 same as " the creature " in ver. 20,21. 
 But I understand it as having a dif 
 ferent signification ; and as being used 
 in the natural and usual signification 
 of the word creature, or creation. It 
 refers, as I suppose, to the whole ani 
 mate creation ; to all living beings ; to 
 the state of all created things here, as 
 in a condition of pain and disorder, 
 and groaning and death. Every thing 
 which we see ; every creature which 
 lives, is thus subjected to a state of ser 
 vitude, pain, vanity, and death. The 
 reasons for supposing that this is the 
 true interpretation, are, (1.) That the 
 apostle expressly speaks of " the whole 
 creation," of every creature, qualifying 
 the phrase by the expression "we 
 know," as if he was drawing an illus 
 tration from a well-understood, univer 
 sal fact. (2.) This interpretation makes 
 consistent sense, and makes the verse 
 have a direct bearing on the argu 
 ment. It is just an argument from 
 analogy. He had (ver. 20, 21) said 
 that the condition of a Christian was 
 one of bondage and servitude. It was 
 an imperfect, humiliating state ; one 
 attended with pain, sorrow, and death 
 This might be regarded as a melancholy 
 description, and the question might 
 arise, why was not the Christian at 
 once delivered from this? The answer 
 is in this verse. It is just the condi 
 tion of every thing. It is the manifest 
 principle on which God governs the 
 world. The whole creation is in just 
 this condition ; and we are not to be 
 surprised, therefore, if it is the condi- 
 
 23 And not only they, 
 ourselves also, which have 
 
 175 
 
 but 
 the 
 
 deliverance. 7 Groaneth. Greek, 
 roans together. All is united in a con 
 dition of sorrow. The expression de 
 notes mutual and universal grief. It is 
 one wide and loud lamentation, in 
 which a dying world unites ; and in 
 which it has united "until now." 1T And 
 travaileth in pain together. This ex 
 pression properly denotes the extreme 
 pain of parturition. It also denotes any 
 intense agony, or extreme suffering ; 
 and it means here that the condition 
 of all things has been that of. intense, 
 united, and continued suffering; in 
 other words, that we are in a world 
 of misery and death. This has been 
 united ; all have partaken of it: it has 
 been intense ; all endure much: it has 
 been unremitted; every age has expe 
 rienced the repetition of the same thing. 
 IF Until now. Till the time when the 
 apostle wrote. It is equally true of the 
 time since he wrote. It has been the cha 
 racteristic of every age. It is remarkable 
 that the apostle does not here say of 
 "the whole creation," that it had any 
 hope of deliverance; an additional con 
 sideration that shows that the interpre 
 tation above suggested is correct, ver. 
 20,21,23. Of the sighing and suffering 
 universe, he says nothing with respect 
 to its future state. He does not say 
 that the suffering brutal creation shall 
 be compensated, or shall be restored or 
 raised up. He simply adverts to the 
 fact that it suffers, as an illustration 
 that the condition of the Christian is 
 not singular and peculiar. The Scrip 
 tures say nothing of the future condi 
 tion of the brutal creation. 
 
 23. And not only they. Not only 
 the creation in general. IT But our 
 selves also. Christians. IT Which have 
 
 tion of the believer. It is a part of the the first fruits of the Spirit. The word 
 universal system of things; it accords J used (dn-/cp^) denotes properly the 
 with every thing we see; and we | first fruits of the harvest; the portion 
 are not to be surprised that the church j that was first collected and consecrated 
 exists on the same principle of ad- j to God as an offering of gratitude, 
 ministration; in a state of bondage,! Deut. xxvi. 2. Ex. xxiii. 19. Num. 
 imperfection, sorrow, and sighing for j xviii. 13. Hence the word means that 
 
176 
 
 first-fruits a of the Spirit, even 
 we ourselves groan b within our 
 selves, waiting for the adoption, 
 
 aEph. l.M. ^Cor.5.2,4. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO. 
 
 to wit, the redemption c of our 
 body. 
 
 24 For we are saved by hope : 
 
 which isjirst in order of time. Here 
 it means, as I suppose, that the Chris 
 tians of whom Paul was speaking had 
 partaken of the/rsf influences of the 
 Spirit, or had been among the first par 
 takers of his influences in converting 
 einners. The Spirit had been sent 
 down to attend the preaching of the 
 gospel, and they were among the first 
 who had partaken of those influences. 
 Some, however, have understood the 
 word to mean a pledge, or earnest, or 
 foretaste of joys to come. This idea 
 has been attached to the word be 
 cause the first-fruits of the harvest 
 were a pledge of the harvest, an 
 evidence that it was ripe, &c. But 
 the word does not seem to be used in 
 this sense in the New Testament. The 
 only places where it occurs arc the fol 
 lowing : Rom. viii. 23; xi. 16; xvi. 5. 
 1 Cor. xv. 20. 23 ; xvi. 15. James i. 
 18. Rev. xiv. 4. V Groan within our 
 selves. We sigh for deliverance. The 
 expression denotes strong internal de 
 sire ; the deep anguish of spirit when 
 the heart is oppressed with anguish, 
 and earnestly wishes for succour. 
 If Waiting for the adoption. Waiting 
 for the full blessings of the adoption. 
 Christians are adopted when they are 
 converted (ver. 15), but they have not 
 been yet admitted to the full privileges 
 of their adoption into the family of 
 God. Their adoption when they are 
 converted is secret, and may at the 
 time be unknown to the world. The 
 fulness of the adoption, their complete 
 admission to the privileges of the sons 
 of God, shall be in the day of judgment, 
 in the presence of the universe, and 
 amidst the glories of the final consum 
 mation of all things. This adoption is 
 not different from the first, but is the 
 completion of the act of grace when a 
 sinner is received into the family of 
 God. IT The redemption of the body. 
 The complete recovery of the body from 
 death and corruption. The particular 
 
 and striking act of the adoption in the 
 day of judgment will be the raising up 
 of the body from the grave, and render 
 ing it immortal and eternally blessed. 
 The particular effects of the adoption 
 in this world are on the soul. The 
 completion of it on the last day will be 
 seen particularly in the body ; and thus 
 the entire man shall be admitted into 
 the favour of God, and restored from all 
 his sins and all the evil consequences 
 of the fall. The apostle here speaks 
 the language of every Christian. The 
 Christian has joys which the world 
 does not knoAv ; but he has also sor 
 rows ; he sighs over his corruption ; he 
 is in the midst of calamity ; he is going 
 to the grave ; and he looks forward to 
 that complete deliverance, and to that 
 elevated state, when, in the presence 
 of an assembled universe, he shall be 
 acknowledged as a child of God. This 
 elevated privilege gives to Christianity 
 its high value ; and the hope of being 
 acknowledged in the presence of the 
 universe as the child of God the hope 
 of the poorest and the humblest be 
 liever is of infinitely more value than 
 the prospect of the most princely inhe 
 ritance, or of the brightest crown that 
 a monarch ever wore. 
 
 24. For we are saved Jjy hope. It 
 cannot be said that hope is the instru 
 ment or condition of salvation. Most 
 commentators have understood this as 
 meaning that we have as yet attained 
 salvation only in hope ; that we have 
 arrived only to a condition in which we 
 hope for future glory ; and that we are 
 in an attitude of waiting for the future 
 state of adoption. But perhaps the 
 word saved may mean here simply, 
 we are kept, preserved, sustained in, 
 our trials, by hope. Our trials are so 
 great that nothing but the prospect of 
 future deliverance would uphold us ; 
 and the prospect is sufficient to enable 
 us to bear them with patience. This 
 is the proper meaning of the word save; 
 
A.D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 177 
 
 but hope that is seen, is not hope : 
 for what a man seeth, why doth 
 he yet hope n for ? 
 
 25 But if we hope for that we 
 
 a 2Cor.5.7. 
 
 and it is often thus used in the New 
 Testament. See Matt. viii. 25 ; xvi. 25. 
 Mark iii. 4 ; viii. 35. The Syriac ren 
 ders this, For by hope we live. The 
 Arabic, We are preserved by hope. 
 Hope thus sustains the soul in the midst 
 of trials, and enables it to bear them 
 without a murmur. IT But hope that is 
 seen. Hope is a complex emotion, 
 made up of an earnest desire, and an 
 expectation of obtaining an object. It 
 has reference, therefore, to that which 
 is at present unseen. But when the 
 object is seen, and is in our possession, 
 it cannot be said to be an object of 
 hope. The word hope here means the 
 object of hope, the thing 1 hoped for. 
 IT What a man seeth. The word seeth 
 is used here in the sense of possessing, 
 or enjoying. What a man already pos 
 sesses he cannot be said to hope for. 
 IT Why. How. What a man actually 
 possesses, how can he look forward to 
 it with anticipation ? 
 
 25. But if we hope, &c. The effect 
 here stated is one which exists every 
 where. Where there is a strong desire 
 for an object, and a corresponding ex 
 pectation of obtaining it which con 
 stitutes true hope then we can wait 
 for it with patience. Where there is a 
 strong desire without a corresponding 
 expectation of obtaining it, there is 
 impatience. As the Christian has a 
 strong desire of future glory, and as 
 he has an expectation of obtaining it 
 just in proportion to that desire, it fol 
 lows that he may bear trials and perse 
 cutions patiently in the hope of his fu 
 ture deliverance. Compared with our 
 future glory, our present sufferings are 
 light, and but for a moment. 2 Cor. iv. 
 17. In the hope of that blessed eter 
 nity which is before him, the Christian 
 can endure the severest trial, and bear 
 the intensest pain without a murmur. 
 
 26 Likewise the Spirit. This intro- 
 
 see not, then do we with patience 
 wait for it. 
 
 26 Likewise the Spirit also 
 helpeth our infirmities : for 
 
 we 
 
 duces a new source of consolation and 
 support, that which is derived from the 
 Spirit. It is a continuation of the ar 
 gument of the apostle, to show the sus 
 taining power of the Christian religion 
 The " Spirit" here undoubtedly refers 
 to the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, 
 and who strengthens us. IT Helpeth. 
 This word properly means, to sustain 
 with us ; to aid us in supporting. It is 
 applied usually to those who unite in 
 supporting or carrying a burden. The 
 meaning may be thus expressed : he 
 greatly assists or aids us. IT Our in. 
 families. Assists us in our infirmities, 
 or aids us to bear them. The word in- 
 firmities refers to the weaknesses to 
 which we are subject, and to our vari 
 ous trials in this life. The Spirit helps 
 us in this, (1.) By giving us strength 
 to bear them ; (2.) By exciting us to 
 make efforts to sustain them ; (3.) By 
 ministering to us consolations, and 
 truths, and views of our Christian pri 
 vileges, that enable us to endure our 
 trials. t For we know not, &c. This 
 is a specification of the aid which the 
 Holy Spirit renders us. The reasons 
 ^hy Christians do not know what to 
 pt-^y for may be, (1.) That they do 
 not know what would be really best for 
 them. (2.) They do not know what 
 God might be willing to grant them. 
 (3.) They are to a great extent igno 
 rant of the character of God, the reason 
 of his dealings, the principles of his 
 government, and their own real wants. 
 (4.) They are often in real, deep per 
 plexity. They are encompassed with 
 trials, exposed to temptations, feeble by 
 disease, and subject to calamities. In 
 these circumstances, if left alone, they 
 would neither be able to bear their 
 trials, nor know what to ask at the 
 hand of God. IT But the Spirit itself. 
 The Holy Spirit, ver. 9 11. IT Mak- 
 eth intercession. The word here used 
 
178 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 know not what we should pray 
 for as we ought: but a the Spirit 
 itself maketh intercession for us 
 with groanings which cannot be 
 uttered. 
 
 27 And he b that searcheth the 
 
 aZech.12.10. 4Jer.17.10. Rev.2.23. 
 
 the 
 
 ), occurs no where else 
 New Testament. The word 
 however, is used several 
 times. It means properly to be present 
 with any one for the purpose of aiding, 
 as an advocate does in a court of jus 
 tice ; hence to intercede for any one, or 
 to aid or assist in any manner. In this 
 place it simply means that the Holy 
 Spirit greatly assists or aids us ; not 
 by praying for us, but in our prayers 
 and infirmities. T With groanings. 
 With sighs, or that deep feeling and 
 intense anxiety which exists in the 
 oppressed and burdened heart of the 
 Christian. H Which cannot be uttered. 
 Or rather, perhaps, which is not utter- 
 ed; those emotions which are too deep 
 for utterance, or for expression in arti 
 culate language. This does not mean 
 that the Spirit produces these groan 
 ings ; but that in these deep-felt emo 
 tions, when the soul is oppressed and 
 overwhelmed, he lends us his assist 
 ance and sustains us. The phrase may 
 be thus translated : The Spirit greatly 
 aids or supports us in those deep emo 
 tions, those intense feelings, those in 
 ward sighs which cannot be expressed 
 in language, but which he enables us 
 to bear, and which are understood by 
 Him that searcheth the hearts. 
 
 27. And he that searcheth the hearts. 
 God. To search the heart is one of his 
 attributes which cannot be communi 
 cated to a creature. Jer. xvii. 10. 
 V Knoweth what is the mind of the 
 Spirit. Knows the desires which the 
 Holy Spirit excites and produces in 
 the heart. He does not need that those 
 deep emotions should be expressed in 
 woids ; he does not need the eloquence 
 of language to induce him to hear ; 
 b J* he sees the anxious feejings of the 
 s* **, and is ready to aid and to bless. 
 
 hearts knoweth what is the mind 
 of the Spirit, because l he maketh 
 intercession for the saints accord 
 ing c to the will of God. 
 
 28 And we know d that all 
 things work together for good 
 
 c Uno.5.14. d Ps.46.1 2. Heb.12.G-U 
 
 IT Maketh intercession for the saints. 
 Aids and directs Christians. IT Accord 
 ing to the will of God. Greek, Ac 
 cording to God. It is according to his 
 will in the following respects: (1.) The 
 Spirit is given according to his will. It 
 is his gracious purpose to grant his aid 
 to all who truly love him. (.2.) The 
 desires which he excites in the heart 
 of the Christian are those which are 
 according to his will; they are such as 
 God wishes to exist the contrite, hum 
 ble, and penitent pleading of sinners 
 for mercy. (3.) He superintends and 
 guards Christians in their prayers. It 
 is not meant that they are infallible, or 
 that they never make an improper pe 
 tition, or have an improper desire ; but 
 that he has a general superintendence 
 over their minds, and that so far as 
 they will yield themselves to his direc 
 tion, they shall not be led into error. 
 That man is most safe who yields him 
 self most entirely to the influence of 
 the Hoi} 7 Spirit. And the doctrine here 
 stated is one that is full of consolation 
 to the Christian. We are poor, and 
 needy, and ignorant, and blind ; we are 
 the creatures of a day, and are crushed 
 before the moth. But in the midst of 
 our feebleness we may look to God for 
 the aid of his Spirit, and rejoice in his 
 presence, and in his power to sustain 
 us in our sighings, and to guide us in 
 our wanderings. 
 
 28. And we know. This verse in 
 troduces another source of consolation 
 and support, drawn from the fact that 
 all things are under the direction of an 
 infinitely wise Being, who has purposed 
 the salvation of the Christian, and who 
 has so appointed all things that they 
 shall contribute to it. II" All things. 
 All our afflictions and trials ; all the 
 persecutions and calamities to which 
 
 J 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 179 
 
 to them that love God, to them 
 who are the called according to 
 his purpose. 
 
 we are exposed. Though they are nu 
 merous and long-continued, yet they 
 are among the means that are appoint 
 ed for our welfare. 1T Work together 
 for good. They shall co-operate ; they 
 shall mutually contribute to our good. 
 They take off our affections from this 
 world ; they teach us the truth about 
 our frail, transitory, and dying condi 
 tion ; they lead us to look to God for 
 support, and to heaven for a final home ; 
 and they produce a subdued spirit, a 
 humble temper, a patient, tender, and 
 kind disposition. This has been the 
 experience of all saints ; and at the end 
 of life they have been able to say it was 
 good for them to be afflicted. Ps. cxix. 
 67. 71. Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. Heb. xii. 11. 
 IT For good. For our real welfare ; for 
 the promotion of true piety, peace, and 
 happiness in our hearts. IT To them 
 that love God. This is a characteris 
 tic of true piety. To them, afflictions 
 are a blessing. To others, they often 
 prove otherwise. On others they are 
 sent as chastisements; and they pro 
 duce murmuring, instead of peace; re 
 bellion, instead of submission; and an 
 ger, impatience, and hatred, instead of 
 calmness, patience, and love. The 
 Christian is made a better man by re 
 ceiving afflictions as they should be 
 received, and by desiring that they 
 should accomplish the purpose for 
 which they are sent ; the sinner is made 
 more hardened by resisting them, and 
 refusing to submit to their obvious in 
 tention and design. IT To them who 
 are the called. Christians are often 
 represented as called of God. The 
 word (*A>/r<5j) is sometimes used to de 
 note an external invitation, offer, or 
 calling. Matt. xx. 16; xxii. 14. JBut 
 excepting in these places, it is used in 
 the New Testament to denote those 
 who had accepted the call, and were 
 true Christians. Rom. i. 6, 7. 1 Cor. i. 
 2. 24. Rev. xvii. 14. It is evidently 
 used in this sense here to denote those 
 
 29 
 
 For whom he did fore- 
 he also did predestinate 
 to be conformed to the image of 
 
 who were true Christians. The con 
 nexion, as well as the usual meaning 
 of the word, requires us thus to under 
 stand it. Christians are said to be 
 called because God has invited them 
 to be saved, and has sent into their 
 hearts such an influence as to make 
 the call effectual to their salvation. In 
 this way their salvation is to be traced 
 entirely to God. IT According to his 
 purpose. The word here rendered 
 purpose (Trpo^tffi?) means properly a 
 proposition, or a laying down any thing 
 in view of others; and is thus applied 
 to the bread that was laid on the table 
 of show-bread. Matt. xii. 4. Mark ii. 
 26. Luke vi. 4. Hence it means, when 
 applied to the mind, a plan or purpose 
 of mind. It implies that God had a 
 plan, purpose, or intention, in regard 
 to all who became Christians. They 
 are not saved by chance or hap-hazard. 
 God does not convert men without de 
 sign ; and his designs are not new, but 
 are eternal. What he does, he always 
 meant to do. What it is right for him 
 to do, it was right always to intend to 
 do. What God always meant to do, is 
 his purpose or plan. That he has such 
 a purpose in regard to the salvation of 
 his people, is often affirmed. Rom ix. 
 11. Eph. i. 11; iii. 11. 2 Tim. i. 9. 
 Jer. li. 29. This purpose of saving 
 his people is, (1.) One over which a 
 creature can have no control ; it is ac 
 cording to the counsel of his own will 
 Eph. i. 11. (2.) It is without any 
 merit on the part of the sinner a pur 
 pose to save him by grace. 2 Tim. i. 9. 
 (3.) It is eternal. Eph. iii. 11. (4.) It 
 is such as should excite lively gratitude 
 in all who have been inclined by the 
 grace of God to accept the offers of 
 eternal life. They owe it to the mere 
 mercy of God, and they should acknow 
 ledge him as the fountain and source 
 of all their hopes of heaven. 
 
 29. For whom he did foreknow. 
 The word used here (jrpoe Avw^has been 
 
180 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 his Son, that. he might be the first-born among many brethren. 
 
 the subject of almost endless disputes 
 in regard to its meaning in this place. 
 The literal meaning of the word can- 
 not be a matter of dispute. It denotes 
 properly to know beforehand; to be 
 acquainted with future events. But 
 whether it means here simply to know 
 that certain persons would become 
 Christians ; or to ordain, and consti 
 tute them to be Christians, and to be 
 saved, has been a subject of almost 
 endless discussion. Without entering 
 at large into an investigation of the 
 word, perhaps the following remarks 
 may throw light on it. (1.) It does 
 not here have reference to all the 
 human family ; for all are not, and 
 have not, been conformed to the im 
 age of his Son. It has reference 
 therefore only to those who w r ould be 
 come Christians, and be saved. (2.) 
 It implies certain knowledge. It was 
 certainly foreseen, in some way, that 
 they would believe, and be saved. 
 There is nothing, therefore, in regard 
 to them that is contingent, or subject 
 to doubt in the divine Mind, since it 
 was certainly foreknown. (3.) The 
 event which was thus foreknown must 
 have been, for some cause, certain and 
 fixed ; since an uncertain event could 
 not be possibly foreknown. To talk 
 of foreknowing a contingent event, that 
 is, of foreknowing an event as certain 
 which may or may not exist, is an ab 
 surdity. (4.) In what way such an 
 event became certain is not determined 
 by the use of this word. But it must 
 have been somehow in connexion with 
 a divine appointment or arrangement, 
 since in no other way can it be con 
 ceived to be certain. While the word 
 used here, therefore, does not of neces 
 sity mean to decree, yet its use sup 
 poses that there was a purpose or plan ; 
 and the phrase is an explanation of 
 what the apostle had just said, that it 
 was according to the purpose of God 
 that they were called. This passage 
 does not affirm, why, or how, or on 
 what grounds God foreknew that some 
 of the human family vould be saved. 
 
 It simply affirms the fact ; and th 
 mode in which those who will believe 
 were designated, must be determined 
 from other sources. This passage 
 simply teaches that he knew them ; that 
 his eye was fixed on them ; that he re 
 garded them as to be conformed to his 
 Son ; and that thus knowing them, he 
 designated them to eternal life. The 
 Syriac renders it in accordance with 
 this interpretation: And from the 
 beginning he knew them, and sealed 
 them with the image of his Son, &c. 
 As, however, none would believe but 
 by the influences of his Spirit, it follows 
 that they were not foreknown on ac 
 count of any faith which they would 
 themselves exercise, or any good works 
 which they would themselves perform, 
 but according to the purpose or plan of 
 God himself. IT He also did predesti 
 nate. Seethemeaningof the original of 
 this word explained in Notes on ch. i. 4. 
 See also Note on Acts iv. 28, and 1 Cor. 
 ii. 7. In these places the word evidently 
 means to determine, purpose, or decree 
 beforehand ; and it must have this 
 meaning here. No other idea could 
 be consistent with the proper meaning 
 of the word, or be intelligible. It is 
 clear also that it does not refer to ex 
 ternal privileges, but to real conversion 
 and piety; since that to which they 
 were predestinated was not the exter 
 nal privilege of the gospel, but confor 
 mity to his Son, and salvation. See 
 ver. 30. No passage could possibly 
 teach in stronger language that it was 
 God s purpose to save those who will 
 be saved. Eph. i. 5, " Having pre 
 destinated us unto the adoption of chil 
 dren by Jesus Christ unto himself." 
 ver. 11, "Being predestinated accord 
 ing to the purpose of Him who worketh 
 all things after the counsel of his own 
 will." IT To be conformed to the image 
 of his Son. To resemble his Son ; to 
 be of like form with the image of his 
 Son. We may learn here, (1.) That 
 God does not determine to save men, 
 whatever their character may be. The 
 decree is not to save them in their 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 181 
 
 30 Moreover whom be did 
 predestinate, thorn he also call 
 ed : and whom he called, them 
 he also justified : b and whom he 
 
 justified, them he also glorified.* 
 31 What shall we then say to 
 these things ? If d God be for us, 
 who can be against us ? 
 
 d Ps. 118.6. 
 
 sins, or whether they be sinful or holy. 
 But it has primary respect to their 
 character. It is that they should be 
 holy; and, as a consequence of this, 
 that they should be saved. (2.) The 
 only evidence which we can have that 
 we are the subjects of his gracious pur 
 pose is, that we are in fact conformed 
 to the Lord Jesus Christ. For this 
 was the design of the decree. This 
 is the only satisfactory proof of piety ; 
 and by this alone can we determine 
 that we are interested in his gracious 
 plan of saving men. IT That he might 
 be the first-lorn. The first-born 
 among the Hebrews had many pecu 
 liar-privileges. The idea here is, (1.) 
 That Christ might be pre-eminent as 
 the model and exemplar ; that he might 
 be clothed with peculiar honours, and 
 be so regarded in his church ; and yet, 
 (2.) That he might still sustain a fra 
 ternal relation to them; that he might 
 be one in the same great family of 
 God where all are sons. Comp. Heb. 
 ii. 12 14. IT Many brethren. Not 
 a few. The purpose of God is that 
 many of the human family shall be 
 saved. 
 
 30. Moreover, &c. In this verse, 
 in order to show to Christians the true 
 consolation to be derived from the fact 
 that they are predestined, the apostle 
 states the connexion between that pre 
 destination and their certain salvation. 
 The one implied the other. IT Whom 
 he did predestinate. All whom he 
 did predestinate. IT Them he also 
 called. Called by his Spirit to become 
 Christians. He called, not merely by 
 an external invitation, but in such a 
 way as that they in fact were justified. 
 This cannot refer simply to an exter 
 nal call of the gospel, since those who 
 are here said to be called are said also 
 to be justified and glorified. The 
 meaning is, that there is a certain con- 
 
 Q 
 
 nexion between the predestination and 
 the call, which will be manifested in 
 due time. The connexion is so cer 
 tain that the one infallibly secures the 
 other. IT He justified. See Note, ch. 
 iii. 24. Not that he justified them 
 from eternity, for this was not true ; 
 and if it were, it would also follow that 
 he glorified them from eternity, which 
 would be an absurdity. It means that 
 there is a regular sequence of events 
 the predestination precedes and secures 
 the calling- ; and the calling- precedes 
 and secures the justification. The one 
 is connected in the purpose of God 
 with the other ; and the one, in fact, 
 does not take place without the other. 
 The purpose was in eternity. The 
 calling and justifying in time. ^ Them 
 he also glorified. This refers proba 
 bly to heaven. It means that there is 
 a connexion between justification and 
 glory. The one does not exist without 
 the other in its own proper time ; as 
 the calling does not subsist without the 
 act of justification. This proves, there 
 fore, the doctrine of the perseverance 
 of the saints. There is a connexion 
 infallible and ever existing between 
 the predestination and the final salva 
 tion. They who are subjects of the 
 one are parrtakers of the other. That 
 this is the sense is clear, (1.) Because 
 it is the natural and obvious meaning 
 of the passage. (2.) Because this only 
 would meet the design of the argument 
 of the apostle. For how would it be a 
 source of consolation to say to them 
 that whom God foreknew he predesti 
 nated, and whom he predestinated he 
 called, and whom he called he justified, 
 and whom he justified might fall away 
 and be lost for ever? 
 
 31. What shall we then say, &c. 
 What fairly follows from the facts 
 stated ? or what conclusion shall we 
 draw in regard to the power of the 
 
182 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 32 He that spared not his 
 own Son, but delivered him up 
 for us all, how shall he not 
 
 with him also freely give us all 
 things ? 
 
 33 Who b shall lay any thing 
 
 b Isa.50.8,9. 
 
 Christian religion to support us in our 
 trials from the considerations which 
 have been stated ? What the influence 
 is he proceeds to state. IT If God be 
 for us. Be on our side, or is our 
 friend, as he has shown himself to be 
 by adopting- us (ver. 15), by granting 
 to us his Spirit (ver. 16, 17. 26, 27), 
 and by his gracious purpose to save 
 us (ver. 29, 30). IT Who can be 
 against us? Who can injure or de 
 stroy us ? Sinners may be against us, 
 and so may the great enemy of our 
 souls, but their power to destroy us is 
 taken away. God is more mighty than 
 all our foes; and he can defend and 
 save us. See Ps. cxviii. 6, "The 
 Lord is on my side, I will not fear 
 what man can do unto me." The pro 
 position advanced in this verse, Paul 
 proceeds to illustrate by various speci 
 fications, which continue to the end of 
 the chapter. 
 
 32. He that spared not. Who did 
 not retain, or keep from suffering and 
 death. V His own Son. Who thus 
 gave the highest proof of love that a 
 father could give, and the highest 
 demonstration of his willingness to do 
 good to those for whom he gave him. 
 Tf But delivered him up. Gave him 
 into the hands of men, and to a cruel 
 death. Note, Acts ii. 23. IT For us all. 
 For all Christians. The connexion re 
 quires that this expression should be un 
 derstood here with this limitation. The 
 argument for the security of all Chris 
 tians is here derived from the fact, that 
 God had shown them equal love in 
 giving his Son for them. It was not 
 merely for the apostles ; not only for 
 the rich, and the great: but for the 
 most humble and obscure of the flock 
 of Christ. For them he endured as se 
 vere pangs, and expressed as much 
 love, as for the rich and the great that 
 shall be redeemed. The most humble 
 and obscure believer may derive con 
 solation from the fact that Christ died 
 
 for him, and that God has expressed 
 the highest love for him which we can 
 conceive to be possible. IT How shall he 
 not. His giving his Son is a proof that 
 he will give to us all things that we need. 
 The argument is from the greater to 
 the less. He that has given the greater 
 gift will not withhold the less. IT All 
 things. All things that may be need 
 ful for our welfare. These things he 
 will give freely; without money and 
 without price. His first great gift, that 
 of his Son, was a free gift; and all 
 others that we. may need will be given 
 in a similar manner. It is not by 
 money, nor by our merit, but it is by 
 the mere mercy of God ; so that from 
 the beginning to the end of the work 
 it is all of grace. We ee here, (1.) 
 The privilege of being a Christian. He 
 has the friendship of God ; has been 
 favoured with the highest proofs of di 
 vine love ; and has assurance that he 
 shall receive all that he needs. (2.) He 
 has evidence that God will continue to 
 be his friend. He that has given his 
 Son to die for his people will not with 
 draw the lesser mercies that may be 
 necessary to secure their salvation. 
 The argument of the apostle here, 
 therefore, is one that strongly shows 
 that God will not forsake his children, 
 but will keep them to eternal life. 
 
 33. Who shall lay any thing to the 
 charge. This expression is taken from 
 courts of law, and means, who shall 
 accuse, or condemn, or so charge with 
 crime before the tribunal of God as to 
 cause their condemnation ? IT God s 
 elect. His chosen people. Those who 
 have been chosen according to his 
 eternal purpose. Note, ver. 28. As 
 they are the chosen of God, they are 
 dear to him ; and as he purposed to 
 save them, he will do it in such a way 
 as that none can bring against them 
 a charge that would condemn them.,,. 
 IT It is God that justijieth. That is, 
 vho has pardoned them, and admitted 
 
 
 
A. D. 60.] CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 the charge of God s elect ? 
 
 183 
 
 to 
 It 
 
 God that justifieth. 
 34 Who is he that condenm- 
 eth ? It is Christ that died, yea 
 rather, that is risen again, who 
 
 aRev.12.10.11. 
 
 them to his favour; and pronounced 
 them just in his sight. Note y ch. i. 17; 
 Hi. 24. It would be absurd to suppose 
 that he would again condemn them. 
 The fact that he has justified them is, 
 therefore, a strong proof that they will 
 be saved. This may be read with 
 more force as a question, * Who shall 
 lay anything to the charge of God s 
 elect ? Shall God who justifieth ? The 
 Greek will bear either mode of render 
 ing. The passage implies that there 
 would be a high degree of absurdity in 
 supposing that the same Being would 
 both justify and condemn the same 
 individual. The Christian, therefore, is 
 secure. 
 
 34. Who is he that condemneth? 
 Who shall pass sentence of condemna 
 tion, and consign to perdition ? The 
 office of passing sentence of condemna 
 tion on men shall pertain to Christ, 
 the judge of quick and dead, and the 
 apostle proceeds to say that it was cer 
 tain that he would not condemn the 
 elect of God. They were therefore se 
 cure. IT It is Christ that died. Or as 
 it may be rendered, Shall Christ who 
 has died, condemn them ? The argu 
 ment here is, that as Christ died to 
 save them, and not to destroy them, 
 he will not condemn them. His death 
 for them is a security that he will not 
 condemn them. As he died to save 
 them, and as they have actually em 
 braced his salvation, there is the high 
 est security that he will not condemn 
 them. This is the first argument for 
 their security from the death of Christ. 
 IT Yea rather, that is risen again. 
 This is a second consideration for 
 their security from his work. He rose 
 for their justification (Note, ch. iv. 
 25) ; and as this was the object which 
 he had in view, it follows that he will 
 not condemn them. IT Who is even at 
 
 is even at the right hand of God, 
 who also maketh intercession 
 for us. 
 
 35 Who shall separate us 
 from tlie love of Christ ? Shall 
 
 the right hand of God. Invested with 
 power, and dignity, and authority in 
 heaven. This is a third consideration to 
 show that Christ will not condemn us, 
 and that Christians are secure. He is 
 clothed with power ; he is exalted to 
 honour ; he is placed at the head of all 
 things. And this solemn enthronement 
 and investiture with power over the 
 universe, is with express reference to 
 the salvation of his church and people. 
 Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. John xvii. 2. 
 Eph. i. 2023. The Christian is, 
 therefore, under the protection of 
 Christ, and is secure from being con 
 demned by him. ^ Who also maketh 
 intercession for us. Note, ver. 26. 
 Who pleads our cause ; who aids and 
 assists us ; who presents our interests 
 before the mercy-seat in the heavens. 
 For this purpose he ascended to hea 
 ven. Heb. vii. 25. This is the fourth 
 consideration which the apostle urges 
 for the security of Christians drawn 
 from the work of Christ. By all these, 
 he argues their complete security from 
 being subject to condemnation by him 
 who shall pronounce the doom of all 
 mankind, and therefore their complete 
 safety in the day of judgment. Having 
 the. Judge of all for our friend, we are 
 safe. 
 
 35. Who shall separate us ? That 
 is, finally or entirely separate us. This 
 is a new argument of the apostle, show 
 ing his strong confidence in the safety 
 of .the Christian. IT From the love of 
 Christ. This expression is ambiguous; 
 and may mean either our love to Christ 
 or his love to us. I understand it in 
 the former sense, and suppose it means, 
 Who shall cause us to cease to love 
 the Saviour ? In other words, the love 
 whichChristians have lor their Redeem 
 er is so strong, that it will surmount 
 and survive all opposition and all trials 
 
184 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 tribulation, or distress, or perse 
 cution, or famine, or nakedness, 
 or peril, or sword ? 
 
 36 As it is writte n, *For thy 
 
 aPs.44.22. lCor.15 30,31,. 
 
 The reason for so understanding the 
 expression is, that it is not conceivable 
 how afflictions, &c. should have any 
 tendency to alienate Christ s lovcfrom 
 us; but their supposed tendency to 
 alienate our love from him might be 
 very strong. They are endured in his 
 cause. They are caused, in a good de 
 gree, by professed attachment to him. 
 The persecutions and trials to which 
 Christians are exposed on account of 
 their professed attachment to him, 
 might be supposed to make them weary 
 of a service that involved so many 
 trials. But no, says the apostle. Our 
 love for him is so strong that we are 
 willing to bear all; and nothing that 
 these foes of our peace can do, can 
 alienate us from him and from his 
 cause. The argument, therefore, is 
 drawn from the strong love of a Chris 
 tian to his Saviour ; and from the as 
 surance that nothing would be able to 
 separate him from that love. 1T Shall 
 tribulation (SAt ^u). Note, ch. ii. 9. 
 The word properly refers to pressure 
 from without; affliction arising from 
 external causes. It mea/is, however, 
 not unfrequently, trial of any kind. 
 IT Or distress (ari.vo%upia). This word 
 properly means narrowness, of place ; 
 and then, great anxiety and distress of 
 mind, such as arises when a man does 
 not know where to turn himself or 
 what to do for relief. It refers, there 
 fore, to distress or anxiety of ?nind, 
 such as the early Christians were often 
 subject to from their trials and perse 
 cutions. 2 Cor. vii. 5, " Without were 
 fightings, within were fears. 1 See 
 Note, Rom. ii. 9. IT Or persecution. 
 Note, Matt. v. 11. To these the early 
 Christians were constantly exposed. 
 IT Or famine. To this they were also 
 exposed as the natural result of being 
 driven from home, and of being often 
 compelled to wander amidst strangers, 
 
 sake we are killed all the day 
 long ; we are accounted as sheep 
 for the slaughter. 
 
 87 Nay, in fc all these things 
 
 and in deserts and desolate places. IT Or 
 peril. Danger of any kind. IT Or 
 sword. The sword of persecution; the 
 danger of their lives to which they 
 were constantly exposed. As all these 
 things happened to them in conse 
 quence of their professed attachment 
 to Christ, it might be supposed that they 
 would tend to alienate their minds from 
 him. But the apostle was assured that 
 they had not this power, but that their 
 love to the Saviour was so strong as to 
 overcome all, and to bind them unal 
 terably to his cause in the midst of the 
 deepest trials. The fact is, that the 
 more painful the trials to which they 
 are exposed on his account, the more 
 strong and unwavering is their love to 
 him, and their confidence in his ability 
 to save. 
 
 36. As it is written. Ps. xliv. 22. 
 This passage the apostle quotes not as 
 having originally reference to Chris 
 tians, but as aptly descriptive of their 
 condition. The condition of saints in 
 the time of the psalmist was similar to 
 that of Christians in the time of Paul. 
 The same language would express both. 
 IT For thy sake. In thy cause ; or on 
 account of attachment to thee. IT We 
 are killed. We are subject to, or ex 
 posed to death. We endure sufferings 
 equivalent to dying. Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 
 9, " God hath set ibrth us the apostles 
 last, as it were appointed to death." 
 If All the day long. Continually ; con 
 stantly. There is no intermission to 
 our danger, and to our exposure to 
 death. IT We are accounted. We arc 
 reckoned ; we are regarded, or dealt 
 with. That is, our enemies judge that 
 we ought to die, and deem us the ap 
 propriate subjects of slaughter, with as 
 little concern or remorse as the lives 
 of sheep are taken. 
 
 37. Nay. But. Notwithstanding 
 our severe pressures and trials. T In 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 185 
 
 we are n-ore than conquerors 
 through him a that loved us. 
 
 all these things. In the very midst 
 of them ; while we are enduring them 
 we are able to triumph. Comp. 1 Cor. 
 xv. 57. 1T We are more than conquer 
 ors. We gain the victory. That is, 
 they have not power to subdue us ; to 
 alienate our love and confidence; to 
 produce apostacy. We are the victors, 
 not they. Our faith is not destroyed ; 
 our love is not diminished ; our hope 
 is not. blasted. But it is not simple 
 victory; it is not mere life, and conti 
 nuance of what we had before ; it is 
 more than simple triumph; it augments 
 our faith, increases our strength, ex 
 pands our love to Christ. The word 
 used here is a strong, emphatic expres 
 sion, such as the apostle Paul often em 
 ploys (comp. 2 Cor. iv. 17), and which 
 is used with great force and appropri 
 ateness here. IF Through him, &c. 
 Not by their own strength or power. 
 It w.-.s by the might of the Saviour, and 
 by his power pledged to them, and con 
 firmed by the love evinced when he 
 gave himself for them. Comp. Phil. iv. 
 13, " I can do all things through Christ 
 who strengthened me." 
 
 33. For I am persuaded. I have 
 a strong and unwavering confidence. 
 Latin Vulgate, / am certain. The 
 expression here implies unwavering 
 certainty. IT Neither death. Neither 
 the fear of death, nor all the pains and 
 tortures of the dying scene, even in the 
 most painful trials of persecution; death 
 in no form. IT Nor life. Nor the hope 
 of life ; the love of life ; the offer of 
 life made to us by our persecutors, on 
 condition of abjuring our Christian 
 faith. The words evidently refer to 
 times of persecution.; and it was not 
 uncommon for persecutors to offer life 
 to Christians, on condition of their re 
 nouncing attachment to the Saviour, 
 and offering sacrifice to idols. All that 
 was demanded in the times of persecu 
 tion under the Roman emperors was, 
 that they should throw a few grains of 
 incense on the altar of a heathen god 
 
 38 For I am persuaded, that b 
 neither death, nor life, nor an- 
 
 b Jno.I0.28. 
 
 as expressive of homage to the idol. 
 But even this they would not do. The 
 hope of life on so very easy terms 
 would not, could not, alienate them 
 from the love of Christ. IT Nor an- 
 els. It seems to be apparent that 
 good angels cannot be intended here. 
 The apostle was saying that nothing 
 would separate Christians from the 
 love of Christ. Of course, it would be 
 implied that the things which he spe 
 cifies might be supposed to have some 
 power or tendency to do it. But it is 
 not conceivable that good angels, who 
 are "sent forth to minister for them 
 who shall be heirs of salvation" (Ileb. 
 i. 14), should seek to alienate the minds 
 of Christians from the Saviour, or that 
 their influence should have any such 
 tendency. It seems to be clear, there 
 fore, that he refers to the designs and 
 temptations of evil spirits. The word 
 angels is applied to evil spirits in Matt. 
 xxv. 41. 1 Cor. vi. 3. IT Nor princi 
 palities (dp^at). This word usually 
 refers to magistrates and civil rulers. 
 But it is also applied to evil angels, as 
 having dominion over men. Eph. vi. 
 12, "For we wrestle against . . . prin 
 cipalities" Col. ii. 15, " And having 
 spoiled principalities." 1 Cor, xv. 24, 
 " When he shall have put down all 
 rule ;" Greek, apxjiv. Some have sup 
 posed that it refers here to magistrates 
 and those in authority who persecuted 
 Christians ; but the connexion of the 
 word with angels seems to require us 
 to understand it of evil spirits. IT Nor 
 powers. This word (Syrapus) is often 
 applied to magistrates ; but it is also 
 applied to evil spirits that have domi 
 nion over men. 1 Cor. xv. 24. The 
 ancient Rabbins also give the name 
 powers to evil angels. (Schleusner.) 
 There can be no doubt that the Jews 
 were accustomed to divide the angels 
 of heaven into various ranks and orders, 
 traces of which custom we find often 
 in the Scriptures. Arid there is also 
 reason to suppose that they n^ade such 
 
186 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 gels, nor principalities, nor powers, 
 nor things present, nor things to 
 come. 
 
 89 Nor height, nor depth, nor 
 
 a division with reference to evil angels, 
 regarding Satan as their leader, and 
 other evil spirits, divided into various 
 ranks, as subordinate to him. See 
 Matt. xxv. 41. Eph. vi. 12. Col. ii. 15. 
 To such a division there is probably 
 reference here ; and the meaning is, 
 that no order of evil angels, however 
 powerful, artful, or numerous, would 
 be able to alienate the hearts of Chris 
 tians from their Redeemer. 1T Nor 
 things present. Calamities and perse- 
 cutions to which we are now subject. 
 ^ Nor things to come. Trials to which 
 we may be yet exposed. It evinced 
 strong confidence to say that no possi 
 ble trials should be sufficient to destroy 
 their love for Christ. 
 
 39. Nor height. This has been 
 variously understood. Some have re 
 garded it as referring to evil spirits in 
 the air ; others, to high and lofty spe 
 culation in doctrine ; others, to heaven 
 to all that is in heaven. I regard it 
 here as synonymous with prosperity, 
 honour, elevation in this life. The 
 meaning is, that no possible circum 
 stances in which Christians could be 
 placed, though surrounded with wealth, 
 honour, splendour, and though elevated 
 to rank and office, could alienate them 
 from the love of Christ. The tendency 
 of these things to alienate the mind, to 
 engross the affections, and to occupy 
 the time, all know; but the apostle 
 says that even these would not be suf 
 ficient to withdraw their strong love 
 from the Lord Jesus Christ. IT Nor 
 depth. Nor the lowest circumstances 
 of depression, poverty, contempt, and 
 want ; the very lowest rank of life. 
 *fi Nor any other creature. Nor any 
 other created thing; any other thing 
 in the universe ; any thing that can 
 occur. This expresses the most un 
 wavering confidence that all who were 
 Christians would certainly continue to 
 love the Lord Jesus, and be saved. 
 
 any other creature, shall be able 
 to separate us from the love of 
 God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
 Lord. 
 
 IT Shall le able. Shall have power to 
 do it. The love to Christ is stronger 
 than any influence which they can 
 exert on the mind. ^The love of God. 
 The love which we have to God. 
 IT Which is in Christ Jesus. Which 
 is produced and secured by his work. 
 Of which he is the bond, the connect 
 ing link. It was caused by his media 
 tion ; it is secured by his influence, it 
 is in and through him, and him alone, 
 that men love God. There is no true 
 love of God which is not produced by 
 the work of Christ. There is no man 
 who truly loves the Father, who does 
 not do it in, and by the Son. 
 
 Perhaps there is no chapter in the 
 Bible on the whole so interesting and 
 consoling to the Christian as this ; aftd 
 there certainly is not to be found any 
 where a specimen of more elevated, 
 animated and lofty eloquence and ar 
 gumentation. We may remark in view 
 of it, (1.) That it is the highest honour 
 that can be conferred on mortal man to 
 be a Christian. (2.) Our trials in this 
 life are scarcely worth regarding in 
 comparison with our future glory. 
 (3.) Calamities should be borne with 
 out a murmur ; nay, without a sigh. 
 (4.) The Christian has every possible 
 security for his safety. The purposes 
 of God, the work of Christ, the aid of 
 the Holy Ghost, and the tendency of 
 all events under the direction of his 
 Father and Friend, conspire to secure 
 his welfare and salvation. (5.) With 
 what thankfulness, then, should we ap 
 proach the God of mercy. In the gos 
 pel, we have a blessed and cheering 
 hope which nothing else can produce, 
 and which nothing can destroy. Sale 
 in the hands of God our Redeemer, we 
 may commit our way to him, whether 
 it lead through persecutions, or trials, 
 or sickness, or a martyr s grave ; and 
 triumphantly we may wait until the 
 day of our complete adoption, the en- 
 
A. 1). GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 187 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SAY the truth in Christ, 
 I lie not, my conscience also 
 
 tire redemption of soul and body, shall 
 fully come. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THIS chapter opens in some degree 
 a new train of thought and argumenta 
 tion. Its main design probably was to 
 meet objections which would be alleged 
 against the positions advanced and de 
 fended in the previous parts of the 
 epistle. In the previous chapters, Paul 
 had defended the position that the bar 
 rier between the Jews and Gentiles had 
 been removed; that the Jews could not 
 be saved by any external advantages 
 which they possessed ; that all were 
 alike guilty before God ; and that there 
 was but one way for Jews and Gen 
 tiles of salvation by faith in Jesus 
 Christ, ch. i. ii. iii. He had stated the 
 benefits of this plan (ch. v.), and show 
 ed its bearing in accomplishing what 
 the law of Moses could not effect in 
 overcoming sin. ch. vi. vii. In ch. viii. 
 he had stated also on what principles 
 this was done ; that it was according 
 to the purpose of God the principle 
 of electing mercy applied indiscrimi 
 nately to the mass of guilty Jews and 
 Gentiles. To this statement two ob 
 jections might arise : first, that it was 
 unjust ; and second, that the whole ar 
 gument involved a departure from the 
 promises made to the Jewish nation. 
 It might further be supposed that the 
 apoctlc had ceased to feel an interest 
 in his countrymen, and had become 
 the exclusive advocate of the Gentiles. 
 To meet these objections and feelings, 
 seems to have been the design of this 
 chapter. He shows them, (1.) His un 
 abated love for his countrymen, and 
 regard for their welfare, vcr. 1 5. 
 (2.) He shows them from their own 
 writings that the principle of election 
 had existed in former times in the 
 case of Isaac (ver. 7 13) ; in the 
 writings of Moses (ver. 15) ; in the 
 case of Pharaoh (ver. 17) ; and in the 
 prophecies of Hosea and Isaiah (ver. 
 
 bearing me witness iu the Holy 
 
 That I have great heaviness 
 
 Ghost. 
 
 25 29). (3.) He takes occasion 
 throughout the chapter to vindicate this 
 principle of the divine administration ; 
 to answer objections; and to show that, 
 on the acknowledged principles of the 
 Old Testament, a part of the Jewish 
 nation might be rejected ; and that it 
 was the purpose of God to call others 
 to the privileges of the people of God. 
 ver. 16. 1923. 25, 26. 2933. The 
 chapter, therefore, has not reference to 
 rtational election, or to choice to exter 
 nal privileges, but has direct reference 
 to the doctrine of the election to salva 
 tion which had been stated in ch. viii. 
 To suppose that it refers merely to ex 
 ternal privileges and national distinc 
 tions, makes the whole discussion un- 
 ponnectcd, unmeaning, and unneces 
 sary. 
 
 1. / say the truth. In what I am 
 about to affirm respecting my attach 
 ment to the nation and people. IT In 
 Christ. Most interpreters regard this 
 as a form of an oath, as equivalent to 
 calling Christ to witness. It is cer 
 tainly to be regarded, in its obvious 
 sense, as an appeal to Christ as the 
 searcher of the heart, and as the judge 
 of falsehood. Thus the word trans 
 lated "in " (fv) is used in the form of 
 an oath in Matt. v. 34 36. Rev. x. 6, 
 Greek. We are to remember that the 
 apostle was addressing those who had 
 been Jews ; and the expression has all 
 the force of an oath by the Messiah. 
 This shows that it is right on great 
 and solemn occasions, and in a solemn 
 manner, AND THUS ONLY, to appeal to 
 Christ for the sincerity of our motives 
 and for the truth of what we say. And 
 it shows further, that it is right to re 
 gard the Lord Jesus Christ as present 
 with us, as searching the heart, as ca 
 pable of detecting insincerity, hypocri 
 sy, arid perjury, and as therefore di 
 vine. 1T My conscience. Conscience 
 is that act or judgment of the mind by 
 t which \ve decide on the lawfulness or 
 
188 
 
 and continual 
 heart. 
 
 sorrow in my 
 
 3 For I a could wish that my- 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO. 
 
 elf were accursed l from Christ 
 or my brethren, my kinsmen 
 according to the flesh : 
 
 1 or, teparatcd. 
 
 unlawfulness of our actions, and by 
 which we instantly approve or con- 
 dernn them. It exists in every man, 
 and is a strong- witness to our integrity 
 or to our guilt. IT Bearing me wit 
 ness. Testifying to the truth of what 
 I say. IT In the Holy Ghost. He does 
 not say that he speaks the truth by or 
 in the Holy Ghost, as he had said of 
 Christ ; but that the conscience pro 
 nounced its concurring testimony by 
 the Holy Ghost ; that is, conscience as 
 enlightened and influenced by the Holy 
 Ghost. It was not simply natural con 
 science, but it was conscience under 
 the full influence of the Enlightener of 
 the mind and Sanctifier of the heart. 
 The reasons of this solemn asseveration 
 are probably the following : (1.) His 
 conduct and his doctrines had led some 
 to believe that he was an apostate, and 
 had lost his love for his countrymen. 
 He had forsaken their institutions, and 
 devoted himself to the salvation of the 
 Gentiles. He here shows them that it 
 was from no want of love to them 
 (2.) The doctrines which he was about 
 to state and defend were of a similar 
 character; he was about to maintain 
 that no small part of his own country 
 men, notwithstanding their privileges 
 would be rejected and lost. In this 
 solemn manner, therefore, he assures 
 them that this doctrine had not been 
 embraced because he did not love them 
 but because it was solemn, though mos 
 painful truth. He proceeds to enume 
 rate their privileges as a people, and t< 
 show to them the strength and tender 
 ness of his love. 
 
 2. Great heaviness. Great griei 
 IT Continual sorrow. The word ren 
 dered continual here must be taken in 
 a popular sense. Not that he was li 
 terally all the time pressed down wit] 
 this sorrow, but that whenever hi 
 thought on this subject, he had grea 
 grief; as we say of a painful subject 
 
 t is a source of constant pain. The 
 cause of this grief, Paul does not ex 
 pressly mention, though it is implied 
 n what he immediately says. It was 
 he fact that so large a part of the na- 
 ;ion would be rejected, and cast off. 
 
 3. For I could wish, &c. This 
 massage has been greatly controverted. 
 Some have proposed to translate it, 
 I did wish, as referring to a former 
 state, when he renounced Christ, and 
 sought to advance the interests of the 
 nation by opposing and defying him. 
 But to this interpretation there are in 
 superable objections. (1.) The object 
 of the apostle is not to state his former 
 feelings, but his present attachment to 
 his countrymen, and willingness to 
 suffer for them. (2.) The proper 
 grammatical construction of the word 
 used here is not I did wish, but I could 
 desire ; that is, if the thing were possi 
 ble. It is not I do wish, or did wish, 
 but I could desire ( Ht^(5p/v), implying 
 that he was willing now to endure it ; 
 that his present love for them was so 
 strong, that he would, if practicable, 
 save them from the threatened ruin 
 and apostacy. (3.) It is not true 
 that Paul ever did wish before his 
 conversion to be accursed by Christ, 
 i.e., by the Messiah. He opposed Jesus 
 of Nazareth ; but he did not believe 
 that he was the Messiah. At no time 
 would he have wished to be devoted 
 to destruction by the Messiah, or by 
 Christ. Nothing would have been 
 more terrible to a Jew ; and Saul of 
 Tarsus never doubted that he was the 
 friend of the promised Messiah, and 
 was advancing the true interests of his 
 cause, and defending the hopes of his 
 nation .against an impostor. The word, 
 therefore, expresses a feeling which the 
 apostle had, when writing this epistle, 
 in regard to the condition and pros 
 pects of the nation. T Were accursed 
 from Christ. Might be anathema by 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 189 
 
 4 Who are Israelites; to whom 
 pertaineth the adoption, a and 
 the glory, b and the 1 covenants, 6 
 
 a Deut.7.6. b Ps.90.16. Isa.60.19. 1 or, testaments. 
 c Gen. 17.2. Deut.29.14. Jer.31.33. 
 
 and the giving ot the law, d and 
 the e service of God, and the pro- 
 
 Christ (avdSsjua tivai airb TO? Xpiorou). 
 This passage has been much contro 
 verted. The word rendered accursed 
 (anathema) properly means, (1.) Any 
 thing that was set up, or set apart, or 
 consecrated to the gods in the temples, 
 as spoils of war, images, statues, &.c. 
 This is its classical Greek meaning. It 
 has a similar meaning among the He 
 brews. It denoted that which was set 
 apart or consecrated to the service of 
 God, as sacrifices or offerings of any 
 kind. In this respect it is used to ex 
 press the sense of the Hebrew word 
 Din, any thing devoted to Jehovah, 
 without the possibility of redemption. 
 Lev. xxvii. 21 ; xxviii. 29. Num. xviii. 
 14. Deut. vii. 26. Josh. vi. 17,18; 
 vii. 1. 1 Sam. xv. 21. Ezek. xliv. 29. 
 (2.) As that which was thus dedicated 
 to Jehovah was alienated from the use 
 of him who devoted it, and was either 
 burnt or slain, and devoted to destruc 
 tion as an offering, the word came to 
 signify a devotion of any thing to de 
 struction, or to complete ruin. And as 
 whatever is devoted to destruction may 
 be said to be subject to a curse, or to 
 be accursed, the word comes to have 
 this signification. 1 Kings xx. 42. Isa. 
 xxxiv. 5. But in none of these cases 
 does it denote eternal death. The idea, 
 therefore, in these places is simply, 
 could be willing to be destroyed, or de 
 voted to death, for the sake of my coun 
 trymen. And the apostle evidently 
 means to say that he would be willing 
 to suffer the bitterest evils, to forego all 
 pleasure, to endure any privation and 
 toil, nay, to offer his life, so that he 
 might be wholly devoted to sufferings 
 as an offering, if he might be the means 
 of benefiting and saving the nation 
 For a similar case, see Ex. xxxii. 32 
 This does not mean that Paul wouk 
 be willing to be damned for ever. For 
 (1.) The words do not imply that, anc 
 will not bear it. (2.) Such a destruc 
 
 d Ps. 147.19. c.3.2. 
 
 e Ex. 12.25. /Eph.2.12. 
 
 :ion could in no conceivable way bene 
 fit the Jews. (3.) Such a willingness 
 is not and cannot be required. And, 
 (4.) It would be impious and absurd. 
 No man has a right to be willing to be 
 the eternal enemy of God; and no man 
 ver yet was, or could be willing to en- 
 dure everlasting torments. IT From 
 Christ. By Christ. Grotius thinks it 
 means from the church of Christ. 
 Others think it means " after the ex 
 ample of Christ;" and others, from 
 Christ for ever. But it evidently means 
 that he was willing to be devoted by 
 Christ ; i. e. to be regarded by him, and 
 appointed by him, to suffering and 
 death, if by that means he could save 
 his countrymen. It was thus the high 
 est expression of true patriotism and 
 benevolence. It was an example for 
 all Christians and Christian ministers. 
 They should be willing to be devoted 
 to pain, privation, toil, and death, if 
 by that they could save others from 
 ruin. IT My kinsmen, &c. My coun 
 trymen ; all of whom he regarded as 
 his kinsmen, or relations, as descended 
 from the same ancestors, 1 According 
 to thejlesh. By birth. They were of 
 the same blood and parentage, though 
 not now of the same religious belief. 
 
 4. Who are Israelites. Descended 
 from Israel, or Jacob ; honoured by 
 having such an ancestor, and by bear 
 ing a name so distinguished as that of 
 his descendants. It was formerly the 
 honourable appellation of the people 
 of God. IT To whom pertaineth. To 
 whom it belongs. It was their elevated 
 external privilege. IT The adoption. 
 Of the nation into the family of God, 
 or to be regarded as his peculiar peo 
 ple. Deut. vii. 6. IT And the glory. 
 The symbol of the divine presence that 
 attended them from Egypt, and that 
 finally rested over the ark in the first 
 temple the Shechinah. Ex. xiii. 21, 
 22; xxv. 22. 1 And the covenant. 
 
190 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 5 Whose are the fathers, 
 and of whom, b as concerning 
 the flesh, Christ came, who is 
 c over all, God blessed for ever. 
 Amen. 
 
 Not as though the word 
 of God hath taken d none effect. 
 
 ac.11.28. i Luke 3.23,&c. cJno.1.1. d Isa.55.1I. 
 
 For e they are not all Israel which 
 are of Israel. 
 
 7 Neither, because they are 
 the seed of Abraham, are they 
 all children : but in f Isaac shall 
 tby seed be called. 
 
 8 That is, they which are 
 
 e c.2.28,29. 
 
 / Gen. 21. 12. 
 
 The various compacts or promises 
 which had been made from time to 
 time with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
 and with the nation ; the pledges of the 
 divine protection. ^ The giving of the 
 law. On Mount Sinai. Ex. xx. Comp. 
 Ps. cxlvii. 19. IT And the service of 
 God. The temple service ; regarded by 
 them as the pride and ornament of 
 their nation. IT And the promises. Of 
 the Messiah ; and of the spread of the 
 true religion from them as a nation. 
 
 5. Whose are the fathers. Who 
 have been honoured with so illus 
 trious an ancestry. Who are descend 
 ed from Abraham, Isaac, &c. On this 
 they highly valued themselves, and 
 in a certain sense not unjustly. Com 
 pare Matt. iii. 9. T Of whom. Of 
 whose nation. This is placed as the 
 crowning and most exalted privilege, 
 that their nation had given birth to the 
 long-expected Messiah, the hope of 
 the world. V As concerning the flesh. 
 So far as his human nature was con 
 cerned. The use of this language sup 
 poses that there was a higher nature, 
 in respect to which he was not of their 
 nation. See Note, ch. i. 3. IT Christ 
 came. He had already come; and it 
 was their high honour that he was one 
 of their nation. IT Who is over all. 
 This is an appellation that belongs 
 only to the true God. It implies su 
 preme divinity; and is full proof that 
 the Messiah is divine. Much effort has 
 been made to show that this is not the 
 true rendering, but without success. 
 There are no various readings in the 
 Greek MSS. of any consequence ; and 
 the connexion here evidently requires 
 us to understand this of a nature that 
 is not M according to the flesh," i. e. 
 as the apostle here shows of the divine 
 
 nature. IF God blessed for ever. This 
 is evidently applied to the Lord Jesus; 
 and it proves that he is divine. If the 
 translation is fairly made, and it has 
 never been proved to be erroneous, it 
 demonstrates that he is God as well as 
 man. The doxology " blessed for ever " 
 was usually added by the Jewish wri 
 ters after the mention of the name 
 God, as an expression of reverence. 
 (See the various interpretations that 
 have been proposed on this passage 
 examined in Prof. Stuart s Notes on 
 this verse.) 
 
 6. Not as though, &c. Not as 
 though the promise of God had entire 
 ly failed. Though I grieve thus (ver. 
 2, 3), though I am deeply apprehen 
 sive for the nation, yet I do not affirm 
 that all the nation is to be destroyed. 
 The promise of God will not entirely 
 fail. IT Not all Israel. Not all the 
 descendants of Jacob have the true 
 spirit of Israelites, or are Jews in the 
 scriptural sense of the term. See Note, 
 ch. ii. 28, 29. 
 
 7. Are they all children. Adopted 
 into the true family of God. Many of 
 
 the descendants of Abraham were re 
 jected. IT But in Isaac. This was 
 the promise. Gen. xxi. 12. IT Shall thy 
 seed, &c. Thy true people. This im 
 plied a selection, or choice ; and there 
 fore the doctrine of election was illus 
 trated in the very commencement of 
 the history of the nation ; and as God 
 had then made such a distinction, he 
 might still do it. As he had then re 
 jected a part of the natural descend 
 ants of Abraham, so he might still do 
 it. This is the argument which the 
 apostle is pursuing. 
 
 8. They which are the children of 
 the flesh. The natural descendants. 
 
A. I). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 191 
 
 the children of the flesh, these 
 are not the children of God : 
 but the children a of the promise 
 are counted for the seed. 
 
 9 For this 
 
 the word of 
 
 promise. At i this time will I 
 
 I Gen. 18. 10, 14. 
 
 TT These are not the children of God. 
 Are not of necessity, the adopted chil 
 dren of God ; or are not so in virtue of 
 their descent merely. This was in op 
 position to one of the most settled and 
 deeply-cherished opinions of the Jews. 
 They supposed that the mere fact of 
 being a Jew, entitled a man to the bless 
 ings of the convenant, and to be regard 
 ed as a child of God. But the apostle 
 shows them that it was not by their 
 natural descent that these spiritual 
 privileges were granted ; that they 
 were not conferred on men simply from 
 the fact that they were Jews; and that 
 consequently those who were not Jews 
 might become interested in those spirit 
 ual blessings. IT But the children of 
 the promise. The descendants of 
 Abraham on whom the promised bless 
 ings would be bestowed. The sense is, 
 that God at first contemplated a dis 
 tinction among the descendants of 
 Abraham, and intended to confine his 
 blessings to such as he chose ; that is, 
 to those to whom the promise particu 
 larly appertained, to the descendants 
 of Isaac. The argument of the apostle 
 is, that the principle was thus establish 
 ed that a distinction might be made 
 among those who were Jews ; and as that 
 distinction had been made in former 
 times, so it might bo under the Messiah. 
 If Are. counted. Are regarded, or reck 
 oned. God reckons things as they are; 
 and therefore designed that they should 
 be his true children. IT As the seed. 
 The spiritual children of God ; the par 
 takers of his mercy and salvation. This 
 refers, doubtless, to spiritual privileges 
 and to salvation ; and therefore has 
 relation not to nations as such, but to 
 individuals. 
 
 9. For this is the word of promise. 
 This is the promise made to Abraham. 
 
 come, and Sarah shall have a 
 son. 
 
 10 And not only this; hut 
 when Rebecca c also had con 
 ceived by one, even by our father 
 Isaac j 
 
 cGen.25.21,23. 
 
 The design of the apostle, in introduc 
 ing this, is doubtless to show to whom 
 the promise appertained ; and by speci 
 fying this, he shows that it had not 
 reference to Ishmael, but to Isaac. IT At 
 this time. Greek, According to this 
 time. See Gen. xviii. 10. 14. Probably 
 it means at the exact time promised, 
 I will fulfil the prediction at the very 
 time. Comp. 2 Kings iv. 16. 
 
 16. And not only this, Not only ia 
 the principle of making a distinction 
 among the natural descendants of Abra 
 ham thus settled by the promise, but 
 it is still further seen and illustrated in 
 the birth of the two sons of Isaac. He 
 had shown that the principle of thus 
 making a distinction among the pos 
 terity of Abraham was recognised in 
 the original promise, thus proving that 
 all the descendants of Abraham were 
 not of course to be saved ; and he now 
 proceeds to show that the principle was 
 recognised in the case of his posterity 
 in the family of Isaac. And he shows 
 that it is not according to any natural 
 principles that the selection was made; 
 that he not only made a distinction 
 between Jacob and Esau, but that he 
 did it according to his good pleasure, 
 choosing the younger to be the object 
 of his favour, and rejecting the older, 
 who, according to the custom of the 
 times, was supposed to be entitled to 
 peculiar honour and rights. And in 
 order to prove that this was done ac 
 cording to his own pleasure, he shows 
 that the distinction was made before 
 they were born; before they had formed 
 any character ; and, consequently, in 
 such a way that it could not be pre 
 tended that it was in consequence of 
 any works which they had performed. 
 ^ But when Rebecca. The wife of 
 Isaac. See Gen. xxv. 21. 23. 
 

 192 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 11 (For the children being | election, might stand, not of 
 not yet born, neither having j works, but of him that calleth ;) 
 done any good or evil, Al -~ i Al -- 
 
 purpose of God, 
 
 that the 
 according to 
 
 jij^a^ uuu \ji iiiuj. uiiiM uuiieiu \) 
 
 12 It was said unto her, the 
 elder shall serve the 2 younger. 
 
 1 or, greater. 
 
 
 
 11. For the children being notyet born, 
 It was not, therefore, by any works of 
 theirs. It was not because they had form 
 ed a character and manifested qualities , 
 which made this distinction proper. It ! 
 was laid back of any such character, and j 
 therefore had its foundation in the pur- 
 pose or plan of God. 1T Neither having 
 done any good or evil. That is, when the 
 declaration (ver. 12.) was made to Rebec 
 ca. This is a very important passage in 
 ,_ regard to the question about the pur 
 poses of God. (1.) They had done no 
 thing good or bad ; and when that is 
 file case, there can be, properly speak 
 ing, no moral character, for " a charac 
 ter is not formed when the person has 
 not acquired stable and distinctive qua 
 lities." Webster. (2.) That the period of 
 moral agency had not yet commenced. 
 Comp. .Gen. xxv. 22, 23. When that 
 agency commences, we do not know ; 
 but here is a case of which it is affirm 
 ed that it had not commenced. (3.) 
 The purpose of God is antecedent to 
 the formation of character, or the per 
 formance of any actions, good or bad. 
 (4.) It is not a purpose formed because 
 he sees any thing in the individuals as 
 a ground for his choice, but for .some 
 reason which he has not explained, 
 and which in the Scripture is simply 
 called purpose, and good pleasure. 
 Eph. i, 5. (5.) If it existed in this case, 
 it does in others. If it was right then, \ 
 it is now. And if God then dispensed i 
 his favours on thisprinciple,he will now. 
 But, (6.) This affirmation respecting 
 Jacob and Esau does not prove that 
 they had not a nature inclined to evil ; 
 JT a corrupt and sensual propensity ; or 
 tnat they would not sin as soon as they 
 became moral agents. It proves merely 
 that they had not yet committed actual 
 sin. That they, as well as all others, 
 would certainly sin as soon as they 
 committed moral acts at all, is proved j 
 
 every where in the sacred Scriptures. 
 IT The purpose of God. Note, ch. 
 viii. 28. IT According to election. To 
 dispense his favours according to his 
 sovereign will and pleasure. Those 
 favours were not conferred in conse 
 quence of the merits of the individuals, 
 but according to a wise plan lying back 
 of the formation of their characters, and 
 before they had done good or evil. 
 The favours were thus conferred ac 
 cording to his choice, or election. 
 IF Might stand. Might be confirmed ; 
 or might be proved to be true. The 
 caseNshows that God dispenses his fa 
 vours as a sovereign. The purpose of 
 God was thus proved to have been 
 formed without respect to the merits of 
 either. IT Not of works. Not by any 
 thing which they had done ..either to 
 merit his favour or to forfeit it. It was 
 formed on other principles than a refer 
 ence to their works. So it is in rela 
 tion to all who shall be saved. God 
 has good reasons for saving those who 
 shall be saved. What the reasons are 
 for choosing some to life, he has not 
 revealed ; but he has revealed to us 
 that it is not on account of their works, 
 either performed or foreseen. IT But of 
 him that calleth. According to the will 
 and purpose of him that chooses to 
 dispense those favours in this manner. 
 It is not by the merit of man, but it is 
 by a purpose having its origin with 
 God, and formed and executed accord 
 ing to his good pleasure. It is also im 
 plied here that it is formed in such a 
 way as to secure his glory as the pri 
 mary consideration. 
 
 12. It was said unto her. By Je"- 
 hovah. See Gen. xxv. 23. IT The 
 elder. The eldest son, which was 
 Esau. By the law of primogeniture 
 among the Hebrews, he would have 
 been entitled to peculiar honours and 
 privileges. But it was said that in hi* 
 
D. CO.J 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Ilia 
 
 13 As it is written, a Jacob 
 
 a Mal.1.2,3. 
 
 :ase this custom should be reversed, 
 and that he should take the rank of the 
 younger. ^ Should serve. Shall be 
 subject to ; shall not have the authority 
 and priority, but should be inferior to. 
 The passage in Genesis (xxv. 23) 
 shows that this had reference particu 
 larly to the posterity of Esau, and not 
 to him as an individual. The sense is, 
 that the descendants of Esau, who were 
 Edomites, should be inferior to, and 
 subject to the descendants of Jacob. 
 Jacob was to have the priority ;Ahe pro 
 mised land ; the promises ; and the ho- 
 notar of being regarded as the chosen 
 of God. There was reference here, 
 therefore, to the whale train of tempo 
 ral and spiritual blessings which were 
 to be connected with the two races of 
 people. If it be asked how this bears on 
 the argument of the apostle, we may 
 reply, (1.) That it settles the principle 
 that Go"d might make a distinction 
 among men, in the same nation, and 
 the same family, without reference to 
 their works or character. (2.) That 
 he might confer his blessings on such 
 as he pleased. (3.) If this is done in 
 regard to nations, it may be in regard 
 to individuals. The principle is the 
 same, and the justice the same. If it 
 be supposed to be unjust in God to 
 make such a distinction in regard to 
 individuals, it is surely not less so to 
 make a distinction in nations. The fact 
 that numbers are thus favoured, does 
 not make it the more proper, or remove 
 any difficulty. (4.) If this distinction 
 may be made in regard to temporal 
 things, why not in regard to spiritual 
 things ? The principle must still be 
 the same. If unjust in one case, it 
 would be in the other. The fact that 
 it is done in one case proves also that 
 it will be in the other; for the same 
 great principle will run through all the 
 dealings of the divine government. 
 And as men do not and cannot com 
 plain that God makes a distinction 
 among them in regard to talents, 
 health, beauty, prosperity, and rank, 
 K 
 
 have I loved, but Esau have 1 
 hated. 
 
 neither can they complain if he act* 
 also as a sovereign in the distribution 
 of his spiritual favours. They, there 
 fore, who regard this as referring only 
 to temporal and national privileges, 
 gain no relief in respect to the real dif 
 ficulty in the case, for the unanswer 
 able question would still be asked, why 
 has not God made all men equal in 
 every thing 1 Why has he made any 
 distinction among men] The onli? 
 reply to all such inquiries is, "Even 
 so, Father, for so it seemeth good in 
 thy sight." Matt. xi. 26. 
 
 13. Jls it is -written. MaL i. 2, 3. 
 That is, the distribution of favours is 
 on the principle advanced by the pro 
 phet, and is in accordance with the de 
 claration that God had in fact loved the 
 one and hated the other. \ Jacob, 
 This refers, doubtless, to the posterity 
 of Jacob. ^[ Have I loved. I have 
 shown affection for that people ; I have 
 bestowed on them great privileges and 
 blessings, as proofs of attachment. I 
 have preferred Jacob to Esau, f Esau. 
 The descendants of Esau, the Edom 
 ites. See Mai. i. 4. ^ Have I hated. 
 This does not mean any positive 
 hatred ; but that he had preferred Ja 
 cob, and had -withheld from Esau those 
 privileges and blessings which he had 
 conferred on the posterity of Jacob. 
 This is explained in Mai. i. 3, " And I 
 hated Esau, and laid his mountains 
 and heritage waste for the dragons of 
 the wilderness." Comp. Jer. xlix. 17, 
 18. Ezek. xxxv. 3. It was common 
 among the Hebrews to use the terms 
 love and hatred in this comparative 
 sense, where the former implied strong 
 positive attachment, and the latter, not 
 positive hatred, but merely a less love, 
 or the withholding of the expressions 
 of affection. Comp. Gen. xxix. 30, 31. 
 Prov. xiii. 24, " He that spareth his 
 rod hateth his son ; but he that loveth 
 him chasteneth him betimes." Matt, 
 vi. 24, " No man can serve two mas 
 ters, for either he will hate the one and 
 ? <?ve the other," &c. Luke xiv. 26, 
 
MJ4 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 . D. 60. 
 
 14 What shall we say then ? 
 s a there unrighteousness with 
 God? God forbid. 
 
 15 For he saith to Moses, I * 
 will have mercy on whom I will 
 
 have 
 
 mercy 
 
 a Deut.32.4. 
 
 and I will have 
 
 " If any man corne to me, and hate not 
 his father and mother," &c. 
 
 14. What shall toe say then ? What 
 conclusion shall we draw from these 
 acknowledged facts, and from these 
 positive declarations of Scripture. If Is 
 there unrighteousness -with God? Does 
 God do injustice or wrong] This 
 charge has often been brought against 
 the doctrine here advanced. But this 
 charge the apostle strongly repels. He 
 meets it by further showing that it is 
 the doctrine explicitly taught in the 
 Old Testament (ver. 15. 17), and that 
 it is founded on the principles of equity, 
 and on just views of the sovereignty 
 of God. ver. 1923. J God forbid. 
 Note, ch. iii. 4. 
 
 15. For he saith to Moses. Ex. 
 xxxiii. 19. ^ I ivill have mercy. This 
 is said by God when he declared ex 
 pressly that he would make all his 
 goodness pass before Moses (Ex. 
 xxxiii. 19), and when, therefore, it 
 was regarded, not as a proof of stern 
 and inexorable justice, but as the very 
 proof of his benevolence, and the high 
 est which he thought proper to exhibit. 
 When men, therefore, under the influ 
 ence of an unrenewed and hostile heart, 
 charge this as an unjust and arbitrary 
 proceeding, they are resisting and per 
 verting that which God regards as the 
 very demonstration of his benevolence. 
 The sense of the passage clearly is, that 
 he would choose the objects of his fa 
 vour, and bestow his mercies as he 
 chose. None of the human race de 
 served his favour ; and he had a right 
 to pardon whom he pleased, and to 
 save men on his own terms, and ac 
 cording to his sovereign will and plea 
 sure. ^ On -whom I ivill have mercy. 
 On whom I choose to bestow mercy. 
 The mode he does not explain. But 
 
 compassion on whom I wilJ 
 have compassion. 
 
 it is not of him 
 nor of him that 
 
 16 So then 
 that willeth, 
 runneth, but of God that show- 
 eth mercv. 
 
 there could not be a more positive de 
 claration of these truths, (1.) That he 
 does it as a sovereign, without giving 
 an account of the reason of his choice 
 to any. (2.) That he does it without 
 regard to any claim on the part of man ; 
 or that man is regarded as destitute of 
 merit, and as having no right to his 
 mercy. (3.) That he will do it to any ex 
 tent which he pleases, and in whatever 
 time and manner may best accord with 
 his own good pleasure. (4.) That he 
 has regard to a definite number ; and 
 that on that number he intends to be 
 stow eternal life ; and, (5.) That no 
 one has a right to complain. It is 
 proof of his benevolence that any are 
 saved ; and where none have a claim, 
 where all are justly condemned, he has 
 a right to pardon whom he pleases. 
 The executive of a country may select 
 any number of criminals whom he may 
 see fit to pardon, or who may be for 
 given in consistency with the suprema 
 cy of the laws and the welfare of the 
 community, and none has a right to 
 murmur, but every good citizen should 
 rejoice that any may be pardoned with 
 safety. So in the moral world, and 
 under the administration of its holy 
 Sovereign, it should be a matter of joy 
 that any can be pardoned and saved ; 
 and not asubject of murmuring and com 
 plaint that those who shall finally de 
 serve to die shall be consigned to wo. 
 16. So then. It follows as a conse 
 quence from this statement of God to 
 Moses. Or it is a doctrine established 
 by that statement 1 Not of him that 
 willeth. This does not mean that he 
 that becomes a Christian, and is saved, 
 does not choose eternal life ; or is not 
 made willing ; or that he is compelled 
 to enter heaven against his own choice. 
 It is true that men by nature have no 
 
1). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 195 
 
 17 For the Scripture saith a un- 
 10 Pharaoh, Even for this same 
 purpose have I raised thee up, 
 
 desire of holiness, and do not choose 
 eternal life. But the effect of the influ 
 ences oi God s Spirit on the heart is to 
 make it " willing in the day of his 
 power." Ps. ex. 3. The meaning here is 
 evidently, that eternal life is not bestow 
 ed because man had any original will 
 ingness or disposition to be saved ; it is 
 not because he commences the work, 
 and is himself disposed to it ; but it is 
 because God inclines him to it, and 
 disposes him to seek for mercy, and 
 then confers it in his own way. The 
 word ivilleth here denotes -wish or de 
 sire. Tf JVor of him that runneth, 
 This denotes strenuous, intense effort, 
 as when a man is anxious to obtain 
 an object, or hastens from danger. The 
 meaning is not that the sinner does 
 not make an effort to be saved ; nor 
 that all who become Christians do not 
 in fact strive to enter into the king 
 dom, or earnestly desire salvation, for 
 the Scriptures teach the contrary. 
 Luke xvi. 16 ; xiii. 24. There is no 
 effort more intense and persevering, 
 no struggle more arduous or agonizing, 
 than when a sinner seeks eternal life. 
 Nor does it mean that they who strive 
 in a proper way, and with proper effort, 
 shall not obtain eternal life. Matt. vii. 
 7. But the sense is, (1.) That the sin 
 ner would not put forth any effort him 
 self. If left to his own course, he would 
 never seek to be saved. (2.) That he is 
 pardoned, not on account of his effort ; 
 not because he makes an exertion ; but 
 because God chooses to pardon him. 
 There is no merit in his anxiety, and 
 prayers, and agony, on account of 
 which God would forgive him ; but he 
 is still dependent on the mere mercy 
 of God to save or destroy him at his 
 will. The sinner, however anxious he 
 may be, and however much or long he 
 may strive, does not bring God under 
 an obligation to pardon him any more 
 than the condemned criminal, trem- 
 Ming with the fear of execution, and 
 
 that I might -show my power in 
 thee, and that my name might be 
 declared throughout all the earth. 
 
 the consciousness of crime, lays the 
 judge or the jury under an obligation 
 to acquit him. This fact, it is of great 
 importance for an awakened sinner to 
 know. Deeply anxious he should be, 
 but there is no merit in his distress. 
 Pray he should, but there is no merit in 
 his prayers. Weep and strive he may, 
 but in this there is no ground of claim 
 on God for pardon ; and, after all, he is 
 dependent on his mere sovereign mercy, 
 as a lost, ruined, and helpless sinner, to 
 be saved or lost at his will. 1 But of 
 God that shoiveth mercy. Salvation, in 
 its beginning, its progress, and its close, 
 is of him. He has a right, therefore, to 
 bestow it when and where he pleases. 
 All our mercies flow from his mere 
 love and compassion, and not from our 
 deserts. The essential idea here is, that 
 God is the original fountain of all the 
 blessings of salvation. 
 
 17. For the Scripture saith. Ex. 
 ix. 16. That is, God saith to Pharaoh 
 in the Scriptures. Gal. iii. 8. 22. This 
 passage is designed to illustrate the 
 doctrine that God shows mercy accord 
 ing to his sovereign pleasure by a refer 
 ence to one of the most extraordinary 
 cases of hardness of heart which has 
 ever occurred. The design is to show 
 that God has a right to pass by those 
 to whom he does not choose to show 
 mercy ; and to place them in circum 
 stances where they shall develope their 
 true character, and where in fact they 
 shall become more hardened and be 
 destroyed, ver. 18. f Unto Pharaoh 
 The haughty and oppressive king of 
 Egypt; thus showing that the most 
 mighty and wicked monarchs are at hia 
 control. Comp. Isa. x. 5 7. ^ For 
 this same purpose. For the design, or 
 with the intent that is immediately 
 specified. This was the leading pur. 
 pose or design of his sustaining him. 
 1 Have I raised thee />. Margin in 
 Ex. ix. 16, "made thee stand," i. e 
 sustained thee. The Greek word used 
 
196 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 LA. D. 60 
 
 18 Therefore hath he mercy 
 un whom he will have mercy, 
 
 toy the apostle Of >*ga), means proper- 
 .y / have excited, roused, or stirred 
 thee up. But it may also have the 
 meaning, I have sustained or sup 
 ported thee. That is, I have kept thee 
 from death ; I have preserved thee from 
 ruin ; I have ministered strength to 
 thee, so that thy full character has been 
 developed. It does not mean that God 
 had infused into his mind any positive 
 evil, or that by any direct influence he 
 had excited any evil feelings, but that 
 he had kept him in circumstances 
 which were fitted to develope his true 
 character. The meaning of the word 
 and the truth of the case may be ex 
 pressed in the following particulars : 
 (1.) God meant to accomplish some 
 great purposes by his existence and ! 
 conduct. (2.) He kept him, or sus 
 tained him, with reference to that. 
 (3.) He had control over the haugh 
 ty and wicked monarch. He could 
 take his life, or he could continue 
 him on earth. As he had control over 
 all things that could affect the pride, 
 the feelings, and the happiness of the 
 monarch, so he had control over the 
 monarch himself. (4.) He placed him 
 in circumstances just Jilted to de 
 velope his character. He kept him 
 amidst those circumstances until his 
 character was fully developed. (5.) He j 
 did not exert a positive evil influence on 
 the mind of Pharaoh ; for, (6.) In all 
 this the monarch acted freely. He did 
 that which he chose to do. He pursued 
 his own course. He was voluntary in his 
 schemes of oppressing the Israelites. He 
 was voluntary in his opposition to God. 
 He was voluntary when he pursued 
 the Israelites to the Red sea. In all his 
 doings he acted as he dose to do, and 
 with a determined choice of evil, from 
 which neither warning nor judgment 
 would turn him away. Thus he is 
 Kaid to have hardened his own heart. 
 Ex. viii. 15. (7.) Neither Pharaoh 
 nor any sinner can justly blame God 
 for placing them in circumstances 
 
 and whom he will he harden 
 eth. 
 
 where they shall develope their own 
 character, and show what they are. It 
 is not the fault of God, but their own 
 fault. The sinner is not compelled to 
 sin ; nor is God under obligation to 
 save him contrary to the prevalent de 
 sires and wishes of the sinner himself. 
 f My poioer in thee. Or by means of 
 thee. By the judgments exerted in de 
 livering an entire oppressed people from 
 thy grasp. God s most signal acts of 
 power were thus shown in conse 
 quence of his disobedience and rebel 
 lion. 1 My name. The name of Je 
 hovah, as the only true God, and the 
 deliverer of his people. Tf Throughout 
 all the earth. Or throughout all the 
 land of Egypt Note, Luke ii. 1. We 
 may learn here, (1.) That a leading 
 design of God in the government of the 
 world is to make his power, and name, 
 and character known. (2.) That this 
 is often accomplished in a most signal 
 manner by the destruction of the 
 wicked. (3.) That wicked men should 
 be alarmed, since their arm cannot 
 contend with God, and since his ene 
 mies shall be destroyed. (4.) It is 
 right that the incorrigibly wicked 
 should be cut off. When a man s 
 character is fully developed; when he 
 is fairly tried ; when, in all circum 
 stances, he has shown that he -will not 
 obey God, neither justice nor mercy 
 hinders the Almighty from cutting him 
 down and consigning him to death. 
 
 18. Therefore hath he mercy, &c. 
 This is a conclusion stated by the apos 
 tie as the result of all the argument. 
 Tf Whom he -will he hardeneth. This 
 is not stated in what the Scripture said 
 to Pharaoh, but is a conclusion to 
 which the apostle had arrived, in view 
 of the case of Pharaoh. The word 
 hardeneth means only to harden in 
 the manner specified in the case of 
 Pharaoh. It does not mean to exert a 
 positive influence, but to leave a sinner 
 to his own course, and to place him in 
 circumstances where the character will 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 197 
 
 19 Thou wilt say then unto 
 me, Why doth he yet find fault? 
 for who fl hath resisted his will ? 
 
 20 Nay but, O man, who art 
 
 o 2Chron.20.6. Dan.4.35, 
 
 thou that repliest 1 against God? 
 Shall b the thing formed say to 
 him that formed it, Why hast 
 thou made me thus? 
 
 or, answerest again ; or, disputest with God 
 b lsa.29.lti. 
 
 be more and more developed. Bee 
 Note, John xii. 40. It implies, how 
 ever, an act of sovereignty on the part 
 of God in thus leaving" him to his 
 chosen course, and in not putting forth 
 that influence by which he could be 
 saved from death. Why this is, the 
 apostle does not state. We should, 
 however, not dispute a fact every where 
 prevalent ; and should have sufficient 
 confidence in God to believe that it is 
 in accordance with infinite wisdom and 
 rectitude. 
 
 19. Thou tvilt say then unto me. 
 The apostle here refers to an objection 
 that might be made to his argument. 
 If the position which he had been en 
 deavouring to establish were true ; if 
 God had a purpose in all his dealings 
 with men ; if all the revolutions among 
 men happened according to his decree, 
 so that he was not disappointed, or his 
 plan frustrated ; and if his own glory 
 was secured in all this, why could he 
 blame men 1 t Why doth he yet find 
 fault? Why does he blame men, since 
 their conduct is in accordance with his 
 purpose, and since he bestows mercy 
 according to his sovereign will 7 This 
 objection has been made by sinners in 
 all ages. It is the standing objection 
 against the doctrines of grace. The 
 objection is founded, (1.) On the diffi 
 culty of reconciling the purposes of God 
 with the free agency of man. (2.) It 
 assumes, what cannot be proved, that 
 a plan or purpose of God must destroy 
 the freedom of man. (3.) It is said 
 that if the plan of God is accomplish 
 ed, then that which is best to be done 
 is done, and, of course, man cannot be 
 blamed. These objections are met by 
 the apostle in the following argument. 
 If Who hath resisted his -will ? That 
 is, who has successfully opposed his 
 will, or frustrated his plan 1 The word 
 translated resist is commonly used to 
 R 2 
 
 denote the resistance offered by soldiers 
 or armed men. Thus, Eph. vi. 13, 
 " Take unto you the whole armour of 
 God, that ye may be able to -withstand 
 (resist or successfully oppose) in the 
 evil day." See Luke xxi. 15, "I will 
 give you a mouth and wisdom which 
 all your adversaries shall not be able to 
 gainsay or resist" See also Acts vj]. 
 10 ; xiii. 8, " But Elymas. . . .-withstood 
 them," &c. The same Greek word, 
 Rom. xiii. 2. Gal. ii. 11. This does 
 not mean that no one has offered re 
 sistance or opposition to God, but that 
 no one had done it successfully. God 
 had accomplished his purposes in spite 
 of their opposition. This was an esta 
 blished point in the sacred writings, 
 and one of the admitted doctrines of 
 the Jews. To establish it had even 
 been a part of the apostle s design; 
 and the difficulty now was to see how, 
 this being admitted, men could be 
 held chargeable with crime. That it 
 was the doctrine of the Scriptures, see 
 2 Chron. xx. 6, " In thine hand is there 
 not power and might, so that none is 
 able to withstand thee 1" Dan. iv. 35, 
 " He doeth according to his will in the 
 army of heaven, and among the inha 
 bitants of the earth, and none can stay 
 his hand, or say unto him, What does! 
 thou?" See also the case of Joseph 
 and his brethren, Gen. 1. 20, " As for 
 you, ye thought evil against me, but 
 God meant it unto good." 
 
 20. Nay, but, O man, &c. To this 
 objection the apostle replies in t-ws 
 ways ; first, by asserting the sovereign 
 ty of God, and affirming that he had a 
 right to do it (ver. 20, 21) ; and se 
 condly, by showing that he did it ac 
 cording to the principles of justice and 
 mercy, or that it was involved of ne- 
 cessi y in his dispensing justice and 
 mercy to mankind, ver. 22, 23, 24 
 \ Who art thou, &c. Paul here strong 
 
198 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A.D. 60. 
 
 2 1 Hath not tho potter a power 
 over the clay, of the same lump 
 
 ly reproves the impiety and wickedness 
 of arraigning God. This impiety ap 
 pears, (1.) Because man is a creature 
 of God, and it is improper that he 
 should arraign his Maker. (2.) He is 
 unqualified to understand the subject. 
 " Who art thou ?" What qualifications 
 has a creature of a day, a being just 
 in the infancy of his existence ; of so 
 limited faculties; so perverse, blinded, 
 and interested as man, to sit in judg 
 ment on the doings of the Infinite 
 Mind ] Who gave him the authority, 
 or invested him with the prerogatives 
 of a judge over his Maker s doings ? 
 (3.) Even if man -were qualified to in 
 vestigate those subjects, what right has 
 he to reply against God, to arraign 
 him, or to follow or.t a train of argu 
 ment tending to involve his Creator in 
 shame and disgrace? Nowhere is 
 there to be found a more cutting or 
 humbling reply to the pride of man 
 than this. And on no subject was it 
 more needed. The experience of every 
 age has shown that this has been a pro 
 minent topic of objection against the 
 government of God; and that there 
 has been no point in the Christian 
 theology to which the human heart has 
 been so ready to make objections as to 
 the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. 
 ^ Itepliest against God. Margin, 
 " Answerest again ; or, disputes! with 
 God." The passage conveys the idea 
 of answering again ; or of arguing to 
 the dishonour of God. It implies that 
 when God declares his will, man should 
 be still. God has his own plans of in 
 finite wisdom, and it is not ours to re 
 ply against him, or to arraign him of 
 injustice, when we cannot see the rea 
 son of his doings. ^ Shall the thhig 
 formed, &c. This sentiment is found 
 in Isa. xxix. 16. See also Isa. xlv. 9. 
 It was peculiarly proper to adduce this 
 to a Jeia. The objection is one which 
 is supposed to be made by a Jew, and 
 it was proper to reply to him by a quo- 
 Idtion from his own Scriptures. Any 
 
 to make one vessel unto honour, 
 and another unto dishonour ? 
 
 being has a right to fashion his work 
 according to his own views of what is 
 best ; and as this right is not denied to 
 me*i, we ought not to blame the infi 
 nitely wise God for acting in a similar 
 way. They who have received every 
 blessing they enjoy from him, ought 
 not to blame him for not making them 
 different. 
 
 21. Hath not the potter, &c. This 
 same sovereign right of God the apostle 
 proceeds to urge from another illustra 
 tion, and another passage from the 
 Old Testament. Isa. Ixiv. 8, " But now, 
 O Lord, thou art our Father ; we are 
 the clay, and thou our potter ; and we 
 all are the work of thy hand." This 
 passage is preceded in Isaiah by one 
 declaring the depravity of man. Isa. 
 Ixiv. 6, " We are all as an unclean 
 thing, and all our righteousnesses are 
 as filthy rags ; and we all do fade as a 
 leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, 
 have taken us away." As they were 
 polluted with sin, as they had trans 
 gressed the law of God, and had no 
 claim and no merit, God might bestow 
 his favours as he pleased, and mould 
 them as the potter did the clay. He 
 would do no injury to those who were 
 left, and -who had no claim to his mer 
 cy, if he bestowed favours on others, 
 any more than the potter would do in 
 justice to one part of the mass, if he 
 put it to an ignoble use, and moulded 
 another part into a vessel of honour. 
 This is still the condition of sinful men 
 God does no injustice to a man if he 
 leaves him to take his own course to 
 ruin, and makes another, equally unde 
 serving, the recipient of his mercy. He 
 violated none of my rights by not con 
 ferring on me the talents of Newton 
 or of Bacon ; or by not placing me in 
 circumstances like those of Peter and 
 Paul. Where all are undeserving, the 
 utmost that can be demanded is that 
 he should not treat them with injustice. 
 And this is secured even in the case of 
 the lost. No man will suffer more than 
 
. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 199 
 
 22 What 8 if God, willing to 
 shew his wrath, and to make his 
 power known, endured with 
 
 much long-suffering the vessels 
 * of wrath * fitted to destruc 
 tion ; 
 
 b 2Tim.2.20. l or, made up. 
 
 he deserves ; nor will any man go to 
 perdition feeling that he has a claim to 
 better treatment than he receives. The 
 same sentiment is found in Jer. xviii. 
 6, " O house of Israel, cannot I do with 
 you as this potter 1 ? saith the Lord. 
 Behold, as the clay is in the potter s 
 hand, so are ye in my hand, O house 
 of Israel. At what instant I shall 
 speak concerning a nation," &c. The 
 passage in Isaiah proves that God has 
 the right of a sovereign over guilty 
 individuals ; that in Jeremiah, that he 
 has the same right over nations ; thus 
 meeting the whole case as it was in the 
 mind of the apostle. These passages, 
 however, assert only the right of God 
 to do it, without affirming any thing 
 aoout the manner in which it is done. 
 In fact, God bestows his favours in a 
 mode very different from that in which 
 a potter moulds his clay. God does 
 not create holiness by a mere act of 
 power, but he produces it in a manner 
 consistent with the moral agency of 
 men ; and bestows his favours not to 
 compel men, but to incline them to be 
 willing to receive them. Ps. ex. 3, 
 " Thy people shall be willing in the day 
 of thy power." It should be further re 
 marked, that the argument of the apos 
 tle here does not refer to the original 
 creation of men, as if God had then 
 made them one for honour and another 
 for dishonour. He refers to man as 
 alien and lost. His argument is this: 
 Man is in ruins ; he is fallen ; he has 
 no claim on God ; all deserve to die ; 
 on this mass, where none have any 
 claim, he may bestow life on whom 
 he pleases, without injury to others ; 
 ne may exercise the right of a sove 
 reign to pardon whom he pleases ; or 
 of a potter to mould any part of the 
 useless mass to purposes of utility and 
 beauty. ^ Potter. One whose .. t-cu- 
 pation it is to make earthen vessels. 
 1 Power. This word denotes here 
 not merely physical power, but autho 
 
 rity, right. See Matt. vii. 29, translated 
 " authority ;" xxi. 23. 2 Thess. iii. 9. 
 Mark ii. 10. Luke v. 24, "The Son of 
 man hath power on earth to forgive 
 sins," &c. 1 Lump. Mass. It denotes 
 any thing that is reduced to a fine con 
 sistency, and mixed, and made soft by 
 water ; either clay, as in this place, or 
 the mass produced of grain pounded 
 and mixed with water. Rom. xi. 16, 
 " If the first-fruit bo holy, the lump is 
 also holy." 1 Cor. v. 6, " Know ye not 
 that a little leaven leaveneth the whole 
 lump .?" Tf One vessel. A cup, or 
 other utensil, made of clay, f Unto 
 honoitr. Fitted to an honourable use, 
 or designed for a more useful and re 
 fined purpose. f Unto dishonour. 
 To a meaner service, or more common 
 use. This is a common mode of ex 
 pression among the Hebrews. The 
 lump hire denotes the mass of men, 
 sinners, having no claim on God. The 
 potter illustrates God s right over that 
 mass, to dispose of it as seems good in 
 his sight. The doctrine of the passage 
 is, that men have no right to complain 
 if God bestows his blessings where and 
 when he chooses. 
 
 22, 23. What if God, &c. If God 
 does what the apostle supposes, what 
 then ? Is it not right 1 This is the 
 second point in the answer to the ob 
 jection in ver. 19. The answer has re 
 spect to the ttvo classes of men wnich 
 actually exisi on the earth the right 
 eous and the wicked. And the ques 
 tion is, whether in regard to these t-^ o 
 classes God does IN FACT do -wrong? 
 If he does not, then the doctrine of the 
 apostle is established, and the objection 
 is not valid. It is assumed here, as it 
 must be, that the world is in fact di 
 vided into two classes saints and sin 
 ners. The apostle considers the cas* 
 of sinners in ver. 22. ^ Willing. Bein^ 
 disposed ; having an inclination to. I 
 denotes an inclination of mind toward* 
 the thing proposed. If the thing itsel* 
 
200 
 
 was right ; if it was proper to " shoiv 
 his wrath," then it was proper to be 
 WILLING to doit. If it is right to do 
 a. thing, it is right to purpose or intend 
 to <3o it. ^ His -wrath (TV bg^w). This 
 word occurs thirty-five times in the 
 New Testament. Its meaning is de 
 rived from the idea of earnestly desir 
 ing or reaching for an object, and pro 
 perly denotes, in its general sense, a 
 vehement desire of attaining any 
 thing. Hence it comes to denote an 
 earnest desire of revenge, or of inflict 
 ing suffering on those who have in 
 jured us. Eph. iv. 31, "Let all bitter 
 ness and wrath," &c. Col. iii. 8. 1 
 Tim. ii. 8. Hence it denotes indigna 
 tion in general, which is not joined 
 with a desire of revenge. Mark iii. 5, 
 " He looked round about on them with 
 anger." It also denotes punishment 
 for sin ; the anger or displeasure of 
 God against transgression. Note, Rom. 
 i. 18. Luke iii. 7 ; xxi. 23, &c. In this 
 place it is evidently used to denote 
 severe displeasure against sin. As sin 
 is an evil of so great magnitude, it is 
 right for God to be -willing to evince 
 his displeasure against it ; and just in 
 proportion to the extent of the evil. 
 This displeasure, or wrath, it is proper 
 that God should always be willing to 
 show; nay, it would not be right for 
 him not to show it, for that would be 
 the same thing as to be indifferent to 
 it, or to approve it. In this place, 
 however, it is 710* affirmed, (1.) That 
 God has any pleasure in sin, or its 
 punishment ; nor, (2.) That he exerted 
 any agency to compel man to sin. It 
 affirms only that God is willing to show 
 his hatred of incorrigible and long-con 
 tinued wickedness when it actually 
 exists. ^ To make his power knoivn. 
 This language is the same as that 
 which was used in relation to Pharaoh, 
 ver. 17. Ex. ix. 16. But it is not 
 proba tie that the apostle intended to 
 confine it to the Egyptians only. In 
 the following verse he speaks of " the 
 vessels of mercy prepared unto glory ,-" 
 which cannot be supposed to be lan 
 guage adapted to the temporal de 
 liverance of the Jews. The case of 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 Pharaoh was one instance, or illus 
 tration of the general principle on 
 which God would deal with men. 
 His government is conducted on great 
 and uniform principles; and the case 
 of Pharaoh was a developement of 
 the great laws on which he governs 
 the universe. ] Endured. Bore with ; 
 was patient, or forbearing. Rev. ii. 3, 
 " And hast borne, and hast patience," 
 &c. 1 Cor. xiii. 7, " Charity (love) 
 beareth all things." Luke xviii. 7, 
 "Will not God avenge his elect, 
 though he bear long with them ?" 
 1 With much long- suffering. With 
 much patience. He suffered them to 
 live while they deserved to die. God 
 bears with all sinners with much pa 
 tience ; he spares them amid all their 
 provocations, to give them opportunity 
 of repentance ; and though they are 
 fitted for destruction, yet he prolongs 
 their lives, and offers them pardon, and 
 loads them with benefits. This fact is a 
 complete vindication of the government 
 of God from the aspersions of all his 
 enemies. ] Vessels of wrath. The 
 word vessel means a cup, &c. made of 
 earth. As the human body is frail, 
 easily broken and destroyed, it comes 
 to signify also the body. 2 Cor. iv. 7, 
 " We have this treasure in earthen 
 vessels." 1 Thess. iv. 4, " That every 
 one of you should know how to possess 
 his vessel in sanctification and honour" 
 that every one should keep his body 
 from the indulgence of unlawful pas 
 sions. Comp. ver. 3. Hence also it 
 means th.e man himself. Acts ix. 15, 
 " He is a chosen vessel unto me," &c. 
 Comp. Isa. xiii. 5. In this place there 
 is, doubtless, allusion to what he had 
 just said of clay in the hands of the 
 potter. The phrase " vessels of wrath" 
 denotes wicked men against whom it 
 is Jit or proper that wrath should be 
 shown ; as Judas is called " the son of 
 perdition." See Note on John xvii. 12. 
 This does not mean that men by their 
 very creation, or their physical nature, 
 are thus denominated ; but men who, 
 from long continuance in iniquity, de 
 serve to experience wrath ; as Judas 
 was not called " son of perdition" by 
 
A.D.60.J 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 201 
 
 23 And that he might make 
 known the riches a of his glory 
 
 oEph.1.18. 
 
 any arbitrary appointment, or as an 
 original designation, but because in 
 consequence of his avarice and treason 
 this was the name which in fact ac 
 tually described him, or fitted his case. 
 Tf Fitted (x.ArHTi<Tf*tvci). This word 
 properly means to restore; to place in 
 order ; to render complete ; to supply 
 a defect ; to fit to, or adapt to, or 
 prepare for. See Matt. iv. 21, " Were 
 mending their nets." Gal. vi. 1, "Re 
 store such an one," &c. In this 
 place it is a participle, and means 
 those who are fitted for or adapted to 
 destruction ; those whose characters 
 are such as to deserve destruction, or 
 as to make destruction proper. See the 
 same use of the word in Heb. xi. 3, 
 " Through faith we understand that 
 the worlds were framed" beautifully 
 fitted up in proper proportions, one 
 part adapted to another " by the word 
 of God." Heb. x. 5, A body hast 
 thou prepared for me ;" fitted, or adapt 
 ed to me. Comp. Ps. Ixviii. 10 ; Ixxiv. 
 16. In this place there is not the sem 
 blance of a declaration that Gou had 
 PREPAKKD them, or FITTED them for 
 destruction. It is a simple declaration 
 that they were ix FACT fitted for it, 
 without making an affirmation about 
 the manner in which they became so. 
 A reader of the English Bible may, 
 perhaps, sometimes draw the impres 
 sion that God had fitted them for this. 
 But this is not affirmed ; and there is an 
 evident design in not affirming it, and 
 a distinction made between them and 
 the vessels of mercy which ought to be 
 regarded. In relation to the latter it is 
 expressly affirmed that God fitted or 
 prepared them for glory. See ver. 23, 
 " Which HE had afore prepared unto 
 glory." The same distinction is re 
 markably striking in the account of the 
 last judgment in Matt. xxv. 34. 41. To 
 the righteous, Christ will say, " Come 
 ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
 kingdom prepared FOII YOU," &c. To 
 the wicked, "Depart from me, ye 
 
 on the vessels of mercy, which 
 he had afore prepared unto glory. 
 
 b lTtess.5.9. 
 
 cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared 
 
 FOU THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS ;" not 
 
 said to have been originally prepared 
 for them. It is clear, therefore, that 
 God intends to keep the great truth in 
 view, that he prepares his people by di 
 rect agency for heaven ; but that he 
 exerts no such agency in preparing 
 the wicked for destruction. ^ For de 
 struction (a? &TwAy*i,-). This word 
 occurs in the New Testament no less 
 than twenty times. Matt. vii. 13, 
 " Which leadeth to destruction." John 
 xvii. 12, " Son of perdition" Acts 
 viii. 20, " Thy money perish with 
 thee ;" Greek, be for destruction with 
 thee. xxv. 16. Phil. i. 28, " Token of 
 perdition." iii. 19, "Whose end is de 
 struction." 2 Thess. ii. 3, " The son of 
 perdition. 1 Tim. v. 9, " Which drown 
 men in destruction and perdition." 
 Heb. x. 39, " Which draw back into 
 perdition." See also 2 Pet. ii. 1. 3; 
 iii. 7. 16, &c. In these places it is 
 clear that the reference is to the future 
 punishment of wicked men, and in no 
 instance to national calamities. No such 
 use of the word is to be found in the 
 New Testament ; and this is further 
 clear from the contrast with the word 
 " glory" in the next verse. We may 
 remark here, that if men are fitted o? 
 prepared for destruction ; if future tor 
 ment is adapted to them, and they to 
 it ; if it is fit that they should be sub- 
 jected to it ; then God will do what is 
 fit or right to be done, and, unless 
 they repent, they must perish. Nor 
 would it be right for God to take them 
 to heaven as they are ; to a place for 
 which they are not fitted, and which 
 is not adapted to their feeLngs, their 
 character, or their conduct. 
 
 23. And that he might make known. 
 That he might manifest or display. 
 The apostle had shown (in ver. 22) 
 that the dealings of God towards the 
 wicked were not liable to the objection 
 made in ver. 19. In this verse he pro 
 ceeds to show that the obiection could 
 
2055 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A.. D. 60. 
 
 not lie against his dealings with the 
 otk*r class of men the righteous. If 
 nis dealings towards neither were liable 
 to the objection, then he has met the 
 whc^e case, and the divine govern 
 ment is vindicated. This he proves by 
 shewing that for God to shew the 
 riches of his glory towards those whom 
 he has prepared for it cannot be re 
 garded as unjust. Tf The riches of his 
 glory. This is a form of expression 
 common among the Hebrews, meaning 
 the same as his rich or his abundant 
 glory. The same expression occurs in 
 Eph. i. 18. Tf On the vessels of mercy. 
 Men towards whom his mercy was to 
 be displayed (see ver. 22) ; that is, on 
 those towards whom he has purposed 
 to display his mercy. ^ Mercy. Fa 
 vour, or pity shown to the miserable. 
 Grace is favour to the undeserving ; 
 mercy, favour to those in distress. 
 This distinction is not, however, always 
 strictly observed by the sacred writers. 
 ^ Which he had afore prepared. We 
 are here brought to a remarkable dif 
 ference between God s mode of dealing 
 with them and with the wicked. Here 
 it is expressly affirmed that God him 
 self had prepared them for glory. In 
 regard to the wicked, it is simply af 
 firmed that they -were fitted for de 
 struction, without affirming any thing of 
 he agency by which it was done. 
 That God prepares his people for 
 glory commences and continues the 
 work of their redemption is abundant 
 ly taught in the Scriptures. 1 Thess. v. 
 9, " God haih appointed us, to ob 
 tain salvation by our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 2 Tim. i. 9, " Who hath 
 saved us and called us with an holy 
 calling, not according to our works, 
 but according to his own purpose and 
 grace, which was given us in Christ 
 Jesus before the world began." See 
 alst Eph. i. 4, 5. 11. Rom. viii.28,29, 
 30. Acts xiii. 48. John i. 13. As the 
 renewing of the heart and the sancti 
 fying of the soul is an act of goodness, 
 it is worthy of God, and of course no 
 objection could lie against it. No man 
 could complain of a course of dealings 
 to make men better : and 
 
 as this is the sole design of the electing 
 love of God, his dealings with this class 
 of men are easily vindicated. No 
 Christian can complain that God has 
 chosen him, renewed him, and made 
 him pure and happy. And as this was 
 an important part of the plan of God, 
 it is easily defended from the objection 
 in ver. 19. ^ Unto glory. To happi 
 ness ; and especially to the happiness 
 of heaven. Heb. ii. 10, " It became 
 him, in bringing many sons unto 
 glory," &c. Rom. v. 2, " We rejoice 
 in hope of the glory of God." 2 Cor. 
 iv. 17, "Our light affliction worketh 
 for us a far more exceeding and eter 
 nal weight of glory." 2 Thess. ii. 14. 
 2 Tim. ii. 10. 1 Pet. v. 4. This eter 
 nal state is called " glory," because it 
 blends together every thing that con 
 stitutes honour, dignity, purity, love, 
 and happiness. All these significations 
 are in various places attached to this 
 word, and all mingle in the eternal 
 state of the righteous. We may re 
 mark here, (1.) That this word " glory * 
 is not used in the Scripures to denote 
 any external national privileges } or tc 
 describe any external call of the gospel. 
 No such instance is to be found. Of 
 course the apostle here by vessels of mer 
 cy meant individuals destined to eternal 
 life, and not nations externally called 
 to the gospel. No instance can be 
 found where God speaks of nations 
 called to external privileges, and speaks 
 of them as " prepared unto glory." 
 (2.) As this word refers to the future 
 state of individuals, it shows what is 
 meant by the word " destruction" in 
 ver. 22. That term stands contrasted 
 with glory ; and describes, therefore, 
 the future condition of individual wick 
 ed men. This is also its uniform 
 meaning in the New Testament. On 
 this vindication of the apostle we may 
 observe, (1.) That all men will be 
 treated as they ought to be treated. 
 Men will be dealt with according to 
 their characters at the end of life. (2.) 
 If men will suffer no injustice, then 
 this is the same as saying that they 
 will be treated justly. But what is 
 this 1 That the wicked shall be treated 
 
A D. GC 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 203 
 
 24 Even us, whom he hath 
 called, not of the Jews only, but 
 also of the Gentiles ? 
 
 25 As he saith also in Osee, 
 I will call them my people, 
 which were not my people ; and 
 
 as they deserve. What they deserve 
 God has told us in the Scriptures. 
 " These shall go away into everlasting 
 punishment." (3.) God has a right 
 to bestow his blessings as he chooses. 
 Where all are undeserving, where 
 none have any claim, he may confer 
 his favours on whom he pleases. (4.) 
 He actually does deal with men in this 
 way. The apostle takes this for grant 
 ed. He does not deny it. He most 
 evidently believes it, and labours to 
 show that it is right to do so. If he 
 did not believe it, and meant to teach 
 it, he would have said so. It would 
 have met the objection at once, and 
 saved all argument. He reasons as 
 if he did believe it ; and this settles the 
 question that the doctrine is true. 
 
 24. Even us, &c. See ch. i. 1 6 ; ii. 
 10 ; iii. 29, 30. To prove that the 
 Gentiles might be called as well as the 
 Jews, was a leading design of the 
 epistle, f Us. Christians, selected 
 from both Jews and Gentiles. This 
 proves that he did not refer to nations 
 primarily, but to individuals chosen 
 out of nations. Two things are esta 
 blished here. (1.) That the grace of 
 God was not confined to the Jewish 
 people, as they supposed, so that it 
 could be conferred on no others. (2.) 
 That God was not bound to confer 
 grace on all the descendants of Abra 
 ham, as he bestowed it on those select 
 ed from the mass, according to his own 
 will, and not of necessity 071 the mass 
 itself. 
 
 25. Jls he saith also. The doctrine 
 which he had established, he proceeds 
 now to confirm by quoutions from the 
 writings of Jews, that he might remove 
 every objection. The doctrine was, 
 (1.^ That God intended to call his peo- 
 pifc from the Gentiles as well as the 
 
 her beloved, which was not be 
 loved. 
 
 26 And d it shall come to 
 pass, that in the place where il 
 was said unto them, Ye are not 
 my people ; there shall they be 
 
 Jews. (2.) That he was bound by no 
 promise and no principle of obligation 
 to bestow salvation on all the Jews. 
 (3.) That, therefore, it was right for 
 him to reject any or all of the Jews, 
 if he chose, and cut them off from their 
 privileges as a people, and from salva 
 tion, t In Osee. This is the Greek 
 form of writing the Hebrew word Ho- 
 sea. It means in the book of Hosea, 
 as in David means in the book of Da 
 vid, or by David. Heb. iv. 7. The 
 passage is found in Hosea ii. 23. This 
 quotation is not made according to the 
 letter, but the sense of the prophet ia 
 preserved. The meaning is the same 
 in Hosea and in this place, that God 
 would bring those into a covenant 
 relation to himself, who were before 
 deemed outcasts and strangers. Thus 
 he supports his main position that God 
 would choose his people from among 
 the Gentiles as well as the Jews, 01 
 would exercise towards both his right 
 as a sovereign, bestowing or -withhold 
 ing his blessings as he pleases. 
 
 26. And it shall come to pass. It 
 shall happen, or take place. This is a 
 continuation of the quotation from the 
 prophet Hosea (ch. i. 10), designed to 
 confirm the doctrine which he was es 
 tablishing. Both these quotations have 
 the same design, and are introduced for 
 the same end. In Hosea they did not 
 refer to the calling of the Gentiles, but 
 to the recalling the rejected Jews. God 
 says, after the Jews had been rejected 
 and scattered for their idolatry ; after 
 they had forfeited his favour, and been 
 cast off as if they were not his people ; 
 he would recall them, and bestow on 
 them again the appellation of sons. 
 The apostle does not quote this as hav 
 ing original reference to the Gentiles, 
 but for the following purposes : (1.) 
 
Z04 
 
 called 
 God. 
 
 ..ROM 
 
 the children of the living 
 
 ANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 27 Esaias also crieth con 
 cerning Israel, Though the num- 
 
 o Isa.10.22,23. 
 
 If God formerly purposed to recall to 
 himself a people whom he had reject 
 ed ; if he bestowed favours on his own 
 people after they had forfeited his fa 
 vour, and ceased to be entitled to the 
 name of " his people ;" then the same 
 thing was not to be regarded as absurd 
 if he dealt in a similar manner with 
 the Gentiles also a part of his ori 
 ginal great family, the family of man, 
 but long since rejected and deemed 
 strangers. (2.) The dealings of God 
 towards the Jews in the time of Ho- 
 sea settled a general principle of go 
 vernment. His treatment of them hi 
 this manner was a part of his great 
 plan of governing the world. On the 
 same plan he now admitted the Gen 
 tiles to favour. And as this general 
 principle was established ; as the his 
 tory of the Jews themselves was a pre 
 cedent in the case, it ought not to be 
 objected in the time of Paul that the 
 same principle should be carried out 
 to meet the case also of the Gentiles. 
 t In the place. The place where they 
 may be scattered, or where they may 
 dwell. Or rather, perhaps, in those 
 nations which were not regarded as 
 the people of God, there shall be a peo 
 ple to whom this shall apply. Tf Where 
 it -was said unto them. Where the 
 proper appellation of the people was, 
 that they were not the people of God ; 
 where they were idolatrous, sinful, 
 aliens, strangers; so that they had 
 none of the marks of the children of 
 God. ^f Ye are not my people. Peo 
 ple in covenant with God ; under his 
 protection, as their Sovereign, and 
 keeping his laws, ^ There shall they 
 lie called. That is, there they shall be. 
 The verb to call in the Hebrew writ 
 ings means often the same as to be. It 
 denotes that this shall be the appella 
 tion which properly expresses their 
 character. It is a figure perhaps almost 
 peculiar to the Hebrews ; and it gives 
 additional interest to the case. Instead 
 of saying coldly and abstractedly, they 
 
 are such," it introduces also the idea 
 that such is the favourable judgment 
 of God in the case. See Matt. v. 9, 
 " Peace-makers. .. .shall be called the 
 children of God." See the Note on 
 that place ; also ver. 19. Matt. xxi. 13, 
 " My house shall be called the house 
 of prayer." Mark xi. 17. Luke i. 32. 
 35. 76. Isa. Ivi. 7. 1 The children of, 
 &c. Greek, Sons. See Note, Matt. i. 
 1. T Living God. Called living God 
 in opposition to dead idols. See Note, 
 Matt. xvi. 16; also xxvi. 63. John vi. 
 69. Acts xiv. 15. 1 Thess. i. 9, " Turn 
 from idols to serve the living and true 
 God." Jer. x. 10. This is a most ho 
 nourable and distinguished appellation. 
 No higher favour can be conferred on 
 mortals than to be the sons of the liv 
 ing God ; members of his family ; en 
 titled to his protection ; and secure of 
 his watch and care. This was an object 
 of the highest desire with the saints of 
 old. See Ps. xlii. 2 ; Ixxxiv. 2, " My 
 soul thirsteth for God, the living God." 
 " My heart and my flesh cry out foi 
 the living God." 
 
 27, 28. Esaias. The Greek way of 
 writing the word Isaiah, f Crieth. 
 Isa. x. 22, 23. Exclaims, or speaks 
 aloud or openly. Comp. John i. 15. 
 Isaiah brings forth the doctrine fully, 
 and without any concealment or dis 
 guise. This doctrine related to the 
 rejection of the Jews ; a far more diffi 
 cult point to establish than was that 
 of the calling of the Gentiles. It was 
 needful, therefore, to fortify it by some 
 explicit passage of the Scriptures. 
 If Concerning Israel. Concerning the 
 Jews. It is probable that Isaiah had 
 reference primarily to the Jews of his 
 own time; to that wicked generation 
 that God was about to punish, by send 
 ing them captive into other lands. The 
 case was oue, however, which settled 
 a general principle of the Jewish go 
 vernment ; and, therefore, it was appli 
 cable to the case before the apostle. If 
 the thing for which he was contending 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 205 
 
 her of the children of Israel be 
 as the sand of the sea, a remnant 
 shall be saved. 
 
 28 For he will finish * the 
 
 
 work, and cut it short in right 
 eousness: because a short work 
 
 will the 
 earth. 
 
 Lord make 
 
 upon 
 
 the 
 
 that the Jews might be rejected ex 
 isted in the time of Isaiah, and was 
 settled then as a precedent, it might 
 exist also in his time, and under the 
 gospel. *| As the sand of the sea. 
 This expression is used to denote an 
 indefinite or an innumerable multitude. 
 It often occurs in the sacred writings. 
 In the infancy of society, before the art 
 of numbering was carried to a great 
 extent, men were obliged to express 
 themselves very much in this manner. 
 Gen. xxii. 17, "I will multiply thy 
 seed. . . .as the sand which is upon the 
 sea-shore." xxxii. 12. Isaiah doubtless 
 had reference to this promise : Though 
 all that was promised to Abraham shall 
 be fulfilled, and his seed shall be as 
 numerous as God declared, yet a rem 
 nant only, &c. The apostle thus shows 
 that his doctrine does not conflict at all 
 with the utmost expectation of the 
 Jews drawn from the promises of God. 
 See a similar use of the term sand in 
 Judg. vii. 12. 1 Sam. xiii. 5. 2 Sam. 
 xvii. 11, &c. In the same manner 
 great numbers were denoted by the 
 stars of heaven. Gen. xxii. 17; xv. 5. 
 t Ji remnant shall be saved. Meaning 
 a remnant only. This implies that 
 great multitudes of them would be cast 
 off] and be not saved. If only a rem 
 nant was to be saved, many must be 
 lost ; and this was just the point which 
 the apostle was endeavouring to esta 
 blish. The word remnant means that 
 which is left, particularly what may re 
 main after a battle or a great calamity. 
 2 Kings xix. 31 ; x. 11. Judg. v. 11. 
 Isa. xiv. 22. In this place, however, it 
 means a small part or portion. Out of 
 the great multitude there shall be so 
 few left as to make it proper to say that 
 it was a mere remnant. This implies, 
 of course, that the great mass should 
 be cast away or rejected. And this wap 
 the use which the apostle intended t* 
 
 make of it. Comp. the Wisdom of Si- 
 rach xliv. 17, " Noah. . . .was left unto 
 the earth as a remnant when the flood 
 came." 1 Shall be saved. Shall be 
 preserved, or kept from destruction. 
 As Isaiah had reference to the captivity 
 of Babylon, this means that only a rem 
 nant should return to their native land. 
 The great mass should be rejected and 
 cast off. This was the case with the 
 ten tribes, and also with many others 
 who chose to remain in the land of 
 their captivity. The use which the 
 apostle makes of it is this : In the his 
 tory of the Jews, by the testimony of 
 Isaiah, a large part of the Jews of that 
 time were rejected, and cast off from 
 being the peculiar people of God. It is 
 clear, therefore, that God has brought 
 himself under no obligation to save all 
 the descendants of Abraham. This 
 case settles the principle. If God did 
 it then, it was equally consistent for 
 him to do it in the time of Paul, under 
 the gospel. The conclusion, therefore, 
 to which the apostle came, that it was 
 the intention of God to reject and cast 
 off the Jews as a people, was in strict 
 accordance with their own history and 
 the prophecies. It was still true that a 
 remnant was to be saved, while the 
 great mass of the people was rejected. 
 The apostle is not to be understood 
 here as affirming that the passage in 
 Isaiah had reference to the gospel, but 
 only that it settled one great principle 
 of the divine administration in regard 
 to the Jews, and that their rejection 
 under the gospel tuas strictly in ac 
 cordance tffith that principle. 
 
 28. He -will finish the -work. This 
 is taken from the Septuagint transla 
 tion of Isa. x. 23. The Hebrew is, 
 " The Lord God of hosts shall make a 
 consumption, even determined, in the 
 midst of all the land." Or, as it may 
 be rendered, " Destruction is decreed 
 
206 
 
 ROMANS 
 
 PA. D. CO. 
 
 29 And as Esaias said be 
 fore, " Except the Lord of Sa- 
 baoth had left us a seed, we 
 
 a Isa. 1.9. Lam.3.22. 
 
 b had been as Sodoma, ana 
 been made like unto Gomor- 
 rha. 
 
 b Gen. 19.24,25. ha. 13. 19. 
 
 which shall make justice overflow ; yea, 
 destruction is verily determined on ; the 
 Lord Jehovah will execute it in the 
 midst of all the land." (Stuart,} The 
 Septuagint and the apostle adhere to 
 the sense of the passage, but do noi 
 follow the -words. The phrase, tvil 
 finish the ivork, means he -will bring 
 the thing to an end, or will accomplish 
 it. It is an expression applicable to : 
 firm purpose to accomplish an object. I 
 refers here to his threat of cutting off the 
 people ; and means that he will fulfil it 
 \ Cut it short. This word here means 
 to execute it speedily. The destruc 
 tion shall not bo delayed. H In right 
 eousness. So as to manifest his own 
 justice. The work, though apparently 
 severe, yet shall be a. just expression of 
 God s abhorrence of the sins of the peo 
 ple. If Because a short -work. The 
 word here rendered " short" means pro 
 perly that which is determined on or 
 decreed. This is the sense of the He 
 brew ; and the phrase here denotes the 
 purpose -which was determined on in 
 relation to the Jews. ^ Upon the earth. 
 Upon the land of Israel. See Notes 
 on Matt. v. 4 ; iv. 8. The design for 
 which the apostle introduces this pas 
 sage is to show that God of old de 
 stroyed many of the Jews for their sin ; 
 and that, therefore, the doctrine of the 
 apostle was no new thing, that the Jews 
 might be excluded from the peculiar 
 privileges of the children of God. 
 
 29. And as Esaias said. Isa. ch. 
 i. 9. T before. The apostle had just 
 cited one prediction from the tenth 
 chapter of Isaiah. He now says that 
 Isaiah had affirmed the same thing in 
 a previous part of his prophecy, t Ex 
 cept the Lord of Sabaoth. In Isaiah, 
 the Lord of Hosts. The word Sabaoth 
 is the Hebrew word rendered hosts. It 
 properly denotes armies or military 
 hosts organized for war. Hence it de 
 notes the hosts of heaven, and means, 
 
 (1.) The angels, who are represented 
 as marshalled or arranged into military 
 orders. Eph. i. 21 ; iii. 10 ; vi. 12. Col, 
 i. 16; ii. 15. Jude 6. 1 Kings xxii. 
 19, "I saw the Lord sitting on hia 
 throne, and all the host of heaven 
 standing by him." Psalm ciii. 21 ; 
 cxlviii. 2. (2.) The stars. Jer. xxxiii. 
 22, " As the host of heaven cannot be 
 numbered," &c. Isa. xl. 26. Deut. iv. 
 19, &c. God is called the Lord of 
 hosts, as being at the head of all these 
 armies ; their King and their Com 
 mander. It is a phrase properly ex 
 pressive of his majesty and power, and 
 is appropriately introduced here, as the 
 act of saving " the seed" was a signal 
 act of poiver in the midst of great sur 
 rounding wickedness. *f Had left. Had 
 preserved, or kept from destruction. 
 Here their preservation is ascribed to 
 God, and it is affirmed that if God had 
 not interposed, the -whole nation would 
 have been cut off. This fully esta 
 blishes the doctrine of the apostle, tha 
 God might cast off the Jews, and ex 
 tend the blessings to the Gentiles. 
 1 Ji seed. The Hebrew in Isaiah 
 means one surviving or escaping, cor 
 responding with the word remnant. 
 The word seed commonly means in 
 the Scriptures descendants, posterity. 
 In this place it means a part, a small 
 portion ; a remnant, like the small por 
 tion of the harvest which is reserved 
 for sowing. ^ We had been as Sodo 
 . The nation was so wicked, that 
 unless God had preserved a small num 
 ber who were pious from the general 
 corruption of the people, they would 
 lave been swept off by judgment, like 
 Sodom and Gomorrah. We aie told 
 that ten righteous men would have 
 saved Sodom. Gen. xviii. 32. Among 
 he Israelites, in a time of great gene- 
 ral depravity, a small number of holy 
 men were found who preserved the na- 
 ion. The design of the apostle here 
 
A D. 60.1 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 30 What shall we say then ? 
 that the Gentiles, which fol- 
 owed not after righteousness, 
 
 was the same as in the previous verses 
 to show that it was settled in the 
 Jewish history that God might cast off 
 the people, and reject them from en 
 joying the peculiar privileges of his 
 friends. It is true that in Isaiah he 
 has reference to the temporal punish 
 ment of the Jews. But it settles a 
 great principle, for which Paul was 
 contending, that God might cast off the 
 nation consistently with his promises 
 and his plans. We may learn here, 
 (1.) That the existence of religion 
 among a people is owing to the love 
 of God. " Except the Lord had left 
 us," &c. (2.) It is owing to his mer 
 cy that any men are kept from sin, 
 and any nation from destruction. (3.) 
 We see the value of religion and of 
 pious men in a nation. Ten such 
 would have saved Sodom; and a few 
 such saved Judea. Comp. Matt. v. 13, 
 14. (4.) God has a right to withdraw 
 his mercies from any other people, 
 however exalted their privileges, and 
 leave them to ruin ; and we should not 
 be high-minded, but fear. Rom. x. 20. 
 30. What shall ive say then ? What 
 conclusion shall we draw from the pre 
 vious train of remarks 1 To what re 
 sults have we come by the passages 
 adduced from the Old Testament 1 This 
 question is asked preparatory to his 
 summing up the argument ; and he 
 had so stated the argument that the 
 conclusion which he was about to draw 
 was inevitable. 1 The Gentiles. That 
 many of the Gentiles ; or that "the way 
 was open for them, and many of them 
 had actually embraced the righteous 
 ness of faith. This epistle was written 
 as late as the year 57 (see Introduc 
 tion), and at that time multitudes of 
 heathens had embraced the Christian 
 religion. ^ Which followed not after 
 righteousness. The apostle does not 
 mean that none of the pagans had any 
 ^licitude about right and wrong, or 
 
 have attained to righteousness, 
 even the righteousness which 
 
 is of faith 
 
 b c.l. 17. Pbilem.3,9. 
 
 that there were no anxious inquiries 
 among them; but he intends particu 
 larly to place them in contrast with 
 the Jew. They had not made it thtir 
 main object to justify themselves ; they 
 were not filled with prejudice and pride 
 as the Jews were, who supposed that 
 they had complied with the law, and 
 who felt no need of any other justifica 
 tion ; they were sinners, and they felt 
 it, and had no such mighty obstacle in 
 a system of self-righteousness to over 
 come as the Jew had. Still it was true 
 that they were excessively wicked, and 
 that the prevailing characteristic among 
 them was that they did not follow after 
 righteousness. See ch. i. The word 
 " followed" here often denotes to pur 
 sue with intense energy, as a hunter 
 pursues his game, or a man pursues a 
 flying enemy. The Jews had sought 
 righteousness in that way ; the Gentiles 
 had not. The word righteousness here 
 means the same as justification. The 
 Gentiles, which sought not justification, 
 have obtained justification. Tf Have 
 attained to righteousness. Have be 
 come justified. This was a matter of 
 fact; and this was what the prophet 
 had predicted. The apostle does not 
 say that the sins of the Gentiles, or 
 their indifference to the subject, was 
 any reason why God justified them, or 
 that men would be as safe in sin as in 
 attempting to seek for salvation. He 
 establishes the doctrine, indeed, that 
 God is a sovereign ; but still it is im 
 plied that the gospel had not the pecu 
 liar obstacle to contend with among 
 the Gentiles that it had among the 
 Jews. There was less pride, obstinacy, 
 self-confidence ; and men were more 
 easily brought to see that they were 
 sinners, and to feel their need of a Sa 
 viour. Though God dispenses his fa- 
 ours as a sovereign, and though all 
 are opposed by nature to the gospel, 
 yet it is always true that the gospel 
 
208 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 31 But Israel, which follow- ! 32 Wherefore ? Because they 
 ed after the law of righteousness, sought it not by faith, but as it 
 hath not attained to the law of j were by the works of the law : 
 righteousness. for they stumbled at that stum 
 
 a c .io.2;ii.7. I bling-stone ; 
 
 finds more obstacles among some men 
 than among others. This was a most 
 cutting and humbling doctrine to the 
 pride of a Jew ; and it is no wonder, 
 therefore, that the apostle guarded it as 
 he did. 1 Which is of faith. Justifi 
 cation by faith in Christ. See Note, 
 ch. i. 17. 
 
 31. But Israel. The Jews. The 
 apostle docs not mean to affirm that 
 none of the Jews had obtained mercy, 
 but that as a people, or acting accord 
 ing to the prevalent principles of the 
 nation to work out their own righteous 
 ness, they had not obtained it. 1 Which 
 folio-wed after the laic of righteous 
 ness. The phrase, " the law of right 
 eousness," means the law of justice, or 
 the just law. That law demands per 
 fect purity ; and even its external ob 
 servance demanded holiness. The 
 Jews supposed that they rendered such 
 obedience to that law as to constitute 
 a meritorious ground of justification. 
 This they had folio-wed after, that is, 
 pursued zealously and unremittingly. 
 The reason why they did not obtain 
 justification in that way is fully stated 
 in ch. i iii. where it is shown that the 
 law demands perfect compliance with 
 its precepts ; and that Jews, as well as 
 Gentiles, had altogether failed in ren 
 dering such compliance. ^ Hath not 
 attained to the lato of righteousness. 
 They have not come to yield true obe 
 dience to the law, even though imper 
 fect ; not such obedience as to give 
 evidence that they have been justified. 
 We may remark here, (1.) That no 
 conclusion could have been more hum 
 bling to a Jew than this. It constituted 
 the whole of the prevalent religion, and 
 was the object of their incessant toils. 
 (2.) As they made the experiment 
 fully, and failed as they had the best 
 advantages for it, and did not succeed, 
 but reared only a miserable and delu 
 
 sive system of self-righteousness (Phil, 
 iii. 4 9) ; it follows, that all similar 
 experiments must fail, and that none 
 now can be justified by the law. (3.) 
 Thousands fail in the same attempt 
 
 , They seek to justify themselves before 
 God. They attempt to weave a right 
 eousness of their own. The moral man 
 does this. The immoral man attempts 
 it as much as the moral man, and is as 
 confident in his own righteousness. 
 The troubled sinner does this; and 
 this it is which keeps him so long from 
 the cross of Christ. All this must be 
 renounced ; and man must come as a 
 poor, lost, ruined sinner, and throw 
 himself upon the mere mercy of God 
 in Christ for justification and life. 
 
 32. Wherefore ? Why. The apos 
 tle proceeds to state the reason why so 
 uniform and remarkable a result hap 
 pened. They sought it not by faith, 
 &c. They depended on their own 
 righteousness, and not on the mercy 
 of God to be obtained by faith. 1 By 
 
 i the -works of the law. By complying 
 with all the demands of the law, so 
 that they might merit salvation. Their 
 attempted obedience included their 
 prayers, fastings, sacrifices, &c., as well 
 as compliance with the demands of the 
 moral law. It may be asked here, per 
 haps, how the Jews could know any 
 better than this ? how should they 
 know any thing about justification by 
 
 I faith] To this I answer, (1.) That 
 
 : the doctrine was stated in the Old 
 Testament. See Hab. ii. 4. Comp. 
 Rom. i. 17. Ps. xxxii. cxxx. xiv. 
 Comp. Rom. iii. Job ix. 2. (2.) The 
 sacrifices had reference to a future state 
 of things, and were doubtless so un- 
 derstood. See the epistle to the He 
 brews. (3.) The principle of justifi 
 cation, and of living by faith, had beec 
 fully brought out in the lives and ex 
 perience of the saints of old See Rom 
 
. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER TX. 
 
 33 As it is written, b Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone 
 
 b Pi.llS.22. Isa.8.14. 
 
 iv. and Heb. xi. ^ They ^tumbled. 
 They fell ; or failed ; or this *vas the 
 cause why they did not obtain it. Tf Jit 
 tr.at stumbling-stone. To wit, at that 
 which he specifies in the following 
 verse. A stumbling-stone is a stone 
 or impediment in the path over which 
 men may fall. Here it means that ob 
 stacle -which prevented their attain 
 ing the righteousness of faith ; and 
 which -was the occasion of their fall, 
 "ejection, and ruin. That was the 
 rejection and the crucifixion of their 
 own Messiah ; their unwillingness to 
 be saved by him ; their contempt of 
 him and his message. For this God 
 withheld from them the blessings of 
 justification, and was about to cast 
 them off as a people. This also the 
 apostle proceeds to prove was foretold 
 by the prophets. 
 
 33. Jls it is -written. See Isa. viii. 
 14; xxviii. 16. The quotation here is 
 made up of both these passages, and 
 contains the substance of both. Comp. 
 also Ps. cxviii. 22. 1 Pet. ii. 6. 1 Be 
 hold I lay in Sion. Mount Zion was 
 the hill or eminence in Jerusalem, 
 over-against Mount Moriah, on which 
 the temple was built. On this was the 
 palace of David, and this was the re 
 sidence of the court. 1 Chron. xi. 5 
 8. Hence the whole city was often 
 called by that name. Ps. xlviii. 12; 
 Ixix. 35 ; Ixxxvu. 2. Hence also it 
 came to signify the capital, the glory 
 of the people of God, the place of so 
 lemnities ; and hence also the church 
 itself. Ps. ii. 6 ; li. 18 ; cii. 13 ; cxxxvii. 
 3. Isa. i. 27 ; lii. 1 ; lix. 20, &c. In 
 this place it means the church. God 
 will place or establish in the midst 
 of that church. T Ji stumbling-stone 
 and rock of offence. Something over 
 which men shall fall. See Note, Matt. 
 v. 29. This is by Paul referred to the 
 Messiah. He is called rock of stum 
 bling, not because it was the design of 
 sending him that men should fall, but 
 because such would be the result. The 
 application of the term rock to the 
 2 
 
 Messiah is derived from the custom of 
 building, as he is the corner-stone or 
 the immoveable foundation on which 
 the church is to be built. It is not on 
 human merits, but by the righteousness 
 of the Saviour, that the church is to be 
 reared. See 1 Pet. ii. 4, " I lay in 
 Sion a chief corner-stone." Ps. cxviii. 
 22, " The stone which the builders 
 rejected is become the head stone of 
 the corner." Eph. ii. 20, " Jesus Christ 
 himself being the chief corner-stone." 
 This rock, designed as a corner-stone 
 to the church, became, by the wicked 
 ness of the Jews, the block over which 
 they fall into ruin. 1 Pet. ii. 8. 1 Shalt 
 not be ashamed. This is taken sub 
 stantially from the Septuagint trans 
 lation of Isa. xxviii. 16, though with 
 some variation. The Hebrew is, " shall 
 not make haste," as it is in our Eng 
 lish version. This is the literal mean 
 ing of the Hebrew word ; but it means 
 also to be afraid, as one who makes 
 haste often is ; to be agitated with 
 fear or fright ; and hence it has a 
 signification nearly similar to that of 
 shame. It expresses the substance of 
 the same thing, viz. failure of obtain 
 ing expected success and happiness. 
 The meaning here is, that the man who 
 believes shall not be agitated, or thrown 
 into commotion, by fear of want of suc 
 cess ; shall not be disappointed in his 
 hopes ; and, of course, he shall never be 
 ashamed that he became a Christian. 
 They who do not believe in Christ 
 shall be agitated, fall, and sink into 
 eternal shame and contempt. Dan. xii. 
 2. They who do believe shall be con 
 fident ; shall not be deceived, but shall 
 obtain the object of their desires. It is 
 clear that Paul regarded the passage in 
 Isaiah as referring to the Messiah. 
 The same also is the case with the 
 other sacred writers who have quoted 
 it. 1 Pet. ii. 5 8. See also Matt. xxi. 
 42. Luke xx. 17, 18 ; ii. 34. The 
 ancient Targum of Jonathan translates 
 the passage, Isa. xxviii. 16, " Lo, 1 will 
 place in Zion a king, a king strong. 
 
210 
 
 and rock of offence ; 
 soever believeth on 
 not be * ashamed. 
 
 i or, confoundtd. 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 and who- 1 CHAPTER X. 
 
 him shall j BRETHREN, my heart s de 
 sire and prayer to God for 
 
 mighty, and terrible ;" referring doubt 
 less to the Messiah. Other Jewish 
 writings also show that this interpreta 
 tion was formerly given by the Jews to 
 the passage in Isaiah. 
 
 In view of this argument of the 
 apostle, we may remark, (1.) That 
 God is a sovereign, and has a right to 
 dispose of men as he pleases. (2.) 
 The doctrine ot election was manifest 
 in the case of the Jews as an establish 
 ed principle of the divine government, 
 and is therefore true. (3.) It argues 
 great want of proper feeling to be op 
 posed to this doctrine. It is saying, in 
 other words, that we have not confi 
 dence in God ; or that we do not be 
 lieve that he is qualified to direct the 
 affairs of his own universe as well as 
 we. (4.) The doctrine of election is a 
 doctrine which is not arbitrary ; but 
 which will yet be seen to be wise, just, 
 and good. It is the source of all the 
 blessings that any mortals enjoy ; and 
 in the case before us, it can be seen to 
 be benevolent as well as just. It is 
 better that God should cast off a part 
 of the small nation of the Jews, and 
 extend these blessings to the Gentiles, 
 than that they should always have been 
 confined to Jews. The world is better 
 for it, and more good has come out of 
 it. (5.) The fact that the gospel has 
 been extended to all nations, is proof 
 that it is from heaven. To a Jew 
 there was no motive to attempt to break 
 down all the existing institutions of his 
 nation, and make the blessings of reli 
 gion common to all nations, unless he 
 knew that the gospel system was true. 
 Yet the apostles were Jews; educated 
 with all the prejudices of the Jewish 
 people. (6.) The interests of Chris 
 tians are safe. They shall not be 
 ashamed or disappointed. God will 
 keep them, and bring them to his king 
 dom. (7.) Men sti ll are offended at 
 the cross of Christ. They contemn and 
 despise him. He is to them as a root 
 
 out of dry ground, and they reject him, 
 and fall into ruin. This is the cause 
 why sinners perish ; and this only. 
 Thus as the ancient Jews brought ruin 
 on themselves and their country, so do 
 sinners bring condemnation and wo on 
 their souls. And as the ancient despis- 
 ers and crucificrs of the Lord Jesus 
 perished, so will all those who work 
 iniquity and despise him now. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 1. Brethren. This expression serums 
 intended particularly for the Jews, his 
 ancient friends, fellow-worshippers, and 
 kinsmen, but who had embraced the 
 Christian faith. It is an expression of 
 tenderness and affection, denoting his 
 deep interest in their welfare, f J\fy 
 heart s desire. The word " desire" 
 (si/ox/*.) means benevolence ; and the 
 expression, my heart s desire, means 
 my earnest and sincere wish. 1 Prayer 
 to God. He not only cherished this 
 feeling, but he expressed it in a desire 
 to God. He had no desire that his 
 kinsmen should be destroyed ; no plea 
 sure in the appalling doctrine which 
 he had been defending. He still wished 
 their welfare ; and could still pray for 
 them that they might return to God. 
 Ministers have no pleasure in pro 
 claiming the truth that men must be 
 lost. Even when they declare the 
 truths of the Bible that some -will be 
 lost ; when they are constrained by the 
 unbelief and wickedness of men to pro 
 claim it of them, they still can sincerely 
 say that they seek their salvation. 
 t For Israel. For the Jewish nation. 
 1 That they might be saved. This 
 clearly refers to salvation from the sin 
 of unbelief, and the consequences of 
 sin in hell. It does not refer to the 
 temporal calamities which were coming 
 upon them, but to preservation from 
 the eternal anger of God. Comp. eh 
 xi. 26. 1 Tim. ii. 4. The reasons whj 
 the apostle commences this chapter in 
 this tender manner are the following. 
 
\.D.60.] CHAPTER X. 
 
 [srael is, that they might be 
 sa^ed. 
 
 (1.) Becftuse he had stated and de 
 fended one of the most offensive doc 
 trines that could be preached to a Jew ; 
 and he was desirous to show them that 
 it was not from any want of affection 
 for them, but that he was urged to it 
 by the pressure of truth. (2.) He was 
 regarded by them as an apostate. He 
 had abandoned them when bearing 
 their commission, and while on his 
 way to execute their favourite purposes, 
 and had preached the doctrine which 
 they had sent him to destroy. Comp. 
 Acts ix. He had opposed them every 
 where ; had proclaimed their pride, self- 
 righteousness, and crime in crucifying 
 their Messiah ; had forsaken all that they 
 valued ; their pomp of worship, their 
 city, and their temple ; and had gone 
 to other lands to bear the message of 
 mercy to the nations that they despised. 
 He was willing to show them that this 
 proceeded from no want of affection 
 for them, but that he still retained 
 towards them the feelings of a Jew, 
 and could give them credit for much 
 that they valued themselves on. ver. 2. 
 (3.) He was aware of the deep and 
 dreadful condemnation that was coming 
 on them. In view of that he expressed 
 his tender regard for their welfare, and 
 his earnest prayer to God for their sal 
 vation. And we see here the proper 
 feelings of a minister of the gospel 
 when declaring the most terrible of the 
 truths of the Bible. Paul was tender, 
 affectionate, kind ; convincing by cool 
 argument, and not harshly denounc 
 ing ; stating the appalling truth, and 
 then pouring out his earnest desires to 
 God that he would avert the impending 
 doom. So should the awful doctrines 
 of religion be preached by all the am 
 bassadors of God. 
 
 2. For I bear them record. To 
 bear record means to be a witness ; to 
 give evidence. This, Paul was well 
 qualified to do. He had been a Jew of 
 the strictest order (Acts xxvi. 5. Phil, 
 iii. 5), and he well knew the extraordi- 
 
 211 
 
 2 For I bear them record, 
 that they have a zeal a of God, 
 
 nary exertions which they put forth to 
 obey the commands of the law. ^ A 
 zeal of God. A zeal for God. Thus, 
 John ii. 17, "The zeal of thine house 
 hath eaten me up ;" an earnest desire 
 for the honour of the sanctuary has 
 wholly absorbed my attention. Comp. 
 Ps. Ixix. 9. Acts xxi. 20, " Thou seest, 
 brother, how many thousands of Jews 
 there are which believe, and they are 
 all zealous of the law." xxii. 3, " And 
 was zealous toward God as ye all are 
 this day." Zeal for God here means 
 passionate ardour in the things pertain 
 ing to God, or in the things of religion. 
 In this they were, doubtless, many of 
 them sincere ; but sincerity does not of 
 itself constitute true piety. John xvi. 
 2, " The time cometh that whosoever 
 killeth you will think that he doeth 
 God service." This would be an in 
 stance of extraordinary zeal, and in this 
 they would be sincere ; but persecution 
 to death of apostles cannot be true re 
 ligion. See also Matt, xxiii. 15. Acts 
 xxvi. 9, " I thought that / oitglit to 
 do," &c. So many persons suppose that, 
 provided they are sincere and zealous, 
 they must of course be accepted of 
 God. But the zeal which is accepta 
 ble is that which aims at the glory of 
 God, and which is founded on true be 
 nevolence to the universe ; and which 
 does not aim primarily to establish 
 a system of self-righteousness, as did 
 the Jew, or to build up our otvn sect, 
 as many others do. We may remark 
 here, that Paul was not insensible to 
 what the Jews did, and was not unwill 
 ing to give them credit for it. A 
 minister of the gospel should not be 
 blind to the amiable qualities of men 
 or to their zeal ; and should be willing 
 to speak of it tenderly, even when he 
 is proclaiming the doctrine of depra 
 vity, or denouncing the just judgments 
 of God. ^ Nit according- to Ic7ioit> 
 ledge. Not an enlightened, discerning, 
 and intelligent zeal. Not that which 
 was founded on correct views of God 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A, D. GO. 
 
 but not according to knowledge. 
 
 3 For they being ignorant 
 of God s righteousness, ana 
 going about to establish their 
 own righteousness, have not 
 
 and of religious truth. Such zeal is 
 enthusiasm, and often becomes perse 
 cuting. Knowledge without zeal be 
 comes cold, abstract, calculating, for 
 mal ; and may be possessed by devils 
 as well as men. It is the union of the 
 two the action of the man called forth 
 to intense effort by just views of truth 
 and by right feeling that constitutes 
 true religion. This was the zeal of the 
 Saviour and of the apostles. 
 
 3. For they being ignorant. The 
 ignorance of the Jews was voluntary, 
 and therefore criminal. The apostle 
 does not affirm that they could not 
 have known what the plan of God was ; 
 for he says (ver. 18 21) that they had 
 full opportunity of knowing. An at 
 tentive study of their own Scriptures 
 would have led them to the true know 
 ledge of the Messiah and his righteous 
 ness. See John v. 39. Comp. Isa. liii. 
 &c. Yet the fact that they were igno 
 rant, though not an excuse, is intro 
 duced here, doubtless, as a mild and 
 mitigating circumstance, that should 
 take off the severity of what he might 
 appear to them to be saying. 1 Tim. i. 
 13, "But I obtained mercy because I 
 did it ignorantly, in unbelief." Luke 
 xxiii. 34, " Then said Jesus, Father, 
 torgive them, for they know not what 
 they do." Acts vii. 60. Involuntary 
 ignorance excuses from guilt ; but ig 
 norance produced by our sin or our in 
 dolence is no excuse for crime. ^ Jf 
 God s righteousness. Not of the per 
 sonal holiness of God, but of God s 
 plan of justifying men, or of declar 
 ing them righteous by faith in his 
 Son. See Note on ch. i. 17. Here 
 God s plan stands opposed to their ef 
 forts to make themselves righteous by 
 ihpji own works. ^ And seeking to 
 establish, &c. Endeavouring to con- 
 Jirm or make valid their own right- 
 
 submitted themselves unto the 
 righteousness of God. 
 
 4 For Christ is the end * of 
 the law for righteousness 10 
 every one that believeth. 
 
 eousness ; to render it such as to con 
 stitute a ground of justification before 
 God ; or to make good their own claims 
 to eternal life by their merits. This 
 stands opposed to the justification by 
 grace, or to God s plan. And they 
 must ever be opposed. This was the 
 constant effort of the Jews; and in 
 this they supposed they had succeeded. 
 See Paul s experience in Phil. iii. 4 
 6. Acts xxvi. 5. Instances of their be 
 lief on this subject occur in all the gos 
 pels, where our Saviour combats their 
 notions of their own righteousness. 
 See particularly their views and eva 
 sions exposed in Matt, xxiii. Comp. 
 Matt. v. 20, &c. ; vi. 2 5. It was this 
 which mainly opposed the Lord Jesu? 
 and his apostles ; and it is this confi 
 dence in their own righteousness, whicb 
 still stands in the way of the progress 
 of the gospel among men. \ Have not 
 submitted themselves. Confident in 
 their own righteousness, they have not 
 yielded their hearts to a plan which re 
 quires them to come confessing that 
 they have 710 merH, and to be saved by 
 the merit of anotner. No obstacle to 
 salvation by grace is so great as the self- 
 righteousness of the sinner, f Right 
 eousness of God. His plan or scheme 
 of justifying men. 
 
 4. For Christ. This expression im 
 plies faith in Christ. This is the de 
 sign of the discussion, to show that 
 justification cannot be obtained by our 
 own righteousness, but by faith in 
 Christ. As no direct benefit results to 
 men from Christ unless they believe 
 on him, faith in him is implied where 
 the word occurs in this connexion. 
 
 Is the end of the law. The word 
 translated "end" means that which 
 completes a thing, or renders it perfect; 
 also the boundary, issue, or termination 
 of any thing, as th? end of life, the re- 
 
D. 60.] 
 
 J For Moses describeth the 
 righteousness which is of the 
 
 CHAPflfcR X. 213 
 
 law, That the man which doeth 
 those things shall live by them. 
 
 suit of a prophecy, &c. John xiii. 1. 
 Luke xxii. 37. It also means the de 
 sign or object which is had in view ; 
 the principal purpose for which it was 
 undertaken. 1 Tim. i. 5, " The end of 
 the commandment is charity ;" the 
 main design or purpose of the com 
 mand is to produce love. 1 Pet. i. 9, 
 " The end of your faith, the salvation 
 of your souls ;" the main design or 
 purpose of faith is to secure salvation. 
 Rom. xiv. 9, " To this end Christ both 
 died," &c. For this design or purpose. 
 This is doubtless its meaning here. 
 The main design or object -which the 
 perfect obedience of the laiv -would 
 accomplish, is accomplished by faith 
 in Christ. That is, perfect obed ience 
 to the law would accomplish justifica 
 tion before God, secure his favour and 
 eternal life. The same end is now ac 
 complished by faith in Christ. The 
 great design of both is the same ; and 
 the same great end is finally gained. 
 This was the subject of discussion be 
 tween the apostle and the Jews ; and 
 this is all that is necessary to under 
 stand in the case. Some have supposed 
 that the word end refers to the ceremo- 
 aial law ; that Christ fulfilled it, and 
 brought it to an end. Others, that he 
 perfectly fulfilled the moral law. And 
 others, that the law in the end leads 
 us to Christ, or that its design is 
 to point us to him. All this is true, 
 but not the truth taught in this pas 
 sage. That is simple and plain, that 
 by faith in Christ the same end is ac 
 complished in regard to our justification, 
 that would be by perfect obedience to 
 the moral law. ^ For righteousness. 
 Unto justification, or acceptance with 
 God. ^ To every one that believeth. 
 See Note, ch. i. 17. 
 
 5. For Moses describeth, &c. This 
 Is found in Lev. xviii. 5, " Ye shall 
 therefore keep my statutes and my 
 judgments, which if a man do he shall 
 live in them." This appeal is made 
 to Moses, both in regard to the right 
 
 eousness of the law and that of faith, 
 in accordance with the usual manner 
 of Paul to sustain all his positions by 
 the Old Testament, and to show that 
 he was introducing no new doctrine. 
 He was only affirming that which had 
 been long before taught in the writings 
 of the Jews themselves. The word 
 describeth is literally -writes (^aps*), 
 a word often used in this sense. ^ The 
 righteousness, &c. The righteousness 
 which a perfect obedience to the law 
 of God would produce. That consisted 
 in perfectly doing all that the law re 
 quired. ^[ The man which doeth these 
 things. The man who shall perform 
 or obey what was declared in the pre 
 vious statutes. Moses here had refer 
 ence to all the commandments which 
 God had given, moral and ceremonial. 
 And the doctrine of Moses is that 
 which pertains to all laws, that he who 
 shall render perfect and continued 
 compliance with all the statutes made 
 known, shall receive the reward which 
 the law promises. This is a first prin 
 ciple of all law ; for all law holds a 
 man to be innocent, and, of course, en 
 titled to whatever immunities and re 
 wards it has to confer, until he is prov 
 ed to be guilty. In this case, however, 
 Moses did not affirm that in fact any 
 one either had yielded or would yield 
 perfect obedience to the law of God. 
 The Scriptures elsewhere abundantly 
 teach that it never has been done. 
 Doeth. Obeys, or yields obedience. So 
 also Matt. v. 19, " Shall do and teach 
 them." vii. 24. 26, " Whosoever hear- 
 eth these sayings. . . .and doeth them." 
 xxiii. 3. Mark iii. 35 ; vi. 20. Luke vi. 
 46, 47. 49. 1 Shall live. Shall obtain 
 felicity. Obedience shall render him 
 happy, and entitled to the rewards of 
 the obedient. Moses doubtless referred 
 here to all the results which would fol 
 low obedience. The effect would be 
 to produce happiness in this life and in 
 the life to come. The principle on 
 which happiness would be conferred 
 
214 
 
 6 But the righteousness which 
 is of faith speaketh on this wise, 
 Say a not in thine heart, Who 
 
 ANS. [A.D.CO 
 
 shall ascend into heaven? (that 
 is, to bring Christ down from 
 above:) 
 
 oDeut.30.12-14. 
 
 would be the same whether in this 
 world or the next. The tendency and 
 result of obedipnce would be to promote 
 order, health, purity, benevolence ; to 
 advance the welfare of man, and the 
 honour of God, and thus must confer 
 happiness. The idea of happiness is 
 often in the Scriptures represented 
 by the word life. See Note, John v. 
 24. It is evident moreover that the 
 Jews understood Moses here as refer 
 ring to more than temporal blessings. 
 The ancient Targum of Onkelos ren 
 ders the passage in Leviticus thus 
 " The man who does these things shall 
 live in them to eternal life." So the 
 Arabic version is, The retribution of 
 him who works these things is that he 
 shall live an eternal life." K By them 
 (tv , UTO/C). In them. In their observance 
 he shall find happiness. Not simply 
 as a result, or re-ward, but the very act 
 of obeying shall carry its own reward. 
 This is the case with all true religion. 
 This declaration of Moses is still true. 
 If perfect obedience were rendered, it 
 would, from the nature of the case, 
 confer happiness and life as long as the 
 obedience was rendered. God would 
 not punish the innocent. But in this 
 world it never has been rendered, ex 
 cept in the case of the Lord Jesus ; and 
 the consequence is, that the course of 
 man has been attended with pain, sor 
 row, and death. 
 
 6. But the righteousness -which is of 
 faith. It is observable here that Paul 
 does not affirm that Moses describes 
 any where the righteousness by faith, 
 or the effect of the scheme of justifica 
 tion by faith. His object was differ 
 ent, to give the law and state its de 
 mands and rewards. Yet though he 
 had not formally described the plan of 
 justification by faith, yet he had used 
 language which would fitly express 
 that plan. The scheme of justification 
 by faith is here personified as if it were 
 living, and describing its own effects 
 
 and nature. One describing it would 
 say, Or the plan itself speaks in this 
 manner. The words here quoted are 
 taken from Deut. xxx. 11 14. The 
 original meaning of the passage is this : 
 Moses near the end of his life, having 
 given his commandments to the Israel 
 ites, exhorts them to obedience. To 
 do this, he assures them that his com 
 mands are reasonable, plain, intelligi 
 ble, and accessible. They did not re 
 quire deep research, long journeys, or 
 painful toil. There was no need of 
 crossing seas, and going to other lands, 
 of looking into the profound mysteries 
 of the high heavens, or the deep abyss ; 
 but they were near them, had been 
 plainly set before them, and were easily 
 understood. To see the excellency of 
 this characteristic of the divine law, it 
 may be observed, that among the an 
 cients, it was not uncommon for legis 
 lators and philosophers to travel to dis 
 tant countries in pursuit of knowledge. 
 They left their country, encountered 
 dangers on the sea and land, to go to 
 distant regions that had the reputation 
 of wisdom. Egypt was peculiarly a 
 land of such celebrity ; and in subse 
 quent times Pythagoras, and the prin 
 cipal philosophers of Greece, travelled 
 into that country to converse with their 
 priests, and to bear the fruits of their 
 wisdom to benefit their native land. 
 And it is not improbable that this had 
 been done to some extent even in o 
 before the time of Moses. Moses says 
 that his precepts were to be obtained 
 by no such painful and dangerous jour 
 neys. They were near them, plain, 
 and intelligible. This is the general 
 meaning of this passage. Moses dwells 
 on the thought, and places it in a va 
 riety of forms by the questions, " who 
 shall go up to heaven for us,"&c. ; and 
 Paul regards this as appropriate^ de 
 scribing the language of Christian faith ; 
 but without affirming that Moses him 
 self had any reference in the passage to 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 215 
 
 7 Or, who shall descend 
 into the deep ? (that is, to bring 
 
 Ihe faith of the gospel. ^ On this -wise. 
 In this manner. ^ Say not in thine 
 heart. The expression to say in the 
 heart is the same as to think. Do not 
 think, or suppose, that the doctrine is 
 so difficult to be understood, that one 
 must ascend to heaven in order to un 
 derstand it. If Who shall ascend into 
 heaven ? This expression was used 
 among the Jews to denote any difficult 
 undertaking. To say that it was high 
 as heaven, or that it was necessary to 
 ascend to heaven to understand it, was 
 to express the highest difficulty. Thus 
 Job zi. 7, " Canst thou by searching 
 find out God ] It is high as heaven, 
 what canst thou do 1" &c. Moses says 
 it was not so with his doctrine. It 
 was not impossible to be understood, 
 but was plain and intelligible, f That 
 is, to bring Christ, &c. Paul does 
 not here affirm that it was the original 
 design of Moses to affirm this of 
 Christ. His words related to his own 
 doctrine. Paul makes this use of the 
 words because, (1.) They appropriately 
 expressed the language of faith. (55.) 
 If this might be affirmed of the doc 
 trines of Moses, much more might it 
 of the Christian religion. Religion 
 had no such difficult work to do as to 
 ascend to heaven to bring down a 
 Messiah. That work was already ac 
 complished when God gave his Son to 
 become a man, and to die. To save 
 man it was indeed indispensable that 
 Christ should have come down from 
 heaven. But the language of faith 
 was that this had already been done. 
 Probably the word Christ here includes 
 all the benefits mentioned in ver. 4 as 
 resulting from the work of Christ 
 
 7. Or tvho shall descend into the 
 deep ? These words are also a part 
 of the address of Moses, Deut. xxx. 13. 
 But it is not literally quoted. The 
 Hebrew is, " Neither is it beyond the 
 sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall 
 go over the sea for us," &c. The 
 words of the quotation are changed, 
 but not the sense ; and it is to be re- 
 
 up Christ dgain from the 
 dead.) 
 
 mernbered that Paul is not professing 
 to quote the -words of Moses, but to 
 express the language of faith ; and 
 this he does mainly by words which 
 Moses had used, which also expressed 
 /its meaning. The words as used by 
 Moses refer to that which is remote, 
 and therefore difficult to be obtained. 
 To cross the sea in the early times of 
 navigation involved the highest diffi 
 culty, danger, and toil. The sea which 
 was in view was doubtless the Medi 
 terranean, but the crossing of that was 
 an enterprise of the greatest difficulty 
 and the regions beyond that were re 
 garded as being at a vast distance. 
 Hence it is spoken of as being the 
 tvidest object with which they were ac 
 quainted, and the fairest illustration of 
 infinity. Job xi. 9. In the same sense 
 Paul uses the word deep, aEvro-ov 
 the abyss. This word is applied to 
 any thing the depth or bottom of which 
 is not known. It is applied to the 
 ocean (in the Septuagint), Job xli. 31, 
 " He maketh the deep to boil as a pot." 
 Isa. xliv. 27, " That saith to the deep 
 be dry," &c. Gen. vii. 1 1 ; viii. 2 ; to a 
 broad place (Job xxxvi. 16) ; and to 
 the abyss before the world was formed. 
 Gen. i. 2. In the New Testament it 
 is not applied to the ocean, unless in 
 the passage Luke viii. 31 (see Note 
 on that place), but to the abode of de 
 parted spirits; and particularly to the 
 dark, deep, and bottomless pit, where 
 the wicked are to dwell for ever. Rev. 
 ix. 1, 2, " And to him was given the 
 key of the bottomless pit. And he 
 opened the bottomless pit ;" Greek, 
 The pit of the abyss. Rev. xi. 7 ; xvii. 
 8 ; xx. 1.3. In these places the word 
 means the deep, awful regions of the 
 nether world. The word stands op 
 posed to heaven ; as deep is that is 
 high ; as dark as that is light ; while 
 the one is as vast as the other. In the 
 place before us it is opposed to heaven; 
 and to descend there to bring up one, 
 is supposed to be as impossible as to 
 ascend to heaven to bring one down 
 
216 ROMANS. 
 
 8 Bur what saith it? The 
 
 I A.. D 60. 
 
 word is nigh thee, even in thy 
 mouth, and in thy heart : that 
 
 is, the word of faith which we 
 preach ; 
 
 9 That if a thou shalt confess 
 
 Paul does not affirm that Christ de 
 scended to those regions ; but he says 
 that there is no such difficulty in re 
 ligion ay if one -were required to de 
 scend into those profound regions to 
 call back a departed spirit. That work 
 was in fact done, when Jesus was re 
 called from the dead, and now the work 
 of salvation is easy. The word abyss 
 here, therefore, answers to hades, or 
 the dark regions of departed spirits. 
 t That is, to bring up Christ, &c. 
 Justification by faith had no such diffi 
 cult and impossible work to perform as 
 would be an attempt for man to raise 
 the dead. That would be impossible ; 
 but the work of religion is easy. Christ, 
 the ground of hope, is not by oun EF 
 FORTS to be brought doivn from hea 
 ven to save us, for that is done ; 
 nor BY OUR EFFORTS to be raised 
 from the dead, for that is done ; and 
 what remains for us, that is TO BE- 
 LIEVF,, is easy, and is near us. This 
 is the meaning of the whole passage. 
 
 8. Rut -what saith it? That is, 
 what is the language of the doctrine 
 of justification by faith? Or what is to 
 be done according to that doctrine ! 
 ^ The -word is nigh thee. This is still 
 a use of the language of Moses. Deut. 
 xxx. 14. The meaning is, the doctrine j 
 is not difficult to be understood and 
 embraced. What is nigh us may be 
 easily obtained. What is remote, with 
 difficulty. The doctrine of Moses and 
 of the gospel was nigh ; that is, it was 
 easily obtained, embraced, and under 
 stood, t In thy mouth. This is taken 
 from the Septuagint. Deut. xxx. 14. 
 The meaning is, that the doctrine was 
 already so familiar, and so well under 
 stood, that it was actually in their 
 mouth, that is, their language, their 
 common conversation. Moses had so 
 often inculcated it, that it was under 
 stood and talked about by the people, 
 so that there was no need to search in 
 distant climes tr obtain it The same 
 
 was true of the gospel. The facts were 
 so well known by the preaching of the 
 apostles, that they might be said to be in 
 every man s mouth. ^ In thy heart. 
 The word heart is very variously used in 
 the sacred Scriptures. As used by Moses 
 in this place, it evidently means that 
 his doctrines were in their mind, or 
 were a subject of meditation and re 
 flection. They already possessed them, 
 and talked and thought about them ; so 
 that there was no need of going to dis 
 tant places to learn them. The same 
 was true of the doctrine requiring faith 
 in Christ. It was already among them 
 by the preaching of the apostles, and 
 was a subject of conversation and of 
 thought. 1 That is. This is the use 
 which the apostle makes of it; not 
 that Moses referred to the gospel. His 
 i language conveys the main id^n wHch 
 Paul wished to do, that the doctrine was 
 plain and intelligible. ^ The -word of 
 faith. The doctrine which requires 
 faith, i. e. the gospel. Comp. 1 Tim. 
 iv. 6. The gospel is called the -word 
 of faith, the word of God, as being 
 that which was spoken, or communicat 
 ed by God toman, ver. 17. Heb. vi. 5; 
 I xi. 3. ^ Which ive preach. Which is 
 S proclaimed by the apostles, and made 
 known to Jews and Gentiles. As this 
 was now made known to all, as the 
 apostles preached it every where, it 
 could be said to be nigh them ; there 
 was no need of searching other lands 
 for it, or regarding it as a hidden mys 
 tery, for it was plain and manifest to 
 all. Its simplicity and plainness he 
 proceeds immediately to state. 
 
 9. That if thou shalt confess. The 
 word here rendered confess (c^iA^-i) 
 is often rendered profess. Matt. vii. 23, 
 " Then will I profess to them I never 
 knew you." Titus i. 16 ; iii. 14. Rev. i. 
 22. 1 Tim. ii. 10; vi. 12, 13. 21. Heb. 
 iii. 1, &c. It properly means to speak 
 that -which agrees -with something 
 which others speak or maintain. Thus 
 
A. I). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 21? 
 
 with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
 and shalt believe in thine heart 
 that God hath rdsed him from 
 the dead, thou shalt be saved. 
 
 confession or profession expresses our 
 agreement or concord -with -what GOD 
 holds to be true, and -what he declares 
 to be true. It denotes a public declara 
 tion or assent to that, here expressed 
 by the words " with thy mouth." A 
 profession of religion then denotes a 
 public declaration of our agreement 
 with what God has declared, and ex- 
 tenJs to all his declarations about our 
 lost estate, our sin, and need of a 
 Saviour ; to his doctrines about his 
 own nature, holiness, and law; about 
 fhe Saviour and the Holy Spirit ; about 
 the necessity of a change of heart and 
 holiness of life ; and about the grave 
 and the judgment ; about heaven and 
 hell. As the doctrine respecting a Re- 
 leemer is the main and leading doc- 
 Irine, it is put here by way of emi 
 nence, as in fact involving all others ; 
 and publicly to express our assent to 
 this, is to declare our agreement with 
 God on all kindred truths. 1 With 
 thy mouth. To profess a thing -with the 
 mouth is to speak of it ; to declare it ; 
 to do it openly and publicly. ^ The 
 Lord Jesus. Shalt openly acknowledge 
 attachment to Jesus Christ. The 
 meaning of it may be expressed by re 
 garding the phrase the Lord as the 
 predicate ; or the thing to be confessed 
 is, that he is Lord. Comp. Acts ii. 36. 
 Phil. ii. 11, "And that every tongue 
 should confess that Jesus Christ is 
 Lord." Here it means to acknowledge 
 him as Lord, i. e. as having a right to 
 rule over the soul. ^ Shalt believe in 
 thy heart. Shalt sincerely and truly 
 believe this, so that the external pro 
 fession shall correspond with the real, 
 internal feelings. Where this is not 
 the case, it would be hypocrisy ; where 
 this is the case, there would be the 
 highest sincerity, and this religion re 
 quires. ^ That God hath raised him. 
 This fact, or article of Christian be 
 lief, is mentioned here because of its 
 
 10 For with the heart man 
 believeth unto righteousness ; 
 and with the mouth confession 
 is made unto salvation 
 
 great importance, and its bearing on 
 the Christian system. If this be true, 
 then all is true. Then it is true that he 
 came forth from God ; that he died for 
 sin ; and that God approved and ac 
 cepted his work. Then it is true tliat 
 he ascended to heaven, and is ex 
 alted to dominion over the universe, 
 and that he will return to judge tho 
 quick and the dead. For all this was 
 professed and taught ; and all this was 
 regarded as depending on the truth of 
 his having been raised from the dead. 
 See Phil. ii. 81 1. Eph. i. 21. Acts 
 ii. 24. 32, 33; xvii. 31. 2 Cor. iv. 14. 
 1 Cor. xv. 1320. To profess this 
 doctrine was, therefore, virtually to pro 
 fess all the truths of the Christian re 
 ligion. No man could believe this who 
 did not also believe all the truths de 
 pendent on it. Hence the apostles re 
 garded this doctrine as so important, 
 and made it so prominent in their 
 preaching. See Note on Acts i. 3. 
 Tf Thou shalt be saved. From sin and 
 hell. This is the doctrine of the gos 
 pel throughout ; and all this shows that 
 salvation by the gospel was easy. 
 
 10. For -with the heart. Not with 
 the understanding merely, but with 
 such a faith as shall be sincere, and 
 shall influence the life. There can be 
 no other genuine faith than that which 
 influences the whole mind. ^ Selieveth 
 unto righteousness. Believes so that 
 justification is obtained. (Stuart.) In 
 God s plan of justifying men, this is the 
 way by which we may be declared just 
 or righteous in his sight. The moment 
 a sinner believes, therefore, he is justi 
 fied ; his sins are pardoned ; and ho is 
 introduced into the favour of God. No 
 m,in can be justified without this ; for 
 this is God s plan, and he will not de 
 part from it. Tf With the mouth con 
 fession is made, &c. That is, confes 
 sion or profession is so made as to ob 
 tain salvation. He who in all appro- 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A D. bO 
 
 1 1 For the Scripture saith, 
 Whosoever belie veth on him 
 shall not be ashamed. 
 
 12 For b there is no differ- 
 
 a Isa.28. 1 6; 49.23. i AcU 1 5.f . Gal .3.28. 
 
 ence between the Jew and the 
 Greek : for c the same Lord ovei 
 all is rich unto all that call upon 
 him. 
 
 e lTim.2.5. 
 
 priate ways professes his attachment to 
 Christ shall be saved. This profession 
 is to be made in all the proper ways of 
 religious duty ; by an avowal of our 
 sentiments ; by declaring on all proper 
 occasions our belief of the truth ; and 
 by an unwavering adherence to them in 
 all persecutions, oppositions, and trials. 
 He who declares his belief makes a 
 profession. He who associates with 
 Christian people does it. He who acts 
 with them in the prayer meeting, in 
 the sanctuary, and in deeds of be 
 nevolence, does it. He who is bap 
 tized, and commemorates the death 
 of the Lord Jesus, does it. And he who 
 leads a humble, prayerful, spiritual 
 life, does it. He shows his regard to 
 the precepts and example of Christ 
 Jesus ; his regard for them more than 
 for the pride, and pomp, and allure 
 ments of the world. All these are in 
 cluded in a profession of religion. In 
 whatever way we can manifest attach 
 ment to it, it must be done. The rea 
 son why this is made so important is, 
 that there can be no true attachment to 
 Christ which will not manifest itself in 
 the life. A city that is set on a hill 
 cannot be hid. It is impossible that 
 there should be true belief in the heart 
 jf man, unless it should show itself in 
 the life and conversation. This is the 
 only test of its existence and its power; 
 and hence it is made so important in the 
 business of religion. And we ma} here 
 learn, (1.) That a profession of religion 
 is, by Paul, made as really indispensable 
 to salvation a* believing. According 
 to him it is connected with salvation 
 as really as faith is with justifica 
 tion ; and this accords with all the de 
 clarations of the Lord Jesus. Matt. x. 
 32; xxv. 3446. Luke xii. 8. (2.) 
 There can be no religion where there 
 .s not a willingness to confess the Lord 
 I^sus. There is no true repentance 
 
 where we are not willing to confeat 
 our faults. There is no true attach 
 ment to a father or mother or friend, 
 unless we are willing on all proper oc 
 casions to avow it. And so there can 
 be no true religion where there is too 
 much pride, or vanity, or love of the 
 world, or fear of shame to confess it. 
 (3.) Those who never profess any re 
 ligion have none; and they are not 
 safe. To deny God the Saviour before 
 men is not safe. They who do not 
 profess religion, profess the opposite. 
 The real feelings of the heart will be 
 expressed in the life. And they who 
 profess by their lives that they have no 
 regard for God and Christ, for heaven 
 and glory, must expect to be met in the 
 last day as those who deny the Lord 
 that bought them, and who bring upon 
 themselves quick destruction. 2 Pet. 
 i. 2. 
 
 11. For the Scripture saith, &c. 
 Isa. xxviii. 16. This was the uniform 
 doctrine of the Scripture, that he who 
 holds an opinion on the subject of re 
 ligion -will not be ashamed to avow it. 
 This is the nature of religion, and with 
 out this there can be none. See this 
 passage explained in Rom. ix. 33. 
 
 12. For there is no difference. In 
 the previous verse Paul had quoted a 
 passage from Isa. xxviii. 16, which says 
 that every one (Greek, IT*?) that be- 
 lieveth shall not be ashamed ; that is, 
 every one of every nation and kindred. 
 This implies that it was not to be con 
 fined to the Jews. This thought he 
 now further illustrates and confirms 
 by expressly declaring that there is no 
 difference between the Jew and the 
 Greek. This doctrine it was one main 
 design of the epistle to establish, and i 
 is fully proved in the course of the ar 
 gument in ch. i iv. See particularly 
 ch. iii. 26 30. When the apostle says 
 there is r in difference between them, 
 
. D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 219 
 
 13 For a whosoever shall call 
 
 he means in regard to the subject under 
 discussion. In many respects there 
 might be a difference ; but not in the 
 way of justification before God. There 
 all had sinned ; all had failed of obey 
 ing the law; arid all must be justified 
 in the same way, by faith in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. The word difference 
 (/iacrTiAfc) means distinction, diversi 
 ty. It also means eminence, excellence, 
 advantage. There is no eminence or 
 advantage which the Jew has over the 
 Greek in regard to justification before 
 God. J The Jeiv. That portion of 
 mankind which professed to yield obe 
 dience to the law of Moses, f The 
 Greek. Literally, those who dwelt in 
 Greece, or those who spoke the Greek 
 language. As the Jews, however, were 
 acquainted chiefly with the Greeks, and 
 knew little of other nations, the name 
 Greek among them came to denote all 
 who were not Jews ; that is, the same 
 as the Gentiles. The terms " Jew and 
 Greek," therefore, include all mankind. 
 There is no difference among men 
 about the terms of salvation ; they are 
 the same to all. This truth is fre 
 quently taught. It was a most impor 
 tant doctrine, especially in a scheme of 
 religion that was to be preached to all 
 men. It was very offensive to the Jews, 
 who had always regarded themselves as 
 a peculiarly favoured people. Against 
 this, all their prejudices were roused, 
 as it completely overthrew all their 
 own views of national eminence and 
 pride, and admitted despised Gentiles 
 to the same privileges with the long 
 favoured and chosen people of God. 
 The apostles, therefore, were at great 
 pains fully to establish it. See Acts x. 
 9. Gal. hi. 28. t For the same Lord 
 over aCl, &c. For there is the same 
 Lord of all ; tt.at is, the Jews and Gen 
 tiles have one common Lord. Comp. 
 Rom. iii. 29, 30. The same God had 
 formed them, and ruled them ; and God 
 now opened the same path to life. See 
 this fully presented in Paul s address 
 to the people of Athens, in Acts xvii. 
 
 the name of the Lord shall 
 
 be saved. 
 
 2630. See also 1 Tim. ii. 5. As 
 there was but one God ; as all, Jews 
 and Gentiles, were his creatures ; as 
 one law was applicable to all ; as all 
 had sinned ; and as all were exposed 
 to wrath ; so it was reasonable that 
 there should be the same -way of re 
 turn through the mere mercy of God. 
 Against this the Jew ought not to ob 
 ject; and in this he and the Greek 
 should rejoice. ^ Is rich unto all 
 (TAOVT^V els JTstvTa c). The word rich 
 means to have abundance, to have in 
 store much more than is needful foi 
 present or personal use. It is com 
 monly applied to wealth. But applied 
 to God, it means that he abounds in 
 mercy or goodness towards others. 
 Thus Eph. ii. 4, " God, who is rich in 
 mercy" &c. 1 Tim. vi. 1 7, 1 8, " Charge 
 them that are rich in this world. . . 
 that they be rich in good -works" 
 James ii. 5, " God hath chosen the 
 poor. . . .rich in faith;" i.e. abounding 
 in faith and good works, &c. Thus 
 God is said to be rich towards all, as 
 he abounds in mercy and goodness to 
 wards them in the plan of salvation. 
 That call upon him. This expres 
 sion means properly to supplicate, to 
 invoke, as in prayer. As prayer con 
 stitutes no small part of religion ; and 
 as it is a distinguishi7ig characteristic 
 f those who are true Christians (Acts 
 xi. 11, "Behold he prayeth") ; to call 
 on the name of the Lord is put for re- 
 igion itself, and is descriptive of acts 
 of devotion towards God. 1 Pet. i. 17, 
 And if ye call on the Father," &c. 
 A.cts ii. 21 ; ix. 14, "He hath autho- 
 "ity. . . .to bind all that call on thy 
 i.ame" Acts vii. 59 ; xxii. 16. Gen. 
 v. 26, " Then began men to call on 
 .he name of the Lord." 
 
 13. For whosoever shall call, &c. 
 This sentiment is found substantially 
 n Joel ii. 32, "And it shall come to 
 )ass, that whosoever shall call on the 
 name of the Lord shall be delivered." 
 This is expressly applied to the times 
 f the gospel, by Peter, in Acts ii. 21 
 
14 How then shall they call 
 on him in whom they have not 
 believed ? and how shall they 
 
 ROMANS. [A. JJ. 60. 
 
 believe in him of whom they 
 have not heard ? and how shall 
 they hear without a preacher ? 
 
 See Note on that place. To call on 
 the name of the Lord is the same as to 
 call on the Lord himself. The word 
 name is often used in this manner. 
 "The name, of the Lord is a strong 
 tower," &c. Prov. xviii. 10. "The 
 name of the God of Jacob defend thee." 
 Ps. xx. 1. That is, God himself is a 
 strong tower, &c. It is clear from 
 what follows, that the apostle applies 
 this to Jesus Christ; and this is one 
 of the numerous instances in which the 
 writers of the New Testament apply to 
 him expressions which in the Old Tes 
 tament are applicable to God. See 
 1 Cor. i. 2. \ Shall be saved. This 
 is the uniform promise. See Acts ii. 
 21 ; xxii. 16, "Arise, and he baptized, 
 and wash away thy sins, calling on the 
 name of the I^ord. This is proper 
 and indispensable, because, (1.) We 
 have sinned against God, and it is right 
 that \ve should confess it. (2.) Be 
 cause he only can pardon us, and it is 
 fit, that if we obtain pardon, we should 
 ask it of God. (3.) To call upon him 
 is to acknowledge him as our Sove 
 reign, our Father, and our Friend ; and 
 it is right that we render him our 
 homage. It is implied in this, that we 
 call upon him with right feelings ; that 
 is, with a humble sense of our sinful- 
 ness and our need of pardon, and with 
 a willingness to receive eternal life as 
 It is offered us in the gospel. And if 
 this be done, this passage teaches us 
 that all may be saved who will do it. 
 He will cast none away who come in 
 this manner. The invitation and the 
 assurance extend to all nations and to 
 men of all times. 
 
 14. Ho-io then shall they call, &c. 
 The apostle here adverts to an objec 
 tion which might be urged to his argu 
 ment. His doctrine was, that faith in 
 Christ was essential to justification and 
 salvation ; and that this was needful 
 for all ; and that, without this, man must 
 perish. The objection was, that they 
 
 could not call on him in whom they 
 had not believed ; that they could not 
 believe in him of whom they had not 
 heard ; and that this was arranged by 
 God himself, so that a large part of the 
 world was destitute of the gospel, am 
 in fact did not believe, ver. 16, 17 
 The objection had particular reference 
 to the Jews ; and the ground of injus 
 tice which a Jew wculd complain of, 
 would be, that the plan made salvation 
 dependent on faith, when a large part 
 pf the nation had not heard the gospel, 
 and had had no opportunity to know it. 
 This objection the apostle meets, so fai 
 as it was of importance to his argu 
 ment, in ver. 18 21. The first part 
 of the objection is, that they could 
 " not call on him in whom they had 
 not believed." That is, how could they 
 call on one in whose existence, ability, 
 and willingness to help, they did not 
 believe ] The objection is, that in 
 order to our calling on one for help, 
 we must be satisfied that there is such 
 a being, and that he is able to aid 
 us. This remark is just, and every 
 man feels it. But the point of the ob 
 jection is, that sufficient evidence of 
 the divine mission and claims of Je 
 sus Christ had not been given to au 
 thorize the doctrine that eternal sal 
 vation depended on belief in him, or 
 that it -would be right to suspend the 
 eternal happiness of Jeto and Gentile 
 on this. ^ Hoiv shall they believe in 
 him, &c. This position is equally un 
 deniable, that men could not believe in 
 a being of whom they had not heard. 
 And the implied objection was, that 
 men could not be expected to believe 
 in one of whose existence they knew 
 nothing, and, of course, that they 
 could not be blamed for not doing it. 
 It was not right, therefore, to make 
 eternal life depend, both among Jews 
 and Gentiles, on faith in Christ. 
 Tf And hoiv shall they hear, &c. How 
 can men hear, unless some om % i-u- 
 
A.D.GO.] CHAPTER X. 
 
 1 5 And how sh all they preach, 
 except they 
 written, 
 
 be sent? as it is 
 How beautiful are the 
 
 a Isa.52.7. Nah.1.15. 
 
 claim to them, or preach to them that 
 which is to be heard and believed ] 
 This is also true. The objection thence 
 derived is, that it is not right to con 
 demn men for not believing what has 
 never been proclaimed to them ; and, 
 of course, that the doctrine that eternal 
 life is suspended on faith cannot be 
 just and right. 
 
 15. Jind hoiv shall they preach. In 
 what way shall there be preachers, un 
 less they are commissioned by God ? 
 The word " hoiv" does not refer to the 
 manner of preaching, but to the fact 
 that there would be no preachers at all 
 unless they were sent forth. To preach 
 means to proclaim in a public manner, 
 as a crier does. Iri the Scriptures it 
 means to proclaim the gospel to men. 
 1 Except they be sent. That is, ex 
 cept they are divinely commissioned, 
 and sent forth by God. This was an 
 admitted doctrine among the Jews, that 
 a proclamation of a divine message 
 must be made by one who was com 
 missioned by God for that purpose. Jer. 
 xxiii. 21; i. 7; xiv. 14, 15; vii. 25. 
 He who sends a message to men can 
 alone designate the proper persons to 
 bear it. The point of the objection, 
 therefore, was this : Men could not be 
 lieve unless the message was sent to 
 them ; yet God had not actually sent it 
 to all men : it could not, therefore, be 
 just to make eternal life depend on so 
 impracticable a thing as faith, since 
 men had not the means of believing. 
 1 Jis it is -written. In Isa. lii. 7. 
 1 Hotv beautiful, &c. The reason why 
 this passage is introduced here is, that 
 it confirms what had just been advanc 
 ed in the objection the importance 
 and necessity of there being messen 
 gers jf salvation., That importance is 
 seen in the high encomium which is 
 passed on them in the sacred Scrip 
 tures. They are regarded as objects 
 peculiarly attractive ; their necessity is 
 T 2 
 
 221 
 
 feet of them that preach the gos 
 pel of peace, and bring glad 
 tidings of good things ! 
 
 fully recognised ; and a distinguished 
 rank is given to them in the oracles of 
 God. Ho-w beautiful. How attractive, 
 how lovely. This is taken from the 
 Hebrew, with a slight variation. In 
 the Hebrew, the words " upon the 
 mountains" occur, which makes the 
 passage more picturesque, though the 
 sense is retained by Paul. The image 
 in Isaiah is that of a herald seen at first 
 leaping or running on a distant hill, 
 when he first comes in sight, with 
 tidings of joy from a field of battle, or 
 from a distant land. Thus, the appear 
 ance of such a man to those who were 
 in captivity, would be an image full of 
 gladness and joy. ^ Jlre the feet. 
 Many have supposed that the meaning 
 of this expression is this : The feet of 
 a herald, naked and dusty from travel 
 ling, would be naturally objects of dis 
 gust. But that which would be natu 
 rally disagreeable is thus made plea 
 sant by the joy of the message. But 
 this explanation is far-fetched, and 
 wants parallel instances. Besides, it is 
 a violation of the image which the apos 
 tle had used. That was a distant ob 
 ject a herald running on the distant 
 hills ; and it supposes a picture too re 
 mote to observe distinctly the feet, whe 
 ther attractive or not. The meaning 
 of it is clearly this : how beautiful i? 
 the coming- or the running of such a 
 herald. The feet are emblematic of his 
 coming. Their rapid motion would be 
 seen ; and their rapidity would be beau 
 tiful from the desire to hear the mes 
 sage which he brought. The wholt 
 meaning of the passage, then, as ap 
 plied to ministers of the gospel, is, that 
 their coming is an attractive object, re 
 garded with deep interest, and produc 
 tive of joy an honoured and a delight 
 ful employment, ^f That preach, &c. 
 Literally, " that evangelize peace." That 
 proclaim the good news of peace ; or 
 bring the g ad message of peace. \ *ind 
 
222 
 
 16 But a they have not all obey 
 ed the gospel. For Esaias saith, 
 Lord, who hath believed * our 2 
 report. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D r,o. 
 
 17 So then faith cometk by 
 hearing 1 , and hearing by the 
 word of God. 
 
 bring 1 glad tidings, &c. Literally, 
 " and evangelize good things ;" or that 
 bring the glad message of good things. 
 Peace here is put for good of any 
 kind ; and as the apostle uses it, for 
 the news of reconciliation with God by 
 the gospel. Peace, at the end of the 
 conflicts, distresses, and woes of war, 
 is an image of all blessings. Thus it 
 is put to denote the blessings when a 
 sinner ceases to be the enemy of God, 
 obtains pardon, and is admitted to the 
 joys of those who are his children and 
 friends. The coming of those messen 
 gers who proclaim it is joyful to the 
 world. It fills the bosom of the anx 
 ious sinner with peace ; and they and 
 their message will be regarded with 
 deep interest, as sent by God, and pro 
 ducing joy in an agitated bosom, and 
 peace to the world. This is an illus 
 tration of the proper feeling with which 
 we should regard the ministers of re 
 ligion. This passage in Isaiah is refer 
 red by the Jews themselves to the times 
 of the gospel. (Rosenm uller.} 
 
 16. JBut they have not all obeyed the 
 gospel. It is not easy to see the con 
 nexion of this ; and it has been made a 
 question whether this is to be regarded 
 as a continuation of the objection of the 
 Jew, or as a part of the answer of the 
 apostle. After all the attention which I 
 have been able to give it, I am inclined 
 to regard it as an admission of the 
 apostle, as if he had said, It must be 
 admitted that all have not obeyed the 
 gospel. So far as the objection of the 
 Jew arises from that fact, and so far as 
 that fact can bear on the case, it is to 
 be conceded that all have not yielded 
 obedience to the gospel. For this was 
 clearly declared even by the prophet. 
 Comp. Acts xxviii. 24. Heb. iv. 2. 
 1 For Esaias saith. Isa. liii. 1. ^f Who 
 hath believed our report ? That is, 
 Isaiah complains that his declarations 
 respecting the Messiah had been reject- 
 fid by his countrymen. The form of 
 
 Acts 28.24. Heb.4.2. 
 the heannff of u*. 
 
 b Isa. 63.1. Jio. 12.38. 
 a or, preaching. 
 
 expression, Who hath believed ! is e 
 mode of saying emphatically that few 
 or none had done it. The great mass 
 of his countrymen had rejected it. This 
 was an example to the purpose of the 
 apostle. In the time of Isaiah this fact 
 existed ; and it was not a new thing 
 that it existed in the time of the gos 
 pel. Our report. Our message ; or that 
 which is delivered to be heard and be 
 lieved. It originally means the doctrine 
 which Isaiah delivered about the Mes 
 siah ; and implies that the same thing 
 would occur when the Messiah should 
 actually come. Hence in the liiid chap 
 ter he proceeds to give the reasons why 
 the report would not be credited, and 
 why the Messiah would be rejected. It 
 would be because he was a root out of 
 a dry ground ; because he was a man 
 of sorrows, &c. And this actually took 
 place. Because he did not come with 
 splendour and pomp, as a temporal 
 prince, he was rejected, and put to 
 death. On substantially the same 
 grounds he is even yet rejected by 
 thousands. The force of this verse, per 
 haps, may be best seen by including 
 it in a parenthesis, " How beautiful 
 are the feet," &c. how important is 
 the gospel ministry (although it 
 must be admitted, that all have not 
 obeyed, for this was predicted also by 
 Isaiah, &c.) 
 
 17. So then faith cometh, &c. This 
 I take to be clearly the language of the 
 objector. As if he had said, by the very 
 quotation which you have made from 
 Isaiah, it appears that a report was 
 necessary. He did not condemn men 
 for not believing what they had not 
 heard ; but he complains of those who 
 did not believe a message actually de 
 livered to them. Even by this passage, 
 therefore, it seems that a message was 
 necessary, that faith comes by hear 
 ing, and hearing by the divine mes 
 sage. It could not be right, therefore, 
 to condemn those who had not obeyed 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 223 
 
 18 But I say, Have they not 
 neard ? Yes, verily, their a sound 
 
 a Ps.19.4. Mat28.J9. CoU.6,231 
 
 the gospel because they had not heard 
 it ; and hence not right to make salva 
 tion dependent on a condition which 
 was, by the arrangement of God, put 
 beyond their power. The very quota 
 tion from Isaiah, therefore, goes to con 
 firm the objection in the 14th and 15th 
 verses. ^ By hearing. Our translation 
 has varied the expression here, which 
 is the same in two places in the Greek : 
 Isaiah said who hath believed our re 
 port (T ctKCtt). So then, you must admit 
 that faith comes by that report (^ u xcil?), 
 and therefore this report or message is 
 necessary. When it is said that faith 
 cometh by hearing, it is not meant that 
 all who hear actually believe, for that is 
 not true ; but that faith does not exist 
 unless there is a message, or report, to 
 be heard or believed. It cannot come 
 otherwise than by such a message ; in 
 other words, unless there is something 
 made fcnoion to be believed. And this 
 shows us at once the importance of the 
 message, and the fact that men are 
 converted by the instrumentality of 
 truth, and of truth only. ^ Jlnd hear 
 ing. And the report, or the message 
 ( tuts), is by the word of God ; that 
 is, the message is sent by the command 
 of God. It is his word, sent by his di 
 rection, and therefore if withheld by 
 him, those who did not believe could 
 not be blamed. The argument of the 
 objector is, that God could not justly 
 condemn men for not believing the 
 gospel. 
 
 1 8. Hilt I say. But to this objec 
 tion, I, the apostle, reply. The objec 
 tion had been carried through the pre 
 vious verses. The apostle comes now 
 to reply to it. In doing this, he does 
 not deny the principle contained in it, 
 that the gospel should be preached in 
 order that men might be justly con 
 demned for not believing it ; not that 
 the messengers must be sent by God, 
 not that faith comes by hearing. All 
 this he fully admits. But he proceeds 
 to show, by an ample quotation from 
 
 went into all the earth, and their 
 words unto the ends of the world. 
 
 the Old Testament, that this had been 
 actually furnished to the Jews anil 
 to the Gentiles, and that they -were 
 actually in possession of the message, 
 and could not plead that they had 
 never heard it. This is the substance 
 of his answer. \ Have they not heard? 
 A question is often, as it is here, an 
 emphatic way of affirming a thing. 
 The apostle means to affirm strongly 
 that they had heard. The word " they," 
 in this place, I take to refer to the 
 Gentiles. What was the fact in regard 
 to Israel, or the Jew, he shows in the 
 next verses. One main design was to 
 show that the same scheme of salvation 
 extended to both Jews and Gentiles. 
 The objection was, that it had not been 
 made known to either, and that there 
 fore it could not be maintained to be 
 just to condemn those who rejected it. 
 To this the apostle replies that then it 
 was extensively known to both; and 
 if so, then the objection in ver. 14, 15, 
 was not well founded, for in fact 
 the thing existed which the objector 
 maintained to be necessary, to wit, 
 that they had heard, and that preach 
 ers had been sent to them, \ Yes, 
 verily. In the original, a single word, 
 fttnvvyi, compounded of juev and cuv and 
 yt. An intense expression, denoting 
 strong affirmation. ^ Their sound 
 went, &c. These -words are taken in 
 substance from Psalm xix. 4. The 
 psalmist employs them to show that 
 the -works of God, the heavens and the 
 earth, proclaim his existence, every 
 where. By using them here, the apos 
 tle does not affirm that David had 
 reference to the gospel in them, but he 
 uses them to express his oivn mean 
 ing ; he makes an affirmation about 
 the gospel in language used by David 
 on another occasion, but without inti 
 mating or implying that David had 
 such a reference. In this way we often 
 qu( te the language of others as express 
 ing in a happy way our own thoughts, 
 but without supposing that the authoi 
 
224 
 
 19 But I 
 
 say, 
 
 did not Israel 
 
 know ? First Moses saith, a I 
 will provoke you to jealousy by 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO. 
 
 them that are no people, and by 
 
 had any such reference. The meaning 
 here is, that that may be affirmed in 
 fact of the gospel which David affirm 
 ed of the works of God, that their 
 sound had gone into all the earth. 
 ^ Thrir sound. Literally the sound 
 .r tone which is made by a stringed 
 instrument (q>$tyyc?). Also a voice, 
 a report. It means here they have 
 spoken, or declared truth. As applied 
 to the heavens, it would mean that 
 they speak, or proclaim, the wisdom or 
 power of God. As used by Paul, it 
 means that the message of the gospel 
 had been spoken, or proclaimed, far 
 and wide. The Hebrew is " their 
 line" &c. The Septuagint translation 
 is the same as that of the apostle 
 their voice (o q&iyyos ctin^v). The He 
 brew word may denote the siring of 
 an instrument, of a harp, <fcc. and 
 then the tone or sound produced by 
 it ; and thus was understood by the 
 Septuagint. The apostle, however, does 
 not affirm that this was the meaning 
 of the Hebrew ; but he conveyed his 
 doctrine in language which aptly ex 
 pressed it. 1 Into all the earth. In 
 the psalm, this is to be taken in its ut 
 most signification. The works of God 
 literally proclaim his wisdom to all 
 lands and to all people. As applied to 
 the gospel, it means that it was spread 
 far and wide, that it had been exten 
 sively preached in all lands, ^ Their 
 words. In the psalm, the heavens are 
 represented as speaking; and teaching 
 men the knowledge of the true God. 
 But the meaning of the apostle is, that 
 the message of the gospel had sounded 
 forth ; and he referred doubtless to the 
 labours of the apostles in proclaiming 
 Jt to the heathen nations. This epistle 
 was written about the year 57. Dur 
 ing the time which had elapsed after 
 the ascension of Christ, the gospel had 
 been preached extensively in all the 
 known nations ; so that it raight be 
 said that it was proclaimed in those re- 
 
 a foolish b nation I will 
 you. 
 
 anger 
 
 gions designated in the Scripture as the 
 uttermost parts of the earth. Thus it 
 had been proclaimed in Jerusalem, Sy 
 ria, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Arabia, 
 and in the islands of the Mediterranean. 
 Paul, reasoning before Agnppa, says, 
 that he could not be ignorant of those 
 things, for they had not been done in a 
 corner. Acts xxvi. 26. In Col. i. 23 
 Paul says that the gospel had been 
 preached to every creature which is 
 under heaven. See Col. i. 6. Thus 
 the great facts and doctrines of the 
 gospel had in fact been made known , 
 and the objection of the Jew was met. 
 It would be sufficiently met by the de 
 claration of the psalmist that the true 
 God was made known by his works, 
 and that therefore they were without 
 excuse (comp. Rom. i. 20) ; but it. 
 fact the gospel had been preached, and 
 its great doctrine and duties had been 
 proclaimed to all nations far and near. 
 19. But I say, &c. Still fuither to 
 meet the objection, he shows that the 
 doctrine which he was maintaining 
 was actually taught in the Old Testa 
 ment. 1 Did not Israel knotv ? Did 
 not the Jews understand. Is it not re 
 corded in their books, &c. that they 
 had full opportunity to be acquainted 
 with this truth 1 This question is an 
 emphatic way of affirming that they 
 did know. But Paul does not here 
 state what it was that they knew. 
 That is to be gathered from what he 
 proceeds to say. From that it appears 
 that he referred to the fact that the 
 gospel was to be preached to the Gen 
 tiles, and that the Jews were to be cast 
 off. This doctrine followed from what 
 he had already maintained in ver. 12, 
 13, that there was no difference in 
 regard to the terms of salvation, and 
 that the Jew had no particular privi 
 leges. If so, then the barrier was 
 broken down ; and if the Jews did not 
 believe in Jesus Christ, they must ba 
 rejected. Against this was the objec 
 
A. D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 225 
 
 20 But Esaias is very bold, and 
 saith, a I was found of them that 
 
 tion in ver. 14, 15, that they could not 
 believe ; that they had not heard ; and 
 that a preacher had not been sent to 
 them. If, now, the apostle could show 
 that it was an ancient doctrine of the 
 Jewish prophets that the Gentiles 
 should believe, and that the Jews -would 
 not believe, the whole force of the ob 
 jection would vanish. Accordingly he 
 proceeds to show that this doctrine was 
 distinctly taught in the Old Testament. 
 H First. First in order ; as we say, 
 in the first place. ^ I -will provoke 
 yori. These words are taken from 
 Deut. xxxii. 21. In that place the de 
 claration refers to the idolatrous and 
 wicked conduct of the Jews. God says 
 that they had provoked him, or ex 
 cited his indignation, by worshipping 
 that which was not God, that is by 
 i dols ; and he, in turn, would excite 
 their envy and indignation by showing 
 favours to those who were not regarded 
 as a people ; that is, to the Gentiles. 
 They had shown favour, or affection, 
 for that which was not God, and by 
 so doing had provoked him to anger : 
 and he also would show favour to those 
 whom they regarded as no people, and 
 would thus excite their anger. Thus 
 he would illustrate the great principle 
 of his government in 2 Sam. xxii. 26, 
 27, " With the merciful thou wilt 
 show thyself merciful ; with the pure, 
 thou wilt show thyself pure ; and with 
 the froward thou wilt show thyself un 
 savory," i. e. froward. Ps. xviii. 26. 
 In this passage the great doctrine which 
 Paul was defending is abundantly es 
 tablished that the Gentiles were to be 
 brought into the favour of God ; and 
 the cause also is suggested to be the 
 obstinacy and rebellion of the Jews. 
 It is not clear that Moses had particu 
 larly in view the times of the gospel ; 
 but he affirms a great principle which 
 is applicable to those times that if the 
 Jews should be rebellious, and prove 
 themselves unworthy of his favour, that 
 favour would be withdrawn, and confer 
 red on other nations. The effect of this 
 
 sought me not ; I was made ma- 
 
 wouldbe, of course, to excite their indig 
 nation. This principle the apostle ap 
 plies to his own times ; and affirms that 
 it ought to have been understood by the 
 Jews themselves. \ That are nc peo 
 ple. That is, those whom you regard 
 as unworthy the name of a people. 
 Those who have no government, laws, 
 or regular organization ; who wander 
 in tribes and clans, and who are un 
 der no settled form of society. This 
 was the case witb most barbarians ; and 
 the Jews, evidently, regarded all an 
 cient nations in this light, as unworthy 
 the name of a people. ^ Jl foolish 
 nation. The word fool means one 
 void of understanding. But it also 
 means one who is -wicked, or idola 
 trous ; one who contemns God. Ps. 
 xiv. 1, " The/oo/ hath said in his heart, 
 there is no God." Prov. i. 7, " Tools 
 despise wisdom and instruction." Here 
 it means a nation who had no under 
 standing of the true God (acruviT). 
 T / -will anger. My bestowing favours 
 on them will excite your anger. We 
 may remark here, (1.) That God is a 
 sovereign, and has a right to bestow 
 his favours on whom he pleases. (2.) 
 That when men abuse his mercies, be 
 come proud, or cold, or dead in his 
 service, he often takes away their pri 
 vileges, and bestows them on others. 
 (3.) That the effect of his sovereignty 
 is to excite men to anger. Proud anu 
 wicked men are always enraged that he 
 bestows his favours on others ; and the 
 effect of his sovereign dealings is, to 
 provoke to anger the very men who by 
 their sins have rejected his mercy 
 Hence there is no doctrine that proud 
 man hates so cordially as he does the 
 doctrine of divine sovereignty ; and 
 none that will so much test the cha 
 racter of the wicked. 
 
 20. But Esaias. Isaiah Ixv. 1, 2. 
 Tf 7s very bold. Expresses the doc- 
 I trine openly, boldly, without any re 
 serve. The word a.7ro<rox/ua.a> means tc 
 dare, to be venturesome, to be bold 
 It means here that however nnpopulai 
 
226 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 niiest unto them that asked no 
 after me. 
 
 21 But to Israel he saith, All 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 the doctrine might be, or however dan 
 gerous it was to avow that the Jews 
 were extremely wicked, and that God 
 for their wickedness would cast them 
 off, yet that Isaiah had long since 
 done i . This was the point which 
 Paul was establishing ; and against 
 this, the objection was urged, and all 
 the Jewish prejudices excited. This is 
 the reason why he so much insists on 
 it, and is so anxious to defend every 
 part by the writings of acknowledged 
 authority among the Jews the Old 
 Testament. The quotation is made 
 from the Septuagint, with only a slight 
 change in the order of the phrases. 
 The meaning is, that God was found, 
 or the true knowledge of him was ob 
 tained, by those who had not sought 
 after him ; that is, by the Gentiles, who 
 had worshipped idols, and who had not 
 sought for the true God. This does 
 not mean that -we are to expect to find 
 God if we do not seek for him ; or that 
 in fact any become Christians who do 
 not seek for it, and make an effort. 
 The contrary is abundantly taught in 
 the Scriptures. Heb. xi. 6. I Chron. 
 xxviii. 8, 9. Matt. vi. 33 ; vii. 7. Luke 
 xi. 9. But it means that the Gentiles, 
 whose characteristic was not that they 
 sought God, would have the gospel 
 sent to them, and would embrace it. 
 The phrase, " I was found," in the 
 past tense here, is in the present in 
 the Hebrew, intimating that the time 
 would come when God would say this 
 of himself; that is, that the time would 
 come when the Gentiles would be 
 brought to the knowledge of the true 
 God. This doctrine was one which 
 Isaiah had constantly in his eye, and 
 which he did not fear to bring openly 
 before the Jews. 
 
 21. But to Israel he saith. The 
 preceding quotation established the 
 doctrine that the Gentiles were to be 
 called. But there was still an impor 
 tant part of his argument remaining 
 
 day long I have stretched forth 
 my hands unto a disobedient 
 and gainsaying people. 
 
 that the Jews were to be rejected, 
 This he proceeds to establish ; and he 
 here, in the language of Isaiah (Ixv. 2), 
 says that while the Gentiles would be 
 obedient, the character of the Jews was, 
 that they were a disobedient and re 
 bellious people. Tf Jill day long. Con 
 tinually, without intermission ; imply 
 ing that their acts of rebellion were 
 not momentary ; but that this was the 
 established character of the people, 
 1 I have stretched forth my hands 
 This denotes an attitude of entreaty ; 
 a willingness and earnest desire to re 
 ceive them to favour , to invite and en 
 treat. Prov. i. 24. 1 .2 disobedient. 
 In the Hebrew, rebellious, contuma 
 cious. The Greek answers substan 
 tially to that ; disbelieving, not confid- 
 ng or obeying. ^Gainsaying. Speak- 
 ng against ; resisting, opposing. This 
 s not in the Hebrew, but the substance 
 of it was implied. The prophet Isaiah 
 proceeds to specify in what this rebel- 
 ion consisted, and to show that this 
 was their character. Isa. Ixv. 2 7. 
 The argument of the apostle is this ; 
 viz. the ancient character of the people 
 was that of wickedness ; God is repre 
 sented as stretching out his hands in 
 ain ; they rejected him, and he was 
 sought and found by others. It was 
 mplied, therefore, that the rebellious 
 Fews would be rejected ; and, of course, 
 he apostle was advancing and defend- 
 ng no doctrine which was not found 
 n the writings of the Jews themselves. 
 \iid thus, by a different course of rea 
 soning, he came to the same conclusion 
 which he had arrived at in the first four 
 hapters of the epistle, that the Gen- 
 iles and Jews were on the same level 
 n regard to justification before God. 
 
 In the closing part of this chapter 
 he great doctrine is brought forth and 
 efemled, that the way of salvation is 
 >pen for all the world. This, in the 
 ime of Paul, was regarded as a novel 
 loctrine. Hence he is at so much pains 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 227 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 SAY then, Hath a God 
 
 cast 
 
 away his people ? God for- 
 
 a lSam.12.22. Ps.77.7,8; 69.31-37. 
 
 to illustrate and defend it. And hence, 
 with so much zeal and self-denial, the 
 apostles of the Lord Jesus went and 
 proclaimed it to the nations. This doc 
 trine is not the less important now. 
 And from this discussion we may learn 
 the following truths: (1.) The heathen 
 world is in danger without the gospel. 
 They are sinful, polluted, wretched. 
 The testimony of all who visit pagan 
 nations accords most strikingly with 
 that of the apostles in their times. Nor 
 is there any evidence that the great 
 mass of heathen population has chang 
 ed for the better. (2.) The provisions 
 of the gospel are ample for them for 
 all. Its power has been tried on many 
 nations ; and its mild and happy influ 
 ence is seen in meliorated laws, cus 
 toms, habits ; in purer institutions ; in 
 intelligence and order ; and in the va 
 rious blessings conferred by a pure re 
 ligion. The same gospel is fitted to 
 produce on the wildest and most wretch 
 ed population, the same comforts which 
 are now experienced in the happiest 
 part of our own land. (3,) The com 
 mand of Jesus Christ remains still the 
 same, to preach the gospel to every 
 creature. That command has never 
 been repealed or changed. The apos 
 tles met the injunction, and performed 
 what they could. It remains for the 
 church to act as they did, to feel as 
 they did, and put forth their efforts as 
 they did, in obeying one of the most 
 plain and positive laws of Jesus Christ. 
 (4.) If the gospel is to be proclaimed 
 every where, men must be sent forth 
 into the vast field. Every nation must 
 have an opportunity to say, " How 
 beautiful are the feet of him that 
 preaches the gospel of peace." Young 
 men, strong and vigorous in the Chris 
 tian course, must give themselves to 
 this work, and devote their lives in an 
 enterprise which the apostles regarded 
 as honourable to them : and which in- 
 
 bid. For I also am an Israelite, 
 of the seed of Abraham, of the 
 tribe of Benjamin. 
 
 finite Wisdom did not regard as unwor 
 thy the toils, and tears, and self-denial* 
 of the Son of God. (5.) The church, 
 in training young men for the ministry, 
 in fitting her sons for these toils, is 
 performing a noble and glorious work ; 
 a work which contemplates the triumph 
 of the gospel among all nations. Hap 
 py will it be when the church shall 
 feel the full pressure of this great truth, 
 that the gospel MAY BE preached to 
 every son and daughter of Adam ; and 
 when every man who enters the minis 
 try shall count it, not self-denial, but a 
 glorious privilege to be permitted to tell 
 dying pagan men that a Saviour bled 
 for ALL sinners. And happy that day 
 when it can be said with literal truth 
 that their sound has gone out into all 
 the earth ; and that as far as the sun 
 in his daily course sheds his beams, so 
 far the Sun of righteousness sheds also 
 his pure and lovely rays into the abodes 
 of men. And we may learn, also, from 
 this, (6.) That God will withdraw his 
 favours from those nations that are dis 
 obedient and rebellious. Thus he re 
 jected the ancient Jews ; and thus also 
 he will forsake all who abuse his mer 
 cies ; who become proud, luxurious, 
 effeminate, and wicked. In this respect 
 it becomes the people of this favoured 
 land to remember the God of their fa 
 thers ; and not to forget, too, that na 
 tional sin provokes God to withdraw, 
 and that a nation that forgets God must 
 be punished. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 1. / say then. This expression is 
 to be regarded as conveying the sense 
 of an objection. Paul, in the previous 
 chapters, had declared the doctrine that 
 all the Jews were to be rejected. To 
 this a Jew might naturally reply, Is it 
 to be believed, that God would cast off 
 his people whom he had once chosen ; 
 to whom pertained the adoption, and 
 the promises, and the covenant, anJ 
 
228 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 2 God hath not cast away his 
 people which he foreknew. a 
 Wot ye not what the Scripture 
 
 c.8.29. 
 
 the numerous blessings conferred on a 
 favourite people ] It was natural for a 
 Je\v to make such objections. And it 
 was important for the apostle to show 
 that his doctrine was consistent with all 
 the promises which God had made to 
 his people. The objection, as will be 
 seen by the answer which Paul makes, 
 is formed on the supposition that God 
 had rejected all his people, or cast them 
 off entirely. This objection he answers 
 by showing, (1.) That God had saved 
 him, a Jew, and therefore that he could 
 not mean that God had cast off all Jews 
 (ver. 1) ; (2.) That now, as in former 
 times of great declension, God had re 
 served a remnant (ver. 2 5) ; (3.) 
 That it accorded with the Scriptures, 
 that a part should be hardened (ver. 
 6 10) ; (4.) That the design of the 
 rejection was not final, but was to ad 
 mit the Gentiles to the privileges of 
 Christianity (ver. 11 24) ; (5.) That 
 the Jews should yet return to God, and 
 be reinstated in his favour : so that it 
 could not be objected that God had 
 finally and totally cast off his people, 
 or that he had violated his promises. 
 At the same time, however, the doc 
 trine which Paul had maintained was 
 true, that God had taken away their 
 exclusive and peculiar privileges, and 
 had rejected a large part of the nation. 
 1 Cast a-way. Rejected, or put off. 
 Has God so renounced them that they 
 cannot be any longer his people 1 
 K His people. Those who have been 
 long in the covenant relation to him ; 
 that is, the Jews, t God forbid. Lite 
 rally, it may not or cannot be. This 
 is an expression strongly denying that 
 this could take place ; and means that 
 Paul did not intend to advance such a 
 doctrine. Luke xx. 16. Rom. iii. 4. 6. 
 31 ; vi. 2. 15 ; vii. 7. 13. t For Tarn 
 alst an Israelite. To show them that 
 he did not mean to affirm that allJews 
 must of necessity be cast off, he adduces 
 his own case. He was a Jew ; and yet 
 
 saith 1 of Elias ? how he mak 
 eth intercession to God a gains 1 
 Israel, b saying, 
 
 ior,m. ilKings 19. 10-13. 
 
 he looked for the favour of God, and 
 for eternal life. That favour he hoped 
 now to obtain by being a Christian ; 
 and if he might obtain it, others might 
 also. If I should say that all Jews 
 must be excluded from the favour of 
 God, then / also must be without hope 
 of salvation, for I am a Jew/ ^f Of the 
 seed of Abraham. Descended from 
 Abraham. The apostle mentions this 
 to show that he was a Jew in every 
 respect ; that he had a title to all the 
 privileges of a Jew, and must be ex 
 posed to all their liabilities and dan 
 gers. If the seed of Abraham must of 
 necessity be cut off, he must be him 
 self rejected. The Jews valued them 
 selves much on having been descended 
 from so illustrious an ancestor as Abra 
 ham (Matt. iii. 9) ; and Paul shows 
 them that he was entitled to all the 
 privileges of such a descent. Comp. 
 Phil. iii. 4, 5. 1 Of the tribe of Ben 
 jamin. This tribe was one that was 
 originally located near Jerusalem. The 
 temple was built on tbe line that di 
 vided the tribes of Judah and Benja 
 min. It is not improbable that it was 
 regarded as a peculiar honour to have 
 belonged to one of those tribes. Paul 
 mentions it here in accordance with 
 their custom ; for they regarded it as 
 of great importance to preserve their 
 genealogy, and to be able to state not 
 only that they were Jews, but to desig 
 nate the tribe and family to which they 
 belonged. 
 
 2. God hath not cast away. This 
 is an explicit denial of the objection. 
 t Which he foreknew. The word 
 foreknew is expressive not merely of 
 foreseeing- a thing, but implies in this 
 place a previous purpose or plan. See 
 Note, ch. viii. 29. The meaning of 
 the passage is simply, God has not cast 
 off those whom he had before purposed 
 or designed to be his people. It is the 
 declaration of a great principle of divine 
 1 government that God is not changeable 
 
A. D.GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 3 Lord, they have killed thy 
 prophets, and digged down thine 
 
 and that he would not reject those 
 whom he had purposed should be his 
 people. Though the mass of the na 
 tion, therefore, should be cast off, yet 
 it would not follow that God had vio 
 lated any promise or compact; or that 
 he had rejected any whom he had fore 
 known as his true people. God makes 
 no covenant of salvation with those 
 who are in their sins ; and if the un 
 believing and the wicked, however 
 many external privileges they may 
 have enjoyed, are rejected, it does not 
 follow that he has been unfaithful to 
 one whom he had foreknown or desig 
 nated as an heir of salvation. It fol 
 lows from this, also, that it is one prin 
 ciple of the divine government that 
 God -will not reject those who are fore 
 known or designated as his friends. It 
 is a part of the plan, therefore, that 
 those who are truly renewed shall per 
 severe, and obtain eternal life, f Wot 
 ye not. Knoto ye not. ^ What the 
 Scripture saith? The passage here 
 quoted is found in 1 Kings xix. 10 
 18. 1 Of Elias. Of Elijah. Greek, 
 " In Elijah" (w Hx/t). This does not 
 mean that it was said about Elijah, or 
 concerning him ; but the reference is 
 to the usual manner of quoting the 
 Scriptures among the Jews. The di 
 vision into chapters and verses was to 
 them unknown. (See the Introduction 
 to the Notes on Matthew.) Hence the 
 Old Testament was divided into por 
 tions designated by subjects. Thus 
 Luke xx. 37. Mark xii. 26, "At the 
 bush," means the passage which con 
 tains the account of the burning bush. 
 (See Notes on those places.) Here it, 
 means, in that passage or portion of 
 Scripture which gives an account of 
 Elijah, f He maketh intercession to 
 God against Israel. The word trans 
 lated maketh intercession 
 
 
 means properly to come to the aid of 
 any one ; to transact the business of 
 any :>ne ; especially to discharge the 
 rjffiee of an advocate, or to plead one s 
 cause in a court of justice. In a sense 
 U 
 
 altars ; and I am left alone, and 
 they seek my life. 
 
 similar to this it is applied to Christ in 
 his office of making intercession for us 
 in heaven. Heb. vii. 25. Isa. liii. 12. 
 In the English language, the word is 
 constantly used in a good sense, to 
 plead for one; never, to plead againzl 
 one; but the Greek word may imply 
 either. It expresses the office of one 
 who manages the business of another 
 and hence one who manages the busi 
 ness of the state against a criminal ; 
 and when followed by the preposition 
 /or, means to intercede or plead for 
 a person ; when followed by against 
 (JUXTA), it means to accuse or arraign. 
 This is its meaning here. He accuses 
 or arraigns the nation of the Jews be 
 fore God ; he charges them with crime ; 
 the crime is specified immediately. 
 
 3. Lor d, they have killed, &c. This 
 is taken from 1 Kings xix. 10. The 
 quotation is not literally made, but the 
 sense is preserved. This was a charge 
 which Elijah brought against the whole 
 nation ; and the act of killing the pro 
 phets he regarded as expressive of the 
 character of the people, or that they 
 were universally given to wickedness. 
 The fact was true that they had killed 
 the prophets, &c. (1 Kings xviii. 4. 
 13); but the inference which Elijah 
 seems to have drawn from it, that there 
 were no pious men in the nation, was 
 not well founded. 1 And digged down. 
 Altars, by the law of Moses, were re 
 quired to be made of earth or unhewn 
 stones. Ex. xx. 24, 25. Hence the 
 expression to dig them down means 
 completely to demolish or destroy them. 
 ^ Thine altars. There was one great 
 altar in the front of the tabernacle and 
 the temple, on which the daily sacri 
 fices of the Jews were to be made. But 
 they were not forbidden to make altars 
 also elsewhere. Ex. xx. 25. And hence 
 they are mentioned as existing in other 
 places. 1 Sam. vii. 17; xvi.2, 3. 1 Kings 
 xviii. 30. 32. These were the altars 
 of which Elijah complained as having 
 been thrown down by the Jews; an 
 act which was regarded as exprs- 
 
2 30 ROMANS. [A.D.60. 
 
 4 Bnt what saith the answer sand men, who have not bowed 
 of God unto him ? I have re- , vhe knee to the image of Baal, 
 served to mvself seven thou- 5 Even so a then at this pre- 
 
 ve of signal impiety. ^ / am left 
 alone. I am the only prophet which 
 is left alive. We are told that when 
 Jezebel cut off the prophets of the 
 Lord, Obadiah took a hundred of 
 them and hid them in a cave. 1 Kings 
 xviii. 4. But it is not improbable that 
 they had been discovered and put to 
 death by Ahab. The account which 
 Obadiah gave Elijah when he met him 
 (1 Kings xviii. 13) seems to favour 
 such a supposition. H Seek my life. 
 That is, Ahab and Jezebel seek to kill 
 me. This they did because he had over 
 come and slain the prophets of Baal. 
 I Kings xix. 1, 2. There could scarce 
 ly be conceived a time of greater dis 
 tress and declension in religion than 
 this. It has not often happened that so 
 many things that were disheartening 
 have occurred to the church at the same 
 period of time. The prophets of God 
 :vere slain ; but one lonely man appear 
 ed to have zeal for true religion ; the 
 nation was running to idolatry ; the 
 civil rulers were criminally wicked, and 
 were the leaders in the universal apos 
 tasy ; and all the influences of wealth 
 and power were setting in against the 
 true religion to destroy it. It was 
 natural that the solitary man of God 
 should feel disheartened and lonely in 
 this universal guilt ; and should realize 
 that he had no power to resist this 
 tide of crime and calamities. 
 
 4. The answer of God (o ^nu j.Tiy- 
 Ao c). This word is used nowhere else 
 in the New Testament. It means an 
 oracle, a divine response. It does not 
 indicate the manner in which it was 
 done, but implies only that it was an 
 oracle, or answer made to his com 
 plaint by God. Such an answer, at such 
 a time, would be full of comfort, and 
 silence every murmur. The way in 
 which this answer was in fact given, 
 vas not in a storm, or an earthquake, 
 but in a still, small voice. 1 Kings 
 xix. 11, 12 1 I hate reserved. The 
 
 Hebrew is, " I have caused to remain," 
 or to be reserved. This shows that it was 
 | of God that this was done. Amidst the 
 ! general corruption and idolatry he had 
 j restrained a part, though it was a rem- 
 | nant. The honour of having done it 
 he claims for himself, and does not 
 trace it to any goodness or virtue in 
 them. So in the case of all those who 
 are saved from sin and ruin, the ho 
 nour belongs not to man, but to God. 
 f To myself. For my own service 
 and glory. I have kept them steadfast 
 in my worship, and have not suffered 
 them to become idolaters. T Seven 
 thousand men. Seven is often used in 
 the Scriptures to denote an indefinite 
 or round number. Perhaps it may be 
 so here, to intimate that there was a 
 ! considerable number remaining. This 
 ! should lead us to hope that even in 
 j the darkest times in the church, there 
 I may be many more friends of God than 
 I we suppose. Elijah supposed he was 
 | alone ; and yet at that moment there 
 were thousands who were the true 
 friends of God ; a small number, indeed, 
 compared with the multitude of idola 
 ters ; but large when compared with 
 what was supposed to be remaining by 
 the dejected and disheartened prophet. 
 f Who have not boived the knee. To 
 bow or bend the knee is an expression 
 denoting worship. Phil. ii. 10. Eph. 
 iii. 14. Isa. xlv. 23. 1 To Baal The 
 word Baal in Hebrew means Lord, or 
 Master. This was the name of an idol 
 of the Phenicians and Canaanites, and 
 was worshipped also by the Assyrians 
 and Babylonians under the name of 
 Bel. (Comp. the Book of Bel in the 
 Apocrypha.) This god was represented 
 under the image of a bull, or a calf ; 
 the one denoting the Sun, the other 
 the Moon. The prevalen worship in 
 the time of Elijah was that of this idol. 
 5. Jit this present time. In the time 
 when the apostle wrote. Though the 
 mass of the nation was to be rejected. 
 
\. D.60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 231 
 
 gent time also there is a remnant 
 
 according to the election of grace. 
 
 6 And if by grace, a then is it 
 
 no more of works : otherwise 
 
 a c.4.5. Gal. 5.4. Eph.2.8. 
 
 
 yet it did not follow that all were to be 
 excluded from the favour of God. As 
 in the time of Elijah, when all appear 
 ed to be dark, and all the nation, except 
 one, seemed to have become apostate, 
 yet there was a considerable number 
 of the true friends of God ; so in the 
 time of Paul, though the nation had 
 rejected their Messiah, though, as a 
 consequence, they were to be rejected 
 as a people; and though they were 
 eminently wicked and corrupt, yet it 
 did not follow that all were cast off, or 
 that any were excluded on whom God 
 had purposed to bestow salvation. ^ Jl 
 remnant. That which is left or re 
 served, ch. ix. 27. He refers here, 
 doubtless, to that part of the nation 
 which was truly pious, or which had 
 embraced the Messiah, 1 According 
 to the election of grace. By a gracious 
 or merciful choosing, or election ; and 
 not by any merit of their own. As in 
 the time of Elijah, it was because God 
 had reserved them unto himself that 
 any were saved from idolatry, so now 
 it was by the same gracious sovereign 
 ty that any were saved from the preva 
 lent unbelief. The apostle here does not 
 specify the number, but there can be 
 no doubt that a multitude of Jews had 
 been saved by becoming Christians, 
 though compared with the nation the 
 multitude who rejected the Messiah it 
 was but a remnant. 
 
 The apostle thus shows that neither 
 all the ancient people of God were cast 
 away, nor that anjj whom he foreknew 
 were rejected. And though he had 
 proved that a large part of the Jews were 
 to be rejected, and though infidelity was 
 pievalent, yet still there were some 
 who had been Jews who were truly 
 pious, and entitled to the favour of God. 
 Nor should they deem this state of 
 things remarkable, for a parallel case was 
 recorded in their own Scriptures. We 
 may learn from this narrative, (1.) 
 
 grace is no more grace. But if 
 it be of works, then is it no 
 more grace : otherwise work is 
 no more work. 
 
 That it is no unparalleled thing for the 
 love of many to wax cold, and for ini 
 quity to abound. (2.) The tendency 
 of this is to produce deep feeling and 
 solicitude among the true friends of 
 God. Thus David, says, " Rivers of 
 waters run down mine eyes because 
 they keep not thy law." Ps. cix. 136. 
 Comp. Jer. ix. 1. Luke xix. 41. (3.) 
 That in these darkest times we should 
 not be discouraged. There may be 
 much more true piety in the world than 
 in our despondency we may suppose. 
 We should take courage in God, and 
 believe that he will not forsake any 
 that are his true friends, or on whom 
 he has purposed to bestow eternal life. 
 (4.) It is of God that all are not cor 
 rupt and lost. It is owing only to the 
 election of grace, to his merciful 
 choosing, that any are saved. And as 
 in the darkest times he has reserved a 
 people to himself, so we should believe 
 that he will still meet abounding evil, 
 and save those whom he has chosen 
 from eternal death. 
 
 6. Jin d if grace, &c. If the fact 
 that any are reserved be by grace, or 
 favour, then it cannot be as a reward 
 of merit. Paul thus takes occasion in 
 cidentally to combat a favourite notion 
 of the Jews, that we are justified by 
 obedience to the law. He reminds 
 them that in the time of Elijah it was be 
 cause God had reserved them ; that the 
 same was the case now ; and therefore 
 their doctrine of merit could not be 
 true. See ch. iv. 4, 5. Gal. v. 4. Eph. 
 ii. 8, 9. ^ Otherwise grace, &c. If 
 men are justified by their -works, it 
 could not be a matter of favour, but 
 was a debt. If it could be that the doc 
 trine of justification by grace -could be 
 held, and yet at the same time that the 
 Jewish doctrine of merit was true, then 
 it would follow that^race had changed 
 its nature, or was a different thing from 
 what the word properly signified. The 
 
232 
 
 7 What then? Israel" hath 
 not obtained that which he seek- 
 eth for ; but the election hath 
 obtained it, and the rest were * 
 blinded. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 8 (According as it is written, 
 God hath given them the spirit 
 of 2 slumber, * eyes c that they 
 should not see, and ears that they 
 should not hear) unto this day. 
 
 3 or, remorte. b Isa.29, 10. c Deut.29.4. 
 
 idea of being saved by merit contradicts 
 the very idea of grace. If a man owes 
 me a debt, and pays it, it cannot be said 
 to be done by favour, or by grace. I 
 have a claim on him for it, and there is 
 no favour in his paying his just dues. 
 1 But if it be of -works, &c. Works 
 here mean conformity to the law ; and 
 to be saved by -works would be to be 
 saved by such conformity as the meri~ 
 torious cause. Of course there could 
 be no grace or favour in giving what 
 was due : if there was favour, or grace, 
 then -works would lose their essential 
 characteristic, and cease to be the me 
 ritorious cause of procuring the bless 
 ings. What is paid as a debt is not 
 conferred as a favour. 
 
 And from this it follows that salva 
 tion cannot be partly by grace and 
 partly by works. It is not because 
 men can advance any claims to the fa 
 vour of God ; but from his mere un 
 merited grace. He that is not willing 
 to obtain eternal life in that way, can 
 not obtain it at all. The doctrines of 
 election, and of salvation by mere 
 grace, cannot be more explicitly stated 
 than they are in this passage. 
 
 7. What then ? What is the pro 
 per conclusion from this argument ? 
 If Israel hath not obtained. That is, 
 the Jews as a people have not obtained 
 that which they sought. They sought 
 ";he favour of God by their own merit ; 
 and as it was impossible to obtain it in 
 that manner, they have, as a people, 
 failed of obtaining his favour at all, 
 and will be rejected. T That -which 
 he seekethfor. To wit. salvation by 
 their own obedience to the law. ^ The 
 election hath. The purpose of choos 
 ing on the part of God has obtained, 
 or secured, that which the seeking on 
 the part of the Jews could not secure. 
 ( >r the abstract here may be put for the 
 
 concrete, and the word " election" may 
 mean the same as the elect. The elect, 
 the reserved, the chosen part of the 
 people, have obtained the favour of 
 God. 1 Hath obtained it. That is, 
 the favour, or mercy, of God. f The 
 rest. The great mass of the people 
 who remained in unbelief, and had re 
 jected the Messiah, t Were blinded. 
 The word in the original means also 
 were hardened (sjra^uiSvxratv). It comes 
 from a word which signifies properly 
 to become hard, as bones do which 
 are broken and are then united ; or as 
 the joints sometimes do when they be 
 come callous or stiff. It was probably 
 applied also to the formation of a hard 
 substance in the eye, a cataract ; and 
 then means the same as to be blinded. 
 Hence, applied to the mind, it means 
 that which is hard, obdurate, insen 
 sible, stupid. Thus it is applied to 
 the Jews, and means that they were 
 blind and obstinate. See Mark vi. 52, 
 " Their heart was hardened." viii. 17. 
 John xii. 40. The word does not oc 
 cur in any other place in the New 
 Testament. This verse affirms simply 
 that " the rest -were hardened," but it 
 does not affirm any thing about the 
 mode by which it was done. In re 
 gard to " the election," it is affirmed 
 that it was of God. ver. 4. Of the re 
 mainder, the fact of their blindness is 
 simply mentioned, without affirming 
 any thing of the cause. See ver. 8. 
 
 8. According as it is -written. That 
 is, they are blinded in accordance with 
 what is written. The fact and the 
 manner accord with the ancient de 
 claration. This is recorded in I<*a. 
 xxix. 10, and in Deut. xxix. 4. The 
 same sentiment is found also substantial 
 ly in Isa. vi. 9, 10. The principal place 
 referred to here, however, is doubtless 
 Isa. xxix. 1 0, " For the Lord hath poured 
 
A D. CO.] 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 233 
 
 9 And David saith Let a their 
 table be made a snare, and a trap, 
 
 out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, 
 and hath closed your eyes ; the pro 
 phets and your rulers hath he covered." 
 The quotation is not however literally 
 made either from the Hebrew or the 
 Septuagint ; but the sense is preserved. 
 The phrase " according as" means upon 
 the same principle, or in the same 
 manner, t God hath given. Ex 
 pressions like this are common in the 
 Scriptures, where God is represented 
 as having an agency in producing the 
 wickedness and stupidity of sinners. 
 See ch. ix. 17, 18. See Note, Matt. 
 xiii. 15. Mark iv. 11, 12. See also 2 
 Thess. ii. 11. This quotation is not 
 made literally. The Hebrew in Isaiah 
 is, God has poured upon them the spi 
 rit of slumber. The sense, however, is 
 retained. f The spirit of slumber. 
 The spirit of slumber is not different 
 from slumber itself. The word spirit 
 is often used thus. The word slumber 
 here is a literal translation of the He 
 brew. The Greek word, however 
 (jMmqtJgMc), implies also the notion of 
 compunction, and hence in the margin 
 it is rendered remorse. It means any 
 emotion, or any influence whatever, 
 that shall benumb the faculties, and 
 make them insensible. Hence it here 
 means simply insensibility. f Eyes 
 that they should not see, &c. This 
 expression is not taken literally from 
 any single place in the Old Testament ; 
 but expresses the general sense of se 
 veral passages. Isa. vi. 10. Deut. xxix. 
 4. It denotes a state of mind not dif 
 ferent from a spirit of slumber. When 
 we sleep, the eyes are insensible to 
 surrounding objects, and the ear to 
 sounds. Though in themselves the or 
 gans may be perfect, yet the mind is as 
 though they were not ; and we have eyes 
 which then do not see, and ears which 
 do not hear. Thus with the Jews. 
 Though they had all the proper facul 
 ties for understanding and receiving the 
 gospel, yet they rejected it They were 
 stupid and insensible to Its claims and 
 
 T72 
 
 and a stumbling-block, and a re 
 compense unto them : 
 
 its truths. J Unto this day. Until 
 the day that. Paul wrote. The charac 
 teristic of the Jews that existed in the 
 time of Isaiah, existed also in the time 
 of Paul. It was a trait of the people ; 
 and their insensibility to the demands 
 of the gospel developed nothing new 
 in them. 
 
 9, 10. And David saith, &c. This 
 quotation is made from Ps. Ixix. 22, 23. 
 This psalm is repeatedly quoted as 
 having reference to the events recorded 
 in the New Testament. (See Note on 
 Acts i. 2.) This quotation is introduced 
 immediately after one that undoubtedly 
 refers to the Lord Jesus. Ver. 21, 
 " They gave me also gall for my meat, 
 and in my thirst they gave me vinegar 
 to drink." The passage here quoted 
 immediately follows as an imprecation 
 of vengeance for their sins. " Let 
 their table," &c. The quotation is not 
 made, however, either literally from the 
 Hebrew or from the Septuagint, but the 
 sense only is retained. The Hebrew is, 
 " Let their table before them be for a 
 snare, and for those at peace, let it be 
 for a gin." The Septuagint is, " Let 
 their table before them be for a snare, 
 and for a stumbling-block, and for an 
 offence." The ancient Targum is, 
 " Let their table which they had pre 
 pared before me be for a snare, and 
 their sacrifices be for an offence." 
 The meaning is this. The word table 
 denotes food. In this they expected 
 pleasure and support. David prays 
 that even this, where they expected 
 joy and refreshment, might prove to 
 them the means of punishment and 
 righteous retribution. A snare is that 
 by which birds or wild beasts were 
 taken. They are decoyed into it, or 
 walk or fly carelessly into it, and it is 
 sprung suddenly on them. So of the 
 Jews. The petition is, that -while they 
 were seeking refreshment and joy, and 
 anticipating at their table no danger, it 
 might be made the means of their ruin. 
 The only way in which this could be 
 
234 
 
 10 Let their eyes be dark 
 ened, that they ma) not see, 
 
 ROMANS. [A D. CO 
 
 and bow down their back al- 
 way. 
 
 done would be, that their temporal en 
 joyments would lead them away from 
 God, and produce stupidity and indif 
 ference to their spiritual interests. This 
 is often the result of the pleasures of 
 the table, or of seeking sensual gratifi 
 cations. The apostle does not say 
 whether this prayer was right or wrong 
 The use which he seems to make of it 
 is this, that David s imprecation was to 
 be regarded in the light of a prophecy ; 
 that what he prayed for would come to 
 pass ; and that this had actually oc 
 curred in the time of the apostle ; that 
 their very enjoyments, their national 
 and private privileges, had been the 
 means of alienating them from God ; 
 had been a snare to them ; and was 
 the cause of their blindness and infi 
 delity. This also is introduced in the 
 psalm as a punishment for giving him 
 vinegar to drink ; and their treatment 
 of the Messiah was the immediate 
 cause why all this blindness had come 
 upon the Jews. 1 A trap. This pro 
 perly means any thing by which -wild 
 beasts are taken in hunting. The 
 word snare more properly refers to 
 birds. Tf JLnd a stumbling-block. 
 Any thing over which one stumbles or 
 falls. Hence any thing which occa 
 sions us to sin, or to ruin ourselves. 
 \ Jind a recompense. The Hebrew 
 word translated " that -which should 
 have been for their welfare," is capa 
 ble of this meaning, and may denote 
 their recompense, or that which is ap 
 propriately rendered to them. It means 
 here that their ordinary comforts and 
 enjoyments, instead of promoting their 
 permanent welfare, may be the occasion 
 of their guilt and ruin. This is often 
 the effect of earthly comforts. They 
 might lead us to God, and should ex 
 cite our gratitude and praise ; but they 
 are often abused to our spiritual slum 
 ber and guilt, and made the occasion 
 of our ruin. The rich are thus often 
 most forgetful of God ; and the very 
 ibundance of their blessings made the 
 neans of darkness of mind, ingrati 
 
 tude, prayeilessness, and ruin. Satis 
 fied with them, they forget the Giver; 
 and while they enjoy many earthly 
 blessings, God sends barrenness into 
 their souls. This was the guilt of So 
 dom, " pride, and fulness of bread, and 
 abundance of idleness" (Ezek. xvi. 49); 
 and against this Moses solemnly warned 
 the Jews. Deut. vi. 11, 12; viii. 10 
 12. This same caution might be ex 
 tended to the people of this land, and 
 especially to those who are rich, and 
 are blessed with all that their hearts 
 have wished. From the use which the 
 apostle makes of this passage in the 
 Psalms, it is clear that he regarded it 
 rather as a prophetic denunciation 
 for their sins a prediction of what 
 would be than as a prayer. In his 
 time it had been fulfilled ; and the very 
 national privileges of the Jews, on 
 which they so much prided themselves, 
 and which migtit have been so great 
 blessings, were the occasion of their 
 greater sin in rejecting the Messiah, 
 and of their greater condemnation. 
 Thus their table was made a trap, &c. 
 10. Let their eyes be darkened 
 This is taken literally from the psalm, 
 and was evidently the main part of the 
 passage which the apostle had in his 
 eye. This was fulfilled in the insen 
 sibility and blindness of the Jews. And 
 the apostle shows them that it was 
 long ago predicted, or invoked, as a 
 punishment on them for giving the 
 Messiah vinegar to drink. Ps. lix. 21. 
 23. ^ JLnd boiv down their back al- 
 ivay. The Hebrew (Ps. lix. 23) is, 
 " Let their loins totter or shake," i. e. 
 as one does when he has on him a 
 heavy burden. The apostle has retained 
 this sense. It means, let them be called 
 to bear heavy and oppressive burdens ; 
 let them be subjected to toil or servi 
 tude, as a reward for their sins. That 
 this had come upon the Jews in the 
 time of Paul is clear ; and it is further 
 clear that it came upon them, as it was 
 implied in the psalm, in consequence 
 of their treatment of the Messiah 
 
D. 60.] 
 
 11 I say then, 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 235 
 
 Have they 
 
 stumbled that they should fall ? 
 
 Much difficulty has been felt in recon 
 ciling the petitions in the psalms for 
 calamities on enemies, with the spirit 
 of the New Testament. Perhaps they 
 cannot all b* thus reconciled ; and it is 
 not at all improbable that many of those 
 imprecations were wrong. David was 
 not a perfect man ; and the Spirit of 
 inspiration is not responsible for his 
 imperfections. Every doctrine deli 
 vered by the sacred writers is true ; 
 every fact recorded is recorded as it 
 was. But it does not follow that all 
 the men who wrote, or about whom a 
 narrative was given, were perfect. The 
 reverse is the fact. And it does not 
 militate against the inspiration of the 
 Scriptures that we have a record of the 
 failings and imperfections of those men. 
 When they uttered improper senti 
 ments, when they manifested improper 
 feelings, when they performed wicked 
 actions, it is no argument against the 
 inspiration of the Scriptures that they 
 were recorded. All that is done in 
 such a case, and all that inspiration 
 demands, is that they be recorded as 
 they are. We wish to see human na 
 ture as it is ; and one design of making 
 the record of such failings is to show 
 what man is, even under the influence 
 of religion ; not as a. perfect being, for 
 that would not be true; but as he actually 
 exists mingled with imperfection. Thus 
 many of the wishes of the ancient saints, 
 imperfect as they were, are condemned 
 as sinful by the spirit of the Christian 
 religion. They were never commend 
 ed or approved, but they are recorded 
 just to show us what was in fact the 
 character of man, even partially under 
 the influence of religion. Of this na 
 ture, probably, were many of the peti 
 tions in the Psalms ; and the Spirit of 
 God is no more answerable for the feel 
 ing because it is recorded, than he is 
 for the feelings of the Edomites when 
 they said " Rase it, rase it to the foun 
 dation " Ps. cxxxvii. 7. Many of those 
 prayers, however, were imprecations on 
 hifl onemies as a public man, as the 
 
 God forbid : but rather through 
 their fall salvation is come unto 
 
 magistrate of the land. As it is right 
 and desirable that the robber and the 
 pirate should be detected and punished ; 
 as all good men seek it, and it is indis 
 pensable for the welfare of the commu 
 nity, whe e is the impropriety of pray 
 ing that it may be done ] Is it not right 
 to pray that the laws may be executed ; 
 that justice may be maintained ; and 
 that restraint should be imposed on the 
 guilty 1 Assuredly this may be done 
 with a very different spirit from that of 
 revenge. It may be the prayer of the 
 magistrate that God will help him in 
 that which he is appointed to do, and 
 in what ought to be done. Besides, 
 many of these imprecations were re 
 garded as simply predictions of what 
 would be the effect of sin ; or of what 
 God -would do to the guilty. Such was 
 the case we are now considering, as 
 understood by the apostle. But in a 
 prediction there can be nothing wrong. 
 11. Have they stumbled that they 
 should fall? This is to be regarded as 
 an objection, which the apostle proceeds 
 to answer. The meaning is, is it the 
 design of God that the Jews should 
 totally and irrecoverably be cast off J 
 Even admitting that they are now un 
 believing, that they have rejected the 
 Messiah, that they have stumbled, is it 
 the purpose of God finally to exclude 
 them from mercy 1 The expression to 
 stumble is introduced because he had 
 just mentioned a stumbling-stone. It 
 does not mean to fall down to the 
 ground, or to fall so that a man may 
 not recover himself; but to strike the 
 foot against an obstacle, to be arrested 
 in going, and to be in danger of falling. 
 Hence it means to err, to sin, to be in 
 danger. To fall expresses the state 
 when a man pitches over fn obstacle so 
 that he cannot recover himself, but falls 
 to the ground. Hence to err, to sin, or 
 to be cast off irrecoverably. The apos 
 tle shows that this last was not the way 
 in which the Jews had fallen, that they 
 were not to be cast off for ever, but that 
 occasion was taken by their fall to in 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A, D. 60. 
 
 the Gentiles, B for to provoke 
 them to jealousy. 
 
 a Acts 13.46; 28.24-28. c.10.19. 
 
 troduce the Gentiles to the privileges 
 of the gospel, and then they should be 
 restored. ^ God forbid. By no means. 
 See ver. 1. ^ But rather through 
 their fall. By means of their fall. The 
 word fall here refers to all their con 
 duct and doom at the coming of the 
 Messiah, and in the breaking up of 
 their establishment as a nation. Their 
 rejection of the Messiah ; the destruc 
 tion of their city and temple; the 
 ceasing of their ceremonial rites ; and 
 the rejection and dispersion of their 
 nation by the Romans, all enter into 
 the meaning of the word fall here, and 
 were all the occasion of introducing 
 salvation to the Gentiles. If Salvation. 
 The Christian religion, with all its 
 saving benefits. It does not mean that 
 all the Gentiles were to be saved, but 
 that the way was open; they might 
 have access to God, and obtain his fa 
 vour through the Messiah. H The 
 Gentiles. All the world that were not 
 Jews. The rejection and fall of the 
 Jews contributed to the introduction 
 of the Gentiles in the following man 
 ner: (1 ) It broke down the barrier 
 which had long subsisted between them. 
 (2.) It made it consistent and proper, 
 as they had rejected the Messiah, to 
 send the knowledge of him to others. 
 (3.) It was connected with the destruc 
 tion of the temple, and the rites of the 
 Mosaic law ; and taught them, and all 
 others, that the worship of God was 
 not to be confined to any single place. 
 (4.) The calamities that came upon 
 the Jewish nation scattered the inhabit 
 ants of Judea, and with the Jews also 
 those who had become Christians, and 
 thus the gospel was carried to other 
 lands. (5.) These calamities, and the 
 conduct of the Jews, and the close of 
 the Jewish economy, were the means 
 of giving to apostles and other Chris 
 tians right views of the true design of 
 the Mosaic institutions. If the temple 
 had remained; if the nation had con 
 tinued to flourish ; it would have been 
 
 12 Now if the fall of them be. 
 the richer of the world, and the 
 
 long before they would have been 
 effectually detached from those rites. 
 Experience showed, even as it was, 
 that they were slow in learning that 
 the Jewish ceremonies were to cease. 
 Some of the most agitating questions 
 in the early church pertained to this ; 
 and if the temple had not been destroy 
 ed, the contest would have been much 
 longer and more difficult. \ For to 
 provoke them to jealousy. According 
 to the prediction of Moses. Deut. xxxii. 
 21. See Rom. x. 19. 
 
 12. If the fall of them. If their 
 lapse, or falling. If their temporal re 
 jection and being cast off for a time 
 has already accomplished so much. 
 If Be. the riches of the -world. The 
 word riches means wealth, abundance 
 of property ; more than is necessary to 
 the supply of our wants. Hence it 
 means also any thing that may pro 
 mote our comfort or happiness, as 
 wealth is the means of securing our 
 welfare. The gospel is called riches, as 
 it is the means of our highest enjoy 
 ment, and eternal welfare. It is the 
 means of conferring numberless spirit 
 ual blessings on the Gentile world ; 
 and as this was done by the fall of 
 the Jews, so it could be said that 
 their fall was the riches of the world. 
 It was the occasion or means with 
 out which the blessings of the gospel 
 could not be conferred on the world. 
 f The diminishing of them. Margin, 
 Decay. Loss (HTT^/*^). This word 
 means diminution, defect, that -which 
 is lacked or -wanting. Hence also 
 judgment, condemnation. Here it 
 means their degradation ; the with 
 drawing of their special privileges ; their 
 rejection. It stands opposed to " their 
 fulness." \ The riches of the Gen 
 tiles. The means of conferring import 
 ant blessings on the Gentiles. \ Hoiv 
 much more their fulness. The word 
 fulness (srxji goyxsi) means that which 
 fills up, or completes any thing. Thua 
 it is applied to that which fills a vessel 
 
A. 1). 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 237 
 
 1 diminishing of them the riches 
 of the Gentiles, how much more 
 their fulness ? 
 
 i or, decay, or, lot*. a Acts 9.15. Gal.1.16. Eph.3.8. 
 
 or cup ; also to the piece of cloth which 
 is put in to Jill tip the rent in a gar 
 ment. Matt. ix. 16. To the fragments 
 which were left when Christ had fed 
 the five thousand. Mark viii. 20. Rom. 
 xiii. 10. "Love is the fulfilling of the 
 law," i. e. it is \hejiUing up of the law, 
 or that which renders the obedience 
 complete. See Gal. v. 14. Here it 
 stands opposed to their fall, and their 
 diminution, and evidently means their 
 complete restoration to the favour of 
 God ; their recovery from unbelief and 
 apostasy. That there -will be such a re 
 covery, the apostle proceeds to show. 
 The sentiment of the passage then is, 
 If their rejection and punishment; their 
 being cut off from the favour of God, an 
 event apparently so unlikely to promote 
 the spread of true religion , if their being 
 withdraton from all active influence in 
 spreading the true knowledge of God, 
 be yet the occasion of so many bless 
 ings to mankind as have attended the 
 spread of the gospel in consequence 
 of it; how much more shall we expect 
 when they shall be restored ; when the 
 energy and zeal of the Jewish nation 
 shall unite with the efforts of others 
 in spreading the knowledge of the true 
 Messiah. In what way, or when, this 
 shall be, we know not. But it is easy 
 to see, that if the Jewish people should 
 be converted to the Christian faith, 
 they would have facilities for spreading 
 the truth, which the church has never 
 had without them. (1.) They are 
 scattered in all nations, and have access 
 to all people. (2.) Their conversion, 
 after so long unbelief, would have all 
 the power and influence of a miracle 
 performed in view of all nations. It 
 would be seen -why they had been pre 
 served, and their conversion would be 
 a most striking fulfilment of the pro 
 phecies. (3.) They are familiar with 
 the languages of the world, and their 
 conversion would at once establish 
 many Christian missionaries in the 
 
 13 For I speak to you Gen 
 tiles, inasmuch as I a am the 
 apostle of the Gentiles, I mag 
 nify mine office ; 
 
 heart of all the kingdoms of the world. 
 It would be kindling at once a thousand 
 lights in all the dark parts of the earth. 
 (4.) The Jeivs have shown that they 
 are eminently fitted to spread the true 
 religion. It was by Jews converted to 
 Christianity, that the gospel was first 
 spread. Each of the apostles was a 
 Jew; and they have lost none of the 
 ardour, enterprise, and zeal that always 
 characterized their nation. Their con 
 version would be, therefore, to give 
 to the Christian church a host of 
 missionaries prepared for their work, fa 
 miliar with all customs, languages, and 
 climes, and already in the heart of 
 all kingdoms, and with facilities foi 
 their work in advance, which others 
 must gain only by the slow toil of 
 many years. 
 
 13. For I speak to you Gentiles 
 What I am saying respecting the Jews, 
 I say with reference to you who are 
 Gentiles, to show you in what manner 
 you have been admitted to the privi 
 leges of the people of God ; to excite 
 your gratitude ; to warn you against 
 abusing those mercies, &c. As Paul 
 also was appointed to preach to them, 
 he had a right to speak to them with 
 authority. ^ / am the apostle of the 
 Gentiles. The apostle of the Gentiles, 
 not because other apostles did not 
 preach to Gentiles, for they all did, ex 
 cept perhaps James ; nor because Paul 
 did not himself preach occasionally 
 among the Jews ; but because he was 
 especially called to carry the gospel to 
 the Gentiles, and that this was his ori 
 ginal commission (Acts ix. 15) ; be 
 cause he was principally employed in 
 collecting and organizing churches 
 in heathen lands ; and because the 
 charge of the Gentile churches was 
 especially intrusted to him, while that 
 of the Jewish churches was especially 
 intrusted to Peter. See Gal." i. 16. 
 Eph. iii. 8. Gal. ii. 7, 8. As Paul was 
 especially appointed t > this office, he 
 
238 ROMANS. 
 
 14 If bj any means I may 
 provoke to emulation them 
 
 [A.D 60. 
 
 which are my flesh, and might 
 save a some of them. 
 
 15 For if the casting away 
 of them&e the reconciling of the 
 world, what shall the receiving of 
 them be, but life from the dead ? 
 
 claimed special authority to address 
 those who were gathered into the 
 Christian church from heathen lands. 
 Tf / magnify mine office. I honour 
 (/(/la^*) my ministry. I esteem it of 
 great importance ; and by thus showing 
 that the gospel is to be preached to the 
 Gentiles, that the barrier between 
 them and the Jews is to be broken 
 down, that the gospel may be preach 
 ed to all men, I show that the office 
 which proclaims this is one of signal 
 honour. A minister may not magnify 
 himself, but he may magnify his office. 
 He may esteem himself as less than the 
 least of all saints, and unworthy to 
 be called a servant of God (Eph. iii. 8), 
 yet he may feel that he is an ambassa 
 dor of Christ, intrusted with a message 
 of salvation, entitled to the respect due to 
 an ambassador, and to the honour which 
 is appropriate to a messenger of God. 
 To unite these two things constitutes 
 the dignity of the Christian ministry. 
 
 14. If by any means. If even by 
 stating unpleasant truths, if by bring 
 ing out all the counsel of God, even 
 that which threatens their destruction, 
 I may arrest their attention, and save 
 them. \ I may provoke to emulation. 
 I may awaken up to zeal, or to an 
 earnest desire to obtain the like bless 
 ings. This was in accordance with 
 the prediction of Moses, that the calling 
 in of the Gentiles would excite their 
 attention, and provoke them to deep 
 feeling. Note, ch. x. 19. The apostle 
 expected to do this by calling their at 
 tention to the ancient prophecies ; by 
 alarming their fears about their own 
 danger ; and by showing them the 
 great privileges which Gentiles might 
 enjoy under the gospel ; thus appealing 
 to them by every principle of benevo 
 lence, by all their regard for God and 
 man, to excite them to seek the same 
 
 blessings. ^ -My Jlenh. My country- 
 men. My kinsmen. Those belonging 
 to the same family or nation, ch.ix. 3. 
 Gen. xxix. 14. Judg. ix. 2. 2 Sam. v. 
 1. Isa. Iviii. 7. T Jlnd save some of 
 them. This desire the apostle often 
 expressed. (See ch. ix. 2, 3 ; x. 1, 2.) 
 We may see here, (1.) That it is the 
 earnest wish of the ministry to save 
 the souls of men. (2.) That they 
 should urge every argument and appeal 
 with reference to this. (3.) That even 
 the most awful and humbling truths 
 may have this endency. No truth 
 could be more h-ely to irritate and of 
 fend than that the Jews would be cast 
 off; and yet the apostle used this so 
 faithfully, and yet so tenderly, that he 
 expected and desired it might be the 
 means of saving the souls of his coun 
 trymen. Truth often irritates, enrages, 
 and thus excites the attention. Thought 
 or inquiry, hoivever it may be excited, 
 may result in conversion. And thus, 
 even restlessness, and vexation, and 
 anger, may be the means of leading a 
 sinner to Jesus Christ. It should be 
 no part of a minister s object, however, 
 to produce anger. It is a bad emo 
 tion ; in itself it is evil ; and if men 
 can be won to embrace the Saviour 
 without anger, it is better. No wise 
 man would excite a storm and tempest 
 that might require infinite power to 
 subdue, when the same object could be 
 gained with comparative peace, and 
 under the mild influence of love. (4.) 
 It is right to use all the means in oui 
 power, not absolutely wicked, to save 
 men. Paul was full of devices ; and 
 much of the success of the ministry will 
 depend on a wise use of plans, that 
 may, by the divine blessing, arrest and 
 save the souls of men. 
 
 15. For if the casting aivay of them. 
 If their rejection as the peculiar people 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 239 
 
 of God their exclusion from their na 
 tional privileges, on account of their 
 unbelief. It is the same as "the fall 
 of them." ver. 12. f Be the reconcil 
 ing of the world. The word reconci 
 liation (jictT2AA*>>>) denotes commonly 
 a pacification of contending parties ; a 
 removing the occasion of difference, so 
 as again to be united. 1 Cor. vii. 11, 
 " Let her remain unmarried, or be re 
 conciled to her husband." It is com 
 monly applied to the reconciliation, or 
 pacification, produced between man and 
 God by the gospel. They are brought 
 to union, to friendship, to peace, by the 
 intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Rom. v. 10. 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, "God 
 was in Christ reconciling the world 
 unto himself." Hence the ministry is 
 called the " ministry of reconciliation." 
 2 Cor. v. 18. And hence this word is 
 used to express the atonement. Rom. 
 v. 11, " By whom we havo now re 
 ceived the atonement" (the reconci 
 liation}. In this place it means that 
 many of the Gentiles the world had 
 become reconciled to God as the result 
 of the casting off of the Jews. By 
 their unbelief, the way had been open 
 ed to preach the gospel to the Gentiles ; 
 it was the occasion by which God sent 
 it to the nations of the earth. Comp. 
 Acts xiii. 46. Tf The receiving of 
 them. The same as was denoted (ver. 
 12) by their fulness. If the casting 
 them off, an event so little likely, ap 
 parently, to produce any good effect, 
 was nevertheless overruled so as to pro 
 duce important benefits in the spread 
 of the gospel, how much more may we 
 expect will be accomplished by their 
 conversion and return ; an event fitted 
 in itself to produce an important influ 
 ence on mankind. One would have 
 supposed that their rejection of the 
 Messiah would have been an import 
 ant obstacle in the -way of the gospel. 
 It was overruled, however, to promote 
 its increase. Their return will have 
 a direct tendency to spread it. How 
 much more, therefore, may we expect 
 to b3 accomplished by that 1 1 But 
 ife /. om the d?ad. This is an in 
 
 stance of the peculiar, glowing, and 
 vigorous manner of the apostle Paul. 
 His mind catches at the thought of 
 what may be produced by the recovery 
 of the Jews, and no ordinary language 
 would convey his idea. He had al 
 ready exhausted the usual forms of 
 speech by saying that even their rejec 
 tion had reconciled the world, and that 
 it was the riches of the Gentiles. To 
 say that their recovery a striking and 
 momentous event ; an event so much 
 better fitted to produce important results 
 would be attended by the conversion 
 of the world, would be insipid and 
 tame. He uses, therefore, a most bold 
 and striking figure. The resurrection 
 of the dead was an image of the most 
 vast and wonderful event that could 
 take place. This image, therefore, in 
 the apostle s mind, was a striking illus 
 tration of the great change and refor 
 mation which should take place when 
 the Jews should be restored, and the 
 effect should be felt in the conversion 
 also of the Gentile world. Some have 
 supposed that the apostle here refers to 
 a literal resurrection of the dead, as 
 the conversion of the Jews. But there 
 is not the slightest evidence of this. 
 He refers to the recovery of the nations 
 from the death of sin, which shall taKe 
 place when the Jews shall be converted 
 to the Christian faith. The prophet 
 Ezekiel (ch. xxxvii. 1 14) has also 
 used the same image of the resurrection 
 of the dead to denote a great moral 
 change among a people. It is clear 
 here that the apostle fixed his eye on a 
 future conversion of the Jews to the 
 gospel, and expected that their conver 
 sion would precede the universal con 
 version of the Gentiles to the Christian 
 faith. There could be no event that 
 would make so immediate and decided 
 an impression on the pagan world as 
 the conversion of the Jews. They are 
 scattered every where ; they have access 
 to all people ; they understand all lan 
 guages ; and their conversion would b 
 like kindling up thousands of lights at 
 once in the darkness of the pagan 
 world. . 
 
240 ROMANS 
 
 1 6 For if a the first-fruit be I es b be 
 holy, the lump is also holy: being 
 and if the root be holy, so are 
 
 the branches. 
 
 17 And if some of the branch- 
 
 a Lev.23.10. Num.15.18-21. 
 
 16. For if the first-fruit be holy. 
 The word first-fruit (u7rot^>j) used 
 here denotes the firstling of fruit or 
 grain which was separated from the 
 mass and presented as an offering to 
 God. The Jews were required to pre 
 sent such a portion of their harvest to 
 God, as an expression of gratitude and 
 of their sense of dependence. Num. xv. 
 19 21. Till this was done, it was not 
 lawful to partake of the harvest. The 
 offering of this was regarded as render 
 ing the mass holy, i. e..it was lawful 
 then to partake of it. The first-fruits 
 were regarded as among the best por 
 tions of the harvest ; and it was their 
 duty to devote to God that which 
 would be the best expression of their 
 thanksgiving. This was the general 
 practice in relation to all that the land 
 produced. The expression here, how 
 ever, has reference to the small portion 
 of dough or kneaded meal that was 
 offered to God ; and then the mass or 
 lump (p Jg^it) was left for the use of 
 him who made the offering. Num. xv. 
 20. \ Be holy. Be set apart, or con 
 secrated to God, as he commanded, 
 K The lump. The mass. It refers 
 here properly to the dough of which a 
 part had been offered. The same was 
 true also in relation to the harvest, 
 after the ivaive-sheaf had been offered ; 
 of the flock, after the first male had 
 been offered, &c. 1 Is also holy. It 
 is lawful then for the owner to partake 
 of it. The offering of a part has con 
 secrated the whole. By this illustra 
 tion Paul doubtless means to say that 
 the Jewish nation, as a people, were 
 set apart to the service of God, and 
 were so regarded by him. Some have 
 supposed that by the first-fruit here 
 the. apostle intends to refer to the early 
 converts made to the Christian faith in 
 >he first preaching of the gospel. But 
 
 broken 
 i wild 
 
 [A,D. 60. 
 
 off, and thou, 
 olive-tree, wert 
 
 graffed in * among them, and 
 with them partakest of the roo 
 and fatness of the olive-tree ; 
 
 iJer.ll.16. c Eph.2.12,13. lot, for. 
 
 it is more probable that he refers to tho 
 patriarchs, the pious men of old, atf 
 the first-fruits of the Jewish nation. 
 See ver. 28. By their piety the nation 
 was, in a manner, sanctified, or set 
 apart to the service of God ; implying 
 that yet the great mass of them would 
 be reclaimed and saved. ^ If the root 
 be holy. This figure expresses the 
 same thing as is denoted in the first 
 part of the verse. The root of a tree is 
 the source of nutricious juices neces 
 sary for its growth, and gives its cha 
 racter to the tree. If that be sound, 
 pure, vigorous, we expect the same of 
 the branches. A root bears a similar 
 relation to the tree that the first-fruit 
 does to the mass of bread. Perhaps 
 there is allusion here to Jer. xi. 16 
 where the Jewish nation is representei 
 under the image of " a green alive-tree 
 fair, and of goodly fruit." In this place 
 the reference is doubtless to Abraham 
 and the patriarchs, as the root or found 
 ers of the Jewish nation. If they were 
 holy, it is to be expected that the dis- 
 % tant branches, or descendants, would 
 also be so regarded. The mention of 
 the root and branches of a tree gives 
 the apostle occasion for an illustration 
 of the relation at that time of the Jews? 
 and Gentiles to the church of Christ. 
 
 17. Jf some of the branches. The 
 illustration here is taken from the prac 
 tice of those who ingraft trees. The 
 useless branches, or those which bear 
 poor fruit, are cut off, and a better kind 
 inserted. If some of the natural de 
 scendants of Abraham, the holy root, 
 are cast off because they are unfruitful, 
 i. e. because of unbelief and sin. ^ Jir.d 
 thou. The word thou here is used to 
 denote the Gentile, whom Paul was 
 then particularly addressing. ^ Being 
 a ivild olive-tree. From this passage 
 it would seem that the olivs-tree waa 
 
. D. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 241 
 
 18 Boast a not against the 
 branches. But if thou boast, 
 
 thou beurest not the root, but 
 the root thee. 
 
 19 Thou wik say then, The 
 
 sometimes cultivated, and that cultiva 
 tion was necessary in order to render it 
 fruitful. The cultivated olive-tree is 
 " of a moderate height, its trunk knotty, 
 its bark smooth and ash-coloured, its 
 wood is solid and yellowish, the leaves 
 are oblong, and almost like those of the 
 willow, of a green colour, &c. The 
 wild olive is smaller in all its parts." 
 (Calmet.) The wild olive was un 
 fruitful, or its fruit very imperfect and 
 useless. The ancient writers explain 
 this word by " unfruitful, barren." 
 (Schleusner,} This was used, there 
 fore, as the emblem of unfruitfulness 
 and barrenness, while the cultivated 
 olive produced much fruit. The mean 
 ing here is, that the Gentiles had been 
 like the wild olive, unfruitful in holi 
 ness ; that they had been uncultivated 
 by the institutions of the true religion, 
 and consequently had grown up in the 
 wildness and sin of nature. The Jews 
 had been like a cultivated olive, long 
 under the training and blessing of God. 
 1 Wert graffed in. The process of 
 grafting consists in inserting a scion or 
 a young shoot into another tree. To 
 do this, a useless limb is removed ; and 
 the ingrafted limb produces fruit ac 
 cording to its new nature or kind, and 
 not according to the tree in which it 
 is inserted. In this way a tree which 
 bears no fruit, or whose branches are 
 decaying, may be recovered, and be 
 come valuable. The figure of the apos 
 tle is a very vivid and beautiful one. 
 The ancient root or stock, that of Abra 
 ham, &c. was good. The branches 
 the Jews in the time of the apostle 
 had become decayed and unfruitful, 
 and broken off. The Gentiles had 
 been graffed into this stock, and had 
 restored the decayed vigour of the an 
 cient people of God ; and a fruitless 
 church had become vigorous and flou 
 rishing. But the apostle soon pro 
 ceeds to keep the Gentiles from exalta 
 tion on account of this. 1 Among 
 (hem. Among the branches, so as to 
 
 partake -with them of the juices of the 
 root. Tf Partakett of the root. The 
 ingrafted limb would derive nc irish- 
 ment from the root as much as though 
 it were a natural branch of the tree. 
 The Gentiles derived now the benefit 
 of Abraham s faith and holy labours, 
 and of the promises made to him and 
 to his seed, f Fatness of the olive 
 tree. The word fatness here means 
 fertility, fruitf ulness the rich juicec 
 of the olive producing fruit. See Judg. 
 ix. 9. 
 
 18. Jioast not, &c. The tendency 
 of men is to triumph over one that is 
 fallen and rejected. The danger of 
 pride and boasting on account of pri 
 vileges is not less in the church than 
 elsewhere. Paul saw that some of the 
 Gentiles might be in danger of exalta 
 tion over the fallen Jews, and therefore 
 cautions them against it. The ingrafted 
 shoot, deriving all its vigour and fruit- 
 fulness from the stock of another tree, 
 ought not to boast against the branches. 
 U Jiut if thou boast. If thou art so 
 inconsiderate and wicked, so devoid of 
 humility, and lifted up with pride, as 
 to boast, yet know that there is no oc 
 casion for it. If there -were occasion 
 for boasting, it would rather be in the 
 root or stock which sustains the 
 branches ; least of all can it be in 
 those which were graffed in, having 
 been before wholly unfruitful. ^ Thou, 
 bearest not the root. The source of 
 all your blessings is in the ancient 
 stock. It is clear from this, that the 
 apostle regarded the church as one ; 
 and that the Christian economy was 
 only a prolongation of the ancient dis 
 pensation. The tree, even with a part 
 of the branches removed, and others 
 ingrafted, retains its identity, and is 
 never regarded as a different tree. 
 
 19. Thou -wilt say then. Thou who 
 art a Gentile. ^ The branches -were 
 broken ojf, &c. The Jews were re 
 jected in order that the gospel might be 
 preached to the Gentiles. This would 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A D.UO 
 
 branches were broken off, that 
 1 might be grafted in. 
 
 20 \Vell; because of unbelief 
 they were broken off; and thou 
 standest by faith. Be not high- 
 minded, but fear : 
 
 21 For if God spared not the 
 
 seem to follow from what the apostle 
 had said in ver. 11, 12. Perhaps it 
 might be said that there was some 
 ground of exultation from the fact that 
 God had rejected his ancient people for 
 the sake of making a way open to ad 
 mit the Gentiles to the church. The 
 objection is, that the branches were 
 broken off in order that others might 
 be graffed in. To this Paul replies in 
 the next verse, that this was not the 
 reason why they were rejected, but 
 their unbelief was the cause. 
 
 20. Well. True. It is true they 
 were broken off; but in order to show 
 that there was no occasion for boasting, 
 he adds that they were not rejected in 
 order to admit others, but because of 
 their unbelief, and that their fate should 
 have a salutary impression on those 
 who had no occasion for boasting, but 
 who might be rejected for the same 
 cause. This is an instance of remark 
 able tact and delicacy in an argument, 
 admitting the main force of the remark, 
 but giving it a slight change in accord 
 ance with the truth, so as to parry its 
 force, and give it a practical bearing on 
 the very point which he wished to en 
 force. \ Thou standest by faith. The 
 continuance of these mercies to you 
 depends on your fidelity. If you are 
 faithful, they will be preserved ; if, like 
 the Jews, you become unbelieving and 
 unfruitful, like them you will be also 
 rejected. This fact should repress 
 boasting, and excite to anxiety and 
 caution. ^ He not high-minded. Do 
 not be elated in the conception of your 
 privileges, so as to produce vain self- 
 confidence and hoisting. ^ But fear. 
 This fear stands opposed to the spirit 
 of boasting and self-confidence, against 
 which he was exhorting them. It does 
 
 natural branches, take heed lest 
 he spare not thee. 
 
 22 Behold therefore the good 
 ness and severity of God; on 
 them which fell, severity ; but 
 towards thee, goodness ; if* thou 
 continue in his goodness : other 
 
 i HeX3.6,J4; 10.23,38. 
 
 not mean terror or horror, but it de 
 notes humility, watchfulness, and soli- 
 citude to abide in the faith. Do not 
 be haughty and high-minded against 
 the Jew, who has been cast off, but 
 " demean yourself as a humble believer, 
 and one who has need to be continu 
 ally on his guard, and to fear lest he 
 may fall through unbelief, and be cast 
 off." (Stuart.} We may here learn, 
 (1.) That there is danger lest those 
 who are raised to eminent privileges 
 should become unduly exalted in their 
 own estimation, and despise others. 
 (2.) The tendency of faith is to pro 
 mote humility and a sense of our depend 
 ence on God. (3.) The system of sal 
 vation by faith produces that solicitude, 
 and careful guarding, and watchfulness, 
 which is necessary to preserve us from 
 apostasy and ruin. 
 
 21. for if God, &c. If God did not 
 refrain from rejecting the Jews who 
 became unbelievers, assuredly he will 
 not refrain from rejecting you in the 
 same circumstances. It may be sup 
 posed that he will be quite as ready to 
 reject the ingrafted branches, as to 
 cast off those which belonged to the 
 parent stock. The situation of the 
 Gentiles is not such as to give them 
 any security over the condition of the 
 rejected Jew. 
 
 22. Behold, therefore, &c. Regard, 
 or contemplate, for purposes of your 
 own improvement and benefit, the deal 
 ings of God. We should look on all 
 his dispensations of judgment or of 
 mercy, and derive lessons from all to 
 promote our own steadfast adherence to 
 the faith of the gospel. ^ The goodness. 
 The benevolence or mercy of God to 
 wards you in admitting you to his fa 
 vour. This calls for gratitude, love. 
 
A. O. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 243 
 
 wise 
 off 
 
 thou a also shalt be cut 
 
 23 And they also, if * they 
 bide not still in unbelief, shall 
 
 confidence. It demands expressions of 
 thanksgiving. It should be highly priz 
 ed, in order that it may excite to dili 
 gence to secure its continuance. If The 
 severity of God. That is, towards the 
 Jews. The word severity now sug 
 gests sometimes the idea of harshness, 
 or even of cruelty. (Webster.} But 
 nothing of this kind is conveyed in the 
 original word here. It properly denotes 
 cutting off, aTTd-rofjiiciv, from aTrorsjuvu), 
 to cut off; and is commonly applied to 
 the act of the gardener or vinedresser 
 in trimming trees or vines, and cutting 
 off the decayed or useless branches. 
 Here it refers to the act of God in cut 
 ting off or rejecting the Jews as useless 
 branches ; and conveys no idea of in 
 justice, cruelty, or harshness. It was a 
 just act, and consistent with all the per 
 fections of God. It indicated a purpose 
 to do that which was right, though the 
 inflictions might seem to be severe, and 
 though they must involve them in many 
 heavy calamities. Tf On them -which 
 fell, severity. On the Jews, who had 
 been rejected because of their unbelief. 
 f But towards thee, goodness. To 
 wards the Gentile world, benevolence. 
 The word goodness properly denotes 
 benignity or benevolence. Here it sig 
 nifies the kindness of God in bestowing 
 these favours on the Gentiles, f If 
 thou continue in his goodness. The 
 word " his" is not in the original. And 
 the word goodness may denote integri 
 ty, probity, uprightness, as well as fa 
 vour. Rom. iii. 12, "There is none 
 that doeth good." The Septuagint 
 often thus uses the word. Ps. xiii. 1. 3, 
 &c. This is probably the meaning 
 here ; though it may mean if thou 
 dost continue in a state of favour; 
 that is, if your faith and good conduct 
 shall be such as to make it proper for 
 God to continue his kindness towards 
 you. Christians do not me^it the fa- 
 
 be graffed in : for GoJ is able to 
 graff them in again. 
 
 24 For if thou wert cut out 
 of the olive-tree which is wild 
 
 vour of God by their faith and good 
 works ; but their obedience is an indis 
 pensable condition on which that favour 
 is to be continued. It is thus that the 
 grace of God is magnified, at the samr 
 time that the highest good is done to 
 man himself. ^ Otherivise thou also 
 shalt be cut off. Comp. John xv. 2. 
 The word thou refers here to the Gen 
 tile churches. In relation to them the 
 favour of God was dependent on their 
 fidelity. If they became disobedient 
 and unbelieving, then the same princi 
 ple which led him to withdraw his mer 
 cy from the Jewish people would lead 
 also to their rejection and exclusion. 
 And on this principle God has acted in 
 numberless cases. Thus his favour was 
 withdrawn from the seven churches of 
 Asia (Rev. i iii.), from Corinth, from 
 
 | Antioch, from Philippi, and even from 
 
 , Rome itself. 
 
 23. And they also. The Jews. J If 
 I they bide not, &c. If they do not con- 
 j tinue in wilful obstinacy and rejection 
 
 of the Messiah. As their unbelief was 
 the sole cause of their rejection, so if 
 that be removed, they may be again re 
 stored to the divine favour, f For God 
 is able, &c. He has, (1.) Power to 
 restore them, to bring them back and 
 replace them in his favour. (2.) He 
 has not bound himself utterly to reject 
 them, and for ever to exclude them. 
 In this way the apostle reaches his 
 purpose, which was to show them that 
 God had not cast away his people, 01 
 finally rejected the Jewish nation, ver. 
 1, 2. That God has this power, the 
 apostle proceeds to show in the nex* 
 verse. 
 
 24. For if thou. If you who are 
 Gentiles. J Wert cut out of. Or, if 
 thou wert of the cutting of the wild 
 olive-tree. Tf Which is wild by nature. 
 Which is uncultivated and unfruitful. 
 That is, if you were uitroduced into a 
 
ROMANS, 
 
 by nature, and wert grafted con 
 trary to nature into a good olive- 
 tree; how much more shall these, 
 which be the natural branches, be 
 grafted into their own olive-tree? 
 
 25 For I 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 would not, breth 
 
 ren, that ye sho-uld be ignorant 
 of this mystery, lest ye should 
 be wise in your own conceits, 
 that blindness * in part * is 
 
 * or, hardnets. a ver.7. 2Cor.3.11 
 
 state of favour with God from a condi 
 tion which was one of enmity and hos 
 tility to him. The argument here is, 
 that it was in itself as difficult a thing to 
 reclaim them, and change them from 
 opposition to God to friendship, as it 
 would seem difficult or impossible to 
 reclaim and make fruitful the wild 
 olive-tree. ^ And wert graffed con 
 trary to nature. Contrary to your 
 natural habits, thoughts, and practices. 
 There was among the Gentiles no in 
 clination or tendency towards God. 
 This does not mean that they were 
 physically depraved, or that their dis 
 position was literally like the wild 
 olive ; but it is used, for the sake of 
 illustration, to show that their moral 
 character and habits were unlike those 
 of the friends of God. ^ How much 
 more, &c. The meaning of this whole 
 verse may be thus expressed : If God 
 had mercy on the Gentiles, who were 
 outcasts from his favour, shall he not 
 much rather on those who were so long 
 his people, to whom had been given 
 the promises, and the covenants, and the 
 law, whose ancestors had been so many 
 of them his friends, and among whom 
 the Messiah was born? In some re 
 spects, there are facilities among the 
 Jews for their conversion, which had 
 not existed among the Gentiles. They 
 worship one God ; they admit the au 
 thority of revelation ; they have the 
 Scriptures of the Old Testament ; they 
 expect a Messiah ; and they have a 
 habit of professed reverence for the will 
 of God. 
 
 25. Ignorant of this mystery. The 
 word mystery means properly that 
 ^vhich is concealed, hidden, or un 
 known. And it especially refers, in the 
 New Testament, to the truths or doc 
 trines which God had reserved to him 
 self, o* had not before communicated. 
 
 It does not mean, as with us often, that 
 there was any thing unintelligible 01 
 inscrutable in the nature of the doc 
 trine itself, for it was commonly perfect 
 ly plain when it was made known. 
 Thus the doctrine, that the division 
 between the Jews and the Gentiles 
 was to be broken down, is called a 
 mystery, because it had been, to the 
 times of the apostles, concealed, and 
 was then revealed fully for the first 
 time. Rom. xvi. 25. Col. i. 26, 27. 
 Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 51. Mark iv. 11. 
 Eph. i. 9 ; iii. 3. Thus the doctrine 
 which the apostle was stating was one 
 that until then had been concealed, or 
 had not been made known. It does not 
 mean that thtre was any thing unin 
 telligible or incomptcuensive in it, but 
 until then it had not been made known. 
 Tf Lest ye should be wise in your own 
 conceits. Paul communicated the truth 
 in regard to this, lest they should at 
 tempt to inquire into it ; should specu 
 late about the reason why God had 
 rejected the Jews ; and should be elated 
 with the belief that they had, by their 
 own skiL and genius, ascertained the 
 cause. Rather than leave them to vain 
 speculations and self-gratifiation, he 
 chose to cut short all inquiry, b} stating 
 the truth about their present and future 
 state. Tf Blindness. Or hardness. See 
 ver. 7. ^ In part. Not totally, or en 
 tirely. They are not absolutely or 
 completely blinded. This is a qualify 
 ing expression ; but it does not denote 
 what part or portion, or for what 
 time it is to continue. It means that 
 the blindness in respect to the whole 
 nation was only partial. Some were 
 then enlightened, and had become 
 Christians ; and many more would be. 
 To Israel. To the Jews. 1 Unti. 
 the fulness of the Gentiles, &c. The 
 word fulness in relation to the Jew 
 
D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 245 
 
 happened to Israel, until the 
 fulness of the Gentiles be 
 come in. 
 
 26 And so all Israel shall be 
 
 a Luke 21. 24. 
 
 
 is used in ver. 12. It means until the 
 abundance or the great multitude of 
 the Gentiles shall be converted. The 
 word is not elsewhere used in respect 
 to the Gentiles ; and it is difficult to 
 fix its meaning definitely. It doubtless 
 refers to the future spread of the gospel 
 among the nations ; to the time when 
 it may be said that the great mass, 
 the abundance of the nations, shall be 
 converted to God. At present, tney 
 are, as they were in the times of the 
 apostle, idolaters, so that the mass of 
 mankind are far from God. But the 
 Scriptures have spoken of a time when 
 the gospel shall spread and prevail 
 among ihe nations of the earth ; and to 
 this the apostle refers. He does not 
 say, however, that the Jews may not 
 be converted until all the Gentiles be 
 come Christians; for he expressly sup 
 poses (ver. 12 15) that the conversion 
 of the Jews will have an important in 
 fluence in extending the gospel among 
 the Gentiles. Probably the meaning is, 
 that this blindness is to continue until 
 great numbers of the Gentiles shall be 
 converted ; until the gospel shall be ex 
 tensively spread ; and then the conver 
 sion of the Jews will be a part of the 
 rapid spread of the gospel, and will be 
 among the most efficient and important 
 aids in completing the work. If this is 
 the case, then Christians may labour 
 still for their conversion. They may 
 seek that in connexion with the effort 
 to convert the heathen ; and they may 
 toil with the expectation that the con 
 version of the Jews and Gentiles will 
 not be separate, independent, and dis 
 tinct events ; but will be intermingled, 
 and will be perhaps simultaneous. The 
 word fulness may denote such a gene 
 ral turning to God, without affirming 
 that each individual shall be thus con 
 verted to the Christian faith. 
 
 26. And so. That is, in this man 
 ner; or when the great abundance of 
 
 saved : as it is written, * There 
 shall come out of Sion the De 
 liverer, and shall turn away un 
 godliness from Jacob : 
 
 the Gentiles shall be converted, then al! 
 Israel shall be saved. H Ml Israel. 
 All the Jews. It was a maxim among 
 the Jews that " every Israelite should 
 have part in the future age." (Grotins.) 
 The apostle applies that maxim to his 
 own purpose ; and declares the sense in 
 which it wouJd be true. He does not 
 mean to say that every Jew of every 
 age would be saved ; for he had proved 
 that a large portion of them would be, 
 in his time, rejected and lost. But the 
 time would come when, as a people, 
 they would be recovered ; when the 
 nation would turn to God ; and when 
 it could be said of them that, as a na 
 tion, they were restored to the divine 
 favour. It is not clear that he means 
 that even then every individual of 
 them would be saved, but the body 
 of them ; the great mass of the nation 
 would be. Nor is it said -when this 
 would be. This is one of the things 
 which " the Father hath put in his own 
 power." Acts i. 7. He has given us 
 the assurance that it shall be done to 
 encourage us in our efforts to save 
 them ; and he has concealed the time 
 when it shall be, lest we should relax 
 our efforts, or feel that no exertions 
 were needed to accomplish what must 
 take place at a fixed time. TJ Shall be 
 saved. Shall be recovered from their 
 rejection ; be restored to the divine 
 favour ; become followers of the Mes 
 siah, and thus be saved as all other 
 Christians are. ^ Jis it is written. 
 Isa. lix. 20. The quotation is not 
 literally made, but the sense of the 
 passage is preserved. The Hebrew is, 
 " There shall come to Zion a Redeem 
 er, and for those who turn from ungod 
 liness in Jacob." There can be no 
 doubt that Isaiah refers here to the 
 times of the gospel. T Out of Zion. 
 Zion was one of the hills of Jerusalem. 
 On this was built the city of David It 
 came thus to denote, in general, the 
 
246 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 I A. D. 
 
 27 For * this is my covenant 
 
 unto them, when 
 away their sins. 
 
 I shall take 
 
 a Jer.31.31,&c. Heb.10.16. 
 
 church, or people of God. And when 
 it is said that the Redeemer should 
 come out of Zion, it means that he 
 should arise among that people, be de 
 scended from themselves, or should not 
 be a foreigner. The LXX. however 
 render it, " the Redeemer shall come 
 on a ount of Zion." So the Chaldee 
 paraphrase, and the Latin Vulgate. 
 1 And shall turn away, &c. The 
 Hebrew is, " to those forsaking ungod 
 liness in Jacob." The Septuagint has 
 rendered it in the same manner as the 
 apostle. 
 
 27. For this is my covenant, &c. 
 This expression is found immediately 
 following the other in Isa. lix. 21. But 
 the apostle connects with it a part of 
 another promise taken from Jer. xxxi. 
 33, 34 ; or rather he abridges that 
 promise, and expresses its substance, 
 by adding " when I shall take away 
 their sins." It is clear that he intended 
 to express the general sense of the 
 promises, as they were well known to 
 the Jews, and as it was a point con 
 cerning which he did not need to ar 
 gue or reason with them, that God had 
 made a covenant with them, and in 
 tended to restore them if they were 
 cast off, and should then repent and 
 turn to him. The time and manner 
 in which this shall be, is not revealed. 
 It may be remarked, however, that that 
 passage does not mean that the Re 
 deemer shall come personally and 
 preach to them, or reappear for the 
 purpose of recalling them to himself; 
 nor does it mean that they will be re 
 stored to the land of their fathers. 
 Neither of these ideas is contained in 
 the passage. God will doubtless con 
 vert the Jews, as he does the Gentiles, 
 iy human means, and in connexion 
 with the prayers of his people ; so that 
 the Gentiles shall yet repay the toil 
 arid care of the ancient Jews in pre 
 serving the Scriptures, and preparing 
 
 28 As concerning the gospel, 
 they are enemies for your 
 sakes : but as touching the elec- 
 
 the way for the Messiah ; and both 
 shall rejoice that they were made helps 
 in spreading the knowledge of the 
 Messiah. 
 
 28. As concerning the gospel. So 
 far as the gospel is concerned ; or, in 
 order to promote its extension and 
 spread through the earth. Tf They are 
 enemies. The word enemies here 
 stands opposed to " beloved ;" and as 
 in one respect, to wit, on account of 
 " election," they were still beloved, i. e. 
 beloved by God, so in another re 
 spect they were his enemies, i. c. op 
 posed to him, or cast off frcm him. 
 The enemies of God denote all who 
 are not his true friends. Col. i. 21. 
 Rom v. 10. Comp. ver. 8. The word 
 here is applied to the Jews because 
 they had rejected the Messiah ; had 
 become opposed to God ; and were 
 therefore rejected by him. 1 For your 
 sakes. For your advantage. Their 
 rejection has become the occasion by 
 which the gospel has been preached to 
 you. Comp. ver. 11. 19, 20. 1 As 
 touching the election. So far as the 
 purpose of election is concerned. That 
 is, the election of their fathers and of 
 the nation to be the peculiar people of 
 God. \ They are beloved. God 
 still regards them with interest; has 
 purposes of mercy towards them ; in 
 tends still to do them good. This does 
 not mean that he approved of their 
 conduct or character, or that he had 
 for them the same kind of affection 
 which he would have had if they had 
 been obedient God does not love a 
 sinful character ; but he may have still 
 purposes of mercy, and regard men 
 with deep interest on whom he intends 
 yet to bestow mercy. ^ For the fa 
 thers sakes. Comp. Deut. x. 15. He 
 had chosen their fathers to be his peculiar 
 people. He had made many promises 
 to Abraham respecting his seed, and 
 extended these promises to hit, remotest 
 
A. D. ;n/j 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 247 
 
 tion, they are beloved * for the 
 
 fathers sakes. 
 
 a Deut.10.15. 
 
 posterity. Though salvation is by 
 grace, and not from human merit, yet 
 God has respect to his covenant made 
 with the fathers, and will not forget 
 his promises. It is not on account of 
 any merit of the fathers or of ancient 
 saints, but solely because God had 
 made a covenant with them ; and this 
 purpose of election would be manifest 
 to their children in the latest times. 
 As those contemplated in the covenant 
 made with Abraham, God retained for 
 them feelings of peculiar interest ; and 
 designed their recovery to himself. It 
 is clear here that the word election 
 does not refer to external privileges; 
 for Paul is not teaching the doctrine 
 that they shall be restored to the exter 
 nal privileges of Jews, but that they 
 shall be truly converted to God. Yet 
 this should not be abused by others to 
 lead them to security in sin. No man 
 has any security of happiness, and of 
 the favour of God, but he who com 
 plies with the terms of his mercy. His 
 commands are explicit to repent and 
 believe, nor can there be safety except 
 in entire compliance with the terms on 
 which he is willing to bestow eternal life. 
 29. For the gifts. The favours or 
 benefits which God bestows on men. 
 The word ^^tV/u* properly denotes 
 any benefit which is conferred on an 
 other as a mere matter of favour, and 
 not of reward. See Rom. v. 15, 16 ; 
 vi. 23. Such are all the favours which 
 God bestows on sinners, including par 
 don, peace, joy, sanctification, and eter 
 nal life. ^ And calling of God. The 
 word calling (x,x<ri<;} here denotes that 
 act of God by which he extends an in- 
 vitation to men to come and partake of 
 his favours, whether it be by a personal 
 revelation as to the patriarchs, or by the 
 promises of the gospel, or by the influ 
 ences of his Spirit. All such invita 
 tions or callings imply a pledge that 
 he will bestow the favour, and will not 
 repent, or turn from it. God never 
 draws or invites sinners to himself 
 
 29 For the gifts and calling 
 of God are without 6 repentance. 
 
 b Num.23.19. 
 
 without being willing to bestow par 
 don and eternal life. The word call 
 ing here, therefore, has not respect to 
 external privileges, but to that choosing 
 | of a sinner, and influencing him to 
 come to God, which is connected with 
 I eternal life. ^ Without repentance 
 | This does not refer to man, but to God. 
 j It does not mean that God confers his 
 I favours on man without his exercising 
 i repentance, but that God does not re 
 pent, or change, in his purposes of be 
 stowing his gifts on man. What he 
 promises he will fulfil ; what he pur 
 poses to do, he will not change from 
 or repent of. As he made piomises to 
 I the fathers, he will not repent of them, 
 and will not depart from them ; they 
 shall all be fulfilled ; and thus it was 
 certain that the ancient people of God, 
 ! though many of them had become re- 
 | bellious, and had been cast off, should 
 not be forgotten- and abandoned. This 
 is a general proposition respecting 
 God, and one repeatedly made of him 
 in the Scriptures. See Num. xxiii. 19, 
 " God is not a man, that he should lie ; 
 neither the son of man, that he should 
 repent : hath he not said, and shall he 
 not doit? orhathhe spoken, and shall 
 he not make it good 1" Ezek. xxiv. 14. 
 1 Sam. xv. 29. Ps. Ixxxix. 35, 36. 
 Tit. i. 2. Heb. vi, 18. James i. 17. It 
 follows from this, (1.) That all the 
 promises made to the people of God 
 shall be fulfilled. (2.) That his peo 
 ple need not be discouraged or de 
 sponding, in times of persecution 
 and trial. (3.) That none who be 
 come his true friends will be for 
 saken, or cast off. God does not be 
 stow the gift of repentance and faith, 
 of pardon and peace, on men, for a 
 temporary purpose ; nor does he ca 
 priciously withdraw them, and leave 
 the soul to ruin. When he renews a 
 soul, it is with reference to his own 
 glory ; and to withdraw those favours, 
 and leave such a soul once renewed to 
 I go down to hell, would he as much a 
 
>48 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A D. 60 
 
 30 For as ye in times a past 
 have not believed * God, yet 
 have now obtained mercy through 
 their unbelief: 
 
 31 Even so have these also 
 now not believed, 1 that through 
 
 a Eph.2.2. i or, ibtytd. 
 
 violation of all the principles of his na 
 ture as it would be to all the promises 
 of the Scripture. (4.) For God to 
 forsake such a soul, and leave it to 
 ruin, would imply that he did repent. 
 It would suppose a change of purpose 
 and of feeling. It would be the cha 
 racter of a capricious being, with no 
 settled plan or principles of action ; no 
 confidence could be reposed in him, 
 and his government would be unwor 
 thy the affections and trust of his in 
 telligent creation. 
 
 30. For as ye. You who were 
 Gentiles. ^ In times past. Before 
 the gospel was preached. This refers 
 to the former idolatrous and sinful state 
 of the heathen world. Comp. Eph. ii. 
 2. Acts xiv. 16. Tf Have not believed 
 God. Or have not obeyed God. This 
 was the character of all the heathen 
 nations. 1 Yet have no-u> obtained 
 mercy. Have been pardoned and ad 
 mitted to the favour of God. 1 Through 
 their unbelief. By means of the un 
 belief and rejection of the Jews. See 
 Note on ver. 11. 
 
 31. Even so have these, &c. That 
 is, the Jews. ^ That through your 
 mercy, &c. The immediate effect of 
 the unbelief of the Jews was to confer 
 salvation on the Gentiles, or to open 
 the way for the preaching of the gospel 
 to them. But its remote effect would 
 be to secure the preaching of the gos 
 pel again to the Jews. Through the 
 mercy, that is, the compassion or 
 deep feeling of the converted Gentiles ; 
 through the deep and tender pity which 
 they would feel for the blinded and de 
 graded Jews; the gospel should be again 
 carried to them, and they should be 
 recalled to the long lost favour of God. 
 Each party should thus cause salvation 
 to come to the other the Jews to ihe 
 
 your mercy they alst may ob 
 tain mercy. 
 
 32 For God b hath 9 con- 
 eluded them all in unbelief, that 
 he might have mercy upon 
 all. 
 
 b c.3.33. Gal.3.22. a or, ihut them all up togeiter. 
 
 Gentiles by their unbelief; but the 
 Gentiles, in their turn, to the Jews by 
 their belief. We may here learn, (1.) 
 That the Jews are to be converted by 
 the instrumentality of the Gentiles. It 
 is not to be by miracle, but by the re 
 gular and common way in which God 
 blesses men. (2.) That this is to be 
 done by the mercy, or compassion of 
 the Gentiles ; by their taking pity on 
 the lost and wretched condition of the 
 Jewish people. (3.) It is to be when 
 the abundance of the Gentiles that 
 is, when great numbers of the Gentiles 
 shall be called in. It may be asked 
 here whether the time is not approaching 
 for the Gentiles to make efforts to bring 
 the Jews to the knowledge of the Mes 
 siah. Hitherto those efforts have been 
 unsuccessful ; but it will not always be 
 so ; the time is coming when the pro 
 mises of God in regard to them shall 
 be fulfilled. Christians shall be moved 
 with deep compassion for the degraded 
 and forsaken Jews, and they shall be 
 called into the kingdom of God, arid 
 made efficient agents in extending the 
 gospel through the whole world. May 
 the time soon come when they shall 
 feel as they should, for the rejected and 
 forsaken children of Abraham, and 
 when their labours for their conversion 
 shall be attended with success. 
 
 32. For God hath concluded, &c. 
 The word here translated " concluded" 
 (finixHUft), is rendered in the margin 
 " shut them all up together." It is pro 
 perly used in reference to those who 
 are shut up in prison, or to those in a 
 city who are shut up by a besieging 
 army. 1 Mace. v. 5; vi. 18; xi. 65; 
 xv. 25. Josh. vi. 6. Isa. xlv. 1. It ts 
 used in the New Testament of jfish 
 taken in a net. Luke v. 6, " They en 
 closed a great multitude of fishes." 
 
A.. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 249 
 
 33 O * the depth of the riches 
 both of the wisdom and know 
 ledge of God ! How unsearch- 
 
 Gal. iii. 22, " But the Scripture hath 
 concluded all under sin, that the pro 
 mise," &c. In this place the Scripture 
 is declared to have shut them up under 
 sin, i. e. declared them to be sinners ; 
 gave no hope of rescue by any works 
 of their own ; and thus kept them (ver. 
 23) " shut up unto the faith which 
 should afterwards be revealed." All 
 are represented, therefore, as in prison, 
 enclosed or confined by God, and to be 
 liberated only in his own way and 
 time. In regard to the agency of God 
 in this, we may remark, (1.) That the 
 word does not mean that God compelled 
 them to disbelieve the gospel. When, 
 in Gal. iii. 22, the Scripture is said to 
 have included all under sin, it is not 
 meant that the Scripture compelled 
 them not to believe. (2.) The word 
 does not imply that the sin and 
 unbelief for which they were shut up 
 were not voluntary. Even when a man 
 is committed to prison, the crime which 
 brought him there is voluntary, and for 
 it he is responsible. (3.) The keeper 
 of a prison does no wrong in confining 
 a criminal ; or the judge in condemn- 
 .ng him ; or the executioner in fulfilling 
 the sentence of the law. So of God. 
 What he does is not to compel men to 
 remain under unbelief, but to declare 
 that they are so ; so to encompass them 
 with the proof of it that they shall re 
 alize that there is no escape from the 
 evidence of it, and thus to press on 
 them the evidence of their need of a 
 Saviour. This he does in relajtion to 
 all sinners who ever become converted. 
 (4.) Yet God permitted this ; suffered 
 Jews and Gentiles to fall into unbelief, 
 and to be concluded under it, because 
 he had a special purpose to answer in 
 leaving man to the power of sin and 
 unbelief. One of thore purposes was, 
 doubtless, to manifest the power of his 
 grace and mercy in the plan of redemp- 
 
 rtion. (5.) In all this, and in all other 
 sin, man is voluntary. He chooses his 
 tunise of evil, and God is under no 
 
 able b are his judgments, and his 
 ways past finding out ! 
 
 a Ps.l07.8,&c. 
 
 b Job 11. 7. Ps.92.5. 
 
 obligation to compel him to do other 
 wise. Being under unbelief, God de 
 clares the fi.ct, and avails himself of 
 it, in the plan of salvation by grace. 
 I Them all. Both Jews and Gentiles. 
 1 In unbelief (f). Unto unbelief. 
 He has delivered them over unto unbe 
 lief, as a man is delivered over into pri 
 son. This is the literal meaning of the 
 expression. ^ That he might have 
 mercy upon all. Mercy is favour 
 shown to the undeserving. It could not 
 have been shown to the Jews and the 
 Gentiles unless it was before proved that 
 they were guilty. For this purpose 
 proof was furnished that they were all 
 in unbelief. It was clear, therefore, 
 that if favour was shown to either, it 
 must be on the same ground, that of 
 mere undeserved mercy. Thus all men 
 were on a level ; and thus all might be 
 admitted to heaven without any invidi 
 ous distinctions, or any dealings that 
 were not in accordance with mercy and 
 love. " The emphasis in this verse is 
 on the word MKHCT. It signifies that 
 God is under obligation to no one, and 
 therefore that all are saved by grace, 
 because all are equally ruined." ( Cal 
 vin.*) It does not prove that all men 
 will be saved ; but that those who are 
 saved shall be alike saved by the mercy 
 of God ; and that He intends to confer 
 salvation on Jews and Gentiles on the 
 same terms. This is properly the close 
 of the argument of this epistle. By 
 several independent trains of reason 
 ing, the apostle had come to the same 
 conclusion, that the Jews had no pecu 
 liar privileges i.n regard to religion, that 
 all men were on a level, and that there 
 was no hope of salvation for any but in 
 the mercy of a sovereign God. This 
 conclusion, and the wonderful train ol 
 events which had led to this state of 
 things, give rise to the exclamations 
 and ascriptions of praise with which 
 the chapter closes. 
 
 33. O the depth, &c. This passa& 3 
 should have been translated " O tha 
 
250 
 
 tlepth of the riches, and of the wis 
 dom, and of the knowledge of God." 
 The apostle has three subjects of admi 
 ration. Our translation, by the word 
 " both" introduced here, confines it to 
 two. The apostle wishes to express 
 his admiration of the riches and the 
 wisdom, and the knowledge of God. 
 So the Syriac, Arabic, &c. Our trans 
 lation has followed the Latin Vulgate. 
 The word depth is applied in the Scrip 
 tures to any thing vast and incompre 
 hensible. As the abyss or the ocean 
 is unfathomable, so the word comes to 
 denote that which words cannot ex- 
 proas, or that which we cannot compre 
 hend. Ps. xxxvi. 6, " Thy judgments 
 are a great deep." 1 Cor. ii. 10, " The 
 Spirit searcheth. . . .the deep things of 
 God." Rev. ii. 24, " The depths of Sa 
 tan" the deep, profound cunning and 
 wicked plans of Satan. \ Riches. See 
 Note, ver. 12. The word denotes the 
 abundant blessings and mercies which 
 had been conferred on sinful men by 
 the gospel. These were vast and won 
 derful. The pardon of sin ; the atone 
 ment ; the hope of heaven ; the peace 
 of the gospel ; all bestowed on the sin 
 ful, the poor, the wretched, and the 
 dying, all bespeak the great mercy and 
 rich grace of God. So every pardoned 
 sinner may still exclaim. The grace 
 of God which pardons him is felt to be 
 indeed wonderful, and past comprehen 
 sion. It is beyond the power of lan 
 guage to express ; and all that the 
 Christian can do, is to follow the ex 
 ample of the apostle, and sit down in 
 profound admiration of the rich grace 
 of God. The expression " the depth 
 of the riches" is a Hebraism, meaning 
 the deep or profound riches, t The 
 wisdom. Wisdom is the choice of the 
 best means to accomplish the best ends. 
 The end or design which God had in 
 view was to bestow mercy on all ; i. e. 
 to save men by grace, and not by their 
 own works, vsr. 32. He intended to 
 establish a glorious system that should 
 present his mercy as the prominent 
 attribute, standing out in living colours 
 n all the scheme of salvation. This 
 jvas to be alike shown in relation to 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 Jews and Gentiles. The wonderful 
 wisdom with which this was done, is 
 the object of the apostle s profound ad 
 miration. This wisdom was seen, (1.) 
 In adapting the plan to the condition 
 ofraan. All were sinners. The apos 
 tie in this epistle has fully shown that 
 all had come short of the glory of God. 
 Man had no power to save himself by 
 his own wisdom. The Jews and Gen 
 tiles in different ways had sought to 
 justify themselves, and had both failed. 
 God had suffered both to make the ex 
 periment in the most favourable cir 
 cumstances. He had left the world 
 for four thousand years to make tho 
 trial, and then introduced the plan 
 of divine wisdom, just so as to meet 
 the manifest wants and woes of men. 
 (2.) This was shown in his making 
 the Jews the occasion of spread 
 ing the system among the Gentiles. 
 They were cast off, and rejected ; but 
 the God of wisdom had made even 
 this an occasion of spreading his truth. 
 (3.) The same wisdom was yet to be 
 seen in his appointing the Gentiles to 
 carry the gospel back to the Jews. 
 Thus they were to be mutual aids ; 
 until all their interests should be blend 
 ed, and the entire race should be united 
 in the love of the same gospel, and the 
 service of the same God and Saviour. 
 When, therefore, this profound and 
 wonderful plan is contemplated, and 
 its history traced" from the commence 
 ment to the end of time, no wonder 
 that the apostle was fixed in admira 
 tion at the amazing wisdom of him 
 who devised it, and who has made all 
 events subservient to its establishment 
 and spread among men. ^ And know 
 ledge. That is, foreknowledge, or 
 omniscience. This knowledge was 
 manifest, (1.) In the profound view of 
 man, and acquaintance with all his 
 wants and woes. (2.) In a view of the 
 precise scheme that would be fitted to 
 recover and save. (3.) In a view of 
 the time and circumstances in which it, 
 would be best to introduce the scheme. 
 (4.) In a discernment of the effect of 
 the rejection of the Jews, and of tLc 
 preaching of the gospel among the 
 
A. D. GO.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 34 For a who hath known the 
 mind of the Lord ? or who hath 
 been his counsellor ? 
 
 a Isa 40.13. Jer.23.13. 
 
 Gentiles. Who but God could see that 
 such effects would follow the rejection 
 of the Jews? Who but he could know 
 that the gospel should yet prevail 
 among all the nations 1 We have only 
 to think of the changes in human 
 affairs ; the obstacles to the gospel ; the 
 difficulties to be surmounted ; and the 
 vast work yet to be done, to be amazed 
 at the knowledge which can adapt 
 such a scheme to men, and which can 
 certainly predict its complete and final 
 spread among all the families of man. 
 K Ho-w unsearchable. The word un 
 searchable means that which cannot 
 be investigated or fully understood. 
 t His judgments. This word in this 
 place evidently means his arrange 
 ment, his plan, or proceeding. It 
 sometimes refers to laws ; at other 
 times to the decision or determination 
 of God ; at others to the inflictions of 
 his justice. In this last sense it is now 
 commonly used. But in the case be 
 fore us, it means his arrangements for 
 conferring the gospel on men. Comp. 
 Ps. xxxvi. 7, " His judgments are a 
 great deep." % His -ways. The word 
 rendered ways properly denotes a. path, 
 or i oad on which one travels. Hence 
 it comes also to denote the course or 
 manner of life in which one moves ; or 
 his principles, or morals ; his doctrine, 
 or teaching, &c. Applied to God, it de 
 notes his mode or manner of doing 
 things; the order, &c. of his divine 
 Providence ; his movements, in his 
 great plans, through the universe. Acts 
 xiii. 10, " Wilt thou not cease to per 
 vert the right -ways of the Lord!" to 
 oppose, or to render vain, his plan of 
 guiding and saving man. Heb. iii. 10, 
 " They have not known my ways." 
 Ps. Ixxvii. 19, "Thy way is in the 
 sea, thy footsteps are not known." 
 Here it refers particularly to his -way 
 or plan of bringing all nations within 
 the reach of his mercy in the gospel. 
 f Past finding out. Literally, which 
 
 35 Or J who hath fiist given 
 to him, and it shall be recom 
 pensed unto him again ? 
 
 cannot be tracked or traced out. The 
 footsteps cannot be followed. As if his 
 path were in the sea (Ps. Ixvii. 19), 
 and the waves closed immediately, 
 leaving no track, it cannot be follow 
 ed or sought out. It is known that he 
 has passed, but there is no way of 
 tracing his goings. This is a beautiful 
 and m striking figure. It denotes that 
 God s plans are deep, and beyond our 
 comprehension. We can see the proofs 
 that he is every where ; but hoiv it is, 
 we cannot comprehend. We are per 
 mitted to see the vast movements 
 around us ; but the invisible hand we 
 cannot see, nor trace the footsteps of 
 that mighty God who performs his 
 wonders on the ocean and on the land. 
 
 34. For -who hath knotvn ? &c. 
 This verse is a quotation, with a 
 slight change, from Isa. xl. 13, " Who 
 hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, 
 or being his counsellor hath taught 
 him !" It is designed to express the 
 infinite wisdom and knowledge of 
 God, by affirming that no being could 
 teach him, or counsel him. Earthly 
 monarchs have counsellors of state, 
 whom they may consult in times of 
 perplexity or danger. But God has no 
 such council. He sits alone ; nor does 
 he call in any or all of his creatures to 
 advise him. All created beings are 
 not qualified to contribute any thing to 
 enlighten or to direct him. It is also 
 designed to silence all opposition to his 
 plans, and to hush all murmurings. 
 The apostle had proved that this -was 
 the plan of God. However mysterious 
 and inscrutable it might appear to the 
 Jew or the Gentile, yet it wa? his 
 duty to submit to God, and to confide 
 in his wisdom, though he was not able 
 to trace the reason of his doings. 
 
 35. Or -who hath, &c. The senti 
 ment in this verse is found substantially 
 in Job xli. 11, "Who hath prevented 
 me, that I should repay him." The 
 Hebrew word " prevented" mean- to 
 
252 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 30 For * of him, and through 
 him, and to him, are all things: 
 
 lCor.8.6. Ccl.1.16. 
 
 anticipate, to o before ; and God usks 
 " who has anticipated me ; who has 
 conferred favours on me before I have 
 on him ; who has thus laid me under 
 ub.igation to him." This is the sense 
 in which the apostle uses the word 
 hero. "Who has, by his services, laid 
 God under obligation to recompense or 
 pay him again 1 It is added in Job, 
 " Whatsoever is under the whole hea 
 ven is mine." Thus Paul, contrary 
 to the prevailing doctrine of the Jews, 
 shows that no one could plead his own 
 merits, or advance with a claim on 
 God. All the favours of salvation must 
 t>e bestowed by mercy or grace. God 
 owned them all ; and he had a right 
 to bestow them when and where he 
 pleased. The same claim to all things 
 is repeatedly made by God. Ex. xix. 
 5. Deut. x. 14. Ps. xxiv. 1 ; 1. 12. 
 t Shall be recompensed. Repaid as a 
 matter of debt. None of God s mer 
 cies can be conferred in that way ; if 
 tney could, man could bring God under 
 obligation, and destroy the freeness and 
 benevolence of his favours. 
 
 36. For of him (tjfa.urov ). Comp. 1 
 Cor. i. 30 ; viii. 6. This expression 
 doubtless means that he is the original 
 source and fountain of all blessings. 
 He is the Creator of all, the rich " foun 
 tain from which all streams of existence 
 take their rise." The design of this 
 verse is to show that no creature has 
 any claim on God. Jews and Gentiles 
 must alike receive salvation on the 
 ground of his mercy. So far from 
 naving a claim on God, the apostle 
 nere affirms that all things have come 
 from him, and therefore all must be 
 derived to us. Nothing has been pro 
 duced by chance, or hap-hazard ; no 
 thing by created skill or might. All 
 has been formed by God.; and there 
 fore he has a right to dispose of all. 
 ^ *itid through him (Ji sti/rcy). That 
 s, by his immediate operating agency. 
 The former expression, " of him," af 
 drmed that he was the original source 
 
 to 4 whom be glory for ever, 
 Arnen. 
 
 of all things ; this declares that all are 
 by him, or through him, as their imme 
 diate cause. It is not merely by liis 
 plan or purpose ; it is by his agency, 
 by the direct exertion of his power in 
 their creation and bestowment. By 
 his power they are still directed and 
 controlled. Human agency, therefoie, 
 could not lay him under any obliga 
 tion. He does not need the aid of 
 man ; and he did not call in that aid 
 in the creation and government of the 
 world. He is the independent Creator 
 and Lord, and on him none can have a 
 claim. Tf To him (f a.vror) This 
 expression denotes the final cause, 
 the reason or end for which all things 
 were formed. It is to promote his ho 
 nour and glory. It is to manifest his 
 praise, or to give a proper putting forth 
 of the glorious attributes of God ; that 
 the exceeding greatness, and goodness, 
 and grandeur of his character might be 
 evinced. It is not to promote his hap 
 piness, for he was eternally happy ; not 
 to add any thing to him, for he is infi 
 nite ; but that he might act as God, 
 and have the honour and praise that is 
 due to God. As this was the design 
 of all things, so it followed that the be 
 stowment of his favours must be in ac 
 cordance with this in such a way as 
 to promote his glory ; and not so as to 
 consult the feelings or views of either 
 Jews or Gentiles. ^ Ml things. The 
 universe ; the creation, or still more 
 particularly, the things of which the 
 apostle is discoursing. He does not 
 affirm that he is the author of sin or 
 of sinful thoughts ; not that he creates 
 evil, or that evil is designed to promote 
 his glory. The apostle is not discours 
 ing of these, but of his method of be 
 stowing his favours ; and he says that 
 these are to be conferred in such a way 
 as to promote his honour, and to de 
 clare the praise of him who is the ori 
 ginal source, the creator, and the pro 
 prietor of all things. ^ To -whom be 
 glory. This ascription of praise is the 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 253 
 
 appropriate close of the argumentative 
 part of the epistle, as well as appro 
 priate to the train of remarks into which 
 the apostle had fallen. It expresses 
 his hearty amen in concurrence with 
 this view ; the deep desire of a pious 
 man that all might be to God s glory 
 and honour. He had not merely come 
 to it by reasoning, but it was the sin 
 cere desire of his soul that it might be 
 go. The Christian does not merely 
 admit this doctrine ; he is not merely 
 driven to it by argument, but it finds a 
 hearty response in his bosom. He re 
 joices in it ; and sincerely desires that 
 nil may be to the honour of God. 
 Sinners are often compelled by argu 
 ment to a dmit it, but they do not love 
 it. They would rejoice were it other 
 wise, and be glad if they were permit 
 ted rather to seek their own glory 
 than that of the living God. \ Glory. 
 Praise, honour. ^ For ever. Not 
 merely amid transitory events now, 
 but ever onward to eternity. This 
 will be the case. There never will be 
 a time when the affairs of the universe 
 shall not be conducted with reference 
 to the glory of God. That honour and 
 glory shall shine brighter and brighter, 
 and all worlds shall be perfectly adapted 
 to show his praise, and to evince his 
 greatness, goodness, power, and love 
 for ever and ever. Thus let it be, is 
 the language of every one that truly 
 loves him. 
 
 This closes the argumentative part 
 of the epistle. From the close of this 
 chapter we may make the following 
 observations. 
 
 1. God is infinitely wise, and just, 
 and good. This is seen in all his 
 plans and doings, and especially in the 
 glorious plan of saving men. 
 
 2. It becomes man to be humble. 
 He can see but few of the reasons 
 of the doings of an infinite God. He 
 is not qualified to sit in judgment on 
 his plans. He is not fitted to arraign 
 him. There is nothing more absurt 
 than for a man to contend with God, 
 or to find fault \rith his plans; and 
 yet there is nothing more common. 
 Mar, speaks, and thinks, and reasons 
 
 Y 
 
 on the great things peitaininp to the 
 divine mind and plan, as if he were 
 qualified to counsel the being of infinite 
 wisdom, and to arraign at the bar of his 
 own reason the being of infinite good 
 ness. 
 
 3. It is our duty to be submissive to 
 God. His plans may often require 
 him to cross the path of our pleasures, 
 or to remove some of our enjovments. 
 He tries us by requiring us to put con 
 fidence in him where we cannot see 
 the reason of his doings, and to believe 
 that he is qualified for universal empire. 
 In all such cases it is our duty to submit 
 to his will. He is seeking a grander 
 and nobler object than our private 
 good. He is seeking the welfare of a 
 vast universe ; and he best knows in 
 what way that can be promoted. 
 
 4. God is the creator and proprietor 
 of all things. It would be possible to 
 prove this from his works. But his 
 word unequivocally asserts it. He has 
 formed, and he upholds, and he directs 
 all things for his glory. He who form 
 ed all has a right to all. He who is 
 the source of life has the right to di 
 rect it, or to withdraw the gift. He 
 on whom all depend has a right to 
 homage and praise. 
 
 5. He has formed a universe that is 
 eminently adapted to declare his glory 
 It evinces infinite power in its crea 
 tion ; and it is fitted to fill the mind 
 with ever growing wonder and gladness 
 in its contemplation. The sacred wri 
 ters were filled with rapture when they 
 contemplated it ; and all the discove 
 ries of astronomy, and geology, and 
 science in general, in modern times, 
 are fitted to carry forward the wonder, 
 and fill the lips with new expressions 
 of praise. The universe is vast and 
 grand enough to occupy the thoughts 
 for ever. How little do we know of the 
 wcnders of his creation, even pertain 
 ing to this little world ; to our own 
 bodies and souls; to the earth, the 
 ocean, the beast and the reptile, the 
 bird and the insect ; how much less of 
 
 j that amazing vi<;w of worlds and sys 
 tems which modern astronomy has 
 opened to our veiw , the vast starry 
 
254 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 LA. D. 60 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BESEECH 
 
 you 
 
 therefore. 
 
 brethren, by the mercies of 
 
 God, that ye present your bo 
 
 dies * a living sacrifice, holy, 
 acceptable unto God, which is 
 your reasonable service. 
 
 a lCcr.6. 15-20. 
 
 frame which the eye can penetrate 
 for millions and millions of miles, and 
 where it finds world piled on world, 
 and system rising above system, in 
 wonderful order and grandeur, and 
 where the utmost power of the tele 
 scope can as yet find no bounds. 
 
 6. Equally true is this in his moral 
 government. The system is such as 
 to excite our wonder and praise. The 
 creation and control of free, and active, 
 and mighty minds is as wonderful as 
 the creation and control of matter, even 
 the vast masses of the planetary sys 
 tems. Creation is filled with minds. 
 God has peopled the worlds with con 
 scious, free, arid active intelligences. 
 The wonderful wisdom by which he 
 controls them ; the amazing moral pow 
 er by which he guards and binds them 
 to himself, by which he restrains and 
 awes the rebellious ; and the complete 
 subjection by which he will bring all 
 yet at his feet, is as much replete with 
 wonder as the wisdom and skill by 
 which he framed the heavens. To 
 govern mind requires more wisdom 
 and skill than to govern matter. To 
 control angels and men evinces more 
 glory than to roll the streams or the 
 ocean, or than to propel and guide the 
 planets. And especially is this true of 
 the plan of salvation. That wondrous 
 scheme is adapted to call forth eternal 
 praise, and to show for ever the wis 
 dom and mercv of God Without such 
 a plan, we cannot see now the Divinity 
 could be fully manifested ; with that, 
 we see God as God, vast, grand, mighty, 
 infinite ; but still seeking to do good, 
 and having power to enter any vast 
 mass of iniquity, and to diffuse purity 
 and peace over the face of an alienated 
 and dying world. 
 
 7. The salvation of sinners is not to 
 promote their own glory primarily, but 
 hat of God " He is first, and he last ; 
 he is midst, and without end," ; .n their 
 
 salvation. God seeks his own honour 
 and seeks it by their return and theii 
 obedience. But if they -will not pro 
 mote his glory in that way, they must 
 be made to promote it in their ruin. 
 
 8. It is the duty of men to seek the 
 honour of this infinitely wise and holy 
 God. It commends itself to every man s 
 conscience. God has formed us all; 
 and man can have no higher destiny 
 and honour than to be permitted to 
 promote and spread abroad through all 
 the universe the knowledge of a Being 
 whose character is infinitely lovely, 
 whose government is right, and whose 
 presence and favour will diffuse bless 
 ings of salvation and eternal peace on all 
 the wide creation that will be obedient 
 to his will. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 1. I beseech you. The apostle, hav 
 ing finished the argument of this epis 
 tle, proceeds now to close it with a 
 practical or hortatory application, 
 showing its bearing on the duties of 
 life, and the practical influence of reli 
 gion. None of the doctrines of the 
 gospel are designed to be cold and bar 
 ren speculations. They bear on the 
 hearts and lives of men ; and the apos 
 tle therefore calls on those to whom he 
 wrote to dedicate themselves without 
 reserve unto God. t Therefore. As 
 the effect or result of the argument or 
 doctrine. In other words, the whole 
 argument of the eleven first chapters is 
 fitted to show the obligation on us to 
 devote ourselves to God. From expres 
 sions like these, it is clear that the apos 
 tle never supposed that the tendency 
 of the doctrines of grace was to lead to 
 licentiousness. Many nave affirmed 
 that such was the tendency of the doc 
 trines of justification by faith, of elec 
 tion and decrees, and of the perseve 
 rance of the saints. But it is plain that 
 Paul had no such apprehensions. Af 
 ter Waving fully uted ami established 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 255 
 
 those doctrines, he concludes that we 
 ought therefore to lead holy lives, and 
 on the ground of them he exhorts men 
 to do it. Tf By the mercies of God. 
 The word by (fix.} denotes here the 
 reason why they should do it, or the 
 ground of appeal. So great had been 
 the mercy of God, that this constituted 
 a reason toliy they should present their 
 bodies, &c. See 1 Cor. i. 10. Rom. 
 xv. 30. The word mercies here denotes 
 favour shown to the undeserving, or 
 kindness, compassion, &c. The plural 
 is used in imitation of the Hebrew word 
 for mercy, which has no singular. The 
 word is not often used in the New Tes 
 tament. See 2 Cor. i. 3, where God is 
 called " the Father of mercies." Phil. 
 ii. 1. Col. iii. 12. Heb. x. 28. The 
 particular mercy to which the apostle 
 here refers, is that shown to those" 
 whom he was addressing. He had 
 proved that all were by nature under 
 sin ; that they had no claim on God ; 
 and that he had showed great compas 
 sion in giving his Son to die for them 
 in this state, and in pardoning their 
 sins. This was a ground or reason 
 why they should devote themselves to 
 God. ^ That ye present. The word 
 used here commonly denotes the 
 action of bringing and presenting an 
 animal or other sacrifice before an 
 altar. It implies that the action was a 
 free and voluntary offering. Religion 
 is free; and the act of devoting our 
 selves to God is one of the most free 
 that we ever perform. ^ Your bodies. 
 The bodies of animals were offered in 
 eacrifice. The apostle specifies their 
 bodies particularly in reference to that 
 fact. Still the entire animal was de 
 voted ; and Paul evidently meant here 
 the same as to say, present TOUBSELVES, 
 your entire person, to the service of 
 God. Comp. 1 Cor. vi. 16. James iii. 
 6. It was not customary or proper to 
 speak of a sacrifice as an offering of a 
 soul or spirit, in the common language 
 of the Jews ; and hence the apostle ap 
 plied their customary language of sa 
 crifice to the offering which Christians 
 were to make of themselves to God. 
 1 Ji living sacrifice. A sacrifice is 
 
 an offering made to God as an atone- 
 ment for sin ; or any offering made to 
 him and his service as an expression of 
 thanksgiving or homage. It implies 
 that he who offers it presents it en 
 tirely, releases all claim or right to it, 
 and leaves it to be disposed of for the 
 honour of God. In the case of an ani 
 mal, it was slain, and the blood offer 
 ed ; in the case of any other offering, 
 as the first-fruits, &c. it was set apart 
 to the service of God ; and he who of 
 fered it released all claim on it, and sub 
 mitted it to God, to be disposed of at 
 his will. This is the offering which 
 the apostle entreats the Romans to 
 make : to devote themselves to God, as 
 if they had no longer any claim on 
 themselves ; to be disposed of by him ; 
 to suffer and bear all that he might ap 
 point; and to promote his honour in 
 any way which he might command. 
 This is the nature of true religion. 
 If Living (fZ<ra.v). The expression 
 probably means that they were to de 
 vote the vigorous, active powers of 
 their bodies and souls to the service of 
 God. The Jew offered his victim, 
 slew it, and presented it dead. It 
 could not be presented again. In op 
 position to this, we are to present our 
 selves with all our living, vital ener 
 gies. Christianity does not require a 
 service of death or inactivity. It de 
 mands vigorous and active powers in 
 the service of God the Saviour. There 
 is something very affecting in the view 
 of such a sacrifice ; in regarding life 
 with all its energies, its intellectual, and 
 moral, and physical powers, as one 
 long sacrifice ; one continued offering 
 unto God. An immortal being present 
 ed to him ; presented voluntarily, with 
 all his energies, from day to day, until 
 life shall close, so that it may be said 
 that he has lived and died an offering 
 made freely unto God. This is religion. 
 Holy. This means properly without 
 blemish or defect. No other sacrifice 
 could be made to God. The Jews 
 were expressly forbid to offer tl: which 
 was lame, or blind, or in any way de 
 formed. Deut. xv. 21. Lev. i. 3. 10; 
 iii. 1 ; xxii. 20. Deut. xvii. 1. Comp. 
 
256 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 FA. D. 60. 
 
 And 3 be not conformed to 
 
 Mai. i. 8. If offered without any of 
 these defects, k was regarded as holy, 
 i. e. appropriately set apart, or conse 
 crated to God. In like manner we are 
 to consecrate to God our best faculties ; 
 the vigour of our minds, and talents, 
 and time. Not the feebleness of sick 
 ness merely ; not old age alone ; not 
 time which we cannot otherwise em 
 ploy, but the first vigour and energies 
 of the mind and body ; our youth, and 
 health, and strength. Our sacrifice to 
 God is to be not divided, separate ; but 
 it is to be entire and complete. Many 
 are expecting to be Christians in sick 
 ness ; many in old age ; thus purposing 
 to offer unto him the blind and the 
 lame. The sacrifice is to be free from 
 sin. It is not to be a divided, and bro 
 ken, and polluted service. It is to be 
 with the best affections of our hearts 
 and lives ^ Acceptable unto God. 
 They are exhorted to offer such a sacri 
 fice as -will be acceptable to God ; that 
 is, such an one as he had just specified, 
 one that was living and holy. No sa 
 crifice should be made which is not 
 acceptable to God. The offerings of 
 the heathen ; the pilgrimages of the 
 Mahometans ; the self-inflicted penalties 
 of the Roman Catholics, uncommanded 
 by God, cannot be acceptable to him. 
 Those services will be acceptable to 
 God, and those only, which he ap 
 points. Comp. Col. ii. 2023. Men 
 are not to invent services ; or to make 
 crosses ; or to seek persecutions and 
 trials ; or to provoke opposition. They 
 are to do just what God requires of 
 them, and that will be acceptable to 
 God. And this fact, that what we do 
 is acceptable to God, is the highest 
 recompense we can have, It matters 
 little what men think of us, if God ap 
 proves what we do. To please him 
 should be our highest aim ; the fact 
 that we do please him is our highest 
 reward. 1 Which is your reasonable 
 service. The word rendered service 
 A /T^lm) properly denotes -worship, 
 01 die homage rendered to God. The 
 
 this world : but be ye transform 
 
 word reasonable with us means that 
 which is " governed by reason ; think 
 ing, speaking, or acting conformably to 
 the dictates of reason" (Webster ); or 
 that which can be shown to be ration 
 al or proper. This does not express 
 the meaning of the original. That 
 word (xoyatw} denotes that which per 
 tains to the mind, and a reasonable 
 service means that which is mental, or 
 pertaining to reason. It stands opposed, 
 not to that which is foolish or unrea 
 ble, but to the external service of the 
 Jews, and such as they relied on for 
 salvation. The worship of the Chris 
 tian is that which pertains to the mind, 
 or is spiritual ; that of the Jew was ex~ 
 lernal. Chrysostom renders this phrase 
 " your spiritual ministry." The Syriac, 
 " That ye present your bodies, &c. by 
 a rational ministry." 
 
 We may learn from this verse, (1.) 
 That the proper worship of God is the 
 free homage of the mind. It is not 
 forced or constrained. The offering of 
 ourselves should be voluntary. No 
 other can be a true offering, and none 
 other can be acceptable. (2.) We are 
 to offer our entire selves, all that we 
 have and are, to God. No other offer 
 ing can be such as he will approve. 
 (3.) The character of God is such as 
 should lead us to that. It is a charac 
 ter of mercy ; of long-continued and 
 patient forbearance, and it should in 
 fluence us to devote ourselves to him. 
 (4.) It should be done without delay. 
 God is as -worthy of such service now 
 as he ever -will or can be. He has 
 every possible claim on our affections 
 and our hearts. 
 
 2. Jind be not conformed, &c. The 
 word rendered conformed properly 
 means to put on the form, fashion, or 
 appearance of another. It may refer 
 to any thing pertaining to the habit, 
 manner, dress, style of living, &c. of 
 others. ^ Of Ms-world (TW suJ>w<rc.W.j>). 
 The word which is commonly render 
 ed ivorld, when applied to the material 
 universe, is x.c0y*if, cosmos. The word 
 
A. D.60.J 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 25? 
 
 ed by the renewing of your 
 mind, that ye may prove * what 
 
 aEph.5.10,17. 
 
 used here properly denotes an age, or 
 generation of men. It may denote a 
 particular generation, or it may be 
 applied to the race. It is sometimes 
 used in each of these senses. Thus 
 here it may mean that Christians 
 should not conform to the maxims, 
 habits, feelings, &c. of a wicked, luxu 
 rious, and idolatrous age, but should be 
 conformed solely to the precepts and 
 laws of the gospel ; or the same princi 
 ple may be extended to every age, and 
 the direction may be, that Christians 
 should not conform to the prevailing 
 habits, style, and manners of the world, 
 the people who know not God. They 
 are to be governed by the laws of the 
 Bible ; to fashion their lives after the 
 example of Christ ; and to form them 
 selves by principles different from those 
 which prevail in the world. In the ap 
 plication of this rule there is much 
 difficulty. Many may think that they 
 are not conformed to the world, while 
 they can easily perceive that their 
 neighbour is. They indulge in many 
 things which others may think to be 
 conformity to the world, and are op 
 posed to many things which others 
 think innocent. The design of this 
 passage is doubtless to produce a spirit 
 xiiat should not find pleasure in the 
 j>On,p and vanity of the. world ; and 
 which will regard all vain amuse 
 ments and gayeties with disgust, and 
 lead the mind to find pleasure in 
 better things. ^ Be ye transformed. 
 The word from which the expression 
 here is derived means form, habit 
 (juo g<}>). The direction is, " put on 
 another form, change the form of 
 the world for that of Christianity." 
 This word would properly refer to the 
 external appearance, but the expres 
 sion which the apostle immediately 
 uses, renewing of the mind," shows 
 that he did not intend to use it with 
 reference to that only, but to the change 
 of the whole man. The meaning is, 
 do not cherish a spirit devoted to the 
 Y 2 
 
 is that good, and acceptable, and 
 perfect will of God. 
 
 world, following its vain fashions and 
 pleasures, but cultivate a spirit attached 
 to God, and his kingdom and cause. 
 Tf By the renewing. By the making 
 neiv ; the changing into ne-w views and 
 feelings. The Christian is often repre 
 sented as a. neiv creature. 2 Cor. v. 17. 
 Gal. vi. 15. Eph. iv. 24. 1 Pet. ii. 2. 
 ^ Your mind. The word translated 
 mind properly denotes intellect, as dis 
 tinguished from the will and affections. 
 But here it seems to be used as appli 
 cable to the -whole spirit as distinguish 
 ed from the body, including the under 
 standing, will, and affections. As if he 
 had said, let not this change appertain 
 to the body only, but to the soul. Let it 
 not be a mere external conformity, but 
 let it have its seat in the spirit. All ex 
 ternal changes, if the mind was not 
 changed, would be useless, or would be 
 hypocrisy. Christianity seeks to reign 
 in the soul ; and having its seat there, 
 the external conduct and habits will be 
 regulated accordingly. ^ That ye may 
 prove. The word used here (/wt^a^a) 
 is commonly applied to metals, to the 
 operation of testing, or trying them by 
 the severity of fire, &c. Hence it also 
 means to explore, investigate, ascer 
 tain. This is its meaning here. The 
 sense is, that such a renewed mine? 
 is essential to a successful inquiry after 
 the will of God. Having a disposi 
 tion to obey him, the mind will be 
 prepared to understand his precepts. 
 There will be a correspondence be- 
 iween the feelings of the heart and his 
 will ; a nice tact or taste, which will 
 admit his laws, and see the propriety 
 and beauty of his commands. A re 
 newed heart is the best preparation for 
 studying Christianity ; as a man who 
 is temperate is the best fitted to under 
 stand the arguments for temperance ; 
 the man who is chaste, has most clearly 
 and forcibly the arguments for chastity, 
 &c. A heart in love with the fashions 
 and follies of the world is ill-fitted to 
 appreciate the arguments for hurr litv, 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. 1) CO. 
 
 3 For I say, through the 
 grace given unto me, to every 
 man that is among you, not to 
 
 prayer, &c. " If any man will do his 
 will, he shall know )f the doctrine 
 whether it be of God." John vii. 17. 
 The reason -why the heart is renewed 
 is that we may do the will of God : 
 the heart that is renewed is best fitted 
 to appreciate and understand his will. 
 f That good, &c. This part of the 
 verse might be rendered, that ye may 
 investigate the will of God, or ascertain 
 the will of God, that which is good, 
 and perfect, and acceptable. The -will 
 of God relates to his commands in re 
 gard to our conduct, his doctrines in 
 regard to our belief, his providential 
 dealings in relation to our external cir 
 cumstances. It means what God de 
 mands of us, in whatever way it may 
 be made known. They do not err 
 from his ways who seek his guidance, 
 and who, not confiding in their own 
 wisdom, but in God, commit their way 
 to him. " The meek will he guide in 
 judgment, and the meek will he teach 
 his way." Ps. xxv. 9. The word good 
 here is not an adjective agreeing with 
 " will," but a noun. That ye may 
 find the will of God, that which is good 
 and acceptable. It implies that that 
 thing which is good is his will ; or that 
 we may find his will by finding that 
 which is good and perfect. That is 
 good which promotes the honour of 
 God and the interests of his universe. 
 Tf Perfect. Free from defect, stain, or 
 injury. That which has all its parts 
 complete, or which is not dispropor 
 tionate. Applied to religion, it means 
 that which is consistent, which is car 
 ried out ; which is evinced in ail the 
 circumstances and relations of life. 
 \ Acceptable. That which will be 
 pleasing to God, or which he will ap 
 prove. There is scarcely a more diffi 
 cult text in the Bible than this, or one 
 that is more full of meaning. It in 
 volve the main duty of religion to be 
 serrated Irom the world; and ex- 
 
 think of himself more a highly 
 than he ought to think ; but to 
 1 think soberly, according as God 
 
 e. c.l 1.20. i to lolriety. 
 
 presses the way in which that duty 
 may be performed, and in which we 
 may live so as to ascertain and do the 
 will of God. If all Christians would 
 obey this, religion would be every 
 where honoured. If all would separate 
 from the vices and follies, the amuse 
 ments and gayeties of the world, Christ 
 would be glorified. If all were truly 
 renewed in their minds, they would 
 lose their relish for such things, and 
 seeking only to do the will of God, 
 they would not be slow to find it. 
 
 3. For I say. The word "for 
 shows that the apostle is about to intro 
 duce some additional considerations to 
 enforce what he had just said; or tc 
 show how we may evince a mind 
 that is not conformed to the world. 
 f Through the grace. Through the 
 favour, or in virtue of the favour of 
 the apostolic office. By the authority 
 that is conferred on me to declare the 
 will of God as an apostle. See Note, 
 ch. i. 5. See also Gal. i. 6. 15 ; ii. 9. 
 Eph. iii. 8. 1 Tim. i. H. 1 Not to 
 think, fec. Not to over-estimate him 
 self, or to think more of himself than 
 he ought to. What is the true stand 
 ard by which we ought to estimate 
 ourselves he immediately adds. This 
 is a caution against pride ; and in ex 
 hortation not to judge of ourselves by 
 our talents, wealth, or office, but tc 
 form another standard of judging of 
 ourselves, by our Christian character. 
 The Romans would probably be in 
 much danger from this quarter. The 
 prevailing habit of judging among them 
 was according to rank, or wealth, or 
 eloquence, or office. While this habit 
 of judging prevailed in the woild around 
 them, there was, danger that it might 
 also prevail in the church. And the 
 exhortation was that they should not 
 judge of their own characters by the 
 usual modes amons: men. but by their 
 Christian -ittamments. There 18 no 
 
A D. 60.] 
 
 hath dealt to every man the 
 measure a of faith. 
 
 aEph.4.7,&c. 
 
 *in to which men are more prone than 
 an inordinate self-valuation and pride. 
 Instead of judging by that which con 
 stitutes true excellence of character, 
 they pride themselves on that which is 
 of no intrinsic value ; on rank, and ti 
 tles, and external accomplishments ; or 
 on talents, learning, or wealth. The 
 only true standard of character pertains 
 to the principles of action, or to that 
 which constitutes the moral nature of 
 the man ; and to that the apostle calls 
 the Roman people, t But to think 
 soberly. Literally, " to think so as to 
 act soberly or wisely." So to estimate 
 ourselves as to act or demean ourselves 
 wisely, prudently, modestly. Those 
 who over-estimate themselves are proud, 
 haughty, foolish in their deportment. 
 Those who think of themselves as they 
 ought, are modest, sober, prudent. 
 There is no way to maintain a wise 
 and proper conduct so certain, as to 
 form a humble and modest estimate of 
 our own character. ^ According as 
 God hath dealt. As God has measured 
 to each one, or apportioned to each one. 
 In this place the faith which Chris 
 tians have, is traced to God as its giver. 
 This fact, that God has given it, will 
 be itself one of the most effectual pro 
 moters of humility and right feeling. 
 Men commonly regard the objects on 
 which they pride themselves as things 
 of their own creation, or as depending 
 on themselves. But let an object be 
 regarded as the gift of God, and it ceases 
 k> excite pride, and the feeling is at 
 once changed into gratitude. He, 
 therefore, who regards God as the 
 source of all blessings, and he only, 
 will be a humble man. ^ The mea 
 sure of faith. The word faith here is 
 evidently put for religion, or Chris- 
 Sanity. Faith is a main thing in reli 
 gion. It constitutes \\.s first demand, 
 jnd the Christian religion, therefore, is 
 characterized by its faith, or its con 
 fidence in God. See Mark xvi. 17. 
 (/omn. Heb. xi. Horn, jv We are 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 250 
 
 4 For as we have many * 
 members in one body, and all 
 
 fc lCor.12.4,12. 
 
 not, therefore, to be elated in our view 
 of ourselves ; we are not to judge ot 
 our own characters by wealth, or ta 
 lent, or learning, but by our attachment 
 to God, and by the influence of faith 
 on our minds. The meaning is, judge 
 yourselves, or estimate yourselves, by 
 your piety. The propriety of this rule 
 is apparent, (1.) Because no <Ain?r 
 standard is a correct one, or one of va 
 lue. Our talent, learning, rank, or 
 wealth, is a very improper rule by 
 which to estimate ourselves. All may 
 be wholly unconnected with moral 
 worth ; and the worst as well as the 
 best men may possess them. (2.) God 
 will judge us in the day of judgment 
 by our attachment to Christ and his 
 cause (Matt. xxv.)j and that is the 
 true standard by which to estimate 
 ourselves here. (3.) Nothing else will 
 secure and promote humility but this. 
 All other things may produce or pro 
 mote pride, but this will effectually se 
 cure humility. The fact that God has 
 given all that we have ; the fact 
 that the poor and obscure may have as 
 true an elevation of character as our 
 selves ; the consciousness of our own 
 imperfections and short-comings in the 
 Christian faith ; and the certainty that 
 we are soon to be arraigned to try this 
 great question, whether we have evi 
 dence that we are the friends of God ; 
 will all tend to promote humbleness of 
 mind, and to bring down our usual in 
 ordinate self-estimation. If all Chris 
 tians judged themselves in this way, it 
 would remove at once no small part 
 ot the pride of station and of life from 
 the world, and would produce deep at 
 tachment for those who are blessed 
 with the faith of the gospel, though 
 they may be unadorned by any of the 
 wealth or trappings which now pro 
 mote pride and distinctions among men. 
 4. For. This word here denotes a 
 further illustration or proof of what ho 
 had just before said. The duty to which 
 he was exhorting the Roman? was, not 
 
members have not the same of 
 fice : 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 5 So we, being many, are 
 one body a in Christ, and every 
 
 a Eph. 1.23. 
 
 to he unduly exalted or elevated in their 
 own estimation. In order to produce 
 proper humility, he shows them that 
 God has appointed certain orders or 
 grades in the church ; that all are use 
 ful in their proper place ; that we 
 should seek to discharge our duty in 
 our appropriate sphere ; and thus that 
 due subordination and order would be 
 observed. To show this, he introduces 
 a beautiful comparison drawn from the 
 human body. There are various mem 
 bers in the human frame ; all useful 
 and honourable in their proper place ; 
 and all designed to promote the order, 
 and beauty, and harmony of the whole. 
 So the church is one body, consisting 
 of many members, and each is fitted to 
 be useful and comely in its proper 
 place. The same comparison he uses 
 with great beauty and force in 1 Cor. 
 xii. 431; also Eph. iv. 25; v. 30. 
 In that chapter the comparison is car 
 ried out to much greater length, and 
 its influence shown with great force. 
 ^ Jlfany members. Limbs, or parts; 
 feet, hands, eyes, ears, &c. 1 Cor. xii. 
 14, 15. ^ In one body. Constituting 
 one body ; or united in one, and mak 
 ing one person. Essential to the ex 
 istence, beauty, and happiness of the 
 one body or person. ^ The same of 
 fice. The same use or design ; not all 
 appointed for the same thing ; one is to 
 see, another to hear, a third to walk 
 with, &c. 1 Cor. xii. 1423. 
 
 5. So ive, being many. We who 
 are Christians, and who are numerous 
 as individuals. ^ Are one body. Are 
 united together, constituting one socie 
 ty or one people, mutually dependent, 
 and having the same great interests at 
 heart, though to be promoted by us 
 according to our peculiar talents and 
 opportunities. As the welfare of the 
 same body is to be promoted in one 
 manner by the feet, in another by the 
 eye, &c ; so the welfare of the body 
 t> 1 Christ is to be promoted by discharg 
 ing our duties in our appropriate sphere, 
 
 as God has appointed us. ^ In Christ. 
 One body, joined to Christ, :>r con 
 nected -with him as the head. Eph. i. 
 22, 23, " And gave him to be head over 
 all things to the church, which is his 
 body." Comp. John xv. 17. This 
 does not mean that there is any phy 
 sical or literal union, or any destruc 
 tion of personal identity, or any thing 
 particularly mysterious or unintelligi 
 ble. Christians acknowledge him as 
 their head, i. e. their lawgiver ; their 
 counsellor, guide, and Redeemer. They 
 are bound to him by peculiarly tender 
 ties of affection, gratitude, and friend 
 ship ; they are united in him, i. e. in 
 acknowledging him as their common 
 Lord and Saviour. Any other union 
 than this is impossible ; and the sacred 
 writers never intended that expressions 
 like these should be explained literally. 
 The union of Christians to Christ is 
 the most tender and interesting of any 
 in this world, but no more mysterious 
 than that which binds friend to friend, 
 children to parents, or husbands to 
 their wives. Comp. Eph. v. 23 33. 
 Tf JLnd every one members one of an- 
 other. Comp. 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. That 
 is, we are so united as to be mutually 
 dependent; each one is of service to 
 the other ; and the existence and office 
 of the one is necessary to the useful 
 ness of the other. Thus the members 
 of the body may be said to be members 
 one of another ; as the feet could not, 
 for example, perform their functions or 
 be of use if it were not for the eye; the 
 ear, the hand, the teeth, &c. would be 
 useless if it were not for the other 
 members, which go to make up the en 
 tire persDn. Thus in the church, every 
 individual is not only necessary in his 
 place as an individual, but is needful 
 to the proper symmetry and action of 
 the whole. And we may learn here, 
 (1.) That no member of the church 
 of Christ should esteem himself to In 
 of no importance. In his own place 
 he may be of as much consequence as 
 
\. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 26! 
 
 one members one of another. 
 
 6 Having then gifts differing" 
 according to the grace that is 
 
 a lPeU4.10,ll. 
 
 given to us, whether prophecy, 
 let us prophesy according to the 
 proportion of faith ; 
 
 the man of learning, wealth, and talent 
 may be in his. (2.) God designed that 
 there should be differences of endow 
 ments of nature and of grace in the 
 church ; just as it was needful that 
 there should be differences in the mem 
 bers of the human body. (3.) No one 
 should despise or lightly esteem an 
 other. All are necessary. We can no 
 more spare the foot or the hand than 
 we can the eye ; though the latter 
 may be much more curious and strik 
 ing as a proof of divine skill. We do 
 not despise the hand or the foot any 
 more than we do the eye ; and in all 
 we should acknowledge the goodness 
 and wisdom of God. See these thoughts 
 carried out in 1 Cor. xii. 21 25. 
 
 6. Having then gifts. All the en 
 dowments which Christians have are 
 regarded by the apostle as gifts. God 
 has conferred them ; and this fact, 
 when properly felt, tends much to pre 
 vent our thinking of ourselves more 
 highly than we ought to think, ver. 3. 
 For the use of the word rendered gifts, 
 see ch. i. 1 1 ; v. 15, 16 ; vi. 23 ; xi. 29. 
 1 Cor. vii. 7 ; xii. 4. 9. 28, &c. It may 
 refer to natural endowments as well as 
 to the favours of grace ; though in this 
 place it refers doubtless to the distinc 
 tions conferred on Christians in the 
 churches, f Differing. It was never 
 designed that all Christians should be 
 equal. God designed that men should 
 have different endowments. The very 
 nature of society supposes this. There 
 never was a state of perfect equality in 
 any thing ; and it would be impossible 
 that there should be, and yet preserve 
 society. In this, God exercises a sove 
 reignty, and bestows his favours as he 
 pleases, injuring no one by conferring 
 favours on others ; and holding me re 
 sponsible for the right use of what / 
 have, and not for what may be confer 
 red on my neighbour, t .%+c.ording to 
 the grace. That is, the favour, the 
 mercy that is bestowed on us. As all 
 
 that we have is a matter of grace, i* 
 should keep us from pride; and it should 
 make us willing to occupy our appropri 
 ate place in the church. True honour 
 consists not in splendid endowments, or 
 great wealth and office. It consists in 
 rightly discharging the duties which God 
 requires of us in our appropriate sphere. 
 If all men held their talents as the gift 
 of God ; if all would find and occupy 
 in society the place for which God de 
 signed them, it would prevent no small 
 part of the uneasiness, the restlessness, 
 the ambition, and misery of the world. 
 U Whether prophecy. The apostle now 
 proceeds to specify the different class 
 es of gifts or endowments which Chris 
 tians have, and to exhort them to dis 
 charge aright the duty which results 
 from the rank or office which they held 
 in the church. The first is prophecy. 
 This word properly means to predict 
 future events, but it also means to de 
 clare the divine will ; to interpret the 
 purposes of God ; or to make known 
 in any way the truth of God, which is 
 designed to influence men. Its first 
 meaning is to predict or foretell future 
 events ; but as those who did this were 
 messengers of God, and as they com 
 monly connected with such prediction* 
 instructions and exhortations in regard 
 to the sins, and dangers, and duties of 
 men, the word came to denote any 
 who warned, or threatened, or in any 
 way communicated the will of God; 
 and even those who uttered devotional 
 sentiments or praise. The name in the 
 New Testament is commonly connect 
 ed with teachers. Acts xiii. 1, " There 
 were in the church at Antioch certain 
 prophets, and teachers, as Barnabas," 
 &c. ; xv. 32, " And Judas and Silas 
 being prophets themselves," &c. ; xxi 
 10, "A certain prophet named Aga- 
 b^s." In 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29, prophets 
 re mentioned as a class of teachers 
 immediately after apostles, " And God 
 hath set some in the church; first 
 
262 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A D. 60. 
 
 apostles, secondly prophets ; thirdly 
 teachers," &c. The same clas^ of 
 persons is again mentioned in 1 Cor. 
 xiv. 29 32. 39. In this place they are 
 spoken of as being under the influence 
 of revelation, " Let the prophets speak 
 two or three, and let the other judge. 
 If any thing be revealed to another 
 that sitteth by, let the first hold his 
 peace. And the spirits of the prophets 
 are subject to the prophets." ver. 39, 
 " Covet to prophesy, and forbid not to 
 speak with tongues." In this place 
 endowments are mentioned under the 
 name of prophecy evidently in advance 
 even of the power of speaking with 
 tongues. Yet all these were to be sub 
 ject to the authority of the apostle. 1 
 Cor. xiv. 37. In Eph. iv. 11, they are 
 mentioned again in the same order: 
 " And he gave some apostles ; and 
 some prophets ; and some evangelists ; 
 and some pastors, and teachers," &c. 
 From these passages the following 
 things seem clear in relation to this 
 class of persons. (1.) They were an 
 order of teachers distinct from the apos 
 tles, and next to them in authority and 
 rank. (2.) They were under the in 
 fluence of revelation, or inspiration in 
 a certain sense. (3.) They had power 
 of controlling themselves, and of speak 
 ing or keeping silence as they chose. 
 They had the power of using their 
 prophetic gifts as ive have the ordinary 
 faculties of our minds ; and of course 
 of abusing them also. This abuse was 
 apparent also in the case of those who 
 had the power of speaking with tongues. 
 1 Cor. xiv. 2. 4. 6. 11, &c. (4.) They 
 were subject to the apostles. (5.) They 
 were superior to the other teachers 
 and pastors in the church. (6.) The 
 office or the endowment was tempo 
 rary, designed for the settlement and 
 establishment of the church ; and then, 
 like the apostolic office, having accom 
 plished its purpose, to be disused, and 
 to cease. From these remarks, also, 
 will be seen the propriety of regulating 
 this office by apostolic authority ; or 
 statins, as the apostle does here, the 
 manner or rule by which this gift was 
 to be exercised. 1 According to the 
 
 proportion. This word (uvA^Sfiai) is 
 nownere else used in the New Testa 
 ment. The word properly applies to 
 mathematics (Schlcusner}, and means 
 the ratio or proportion which results 
 from comparison of one number or 
 magnitude with another. In a large 
 sense, therefore, as applied to other 
 subjects, it denotes the measure of any 
 thing. With us it means analogy, or 
 the congruity or resemblance discovered 
 between one thing and another, as we 
 say there is an analogy or resemblance 
 between the truths taught by reason 
 and revelation. (See Butler s Analogy.*) 
 But this is not its meaning here. It 
 means the measure, the amount of 
 faith bestowed on them, for he was 
 exhorting them to (ver. 3) "Think 
 soberly, according as God hath dealt tc 
 every man the measure of faith." The 
 word faith here means evidently, not 
 the truths of the Bible elsewhere re 
 vealed ; nor their confidence in God ; 
 nor their personal piety ; but the extra 
 ordinary endoivment bestowed on them 
 by the gifts of prophecy. They were 
 to confine themselves strictly to that 
 they were not to usurp the apostolic 
 authority, or to attempt to exercise 
 their peculiar office ; but they were to 
 confine themselves strictly to the func 
 tions of their office according to the 
 measure of their faith, i. e. the extraor 
 dinary endowment conferred on them. 
 The word faith is thus used often to 
 denote that extraordinary confidence in 
 God which attended the working of 
 miracles, &c. Matt. xvii. 26; xji. 21 
 Luke xvii. 6. If this be the fair inter 
 pretation of the passage, then it is clear 
 ;hat the interpretation which applies it 
 to systems of theology, and which de 
 mands that we should interpret the 
 Bible so as to accord whh the system, is 
 one that is wholly unwarranted. It is 
 to be referred solely to this class of re- 
 igious teachers, without reference to 
 my system of doctrine, or to any thing 
 which had been revealed to any other 
 class of men ; or without affirming that 
 .here is any resemblance between "Mie 
 ruth and another. All that may be 
 rue, but it \? not the truth taught in 
 
A. D. 60.] CHAPTER XII. 263 
 
 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that 
 
 seems to demand the same interpreta 
 tion here. *J On our ministering 
 Let us be wholly and diligently oc 
 cupied in this. Let this be our great 
 business, and let us give entire atten 
 tion to it. Particularly the connexion 
 requires us to understand this as di 
 reeling those who ministered not to 
 aspire to the office and honours of those 
 who prophesied. Let them not think 
 of themselves more highly than they 
 ought, but be engaged entirely in their 
 own appropriate work, t He that 
 teacheth. This word denotes those who 
 instruct, or communicate knowledge 
 It is clear that it is used to denote a 
 class of persons different, in some re 
 spects, from those who prophesied and 
 from those who exhorted. But in what 
 this difference consisted, is not clear. 
 Teachers are mentioned in the New 
 Testament in the grade next to the 
 prophets. Acts xiii. 1. 1 Cor. xii. 28, 
 29. Eph. iv. 11. Perhaps the differ 
 ence between the prophets, the minis 
 ters, the teachers, and the exhorters 
 was this, that the first spake by inspira 
 tion ; the second engaged in all the 
 functions of the ministry properly so 
 called, including the administration of 
 the sacraments ; the teachers were em 
 ployed in communicating instruction 
 simply, teaching the doctrines of re 
 ligion, but without assuming the office 
 of ministers ; and the fourth exhorted^ 
 or entreated Christians to lead a holy 
 life, without making it a particular 
 subject to teach, and without pretend 
 ing to administer the ordinances of 
 religion. The fact that teachers are so 
 often mentioned in the New Testa 
 ment, shows that they were a class by 
 themselves. It may be worthy of re 
 mark that the churches in New Eng 
 land had, at first, a class of men who 
 were called teachers. One was ap 
 pointed to this office in every church, 
 distinct from the pastor, whose propel 
 business it was to instruct the congre 
 gation in the doctrines of religion. 
 The same thing exists substantially 
 now in most churches, in the appoint- 
 
 this passage. And it is equally clear 
 that the passage is not to be applied to 
 teachers now, except as an illustration 
 of Ihe general principle that even 
 those endowed with great and splendid 
 talents are not to over-estimate them, 
 but to regard them as the gift of God ; 
 to exercise them in subordination to 
 his appointment ; and to seek to em 
 ploy them in the manner, the place, 
 wid to the purpose that shall be ac 
 cording to his will. They are to em 
 ploy them in the purpose for -which 
 God gave them; AND FOR NO OTHER. 
 7. Or ministry (Jbuierta) This 
 word properly means service of any 
 kind. Luke x. 40. It is used in re 
 ligion to denote the service which is 
 rendered to Christ as the Master. It is 
 applied to all classes of ministers in the 
 New Testament, as denoting their be 
 ing the servants of Christ ; and it is 
 used particularly to denote that class 
 who from this word were called dea 
 cons, i. e. those who had the care of the 
 poor, who provided for the sick, and 
 who watched over the external mat 
 ters of the church. In the following 
 places it is used to denote the ministry, 
 or service, which Paul and the other 
 apostles rendered in their public work. 
 Acts i. 17. 25 ; vi. 4 ; xii. 25 ; xx. 24 ; 
 xxi. 19. Rom. xi. 13 ; xv. 31. 2 Cor. 
 v. 18; vi. 3. Eph. iv. 12. 1 Tim. i. 
 12. In a few places this word is used 
 to denote the office which the deacons 
 fulfilled. Acts vi. 1. Acts xi. 29. 1 
 Cor. xvi. 15. 2 Cor. xi. 8. In this 
 sense the word deacon (d^sutovo?) is 
 most commonly used, as denoting the 
 office which was performed in providing 
 for the poor, and administering the 
 alms of the church. It is not easy to 
 say in what sense it is used here. I am 
 inclined to the opinion that he did not 
 refer to those who were appropriately 
 called deaconz, but to those engaged in 
 the office of the ministry of the -word ; 
 whose business it was to preach, and 
 thus to serve the churches. In this 
 sense the word is often used in the 
 IVcvv Testament, and the connexion 
 
jd4 ROM: 
 
 trachoth, on teaching; 
 
 8 Or he that exhorteth, on 
 exhortation: he that 1 giveth 
 
 i or, impirtetfi. or, liberally, o Ps.101 . b 2Cor a " 
 
 ment of Sunday-school teachers, whose 
 main business it is to instruct the children 
 in the doctrines of the Christian religion. 
 It is an office of great importance to 
 the church ; and the exhortation of the 
 apostle may be applied to them : that 
 they should be assiduous, constant, dili 
 gent in their teaching ; that they should 
 confine themselves to their appropriate 
 place ; and should feel that their office 
 is of great importance in the church of 
 God ; and remember that this is his 
 arrangement, designed to promote the 
 edification of his people. 
 
 8. He that exhorteth. This word 
 properly denotes one who urges to the 
 practical duties of religion, in distinc 
 tion from one who teaches its doctrines. 
 One who presents the -warning s and 
 the promises of God, to excite men to 
 the discharge of their duty. It is clear 
 that there were persons who were re 
 cognised as engaging especially in this 
 duty, and who were known by this ap 
 pellation, as distinguished from pro 
 phets and teachers. How long this 
 was continued, there is no means of 
 ascertaining ; but it cannot be doubted 
 that it may still be expedient, in many 
 times and places, to have persons desig 
 nated to this work. In most churches 
 this duty is now blended with the other 
 offices of the ministry. H He that 
 giveth. Margin, " imparteth" The 
 word denotes the person whose office 
 it was to distribute ; and probably desig 
 nates him who distributed the alms of 
 the church, or him who was the deacon 
 of the congregation. The connexion 
 requires that this meaning should be 
 given to the passage ; and the word 
 rendered giveth may denote one who 
 imparts or distributes that which has 
 been committed to him for that pur 
 pose, as well as one who gives out of 
 his private property. As the apostle is 
 speaking here of offices in the church, 
 the former is evidently that which is 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 /e/ /i/m rfo it 3 with simplicity : 
 he that ruleth, with diligence ; 
 he that sheweth mercy, with 
 Tneeri ulness.* 
 
 intended. It was deemed an important 
 matter among the early Christians to 
 impart liberally of their r.ubstance to 
 support the poor, and provide for the 
 needy. Acts ii. 44 47 ; iv. 34 37 ; v. 
 111. Gal.ii. 10. Rom. xv. 26. 2 Cor 
 viii. 8; ix. 2. 12. Hence it became 
 necessary to appoint persons over these 
 contributions, who should be especially 
 charged with the management ol them, 
 and who would see that they were pro 
 perly distributed. Acts vi. 1 6. These 
 were the persons who were denomi 
 nated deacons. Phil. i. 1. 1 Tim. iii. 
 8. 12. f With simplicity. See Matt, 
 vi. 22, " If thine eye be single" &c 
 Luke xi. 34. The word simplicity 
 (ttsrxoTHf) is used in a similar sense to 
 denote singleness, honesty of aim, 
 purity, integrity, without any mixture 
 of a base, selfish, or sinister end. It re 
 quires the bestowment of a favour with 
 out seeking any personal or selfish 
 ends ; without partiality ; but actuated 
 only by the desire to bestow them in 
 the best possible manner to promote 
 the object for which they were given, 
 2 Cor. viii. 2; ix. 11. 13; i. 12. Ej,\ 
 vi. 5. Col. iii. 22. It is plain that when 
 property was intrusted to them, there 
 would be danger that they might be 
 tempted to employ it for selfish and 
 sinister ends, to promote their influ 
 ence and prosperity ; and hence the 
 apostle exhorted them to do it with a 
 single aim to the object for which it 
 was given. WeJl did h> know that 
 there was nothing more tempting than 
 the possession of wealth, though given 
 to be appropriated to others. And this 
 exhortation is applicable not only to 
 the deacons of the churches, but to all 
 who in this day of Christian benevo 
 lence are intrusted with monev to ad 
 vance the kingdom of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. 1 He that ruleth. This word 
 properly designates one who is set over 
 others, or who presides or rules, or one 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 265 
 
 who attends with diligence and care to 
 a thing. In 1 Thess. v. 12, it is used 
 in relation to ministers in general : 
 " And we beseech you, brethren, to 
 know them which labour among you 
 and are over you in the Lord." 1 Tim. 
 iii. 4, 5. 12, it is applied to the head 
 of a family, or one who diligently and 
 faithfully performs the duty of a fa 
 ther : " One that ruleth well his own 
 house." 1 Tim. v. 17, it is applied to 
 " elders" in the church : " Let the 
 elders that rule well," &c. It is not 
 elsewhere used except in Titus iii. 8. 
 14, in a different sense, where it is 
 translated " to maintain good works." 
 The prevailing sense of the word, there 
 fore, is to rule, to preside over, or to 
 have the management of. But to what 
 class of persons reference is had here, 
 and what was precisely their duty, has 
 been made a matter of controversy, and 
 it is not easy to determine. Whether 
 this refers to a permanent office in the 
 church, or to an occasional presiding 
 in their assemblies convened for busi 
 ness, &c. is not settled by the use of 
 the word. It has the idea of ruling, as 
 in a family, or of presiding, as in a 
 deliberative assembly ; and either of 
 these ideas would convey all that is 
 implied in the original word. Comp. 
 1 Cor. xii. 28. 1 With diligence. This 
 word properly means haste (Mark vi. 
 25. Luke i. 39) ; but it also denotes 
 industry, attention, care. 2 Cor. vii. 
 11, " What carefulness it wrought in 
 you." 12, " That o jr care for you in 
 the sight of God," &c. viii. 7, 8, (Gr.) 
 Heb. vi. 11. It means here that they 
 should be attentive to the duties of 
 their vocation, and engage with ardour 
 in that which was committed to them 
 to do. 1 He that shoiveth mercy. It 
 is probable, says Calvin, that this refers 
 to those who had the care of the sick 
 and infirm, the aged and the needy ; 
 not so much to provide for them by 
 charity, as to attend on them in their 
 affliction, and to take care of them. 
 To the deacons was committed the 
 dut} of distributing alms, but to others 
 that of personal attendance. This 
 ran hardly be called an office the 
 
 technical sense; and yet it is not 
 improbable that they were designated 
 to this by the church, aal requested tc 
 perform it. There were no hospitals 
 and no almshouses. Christians felt it 
 their duty to show personal attention 
 to the infirm and the sick ; and so im 
 portant was their office, that it was 
 deemed worthy of notice in a general 
 direction to the church. ^ With cheer- 
 fulness. The direction given to those 
 who distributed alms was to do it -with 
 simplicity, with an honest aim to 
 meet the purpose for which it was in 
 trusted to them. The direction here 
 varies according to the duty to be per 
 formed. It is to be done with cheerful 
 ness, pleasantness, joy; with a kind, 
 benign, and happy temper. The im 
 portance of this direction to those in 
 this situation is apparent. Nothing 
 tends so much to enhance the value of 
 personal attendance on the sick and 
 afflicted, as a kind and cheerful tem 
 per. If any where a mild, amiable, 
 cheerful, and patient disposition is 
 needed, it is near a sick bed, and when 
 administering to the wants of those 
 who are in affliction. And whenever 
 we may be called to such a service, we 
 should remember that this is indispensa 
 ble. If moroseness, or impatience, or 
 fretfulness is discovered in us, it will 
 pain those whom we seek to benefit, 
 imbitter their feelings, and render our 
 services of comparatively little value. 
 The needy and infirm, the feeble and 
 the aged, have enough to bear without 
 the impatience and harshness of pro 
 fessed friends. It may be added the.t 
 the example of the Lord Jesus Christ 
 is the brightest which the world has 
 furnished of this temper. Though con 
 stantly encompassed by the infirm and 
 the afflicted, yet he was always kim , 
 and gentle, and mild, and has left be 
 fore us exactly what the apostle meant 
 when he said, "he that showeth mcrcy 
 with cheerfulness." The example oi 
 the good Samaritan is also another iii 
 stance of what is intended by this di 
 rection. Comp. 2 Cor. ix. 7, This 
 direction is particularly applicable to n 
 physician. 
 
26o 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 9 Let love be without dissi 
 mulation. a Abhor * that which is 
 
 a lPet.1.23. b Ps.34.14. 
 
 evil ; cleave to that which is good. 
 10 Be kindly c afFectioned one 
 
 e lFet.2.17. 
 
 We have here an account of the es- 
 fablishment, the order, and the duties 
 of the different members of the Chris 
 tian church. The amount of it all is, 
 that we should discharge with fidelity 
 the duties which belong to us in the 
 sphere of life in which we are placed ; 
 and not despise the rank which God 
 has assigned us ; not to think of our 
 selves more highly than we ought ; bu-t 
 to act well our part, according to the 
 station where we are placed, and the 
 talents with which we are endowed. 
 If this were done, it would put an end 
 to discontent, ambition, and strife, and 
 would produce the blessings of univer 
 sal peace and order. 
 
 9. Let love. The apostle proceeds 
 to specify the duties of Christians in 
 general, that they might secure the 
 beauty and order of the church. The 
 first which he specifies is love. This 
 word here evidently refers to benevo 
 lence, or to good will toward all man 
 kind. In ver. 10 he specifies the duty 
 of brotherly love ; and there can be no 
 doubt that he here refers to the bene 
 volence which we ought to cherish to 
 wards air men. A similar distinction 
 is found in 2 Pet. i. 7, " And to bro 
 therly kindness add charity" i. e. be 
 nevolence, or good will, and kind feel 
 ings to others. ^ Without dissimula 
 tion. Without hypocrisy. Let it be 
 sincere and unfeigned. Let it not 
 consist in words or professions only, 
 but let it be n.anifested in acts of kind 
 ness and in deeds of charity. 1 John 
 iii. 18. Comp. 1 Pet. i. 22. Genuine 
 benevolence is not that which merely 
 professes attachment, but which is 
 evinced by acts of kindness and affec 
 tion. Tf Abhor that -which is eviL 
 The word abhor means to hate ; to 
 turn from ; to avoid. The word evil 
 here has reference tc walice, or un- 
 kindness, rather than to evil in general. 
 The apostle is exhorting to love, or 
 kindness ; and betioeen the direction 
 to fcve all men, and the particular di 
 
 rection about brotherly love, he places 
 this general direction to abhor that 
 which is evil ; that which is evil in 
 relation to the subject under discus 
 sion, that is, malice or unkindness. 
 The word evil is not unfrequently used 
 in this limited sense to denote some 
 particular or special evil. Matt. v. 37. 39, 
 &c. Comp. Ps. xxxiv. 14. 2 Tim. ii. 
 19. Ps. xcvii. 10. 1 Thess. v. 22. 
 T Cleave to that ivhich is good. The 
 word rendered cleave to denotes pro- 
 j perly the act of gluing, or uniting 
 ! firmly by glue. It is then used to de- 
 ! note a very firm adherence to an ob 
 ject ; to be firmly united to it. Here 
 it means that Christians should be 
 firmly attached to that which is good, 
 and not separate or part from it. The 
 good here referred to is particularly 
 that which pertains to benevolence to 
 all men, and especially to Christians. 
 It should not be occasional only, or ir- 
 regular ; but it should be constant, 
 ! active, decided. 
 
 10. Be kindly affectioned. The 
 word here used occurs nowhere else 
 in the New Testament. It properly 
 denotes tender affection, such as that 
 which subsists between parents and 
 children ; and it means that Christians 
 should have similar feelings towards 
 each other, as belonging to the same 
 family, and as united in the same prin 
 ciples and interests. The Syriac ren 
 ders this, " Love your brethren, and 
 love one another." Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 17. 
 f With brotherly love. Or in love to 
 the brethren. The word denotes the 
 affection which subsists between bre 
 thren. The duty is one which is often 
 presented in the New Testament, and 
 which our Saviour intended should be 
 regarded as a badge of discipleship. 
 See Note, John xiii. 34, 35, " By this 
 shall all men know that ye are my dis 
 ciples, if ye have love one to another." 
 John xv. 12. 17. Eph. v. 2. 1 Thess. 
 iv. 9. 1 Pet. i. 22. 1 John ii. 7, 8 ; iii. 
 11.23;iv.20,21. The apostle Paul in 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 267 
 
 to another * with brotherly love ; 
 in honour preferring a one an 
 other ; 
 
 i or, in the love of the brethren. a lPet.5.5. 
 
 this place manifests his peculiar man 
 ner of writing. He does not simply 
 enjoin brotherly love, but he adds that 
 it should be kindly affectioned. It 
 should be with the tenderness which 
 characterizes the most endearing na 
 tural relationship. This he expresses 
 by a word which is made for the occa 
 sion (^xca-Tops/), blending love with 
 natural affection, and suffering it to be 
 manifest in your intercourse with one 
 another. f In honour. In showing 
 or manifesting respect or honour. Not 
 in seeking honour, or striving after 
 respect, but in showing it to one ano 
 ther, t Preferring one another. The 
 word preferring means going before, 
 leading, setting an example. Thus in 
 showing mutual respect and honour, 
 they were to strive to excel ; not to see 
 which could obtain most honour, but 
 which could confer most, or manifest 
 most respect. Comp. 1 Pet. i. 5. Eph. 
 v. 21. Thus they were to be studious 
 to show to each other all the respect 
 which was due in the various relations 
 of life ; children to show proper respect 
 to parents, parents to children, servants 
 to their masters, &c. ; and all to strive 
 by mutual kindness to promote the 
 happiness of the Christian community. 
 How different this from the spirit of 
 the world ; the spirit which seeks, not 
 to confer honour, but to obtain it ; 
 which aims, not to diffuse respect, but 
 to attract all others to give honour to 
 us. If this single direction were to be 
 obeyed in society, it would put an end 
 at once to no small part of the envy, 
 and ambition, and heart-burning, and 
 dissatisfaction of the world. It would 
 produce contentment, harmony, love, 
 and order in the community ; and stay 
 the progress of crime, and annihilate 
 the evils of strife, and discord, and ma 
 lice. And especially, it would give 
 order and beauty to the church. It 
 would humble the ambition of those 
 who, like Diotrephes, lo v e to have the 
 
 1 1 Not slothful in business , 
 c fervent in spirit ; serving the 
 
 d Lord. 
 
 iActs 20.34,35. 
 
 pre-eminence (3 John 9), and make 
 every man willing to occupy the place 
 for which God has designed him, and 
 rejoice that his brethren may be exalted 
 to higher posts of responsibility and 
 honour. 
 
 11. Not slothful. The word ren 
 dered slothful refers to those who are 
 slow, idle, destitute of promptness of 
 mind and activity. Comp. Matt. xxv. 
 16. \ In business (T O-JTCV/M). This 
 is the same word which in ver. 8 is 
 rendered diligence. It properly denotes 
 haste, intensity, ardour of mind ; and 
 hence also it denotes industry, labour. 
 The direction means that we should be 
 diligently occupied in our proper employ 
 ment. It does not refer to any parti 
 cular occupation, but is used in a ge 
 neral sense to denote all the labour 
 which we may have to do ; or is a di 
 rection to be faithful and industrious 
 in the discharge of all our appropriate 
 duties. Comp. Eccl. ix. 10. The ten 
 dency of the Christian religion is to 
 promote industry. (1.) It teaches the 
 value of time. (2.) Presents nume 
 rous and important things to be done. 
 (3.) It inclines men to be conscientious 
 in the improvement of each moment, 
 (4.) And it takes away the mind from 
 those pleasures and pursuits which ge 
 nerate and promote indolence. The 
 Lord Jesus was constantly employed 
 in filling up the great duties of his life, 
 and the effect of his religion has been 
 to promote industry wherever it has 
 spread both among nations and indivi 
 duals. An idle man and a Christian 
 are names which do not harmonize. 
 Every Christian has enough to do to 
 occupy all his time ; and he whose 
 life is spent in ease and in doing no 
 thing, should doubt altogether his reli 
 gion. God has assigned us much to 
 accomplish ; and he will hold us an 
 swerable for the faithful performance of 
 it. Comp. John v. 17 ; ix. 4. 1 Thess. 
 iv. 11. 2 Thess. iii. 10 12. All that 
 
268 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 12 Rej-oicmj in hope : pa- 
 
 a c.5.2,3. 
 
 would be needful to transform the idle, 
 and vicious, and wretched, into sober 
 and useful men, would be to give to 
 them the spirit of the Christian religion. 
 See the example of Paul, Acts xx. 34, 
 35. ^ Fervent. This word is usually 
 applied to water, or to metals so heated 
 as to bubble, or boil. It hence is used 
 to denote ardour, intensity, or as we 
 express it, a g<.oiu, meaning intense 
 zeal. Acts xviii. 25. f In spirit. In 
 your mind or heart. The expression 
 is used to denote a mind filled with in 
 tense ardour in whatever it is engaged. 
 It is supposed that Christians would 
 first find appropriate objects for their 
 labour, and then engage in them with 
 intense ardour and zeal. 1 Serving. 
 Regarding yourselves as the servants of 
 the Lord. This direction is to be un 
 derstood as connected with the pre 
 ceding, and as growing out of it. They 
 were to be diligent and fervid, and in 
 doing so were to regard themselves as 
 serving the Lord, or to do it in obedi 
 ence to the command of God, and to 
 promote his glory. The propriety of 
 this caution may easily be seen. (1.) 
 The tendency of worldly employments 
 is to take off the affections from God. 
 (2.) Men are prone to forget God when 
 deeply engaged in their worldly em 
 ployments. It is proper to recall their 
 attention to him. (3.) The right dis 
 charge of our duties in the various em 
 ployments of life is to be regarded as 
 serving God. He has arranged the 
 order of things in this life to promote 
 employment. He has made industry 
 essential to happiness and success ; and 
 hence to be industrious from proper 
 motives is to be regarded as acceptable 
 service of God. (4.) He has required 
 that all such employments should be 
 conducted with reference to his will 
 and to his honour. 1 Cor. x. 31. Eph 
 vi. 5. Col. Hi. 17. 2224. 1 Pet. iv. 
 11. The meaning of the whole verso 
 is, that Christians should be industrt 
 uus, should be ardently engaged in 
 some lawful emplo7ment, and that 
 
 tient * in tribulation ; continuing 
 c instant in prayer ; 
 
 they should pursue it with reference to 
 the will of God, in obedience to his 
 commands, and to his glory. 
 
 12. Rejoicing in hope. That is, in 
 the hope of eternal life and glory which 
 the gospel produces. See Notes on ch. 
 v. 2, 3. f Patient in tribulation. In 
 affliction patiently enduring all that 
 may be appointed. Christians may be 
 enabled to do this by the sustaining 
 influence of their hope of future glory ; 
 of being admitted to that world where 
 there shall be no more death, and where 
 all tears shall be wiped away from their 
 eyes. Rev. xxi. 4; vii. 17. Comp. James 
 i. 4. See the influence of hope in sus 
 taining us in affliction more fully con 
 sidered in the Notes on ch. viii. 18 
 28. ^f Continuing instant in prayer. 
 That is, be persevering in prayer. See 
 Col. iv. 2. See Notes, Luke xviii. 1. 
 The meaning of this direction is, that 
 in order to discharge aright the duties 
 of the Christian life, and especially to 
 maintain a joyful hope, and to be sus 
 tained in the midst of afflictions, it is 
 necessary to cherish a spirit of prayer, 
 and to live near to God. How often a 
 Christian should pray, the Scriptures 
 do not inform us. Of David we are 
 told that he prayed seven times a day 
 (Ps. cxix. 164) ; of Daniel, that he was 
 accustomed to pray three times a day 
 (Dan. vi. 10) ; of our Saviour we have 
 repeated instances of his praying men 
 tioned ; and the same of the apostles. 
 The following rules, perhaps, may 
 guide us in this. (1.) Every Christian 
 should have some time allotted for this 
 service, and some place where he may 
 be alone with God. (2.) It is not easy, 
 perhaps not possible, to maintain a life 
 of piety without regular habits of se 
 cret devotion. (3.) The morning, when 
 we have experienced God s protecting 
 care, when the mind is fresh, and the 
 thoughts are as yet clear and unoccupied 
 with the world, when we go forth to 
 the duties, trials, and temptations of the 
 day , and the evening, when we have 
 agaia experienced his goodness, and 
 
A. D. 60. J 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 269 
 
 13 Distributing a to the ne- 
 
 a Ps.41.1. Heb.13.16. b Heb.13.2. lPet.4.9. 
 
 are about to commit ourselves to his 
 protecting care, and when we need his 
 pardoning mercy for the errors and 
 follies of the day, seem to be times 
 which commend themselves to all as 
 appropriate seasons for private devo 
 tion. (4.) Every person will also find 
 other times when private prayer will be 
 needful, and when he will be inclined 
 to it. In affliction, in perplexity, in 
 moments of despondency, in danger, 
 and want, in disappointment, and in 
 the loss of friends, we shall feel the 
 propriety of drawing near to God, and 
 of pouring out the heart before him. 
 (5.) Besides this, every Christian is 
 probably conscious of times when he 
 feels peculiarly inclined to pray ; he 
 feels just like praying ; he has a spi 
 rit of supplication ; and nothing but 
 prayer will meet the instinctive desires 
 of his bosom. We are often conscious 
 of an earnest desire to see and con 
 verse with an absent friend, to have 
 communion with those we love ; and 
 we value such fellowship as among the 
 happiest moments of life. So with the 
 Christian. He may have an earnest 
 desire to have communion with God ; 
 his heart pants for it ; and he cannot 
 resist the propensity to seek him, and 
 pour out his desires before him. Com 
 pare the feelings expressed by David in 
 Ps. xlii. 1,2, " As the hart panteth after 
 the water-brooks, so panteth my soul 
 after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth 
 for God, for the living God ; when shall 
 I come and appear before God." Comp. 
 Ps. Ixiii. 1. Such seasons should be 
 improved ; they are the " spring times" of 
 our piety ; and we should expand every 
 sail, that we may be " filled with all the 
 fulness of God." They are happy, 
 blessed moments of our life ; and then 
 devotion is sweetest and most pure ; 
 and tnen the soul knows what it is to 
 have felloiuship with the Father and 
 with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John i. 3. 
 (6.) In addition to all this, Christians 
 may be in the habit of praying to God 
 without the formality of retirement. 
 
 cessity of saints ; given to hos 
 pitality. 6 
 
 God looks upon the heart ; and the 
 heart may pour forth its secret desires 
 to Him even when in business, when 
 conversing with a friend, when walk 
 ing, when alone, and when in society. 
 Thus the Christian may live a life of 
 prayer; and it shall be one of the 
 characteristics of his life that he prays ! 
 By this he shall be known ; and in this 
 he shall learn the way to possess peace 
 in religion. 
 " In every joy that crowns my days, 
 
 In every pain I bear, 
 My heart shall find delight in praise, 
 
 Or seek relief in prayer. 
 " When gladness wings myfavour d hour : 
 
 Thy love my thoughts shall fill, 
 Resign d when storms of sorrow lower, 
 
 My soul shall meet thy will. 
 " My lifted eye, without a tear 
 
 The gathering storm shall see 
 My steadfast heart shall know no fear ; 
 
 That heart shall rest on thee." 
 
 13. Distributing. The word used 
 here denotes having things in common 
 (XGMWVOUVTS?). It means that they should 
 be communicative, or should regard 
 their property as so far common as to 
 supply the wants of others. In the 
 earliest times of the church, Christians 
 had all things in common (Notes, Acts 
 ii. 44), and felt themselves bound to 
 meet all the wants of their brethren. 
 One of the most striking effects of 
 Christianity was to loosen their grasp 
 on property, and dispose them to im 
 part liberally to those who had need. 
 The direction here does not mean that 
 they should literally have all things in 
 common ; that is, to go back to a state 
 of savage barbarity ; but that they 
 should be liberal, should partake of 
 their good things with those who were 
 needy. Comp. Gal vi. 6. Rom. xv. 27. 
 Phil. iv. 15. 1 Tirv vi. 18. 1 To the 
 necessity. To the ivants. That is, 
 distribute to them such things as they 
 need, food, raiment, &c. This com 
 mand, of course, has reference to the 
 poor. ^ Of saints. Of Christians, 
 or the friends of God. They are called 
 saints as being holy (d>/oO, or conso- 
 
270 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 
 crated to God. This duty of rendering 
 aid to Christians especially, does not 
 interfere with the general love of man 
 kind. The law of the New Testament 
 is (Gal. vi. 10), "As we have opportu 
 nity, let us do good to all men, especial 
 ly to them who are of the household 
 of faith." The Christian is indeed to 
 love all mankind, and to do them good 
 as far as may be in his power. Matt. 
 v. 43, 44. Titus iii. 8. 1 Tim. vi. 18. 
 Ileb. xiii. 16. But he is to show par 
 ticular interest in the welfare of his 
 brethren, and to see that the poor mem 
 bers of the church are provided for; 
 for, (1.) They are our brethren ; they 
 are of the same family ; they are attach 
 ed to the same Lord ; and to do good to 
 them is to evince love to Christ. Matt. 
 xxv. 40. Mark ix. 41. (2.) They are 
 left especially to the care of the church ; 
 and if the church neglects them, we 
 may be sure the world will also. Matt, 
 xxvi. 11. Christians, especially in the 
 time of the apostles, had reason to ex 
 pect little compassion from the men 
 of the world. They were persecuted 
 and oppressed ; they would be embar 
 rassed in their business, perhaps thrown 
 out of occupation by the opposition of 
 their enemies ; and it was therefore pe 
 culiarly incumbent on their brethren to 
 aid them. To a certain extent it is always 
 true, that the world is reluctant to aid the 
 friends of God ; and hence the poor fol 
 lowers of Christ are in a peculiar man 
 ner thrown on the benefactions of the 
 church. (3.) It is not improbable that 
 there might be a peculiar reason at that 
 time for enjoining this on the attention 
 of the Romans. It was a time of persecu 
 tion, and perhaps of extensive distress. 
 In the days of Claudius (about A. D. 
 50), there was a famine in Judea 
 which produced great distress, and 
 many of the poor and oppressed might 
 ^ee to the capital for aid. We know, 
 from other parts of the New Testa 
 ment, that at that time the apostle was 
 deeply interested in procuring aid for 
 the poor brethren in Judea. Rom. xv. 
 25, 26. Comp. Acts xix. 21. 2 Cor. 
 viii. I 7 ; ix. 2 4. But the same 
 reasons for aiding the poor followers 
 
 of Christ will exist substantially in 
 every age ; and one of the most precious 
 privileges conferred on men is to be 
 permitted to assist those who are the 
 friends of God. Ps. xli. 1, 2, 3. Prov. 
 xiv. 21. K Given to hospitality. This 
 expression means that they should 
 readily and cheerfully entertain stran 
 gers. This is a duty which is frequent 
 ly enjoined in the Scriptures. Heb 
 xiii. 2, " Be not forgetful to entertain 
 strangers, for thereby many have en 
 tertained angels unawares." 1 Pet. iv. 
 9, " Use hospitality one to another 
 without grudging." Paul makes this 
 especially the duty of a Christian 
 bishop. 1 Tim. iii. 2, " A bishop then 
 must. . .be given to hospitality." Titus 
 i. 8. Hospitality is especially enjoined 
 by the Saviour, and its exercise com 
 manded. Matt. x. 40. 42, " He that re- 
 ceiveth you receiveth me," &c. The 
 want of hospitality is one of the charges 
 which the Judge of mankind will allege 
 against the wicked, and on which he 
 will condemn them. Matt. xxv. 43, 
 " I was a stranger, and ye took me not 
 in." It is especially commended to 
 us by the example of Abraham (Gen. 
 xviii. 1 8), and of Lot (Gen. xix. 1 
 2), who thus received angels unawares. 
 It was one of the virtues on which Job 
 particularly commended himself, and 
 which he had not failed to practise. 
 Job xxxi. 16, 17, " If I have withheld 
 the poor from their desire, or have 
 caused the eyes of the widow to fail ; 
 or have eaten my morsel myself alone, 
 and the fatherless hath not eaten 
 thereof," &c. In the time of our Saviour 
 it was evidently practised in the most 
 open and frank manner. Luke x. 7, 
 "And in the same house remain, eat 
 ing and drinking such things as they 
 give." A remarkable instance is also 
 mentioned hi Luke xi. 5. This virtue 
 is no less common in eastern nations 
 at present than it was in the time of 
 Christ. It is eminently the virtue of 
 oriental nations, of their ardent and 
 open temperament. It springs up natu 
 rally in countries thinly settled, where 
 the sight of a stranger would be there 
 fore peculiarly pleasant; in countries 
 
. D. GO j 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 27 J 
 
 i 4 Bless them which perse- 
 
 too, where the occupation was chiefly 
 to attend flocks, and where there was 
 much leisure for conversation ; and 
 where the population was too sparse, 
 and the travellers too infrequent, to jus 
 tify inn-keeping as a business. From 
 all these causes, it has happened that 
 there are, properly speaking, no inns 
 or taverns in the regions around Pales 
 tine. It was customary, indeed, to erect 
 places for lodging and shelter at suita 
 ble distances, or by the side of springs 
 or watering places, for travellers to lodge 
 in. But they are built at the public 
 expense, and are unfurnished. Each 
 traveller carries his own bed and clothes 
 and cooking utensils, and such places 
 are merely designed as a shelter for 
 caravans. (See Robinson s Calmet, art 
 Caravanserai.) It is still so ; and hence 
 it becomes, in their view, a. virtue of 
 high order to entertain, at their own 
 tables, and in their families, such stran 
 gers as may be travelling. Niebuhr 
 says, that " the hospitality of the Arabs 
 has always been the subject of praise ; 
 and I believe that those of the present 
 day exercise this virtue no less than the 
 ancients did. There are, in the villages 
 of Tehama, houses which are public, 
 where travellers may lodge and be en 
 tertained som day strata s, if they will 
 be content with the fare; and they are 
 much frequented. When the Arabs are 
 at table, they invite those who happen 
 to come to eat with them, whether they 
 be Christians or Mahometans, gentle or 
 simple." " The primitive Christians," 
 says Calmet, " considered one principal 
 part of their duty to consist in showing 
 hospitality to strangers. They were in 
 fact so ready in discharging this duty, 
 that the very heathen admired them 
 for it. They were hospitable to all 
 strangers, but especially to those who 
 were of the household of faith. Believ 
 ers scarcely ever travelled without let 
 ters of communion, which testified the 
 purity of their faith, and procured for 
 them a favourable reception wherever 
 the name of Jesus Christ was known r 
 
 cute you : bless, and curse not. 
 
 (Calmet, Diet.) Calmet is also of 
 J opinion that the two minor epistles of 
 j John may be such letters of recomroen- 
 i dationand communion. Comp. 2 John 
 10. It may be added that it woul] l 
 particularly expected of Christians that 
 they should show hospitality to 1 he- 
 ministers of religion. They were corn- 
 jmonlypoor; they received no fixed 
 salary ; they travelled from place to 
 j place ; and they would be dependent 
 I for support on the kindness of tho?e 
 who loved the Lord Jesus Christ. This 
 was particularly intended by our Sa 
 viour s instructions on the subject. Matt, 
 x. 11, 12, 13. 4042. The duty of 
 hospitality is still binding on Chris 
 tians and all men. The law of Christ 
 is not repealed. The customs of society 
 are indeed changed ; and one evidence 
 of advancement in commerce and in 
 security, is furnished in the fact that 
 inns are now provided and patronized 
 for the traveller in all Christian lands. 
 Still this does not lessen the obligations 
 to show hospitality. It is demanded by 
 the very genius of the Christian re 
 ligion ; it evinces proper love towards 
 mankind; it shows that there is a 
 feeling of brotherhood and kindness 
 towards others, when such hospitality 
 is shown. It unites society, creates 
 new bonds of interest and affection, to 
 show kindness to the stranger ai/d to 
 the poor. To what extent this is to 
 be done, is one of those questions 
 which are to be left to every man s con 
 science and views of duty. No rule 
 can be given on the subject. Many 
 men have not the means to be ex 
 tensively hospitable ; and many are net 
 placed in situations that require it. No 
 rules could be given that should be ap 
 plicable to all cases ; and hence the 
 Bible has left the general direction, 
 has furnished examples where it wns 
 exercised, has recommended it to man 
 kind, and then has left every man to 
 act on the rule, as he will answer it to 
 God. See Matt. xxv. 34 46. 
 
 * **lf>*8 them, &c. See Note, Matt. 
 
272 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A D. GO 
 
 15 Rejoice a with them that 
 do rejoice, and weep with them 
 that weep. 
 
 v. 44. Comp. Luke vi. 28. ^ Bless, 
 and curse not. Bless only ; or con 
 tinue to bless, however long or aggra 
 vated may be the injury. Do not be 
 provoked to anger, or to cursing, by 
 any injury, persecution, or reviling. 
 Tli is is one of the most severe and 
 difficult duties of the Christian re 
 ligion ; and it is a duty which nothing 
 else but religion will enable men to per 
 form. To curse denotes properly to 
 ile-vote to destruction. Where there is 
 power to do it, it implies the destruc 
 tion of the object. Thus the fig-tree 
 that was cursed by the Saviour soon 
 withered away. Mark xi. 21. Thus 
 those whom God curses will be cer 
 tainly destroyed. Matt. xxv. 41. Where 
 there is not power to do it, to curse 
 implies the invoking of the aid of God 
 to devote to destruction. Hence it 
 means to imprecate ; to implore a curse 
 from God to rest on others ; to pray 
 that God would destroy them. In a 
 larger sense still, it means to abuse by 
 reproachful words ; to calumniate ; or 
 to express one s self in a violent, pro 
 fane, and outrageous manner. In this 
 passage it seems to have especial- refer 
 ence to this. 
 
 15. Rejoice -with them, &c. This 
 command grows out of the doctrine 
 stated in ver. 4, 5, that the church is 
 f j?ie ; that it has one interest ; and 
 therefore that there should be common 
 sympathy in its joys and sorrows. Or, 
 enter into the welfare of your fellow- 
 Christians, and show your attachment 
 to them by rejoicing that they are made 
 happy. Comp. 1 Cor. xii. 26, " And 
 whether. . .one member be honoured, all 
 the members rejoice with it." In this 
 way happiness diffuses and multiplies 
 itself, It becomes expanded over the 
 face of the whole society ; and the 
 union of the Christian body tends to 
 enlarge the sphere of happiness, and to 
 prolong the joy conferred by religion. 
 God has bound the family of man to- 
 
 16 Be * of the same mind 
 one toward another. Mind c not 
 high things, but condescend * to 
 
 e Jer.45.5. 1 or, be contented with mean thingt, 
 
 gether by these sympathies, and it io 
 one of the happiest of all devices to 
 perpetuate and extend human enjoy 
 ments, f Weep, &c. See Note on 
 John xi. 35. At the grave of Lazarus 
 our Saviour evinced this in a most ten 
 der and affecting manner. The design 
 of this direction is to produce mutual 
 kindness and affection, and to divide 
 our sorrows by the sympathies of 
 friends. Nothing is so well fitted to do 
 this as the sympathy of those we love. 
 All who are afflicted know how much 
 it diminishes their sorrow to see others 
 sympathizing with them, and espe 
 cially those who evince in their sym 
 pathies the Christian spirit. How sad 
 would be a suffering world if there 
 were none who regarded our grir.fa 
 with interest or with tears ! if every 
 sufferer were left to bear his sorrows 
 unpitied and alone ! and if all the ties 
 of human sympathy were rudely cut at 
 once, and men were left to suffer in 
 solitude and unbefriended ! It may be 
 added that it is the special duty of 
 Christians to sympathize in each other s 
 griefs, (1.) Because their Saviour set 
 them the example ; (2.) Because they 
 belong to the same family ; (3.) Be 
 cause they are subject to similar trials 
 and afflictions ; and, (4.) Because they 
 cannot expect the sympathy of a cold 
 and unfeeling world. 
 
 16. Be of the same mind, &c. This 
 passage has been variously interpreted. 
 " Enter into each other s circumstances 
 in order to see how you would yourself 
 feel." Chrysostom. " Be agreed in 
 your opinions and views." Stuart. 
 " Be united or agreed with each other." 
 Flatt. Comp. Phil. ii. 2. 2 Cor. xiii. 
 11. A literal translation of the Greek 
 will give somewhat a different sense, 
 but oe evidently correct. Think of, 
 i. e. regard, or seek after the same 
 thing for each other; i. e. what you 
 regard or seek for yourself, seek also 
 for your brethren. Do not have dmdetl 
 
A.D.60.J 
 
 men of low estate, 
 wise in your own conceits. 
 17 Recompense * to no man 
 
 a Isa.5.21. iMatt.5.39. lPet.3.9. 
 
 interests ; do not be pursuing different 
 ends and aims ; do not indulge coun 
 ter plans and purposes ; and do not 
 seek honours, offices, for yourself which 
 you do not- seek for your brethren, so 
 that you may still regard yourselves as 
 brethren on a level, and aim at the 
 same object. The Syriac has well 
 rendered the passage : " And what 
 you think concerning yourselves, the 
 same also think concerning your bre 
 thren ; neither think with an elevated 
 or ambitious mind, but accommodate 
 yourselves to those who are of hum 
 bler condition." Comp. 1 Pet. iii. 8. 
 1 Mind not high things. Greek, Not 
 thinking of high things. That is, not 
 seeking them, or aspiring after them. 
 The connexion shows that the apostle 
 had in view those things which per 
 tained to worldly offices and honours ; 
 wealth, and state, and grandeur. They 
 were not to seek them for them 
 selves ; nor were they to court the so 
 ciety or the honours of the men in an 
 elevated rank in life. Christians were 
 commonly of the poorer ranks, and 
 they were to seek their companions and 
 joys there, and not to aspire to the so 
 ciety of the great and the rich. Comp. 
 Jer. xlv. 5, " And seekest thou great 
 things for thyself] Seek them not." 
 Lukexii. 15. f Condescend (crw* 7ra,y<i- 
 syo/). Literally, " being led aivay by, 
 or being conducted by" It does not 
 properly mean to condescend, but de 
 notes a yielding, or being guided and 
 led in the thoughts, feelings, plans, by 
 humble objects. Margin, " Be con 
 tented -with mean tilings" ^ To men 
 of lota estate. In the Greek the word 
 here is an adjective (<rctflt/vc</?), and may 
 refer either to men or to things, either 
 in the masculine or neuter gender. 
 The sentiment is not materially changed 
 whichever interpretation is adopted. It 
 means that Christians should seek the 
 objects of interest and companionship, 
 not among the great, the rich, and the 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Be not 
 
 evil for evil. Provide 
 honest in the sight 
 men. 
 
 273 
 
 things 
 of all 
 
 noble, but among the humble and the 
 obscure. They should do it because 
 their master did it before them ; l.<ecause 
 his friends are most commonly found 
 among those in humble life ; because 
 Christianity prompts to benevolence 
 rather than to a fondness for pride and 
 display ; and because of the influence 
 on the mind produced by an attempt to 
 imitate the great, to seek the society of 
 the rich, and to mingle with the scenes 
 of gayety, folly, and ambition. ^ Re 
 not wise, &c. Comp. Isa. v. 21, " Wo 
 unto them that are wise in their own 
 eyes, and prudent in their own sight." 
 See .Note, ch. xi. 25. The meaning 
 is, do not trust in the conceit of 
 your own superior skill and under 
 standing, and refuse to hearken to the 
 counsel of others. *|f In your o-wn 
 conceits. Greek, JLmong yourselves. 
 Syriac, " In your own opinion." The 
 direction here accords with that just 
 given, and means that they should not 
 be elated with pride above their bre 
 thren ; or be headstrong and self-con 
 fident. The tendency of religion is to 
 produce a low estimate of our own im 
 portance and attainments. 
 
 17. Recompense. Render, give, or 
 return. See Note, Matt. v. 39. This 
 is probably one of the most difficull 
 precepts of Christianity ; but the law 
 of Christ on the subject is unyielding. 
 It is a solemn demand made on all his 
 followers, and it must be obeyed, f Pro 
 vide. The word rendered provide 
 means properly to think or meditate 
 beforehand. Make it a matter of pre 
 vious thought, of settled plan, of de 
 sign. This direction would make it a 
 matter of principle and fixed purpose 
 to do that which is right ; and not to 
 leave it to the fluctuations of feeling, or 
 to the influence of excitement. The 
 same direction is given in 2 Cor. viii. 
 21. Tf Things honest. Literally things 
 beautiful, or comely. The expression 
 here does not refer to properly, or to 
 
274 ROMANS. 
 
 18 If it be possible, as much 
 as lieth in you, live peaceably a 
 with all men. 
 
 a Ps.34.14. Heb.12.14. 
 
 provision made for a family, &c The 
 connexion requires us to understand it 
 respecting conduct, and especially our 
 conduct towards those who injure us. 
 It requires us to evince a spirit, and to 
 manifest a deportment in such cases, 
 that shall be lovely and comely in the 
 view of others ; such as all men will 
 approve and admire. And the apostle 
 wisely cautions us to provide for this, 
 i. e to think of it beforehand, to make 
 it a matter of fixed principle and pur 
 pose, so that we shall not be overtaken 
 and excited by passion. If left to the 
 time when the offence shall be given, 
 we may be excited and off our guard, 
 and may therefore evince an improper 
 temper. All persons who have ever 
 been provoked by injury (and who has 
 not been?) will see the profound wisdom 
 of this caution to discipline and guard 
 the temper by previous purpose, that 
 we may not evince an improper spirit. 
 Tf In the sight of all men. Such as all 
 must approve ; such that no man can 
 blame ; arid, therefore, such as shall do 
 no discredit to religion. This expres 
 sion is taken from Prov. iii. 4. The 
 passage shows that men may be ex 
 pected to approve a mild, kind, and 
 patient temper in the reception of in 
 juries ; and facts show that this is the 
 case. The Christian spirit is one that 
 the world must approve, however little 
 it is disposed to act on it. 
 
 18. If it be possible. If it can be 
 cone. This expression implies that it 
 could not always be done. Still it 
 should be an object of desire ; and we 
 should endeavour to obtain it. Tf Jls 
 much as lieth in you. This implies 
 two things: (1.) We are to do our 
 utmost endeavours to preserve peace, 
 und to appease the anger and malice of 
 others. (2.) We are not to begin or 
 to originate a quarrel. So far as -we 
 are concerned, we are to seek peace. 
 But then it does not always depend on 
 us. Others may oppose and persecute < 
 
 [A. D. GO 
 
 19 Dearly beloved, avenge * 
 not yourselves ; but rather give 
 place unto wrath : for it is 
 
 us; they will hate religion, and may 
 slander, revile, and otherwise injure us ; 
 or they may commence an assault on 
 our persons or property For their as 
 saults we are not answerable ; but we 
 are answerable for our conduct towards 
 them ; and on no occasion are we to 
 commence a warfare with them. It 
 may not be possible to prevent their 
 injuring and opposing us; but it is pos 
 sible not to begin a contention with 
 them ; and -when they have commenced 
 a strife, to seek peace, and to evince a 
 Christian spirit. This command doubt 
 less extends to every thing connected 
 with strife ; and means that we are not 
 to provoke them to controversy, or to 
 prolong it when it is commenced. See 
 Ps. xxxiv. 14. Matt. v. 9. 39, 40, 41. 
 Heb. xii. 14. If all Christians would 
 follow this command, if they would 
 never provoke to controversy, if they 
 would injure no man by slander or by 
 unfair dealing, if they would compel 
 none to prosecute them in law by want 
 of punctuality in payment of debts or 
 honesty in business, if they would do 
 nothing to irritate, or to prolong a 
 controversy when it is commenced, 
 it would put an end to no small 
 part of the strife that exists in the 
 world. 
 
 19. Dearly beloved. This expres 
 sion of tenderness was peculiarly ap* 
 propriate in an exhortation to peace. 
 It reminded them of the affection and 
 friendship which ought to subsist 
 among them as brethren. Tf Avenge 
 not yourselves. To avenge is to take 
 satisfaction for an injury by inflicting 
 punishment on the offender. To take 
 such satisfaction for injuries done to 
 society, is lawful and proper for a ma 
 gistrate, ch. xiii. 4. And to take satis 
 faction for injuries done by sin to the 
 universe, is the province of God. But 
 the apostle here is addressing private 
 individual Christians. And the com 
 mand is, to avoid a spirit and purpose 
 
A. I). GO.] 
 
 written, * Vengeance is mine ; 
 [ will repay, saith the Lord. 
 
 Deut.82.35. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 V 
 
 275 
 
 >f revenge. But this command is not 
 K) be so understood that we may not 
 eek for justice in a regular and proper 
 way before civil tribunals. If our cha 
 racter is assaulted, if we are robbed and 
 plundered, if we are oppressed contrary 
 to the law of the land, religion does not 
 require us to submit to such oppression 
 and injury without seeking our rights 
 in an orderly and regular manner. If 
 it did, it would be to give a premium 
 to iniquity to countenance wickedness, 
 and require a man, by becoming a 
 Christian, to abandon his rights. Be 
 sides, the magistrate is appointed for 
 the praise of those who do well, and to 
 punish evil-doers. 1 Pet. ii. 14. Fur 
 ther, our Lord Jesus did not surrender 
 his rights (John xviii. 23) ; and Paul 
 demanded that he himself should be 
 treated according to the rights and pri 
 vileges of a Roman citizen. Acts xvi. 
 37. The command here not to avenge 
 ourselves means, that we are not to 
 take it out of the hands of God, or the 
 hands of the law, and to inflict it our 
 selves. It is well known that where 
 there are no laws, the business of ven 
 geance is pursued by individuals in a 
 barbarous and unrelenting manner. In 
 a state of savage society, vengeance is 
 immediately taken, if possible, or it is 
 pursued for years, and the offended man 
 is never satisfied until he has imbrued 
 his hands in the blood of the offender. 
 Such was eminently the case among 
 the Indians of this country. But Chris 
 tianity seeks the ascendency of the 
 laws ; and in cases which do not admit 
 or require the interference of the laws, 
 in private assaults and quarrels, it de 
 mands that we bear injury with pa 
 tience, and commit our cause unto 
 God. See Lev. xix. 18. *|f But rather 
 iri-ue place unto -wrath. This expres 
 sion has been interpreted in a great 
 variety of ways. Its obvious design is 
 to induce us* not to attempt to avenge 
 ourselves, but to leave it with God. 
 To give place, then, is to leave it for 
 
 20 Therefore, if * thine ene 
 my hunger, feed him ; if he 
 
 6 Prov.25.21,22. Matt.5.44. 
 
 God to come in and execute wrath ot 
 vengeance on the enemy. Do not ex 
 ecute wrath ; leave it to God ; commit 
 all to him ; leave yourself and your 
 enemy in his hands, assured that ho 
 will vindicate you and punish him. 
 t .For it is written. Deut. xxxii. 35. 
 1 Vengeance is mine. That is, it be 
 longs to me to inflict revenge. This 
 expression implies that it is improper 
 for men to interfere with that which 
 properly belongs to God. When we 
 are angry, and attempt to avenge our 
 selves, we should remember, therefore,^ 
 that we are infringing on the preroga 
 tives of the Almighty. ^ / -will repay, 
 &c. This is said in substance, though 
 not in so many words, in Deut. xxxii. 
 35, 36. Its design is to assure us that 
 those who deserve to be punished, shall 
 be ; and that, therefore, the business of 
 revenge may be safely left in the hand A 
 of God. Though tve should not do it, 
 yet if it ought to be done, it will be done. 
 This assurance will sustain us, not in 
 the desire that our enemy shall be pu 
 nished, but in the belief that God will 
 take the matter into his own hands ; 
 that he can administer it better than we 
 can ; and that if our enemy ought to be 
 punished, he will be. We, therefore, 
 should leave it all with God. That 
 God will vindicate his people, is clearly 
 and abundantly proved in 2 Thess. i. 
 610. Rev. vi. 911. Deut. xxxii. 
 40 43. 
 
 20. Therefore, if thine enemy hun 
 ger, &c. This verse is taken almost 
 literally from Prov. xxv. 21, 22. Hun 
 ger and thirst here are put for want in 
 general. If thine enemy is needy in 
 any way, do him good, and supply his 
 wants. This is, in spirit, the same as 
 the command of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 
 v. 44), " Do good to them that nate 
 you," &c. ^f In so doing. It does nol 
 mean that we are to do thisybr the sake, 
 of heaping coals of fire on him, but that 
 this -will be the result, f Thou shalt 
 heap, &c. Coals of fire are dcubtlest 
 
thirst, give him drink: for in 
 so doing thou shall heap coals 
 of fire on his head. 
 
 ROMANS. [A D. CO. 
 
 21 Be a not overcome of evil, 
 but overcome evil with good. 
 
 emblematical of pain. But the idea 
 here is not that in so doing we shall 
 call down divine vengeance on the 
 man ; but the apostle is speaking of the 
 natuial effect or result of showing him 
 kindness. Burning coals heaped on a 
 man s head would be expressive of in 
 tense agony. So the apostle says that 
 the effect of doing good to an enemy 
 would be to produce pain. But the 
 pain will result from shame, remorse 
 of conscience, a conviction of the evil 
 of his conduct, and an apprehension of 
 divine displeasure that may lead to re 
 pentance. To do this, is not only per 
 fectly right, but it is desirable. If a 
 man can be brought to reflection and 
 true repentance, it should be done. In 
 regard to this passage we may remark, 
 (1.) That the way to promote peace is 
 to do good even to enemies. (2.) The 
 way to bring a man to repentance 
 is to do him good. On this principle 
 God is acting continually. He does 
 good to all, even to the rebellious ; and 
 he designs that his goodness should lead 
 men to repentance. Rom. ii. 4. Men 
 will resist wrath, anger, and power ; 
 but goodness they cannot resist ; it 
 finds its way to the heart ; and the 
 conscience does its work, and the sin 
 ner is overwhelmed at the remembrance 
 of his crimes. (3.) If men would act 
 on the principles of the gospel, the 
 world would soon be at peace. No 
 man would suffer himself many times 
 to be overwhelmed in this way with 
 coals of fire. It is not human nature, 
 bad as it is ; and if Christians would 
 meet all unkindness with kindness, all 
 malice with benevolence, and all wrong 
 with right, peace would soon pervade 
 the community, and even opposition to 
 the gospel might soon die away. 
 
 21. lie not overcome of evil. Be 
 not vanquished or subdued by injury 
 received from others. Do not suffer 
 your temper to be excited ; your Chris 
 tian principles to be abandoned ; yo^r 
 
 mild, amiable, kind, and benevolent 
 temper to be ruffled by any opposition 
 or injury which you may experience. 
 Maintain your Christian principles 
 amidst all opposition, and thus show 
 the power of the gospel. They are over 
 come by evil who suffer their temper 
 to be excited, who become enraged and 
 revengeful, and who engage in conten 
 tion with those who injure them. Prov. 
 xvi. 22. | But overcome evil with 
 good. That is, subdue or vanquish 
 evil by doing good to others. Show 
 them the loveliness of a better spirit ; 
 the power of kindness and benevo 
 lence ; the value of an amiable, Chris 
 tian deportment. So doing, you may 
 disarm them of their rage, and be the 
 means of bringing them to bettei 
 minds. 
 
 This is the noble and grad senti 
 ment of the Christian religion. No 
 thing like this is to be found in the hea 
 then classics ; and nothing like it ever 
 existed among pagan nations. Chris 
 tianity alone has brought forth this 
 lovely and mighty principle ; and one 
 design of it is to advance the welfare 
 of man by promoting peace, harmony, 
 and love. The idea of overcoming evil 
 with good never occurred to men until 
 the gospel was preached. It never has 
 been acted on, except under the influ 
 ences of the gospel. On this principle 
 God shows kindness ; on this principle 
 the Saviour came, and bled, and died , 
 and on this principle all Christian* 
 should act in treating their enemies, 
 and in bringing a world to the know 
 ledge of the Lord Jesus, If Christians 
 will show benevolence, if they will 
 send forth proofs of love to the ends 
 of the earth, the evils of the world will 
 be overcome. Nor can the nations be 
 converted until Christians act on thia 
 great and most important principle of 
 their religion, on the largest scale 
 possible, TO "OVERCOME EVIL "WITH 
 
A. D. 60.j 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 277 
 
 CHAPTER XIJI. 
 IT ET every soul be subject a 
 unto the higher powers. For 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 I. Let every soul. Every person. 
 In the seven first verses of this chapter, 
 the apostle discusses the subject of the 
 duty which Christians owe to civil 
 government; a subject which is ex 
 tremely important, and at the same 
 time exceedingly difficult. There is no 
 doubt that he had express reference to 
 the peculiar situation of the Christians 
 at Rome ; but the subject was of so 
 much importance that he gives it a 
 general bearing, and states the great 
 principles on which all Christians are 
 to act. The circumstances which made 
 this discussion proper and important 
 were the following: (1.) The Christian 
 religion was designed to extend through- 
 3Ut the world. Yet it contemplated the 
 rearing of a kingdom amid other king 
 doms, an empire amid other empires. 
 Christians professed supreme allegiance 
 .o the Lord Jesus Christ ; he was their 
 lawgiver, their sovereign, their judge, 
 [t became, therefore, a question of great 
 importance and difficulty, -what kind of 
 allegiance they were to render to earthly 
 magistrates. (2.) The kingdoms of the 
 world were then pagan kingdoms. The 
 laws were made by pagans, and were 
 adapted to the prevalence of heathen 
 ism. Those kingdoms had been gene 
 rally founded in conquest, and blood, 
 and oppression. Many of the monarchs 
 were blood-stained warriors ; were un 
 principled men ; and were polluted in 
 their private, and oppressive in their 
 public character. Whether Christians 
 were to acknowledge the laws of such 
 kingdoms and of such men, was a seri 
 ous question, and one which could not 
 but occur very early. It would occur 
 also very soon, in circumstances that 
 would be very affecting and trying. 
 Soon the hands of these magistrates 
 were to be raised against Christians in 
 the fiery scenes of persecution ; and the 
 duty and extent of submission to them 
 became a matter of very serious inquiry 
 2 A 
 
 there b is no power but of God : 
 the powers that be are 1 ordain 
 ed of God. 
 
 or, ordered. 
 
 (3.) Many of the early Christians were 
 composed of Jewish converts. Yet the 
 Jews had long been under Roman op 
 pression, and had borne the foreign 
 yoke with great uneasiness. The whole 
 heathen magistracy they regarded as 
 founded in a system of idolatry ; as 
 opposed to God and his kingdom ; and 
 as abomination in his sight. With these 
 feelings they had become Christians ; 
 and it was natural that their former 
 sentiments should exert an influence on 
 them after their conversion. How far 
 they should submit, if at all, to heathen 
 magistrates, was a question of deep in 
 terest ; and there was danger that the 
 Jewish converts might prove to be dis 
 orderly and rebellious citizens of the 
 empire. (4.) Nor was the case much 
 different with the Gentile converts. 
 They would naturally look with abhor 
 rence on the system of idolatry which 
 they had just forsaken. They would 
 regard all as opposed to God. They 
 would denounce the religion of the 
 pagans as abomination ; and as that 
 religion was interwoven with the civil 
 institutions, there was danger also that 
 they might denounce the government 
 altogether, and be regarded as opposed 
 to the laws of the land. (5.) There 
 were cases where it was right to resist 
 the laws. This the Christian religion 
 clearly taught ; and in cases like these, 
 it was indispensable for Christians to 
 take a stand. When ?he laws interfered 
 with the rights of conscience ; when 
 they commanded the worship of idols, 
 or any moral wrong, then it was their 
 duty to refuse submission. Yet in 
 what cases this was to be done, where 
 the line was to be drawn, was a ques 
 tion of deep importance, and one which 
 was not easily settled. It is quite pro 
 bable, however, that the main danger 
 was, that the early Christians would err 
 in refusing submission, even when it 
 was proper, rather than in undue con 
 formity to idolatrous rites and ceremo- 
 
278 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A.D.60. 
 
 nies. (6.) In the changes which 
 were to occur in human governments, 
 it would be an inquiry of deep interest, 
 what part Christians should take, and 
 what submission they should yield to 
 the various laws which might spring up 
 among the nations. The principles on 
 which Christians should act are settled 
 in this chapter, f Be subject. Submit. 
 The word denotes that kind of submis 
 sion which soldiers render to their 
 officers. It implies subordination ; a 
 willingness to occupy our proper place, 
 to yield to the authority of those over 
 us. The word used here does not 
 designate the extent of the submis 
 sion, but merely enjoins it in general. 
 The general principle will be seen 
 to be, that we are to obey in all 
 things which are not contrary to the 
 law of God. 1 The higher powers. 
 The magistracy ; the supreme govern 
 ment. It undoubtedly here refers to the 
 Roman magistracy, and has relation 
 not so much to the riders as to the 
 supreme authority which was esta 
 blished as the constitution of govern 
 ment. Comp. Matt. x. 1 ; xxviii. 18. 
 T[ for. The apostle gives a reason 
 why Christians should be subject ; and 
 that reason is, that magistrates have 
 received their appointment from God. 
 As Christians, therefore, are to be sub 
 ject to God, so they are to honour 
 God by honouring the arrangement 
 which he has instituted for the govern 
 ment of mankind. Doubtless, he here 
 intends also to repress the vain curiosi 
 ty and agitation with which men are 
 prone to inquire into the titles of their 
 rulers ; to guard them from the agita 
 tions and conflicts of party, and of con 
 tentions to establish a favourite on the 
 throne. It might be that those in power 
 had not a proper title to their office ; 
 that they had secured it, not according 
 to justice, but by oppression; but into 
 that question Christians were not to 
 enter. The government was establish 
 ed, and they were not to seek to over 
 turn it. f No power. No office ; no 
 magistracy ; no civil rule. ^ But of 
 God. By God s permission, or appoint- 
 dient ; by the arrangements of his provi 
 
 dence, by which those in office had ob 
 tained their power. God often claims 
 and asserts that He seta up one, and 
 puts down another. Ps. Ixxv. 7. Dan 
 ii. 21; iv. 17. 25. 34, 35. 1 The, 
 powers that be. That is, all the civil 
 magistracies that exist ; those who have 
 the rule over nations, by whatever 
 means they may have obtained it. 
 This is equally true at all times, that 
 the powers that exist, exist by the per 
 mission and providence of God. *[ Jire 
 ordained of God. This word ordained 
 denotes the ordering or arrangement 
 which subsists in a military company, 
 or army. God sets them in order, 
 assigns them their location, changes 
 and directs them as he pleases. This 
 does not mean that he originates or 
 causes the evil dispositions of rulers, 
 but that he directs and controls their 
 appointment. By this, we are not to 
 infer, (1.) That he approves their 
 conduct ; nor, (2.) That what they do 
 is always right; nor, (3.) That it is 
 our duty always to submit to them. 
 Their requirements may be opposed 
 to the law of God, and then we are to 
 obey God rather than man. Acts iv. 
 19 ; v. 29. But it is meant that the 
 power is intrusted to them by God ; 
 and that he has the authority to re 
 move them when he pleases. If they 
 abuse their power, however, they do it 
 at their peril ; and when so abused, the 
 obligation to obey them ceases. That 
 this is the case, is apparent further 
 from the nature of the question which 
 would be likely to arise among the 
 early Christians. It could not be and 
 never was a question, whether they 
 should obey a magistrate when he 
 commanded a thing that was plainly 
 contrary to the law of God. But the 
 question was, whether they should 
 obey a heathen magistrate at all. This 
 question the apostle answers in the 
 affirmative, because God had made 
 government necessary, and because it 
 was arranged and ordered by his provi 
 dence. Probably also the apostle had 
 another object in view. At the time in 
 which he wrote this epistle, the Roman 
 empire was agitated with civil dissen- 
 
A.D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 279 
 
 2 Whosoever therefore resist- 
 elh the power, resisteth the or 
 dinance of God : and they that 
 
 sions. One emperor followed another 
 in rapid succession. The throne was 
 often seized, not by right, but by crime. 
 Different claimants would rise, and 
 their claims would excite controversy. 
 The object of the apostle was to pre 
 vent Christians from entering into those 
 disputes, and from taking an active 
 part in a political controversy. Besides, 
 the throne had been usurped by the 
 reigning emperors, and there was a 
 prevalent disposition to rebel against a 
 tyrannical government. Claudius had 
 been put to death by poison ; Caligula 
 in a violent manner ; Nero was a ty 
 rant ; and amidst these agitations, and 
 crimes, and revolutions, the apostle 
 wished to guard Christians from taking 
 an active part in political affairs. 
 
 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth, 
 &c. That is, they who rise up against 
 government itself ; who seek anarchy 
 and confusion ; and who oppose the 
 regular execution of the laws. It is 
 implied, however, that those laws shall 
 not be such as to violate the rights of 
 conscience, or oppose the laws of God. 
 H Resisteth the ordinance of God. 
 What God has ordained, or appointed. 
 This means clearly that we are to re 
 gard government as instituted by God, 
 and as agreeable to his will. When es 
 tablished, we are not to be agitated about 
 the titles of the rulers ; not to enter into 
 angry contentions, or to refuse to sub 
 mit to them, oecause we are apprehen 
 sive of a defect in their title, or because 
 they may have obtained it by oppres 
 sion. If the government is established, 
 and if its decisions are not a manifest 
 violation of the laws of God, we are to 
 submit to them. 1 Shall receive to 
 themselves damnation. The word dam 
 nation we apply now exclusively to 
 the punishment of hell ; to future tor 
 ments. But this is not necessarily the 
 meaning of the word which is here used 
 (*g ///*). It often simply denotes punish 
 ment. Rom. iii. 8. 1 Cor. xi. 29. Gal. 
 v 1 0. In this place the word implies 
 
 resist shall receive to themselves 
 damnation. 
 
 3 For rulers are not a terroi 
 
 guilt or criminality in resisting the or 
 dinance of God, and affirms that the 
 man that does it shall be punisned. 
 Whether the apostle means that he 
 shall be punished by God, or by the 
 magistrate, is not quite clear. Probably 
 the latter, however, is intended. Comp 
 ver. 4. It is also true that such resist 
 ance shall be attended with the displea 
 sure of God, and be punished by him. 
 3. For rulers. The apostle here 
 speaks of rulers in general. It may 
 not be universally true that they are 
 not a terror to good works, for many 
 of them have persecuted the good ; but 
 it is generally true that they who are 
 virtuous have nothing to fear from the 
 laws. It is universally true that the 
 design of their appointment by God 
 was, not to injure and oppress the 
 good, but to detect and punish the evil. 
 Magistrates, as such, are not a terror to 
 good works, f Jlre not a terror, &c. 
 Are not appointed to punish the good. 
 Their appointment is not to inspire 
 terror in those who are virtuous and 
 peaceable citizens. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 9. 
 ^ But to the evil. Appointed to de 
 tect and punish evil-doers ; and there 
 fore an object of terror to them. 1 he 
 design of the apostle here is, evidently, 
 to reconcile Christians to submission 
 to the government, from its utility. It 
 is appointed to protect the good against 
 the evil ; to restrain oppression, injus 
 tice, and fraud ; to bring offenders to 
 justice, and thus promote the peace and 
 harmony of the community. As it is 
 designed to promote order and happi 
 ness, it should be submitted to ^ and 
 so long as this object is pursued, aiid 
 obtained, government should receive 
 the countenance and support of Chris 
 tians. But if it departs from this prin 
 ciple, and becomes the protector of the 
 evil and the oppressor of the good, the 
 case is reversed, and the obligation to 
 its support must cease. ^ Wilt thott 
 not, &c. If you do evil by resisting 
 the laws, and in any other manner 
 
280 
 
 to good works, but to the evil. 
 Wilt thou then not be afraid of 
 the power ? do fl that which is 
 good, and thou shalt have praise 
 of the same : 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. GO. 
 
 4 For he is the minister of 
 God to thee for good. But if thou 
 do that which is evil, be afraid; 
 for he beareth not the sword in 
 vain : for he is the minister of 
 
 will you not fear the power of the go<- 
 vernment 1 Fear is one of the means 
 by which men are restrained from crime 
 in a community. On many minds it 
 operates with much more power than 
 any other motive. And it is one which 
 a magistrate must make use of to re 
 strain men from evil. ^ Do that which 
 is good. Be a virtuous and peaceable 
 citizen ; abstain from crime, and yield 
 obedience to all the just laws of the 
 land, ^f Jlnd thou shalt have praise 
 of the same. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 14, 15. 
 You shall be unmolested and uninjured, 
 and shall receive the commendation of 
 being peaceable and upright citizens. 
 The prospect of that protection, and 
 even of that reputation, is not an un 
 worthy motive to yield obedience to 
 the laws. Every Christian should de 
 sire the reputation of being a man 
 seeking the welfare of his country, and 
 the just execution of the laws. 
 
 4. The minister of God. The ser 
 vant of God. He is appointed by God 
 to do his will, and to execute his pur 
 poses. Tf To thee. For your benefit. 
 t For good. That is, to protect you 
 in your rights ; to vindicate your name, 
 person, or property ; and to guard your 
 liberty, and secure to you the results 
 of your industry. The magistrate is 
 not appointed directly to reward men, 
 but they practically furnish a reward 
 by protecting and defending them, and 
 secur.iig to them the interests of jus 
 tice. Tf If thou do that, &c. That is, 
 if any citizen should do evil, ^ Be 
 afraid. Fear the just vengeance of 
 the laws, f For he beareth not the 
 sword in vain. The sword is an in 
 strument of punishment, as well as an 
 emblem of war. Princes were accus 
 tomed to wear a sword as an emblem 
 of their authority ; and the sword was 
 often used for the purpose of behead 
 
 ing, or otherwise punishing the guilty. 
 The meaning of the apostle is, that he. 
 does not wear this badge of authority 
 as an unmeaning show, but that it will 
 be used to execute the laws. As this 
 is the design of the power intrusted t<? 
 him, and as he will exercise his au 
 thority, men should be influenced by 
 fear to keep the law, even if there 
 were no better motive. ^ A revenger, 
 &c. In ch. xii. 19, vengeance is said 
 to belong to God. Yet he executes his 
 vengeance by means of subordinate 
 agents. It belongs to him to take ven 
 geance by direct judgments, by the 
 plague, famine, sickness, or earth 
 quakes ; by the appointment of magis 
 trates ; or by letting loose the passions 
 of men to prey upon each other. 
 When a magistrate inflicts punishment 
 on the guilty, it is to be regarded as the 
 act of God taking vengeance by him ; 
 and on this principle only is it right for 
 a judge to condemn a man to death. It 
 is not because one man has by nature 
 any right over the life of another, or 
 because society has any right collect 
 ively which it has not as individuals ; 
 but because God gave life, and be 
 cause he has chosen to take it away 
 when crime is committed by the ap 
 pointment of magistrates, and not by 
 coming forth himself visibly to execute 
 the laws. Where human laws fail, 
 however, he often takes vengeance into 
 his own hands, and by the plague, or 
 some signal judgments, sweeps the 
 guilty into eternity. ^ To execute 
 wrath. For an explanation of the 
 word -wrath see Notes on ch. i. 1 8. It 
 denotes here punishment, or the just 
 execution of the laws. It may be re 
 marked that this verse is an incidental 
 proof of the propriety ot capital punish 
 nent. The sword was undoubtedly an 
 instrument for this purpose, and the 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 God, a revenger to exe 
 cute wrath upon him that doeth 
 
 CHAPTER xiu. 
 
 281 
 
 evil. 
 
 5 Wherefore a ye must needs 
 
 be subject, not only for wrath, 
 but also for conscience sake. 
 
 6 For, for this cause pay ye 
 tribute also : for they are God s 
 
 apostle mentions its use without any 
 rcmnrk of disapprobation. He enjoins 
 subjection to those who -wear the 
 sword, that is, to those who execute 
 the laws by that; and evidently in 
 tends to speak of the magistrate -with 
 the sword, or in inflicting capital pu 
 nishment, as having received the ap 
 pointment of God. The tendency of 
 society now is not to too sanguinary 
 laws. It is rather to forget that God 
 has doomed the murderer to death ; and 
 though humanity should be consulted 
 in the execution of the laws, yet there 
 is no humanity in suffering the mur 
 derer to live to infest society, and en 
 danger many lives, in the place of his 
 own, which was forfeited to justice. 
 Fat better that one murderer should die, 
 than that he should be suffered to live, 
 to imbrue his hands perhaps in the 
 blood of many who are innocent. But 
 the authority of God has settled this 
 question (Gen. ix. 5, 6), and it is nei 
 ther right nor safe for a community to dis 
 regard his solemn decisions. See Black- 
 stone s Commentaries, vol. iv. p. 8. [9.] 
 5. Wherefore (Jity. The reasons 
 why we should be subject, which the 
 apostle had given, were two, (1.) That 
 government was appointed by God. 
 (2.) That violation of the laws would 
 necessarily expose to punishment, f Ye 
 must needs be. It is necessary (avdy- 
 )>) to be. This is a word stronger 
 than that which implies mere fitness or 
 propriety. It means that it is a matter 
 of high obligation and of necessity to 
 be subject to the civil ruler. Tf Not 
 only for -wrath. Not only on account 
 of the fear of punishment ; or the 
 fact that wrath will be executed on 
 evil doers, *{ For conscience 1 sake. 
 As a matter of conscience, or of duty 
 to God, because he has appointed it, 
 and made it necessary and proper. A 
 good citizen yields obedience because 
 2 A? 
 
 it is the will of God ; and a Christian 
 makes it a part of his religion to main 
 tain and obey the just laws of the land. 
 See Matt. xxii. 21 Comp. Eccl. viii. 
 2, " I counsel them to keep the king s 
 commandments, and that in regara 
 of the oath of God." 
 
 6. For this cause. Because they 
 are appointed by God ; for the sake of 
 conscience, and in order to secure the 
 execution of the laws. As they are 
 appointed by God, the tribute which is 
 needful for their support becomes an 
 act of homage to God, an act performed 
 in obedience to his will, and acceptable 
 to him. 1 Tribute also. Not only 
 be subject (ver. 5), but pay what may 
 be necessary to support the government. 
 Tribute properly denotes the tax, or 
 annual compensation, which was paid 
 by one province or nation to a superior, 
 as the price of protection, or as an 
 acknowledgment of subjection. The 
 Romans made all conquered provinces 
 pay this tribute ; and it would become 
 a question whether it was right to 
 acknowledge this claim, and submit to 
 it. Especially would this question 
 be agitated by the Jews and by Jew 
 ish Christians. But on the princi 
 ple which the apostle had laid down 
 (ver. 1, 2), it was right to do it, and 
 was demanded by the very purposes 
 of government. In a larger sense, the 
 word tribute means any tax paid on 
 land or personal estate for the support 
 of the government. 1 For they are 
 God s ministers. His servants ; or 
 they are appointed by him. As the 
 government is his appointment, we 
 should contribute to its support as a 
 matter of conscience, because we thus 
 do honour to the arrangement of God. 
 It may be observed here, also, that the 
 fact that civil rulers are the ministers 
 of God, invests their character with 
 great sacredness 3 and should impress 
 
282 
 
 ministers, attending continually 
 upon this very thing. 
 
 7 Render therefore to all a 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 their dues ; tribute to whom 
 tribute is due ; custom to whom 
 custom ; fear to whom fear; 
 honour to whom honour. 
 
 upon them the duty of seeking to do 
 his will, as well as on others the duty 
 of submitting to them. If Attending 
 continually. As they attend to this, 
 and devote their time and talents to it, 
 it is proper that they should receive a 
 suitable support. It becomes then a 
 duty for the people to contribute cheer 
 fully to the necessary expenses of the 
 government. If those taxes should be 
 unjust and oppressive, yet, like other 
 evils, they are to be submitted to, until 
 a remedy can be found in a proper way. 
 7. Render, therefore, &c. This in 
 junction is often repeated in the Bible. 
 See Notes on Matt. xxii. 21. See also 
 Matt. xvii. 2527. 1 Pet. ii. 1317. 
 Prov. xxiv. 2 1 . It is one of the most love 
 ly and obvious of the duties of religion. 
 Christianity is not designed to break in 
 upon the proper order of society, but 
 rather to establish and confirm that 
 order. It does not rudely assail exist 
 ing institutions; but it comes to put 
 them on a proper footing, to diffuse a 
 mild and pure influence over all, and 
 to secure such an influence in all the 
 relations of life as shall tend best to 
 promote the happiness of man and the 
 welfare of the community, ^f Is due. 
 To whom it properly belongs by the 
 law of the land, and according to the 
 ordinance of God. It is represented 
 here as a matter of debt, as something 
 which is due to the ruler ; a fair com 
 pensation to him for the service which 
 he renders us by devoting his time and 
 talents to advance our interests, and 
 the welfare of the community. As taxes 
 are a debt, a matter of strict and just 
 obligation, they should be paid as consci 
 entiously and as cheerfully as any other 
 just debts, however contracted. ^ Cus 
 tom (TXIC). The word rendered tri 
 bute means, as has been remarked, the 
 tax which is paid by a tributary prince 
 or dependent people ; also the tax im 
 posed on land or real estate. The word 
 
 here translated custom means properly 
 the revenue which is collected on raer- 
 chandise, either imported or exported. 
 Tf Fear. See ver. 4. We should stand 
 in awe of those who wear the sword, 
 and who are appointed to execute the 
 laws of the land. As the execution of 
 their office is fitted to excite fear, we 
 should render to them that reverence 
 which is appropriate to the execution 
 of their office. It means a solicitous 
 anxiety lest we do any thing to offend 
 them. H Honour. The difference be 
 tween this and fear is, that this rather 
 denotes reverence, veneration, respect 
 for their names, offices, rank, &c. The 
 former is the fear which arises from 
 the dread of punishment. Religion 
 gives to men all their just titles, recog 
 nises their rank and office, and seeks to 
 promote due subordination in a com 
 munity. It was no part of the work 
 of our Saviour, or of his apostles, to 
 quarrel with the mere titles of men, or 
 to withhold from them the customary 
 tribute of respect and homage. Comp. 
 Acts xxiv. 3 ; xxvi. 25. Luke i. 3. 
 1 Pet. ii. 17. In this verse there is 
 summed up the duty which is owed to 
 magistrates. It consists in rendering 
 to them proper honour; contributing 
 cheerfully and conscientiously to the 
 necessary expenses of the government , 
 and in yielding obedience to the laws. 
 These are made a part of the duty 
 which we owe to God, and should be 
 considered as enjoined by our religion. 
 On the subject discussed in these 
 seven verses, the following principles 
 seem to be settled by the authority of 
 the Bible, and are now understood : 
 (1.) That government is essential ; and 
 its necessity is recognised by God, and 
 it is arranged by his providence. God 
 has never been the patron of anarchy 
 and disorder. (2.) Civil rulers are de 
 pendent on God. He has the entire 
 control over them, and can set them 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 8 Owe n( man any thing, 
 but to love one another : for a 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 283 
 
 he that loveth another hath ful 
 filled the law. 
 
 up or put them down when he please. 
 (3.) The authority of God is superior 
 to that of civil rulers. They have no 
 right to make enactments which inter 
 fere with his authority. (4.) It is not 
 the business of civil rulers to regulate 
 or control religion. That is a distinct 
 department, with which they have no 
 concern, except to protect it. (5.) The 
 rights of all men are to be preserved. 
 Men are to be allowed to worship God 
 according to the dictates of their own 
 conscience, and to be protected in those 
 rights, provided they do not violate the 
 peace and order of the community. 
 (6.) Civil rulers have no right to per 
 secute Christians, or to attempt to se 
 cure conformity to their views by force. 
 The conscience cannot be compelled ; 
 and in the affairs of religion man must 
 be free. 
 
 In view of this subject we may re 
 mark, (1.) That the doctrines respecting 
 the rights of civil rulers, and the line 
 which is to be drawn between their 
 powers and the rights of conscience, 
 have been slow to be understood. The 
 struggle has been long; and a thou 
 sand persecutions have shown the anxi 
 ety of the magistrate to rule the con 
 science, and to control religion. In 
 pagan countries it has been conceded 
 that the civil ruler had a right to con 
 trol the religion of the people : church 
 and state there have been one. The 
 same thing was attempted under Chris 
 tianity. The magistrate still claimed 
 this right, and attempted to enforce it. 
 Christianity resisted the claim, and as 
 serted the independent and original 
 rights of conscience. A conflict ensued, 
 of course, arid the magistrate resorted 
 to persecutions, to subdue by force the 
 claims of the new religion and the 
 rights of conscience. Hence the ten 
 fiery and bloody persecutions of the 
 primitive church. The blood of tho 
 early Christians flowed like water; 
 thousands and tens of thousands went 
 to the stake, until Christianity triumph 
 
 ed, and the right of religion to a free 
 exercise was acknowledged throughout 
 the empire. (2.) It is matter of de 
 vout thanksgiving that the subject is 
 now settled, and the principle is now 
 understood. In our own land there 
 exists the happy and bright illustration 
 of the true principle on this great sub 
 ject. The rights of conscience are re 
 garded, and the laws peacefully obeyed. 
 The civil ruler understands his pro 
 vince ; and Christians yield a cheerful 
 and cordial obedience to the laws. The 
 church and state move on in their own 
 spheres, united only in the purpose to 
 make men happy and good ; and di 
 vided only as they relate to different 
 departments, and contemplate, the one, 
 the rights of civil society, the other, the 
 interests of eternity. Here, every man 
 worships God according to his own 
 views of duty ; and at the same time, 
 here is rendered the most cordial and 
 peaceful obedience to the laws of the 
 land. Thanks should be rendered with 
 out ceasing to the God of our fathers 
 for the wondrous train of events by 
 which this contest has been conducted 
 to its issue ; and for the clear and full 
 understanding which we now have of 
 the different departments pertaining to 
 the church and the state. 
 
 8. Owe no man any thing". Be not 
 hi debt to any one. In the previous 
 verse the apostle had beon discoursing 
 of the duty which we owe to magis 
 trates. He had particularly enjoined on 
 Christians to pay to them their just 
 dues. From this command to discharge 
 fully this obligation, the transition was 
 natural to the subject of debts in gene 
 ral, and to an injunction not to be in 
 debted to any one. This law is enjoin 
 ed in this place, (1.) Because it is a 
 part of our duty as good citizens; and, 
 (2.) Because it is a part of that law 
 which teaches us to love our neigh 
 bour, and to do no injury to him. 
 ver. 10. The interpretation of this 
 command is to be taken with this 
 
284 
 
 9 For this, Thou B shalt not 
 commit adultery, Thou shalt not 
 kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou 
 shalt not bear false witness, 
 Thou shalt not covet ; and if 
 
 a Ex.20.13,&c. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. ft 60 
 
 there oe any other command- 
 ment, it is briefly comprehended 
 in this saying, namely, * Thou 
 shalt love thy neighbour as thy 
 self. 
 
 b Lev.10.18. Matt.22.39,40. 
 
 {imitation, that we are not to be in 
 debted to him so as to injure him, or 
 to work ill to him. 
 
 This rule, together with the other 
 rules of Christianity, would propose a 
 remedy for all the evils of bad debts in 
 the following manner. (1.) It would 
 teach men to be industrious, and this 
 would commonly prevent the necessity 
 of contracting debts. (2.) It would 
 make them frugal, economical, and 
 humble in their views and manner of 
 life. (3.) It would teach them to 
 bring up their families in habits of in 
 dustry. The Bible often enjoins that. 
 See Note, ch. xii. 11. Comp. Phil. iv. 
 3. Prov. xxiv. 30 34. 1 Thess. iv. 11. 
 2 Thess. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 25. (4.) 
 Religion would produce sober, chasten 
 ed views of the end of life, of the great 
 design of living ; and would take off the 
 affections from the splendour, gayety, 
 and extravagances which lead often to 
 the contraction of debts. 1 Thess. v. 
 6. 8. 1 Pet. i. 13 ; iv. 7. Tit. ii. 12. 
 1 Pet. iii. 3. 5. 1 Tim. ii. 9. (5.) 
 Religion would put a period to the 
 vices and unlawful desires which now 
 prompt men to contract debts. (6.) It 
 would make them honest in paying 
 them. It would make them conscien 
 tious, prompt, friends of truth, and dis 
 posed to keep their promises. 
 
 ^ Jiut to love one another. Love 
 is a debt which can never be discharg 
 ed. We should feel that we owe this 
 to all men, and though by acts of kind 
 ness we may be constantly discharging 
 it, yet we should feel that it can never 
 be fully met while there is opportunity 
 to do good. If For he that loveth, &c. 
 In what way this is done is stated in 
 ver. 10. The law in relation t4 our 
 neighbour is there said to be simply 
 that we do no ill to him. Love to him 
 would prompt to no injury. It would 
 
 seek to do him good, and would thus 
 fulfil all the purposes of justice and 
 truth which we owe to him. In order 
 to illustrate this, the apostle, in the 
 next verse, runs over the laws of the 
 ten commandments in relation to our 
 neighbour, and shows that all those 
 laws proceed on the principle that we 
 are to love him, and that love would 
 prompt to them all 
 
 9. .For this. This which follows 
 is ihe sum of the laws. This is to re 
 gulate us in our conduct towards our 
 neighbour. The word this here stands 
 opposed to "that" in ver. 11. This 
 law of love would prompt us to seek 
 our neighbour s good ; that fact, that 
 our salvation is near, would prompt us 
 to be active and faithful in the dis 
 charge of all the duties we owe to him 
 U Thou shalt not commit adultery 
 All the commands which follow are 
 designed as an illustration of the duty 
 of loving our neighbour. See these 
 commands considered in the Notes on 
 Matt. xix. 18, 19. The apostle has 
 not enumerated all the commands of 
 the second table. He has shown ge 
 nerally what they icquired. The com 
 mand to honour oar parents he has 
 omitted. The reason might have been 
 that it was not so immediately to his 
 purpose when discoursing of love to a 
 neighbour a word which does not 
 immediately suggest the idea of near 
 relatives. The expression, " Thou shalt 
 not bear false witness," is rejected by 
 the best critics as of doubtful authority, 
 but it does not materially affect the 
 spirit of the passage. It is wanting in 
 many MSS. and in the Syriac version. 
 ^[ Jf there be any other commandment. 
 The law respecting parents ; or if there 
 be any duty which does not seem to be 
 specified by these laws, it is implied 
 in the command to love ou neighbour 
 
.4. D. 60.J 
 
 10 Love worketh no 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 225 
 
 lo 
 
 his neighbour : therefore love is 
 the fulfilling of the law. 
 
 as ourselves, f It is briefly compre 
 hended. Greek, It may be reduced to 
 this head; or it is summed up in 
 this, t In this saying. This word, 
 or command. ^ Thou shaft love, &c. 
 This is found in Lev. xix. 18. See it 
 considered in the Notes on Matt. xix. 
 1 9. If this command were fulfilled, it 
 would prevent all fraud, injustice, op 
 pression, falsehood, adultery, murder, 
 theft, and covetousness. It is the same 
 as our Saviour s golden rule. And if 
 every man would do to others as he 
 would wish them to do to him, all the de 
 sign of the law would be at once fulfilled. 
 10. Love ivorketh no ill, &c. Love 
 would seek to do him good ; of course 
 it would prevent all dishonesty and 
 crime towards others. It would prompt 
 to justice, truth, and benevolence. IT 
 this law were engraven on every man s 
 heart, and practised in his life, what a 
 change would it immediately produce 
 in society. If all men would at once 
 abandon that which is fitted to -work 
 ill to others, what an influence would 
 it have on the business and commercial 
 affairs of men. How many plans of 
 fraud and dishonesty would it at once 
 arrest. How many schemes would it 
 crush. It would silence the voice of 
 the slanderer ; it would stay the plans 
 of the seducer and the adulterer; it 
 would put an end to cheating, and 
 fraud, and all schemes of dishonest 
 gain. The gambler desires the pro 
 perty of his neighbour without any 
 compensation, and thus works ill to 
 him. The dealer in lotteries desires 
 property for which he has never toiled, 
 and which must be obtained at the ex 
 pense and loss of others. And there 
 are many employments all whose ten 
 dency is to work ill to a neighbour. 
 This is pre-eminently true of the traffic 
 in ardent spirits It cannot do him 
 good, and the almost uniform result is 
 
 11 And that, knowing the 
 time, that now it is high time to 
 awake a out of sleep ; for now 
 
 a lThess.5.5-8. 
 
 to deprive him of his property, nealth, 
 reputation, peace, and domestic com 
 fort. He that sells his neighbour liquid 
 fire, knowing what must be the result 
 of it, is not pursuing a business which 
 works no ill to him ; and love to that 
 neighbour would prompt him to aban 
 don the traffic. See Hab. ii. 15, " Wo 
 unto him that giveth his neighbour 
 drink, that putteth thy bottle to him, 
 and makest him drink also, that thou 
 mayest look on their nakedness." 
 H Therefore, &c. Because love does 
 no harm to another, it is therefore the 
 fulfilling of the law, implying that all 
 that the law requires is to love others 
 t Is the fulfilling. Is the completion, 
 or meets the requirements of the law. 
 The law of God on this head, or in re 
 gard to our duty to o - ir neighbour, re 
 quires us to do justice towards him, to 
 observe truth, &c. All this will be 
 met by love ; and if men truly love a 
 others, all the demands of the law 
 would be satisfied. ^ Of the lain. Of 
 the law of Moses, but particularly the 
 ten commandments. 
 
 11. And that. The word " that," in 
 this place, is connected in signification 
 with the word " this" in ver. 9. The 
 meaning may be thus expressed : All 
 the requirements of the law towards 
 our neighbour may be met by two 
 things: one is (ver. 9, 10) by love ; the 
 other is (ver. 11 14) by remembering 
 that we are near to eternity ; keeping a 
 deep sense of this truth before the 
 mind. This will prompt to a life of 
 honesty, truth, and peace, and content 
 ment, ver. 13. The doctrine in these 
 verses (11 14), therefore, is, that a 
 deep conviction of the nearness of 
 eternity -will prompt to an upright life 
 in the intercourse of man ivith man. 
 Tf Knowing the time. Taking a proper 
 estimate of the time. Taking just views 
 of the shortness and the value of time, 
 
286 
 
 is our salvation nearer than 
 when we believed. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 12 The night is far spent, th& 
 day is at hind : let us therefore 
 
 aEph.5.11. 
 
 of the design for which it was given, 
 and of the fact that it is, in regard to 
 us, rapidly coming to a close. And still 
 further considering, that the time in 
 which you live is the time of the gos 
 pel, a period of light and truth, when 
 you are particularly called on to lead 
 holy lives, and thus to,do justly to all. 
 The previous time had been a period 
 of ignorance and darkness, when op 
 pression, and falsehood, and sin abound 
 ed. This, the time of the gospel, when 
 God had made knotvn to men his will 
 that they should be pure. ^ High time. 
 Greek, " the hour" ^ To\ awake, &c. 
 This is a beautiful figure. The dawn 
 of day, the approaching light of the 
 morning, is the time to arouse from 
 slumber. In the darkness of night, men 
 sleep. So says the apostle. The world 
 has been sunk in the night of heathen 
 ism and sin. At that time it was to be 
 expected that they would sleep the 
 sleep of spiritual death. But now the 
 morning light of the gospel dawns. 
 The sun of righteousness has arisen. 
 It is time, therefore, for men to cast oft 
 the deeds of darkness, and rise to life, 
 and purity, and action. Comp. Acts 
 xvii. 30, 31. The same idea is beau 
 tifully presented in 1 Thess. v. 5 8. 
 The meaning is, Hitherto we have 
 walked in darkness and in sin. Now 
 we walk in the light of the gospel. 
 We know our duty. We are sure that 
 the God of light is around us, and is a 
 witness of all we do. We are going 
 soon to meet him, and it becomes us 
 to rouse, and to do those deeds, and 
 those only, which will bear the bright 
 shining of the light of truth, and the 
 scrutiny of him who is " light, and in 
 whom is no darkness at all." 1 John 
 i. 5. ^ Sleep. Inactivity; insensibility 
 to the doctrines and duties of religion. 
 Men, by nature, are active only in 
 deeds of wickedness. In regard to re 
 ligion they are insensible, and the 
 fik mbers of night are on their eyelids. 
 
 Sleep is the kinsman of death," and 
 it is the emblem of the insensibility 
 and stupidity of sinners. The deeper 
 the ignorance and sin, the greater in 
 this insensibility to spiritual things, and 
 to the duties which we owe to God 
 and man. ^ For now is our salvation- 
 The word salvation has been here 
 variously interpreted. Some suppose 
 that by it the apostle refers to the per 
 sonal reign of Christ on the earth 
 (Tholuck, and the Germans generally.) 
 Others suppose it refers to deliverance 
 from persecutions. Others, to increased 
 light and knowledge of the gospel, so 
 that they could more clearly discern 
 their duty than when they became be 
 lievers. (Rosenmuller.} It probably, 
 however, has its usual meaning here, 
 denoting that deliverance from sin and 
 danger which awaits Christians in hea 
 ven ; and is thus equivalent to the ex 
 pression, You are advancing nearer to 
 heaven. You are hastening to the world 
 of glory. Daily we are approaching the 
 kingdom of light; and in prospect of 
 that state, we ought to lay aside every 
 sin, and live more and more in prepa 
 ration for a world of light and glory. 
 t Than -when tve believed. Than 
 when we began to believe. Every day 
 brings us nearer to a world of perfect 
 light. 
 
 1 2. The night. The word night, in 
 the New Testament, is used to denote 
 night literally (Matt. ii. 14, &c.) ; the 
 starry heavens (Rev. viii. 12); and 
 then it denotes a state of ignorance 
 and crime, and is synonymous with the 
 word darkness, as such deeds are com 
 mitted commonly in the night. 1 Thess, 
 v. 5. In this place it seems to denoto 
 our present imperfect and obscure con 
 dition in this world as contrasted with 
 the pure light of heaven. The night, 
 the time of comparative obscunty and 
 sin in which we live even under the 
 gospel, is far gone in relation to us, 
 and the pure splendours of heaven ore 
 
. D 60 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 287 
 
 cast off the works of darkness, 
 and let us put " on the armour 
 of light. 
 
 oEph.6.13,&c. 
 
 13 Let us walk * honestly, 
 as in the day ; not in rioting 
 and drunkenness, not in cham- 
 
 r, decently. I Pbil.4.8. lPet.2.12. c lPet.4.3. 
 
 at hand. 1 Is far spent. Literally, 
 is cut off. It is becoming short ; it is 
 hastening to a close. U The day. 
 The full splendours and glory of re 
 demption in heaven. Heaven is often 
 thus represented as a place of pure and 
 splendid day. Rev. xxi. 23. 25 ; xxii. 
 5. The times of the gospel are repre 
 sented as times of light (Isa. Ix. 1, 2. 
 19, 20, &c.) ; but the reference here 
 seems to be rather to the still brighter 
 glory and splendour of heaven, as the 
 place of pure, unclouded, and eternal 
 day. | /* at hand. Is near; or is 
 drawing near. This is true respecting all 
 Christians. The day is near, or the time 
 when they shall be admitted to heaven 
 is not remote. This is the uniform repre 
 sentation of the New Testament. Heb. 
 x. 25. 1 Pet. iv. 7. James v. 8. Rev. 
 xii. 20. 1 Thess. v. 2 6. Phil. iv. 5. 
 That the apostle did not mean, how 
 ever, that the end of the world was near, 
 or that the day of judgment would come 
 soon, is clear from his own explanations. 
 See 1 Thess. v. 26. Comp. 2 Thess. 
 ii. 1 Let us therefore. As we are 
 about to enter on the glories of that 
 eternal day, we should be pure and 
 holy. The expectation of it will teach 
 us to seek purity ; and a pure life alone 
 will fit us to enter there. Heb. xii. 14. 
 t Cast off. Lay aside, or put away. 
 1 The -works of darkness. Dark, 
 wicked deeds, such as are specified in 
 the next verse. They are called -works 
 of darkness, because darkness in the 
 Scriptures is an emblem of crime, as 
 well as cf ignorance, and because such 
 deeds are commonly committed in the 
 night. 1 Thess. v. 7, " They that be 
 drunken, are drunken in the night" 
 Comp, John iii. 20. Eph. v. 11 13. 
 1 Let us put on. Let us clothe our 
 selves with. T The armour of light. 
 The word armour ^TTKCL} properly 
 means arms, or instruments of war, 
 ncluding the helmet, sword, shield, 
 
 &c. Eph. vi. 11 17. It is used in the 
 New Testament to denote the aids 
 which the Christian has, or the meant 
 )f defence in his warfare, where he is 
 represented as a soldier contending with 
 his foes, and includes truth, righteous 
 ness, faith, hope, &c. as the instru 
 ments by which he is to gain his vic 
 tories. In 2 Cor. vi. 7, it is called " the 
 armour of righteousness on the right 
 hand and on the left." It is called ar 
 mour of light, because it is not to ac 
 complish any deeds of darkness or of 
 crime ; it is appropriate to one who is 
 pure, and who is seeking a pure and 
 noble object. Christians are represent 
 ed as the children of light. 1 Thess. 
 v. 5. Note, Luke xvi. 8. By the ar 
 mour of light, therefore, the apostle 
 means those graces which stand op 
 posed to the deeds of darkness (ver. 
 13) ; those graces of faith, hope, humili 
 ty, &c. which shall be appropriate to 
 those who are the children of the day, 
 and which shall be their defence in 
 their struggles with their spiritual foes. 
 See the description in full in Eph vii. 
 1117. 
 
 13. Let us -walk. To -walk is an 
 expression denoting to live ; let us live, 
 or conduct, &c. 1 Honestly. The word 
 here used means rather in a decent or 
 becoming manner; in a manner ap 
 propriate to those who are the children 
 of light, 1 A* in the day. As if all 
 our actions were seen and known. 
 Men by day, or in open light, live de 
 cently ; their foul and wicked deeds are 
 done in the night The apostle exhorts 
 Christians to live as if all their conduct 
 were seen, and they had nothing which 
 they wished to conceal. 1 In rioting. 
 Revelling ; denoting the licentious con 
 duct, the noisy and obstreperous mirth, 
 the scenes of disorder and sensuality, 
 which attend luxurious living. ^ Drunk 
 enness. Rioting and drunkenness con 
 stitute \hejirsi class of sins from which 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 bering a and wantonness, not in 
 & trite and envying. 
 
 14 But put * ye on the Lord 
 
 a lCor..9,10. b Gal.3.87. 
 
 he would keep them. It is scarcely 
 necessary to add that these were com 
 mon crimes among the heathen. 1 In 
 chambering. " Lewd, immodest be 
 haviour." ( Webster.} The Greek word 
 includes illicit indulgences of all kinds, 
 adultery, &c. The words chambering 
 and wantonness constitute the secmid 
 class of crimes from which the apostle 
 exhorts Christians to abstain. That these 
 were common crimes among the hea 
 then, it is not necessary to say. See 
 Notes to Rom. i. ; also Eph. v. 12. It 
 is not possible, nor would it be proper, 
 to describe the scenes of licentious in 
 dulgence of which all pagans are guilty. 
 As Christians were to be a peculiar 
 people, therefore, the apostle enjoins on 
 them purity and holiness of life. \ Not 
 in strife. Strife and envying are the 
 third class of sins from which the apos 
 tle exhorts them. The word strife 
 means contention, disputes, litigations. 
 The exhortation is that they should live 
 m peace. T Envying. Greek, Zeal. 
 It denotes any intense, vehement, fer 
 vid passion. It is not improperly ren 
 dered here by envying. These vices 
 are properly introduced in connexion 
 with the others. They usually accom 
 pany each other. Quarrels and con 
 tentions come out of scenes of drunk 
 enness and debauchery. But for such 
 scenes, there would be little contention, 
 and the world would be comparatively 
 at peace. 
 
 14. But put ye on. Comp. Gal. iii. 
 17. The word rendered " put ye on" 
 is the same used in ver. 12, and is com 
 monly employed in reference to cloth 
 ing or apparel. The phrase to put on 
 a person, which seems a harsh expres 
 sion in our language, was one not un- 
 frequently used by Greek writers, and 
 means to imbibe his principles, to imi 
 tate his example, to copy his spirit, to 
 occome like him. Thus in Dionysius 
 Uadcarnassus the expression occurs, 
 
 [A. D. GO. 
 make not 
 
 Jesus Christ, and 
 
 provision for the flesh, to fulfil 
 
 the lusts thereof. 
 
 " having put on or clothed themselves 
 with Tarquin ;" i. e. they imitated the 
 example and morals of Tarquin. So 
 Lucian says, " having put on Pythago 
 ras ;" having received him as a teacher 
 and guide. So the Greek writers speak 
 of putting on Plato r Socrates, &c. 
 meaning to take them as instructors, to 
 follow them as disciples. (See Schleus- 
 ?ier.) Thus to put on the Lord Jesus 
 means to take him as a pattern and 
 guide, to imitate his example, to obey 
 his precepts, to become like him, &r, 
 In all respects the Lord Jesus was un 
 like what had been specified in the pre 
 vious verse. He was temperate, chaste, 
 pure, peaceable, and meek ; and to put 
 him on was to imitate him in these re 
 spects. Heb. iv. 15; vii. 26. 1 Pet. ii. 
 22. Isa. liii. 9. 1 John iii. 5. f And 
 make not provision. The word pro 
 vision here is that which is used to 
 denote provident care, or preparation 
 for future wants. It means that we 
 should not make it an object to gratify 
 our lusts, or study to do this by laying 
 up any thing beforehand with reference 
 to this design. U For the fesh. The 
 rd^e<?/i is used here evidently to de 
 note the corrupt propensities of the 
 body, or those which he had specified 
 "n ver. 13. \ To fulfil the lusts thereof. 
 With reference to its corrupt desires. 
 The gratification of the flesh was the 
 main object among the Romans. Liv- 
 ng in luxury and licentiousness, they 
 made it their great object of study to 
 multiply and prolong the means of li 
 centious indulgence. In respect to this, 
 hristians were to be a separate people, 
 and to show that they were influenced 
 jy a higher and purer desire than this 
 grovelling propensity to minister to sen 
 sual gratification. It is right, it is a Chris 
 tian duty to labour to make provision for 
 all the real wants of life. But the leal 
 wants are few ; and with a heart uis> 
 )osed to bo pure and temperate, the 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 289 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 IM that is weak in the faith 
 receive ye, but l not to 
 doubtful disputations. 
 
 II 
 
 2 For one believeth that he 
 may eat all things: another, who 
 is weak, eateth herbs 
 
 t or, not to judge hi* doubtful thought*. 
 
 necessary wants of life are easily satis 
 fied ; and the mind may be devoted to 
 higher and purer purposes. 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THK xivth chapter is designed to set 
 tle some difficult and delicate questions 
 that could not but arise between the Jews 
 und Gentiles respecting food and the 
 observance of particular days, rites, &c. 
 The occasions of these questions were j 
 these : The converts to Christianity 
 were from both Jews and Gentiles. 
 There were many Jews in Rome ; and 
 it is probable that no small part of the 
 church was composed of them. The I 
 New Testament every where shows; 
 that they were disposed to bind the j 
 Gentile converts to their own customs, ! 
 and to insist on the observance of the 
 peculiar laws of Moses. See Acts xv. ! 
 1, 2, &c. Gai. ii. 3, 4. The subjects on I 
 which questions of this kind would be j 
 agitated were, circumcision, days of ; 
 fasting, the distinction of meats, &c. 
 A part of these only are discussed in 
 this chapter. The views of the apostle | 
 in regard to circumcision had been 
 stated in ch. iii. and iv. In this chap 
 ter be notices the disputes which would \ 
 be likely to arise on the following sub- ; 
 jects: (1.) The use of meat, evidently 
 referring to the question whether it was 
 lawful to eat the meat that was offered 
 in sacrifice to idols, ver. 2. (2.) The 
 distinctions and observances of the days 
 of Jewish fastings, &c. ver. 5,6. (3.) The 
 laws observed by the Jews in relation ; 
 to animals as clean or unclean, ver. 14. | 
 It is probable that these are mere spe- \ 
 cimeiis adduced by the apostle to settle 
 principles of conduct in regard to the | 
 Gentiles, and to show to each party j 
 hiw they ought to act in all such ques- i 
 lions. 
 
 The apostle s design here is to allay 
 
 all these contentions by producing peace, 
 
 kindness, charity. This he docs by the 
 
 following considerations, viz* (I.) Thafe 
 
 SB 
 
 we have no right to judge another man 
 in this case, for he is the servant of 
 God. ver. 3, 4. (2.) That whatever 
 course is taken in these questions, it is 
 done conscientiously, and with a desire 
 to glorify God. In such a case there 
 should be kindness and charity, ver. 6, 
 &c. (3.) That we must stand at the 
 judgment-seat of Christ, and give an 
 account there. ; and that we, therefore, 
 should not usurp the office of judging, 
 ver. 10 13. (4.) That there is really 
 nothing unclean of itself, ver. 14. (5.) 
 That religion consisted in more impor 
 tant matters than such que>tions. ver. 
 17, 18. (6.) That we should follow 
 after the things of peace, &c. ver. 19- 
 23. The principles of this chapter are 
 applicable to all similar cases of differ 
 ence of opinion about rites and cere 
 monies, and unessential doctrines of re 
 ligion ; and we shall see that if they 
 were honestly applied, they would set 
 tle no small part of the controversies in 
 the religious world. 
 
 1. Him that is weak. The design 
 here is to induce Christians to receive 
 to their fellowship those who had scru 
 ples about the propriety of certain 
 things, or that might have peculiar 
 prejudices and feelings as the result of 
 education or for.ner habits of belief. 
 The apostle, therefore, begins by ad 
 mitting that such an one may be -weak, 
 i. e. not fully established, or not with 
 so clear and enlarged views about 
 Christian liberty as others might have. 
 Tf In the faith. In believing. Thi-5 
 docs not refer to saving faith in 
 Christ, for he might have that ; but to 
 belief in regard to the things -which the 
 apostle specifies, or which would come 
 into controversy. Young converts have 
 often a peculiar delicacy or sensitive 
 ness about the lawfulness of many 
 things in relation to which, older Chris 
 tians may be more fully established. 
 To produce peace, there must be kind- 
 
290 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 I A. D. 60 
 
 ness, tenderness, and faithful teaching ; 
 not denunciation, or harshness, on one 
 side or the other. ^ Receive ye. Ad 
 mit to your society or fellowship ; re 
 ceive him kindly, not meet with a cold 
 and harsh repulse. Comp. ch. xv. 7. 
 ^ JVot to doubtful disputations. The 
 plain meaning of this is, Do not admit 
 him to your society for the purpose of 
 debating the matter in an angry and 
 harsh manner ; of repelling him by de 
 nunciation ; and thus, by the natural 
 reaction of such a course, confirming 
 him in his doubts. Or, " do not deal 
 with him in such a manner as shall 
 have a tendency to increase his scru 
 ples about meats, days,&c." (Stuart,) 
 The leading- idea here which all 
 Christians should remember is, that a 
 harsh and angry denunciation of a man 
 in relation to things not morally wrong, 
 but where he may have honest scru 
 ples, will only tend to confirm him 
 more and more in his doubts. To de 
 nounce and abuse him will be to con 
 firm him. To receive him affection 
 ately, to admit him to fellowship with 
 us, to talk freeiy and kindly with him, 
 to do him good, will have a far greater 
 tendency to overcome his scruples. In 
 questions which now occur about 
 modes of dress, about measures and 
 means of promoting revivals, and about 
 rites and ceremonies, this is by far the 
 wisest course, if we wish to overcome 
 the scruples of a brother, and to induce 
 him to think as we do. Greek, Unto 
 doubts or fluctuations of opinions or 
 reasonings. Various senses have been 
 given to the words, but the above pro 
 bably expresses the true meaning. 
 
 2. For one believeth. This was the 
 case with the Gentiles in general, who 
 had none of the scruples of the Jew 
 about the propriety of eating certain 
 kinds of meat. Many of the converts 
 who had been Jews might also have 
 had the same view as the apostle Paul 
 evident!} had while the great mass of 
 Jewish converts might have cherished 
 these scruples. ^ May eat all things. 
 That is, he will not be restrained by 
 any scruples about the lawfulness of 
 forlorn meats, &c. \ Another -who is 
 
 weak. There is reference here, doubt 
 less, to the Jewish convert. The apos 
 tle admits that he was -weak, i. e. not 
 fully established in the views of Chris 
 tian liberty. The question with the 
 Jew doubtless was, whether it was law 
 ful to eat the meat which was offered 
 in sacrifice to idols. In those sacrifices 
 a part only of the animal was offered, 
 and the remainder was eaten by the 
 worshippers, or offered for sale in the 
 market like other meat. It became an 
 inquiry whether it was lawful to eat 
 this meat ; and the question in the 
 mind of a Jew would arise from the 
 express command of his law. Ex. xxxiv. 
 15. This question the apostle discussed 
 and settled in 1 Cor. x. 2032, which 
 see. In that place the general principle 
 is laid down, that it was lawful to par 
 take of that meat as a man would of 
 any other, unless it 10 as expressly 
 pointed out to him as having been 
 sacrificed to idols, and unless his par 
 taking 1 of it -would be considered as 
 countenancing the idolaters in their 
 worship, ver. 28. But with this prin 
 ciple many Jewish converts might not 
 have been acquainted ; or what is quite 
 as probable, they might not have been 
 disposed to admit its propriety. \ Eat- 
 eth herbs. Herbs or vegetables only ; 
 does not partake of meat at all, for fear 
 of eating that, inadvertently, which had 
 been offered to idols. The Romans 
 abounded in sacrifices to idols; and it 
 would not be easy to be certain that 
 meat which was offered in the market, 
 or on the table of a friend, had not 
 been offered in this manner. To avoid 
 the possibility of partaking of it, even 
 ignorantly, they chose to eat no meat 
 at all. The scruples of the Jews on the 
 subject might have arisen in part from 
 the fact that sins of ignorance among 
 them subjected them to certain penal 
 ties. Lev. iv. 2, 3, &c. v. 15. Num. 
 xv. 24. 27 29. Josephus says (Life, 
 3) that in his time there were certain 
 priests of his acquaintance who "sup 
 ported themselves with figs and nuts." 
 These priests had been sent to Rome 
 to be tried on some charge before Cae 
 sar; and it is probable that they ah- 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 291 
 
 3 Let not him that eateth 
 despise him that eateth not ; 
 and let not him which eateth 
 
 stained from meat because it might 
 have been offered to idols. It is ex 
 pressly declared of Daniel when in 
 Babylon, that he lived on pulse and 
 water, that he might not " defile him 
 self with the portion of the king s 
 meat, nor with the wine which he 
 drank." Dan. i. 8 16. 
 
 3. Let not him that eateth. That is, 
 he who has no scruples about eating 
 meat, &c., who is not restrained by the 
 law of the Jews respecting the clean 
 and unclean, or by the fact that meat 
 may have been offered to idols. Tf De 
 spise him. Hold him in contempt, as 
 being unnecessarily scrupulous, &c. 
 The word despise here is happily 
 chosen. The Gentile would be very 
 likely -to despise the Jew as being re 
 strained by foolish scruples arid mere 
 distinctions in matters of no import 
 ance. ^ Him that eateth not. Him 
 that is restrained by scruples of con 
 science, and that will eat only vege 
 tables, ver. 2. The reference here is 
 doubtless to the Jew. Tf Judge him. 
 To judge here has the force of con 
 demn. This word also is very happily 
 chosen. The Jew would not be so 
 likely to despise the Gentile for what 
 he did as to judge or condemn him. 
 He would deem it too serious a matter 
 for contempt. He would regard it as 
 a violation of the law of God, and 
 would be likely to assume the right of 
 judging his brother, and pronouncing 
 him guilty. The apostle here has hap 
 pily met the whole case in all disputes 
 about rites, and dress, and scruples in 
 religious matters that are not essential. 
 One party commonly despises the other 
 as being needlessly and foolishly scru 
 pulous ; and the other makes it a mat 
 ter of conscience, too serious for ridi 
 cule and contempt ; and a matter, to 
 neglect which, is, in their view, deserv 
 ing of condemnation. The true direc 
 tion to be given in such a case is, to 
 thf one party, not to treat the scruples 
 
 not judge him that eateth ; for 
 God hatli received him. 
 
 4 Who a art thou that juilgest 
 
 o James 4. 12. 
 
 of the other with derision and contempt, 
 but with tenderness and indulgence. 
 Let him have his way in it. If he can 
 be reasoned out of it, it is well ; but to 
 attempt to laugh him out of it is un 
 kind, and will tend only to confirm him 
 in his views. And to the other party, 
 it should be said they have no right to 
 judge or condemn another. If I cannot 
 see that the Bible requires a particular 
 cut to my coat, or makes it my duty 
 to observe a particular festival, he has 
 no right to judge me harshly, or to 
 suppose that I am to be rejected and 
 condemned for it. He has a right to 
 his opinion ; and while I do not despise 
 him, he has no right to judge me. This 
 is the foundation of true charity ; and 
 if this simple rule had been followed, 
 how much strife, and even bloodshed, 
 would it have spared in the church. 
 Most of the contentions among Chris 
 tians have been on subjects of this na 
 ture. Agreeing substantially in the 
 doctrines of the Bible, they have been 
 split up into sects on subjects just about 
 as important as those which the apostle 
 discusses in this chapter. f For God 
 hath received him. This is the same 
 word that is translated " receive" in 
 ver. 1. It means here that God hath 
 received him kindly; or has acknow 
 ledged him as his own friend ; or he is 
 a true Christian. These scruples, on 
 the one side or the other, are not in 
 consistent with true piety ; and as God 
 has acknowledged him as his, notwith 
 standing his opinions on these subjects, 
 so ive also ought to recognise him as a 
 Christian brother. Other denomina 
 tions, though they may differ from us 
 OH some subjects, may give evidence 
 that they are recognised by God as his, 
 and where there is this evidence, we 
 should neither despise nor judge them. 
 4. Who art thou, &c. That is, who 
 gave you this right to sit in judgment 
 on others. Comp. Luke xii. 14. There 
 is reference here particularly to the 
 
292 
 
 another riian s servant ? lo his 
 own master he standeth or fall- 
 eth. Yea, he shall be holden 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 t.p: for God * is able to make 
 him stand. 
 
 5 One c man esteemeth one 
 
 6I.40.29. cCoI.2.1t>. 
 
 Jew, who on account of his ancient 
 privileges, and because he had the law 
 of God, would assume the prerogative 
 of judging in the case, and insist on 
 conformity to his own views. See Acts 
 xv. The doctrine of this epistle is uni 
 formly, that the Jew had no such privi 
 lege, but that in regard to salvation he 
 was on the same level with the Gen 
 tile. 1 That jvdgest, &c. Comp. 
 James iv. 12. This is a principle of 
 common sense and common propriety. 
 It is not ours to sit in judgment on the 
 servant of another man. He has the 
 control over him ; and if he chooses to 
 forbid his doing any thing, or to allow 
 him to do any thing, it pertains to his 
 affairs, not ours. To attempt to con 
 trol him, is to intermeddle improperly, 
 and to become a " busy-body in other 
 men s matters." 1 Pet. iv. 15. Thus 
 Christians are the servants of God; 
 they are answerable to him ; and we 
 have no right to usurp his place, and 
 to act as if we were " lords over his 
 heritage." I Pet. v. 3. J To his own 
 master. The servant is responsible to 
 his master only. So it is with the 
 Christi.ui in regard to God. ^ He 
 standetn or falleth. He shall be ap 
 proved or condemned. If his conduct is 
 such as pleases his master, he shall be 
 approved ; if not, he will be condemned. 
 1 Yea, he shall be holden up. This is 
 spoken of the Christian only. In rela 
 tion to the servant, he might stand or 
 fall ; he might be approved or con 
 demned. The master had no power to 
 keep him in a way of obedience, except 
 by the hope of reward, or the fear of 
 punishment. But it was not so in re 
 gard to the Christian. The Jew who 
 who was disposed to condemn the Gen- 
 tHe might say, that he admitted the 
 general principle which the apostle had 
 staled about the servant; that it was 
 just what he was saying, that he might 
 fall, and be condemned. Uut no, says 
 the apostle, this does not follow, iu re 
 
 lation to the Christian. He shall not 
 fall. God has power to make him 
 stand ; to hold him ; to keep him from 
 error, and from condemnation, and he 
 shall be holden up. He shall not be 
 suffered to fall into condemnation, for 
 it is the purpose of God to keep him. 
 Comp. Ps. i. 5. This is one of the in 
 cidental but striking evidences that the 
 apostle believed that all Christians 
 should be kept by the power of God 
 through faith unto salvation. ^ Is ahle. 
 See John x. 29. Though a master 
 cannot exert such an influence over a 
 servant as to secure his o >edience, yet 
 God has this power over his people, 
 and will preserve them in a path of 
 obedience. 
 
 5. One man esteemeth. Gr. jndgeth 
 (jt^Va). The word is he>-e properly 
 translated esleemeth. Comp. Acts xiii. 
 4fi ; xvi. 15. The word originally has 
 the idea of separating, and then dis 
 cerning, in the act of judging. The 
 expression means that one would set a 
 higher value on one day than on an 
 other, or would regard it as more sacred 
 than others. This was the case with 
 the Jews uniformly, who retarded the 
 days of their festivals, and fasts, and 
 Sabbaths as peculiarly sacred, and who 
 would retain, to no inconsiderable de 
 gree, their former views, even after 
 they berame converted to Christianity. 
 1 Another esteemeth. That is, the 
 Gentile Christian. Not having been 
 brought up amidst the Jewish customs, 
 and not having imbibed their opinions 
 and prejudices, they would not regard 
 these days as having any special sacred 
 ness. The appointment of those days 
 had a special reterence to the Jew*. 
 They were designed to keep them 
 as a separate people, and to prepare 
 the nation for the reality, of which 
 their rites were but the shadow. When 
 the Messiah came, the passover, the 
 feast of tabernacles, and the other pe 
 culiar festivals of the Jews of cours* 
 
\. D. 60.] 
 
 day above another : another es- 
 teemeth every day alike. Let 
 
 vanished, and it is perfectly clear that 
 the apostles never intended to inculcate 
 their observance on the Gentile con 
 verts. See this subject discussed in the 
 second chapter of the epistle to the 
 Galatians. t Every <lay alike. The 
 word alike" is not in the original, and 
 it may convey an idea which the apos 
 tle did not design. The passage means 
 that he regards every day as consecrat 
 ed to the Lord. ver. 0. The question 
 has been agitated whether the apos 
 tle intends in this to include the Chris 
 tian Sabbath. Does he mean to say 
 that it is a matter of indifference whe 
 ther this day be observed, or whether 
 it be devoted to ordinary business or 
 amusements ? This is a very important 
 question in regard to the Lord s day. 
 That the apostle did not mean to say 
 that it was a matter of indifference 
 whether it should be kept as holy, or 
 devoted to business or amusement, is 
 plain from the following considerations. 
 (I.) The discussion had reference only 
 to the peculiar customs of the Jews, to 
 the rites and practices which they 
 would attempt to impose on the Gen 
 tiles, and not to any questions which 
 might arise among Christians as 
 Christians. The inquiry pertained to 
 meats, and festival observances among 
 the Jews, and to their scruples about 
 partaking of the food offered to idols, 
 &c. ; and there is no more propriety in 
 supposing that the subject of the Lord s 
 day is introduced here than that he 
 advances principles respecting baptism 
 and the Lord s supper. (2.) The 
 Lord s day was doublless observed by 
 all Christians, whether converted from 
 Jews or Gentiles. See 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 
 Acts xx. 7. Rev. i. 10. Comp. Notes 
 on John xx. 26. The propriety of ob 
 serving that day does not appear to 
 have been a matter of controversy. 
 The only inquiry was, whether it was 
 proper to add to that the observance 
 of the Jewish Sabbaths, and days of 
 festivals and fasts. (3.) It is expressly 
 2*2 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 every man be fully 
 
 s o\vn 
 
 mind. 
 
 293 
 
 persuaded 
 
 said that those who did not regard th& 
 day regarded it as not to God. or to 
 honour God. ver. 6. They did it as 
 a matter of respect to him and his 
 institutions, to promote his glory, and 
 to advance his kingdom. Was this 
 ever done by those who disregard the 
 Christian Sabbath ? 1? their design 
 ever to promote his honour, niid to 
 advance in the knowledge of him, 
 by neglecting his holy day 1 Who 
 knows not that the Christian Sabbath 
 lias never been neglected or profaned 
 by any design to gl >rify the Lord Je 
 sus, or to promote his kingdou 7 It is 
 for purposes of business, gain, war, 
 amusement, dissipation, visiting, crime. 
 Let the heart be filled with a sincere 
 desire to honour the Lord Jesus, and 
 the Christian Sabbath will be reve 
 renced, and devoted to the purposes of 
 piety. And it any man is disposed to 
 plead this passage as an excuse for 
 violating the Sabbath, and devoting it 
 to pleasure or gain, let him quote it 
 just as it is, i. e. let him neglect the 
 Sabbath from a conscientious desire 
 to honour Jesus Christ. Unless this 
 is his motive, the passage cannot avail 
 him. But this motive never yet influ 
 enced a Sabbath-breaker. ^ Let every 
 man, &c. That is, subjects of this 
 kind are not to be pressed as matters 
 of conscience. Every man is to exa 
 mine them for himself, and act accord 
 ingly. This direction pertains to the 
 subject under discussion, and not to any 
 other. It does not refer to subjects 
 that were morally wrong, but to cere 
 monial observances. If the Jew es 
 teemed it wrong to eat meat, he was to 
 abstain from it ; if the Gentile esteem 
 ed it right, he was to act accordingly. 
 The word " be fully persuaded" de 
 notes the highest conviction, njt a 
 matter of opinion or prejudice, but a 
 rmtter on which the mind is made up 
 bv examination. See Rom. iv. 21. 2 
 Tim. iv. 5. This is the general prin 
 ciple on which Christians are called to 
 
294 
 
 6 He that * regardeth the 
 day, regardeth it unto the Lord : 
 and he that regardeth not the 
 day, to the Lord he doth not re 
 gard it. He that eateth, eateth 
 to the Lord ; for he giveth God 
 
 1 or, obteroeth. 
 
 ac in relation to festival days and fasts 
 in the church. If some Christians 
 deem them to be for edification, and 
 suppose that their piety will be pro 
 moted by observing the days which 
 commemorate the birth, and death, and 
 temptations of the Lord Jesus, they are 
 not to be reproached or opposed in 
 their celebration. Nor are they to at 
 tempt to impose them on others as a 
 matter of conscience, or to reproach 
 others because they do not observe 
 them. 
 
 6. He that regardeth. Greek, 
 Thinketh of; or pays attention to ; 
 that is, he that observes it as a festival, 
 or as holy time. ^ The day. Any 
 of the days under discussion ; the 
 days that the Jews kept as religious oc 
 casions. Tf Regardeth it unto the 
 Lord. Regards it as holy, or as set 
 apart to the service of God. He be 
 lieves that he is required by God to 
 keep it, i. e. that the laws of Moses in 
 regard to such days are binding on 
 him. ^f He that regardeth not the 
 day. Or who does not observe such 
 distinctions of days as are demanded 
 in the laws of Moses, t To the Lord, 
 &c. That is, he does not believe that 
 God requires such an observance. 
 Tf He that eateth. The Gentile Chris 
 tian, who freely eats all kinds of meat, 
 v. 2. H Eateth to the Lord. Because 
 he believes that God does not forbid it ; 
 and because he desires, in doing it, to 
 glorify God. 1 Cor. x. 31. To eat to 
 the Lo~d, in this case, is to do it be 
 lieving that such is his will. In all 
 other cases, it is to do it feeling that 
 we receive our food from him ; render 
 ing thanks for his goodness, and desi 
 rous of being strengthened that we may 
 do his commands. ^ He giveth God 
 thajiki. This is an incidental proof 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 thanks : and he that eateth not, 
 to the Lord he eateth not ; and 
 giveth God thanks. 
 
 7 For none of us liveth to 
 himself, and no man dieth to 
 himself. 
 
 that it is our duty to give God thanks 
 at our meals for our food. It shows 
 that it was the practice of the early 
 Christians, and has the commendation 
 of the apostle. It was, also, uniformly 
 done by the Jews, and by the Lord Je 
 sus. Matt. xiv. 19 ; xxvi. 26. Mark 
 vi. 41 ; xiv. 22. Luke ix. 16 ; xxiv. 
 30. f To the Lord he eateth not. 
 He abstains from eating because he be 
 lieves that God requires him to do it, 
 and with a desire to obey and honour 
 him. Tf And giveth God thanks. That 
 is, the Jew thanked God for the law, 
 and for the favour he had bestowed on 
 him in giving him more light than he 
 had the Gentiles. For this privilege 
 the} valued themselves highly, and 
 this feeling, no doubt, the converted 
 Jews would continue to retain ; deem 
 ing themselves as specially favoured in 
 having a peculiar acquaintance with 
 the law of God. 
 
 7. For none of us, &c. Whether 
 by nature Jews or Gentiles. In the 
 great principles of religion we are now 
 united. Where there was evidence of 
 a sincere desire to do the will of God 
 there should be charitable feeling, 
 though there was difference of opinion 
 and judgment in many smaller matters. 
 The meaning of the expression is, that 
 no Christian lives to gratify his own 
 inclinations or appetites. He makes it 
 his great aim to do the will of God ; tc 
 subordinate all his desires to his law 
 and gospel ; and though, therefore, one 
 should eat flesh, and should feel at li 
 berty to devote to common employ 
 ments time that another deemed gacred, 
 yet it should not be uncharitably set 
 down as a desire to indulge his sensual 
 appetites, or to become rich. Another 
 motive may be supposed, and where 
 there is not positive p"oof to the con- 
 
D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 8 For whether we live, we 
 live unto the Lord : and whe 
 ther we die, we die unto the 
 Lord ; whether we live there 
 fore, or die, we are the Lord s. 
 
 trary, should be supposed. See the 
 beautifnl illustration of this in 1 Cor. 
 xiii. 4 8. To live to ourselves is to 
 make it the great object to become rich 
 or honoured, or to indulge in the ease, 
 comfort, and pleasures of life. These 
 are the aim of all men but Christians ; 
 and in nothing else do Christians more 
 differ from the world than in this. See 
 1 Pet. iv. 1, 2. 2 Cor. v. 15. 1 Cor. 
 vi. 19, 20. Matt. x. 38 ; xvi. 24. Mark 
 viii. 34; x. 21. Luke ix. 23. On no 
 point does it become Christians more 
 to examine themselves than on this. 
 To live to ourselves is an evidence 
 that we are strangers to piety. And 
 if it be the great motive of our lives to 
 live at ease (Amos vi. 1) to gratify 
 the flesh, to gain property, or to be 
 distinguished in places of fashion and 
 amusement it is evidence that we know 
 nothing of the power of that gospel 
 which teaches us to deny ourselves, 
 and take up our cross daily. ^ No 
 man. No one, the same Greek word 
 (ot/J a?) which is used in the former part 
 of the verse. The word is used only 
 in reference to Christians here, and 
 makes no affirmation about other men. 
 t Dieth to himself. See ver. 8. This 
 expression is used to denote the uni 
 versality or the totality with which 
 Christians belong to God. Everything 
 is done and euffered with reference to 
 his will. In our conduct, in our pro 
 perty, in our trials, in our death, we 
 hie his ; to be disposed of as he shall 
 please. In the grave, and in the future 
 world, we shall be equally his. As 
 this is the great principle on which all 
 Christians live and act. we should be 
 kind and tender towards them, though 
 in some respects they differ from us. 
 
 8. For -whether -we live. As long 
 as we live. ^ We live unto the Lord. 
 We live to do his will, and to promote 
 his glory. This is the grand purpose 
 jf the life of the Christian. Other men 
 
 295 
 
 9 For a to this end Christ 
 both died, and rose, and revived, 
 that he might be Lord both of 
 the dead and living. 
 
 aPhil.2.9-11. 
 
 live to gratify themselves; the Chris 
 tian to do those things which the Lord 
 requires. By the Lord here the apos 
 tle evidently intends the Lord Jesus, as 
 it is evident from ver. 9 ; and the truth 
 taught here is, that it is the leading 
 and grand purpose of the Christian to 
 do honour to the Saviour. It is this 
 which constitutes his peculiar charac 
 ter, and which distinguishes him from 
 other men. ^ Whether tve die. In 
 the dying state, or in the state of tne 
 dead ; in the future world. We are 
 notvhere our own. In all conditions 
 we are his, and bound to do his will. 
 The connexion of this declaration with 
 the argument is this : Since we belong 
 to another in every state, and are bound 
 to do his will, we have no right to as 
 sume the prerogative of sitting in judg 
 ment on another. We are subjects, 
 and are bound to do the will of Christ. 
 All other Christians are subjects in 
 like manner, and are answerable, not 
 to us, but directly to the Lord Jesus, 
 and should have the same liberty of 
 conscience that we have. The pas 
 sage proves also that the soul doea 
 not cease to be conscious at death. 
 We are still the Lord s ; his even when 
 the body is in the grave ; and his in 
 all the future world. See ver. 9. 
 
 9. For to this end. For this pur-* 
 pose or design. The apostle does not 
 say that this was the only design of his 
 death, but that it was a main purpose, 
 or an object which he had distinctly in 
 view. This declaration is introduced 
 in order to confirm what he had said in 
 the previous verse that in all circum 
 stances we are the Lord s. This he 
 shows by the fact that Jesus died in or 
 der that we might be his. f And rose. 
 This expression is rejected by most 
 modern critics. It is wanting in many 
 manuscripts, and has been probably in 
 troduced in the text from the margin. 
 ^ Jlnd revived. There is also a varia- 
 
290 
 
 ROMANS 
 
 [A.D. 60. 
 
 tion in the Greek in this place, but 
 not so great as to change the sense 
 materially. It refers to his resurrec 
 tion, and means that he was restored 
 to life in order that he might exercise 
 dominion over the dead and the living. 
 1; That he might be Lord. Greek, 
 That he might rule over. The Greek 
 word used here implies the idea of his 
 being proprietor or owner as well as 
 ruler. It means that he might ex 
 ercise entire dominion over all, as the 
 sovereign Lawgiver and Lord. ^ Both 
 of the dead. That is, of those who are 
 deceased, or who have gone to another 
 state of existence. This passage proves 
 that those who die are not annihilated ; 
 that they do not cease to be conscious ; 
 and that they still are under the domi 
 nion of the Mediator. Though their 
 bodies moulder in the grave, yet the 
 spirit lives, and is under his control. 
 And though the body dies and returns 
 to its native dust, yet the Lord Jesus is 
 still its Sovereign, and shall raise it up 
 again. 
 
 "God our Redeemer lives, 
 And often from the skies 
 Looks down and watches all our dust, 
 Till he shall bid it rise." 
 
 It gives an additional sacredness to the 
 grave when we reflect that the tomb is 
 under the watchful care of the Redeem 
 er. Safe in his hands, the body may 
 sink to its native dust with the assu 
 rance that in his own time he will again 
 call it forth, with renovated and immor 
 tal powers, to be for ever subject to his 
 will. With tins view, we can leave 
 our friends with confidence in his 
 hands when they die, and yield our 
 own bodies cheerfully to the dust when 
 he shall call our spirits hence. But it 
 is not only over the body that his do 
 minion is established. This passage 
 proves that the departed souls of the 
 saints are still subject to him. Comp. 
 Matt. xxii. 32. Mark xii. 27. He not 
 only has dominion over those spirits, 
 but he is their protector and Lord. 
 They arc safe under his universal do 
 minion. And it does much to alleviate 
 the pains of separation from pious, he- 
 loved friends, to reflect that they depart 
 
 still to love and serve the same Saviour 
 in perfect purity, and unvexed by in 
 rirmity and sin. Why should we wish 
 to recall them from his perfect love in 
 the heavens to the poor and imperfect 
 service which they would render if in 
 the land of the living 1 f Jin d liv 
 ing: To the redeemed, while they 
 lemain in this life. He died to pur 
 chase them to himself, that they might 
 become his obedient subjects ; and they 
 are bound to yield obedience by all the 
 saciedness and value of the price which 
 he paid, even his own precious blood. 
 Comp. 1 Cor. vi. 20, " For ye are bought 
 with a price ; therefore glorify God in 
 your body and in your spirit, which 
 are God s." vii. 23. Rev. xiv. 4 (Greek, 
 bought}. 1 Pet. ii. 9 (Greek, purchas 
 ed}. If it be asked how this dominion 
 over the dead and the living is con 
 nected with the death and resurrection 
 of the Lord Jesus, we may reply, (1.) 
 That it is secured over Christians from 
 the fact that they are purchased or 
 ransomed by his precious blood ; ami 
 that they are bound by this sarred con 
 sideration to live to him. This obliga 
 tion every Christian feels (1 Pet. i. 18), 
 and its force is continually resting on 
 him. It was by the love of Christ that 
 he was ever brought to love God at all ; 
 and his deepest and tenderest obliga 
 tions to live to him arise from this 
 source. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. (2.) Jesus, 
 by his death and resurrection, establish 
 ed a dominion over the grave. He de 
 stroyed him that had the power of death 
 (Heb. ii. 14), and triumphed over him. 
 Col. ii. 15. Satan is a humbled foe; 
 and his sceptre over the grave is wrested 
 from his hands. When Jesus rose, in 
 spite of all the power of Satan and of 
 men, he burst the bands of death, and 
 made an invasion on the dominions of 
 the dead, and showed that he had power 
 to control all. (3.) This dominion of 
 the Lord Jesus is felt by the spirits on 
 high. They are subject to him because 
 lie redeemed them. Rev. v. 9. (4.) It 
 s often revealed in tue Scriptures that 
 lominion was to be given to the Lord 
 Jesus as the reward of his suffering? 
 and death. See Note to John xvii. 2. 
 
\ D. 60.] 
 
 10 But why dost tlvii judge 
 thy brotl.er? or why dost thou 
 set at nought thy brother ? for 
 we shall all stand before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 297 
 
 11 For it is written, . Is I 
 live, saitr. the Lord, every knee 
 shall bow to me, and every 
 tongue shall confess to God. 
 
 a Isa.45.23. 
 
 4, 5 ; v. 2629. Phil. ii. 511. Eph. 
 i, 20, 21. Heb. ii. 9, 10; xii. 2. The 
 extent of his dominion as meiTator if 
 affirmed, in this place, only to be over 
 the dead and the living ; that is, over 
 the human race. Other passages of the 
 Scripture, however, seem to imply that 
 it extends over all worlds. 
 
 10. But iv fit/, &c. Since we are all 
 subjects and servants alike, and must 
 all stand at the same tribunal, what 
 right have we to sit in judgment on 
 others ] t Thou judge. Thou who 
 art a Jewish convert, why dost thou 
 attempt to arraign the Gentile, disciple, 
 as if he had violated a law of God ? 
 Comp. ver. 3. U Thy brother. God 
 has recognised him as his l v iend (ver. 
 3), and he should be regarded by thee 
 as a brother in the same family. ^ Or 
 why dost thou set at nought. Despise 
 (ver. 3) ; why dost thou, who art a 
 Gentile convert, despise the Jewish dis 
 ciple as being unnecessarily scrupulous 
 and superstitious 1 1 Thy brother. The 
 Jewish convert is now a brother ; and 
 all the contempt which you Gentiles 
 once cherished for the Jew should cease, 
 from the fact that he is now a Chris 
 tian. Nothing will do so much, on the 
 one hand, to prevent a censorious dis 
 position, and on the other, to prevent 
 contempt for thoee who are in a dif 
 ferent rank in life, as to remember 
 that they are Christians, bought with 
 the same blood, and going to the same 
 heaven as ourselves. ^ We must all 
 stand, &c. That is, we must all be 
 tried alike at the same tribunal ; we 
 must answer for our conduct, not to 
 our fellow men, but to Christ ; and it 
 does not become us to sit in judgment 
 on each other 
 
 11. for it is written. This passage 
 is recorded in Isa. xlv. 23. It is not 
 quoted literally, but the sense is pre- 
 e p vd. In Isaiah there can be no doubt 
 
 that it refers to Jehovah. The speaker 
 expressly calls himself JKHOVAH, the 
 name which is appropriate to God alone, 
 and which is never applied to a crea 
 ture, ver. 18. 21. 24, 25. In the place 
 before us, the words are applied by Paul 
 expressly to Christ. Comp. ver. 10. 
 This mode o r quotation is a strong in 
 cidental oroof that the apostle regarded 
 the Lord Jesus as divine. On no other 
 principle could he have made these quo 
 tations. U Jls I Live. The Hebrew is, 
 I have sworn by myself." One ex 
 pression is equivalent to the other. An 
 oath of God is often expressed by the 
 phrase "as I live." Num. xiv. 21. Isa. 
 xlix. 18. Ezek. v. 11; xiv. 16, &c. 
 H Saith the Lor*!. These words are 
 not in the Hebrew text, but are aJded 
 by the apostle to show that the passage 
 quoted was spoken hy the Lord, the 
 Messiah. Compare Isa. xlv. 18. 22. 
 H Every knee shall bow to me. To 
 bow the knee is an act expressing 
 homage, submission, or adoration. It 
 means that every person shell acknow 
 ledge him as God, and admit his right 
 to universal dominion. The passage 
 in Ifaiah refers particularly to the ho 
 mage which his own people should ren 
 der to him ; or ratner, it means that all 
 who are saved shall acknowledge him 
 as their God and Saviour. The original 
 reference was not to all men, but only 
 to those who should be saved. Isa. xlv. 
 17. 21, 22. 24. In this sense the apos 
 tle uses it ; not as denoting that all men 
 should confess to God, but that all 
 Christians, whether Jewish or Gentile 
 converts, should alike give account to 
 Him. They should all bow before then 
 common God, and acknowledge his do- 
 n.mion over them. The passage ori 
 ginally did not refer particularly to the 
 day of judgment, but expressed the 
 truth tuat all believers should acknow 
 ledge his dominion. It is as applicable. 
 
298 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. CO 
 
 12 So then every one of us 
 chall give account of himself to 
 God. 
 
 13 Let us not therefore judge 
 
 however, to the judgment, as to any 
 other act of homage which his people 
 will render, f Every tongue shall con 
 fess to God. In the Hebrew, " Every 
 tongue shall swear." Not swear by 
 God, but to him ; that is, pay to him 
 our vows, or ansiver to him on oath 
 for our conduct ; and this is the same 
 as confessing to him, or acknowledging 
 him as our Judge. 
 
 12. So then. Wherefore; or accord 
 ing to the doctrine of the Old Testa 
 ment. H Every one of us. That is, 
 every Christian ; for the connexion 
 requires us to understand the argument 
 only of Christians. At the same time 
 it is a truth abundantly revealed else 
 where, that (ill men shall give account 
 of their conduct to God. 2 Cor. v. 10. 
 Matt. xxv. Eccl. xii. 14. ^ Give ac 
 count of himself. That is, of his cha 
 racter and conduct; his words and 
 actions ; his plans and purposes. In 
 the fearful arraignment of that day 
 every work and purpose shall be 
 brought forth, and tried by the unerring 
 standard of justice. As we shall be 
 called to so fearful an account with 
 God, we should not be engaged in con 
 demning our brethren, but should exa 
 mine whether we are prepared to give 
 up our account with joy, and not with 
 grief. 1 To God. The judgment will 
 be conducted by the Lord Jesus. Matt. 
 xxv. 31 46. Acts xvii. 31. All judg 
 ment is committed to the Son. John v. 
 22. 27. Still we may be said to give 
 account to God, (1.) Because He ap 
 pointed the Messiah to be the Judge 
 (Acts xvii. 31); and, (2.) Because 
 the Judge himself is divine. The Lord 
 Jesus being God as well as man, the 
 account will be rendered directly to the 
 Creator as well as the Redeemer of the 
 world. In this passage there are two 
 incidental proofs of the divinity of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. First, the fret that 
 the apostle applies to him language 
 which in the prophecy is expressly 
 
 one another any nure : but judge 
 this rather, that no man put a 
 stumbling-block or an occasion 
 to fall in his brother s way 
 
 spoken by Jehovah ; and, Secondly, 
 the fact that Jesus is declared to be the 
 Judge of all. No being that is not om* 
 niscient can be qualified to judge the 
 secrets of all men. None who has not 
 seen human purposes at all times, and 
 ki all places ; who has not been a wit 
 ness of the conduct by day and by 
 nigl t ; who has not been present with all 
 the race at all times, and who in the 
 great day cannot discern the true charac 
 ter of the soul, can be qualified to con 
 duct the general judgment. Yet none 
 can possess these qualifications but God. 
 The Lord Jesus, " the judge of quick 
 and dead" (2 Tim. iv. 1), is therefore 
 divine. 
 
 13. Let us not therefore judge, &c. 
 Since we are to give account of our 
 selves at the same tribunal ; since we 
 must be there on the same level, let us 
 not suppose that we have a right here 
 to sit in judgment on our fellow-Chris 
 tians. 1 But judge this rather. If 
 disposed to judge, let us be employed 
 in a better kind of judging; let us come 
 to a determination not to injure the 
 cause .of Christ. This is an instance 
 of the happy turn which the apostle 
 would give to a discussion. Some men 
 have an irresistible propensity to sit in 
 judgment, to pronounce opinions. Let 
 them make good use of that. It will be 
 well to exercise it on that which can 
 do no injury, and which may turn to 
 good account. Instead of forming a 
 judgment about others, let the man 
 form a determination about his own 
 conduct. 1 That no man, &c. A 
 stumbling-block literally means any 
 thing laid in a man s path, over which 
 he may fall. In the Scriptures, however, 
 the word is used commonly in a figu 
 rative sense to denote any thing which 
 shall cause him to sin, as sin is often 
 represented by falling: See Note, Matt. 
 v. 29. And the passage means that we 
 should resolve to act so as not by any 
 means to be the occasion of leading 
 
A. I). 60.] 
 
 14 I know, and am persuaded 
 by the Lord Jesus, that there is 
 nothing 1 unclean of itself: but 
 to him that esteemeth any thing 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 299 
 
 to be 3 unclean, to him it is un 
 clean. 
 
 15 But if 
 
 grieved with 
 
 thy 
 thy 
 
 brother be 
 meat, now 
 
 our brethren into sin, either by our ex 
 ample, or by a severe and harsh judg 
 ment, provoking them to anger, or ex 
 citing jealousies, and envyings, and 
 suspicions. No better rule than this 
 could be given to promote peace. If 
 every Christian, instead of judging his 
 brethren severely, would resolve that 
 he would so live as to promote peace, 
 and so as not to lead others into sin, it 
 would tend more, perhaps, than any 
 othe^ thing to advance the harmony 
 and purity of the church of Christ. 
 
 14. I know. This is an admission 
 made to the Gentile convert, who be 
 lieved that it was lawful to partake of 
 food of every kind. This the apostle 
 concedes ; and says he is fully apprized 
 of this. But though he knew this, yet 
 ne goes on to say (ver. 15), that it 
 would be well to regard the conscien 
 tious scruples of others on the subject. 
 It may be remarked here that the apos 
 tle Paul had formerly quite as many 
 scruples as any of his brethren had 
 then. But his views had been changed. 
 TJ Jlnd am persuaded. Am convinced. 
 \ By the Lord Jesus. This does not 
 mean by any personal instruction re 
 ceived from the Lord Jesus, but by all 
 the knowledge which he had received 
 by inspiration of the nature of the 
 Christian religion. The gospel of Jesus 
 had taught him that the rites of the 
 Mosaic economy had been abolished, 
 and among those rites were the rules 
 respecting clean and unclean beasts, 
 &c. \ There is nothing" unclean. Gr. 
 common. This word was used by the 
 Jews to denote that which was unclean, 
 because, in their apprehension, what 
 ever was partaken by the multitude, or 
 all men, must be impure. Hence the 
 words common and impure are often 
 used as expressing the same thing. It 
 denotes that which was forbidden by 
 the laws of Moses. *} To him that es- 
 tenieth, &c. He makes it a matter of 
 
 conscience. He regards certain meats 
 as forbidden by God ; and while he so 
 regards them, it would be wrong foe 
 him to partake of them. Man may bo 
 in error, but it would not be proper for 
 him to act in violation of what he sup 
 poses God requires. 
 
 15. But if thy brother, &c. This 
 address is to the Gentile convert. In 
 the previous verse, Paul admitted that 
 the prejudice of the Jew was not well- 
 founded. But admitting that still the 
 question was, hoiv he should be treated 
 while he had that prejudice. The apos 
 tle here shows the Gentile that he 
 ought not so to act as unnecessarily to 
 wound his feelings, or to grieve him. 
 t Be grieved. Be pained ; as a con 
 scientious man always is, when he sees 
 another, and especially a Christian bro 
 ther, do any thing which he esteems to 
 be wrong. The pain would be real, 
 though the opinion from which it arose 
 might not be well founded, f With 
 thy meat. Greek, On account of meat, 
 or food; that is, because you eat that 
 which he regards as unclean. ^ JVow 
 ivalfcest. To -walk, in the Sacred Scrip 
 tures, often denotes to act, or to do a 
 thing. Markvii. 5. Actsxxi. 21. Rom. vi. 
 4 ; viii. 1. 4. Here it means that if the 
 Gentile convert persevered in the use of 
 such food, notwithstanding the consci 
 entious scruples of the Jew, he violated 
 the law of love. ^ Charitably. Greek, 
 According to charity, or love ; that is, 
 lie would violate that law which re 
 quired him to sacrifice his own comfort 
 to promote the happiness of his brother. 
 1 Cor. xiii. 5 ; x. 24. 28, 29. Phil. ii. 4. 21 . 
 *f Destroy not him. The word destroy 
 here refers, doubtless, to the ruin of the 
 soul in hell. It properly denotes ruin 
 or destruction, and is applied to the 
 ruin or corruption of various things, in 
 the New Testament. To life (Matt 
 x. 39) ; to a reward, in the sense of 
 losing it (Mark x. 11. Luke xv. 41 
 
JOO ROMANS. 
 
 walkest thou not * charitably. 
 Destroy * not him with thy 
 meat, for whom Christ died. 
 
 I According to chariiy. a 1 Cor. 8. 1 1 . 
 
 to food (John vi. 27) ; to the Israelites 
 represented as lost or wandering (Matt. 
 x. 6} , to -wisdom that is rendered vain 
 ( I Cr. i. 9) ; to bottles, rendered use 
 less (Matt. ix. 17), &c. But it is also 
 frequently applied to destruction in hell, 
 to the everlasting ruin of the soul. 
 Matt. x. 28, " Who is able to destroy 
 both soul and body in hell." Matt, 
 xviii. 14. John iii. 15. Rom. ii. 12. 
 That this is its meaning here is appa 
 rent from the parallel place in 1 Cor. 
 viii. 11," And through thy knowledge 
 shall thy weak brother perish" If it 
 be asked how the eating of meat by 
 the Gentile convert could be connected 
 with the perdition of the Jew, I reply, 
 that the apostle supposes that in this 
 way an occasion of stumbling would 
 be afforded to him, and he would come 
 into condemnation. He might be led 
 by example to partake against his own 
 conscience, or he might be excited to 
 anger, disgust, and apostasy from the 
 Christian faith. Though the apostle 
 believed that all who were true Chris 
 tians would be saved, Rom. viii. 30 
 39, yet he believed that it would be 
 brought about by the use of means, 
 and that nothing should be done that 
 would tend to hinder or endanger their 
 salvation. Heb. vi. 4 9 ; ii. 1 . God 
 does not bring his people to heaven 
 without the use of means adapted to 
 the end, and one of those means is 
 that employed here to warn professing 
 Christians against such conduct as 
 might jeopard the salvation of their 
 brethren. Tf For -whom Christ died. 
 The apostle speaks here of the possi 
 bility of endangering the salvation of 
 those for whom Christ died, just as he 
 does respecting the salvation of those 
 who are in fact Christians. By those for 
 whom Christ died, he undoubtedly refers 
 here to true Christians, for the whole 
 discussion relates to them, and them 
 only. Comp. ver. 3, 4. 7, 8. This pas 
 sage should not be brought, therefore, 
 
 [A. D. 60, 
 
 16 Let not. then your good 
 be evil spoken of. 
 
 17 For * the kingdom of God 
 
 i Matt.6.33. 
 
 to prove that Christ died for all men, 
 or for any who shall finally perish. 
 Such a doctrine is undoubtedly true 
 (comp. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. 1 John ii. 2 
 2 Pet. ii. I), but it is not the truth 
 which is taught here. The design is 
 to show the criminality of a course that 
 would tend to the ruin of a brother. 
 For these weak brethren, Christ laid 
 down his precious life. He loved 
 them ; and shall we, to gratify our ap 
 petites, pursue a course which will 
 tend to defeat the work of Christ, and 
 ruin the souls redeemed by his blood 1 
 
 16. Let not then your good, &c. 
 That which you esteem to be right, 
 and which may be right in itself. You 
 are not bound by the ceremonial law- 
 You are free from the yoke of bondage 
 This freedom you esteem to be a good 
 a favour a high privilege. And so 
 it is ; but you should not make such a 
 use of it as to do injury to others. 
 T Be evil spoken of. Greek, Be 
 blasphemed. Do not so use your 
 Christian liberty as to give occasion for 
 railing and unkind remarks from your 
 brethren, so as to produce contention 
 and strife, and thus to give rise to evil 
 reports among the wicked about the 
 tendency of the Christian religion, as 
 if it were adapted only to promote con 
 troversy. How much strife would 
 have been avoided if all Christians 
 had regarded this plain rule. In re 
 lation to dress, and rites, and ceremo 
 nies in the church we may be conscious 
 that we are right ; but an obstinate ad 
 herence to them may only give rise to 
 contention and angry discussion, and 
 to evil reports among men, of the ten 
 dency of religion. In such a case we 
 should yield our private, unimportant 
 personal indulgence to the good of the 
 cause of religion and of peace 
 
 17. For the kingdom of God. Foi 
 an explanation of this phrase, see Note, 
 Matt. iii. 2. Here it means that the 
 peculiarities of the kingdom of God, 
 
A.D.60.] 
 
 not meat and 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 301 
 
 is 
 
 Phil. 3.9. 
 
 drink ; but 
 
 t Jno.16.33. c f I Phil.4.7. c c.15.13. 
 
 or of the church of Christ on earth, do 
 not consist in observing the distinctions 
 between meats and drinks. It was 
 true that by these things the Jews 
 had been particularly characterized, 
 but the Christian church was to be 
 distinguished in a different manner. 
 T Is nit. Does not consist in, or is 
 not dLtinguished by. Tf Meat and 
 drink. In observing distinctions be 
 tween different kinds of food, or mak 
 ing such observances a matter of con 
 science as the Jews did. Moses did 
 not prescribe any particular drink, or 
 prohibit any, but the Naza rites abstain 
 ed from wine and all kinds of strong 
 liquors ; and it is not improbable that 
 the Jews had invented some distinc 
 tions on this subject which they judged 
 to be of importance. Hence it is said 
 in Col. ii. 16, " Let no man judge you 
 in meat or in drink" Comp. 1 Cor. 
 viii. 8 ; iv. 20. ^ But righteousness. 
 This word here means virtue, integri 
 ty, a faithful discharge of all the duties 
 which we owe to God or to our fel 
 low-men. It means that the Christian 
 must so live as to be appropriately de 
 nominated a righteous man, and not a 
 man whose whole attention is absorbed 
 by the mere ceremonies and outward 
 forms of religion. To produce this, 
 we are told, was the main design, and 
 the principal teaching of the gospel. 
 Tit. ii. 12. Comp. Rom. viii. 13. I 
 Pet. ii. 11. Thus it is said ( 1 John 
 ii. 29), "Every one that doeth right 
 eousness is born of God." hi. 10, 
 " Whosoever doeth not righteousness is 
 not of God." Comp. 1 John iii. 7. 1 
 Cor. xv. 34. 2 Cor. iii. 9 ; vi. 7. 14. 
 Eph. v. 9; vi. 14. 1 Tim. vi. 11. 1 
 Pet. ii. 24. Eph. iv. 24. He that is a 
 righteous man, whose characteristic it 
 is to lead a holy life, is a Christian. 
 kf his great aim is to do the will of 
 G >d, and if he seeks to discharge with 
 fidelity all his duties to God and man, 
 he is renewed. On that righteousness 
 he will not depend for salvation (Phil, 
 iii. 8, 9), but he will regard this cha- 
 2 C 
 
 righteousness, a and peace, 
 and joy c in the Holy Ghost, 
 
 racter and this disposition as evidence 
 that he is a Christian, and that the 
 Lord Jesus is made unto him " wis 
 dom, and righteousness, and sanctifica- 
 tion, and redemption." 1 Cor. i. 30 
 H And peace. This word, ir b 
 place, does not refer to the inu,u.&, 
 peace and happiness which the Chris- 
 tian has in his own mind (comp. 
 Notes on ch. v. 1 ) ; but to peace or 
 concord in opposition to contrition 
 among brethren. The tendency and 
 design of the kingdom of God is to 
 produce concord and love, and to put 
 an end to alienation and strife. Even 
 though, therefore, there might he ground 
 for the opinions wtiich some cherisLed 
 in regard to rites, yet it was of more 
 importance to maintain peace than ob 
 stinately to press those matters at the 
 expense of strife and contention. That 
 the tendency of the gospel is to pro 
 mote peace, and to induce men to lay 
 aside all causes of contention and bittei 
 strife, is apparent from the following 
 passages of the New Testament. I 
 Cor. vii. 15 ; xiv. 33. Gal. v. 22. Eph 
 iv. 3. 1 Thess. v. 13. 2 Tim. ii. 22, 
 James iii. 18. Matt. v. 9. Eph. iv. 31, 
 32. Col. iii. 8. John xiii. 34, 35 ; xvii. 
 21 23. This is the second evidence 
 of piety on which Christians should 
 examine their hearts a disposition to 
 promote the peace of Jerusalem. Ps, 
 cxxii. 6; xxxvii. 11. A contentious 
 quarrelsome spirit ; a disposition tc 
 magnify trifles ; to make the Shibbo 
 leth of party an occasion of alienation, 
 and heart-burning, and discord ; to sow 
 dissensions on account if unimportam 
 points of doctrine or v>f discipline, is 
 full proof that there is no attachment 
 to Him who is the Prince of Peace. 
 Such a disposition does infinite disho 
 nour to the cause of religion, and per 
 haps has done more to retard its pro 
 gress than all other causes put together. 
 Contentions commonly arise from sorn 
 small matter in doctrine, in uress, in 
 ceremonies ; and often the smaller the 
 matter the more fierce the controversy 
 
302 
 
 18 For he 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 that in these 
 
 tilings serveth Christ, is ac 
 ceptable to God, and approved 
 of men. 
 
 till the spirit of religion disappears, and 
 desolation comes over the face of Zion. 
 
 "The Spirit, like a peaceful dove, 
 
 Flies from the realms of noise and strife." 
 
 1 And joy. This refers, doubtless, to 
 the personal happiness produced in 
 the mind by the influence of the gospel. 
 See Notes, ch. v. 15. \ In the Holy 
 Ghost. Produced by the Holy Ghost. 
 ch. v. 5. Comp. Gal. v. 22, 23. 
 
 18. In these things. In righteous 
 ness, peace, and joy. ^ Serveth Christ. 
 Or obeys Christ, wno has commanded 
 them. He receives Christ as his master 
 or teacher, and does his will in regard 
 to them. To do these things is to do 
 honour to Christ, and to show the ex 
 cellency of his religion. H Is accepta 
 ble to God. Whether he be converted 
 from the Jews or the Gentiles. 1 And 
 approved of men. That is, men will 
 approve of such conduct; they will 
 esteem it to be right, and to be in ac 
 cordance with the spirit of Christianity. 
 He does not say that the wicked world 
 will love such a life, but it will com 
 mend itself to them as such a life as 
 men ought to lead. 
 
 19. Let us therefore folloiv, &c. 
 The object of this verse is to persuade 
 the church at Rome to lay aside their 
 causes of contention, and to live in 
 harmony. This exhortation is founded 
 on the considerations which the apostle 
 had presented, and may be regarded as 
 the conclusion to which the argunnnt 
 had conducted him. ^ The thij.gs 
 which make for peace. The high pur 
 pose? <md objects of the Christian reli 
 gion ind not those smaller matters 
 whicii produce strife. If men aim at 
 the great objects proposed by the Chris 
 tian religion, they will live in peace. 
 Tf they seek to promote their private 
 ends, to follow thsir own passions and 
 prejudices, they will be involved in 
 strife and contention. There are great 
 
 19 Let 
 
 [A. U. GO 
 us therefore follow 
 
 after the things which make 
 for peace, and * things where 
 with one may edify another 
 
 a Pa.34.14. Heb.!2.14. b ICor.14.12. 
 
 common objects before all Christians 
 in which they can unite, and in the 
 pursuit of which they will cultivate a 
 spirit of peace. Let them all strive for 
 holiness ; let them seek to spread the 
 gospel ; let them engage in circulating 
 the Bible, or in doing good in any way 
 to others, and their smaller matters of 
 difference will sink into comparative 
 unimportance, and they will unite in 
 one grand purpose of saving the world. 
 Christians have more things in which 
 they agree than in which they differ 
 The points in which they are agreed are 
 of infinite importance ; the points on 
 which they differ are commonly some 
 minor matters in which they may 
 " agree to differ," and still cherish love 
 for all who bear the image of Christ. 
 f And things ivhereivith, &c. That is, 
 those things by which we may render 
 aid to our brethren ; the doctrines, ex 
 hortations, counsels, and other helpa 
 which may benefit them in their Chris 
 tian life. H May edify. The word 
 edify means properly to build, as a 
 house ; then to rebuild or reconstruct ; 
 then to adorn or ornament ; then to do 
 any thing that will confer favour or ad 
 vantage, or which will further an ob 
 ject. Applied to the church, it means 
 to do any thing by teaching, counsel, 
 advice, &c. which will tend to promote 
 its great object ; to aid Christians, to 
 enable them to surmount difficulties, to 
 remove their ignorance, &c. Acts ix. 
 31. 1 Cor. viii. 1 ; xiv. 4. In these 
 expressions the idea of a building is 
 retained, reared on a firm, tried corner 
 stone, the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. ii. 
 20. Isa. xxviii. 16. Comp. Rom. i* 33 
 Christians are thus regarded, accoiding 
 to Paul s noble idea (Eph. ii. 20 22), 
 as one great temple erected for the glory 
 of God, having no separate interest, but 
 as united for one object, and therefore 
 bound to do all that is possible that 
 each other may be fitted to their appro- 
 
\. D. 60.] 
 
 20 For meat destroy not the 
 work of God. All things in 
 deed art pure ; but it is b evil 
 for that man who eateth with 
 offence. 
 
 oTitujl.15. b lCor.8. 10-13. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 303 
 
 21 It is good neither to eat 
 flesh, nor to drink wine, nor 
 any thing whereby thy brother 
 stumbleth, or is offended, or is 
 made weak. 
 
 priate place, and perform their appro 
 priate function in perfecting and adorn 
 ing this temple of God. 
 
 20. F\*r meat. By your obstinate, 
 pertinacious attachment to your own 
 opinions about the distinctions of meat 
 and drinks, do not pursue such a course 
 as to lead a brother into sin, and ruin 
 his soul. Here is a new argument pre 
 sented why Christians should pursue a 
 course of charity that the opposite 
 would tend to the ruin of the brother s 
 soul, t Destroy not. The word here 
 is that which properly is applied to 
 pulling down an edifice ; and the apos 
 tle continues the figure which he used 
 in the previous verse. Do not pull 
 down or destroy the temple which God 
 is rearing. ^ The work of God. The 
 work of God is that which God does, 
 and here especially refers to his work 
 in rearing his church. The Christian 
 is regarded peculiarly as the work of 
 God, as God renews his heart and 
 makes him what he is. Hence he is 
 called God s "building" (1 Cor. iii. 
 9), "and his "workmanship, created in 
 Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 
 ii. 10), and is denominated "a new 
 creature." 2 Cor. v. 17. The meaning 
 is, Do not so conduct yourself, in re 
 gard to the distinction of meats into 
 clean and unclean, as to cause your 
 brother to sin, and to impair or ruin 
 the work of religion which God is car 
 rying on in his soul. The expression 
 does not refer to man as being the 
 work of God, but to the piety of the 
 Christian ; to that which God, by his 
 Spirit, is producing in the heart of the 
 believer. ^ Jill things are indeed 
 tture. Comp. ver. 14. This is a con 
 cession to those whom he was exhort 
 ing to peace. All things under the 
 Christian dispensation are lawful to be 
 eaten. The distinctions of the Levitical 
 
 law are not binding on Christians. 
 f J8ut it is evil. Though pure in itself, 
 yet it may become an occasion of sin, 
 if another is grieved by it. It is evil to 
 the man who pursues a course that 
 will give offence to a brother ; that will 
 pain him, or tend to drive him off from 
 the church, or lead him any way into 
 sin. H With offence. So as to offend a 
 brother, such as he esteems to be sin, 
 and by which he will be grieved. 
 
 21. It is good. It is right ; or it is 
 better. This verse is an explanation 
 or enlarged specification of the mean 
 ing of the former. 1 To eat flesh. That 
 is, such flesh as the Jewish convert 
 regarded as unclean, ver. 2. ^ JVor 
 drink -wine. QVine was a common 
 drink among the Jews, and usually es 
 teemed lawful. But the Nazarites were 
 not allowed to drink it (Num. vi. 3), 
 and the Rechabites (Jer. xxxv.) drank 
 no wine, and it is possible that some 
 of the early converts regarded it as un 
 lawful for Christians to drink it. Wine 
 was moreover used in libations in hea 
 then worship, and perhaps the Jewish 
 converts might be scrupulous about its 
 use from this cause. The caution here 
 shows us what should be done nnio in 
 regard to the use of wine. It may not 
 be possible to prove that wine is abso 
 lutely unlawful, but still many friends 
 of temperance regard it as such, and 
 are grieved at its use. They esteem 
 the habit of using it as tending to in 
 temperance, and as encouraging those 
 who cannot afford expensive liquors. 
 Besides, the wines which are now used 
 are different from those which were 
 common among the ancients. That 
 was the pure juice of the grape. That 
 which is now in common use is min 
 gled with alcohol, and with other in 
 toxicating ingredients. Little or none 
 of the w ne which comes to this coun- 
 
 :-i 
 
 >n 
 
304 
 
 22 Hast thou faith ? have it to 
 thyself before God. Happy is 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 he that rondemneth not himself 
 in that thing which he alloweth 
 
 try is pure. And in this state of the 
 case, does not the command of the apos 
 tle here require the friends of temper 
 ance to abstain even from the use of 
 wine? f 1 Nor any thing. Any article 
 of fooiTor drink, or any course of con 
 duct. So valuable is peace, and so de 
 sirable is it not to offend a brother, that 
 we should rather deny ourselves to any 
 extent, than to be the occasion of 
 offences and scandals in the church. 
 1 Slumblcth. For the difference be 
 tween this word and the word offended, 
 see Note, Rom. xi. 11. It means here 
 .hat by eating, a Jewish convert might 
 be lead to eat also, contrary to his own 
 conviction of what was right, and thus 
 be led into sin. 1 Or is made -weak. 
 That is, shaken, or rendered less stable in 
 his opinion or conduct. By being led to 
 imitate tne Gentile convert, he would 
 become lec>s firm and established ; he 
 would violate his own conscience ; his 
 course would be attended with regrets 
 and with doubts about its propriety, 
 and thus he would be made toeak. In 
 this verse we have an eminent instance 
 of the charity of the apostle, and of his 
 spirit of concession and kindness. If 
 this were regarded by all Christians, it 
 would save no small amount of strife, 
 and heart-burnings, and contention. 
 Let a man begin to act on the principle 
 that peace is to be promoted, that other 
 Christians are njt to be offended, and 
 what a change would it at once pro 
 duce in the churches, and what an in 
 fluence would it exert over the life. 
 
 22. Hast thou faith? The word 
 faith here refers only to the subject un 
 der discussion to the subject of meats, 
 drinks, (fee. Do you believe that it is 
 right to eat all kinds of food, &c. The 
 apostle had admitted that this was the 
 true ductrine; but he maintains that it 
 should be so held as not to give offence. 
 ^ Have it to thyself. Do not obtrude 
 your faith or opinion on others. Be 
 satisfied with cherishing the opinion, 
 and acting on it in private, without 
 
 bringing it forward to produce disturb 
 ance in the church. ^ Before God. 
 Where God only is the witness. God 
 I sees your sincerity, and will approve 
 your opinion. That opinion cherish 
 and act on, yet so as not to give offence, 
 and to produce disturbance in the 
 church. God sees your sincerity ; he 
 sees that you are right; and you will 
 not oflend him. Your brethren do not 
 see that you are right, and they will be 
 offended. ^ Happy is he, &c. This 
 state of mind, the apostle says, is one 
 that is attended with peace and happi 
 ness ; and this is a further reason why 
 they should indulge their opinion in 
 private, without obtruding it on others. 
 They were conscious of doing right, 
 and that consciousness was attended 
 with peace. This fact he states in the 
 form of a universal proposition, as ap 
 plicable not only to this case, but to all 
 cases. Comp. 1 John iii. 21. ^ Con- 
 demneth not himself. Whose con 
 science does not reprove him. ^ /;; 
 that -which he ulloioeth. Which he 
 approves, or which he does. Who has 
 a clear conscience in his opinions and 
 conduct. Many men indulge in prac 
 tices which their consciences condemn, 
 many in practices of which they are in 
 doubt. But the way to be happy is to 
 have a clear conscience in what we 
 do ; or in other words, if we have doubts 
 about a course of conduct, it is not safe 
 to indulge in that course, but it should 
 be at once abandoned. Many men are 
 engaged in business about which 
 they have many doubts; many Chris 
 tians are in doubt about certain courses 
 of life. But they can have no doubt 
 about the propriety of abstaining from 
 them. They who are engaged in the 
 slave-trade ; or they who are engaged 
 in the manufacture or sale of ardent spi 
 rits ; or they who frequent the theatre 
 or the ball-room, or who run the round 
 of fashionable amusements, if profess 
 ing Christians, MUST often be troubled 
 with maw, doubts about the propriety 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 23 And he that * doubteth is 
 damned if he eat, because he eat- 
 
 i or, disctrneth and putttth a difference between meats. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 305 
 
 of their manner of life. But they can 
 have no doubt about the propriety of 
 an opposite course. Perhaps a single 
 inquiry would settle all debate in re 
 gard to these things : Did any one ever 
 become n slave-dealer, or a dealer in 
 ardent spirits, or go to the theatre, or 
 engage in scenes of splendid amuse 
 ments, with any belief that he was 
 imitating the Lord Jesus Christ, or 
 ivith ani, desire to honour him or his 
 religion ? But one answer would be 
 given to this question ; and in view of 
 it, how striking is the remark of Paul, 
 " Happy is he that condenmeth not 
 himself in that which he alloweth." 
 
 23. He that donbteth. He that is 
 not fully satisfied in his mind ; who 
 does not do it with a clear conscience. 
 The margin has it rendered correctly, 
 " He that discerneth and putteth a dif 
 ference between meats." He that con 
 scientiously believes, as the Jew did, 
 that the Levitical law respecting the 
 difference between meats was binding 
 on Christians. ^ Is damned. We ap 
 ply this word almost exclusively to the 
 future punishment of the wicked in 
 hell. But it is of importance to remem 
 ber, in reading the Bible, that this is 
 not of necessity its meaning. It means 
 properly to condemn ; and here it means 
 only that the person who should thus 
 violate the dictates of his conscience 
 would incur guilt, and would be blame 
 worthy in doing it. But it does not 
 affirm that he would inevitably sink to 
 hell. The same construction is to be 
 put on the expression in 1 Cor. xi. 29, 
 " He that eateth and drinketh unwor 
 thily, eateth and drinketh damnation 
 to himself." f For -whatsoever, &c. 
 Whatever is not done -with a full con 
 viction that it is right, is sinful , 
 whatever is done -when a man doubts 
 whether it is right, ; s sin. This is 
 evidently the fair intepretation of this 
 place. Such the connexion requires. 
 It does not affirm that all or any of 
 Jic actions of mpenitent and unbe- 
 2 r. 2 
 
 eth not of faith : for whatsoever 
 is not of faith is sin. 
 
 lieving men are sinful, which is true, 
 but not the truth taught here ; nor does 
 it affirm that all acts which are not per 
 formed by those who have faith in the 
 Lord Jesus, are sinful ; but the discus 
 sion pertains to Christians ; and the 
 whole scope of the passage requires us 
 to understand the apostle as simply 
 saying that a man should not do a 
 thing doubting its correctness ; that he 
 should have a strong conviction that 
 what he does is right ; and that if he 
 has not this conviction, it is sinful. The 
 rule is of universal application. In all 
 cases, if a man does a thing which he 
 does not believe to be right, it is a sin 
 and his conscience will condemn him 
 for it. It may be proper, however, to 
 observe that the converse of this is not 
 always true, that if a man believes a 
 thing to be right, that therefore it is not 
 sin. For many of the persecutors were 
 conscientious (John xvi. 2. Acts xxvi. 
 9) ; and the murderers of the Son of 
 God did it ignoramly (Acts iii. 17. 1 
 Cor. ii. 8) ; and yet were adjudged as 
 guilty of enormous crimes. Comp. 
 Luke xi. 50, 51. Acts ii. 23. 37. 
 
 In this chapter we have a remarkably 
 fine discussion of the nature of Chris 
 tian charity. Differences of opinion 
 will arise, and men will be divided into 
 various sects ; but if the rules which are 
 laid down in this chapter were follow 
 ed, the contentions, and altercations, 
 and strifes among Christians would 
 cease. Had these rules been applied 
 to the controversies about rites, and 
 forms, and festivals, that have arisen, 
 peace might have been preserved. 
 Amid all such differences, the great 
 question is, whether there is true love 
 to the Lord Jesus. If there is, the apos 
 tle teaches us that we have no right to 
 judge a brother, or despise him, or con 
 tend harshly with him. Our object 
 should be to promote peace, to aid 
 him in his efforts to become holy, 
 and to seek to build him up in hi iy 
 faith. 
 
306 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 2 then that are strong ought 
 to a bear the infirmities of 
 the weak, and not to please our 
 selves. 
 
 2 Let every one of us please 
 
 a :.14.1. Gal.6.2. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 his neighbour b for his good to 
 edification. 
 
 3 For even Christ c pleased 
 not himself; but, as it is written, 
 d The reproaches of them that 
 reproached thee fell on me. 
 
 b lCor.9.19. Phil.2.4,5. c Jno.6.38. d Ps.69.9 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 IT may be of importance to state that 
 between the last verse of the preceding 
 chapter and the first verse of this, the 
 Atabic version, some MSS. and many 
 of the Greek fathers, as Chrysostom, 
 Theodoret, Theophylact, &c. have in 
 troduced ver. 25 27 of ch. xvi. of 
 this epistle. Why this was done, has 
 been a matter of controversy. The dis 
 cussion, however, is of no practical im 
 portance, and most critics concur in 
 the opinion that the present arrange 
 ment of the Greek text is genuine. 
 
 1. We then that are strong. The 
 apostle resumes the subject of the pre 
 ceding chapter ; and continues the ex 
 hortation to brotherly love and mutual 
 kindness and forbearance. By the 
 strong here he means the strong in 
 faith in respect to the matters under 
 discussion ; those whose minds were 
 free from doubts and perplexities. His 
 own mind was free from doubt, and 
 there were many others, particularly of 
 the Gentile converts, that had the same 
 views. But many also, particularly of 
 the Jewish converts, had many doubts 
 and scruples. Tf Ought to bear. This 
 word bear properly means to lift up, to 
 bear away, to remove. But here it is 
 used in a larger sense ; to bear -with, 
 to be indulgent to, to endure patiently, 
 not to contend -with. Gal. vi. 2. Rev. 
 ii. 2, " Thou canst not bear them that 
 are evil." ^ Jind not to please our- 
 telves. Not to make it our main object 
 to gratify our own wills. We should 
 be willing to deny ourselves, if by it we 
 may promote the happiness of others. 
 This refers particularly to opinions 
 about meats and drinks ; but it may be 
 applied to Christian conduct generally, 
 is denoting that we are not to make 
 Dur own happiness or gratification the 
 
 standard of our conduct, but are to seek 
 the welfare of others. See the example 
 of Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 19. 22; see also 
 Phil. ii. 4. 1 Cor. xiii. 5, " Love seek- 
 eth not her own." x. 24, " Let no man 
 seek his own, but every man another s 
 wealth." Also Matt. xvi. 24. 
 
 2. Please his neighbour. That is, 
 all other persons, but especially the 
 friends of the Redeemer. The word 
 neighbour here has especial reference 
 to the members of the church. It is 
 often used, however, in a much larger 
 sense. See Luke x. 36. ^ For his good. 
 Not seek to secure for him indulgence 
 in those things which would be injuri 
 ous to him, but in all those things 
 whereby his welfare would be pro 
 moted. ^ To edification. See Note, 
 ch. xiv. 19. 
 
 3. For even Christ. The apostle 
 proceeds, in his usual manner, to illus 
 trate what he had said by the example 
 of the Saviour. To a Christian, the 
 example of the Lord Jesus will furnish 
 the most ready, certain, and happy illus 
 tration of the nature and extent of hib 
 duty, \ Pleased not himself. This 
 is not to be understood as if the Lord 
 Jesus did not voluntarily and cheerfully 
 engage in his great work. He was not 
 compelled to come and suffer. Nor is 
 it to be understood as if he did not ap 
 prove the work, or see its propriety and 
 fitness. If he had not, he would never 
 have engaged in its sacrifices and self- 
 denials. But the meaning may be ex 
 pressed in the following particulars: 
 (1.) He came to do the will or desire 
 of God, in undertaking the work of 
 salvation. It was the will of God ; it 
 was agreeable to the divine purposes, 
 and the Mediator did not consult his 
 own happiness and honour in heaven,, 
 but cheerfully came to do the iv ll of 
 
A.. D. 60. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 307 
 
 4 For whatsoever a things 
 were written aforetime were 
 written for our learning, that 
 
 o lCor.l(U1.2Tim.3.16,17. 
 
 God. Ps. xl. 7, 8. Comp. Heb. x. 4 
 10. Phil. ii. 6. John xvii. 5. (2.) 
 Christ, when on earth, made it his 
 great object to do the will of God, to 
 finish the work which God had given 
 him to do, and not to seek his own 
 comfort and enjoyment. This he ex 
 pressly affirms. John vi. 38 ; v. 30. 
 (3.) He was willing for this to endure 
 whatever trials and pains the will of 
 God might demand, not seeking to 
 avoid them or to shrink from them. 
 See particularly his prayer in the gar 
 den. Luke xxii. 42. (4.) In his life, 
 he did not seek personal comfort, 
 wealth, or friends, or honours. He 
 denied himself to promote the welfare 
 of others ; he was poor that they might 
 be rich ; he was in lonely places that 
 he might seek out the needy and pro 
 vide for them. Nay, he did not seek 
 to preserve his own life when the ap 
 pointed time came to die, but gave him 
 self up for all. (5.) There may be 
 another idea which the apostle had 
 here. He bore with patience the ig 
 norance, blindness, erroneous views, 
 and ambitious projects of his disciples. 
 He evinced kindness to them when in 
 error ; and was not harsh, censorious, 
 or unkind, when they were filled with 
 vain projects of ambition, or perverted 
 his words, or were dull of apprehen 
 sion. So, says the apostle, ive ought 
 to do in relation to our brethren. *j[ But 
 as it is written. Ps. Ixix. 9. This 
 psalm, and the former part of this 
 verse, is referred to the Messiah. 
 Comp. ver. 21 with Matt, xxvii. 34. 48. 
 t The reproaches. The calumnies, 
 censures, harsh, opprobrious speeches. 
 1 Of them that reproached thee. Of 
 the wicked, who vilified and abused 
 the law and government of God. ^ FeJl 
 on me. In other words, Christ was 
 willing to suffer reproach and contempt 
 m order to do good to others. He en 
 dured calumny and contempt all his 
 
 we through patience and corn- 
 fort of the Scriptures might 
 have hope. 
 
 life, from those who by their lips and 
 lives calumniated God, or reproached 
 their Maker. We may learn here, 
 (1.) That the contempt of Jesus Christ 
 is contempt of him who appointed him. 
 (2.) We may see the kindness of the 
 Lord Jesus in being willing thus te> 
 throiv himself between the sinner and 
 God ; to intercept, as it were, our sins, 
 and to bear the effects of them in his 
 own person. He stood between us 
 and God ; and both the reproaches and 
 the divine displeasure due to them, met 
 on his sacred person, and produced the 
 sorrows of the atonement his bitter 
 agony in the garden and on the cross. 
 Jesus thus showed his love of God in 
 being willing to bear the reproaches 
 aimed at him ; and his love to men in 
 being willing to endure the sufferings 
 necessary to atone for these very sins. 
 (o.) If Jesus thus bore reproaches, -we 
 should be willing also to endure them. 
 We suffer in the cause where he has 
 gone before us, and where he has set 
 us the example ; and as he was abused 
 and vilified, we should be willing to be 
 so also. 
 
 4. For whatsoever things, &c. This 
 is a general observation which struck 
 the mind of the apostle, from the parti 
 cular case which he had just specified. 
 He had just made use of a striking pas 
 sage in the Psalms to his purpose. 
 The thought seems suddenly to have 
 occurred to him that all the Old Testa 
 ment was admirably adapted to express 
 Christian duties and doctrine, and he 
 therefore turned aside from his direct 
 argument to express this sentiment. 
 It should be read as a parenthesis. 
 t Were -written aforetime. That is, 
 in ancient times; in the Old Testa 
 ment. If For our learning. For our 
 teaching or instruction. Not that this 
 was the only purpose of the writings 
 of the Old Testament, to instruct Chris 
 tians ; but that all the Old Testament 
 
308 
 
 5 Now the God of patience 
 and consolation grant you to be 
 like-minded a one toward ano 
 ther, 1 according to Christ Jesus; 
 
 t or, afttr the example of. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60 
 
 6 That ye may with one 
 mind and one mouth glorify 
 God, even the Father of oui 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 4 Acts 4.24,32. 
 
 might be useful now in illustrating arid 
 enforcing the doctrines and duties of 
 piety towards God and man. 1| Through 
 patience. This does not mean, as our 
 translation might seem to suppose, pa 
 tience of the Scriptures, hut it means 
 that by patiently enduring sufferings, 
 in connexion with the consolation 
 which the Scriptures furnish, we might 
 have hope. The tendency of patience, 
 the apostle tells us (Rom. v. 4), is to 
 produce hope. See Notes on this place. 
 f And comfort of the Scfijttnntt, By 
 means of the* consolation which the 
 writings of the Old Testament furnish. 
 The word rendered comfort means also 
 exhortation or admonition. If this is 
 its meaning here, it refers to the admo 
 nitions which the Scriptures suggest, 
 instructions which they impart, and the 
 exhortations to patience in trials, if it 
 means comfort, then the reference is to 
 the examples of the saints in affliction ; 
 to their recorded expressions of confi 
 dence in God in their trials, as of Job, 
 Daniel, David, &c. Which is the pre 
 cise meaning of thii word here, it is not 
 easy to determine. ^ Jlfrglit have hope. 
 Note, ch. v. 4. We may learn here, 
 (1.) That afflictions may prove to be a 
 great blessing. (2.) That their proper 
 tendency is to produce hope. (3.) That 
 the way to find support in afflictions is 
 to go to the Bible. By the example of 
 the ancient saints, by the expression of 
 their confidence in God, by their pa 
 tience, -we may learn to suffer, and may 
 not only be instructed, but may find 
 comfort in all our trials. See the ex 
 ample of Paul himself in 2 Cor. i. 2 
 11. 
 
 5. JVow th? God of patience. The I 4. U Glorify God. Praise or honour 
 God who is hirnse/f long-suffering, who j God. This would be done by their 
 bt-ars patiently with the errors arid ! union, peace, and harmony ; thus 
 faults of his children, and who can i showing the tendency of the gospel to 
 give patience, may he give you of his ! overcome the sources of strife and con- 
 Spirit, that you may beur patiently the i tention among men, and to bring them 
 
 infirmities and errors of each other. 
 The example of God here, who beart 
 long with his children, and is not angry 
 soon at their offences, is a strong argu 
 ment why Christians should bear with 
 each other. If God bears long and pa 
 tiently with our infirmities, -we ought to 
 bear with each other. ^ *-ind consola 
 tion. Who gives or imparts consola 
 tion. ^ To be like-minded, &c. Gr. 
 To think the same thing ; that is, to 
 be united, to keep from divisions and 
 strifes. ^ Jlccording to Christ Jesus. 
 According to the example and spirit 
 of Christ ; his was a spirit of peace. 
 Or, according to what his religion re 
 quires. The name of Christ is some 
 times thus put for his religion. 2 Cor. 
 xi. 4. Eph. iv. 20. If all Christians 
 would imitate the example of Christ, 
 and follow his instructions, there would 
 be no contentious among them. He 
 earnestly sought in his parting prayer 
 their unity and peace. John xvii. 21 
 _ og 
 
 6. That ye may ivith one mind. The 
 word here used is translated " with one 
 accord," Acts i. 14 ; ii. 1 ; iv. 24. It 
 means unitedly, with one purpose, 
 without contentions, and strifes, and 
 jars, f And one mouth. This refers, 
 doubtless, to their prayers and praises. 
 That they might join, without conten 
 
 tion and unkind feeling, in the worship 
 of God. Divisions, strife, arid conten 
 tion in the church prevent union in 
 worship. Though the body may be 
 there, and the church professedly en 
 gaged in public worship, yet it is a di 
 vided service ; and the prayers of strife 
 and contention are not heard. Isa. Ivih, 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 309 
 
 7 Wherefore receive ye one 
 another, as Christ also received 
 * us, to the glory of God. 
 
 8 Now I say that Jesus 
 Christ was a minister of the cir- 
 
 oEph.1.6. 
 
 to peace. ^ Even the Father, &o 
 This is an addition designed to pro 
 duce love. (1.) He is a Father ; we 
 then, his children, should regard him as 
 pleased with the union and peace of 
 his family. (2.) He is the Father of 
 ouii LOHD; our common Lord; our 
 Lord who has commanded us to be 
 united, and to love one another. By 
 the desire of honouring such a Father, 
 we should lay aside contentions, and 
 be united in the bands of love. 
 
 7. Wherefore. In view of all the 
 considerations tending to produce unity 
 and love, which have been presented. 
 He refers to the various arguments in 
 this and the preceding chapter. ^ Re 
 ceive ye one another. Acknowledge 
 one another as Christians, and treat 
 one another as such, though you may 
 differ in opinion about many smaller 
 matters. See ch. xiv. 3. ^ Jt Christ 
 ilso received us. That is, received us 
 as his friends and followers, ^ee ch. 
 xiv. 3. H To the glory of God. In 
 order to promote his glory. He has re 
 deemed us, and renewed us, in order to 
 promote the honour of God. Comp. 
 Eph. i. 6. As Christ has received us 
 in order to promote the glory of God, 
 so ought we to treat each other in a 
 similar manner for a similar purpose. 
 The exhortation in this verse is to those 
 who had been divided on various points 
 pertaining to rites and ceremonies ; to 
 those who had been converted from 
 among Gentiles and Jews ; and the 
 apostle here says that Christ had re 
 ceived both. In order to enforce this, 
 and especially to show the Jewish con 
 verts that they ought to receive and 
 acknowledge their Gentile brethren, he 
 proceeds to show, in the following 
 verses that Christ had reference to boll 
 n his work. He shows this in reference 
 to the Jews (ver, 8), and to the Gen 
 
 cumcision for the truth of God, 
 to confirm b the promises made 
 unto the Fathers. 
 
 9 And that the Gentiles might 
 glorify God for his mercy ; as 
 
 I Acts 3.25,26. 
 
 | tiles (ver. 9 12). Thus he drawn 
 I all his arguments from the work of 
 I Christ. 
 
 8. Now I say. I affirm, or main 
 
 I tain. I, a Jew , admit that his work had 
 | reference to the Jews; I affirm also 
 ! that it had reference to the Gentiles. 
 : 1 That Jesus Christ. That the Mes- 
 \ siah. The force of the apostle s rea 
 soning would often be more striking 
 if he would retain the word Messiah, 
 | and not regard the word Christ as a 
 ; mere surname. It is the name of his 
 office ; and to a Jew the name JWcs- 
 siuh would convey much more than 
 the idea of a mere proper name. 1 IVas 
 a minister of the circumcision. Exer 
 cised his office the office of the Mes 
 siah among the Jews, or with respect 
 to the Jews, for the purposes which he 
 immediately specifies. He was born 
 a Jew; was circumcised ; came to that 
 nation ; arid died in their midst, with 
 out having gone himself to any other 
 people. ^ For the truth of God. To 
 confirm or establish the truth of the 
 promises of God. He remained among 
 them in the exercise of his ministry to 
 show that God was true, who had said 
 that the Messiah should come to them. 
 1 To confirm the promises, &c. Tc 
 establish, or to show that the promises 
 were true. See Note, Acts iii. 25, 
 26. The promises referred to here, are 
 those particularly which related to the 
 coming of the Messiah. By thus ad 
 mitting that the Messiah was the 
 minister of the circumcision, the apos 
 tle conceded ail that the Jew could ask, 
 that he was to be peculiarly their Mes 
 siah. See Note, Luke x xiv. 47. 
 
 9. slnd that the Gentiles, &c. The 
 benefits of the gospel were not to be 
 confined to the Jews ; and as God de 
 signed that those benefits should be 
 extended to the Gentile*, so the Juw 
 
310 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 fA. D. 60 
 
 it is written, For this cause I 
 will confess to thee among the 
 Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 
 
 10 And again he saith, * Re 
 joice, ye Gentiles, with his peo- 
 pie. 
 
 11 And again, e Praise the 
 
 ish converts ought to be willing to ad 
 mit them and treat them as brethren. 
 That God did design this, the apostle 
 proceeds to show. T Jlfiffht glorify 
 God. Might praise, or give thanks to 
 God. This implies that the favour 
 shown to them was a great favour. 
 1 For his mercy. Greek, On account 
 of the mercy shown to them. Tf As it 
 is -written. Ps. xviii. 49. The expres 
 sion there is one of David s. He says 
 that he will praise God for his mercies 
 among the heathen, or when surround 
 ed by the heathen ; or that he would 
 confess and acknowledge the mercies 
 of God to him, as we should say, to all 
 the -world. The apostle, however, uses 
 it in this sense, that the Gentiles would 
 participate with the Jew in offering 
 praise to God, or that they would be 
 united. This does not appear to have 
 been the original design of David in 
 the psalm, but the -words express the 
 idea of the apostle. ^ And sing, &c. 
 Celebrate thy praise. This supposes 
 that benefits would be conferred on 
 them, for which they would celebrate 
 his goodness. 
 
 10. And again, &c. Deut. xxxii. 
 43. In this place the nations or Gen 
 tiles are called on to rejoice with the 
 Jews, for the interposition of God in 
 their behalf. The design of the quota 
 tion is to show that the Old Testament 
 speaks of the Gentiles as called on to 
 celebrate the praises of God ; of course, 
 the apostle infers that they are to be 
 introduced to the same privileges as his 
 people. 
 
 \\.Andagain. Ps. cxvii. 1. The 
 object in this quotation is the same as 
 before. The apostle accumulates quo 
 tations to show that it was the common 
 .anguage of the Old Testament, and 
 
 Lord, all ye Gentiles ; arid laud 
 him, all ye people. 
 
 12 Aid again Esaias saith, 
 There shall be a root e of Jeaee 
 and he that shall rise to reign 
 over the Gentiles ; in him shai! 
 the Gentiles trust. 
 
 rflsa.ll.1,10. e Rev.5.5,22.16. 
 
 that he was not depending on a single 
 expression for the truth of his doctrine. 
 ^ Jill ye Gentiles. In the psalm, " all 
 ye nations ; n but the original is the 
 same. 1 And land him. Praise him. 
 The psalm is directly in point. It is 
 a call on all nations to praise God ; 
 the very point in the discussion of the 
 apostle. 
 
 12. Esaias saith. Isaiah ch. xi. 1 
 10. T There shall be a root. A de 
 scendant, or one that should proceed 
 from him when he was dead. When a 
 tree dies, and falls, there may remain a 
 root which shall retain life, and which 
 shall send up a sprout of a similar 
 kind. So Job says (ch. xiv. 7), " For 
 there is hope of a tree, if it be cut 
 down, that it will sprout again, and 
 that the tender branch thereof will not 
 cease." So in relation to Jesse. Though 
 he should fall, like an aged tree, yet 
 his name and family should not be ex 
 tinct. There should be a descendant 
 who should rise, and reign over the 
 Gentiles. The Lord Jesus is thus call 
 ed also the " root and the offspring of 
 David." Rev. xxii. 16; v. 5. 1 Of 
 Jesse. The father of David. 1 Sam. 
 xvii. 58. The Messiah was thus de 
 scended from Jesse. ^ He that shall 
 rise. That is, as a sprout springs up 
 from a decayed or fallen tree. Jesus 
 I thus rose from the family of David, that 
 had fallen into poverty and humble 
 life in the time of Mary, ^f To reign 
 j over the Gentiles. This is quoted 
 ! from the LXX. of Isa. xi. 1 0. The He- 
 j brew is, " Which shall stand up for an 
 ! ensign of the people ;" that is, a 
 ! standard to which they shall flock. 
 j Either the Septuagint or the Hebrew 
 1 would express the idea of the apostle 
 The substantial sense is retained* 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 13 Now the God of hope fill 
 you with all rt joy and peace in 
 believing, that ye may abound 
 in hope, through the power of 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 ac.14.17. 
 
 though it is not literally quoted. The 
 idea of his reigning over the Gentiles 
 is one that is fully expressed in the 
 second psalm. ^ In him, &c. Hebrew, 
 " To it shall the Gentiles seek." The 
 sense, however, is the same. The de 
 sign of this quotation is the same as 
 the preceding, to show that it was pre 
 dicted in the Old Testament that the 
 Gentiles should bo made partakers of 
 .he privileges of the gospel. The argu 
 ment of the apostle is, that if this was 
 designed, then converts to Christianity 
 from among the Jews should lay aside 
 jheir prejudices, and receive them as 
 their brethren, entitled to the same 
 privileges of the gospel as themselves. 
 The fact that the Gentiles would be 
 admitted to these privileges, the apos 
 tle had more fully discussed in ch. x. xi. 
 
 13. JVow the God of hope. The God 
 who inspires, or produces the Chris 
 tian hope. Tf Jill joy and peace, ch. 
 xiv. 17. If they were filled with this, 
 there would be no strife and conten 
 tion. ^ In believing. The effect of 
 believing is to produce this joy and 
 peace. | That ye may abound, &c. 
 That your hope may be steadfast and 
 strong, 1 Through the power, &c. By 
 means of the powerful operation of the 
 Holy Spirit. It is by his power alone 
 that the Christian has the hope of 
 eternal life. See Eph. i. 13, 14. Rom. 
 viii. 24. 
 
 14. And I myself also. The apos 
 tle here proceeds to show them why he 
 had written this epistle, and to state his 
 confidence in them. He had exhorted 
 them to peace ; he had opposed some of 
 their strongest prejudices ; and in or 
 der to secure their obedience to his in 
 junctions, he now shows them the deep 
 interest which he had in their wel 
 fare, though he had never seen them. 
 *J Jim persuaded. He had never seen 
 them (ch. i. 10 13), but he had full 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 31 
 
 14 And I myself ulso am per 
 suaded b of you, my brethren, that 
 ye also are full of goodness, fill 
 ed with all knowledge, c able 
 also to admonish one another, 
 
 b Heb.6.9. 2PeU.12. c lCor.8.1,7,10. 
 
 confidence in them. This confidence 
 he had expressed more fully in the 
 first chapter. ^ Of you. Concerning 
 you. I have full confidence in you 
 f My brethren. An address of affec 
 tion ; showing that he was not disposed 
 to assume undue authority, or to lord 
 it over their faith, f Are full of 
 goodness. Filled with kindness or 
 benevolence. That is, they were dis 
 posed to obey any just commands ; 
 and that consequently any errors in 
 their opinions and conduct had not 
 been the effect of oostinacy or per- 
 verseness. There was indeed danger 
 in the city of Rome of pride and 
 haughtiness ; and among the Gentilo 
 converts there might have been somt 
 reluctance to receive instruction from 
 a foreign Jew. But the apostle was 
 persuaded that all this was overcome 
 by the mild and humbling spirit of re 
 ligion, and that they were disposed ta 
 obey any just commands. He made this 
 observation, therefore, to conciliate re 
 spect to his authority as an apostle. 
 H Filled -with all knowledge. That is, 
 instructed in the doctrines and duties 
 of the Christian religion. This was 
 true; but there might be still some 
 comparatively unimportant and non- 
 essential points, on which they might 
 not be entirely clear. On these, the 
 apostle had written ; and written, not 
 professedly to communicate new ideas, 
 but to remind them of the great prin 
 ciples on which they were before in 
 structed, ver. 15. JMlealso,&c. That 
 is, you are so fully instructed in Chris 
 tian principles, as to be able to give 
 advice and counsel, if it is needed. 
 From this verse we may learn, (1.) 
 That when it is our duty to give in 
 struction, admonition, or advice, it 
 should be in a kind, conciliating man 
 ner; not with harshness, or with the 
 severity of authority. Even an apostle 
 
312 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I 
 have written the more boldly 
 unto you in some sort, as put 
 ting you in mind, because of 
 
 Eph.2.7,8. 
 
 viid not assume harshness or severity 
 in his instructions. (2.) There is no 
 nnpropriety in speaking of the good 
 qualities of Christians in their presence ; 
 or even of commending and praising 
 them when they deserve it. The apos 
 tle Paul was as far as possible from 
 always dwelling on the faults of Chris 
 tian*. When it was necessary to re 
 prove them, he did it, but did it with 
 tenderness and tears. When he could 
 commend, he preferred it ; and never 
 hesitated to give them credit to the ut 
 most extent to which it could be ren 
 dered. He did not falter, but he told 
 the truth ; he did not commend to ex 
 cite pride and vanity, but to encourage, 
 and to prompt to still more active ef 
 forts. The minister who always cen 
 sures and condemns, whose ministry is 
 made up of complaints and lamenta 
 tions, who never speaks of Christians 
 but in a strain of fault-finding, is un 
 like the example of the Saviour and of 
 Paul, and may expect little success in 
 his work. Comp. Rom. i. 8; xvi. 19. 
 1 Cor. i. 5. 2 Cor. viii. 7 ; ix. 2. Phil. 
 i. 37. Heb. vi. 9. 2 Pet. i. 12. 
 
 15. Nevertheless. Notwithstanding 
 my full persuasion of your knowledge 
 and your purpose to do right. Perhaps 
 he refers also to the fact that he was a 
 stranger to them. 1 The more boldly. 
 More boldly than might have been ex 
 pected from a stranger. The reason 
 why he showed this boldness in de- 
 faring his sentiments, he immediately 
 states that he had been specially call 
 ed to th j office of instructing the Gen- 
 liles. ^ fn some sort ( arc ^ui^c-u?). 
 In part. Some have supposed that he 
 referred to a party at Rome the Gen 
 tile party. ( Whilby.} Some refer it to 
 different parts of his epistle on some 
 subjects. (Stuart.) Probably the ex- j 
 pression is designed to qualify the j 
 phrase more boldly. The phrase, says 
 
 the grace that is given to me of 
 God. 
 
 16 That I should be the mi 
 nister of Jesus Christ to the 
 
 Grotius, diminishes that of which it in 
 spoken, as 1 Cor. xiii. 9. 12. 2 Coi i. 
 14 ; ii. 5 ; and means the same as 
 " somewhat more freely ;" that is, I 
 have been induced to write the more 
 freely, partly because I am appointed 
 to this very office. I write somewhat 
 more freely to a church among the 
 Gentiles than I even should to one 
 among the Jews, because I am ap 
 pointed to this very office. H Jls put 
 ting you in mind. Greek, Calling to 
 your remembrance^ or reminding you. 
 Comp. 2 Pet. i. 12, 13. This was a 
 delicate way of communicating instruc 
 tion. The apostles presumed that all 
 Christians were acquainted with the 
 great doctrines of religion ; but they 
 did not command, enjoin, or assume a 
 spirit of dictation. How happy would 
 it be if p.ll teachers would imitate the 
 example of the apostles in this, and be 
 as modest and humble as they -were. 
 U Because of the grace, &c. Because 
 God has conferred the favour on me of 
 appointing me to this office. Wee Note, 
 ch. i. 5. 
 
 16. The minister (\inc,v%yov). This 
 is not the word which is commonly 
 translated minister (<ftxcvic). This 
 word is properly appropriated to those 
 who minister in public offices or the 
 affairs of the state. In the New Tes 
 lament it is applied mainly to the Le- 
 vitical priesthood, who ministered and 
 served at the altar. Heb. xi. 11. It is 
 however applied to the ministers of the 
 New Testament, as discharging tub- 
 stantially the same offices towards the 
 church which were discharged by the 
 Levitical priesthood ; i. e. as engaged 
 in promoting the welfare of the church 
 occupied in holy things, &c. Acts xiii. 
 2, " As they ministered to the Lord 
 and fasted," &c. It is used in a largei 
 sense still in Rom. xv. 27. 2 Cor. ix. 
 12. 1 To the Gentiles* Coiup* ch. i. 5. 
 
\. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 313 
 
 Gentiles, ministering the gospel 
 of God, that the * offering up 
 of the Gentiles might be accept- 
 
 i or, tacrificins. a Isa.66.20. 
 
 Acts ix. 15. ^Ministering 
 ret). Performing the office of a priest 
 in respect to the gospel of God. The 
 office of a priest was to offer sacrifice. 
 Paul heie retains the language, though 
 without affirming or implying that the 
 ministers of the New Testament were 
 literally priests to offer sacrifice. The 
 word useu here occurs nowhere else in 
 the New Testament. Its meaning here 
 is to be determined from the con 
 nexion. The question is, what is the 
 sacrifice of which he speaks 1 It is the 
 offering up- -the sacrifice of the Gen 
 tiles.. The Jewish sacrifices were abo 
 lished. The Messiah had fulfilled the 
 design of their appointment, and they 
 were to be done away. (See the epistle 
 to the Hebrews.) There was to be no 
 further literal sacrifice. But now the 
 offerings of the Gentiles were to be as 
 acceptable as hat} been the offerings of 
 the Jews. God tiiade no distinction , 
 and in speaking of these offerings, Paul 
 used figurative language drawn from 
 the Jewish rites. But assuredly he did 
 not mean that the o^erings of the Gen 
 tiles were literal sacnnces to expiate 
 &ins ; nor did he mean that there was 
 to be an order of men who were to be 
 called priests under the New Testa 
 ment. If this passage did prove that, 
 it would prove that it should be con 
 fined to the apostles, for ii is of them 
 only that he uses it. The meaning is 
 this : Acting in the Christian church 
 substantially as the priests did among 
 the Jews ; that is, endeavouring to se 
 cure the acceptableness of the offer 
 ings which the Gentiles make to God. 
 t That the offering up. The word 
 here rendered offering up (^oafogd) 
 commonly means a sacrifice or an ex 
 piatory offering, and is applied to Jew 
 ish sacrifices. Acts xxi. 26; xxiv. 17. 
 It is also applied to the sacrifice which 
 was made by o*ir Lord Jesus Christ 
 when he offered himself on the cross 
 for the sins of men. Eph. v. 2. Heb. x. 
 2 D 
 
 able, being sanctified * by the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 17 I have therefore whereof I 
 
 10. It does not always mean bloody 
 sacrifices, but is used to denote any 
 offering to God. Heb. x. 5. 8. 14. 18. 
 Hence it is used in this large sense la 
 denote the offering which the Gentiles 
 who were converted to Christianity 
 made of themselves ; their devoting or 
 dedicating themselves to God. The 
 language is derived from the customs 
 of the Jews ; and the apostle represents 
 himself figuratively as a priest pre 
 senting this offering to God. Tf Might 
 be acceptable. Or, approved by God. 
 This was in accordance with the pre 
 diction in Isa. Ixvi. 20, " They shall 
 bring all your brethren for an offering 
 unto the Lord out of all nations," &c. 
 This does not mean that it was by any 
 merit of the apostle that this offering 
 was to be rendered acceptable ; but that 
 he was appointed to prepare the way, 
 so that their offering, as well as that 
 of the Jetvs, might come up before God. 
 If Being sanctified. That is, the offer 
 ing being sanctified, or made holy. The 
 sacrifice was prepared or made fit to be 
 an offering, among the Jews, by salt, 
 oil, or frankincense, according to the 
 nature of the sacrifice. Lev. vi. 14, &c. 
 In allusion to this, the apostle says that 
 the offering of the Gentiles was render 
 ed holy, or fit to be offered, by the con 
 verting and purifying influences of the 
 Holy Spirit. They were prepared, not 
 by salt and frankincense, but by the 
 cleansing influences of God s Spirit, 
 The same idea, substantially, is ex 
 pressed by the apostle Peter in Acts x. 
 46; xi. 17. 
 
 17. / have therefore, &c. I have 
 cause of glorying. I have cause of re 
 joicing that God has made me a minis 
 ter to the Gentiles, and that he has 
 given me such success among them. 
 The ground of this he states in ver. 1 8 
 22. J Glory. Of boasting (*u^- 
 (riv, the word usually rendered boast- 
 /??). James iv. 1 6. Rom. iii. 27. 2 Cor. 
 vii. 14; viii. 24; ix. 3, 4; x. 15 ; xi 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 may glory* thuugh Jesus Christ 
 in those things * which pertain 
 to God. 
 
 18 For I will not dare to 
 speak of any of those things 
 which Christ hath not wrought 
 
 a2Cor.!2.1,fce. fcHeb.5.1. 
 
 by me, to make 
 
 [A. D. GO 
 the Gentiles 
 
 obedient, by word and deed, 
 
 19 Through mighty signs a 
 and wonders, by the power of 
 the Spirit of God ; so that from 
 Jerusalem, and round about unto 
 
 e Gal .2.8. 
 
 10. 17. It means also praise, thanks 
 giving, and joy. 1 Cor. xv. 31. 2 Cor. 
 i. 12 ; vii. 4 ; viii. 24. 1 Thess. ii. 19. 
 This is its meaning here, that the apos 
 tle had great cause of rejoicing 1 or 
 praise that he had been so highly 
 honoured in the appointment to this of 
 fice, and in his success in it. ^ Through I 
 Jesus Christ. By the assistance of Je- | 
 sus Christ; ascribing his success among 
 the Gentiles to the aid which Jesus i 
 Christ had rendered him. ^ In those \ 
 things tohich pertain to God. Com p. ! 
 Heb. v. 1. The things of religion; the 
 things which God has commanded, and 
 which pertain to his honour and glory. ; 
 They were not things which pertained 
 to Paul, but to God; not wrought by \ 
 Paul, but by Jesus Christ ; yet he i 
 might rejoice that he had been the { 
 means of diffusing so far those bless 
 ings. The success of a minister is not 
 for his own praises, but for the honour 
 of God ; not by his skill or power, but 
 ry the aid of Jesus Christ ; yet he may 
 rejoice that through him such blessings 
 are conferred on men. 
 
 18. .For / -will not dare to speak. 
 I should be restrained ; I should be 
 afraid to speak, if the thing were not 
 as I have stated. I should be afraid to 
 set up a claim beyond that which is 
 strictly in accordance with the truth. 
 ^ Which Christ hath not -wrought by 
 me. I confine myself strictly to what 
 / have done. I do not arrogate to my 
 self what Christ has done by others. I 
 do not exaggerate my own success, or 
 claim what others have accomplished. 
 1 To make the Gentiles ohedient. To 
 bring them to obey God in the gospel. 
 T Jiy icord and deed. By preaching, 
 and by all other means ; by miracle, by 
 example, &c. The deeds, that is, the 
 tires of Christian ministers are often as 
 
 efficacious in bringing men to Christ 
 as their public ministry. 
 
 19. Through nighty signs and 
 wonders. By stupendous and striking 
 miracles. See Note, Acts ii. 43. Paul 
 here refers, doubtless, to the miracles 
 which he had himself wrought. See 
 Acts xix. 11, 12, "And God wrought 
 special miracles by the hands of Paul," 
 &c. ^ By the potoer of the Spirit of 
 God. This may either be connected 
 with signs and ivo7iders, and then it 
 will mean that those miracles were per 
 formed by the power of the Holy Spi 
 rit ; or it may constitute a new subject, 
 and refer to the gift of prophecy, the 
 power of speaking other languages. 
 Which is its true meaning cannot, per 
 haps, be ascertained. The interpreta 
 tions agree in this, that he traced his 
 success in all things to the aid of the 
 Holy Spirit. ^ So that from Jerusa 
 lem. Jerusalem, as a centre of his 
 work ; the centre of all religious opera 
 tions and preaching under the gospel. 
 This was not the place where Paul 
 began to preach (Gal. i. 17, 18), but it 
 was the place where the gospel was 
 first preached, and the apostles began 
 to reckon their success from that as a 
 point. Comp. Note, Luke xxiv. 49. 
 1 dnd round about (ou J*A). In a 
 circle. That is, taking Jerusalem as a 
 centre, he had fully preached round 
 that centre until you come to Illyricum. 
 1 Unto Illyricum. Illyricum was a 
 province lying to the northwest of Ma 
 cedonia, bounded north by a part of 
 Italy and Germany, east by Macedonia, 
 south by the Adriatic, west by Istria. 
 It comprehended the modern Croatia 
 and Dalmatia. So that taking Jerusa 
 lem as a centre, Paul preached not only 
 in Damascus and Arabia, but in Syria, 
 in Asia Minor, in all Greece, in th 
 
A. D. 60.J 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 315 
 
 Illyricum, I have fully preach 
 ed the gospel of Christ. 
 
 20 Yea, so have I strived to 
 preach the gospel, not where 
 Christ was named, 6 lest I should 
 build upon another man s foun 
 dation: 
 
 21 But, as it is written, c To 
 whom he was not spoken of, 
 
 a c.l. 14-16. t 2Cor.l0.13-16. c I.52.15. 
 
 Grecian Islands, and in Thessaly and 
 Macedonia. This comprehended no 
 small part of the then known world ; 
 all of which had heard the gospel by 
 the labours of one indefatigable man. 
 There is nowhere in the Acts express 
 mention of Paul s going into Illyricum; 
 nor does the expression imply that he 
 preached the gospel within it, but only 
 unto its borders. It may have been, 
 however, that when in Macedonia, he 
 crossed over into that country ; and this 
 is rendered somewhat probable from the 
 fact that Titus is mentioned as having 
 gone into Dalmatia (2 Tim. iv. 10), 
 which was a part of Illyricum. ^ / 
 have fully preached. The word here 
 used means properly to fill up (TrwrHn- 
 gajcsysu), to complete, and here is used 
 in the sense of diffusing- abroad, or of 
 filling up all that region with the gos 
 pel. Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 17. It means 
 that he had faithfully diffused the know 
 ledge of the gospel in all that immense 
 country. 
 
 20/Ji?a, so have I strived. The 
 word used here (P/\OT//*CV / MVV) means 
 properly to be ambitious, to be studious 
 of honour ; and then to desire earnest 
 ly. In that sense it is used here. He 
 earnestly desired ; he made it a point 
 for which he struggled, to penetrate 
 into regions which had not heard the 
 gospel. H Not -where Christ -was 
 named. Where the gospel had not 
 been before preached. Tf Lest I should 
 build, &c. That is, he desired to found 
 churches himself; he regarded himself 
 as particularly called to this. Others 
 might be called to edify the church, 
 but he regarded it as his office to make 
 
 they shall see : and they that 
 have not heard shall understand. 
 
 22 For which cause also I 
 have been much * hindered * 
 from coming to you ; 
 
 23 But now having no more 
 place in these parts, and having 
 a great desire these many years 
 to come unto you ; 
 
 i or, many wayt, or, oftentimes d lThesg.2.18, 
 
 known the name of the Saviour where 
 it was not before known. This work 
 was particularly adapted to the ardour, 
 zeal, energy, and bravery of such a man 
 as Paul. Every man has his proper 
 gift; and there are some particularly 
 fitted to found and establish churches ; 
 others to edify and comfort them. Comp. 
 2 Cor. x. 1316. The apostle chose 
 the higher honour, involving most dan 
 ger and responsibility ; but still any 
 office in building up the church is ho 
 nourable. 
 
 21. Hut as it is -written. Isa. Hi. 15. 
 This is not literally quoted, but the 
 sense is retained. The design of quot 
 ing it is to justify the principle on which 
 the apostle acted. It was revealed that 
 the gospel should be preached to the 
 Gentiles ; and he regarded it as a high 
 honour to be the instrument of carrying 
 this prediction into effect. 
 
 22. For -which cause. I have been 
 so entirely occupied in this leading pur 
 pose of my life, that I have not been 
 able to come to you. 1 Much hinder 
 ed. Many ways ; not many times. I 
 had so frequent and urgent demands 
 on my time elsewhere, that I could not 
 come to you. ^ From coming to you. 
 Where the gospel has been preached. 
 I have desired to come, but have been 
 unable to leave the vast region where I 
 might preach the gospel to those who 
 had never heard it. 
 
 23. Sut now, &c. Having no fur 
 ther opportunity in these regions to 
 preach to those who have never heard 
 the gospel. ^ In these parts. In the 
 regions before specified. He had gone 
 over them, had established churches, 
 
316 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 24 Whensoever I take my 
 journey into Spain, I will come 
 to you : for I trust to see you in 
 my journey, and to be a brought 
 on my way thitherward by you, 
 if first I be somewhat filled * 
 with your company. 
 
 a. Acts 15.3. 3Jno.6. vsith you. 
 
 25 But now I go b unto Jeru 
 salem, to minister unto the saints 
 
 26 For it hath pleased them 
 of Macedonia c and Achaia to 
 make a certain contribution for 
 the poor saints which are at Je 
 rusalem. 
 
 b Acts 19.21. c 2Cor.8.1;9.2,12. 
 
 had left them in the care of elders 
 (Acts xx. 17), and was now prepared 
 to penetrate into some new region, and 
 lay the foundation of other churches. 
 Tf And having a great desire, &c. 
 Seech, i. 9 13. 
 
 24. Whensoever I take my journey 
 into Spain. Ancient Spain compre 
 hended the modern kingdoms of Spain 
 and Portugal, or the whole of the 
 Spanish peninsula. It was then sub 
 ject to the Romans. It is remarkable, 
 even here, that the apostle does not say 
 that his principal object was to visit the 
 church at Rome, much as he desired 
 that, but only to take it in his -way in 
 the fulfilment of his higher purpose to 
 preach the gospel in regions where 
 Christ was not named. Whether he 
 ever fulfilled his purpose of visiting 
 Spain is a matter of doubt. Some of 
 the fathers, Theodoret (on Phil. i. 25. 
 2 Tim. iv. 17) among others, say that 
 after he was released from his captivity 
 when he was brought before Nero, he 
 passed two years in Spain. If he was 
 imprisoned a second time at Rome, 
 such a visit is not improbable as having 
 taken place bet-ween the two imprison 
 ments. But there is no certain evi 
 dence of this. Paul probably projected 
 many journeys which were never ac 
 complished. H To be brought on my 
 way, &c. To be assisted by you in 
 egard to this journey ; or to be accom 
 panied by you. This was the custom 
 of the churches. Acts xv. 3 ; xvii. 14, 
 15; xx. 38; xxi. 5. 1 Cor. xvi. 6. 11. 
 J John 6. 1 If first, &c. If on 
 rny journey, before I go into Spain. 
 t Somewhat. Greek, In part. As 
 though he could not be fully satisfied 
 with their company, or could not hope 
 to enjoy their society as fully and as 
 
 long as he could desire. This is a very 
 tender and delicata expression. ^ Fill 
 ed. This is a strong expression, mean 
 ing to be satisfied, to enjoy. To be 
 filed with a thing is to have great 
 satisfaction and joy in it. ^ With your 
 company. Greek, With you ; meaning 
 in your society. The expression to be 
 filed with one, in the sense of being 
 gratified, is sometimes used in the 
 classic writers. (See Clarke on this 
 verse.) 
 
 25. But noiv I go, &c. I am about 
 to go now. The mention of this in 
 tended journey to Jerusalem is intro 
 duced in several other places, and is so 
 mentioned that Dr. Paley has derived 
 from it a very strong argument for the 
 genuineness of this epistle.* This in 
 tended journey is mentioned in Acts 
 xix. 21, " Paul purposed in the spirit, 
 when he had passed through Macedo 
 nia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, 
 saying after I have been there, 1 
 must also see Rome" See also Acts 
 xx. 2, 3. That he -went to Jerusalem 
 according to his purpose is recorded in 
 his defence before Felix (Acts xxiv 
 17), "Now after many years, I came 
 to bring alms to my nation and offer 
 ings." \ To minister to the saints. 
 To supply their necessities by bearing 
 the contribution which the churches 
 have made for them. 
 
 26. For *V hath pleased them ofJWa- 
 cedonia. That is, they have done it 
 cheerfully and voluntarily. See their 
 liberality and cheerfulness commended 
 by the apostle in 2 Cor. viii. 1 6 ; ix. 
 2. Paul had been at much pains to 
 obtain this collection, but still they did 
 it freely. See 2 Cor. ix. 4 7. It 
 
 * Paley s Hora Paulinae, ch. ii. no. 1 
 
A. D. 60.] CHAPTER 
 
 27 It hath pleased them, ve 
 rily ; and their debtors they are. 
 For if the Gentiles have been 
 made partakers of their spiritual 
 things, their duty a is also to mi- 
 
 was with reference to this collection 
 that he directed them to lay by for this 
 purpose as God had prospered them on 
 the first day of the week. 1 Cor. xvi. 
 1. 1 Of Macedonia. That is, the 
 Christians in Macedonia those who 
 had been Gentiles, and who had been 
 converted to the Christian religion, ver. 
 27. Macedonia was a country of 
 Greece, bounded north by Thrace, 
 south by Thessaly, west by Epirus, 
 and east by the J3gean sea. It was 
 an extensive region, and was the king 
 dom of Philip, and his son Alexander 
 the Great. Its capital was Philippi, 
 at which place Paul planted a church. 
 A church was also established at Thes- 
 salonica, another city of that country. 
 Acts xvi. 9, &c. Comp. xviii. 5 ; xix. 
 21. 2 Cor. vii. 5. 1 Thess. i. 1. 7, 8 ; 
 iv. 10. f And Jlchaia. Achaia in 
 the largest sense comprehended all an 
 cient Greece. Achaia Proper, however, 
 was a province of Greece embracing the 
 western part of the Peloponnesus, of 
 which Corinth was the capital. See 
 Note, Acts xviii. 12. This place is 
 mentioned as having been concerned in 
 this collection in 2 Cor. ix. 2. ^ The 
 poor saints, &c. The Christians who 
 were in Judea were exposed to peculiar 
 trials. They were condemned by the 
 sanhedrim, opposed by the rulers, and 
 persecuted by the people. See Acts 
 viii. 1, &c. ; xii. 1, &c. Paul sought 
 not only to relieve them by this con 
 tribution, but also to promote fellow- 
 feeling between them and the Gentile 
 Christians. And this circumstance 
 would tend much to enforce what he 
 had been urging in ch. xiv. xv. on the 
 duty of kind feeling between the Jew 
 ish and Gentile converts to Christianity. 
 Nothing tends so much to wear off 
 prejudice, and to prevent unkind feel 
 ing in regard to others, as to set about 
 
 sva 
 
 317 
 
 nisttr unto them in carnal things. 
 28 When, therefore, I have 
 performed this, and have sealed 
 to them this fruit, b I will come 
 by you into Spain. 
 
 some purpose to do them good, or to 
 unite -with them in doing good. 
 
 27. Then debtors. The reason he 
 immediately states. Comp. Rom. i. 
 14. If Of their spiritual thijigs. Have 
 received the gospel by the instrumen 
 tality of those who had been Jews ; and 
 were admitted now to the same privi 
 leges with them, f Carnal things. 
 Things pertaining to the fles-h ; that is, 
 to this life. On this ground the apos 
 tle puts the obligation to support the 
 ministers of the gospel. 1 Cor. ix. 11. 
 It becomes a matter of debt where the 
 hearer of the gospel receives, in spiritual 
 blessings, far more than he confers by 
 supporting the ministry. Every man 
 who contributes his due proportion to 
 support the gospel may receive far more, 
 in return, in his own peace, edification, 
 and in the order and happiness of his 
 family, than his money could purchase 
 in any other way. The gain is on his 
 side, and the money is not lost. The 
 minister is not a beggar; and that 
 which is necessary to his support is 
 not almsgiving. He has an equi 
 table claim as much as a physician, 
 or a lawyer, or a teacher of youth 
 has on the necessaries and comforts 
 f life. 
 
 28. Have sealed to them. That is, 
 have secured it to them. To seal an 
 instrument of writing, a contract, deed, 
 &c. is to authenticate it, to make it 
 sure. In this sense it is used here. 
 Paul was going himself to see that it 
 was placed securely in their hands. 
 
 This fruit. This result of the li 
 berality of the Gentile churches the 
 fruit which their benevolence had pro 
 duced. Tf / -will come, &c. This was 
 Paul s full purpose ; but it is not clear 
 that he ever accomplished it. Note, ver. 
 24. Tf By you. Taking Rome in my 
 way. 
 
218 
 
 29 And I am sure that, when 
 f come unto you, I shall come 
 
 n the fulness of the blessing of 
 the gospel of Christ. 
 
 30 Now I beseech 
 
 you. 
 
 thren, for the Lord Jesus 
 
 a c.l. 11,12. iPhil.2.1. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D. 60. 
 
 Christ s sake, and for the * love 
 of the Spirit, that ye strive c to 
 gether with me in your prayers 
 to God for me ; 
 
 31 That d I may be delivered 
 from them that * do not believe 
 
 c Col. 4. 12. d 2TheM.3.2. 1 or, are ditobedient. 
 
 bre- 
 
 29. / am sure. Greek, I know ; 
 expressing the fullest confidence, a 
 confidence that was greatly confirmed 
 by the success of his labours elsewhere. 
 T In the fulness of the blessings, &c. 
 This is a Hebrew mode of expression, 
 where one noun performs the purpose 
 of an adjective, and means with a full 
 or abundant blessing. This confidence 
 he expressed in other language in 
 ch. i. 11, 12. See Notes. 1 Of the 
 gospel of Christ. Which the gospel 
 of Christ is fitted to impart. Thus 
 every minister of the gospel should 
 wish to go. This should be his ever 
 burning desire in preaching. Paul 
 went to Rome ; but he went in bonds. 
 Acts xxvii. xxviii. But though he 
 went in this manner, he was permitted 
 there to preach the gospel for at least 
 two years, nor can we doubt that his 
 ministry was attended with the antici 
 pated success. Acts xxviii. 30, 31. 
 God may disappoint us in regard to the 
 mode in which we purpose to do good ; 
 but if we really desire it, he will enable 
 us to do it in his oion ioay. It may be 
 better to preach the gospel in bonds 
 than at liberty ; it is better to do it 
 even in a prison, than not at all. Bun- 
 yan wrote the Pilgrim s Progress to 
 amuse his heavy hours during a twelve 
 years cruel imprisonment. If he had 
 been at liberty, he probably would not 
 have written it at all. The great de 
 sire of his heart was accomplished, but 
 a prison was the place in which to do 
 t. Pau. preached ; but preached in 
 chains. 
 
 30. For the Lord Jesus Christ s 
 sake. Greek, By or through (Jut) our 
 Tjord Jesus Christ. It means probably 
 out of love and regard to him ; in order 
 to promote his honour and glory, and 
 to extend his kingdom among men. 
 
 Paul desired to be delivered from the 
 hands of the Jews, that he might pro 
 mote the honour of Jesus Christ among 
 the Gentiles, f And for the love of 
 the Spirit (sf/*). By the mutual love 
 and sympathy which the Spirit of God 
 produces in the minds of all who are 
 the friends of God. I beseech you now 
 to manifest that love by praying ear 
 nestly for me. t That ye strive toge 
 ther -with me. That you unite with 
 me in earnest prayer. The word strive 
 denotes intense agony or effort, such 
 as was used by the wrestlers in the 
 Greek games ; and then the agony, or 
 strong effort, which a man makes in 
 prayer, who is earnestly desirous to be 
 heard. The use of the word here de 
 notes Paul s earnest desire that they 
 should make an intense effort in their 
 prayers that he might be delivered. 
 Christians, though at a distance from 
 each other, may unite their prayers for 
 a common object. Christians every 
 where should wrestle in prayer for the 
 ministers of the gospel, that they may 
 be kept from temptations ; and espe 
 cially for those who are engaged, as the 
 apostle was, in arduous efforts among 
 the heathen, that they may be kept 
 from the many dangers to which they 
 are exposed in their journeyings in 
 pagan lands. 
 
 31. That I may be, &c. The un- 
 selieving Jews in Judea had been op 
 posed to Paul s conversion. They could 
 not forget that he had borne letters 
 of commission from them to persecute 
 the Christians at Damascus. They re- 
 arded him as an apostate. They had 
 leard of his success among the Gen- 
 iles ; and they had been informed that 
 " taught all the Jews among the 
 Gentiles to forsake the laws of Moses." 
 Acts xxi. 21. Hence the apostle could 
 
A.. D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 319 
 
 in Judea; and that my service with joy by the will of God, and 
 which / have for Jerusalem may may with you be refreshed. 
 
 be accepted of the saints ; 
 32 That I may come unto you 
 
 33 Now the God of peace 
 be with you all. Amen. 
 
 a lCor.14.33. Heb. 13.20. 
 
 not but be aware that in returning to 
 Judea, he exposed himself to peculiar 
 dangers. His fears, as the result show 
 ed, were well founded. They evinced 
 all the opposition to him which he had 
 ever anticipated. Acts xxi. \ Jlnd that 
 my service. My ministry ; or the act 
 of service which I am going to perform 
 for them ; referring to the contribution 
 which he was bearing for the poor 
 saints at Jerusalem. ^ For Jerusalem. 
 For the poor Christians in Jerusalem. 
 If J\fay be accepted of the saints. 
 That the poor Christians there may be 
 willing to receive it. The grounds of 
 doubt and hesitation whether they 
 would be willing to receive this, seem 
 to have been two. (1.) Many, even 
 among Christians, might have had 
 their minds filled with prejudice against 
 the apostle, from the reports constantly 
 in circulation among the Jews, that he 
 was opposing and denouncing the cus 
 toms of Moses. Hence, in order to 
 satisfy them, when he went up to Je 
 rusalem, he actually performed a voiv, 
 in accordance with the law of Moses, 
 to show that he did not intend to treat 
 his laws with contempt. Acts xxi. 22, 
 23. 26, 27. (2.) Many of the converts 
 from Judaism might be indisposed to 
 receive an offering made by Gentiles. 
 They might have retained many of 
 their former feelings that the Gentiles 
 were polluted, and that they ought to 
 have no fellowship with them. Early 
 opinions and prejudices wear off by 
 slow degrees. Christians retain former 
 potions long after their conversion ; 
 and often many years are required to 
 teach them enlarged views of Christian 
 charity. It is not wonderful that the 
 Christians in Judea should have been 
 slow to learn all the ennobling lessons 
 of Christian benevolence, surrounded 
 as they were by the institutions of the 
 Jewish religion, and having been them 
 
 selves educated in the strictest regard 
 for those institutions. 
 
 32. That I may come to you. That 
 I may not be impeded in my intended 
 journey by opposition in Judea. ^ With 
 joy. Joy to myself in being permitted 
 to come ; and producing joy to you by 
 my presence, t -By the -will of God. 
 If God will ; if God permit. After all 
 his desires, and all their prayers, it still 
 depended on the will of God ; and to 
 that the apostle was desirous to sub 
 mit. This should be the end of our 
 most ardent desires, and this the object 
 of all our prayers, that the will of God 
 should be done. Comp. James iv, 14, 
 15. Paul did go by the will of God ; 
 but he went in bonds. \ Jlnd be re 
 freshed. Greek, May find rest or solace 
 with you. 
 
 33. JVovr the God of peace. God, 
 the author or promoter of peace and 
 union. In ver. 13 he is called the God 
 of hope. Here the apostle desires that 
 the God who gives peace would impart 
 to them union of sentiment and feeling, 
 particularly between the Jewish and 
 Gentile Christians the great object 
 for which he laboured in his journey to 
 Judea, and which he had been endea 
 vouring to promote throughout this 
 epistle. See 1 Cor. xiv. 33. Heb. xiii. 
 20. 
 
 This is the close of the doctrinal and 
 hortatory parts of this epistle. The re 
 mainder is made up chiefly of saluta 
 tions. In the verses concluding this 
 chapter, Paul expressed his earnest de 
 sire to visit Rome. He besought his 
 brethren to pray that he might be deli- 
 vered from the unbelievers among the 
 Jews. His main desire was granted. 
 He was permuted to visit Rome ; yet 
 the very thing from which he sought 
 to be delivered, the very opposition of 
 the Jews, made it necessary for him to 
 appeal to Caesar, and this was the 
 
320 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 f COMMEND unto you Phebe 
 our sister, which is a servant 
 
 of the churoh which is at Cen 
 chrea ; 
 
 2 That ye receive a her in 
 
 means of his accomplishing his desire. 
 (See the closing chapters of the Acts 
 of the Apostles.) God thus often grants 
 our main desire ; he hears our prayer ; 
 but he may make use of that from 
 which we pray to be delivered as the 
 means of fulfilling our own requests. 
 The Christian prays that he may be 
 sanctified ; yet at the same time he 
 may pray to be delivered from afflic 
 tion. God will hear his main desire, 
 to be made holy ; will convert that 
 which he fears into a blessing, and 
 make it the means of accomplishing 
 the great end. It is right to express 
 our desires all our desires to God ; 
 but it should be with a willingness that 
 he should choose his own means to 
 accomplish the object of our wishes. 
 Provided the God of peace is with us, 
 all is well. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE epistle concludes with various 
 salutations. The names which occur 
 in this chapter are chiefly Greek ; and 
 the persons designated had been, pro 
 bably, inhabitants of Greece, but had re 
 moved to Rome for purposes of com 
 merce, &c. Possibly some of them had 
 been converted under the ministry of 
 the apostle himself during his preach 
 ing in Corinth and other parts of 
 Greece. It is remarkable that the 
 name of Peter does not occur in this 
 catalogue ; which is conclusive evi 
 dence, contrary to the Papists, that 
 Peter was not then known by Paul to 
 be in Rome. 
 
 1. I commend. It was common then, 
 as now, to bear letters of introduction 
 to strangers, commending the person 
 thus introduced to the favourable re 
 gards and attentions of those to whom 
 the letters were addressed. 2 Cor. iii. 
 1. Acts xviii. 27. This epistle, with 
 the apostle s commendation, was de 
 signed thus to introduce its bearer to 
 the Roman Christians. The mention 
 of Phebe in this manner leaves it be 
 
 yond a doubt that she was either the 
 bearer of this epistle, or accompanied 
 those who bore it to Rome. The epis 
 tle was therefore written, probably, at 
 Corinth. (See Introduction.) ^ Our 
 sister. A member of the Christian 
 church. ^ Which is a sen-ant. Greek, 
 " Who is a deaconess." It is clear 
 from the New Testament that there 
 was an order of women in the church 
 known as deaconesses. Reference 13 
 made to a class of females whose duty 
 it was to teach other females, and to 
 take the general superintendence of that 
 part of the church, in various places in 
 the New Testament ; and their exist 
 ence is expressly affirmed in early ec 
 clesiastical history. They appear to 
 have been commonly aged and experi 
 enced widows, sustaining a fair reputa 
 tion, and fitted to guide and instruct 
 those who were young and inexperi 
 enced. Comp. 1 Tim.v.3. 9 11. Tit. 
 ii. 4. The Apostolical Constitutions, 
 book iii. say, " Ordain a deaconess who 
 is faithful and holy, for the ministries 
 toward the women." Pliny, in his cele 
 brated letter to Trajan, says, when 
 speaking of the efforts which he made 
 to obtain information respecting the 
 opinions and practices of Christians, 
 " I deemed it necessary to put two 
 maid-servants who are called ministry 
 [that is, deaconesses] to the torture, in 
 order to ascertain what is the truth." 
 The reasons of their appointment among 
 the Gentiles were these: (1.) The fe 
 males were usually separate from the 
 men. They were kept secluded, for 
 the most part, and not permitted to 
 mingle in society with men as is the 
 custom now. (2.) It became necessa 
 ry, therefore, to appoint aged and expe 
 rienced females to instruct the young, to 
 visit the sick, to provide for them, and to 
 perform for them the services which male 
 deacons performed for the whole church. 
 It is evident, however, that they were 
 confined to these offices, and that thev 
 
A. D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 321 
 
 the Lord, as becometh saints, 
 and that ye assist her in whatso 
 ever business she hath need of 
 you: for she hath been a suc- 
 courer of many, and of myself 
 also. 
 
 3 Greet Priscilla a and Aqui- 
 la, my helpers in Christ Jesus : 
 
 4 Who have for my life laid 
 downtheirownnecks: unto whom 
 not only I give thanks, but also 
 all the churches of the Gentiles 
 
 a Acts 18.2,4c. 
 
 were never regarded as an order of 
 ministers, or suffered to preach to con 
 gregations. 1 Tim. ii. 12. 1 Cor. xiv. 
 34. 1 Of the church, &c. This is the 
 only mention which occurs of a church 
 at that place. It was probably collected 
 by the labours of Paul. \ At Cen- 
 chrea. This was the sea-port of 
 Corinth. Corinth was situated on the 
 middle of the isthmus, and had two 
 harbours, or ports: Cenchrea on the 
 east, about eight or nine miles from 
 the city; and Lechxum on the west. 
 Cenchrea opened into the ^Egean sea, 
 and was the principal port. It was on 
 this isthmus, between these two ports, 
 that the Isthmian games were cele 
 brated, to which the apostle refers so 
 often in his epistles. 
 
 2. That ye receive her, &c. That 
 you acknowledge her as being in the 
 Lord, or as being a servant of the 
 Lord ; that is, as a Christian. Comp. 
 ch. xiv. 3. Phil. ii. 29. f As becom 
 eth saints. As it is proper that Chris 
 tians should treat their brethren, f She 
 hath been a succourer of many. The 
 word used here (^so-Tcrnc), means pro 
 perly a patron, a help, and was ap 
 plied by the Greeks to one who pre 
 sided over an assembly ; to one who 
 became a patron of others ; who aided 
 or defended them in their cause ; and 
 especially to one who undertook to 
 manage the cause of strangers and 
 foreigners before the courts. It was, 
 \herefore, an honourable appellation. 
 Applied to Phebe, it means probably 
 that she had shown great kindness in 
 various ways to the apostle, and to 
 other Christians; probably by receiving 
 them into her house ; by administering 
 to the sick, &c. Such persons have a 
 claim on the respect and Christian 
 attentions of others. 
 
 3. Greet Priscilla and Aqmla, 
 Salute ; implying the apostle s kind 
 remembrance of them, and his wishes 
 for their welfare. J Priscilla. Priscilla 
 was the wife of Aquila. They are 
 mentioned in Acts xviii. 2. 26. 1 Cor 
 xvi. 19. Paul at first found them at 
 Corinth. Aquila was a Jew, born in 
 Pontus, who had resided at Rome, and 
 who had left Rome, and come tc 
 Corinth, when Claudius expelled the 
 Jews from Rome. See Notes, Acts 
 xviii. 2. It is probable that they were 
 converted under the preaching of Paul. 
 Paul lived with them, and they had 
 the advantage of his private instruc 
 tion. Acts xviii 3. Comp. 26. At the 
 death of Claudius, or whenever the 
 decree for the expulsion of the Jews 
 was repealed, it is probable that they 
 returned to Rome, t My helpers. 
 My fellow- workers. They had aided 
 him in his work. A particular instance 
 is mentioned in Acts xviii. 26. They 
 are mentioned as having been with 
 Paul when he wrote the first epistle to 
 the Corinthians. 1 Cor. xvi. 19. f In 
 Christ Jesus. In the Christian cause. 
 
 4. Who have for my life. In order to 
 save my life. ^ Laid doton their o-ivn 
 necks. To lay do-tun the neck is to lay 
 the head on a block to be cut off with 
 the axe ; or to bow down the head as 
 when the neck was exposed to be cut 
 off by the sword of the executioner. The 
 meaning is, that they had hazarded 
 their lives, had exposed themselves to 
 imminent danger, to save the life of 
 Paul. On what occasion this was 
 done, is not known, as it is not else 
 where referred to in the New Testa 
 ment. As Paul, however, lived with 
 them (Acts xviii. 3), and as he was 
 often persecuted by the Jews, it is pro 
 bable that he refers to some such period 
 
322 
 
 5 Likewise greet the church 
 that is in their house. * Salute 
 my well-beloved Epenetus, who 
 is the first-fruits of Achaia unto 
 Christ. 
 
 6 Greet Mary ; who bestow 
 ed much labour on us. 
 
 ROMANS. [A. D 60 
 
 7 Salute Andronicus and Ju- 
 nia, my kinsmen and my fel 
 low-prisoners, who are jf note 
 among the apostles ; who also 
 were in b Christ before me. 
 
 8 Greet Amplias, my beloved 
 in the Lord. 
 
 when he was persecuted, when Aquila 
 4nd Priscilla took him into their house 
 at the imminent hazard of their lives. 
 1 Ml the. churches of the Gentiles. All 
 the churches that had been founded by 
 the apostles. They felt their obligation 
 to them for having saved the life of 
 him who had been their founder, and 
 who was their spiritual father. 
 
 5. The church that is in their house. 
 Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned 
 (Acts xviii. 26) as having received 
 Jlpollos into their family, to instruct 
 him more perfectly. The church in 
 their house is also mentioned 1 Cor. 
 xvi. 19. This may mean either the 
 church that was accustomed to assemble 
 for worship at their hospitable man 
 sion ; or it may mean their own family 
 with their guests, regarded as a church. 
 In those times Christians had no 
 houses erected for public worship, 
 and were therefore compelled to meet 
 in their private dwellings, f Salute. 
 The same word before translated 
 greet." ^ Who is the first-fruits. 
 One who first embraced Christianity 
 under my preaching in Achaia. The 
 first-fruits were a small part of the har 
 vest, which was first gathered and offer 
 ed to the Lord. Ex. xxii. 29 ; xxiii. 16. 
 Lev. ii. 12. Deut. xviii. 4. In allusion 
 to this, Paul calls Epenetus the first- 
 fruits of the great spiritual harvest 
 which had been gathered in Achaia. 
 H Achaia. See Note, ch. xv. 26. This 
 name and those which follow are 
 chiefly Greek, but we know little of 
 the persons mentioned, except what is 
 here recorded. 
 
 6. Who bestowed much labour on us. 
 Who laboured much for us. Nothing 
 more is known of her but this honoura 
 ble mention of her name. It is proba 
 
 ble that these persons were formerly 
 residents in Greece, and that the apos 
 tle had there become acquainted with 
 them, but that they had now removed 
 to Rome. 
 
 7. Jlfy kinsmen. In Rom. ix. 3, the 
 apostle calls all the Jews his kinsmen, 
 and it has been doubted whether he 
 means any thing more here than that 
 they were felloiv Jews. But as many 
 others who were Jews are mentioned 
 here without this appellation, and as he 
 especially designates these persons, and 
 Herod ian (ver. 11), it seems probable 
 that they were remote relatives of the 
 apostle. ^[ Jlly fellow-prisoners. Paul 
 was often in prison ; and it is probable 
 that on some of those occasions they 
 had been confined with him. Comp. 
 2 Cor. xi. 23, " In prisons more fre 
 quent." \ Who are of note. The 
 word translated of note (tr/jro/io/), de 
 notes properly those who are marked^ 
 designated, or distinguished in any 
 way ; used either in a good or bad 
 sense. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 16. Here 
 it is used in a good sense. Tf Among 1 
 the apostles. This does not mean that 
 they were apostles, as has been some 
 times supposed. For, (1.) There is 
 no account of their having been ap 
 pointed as such. (2.) The expression 
 is not one which would have been used 
 if they had been. It would have been 
 " who were distinguished apostles" 
 Comp. Rom. i. 1. 1 Cor. i. 1. 2 Cor. i. 1 
 Phil. i. 1. (3.) It by no means implies 
 that they were apostles. All that the 
 expression fairly implies is, that they 
 were known to the other apostles ; that 
 they were regarded by them as worthy 
 of their affection and confidence ; that 
 they had been known by them, as 
 Paul immediately adds, before he was 
 
A D. 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 323 
 
 9 Salute Urbane, our helper 
 in Christ ; and Stachys my be 
 loved. 
 
 10 Salute Apelles, approved 
 in Christ. Salute them which 
 are of Aristobulus s household. 1 
 
 1 1 Salute Herodian my kins 
 man. Greet them that be of the 
 1 household of Narcissus, which 
 are in the Lord. 
 
 12 Salute Tryphena and Try- 
 phosa, who labour in the Lord. 
 Salute the beloved Persis, which 
 laboured much in the Lord. 
 
 or, friendt. 
 
 himself converted. They had been 
 converted before he was, and were 
 distinguished in Jerusalem among the 
 early Christians, and honoured with 
 the friendship of the other apostles. 
 (4.) The design of the office of apos 
 tles was to bear -witness to the life, 
 death, resurrection, doctrines, and mira 
 cles of Christ. Comp. Matt. x. Acts i. 
 21, 22 ; xxii. 15. As there is no evi 
 dence that they had been witnesses of 
 these things, or appointed to it, it is im 
 probable that they were set apart to the 
 apostolic office. (5.) The word apos 
 tles is used sometimes to designate 
 messengers of churches ; or those who 
 were seH^from one church to another on 
 some important business, and if this ex 
 pression meant that they were apostles, 
 it could only be in some such sense as 
 having obtained deserved credit and 
 eminence in that business. See Phil. 
 ii. 25. 2 Cor. viii. 23. t Who -were 
 in Christ, &c. Who were converted 
 before I was. The meaning is clear. 
 The expression, in Christ, means to 
 be united to him, to be interested in 
 his religion, to be Christians. 
 
 10. Approved in Christ. An ap 
 proved or tried Christian ; approved 
 and beloved by Christ. 
 
 12. Tryphena and Tryphosa. These 
 names, with the participle rendered 
 " who labour," are in the feminine gen 
 der, and these were probably two holy 
 vomen, who performed the office of dea- 
 
 13 Salute Rufus, chosen" in 
 the Lord; and his mother and 
 mine. 
 
 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phle* 
 gon, Hernias, Patrobas, Her 
 mes, and the brethren which 
 are with them. 
 
 15 Salute Philologus, and 
 Julia, Nereus, and his sister, 
 and Olympas, and all the saints 
 which are with them. 
 
 16 Salute one another with 
 an holy kiss. 6 The churches 
 of Christ salute you. 
 
 a Eph.1.4. 2Jno.l. fc lCor.16.20. lPet.5.14 
 
 conesses, or who ministered to the sick, 
 and who with Persis; thus by example, 
 and perhaps by instruction, laboured to 
 promote the spread of Christianity. 
 Pious females, then, as now, were able to 
 do much in their proper sphere to extend 
 the truths and blessings of the gospel. 
 
 13. Chosen in the Lord. Elect in 
 the Lord ; that is, a chosen follower 
 of Christ, t Jlnd his mother and 
 mine. " His mother in a literal sense, 
 and mine in a figurative one." An in 
 stance of the delicacy and tenderness 
 of Paul; of his love for this disciple 
 and his mother, as if he were of the 
 same family. Religion binds the hearts 
 of all who embrace it tenderly together. 
 It makes them feel that they are one 
 great family, united by tender ties, and 
 joined by peculiar attachments. See 
 what the Lord Jesus declared in Matt, 
 xii. 47 50, and his tender address to 
 John when he was on the cross. John 
 xix. 26, 27. 
 
 16. Salute one another. Greet one 
 another in an affectionate manner; 
 that is, treat each other with kindness 
 and love, and evince all proper marks 
 of affection. ^ With an holy kiss* 
 This mode of salutation has been prac 
 tised at all times; and particularly in 
 eastern nations. It was even practised 
 by men. See Note, Luke xxii. 47, 48. 
 The use of the word holy here serves 
 to denote that Paul intended it as an 
 expression of Christian affection ; and 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 [A. D. 60 
 
 17 Now I beseech you, breth 
 ren, mark them which cause 
 divisions a and offences contrary 
 to the doctrine which ye have 
 earned ; and avoid b them. 
 
 lTim.6.3-5. * Matt.18.17. lCor.5.11. 2Thess.3.6,14 
 
 to guard against all improper familiari 
 ty and scandal. It was common, ac 
 cording to Justin Martyr (Apology), 
 for the early Christians to practise it 
 in their religious assemblies. ^ The 
 churches of Christ. That is, the 
 churches in the vicinity of the place 
 where the apostle wrote this epistle ; 
 probably the churches particularly in 
 Achaia. 
 
 17. Now I beseech you. One great 
 object of this epistle had been to promote 
 peace between the Jewish and Gentile 
 converts. So much did this subject 
 press upon the mind of the apostle, that 
 he seems unwilling to leave it. He 
 returns to it again and again ; and 
 even after the epistle is apparently con 
 cluded, he returns to it, to give them a 
 new charge on the subject. ^ J\tark 
 them. Observe attentively, cautiously, 
 and faithfully (Phil. iii. 17); be on 
 your guard against them. Ascertain 
 who are the real causes of the divi 
 sions that spring up, and avoid them. 
 H Which cause. Who make. Proba 
 bly he refers here to Jewish teachers, 
 or those who insisted strenuously on 
 the observance of the rites of Moses, 
 and who set up a claim for greater 
 purity and orthodoxy than those pos 
 sessed who received the Gentile con 
 verts as Christian brethren. The Jews 
 were perpetually thus recalling the 
 Christian converts to the law of Moses ; 
 insisting on the observance of those 
 rites ; troubling the churches, and 
 producing dissensions and strifes. Gal. 
 iii. 1 ; v. 1 8. Acts xv. 1. 24. *[ Di 
 visions. Dissensions ; parties ; fac 
 tions. 1 Cor. iii. 3. Gal. v. 20. The 
 very attempt to form such parties was 
 evil, no matter what the pretence, 
 hey who attempt to form parties in 
 the churches are commonly actuated 
 by some evil or ambitious design. 
 
 18 For they that are such 
 serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 but their own belly ; c and by 
 good words d and fair speeches 
 deceive the hearts of the simple 
 
 cPbil.3.79. d Col.2.4. 2Pet.2.3. 
 
 H Jlnd offences. Scandals; or that 
 give occasion for others to fall into sin. 
 These two things are different. Th 
 first means parties ; the otht:r denotes 
 such a course of life as would lead 
 others into sin. The Jetv would form 
 parties, on the pretence of superior ho 
 liness ; the Gentiles, or some bold Gen 
 tile convert might deride the scrunulous 
 feelings of the Jew, and might thus 
 lead him into sin in regard to what his 
 conscience really forbade. See ch. xiv 
 15. These persons on both sides were 
 to be avoided, and they were to refuse 
 to follow them, and to cultivate the 
 spirit of unity and peace, f Contrary 
 to the doctrine. To the teaching- 
 which you have received in this epistle 
 and elsewhere ; the teaching that these 
 divisions should cease ; that the Jewish 
 ceremonies are not binding; that all 
 should lay aside their causes of former 
 difference, and be united in one family. 
 See ch. xiv. xv. \ Jlnd avoid them. 
 Give them no countenance or approba 
 tion. Do not follow them. Comp. 1 
 Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5. 2 John 10. Gal. i. 
 8, 9. That is, avoid them as teachers ; 
 do not follow them. It does not mean 
 that they were to be treated harshly ; 
 but that they were to be avoided in 
 their instructions. They were to dis 
 regard all that they could say tending 
 to produce alienation and strife; and 
 resolve to cultivate the spirit of peace 
 and union. This would be an admirable 
 rule if always followed. Let men make 
 peace their prime object; resolve to 
 ove all who are Christians, and it will 
 DC an infallible guage by which to mea 
 sure the arguments of those who seek 
 to promote alienations and contentions. 
 18. Serve not. Obey not. Though 
 ;hey are professedly, yet they are not 
 lis real friends and followers. 1 But 
 their own belly. Their own lusts; 
 
A.. D. 60. j 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 325 
 
 19 For your obedience is I wise b unto that which is good, 
 
 come a abroad unto all men. 1 
 am glad therefore on your be 
 half, but yet I would have you 
 
 their own private interests; they do 
 this to obtain support. The authors 
 of parties and divisions, in church and 
 state, have this usually in view. It is 
 for the indulgence of some earthly ap 
 petite ; to obtain office or property ; or 
 to gratify the love of dominion. ^ Jlnd 
 by good -words. Mild, fair, plausible 
 speeches; with an appearance of great 
 sincerity, and regard for the truth. 
 Comp. Col. ii. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 3. Men 
 who cause divisions commonly make 
 great pretensions to peculiar love of 
 truth and orthodoxy ; and put on the 
 appearance of great sincerity, sanctity, 
 and humility. *J Jlnd fair speeches. 
 Greek (tuKo^iaui), eulogy, praise, flattery. 
 This is another very common art. 
 Flattery is one of the most powerful 
 means of forming parties in the church; 
 and a little special attention, or promise 
 of an office, or commendation for talents 
 or acquirements, will secure many to 
 the purposes of party, whom no regard 
 for truth or orthodoxy could influence 
 a moment, t Deceive the hearts of 
 the simple. The minds of the unsus 
 pecting, or those who are without 
 guile (T^V axuKttir). The apostle means 
 to designate those who are simple- 
 hearted, without any disposition to de 
 ceive others themselves, and of course 
 without any suspicions of the designs 
 of others. He has thus drawn the art 
 of making parties with the hand of a 
 master. First there are smooth, plau 
 sible pretences, as of great love for 
 truth. Then, an artful mingling of 
 attentions and flatteries ; and all this 
 practised on the minds of the unsus 
 pecting-, drawing their hearts and 
 affections towards themselves. Happy 
 would it have been if the art had been 
 confined to his own times. 
 
 19. For your obedience, &c. ch. i. 8. 
 Your mild, obedient disposition to 
 learn, and to obey the precepts of the 
 2 E 
 
 and 1 simple concerning evil. 
 
 20 And the God of peace 
 shall 2 bruise d Satan under your 
 
 i or, harmless, c c.15.33. or, tread, d GeD.3.15. 
 
 teachers of religion. \ I am glad, &c. 
 I rejoice that you evince such a dispo 
 sition. But he immediately adds, 
 that this was just the temper to be im 
 posed upon, and cautions them against 
 that danger. Tf Wise unto that -which 
 is good. Evince understanding of that 
 which is adapted to promote good and 
 worthy ends. 1 Simple concerning 
 evil. Greek, harmless. Not disposed 
 to do wrong ; having no plan, and 
 yielding to none of the allurements of 
 evil. You have shown your wisdom 
 in obeying the gospel. I would have 
 you still evince wisdom towards every 
 good design ; but to be unacquainted 
 with any plan of evil. Do not yield 
 to those plans, or follow those who 
 would lead you into them. 
 
 20. Jlnd the God of peace. The 
 God who promotes peace, ch. xv. 33. 
 Tf Will bruise. The language here 
 refers to the prediction in Gen. iii. 15. 
 It here means to subdue, to gain the 
 victory orer. It denotes Paul s confi 
 dence that they -would gain the victory, 
 and would be able to overcome all the 
 arts of those who were endeavouring 
 to sow discord and contention among 
 them. If Satan. The word Satan is 
 Hebrew, meaning originally an ac 
 cuser, a calumniator, and then an 
 enemy. It is given to the prince of 
 evil spirits from his enmity to God and 
 men. He is here regarded as the 
 author of all attempts to promote dis 
 cord in the church, by whomsoever 
 those attempts were made. Hence they 
 who attempt to produce divisions are 
 called " his ministers." 2 Cor. xi. 
 15. God would disappoint their ma 
 lignant purposes, and promote the pre 
 valence of peace. 1 The grace. The 
 favour; the mercy, &c. -The Lord 
 Jesus is the Prince of peace (Isa. ir. 
 Comp. Luke ii. 14. John xiv. 27), 
 and this expression is a prayer to him, 
 
326 
 
 feet shortly." The b grace of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 
 Amen. 
 
 21 Timotheus my work fellow, 
 and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosi- 
 pater, my kinsmen, salute you. 
 
 22 I Tertius, who wrote this 
 epistle, salute you in the Lord. 
 
 23 Gaius c mine host, and of 
 
 a Rev. 12.10. b !Cor.l6.23,&c. Rev.22.21. c ICor. 
 II. SJiio 1. 
 
 ROMANS. [A.D. 00 
 
 I the whole church, saluteth you, 
 Erastus d the chamberlain of the 
 city saluteth you, and Quartus, 
 a brother. 
 
 24 The grace of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ be. with you all. 
 Amen. 
 
 25 Now / to him that is of 
 power to establish you accord- 
 
 d ActslD.22. e ver.20. / Eph.3.20. Jude 24. 
 
 or an earnest wish expressed, that the 
 design of his coming might be accom 
 plished in promoting the prevalence 
 of order and peace. Comp. 1 Cor. xvi. 
 ^3. Rev. xxii. 21. 
 
 21. Timotheus. Timothy; to whom 
 the epistles which bear his name were 
 written. He was long the companion 
 of Paul in his labours. Acts xvi. 1. 
 1 Cor. xvi. 10. 2 Cor. i. 1. 19. Phil, 
 ii. 29. 1 Thess. iii. 2. 1 Tim. i. 2. 
 Heb. xiii. 23. 1 And Lucius. He 
 is mentioned in Acts xiii. 1, as a pro 
 phet and teacher, a native of Gyrene. 
 Nothing more is known of him. 
 T My kinsmen, ver. 7. 
 
 22. / Tertius. Of Tertius nothing 
 more is known than is mentioned here. 
 1 Who -wrote this. It is evident that 
 Paul employed an amanuensis to write 
 this epistle, and perhaps he commonly 
 did it. Tertius, who thus wrote it, joins 
 with the apostle in affectionate saluta 
 tions to the brethren at Rome. To the 
 epistle, Paul signed his own name, and 
 added a salutation in his own hand 
 writing. Col. iv. 18, " The salutation 
 by the hand of me Paul;" and in 2 
 Thess. iii. 17, he says that this was 
 done in every epistle. 1 Cor. xvi. 21. 
 ^ In the Lord. As Christian brethren. 
 
 23. Gaius mine host. Who has re 
 ceived me into his house, and shown 
 me hospitality. The word host means 
 one who entertains another at his own 
 house without reward. 1 JLnd of the 
 whole church. Who has opened his 
 house to entertain all Christians ; or to 
 show hospitality to them all. He was 
 baptized by Paul himself at Corinth 
 (1 Cor. i. 14) ; and was so highly es 
 
 teemed by the church that John wrote 
 an epistle to him. 3 John 1. He was 
 probably a wealthy citizen of Corinth, 
 who freely opened his house to enter 
 tain Christians, and for the purpose of 
 religious worship. K Erastus. Erastus 
 is mentioned (Acts xix. 22) as having 
 been sent by Paul with Timothy into 
 Macedonia. He is also mentioned (2 
 Tim. iv. 20) as having resided at 
 Corinth. ^ The chamberlain. A 
 chamberlain is properly an officer who 
 has charge of a chamber, or of cham 
 bers. In England, the lord chamber 
 lain is the sixth officer of the crown, 
 and has charge of the king s lodgings, 
 and wardrobe, &c. He hai also an 
 important rank on days of public so 
 lemnities, as the coronation day, <Sr,c. 
 The word used here is commonly in 
 the New Testament translated stetoard. 
 It properly means one who has charge 
 of domestic affairs, to provide for a 
 family, to pay the servants, &c. In 
 this place it means one who presided 
 over the pecuniary affairs of the city 
 and should have bee;i translated the 
 treasurer ; the city treasurer ; an 
 office of trust and of some importance, 
 showing that all who were converted 
 at Corinth were not of the lowest rank. 
 This is implied in 1 Cor. i. 26, " Not 
 many wise men, not many mighty, 
 not many noble, are called," implying 
 that there were some such. ^ Quartua, 
 a brother. A fellow-Christian. 
 
 25. JVow to him. This and the 
 two following verses are found in many 
 manuscripts at the close of the xivth 
 chapter. Its proper place, however, is 
 lere and the apostle thus concludes 
 
A. D 60.] 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 327 
 
 ing to my gospel and the 
 preaching of Jesus Christ, (ac 
 cording to the revelation a of 
 the mystery, which was kept 
 secret since the world began, 
 
 c Eph.1.9. Col.1.26,27. 
 
 the whole epistle with an ascription of 
 praise. \ To htm, &c. To God ; be 
 glory, ver. 20. ^ 7s of power. Greek, 
 Is able; who has power. Eph. iii. 20. 
 Jude 24, " Now unto him that is able 
 10 keep you from falling," &c. God 
 only can keep Christians in the path 
 of salvation ; and it was well to bring 
 that truth prominently into view at the 
 close of the epistle. ^ To establish 
 you. To strengthen and confirm you. 
 ^ According to my gospel. According 
 to the gospel which I preach ; the doc 
 trines which I have been defending in 
 this epistle. It is called his gospel, not 
 because he was the author of it, or be 
 cause others did not preach it also, but 
 because he had been particularly de 
 fending it in this epistle. The doc 
 trines which he had advanced were 
 just those which were fitted to strength 
 en and confirm them, the doctrine of 
 justification, of election, of perseve 
 rance, and of the protection and favour 
 of God to both Jews and Gentiles. 
 These were the doctrines which he 
 had defended ; and it might easily be 
 shown that these are the doctrines that 
 give stability to the Christian faith, 
 hope, and love. \ Jind the preaching 
 of Jesus Christ Not his personal 
 preaching; but according to that preach 
 ing of which Christ is the author and 
 the subject ; and particularly, as the fol 
 lowing clause shows, to the doctrines 
 by which the partition between the 
 Jews and the Gentiles was broken 
 down, and by which they were admit 
 ted to the same privileges and hopes. 
 T According to the revelation. Ac 
 cording to the communication of that 
 which has been so long concealed, but 
 which is now made manifest. The 
 word revelation refers to the publica- 
 tion of the plan by the gospel. *j Of 
 the mystery. The word mystery means 
 properly that which is hidden or con- 
 
 26 But now is made mani 
 fest, and by the scriptures of 
 the prophets, according to the 
 commandment of the everlasting 
 God, made known to all * na 
 
 iMatt.28.ia. 
 
 cealed, and is thus applied to any doc 
 trine which was not before known. It 
 does not mean necessarily that which 
 is unintelligible; but that which had 
 not been before revealed. See Note 
 to Matt. xiii. 11. The word here 
 seems to refer to the principal doctrines 
 of the gospel ; its main truths, which 
 had been concealed, especially from the 
 entire gentile world, but which were 
 now made known. ^ Which -was kept 
 secret. Which were kept in silence 
 (Greek, <rt<rtyf*iVGv), were not divulged 
 or proclaimed. K Since the -world be 
 gan. In all past times. This refers par 
 ticularly to the Gentiles. The Jews 
 had some obscure intimations of these 
 truths, but they were now made known 
 to all the world. The phrase " since 
 the world began" is, in Greek, " in eter 
 nal times;" that is, in all past times; 
 or, as we should say, they have been 
 always concealed. 
 
 26. But now is made manifest. Is 
 revealed, or made known ; that which 
 was so long concealed is now divulged, 
 i. e. God s plan of saving men is now 
 made known to all nations, ^f Jind 
 by the Scriptures, &c. By the -writ 
 ings of the prophets. The prophetic 
 writings contained the doctrines, ob 
 scurely indeed, but so as to be an im 
 portant means of disseminating and 
 confirming the truth that the Gentiles 
 should be made acquainted with the 
 gospel. To those writings the apostle 
 had repeatedly appealed in his defence 
 of the proposition that the gospel was 
 to be preached to the gentile world, 
 ch. x. xi. xv. The prophetic writings, 
 moreover, were extensively scattered 
 among the gentile nations, and thus 
 were readily appealed to in defence of 
 this position. Their writings being 
 thus translated, and read, were an im 
 portant means of propagating the 
 truths of the Christian religion. 1 Jit- 
 
ROMANS. 
 
 tions for the obedience of faith ;) 
 27 To God a only wise, be 
 glory, through Jesus Christ, 
 lor ever. Amen. 
 
 alTim.l.IT. Jude6. 
 
 cording to the commandment, &c. By 
 his command through Jesus Christ ; 
 made known in the gospel of his Son. 
 T The everlasting God. God who is 
 eternal, and therefore unchanged. He 
 who has indeed concealed this truth, 
 but who has always intended that it 
 should be revealed. ^ To all nations. 
 Matt, xxviii. 19 Comp. Col. i. 23. 
 1 For the obedience of faith. To 
 produce obedience to the requirements 
 of the gospel. See Note, ch. i. 5. 
 
 27. To God only -wise. The apos 
 tle here resumes the doxology winch 
 had been interrupted by the parenthesis. 
 The attribute of -wisdom is here brought 
 into view, because it had been particu 
 larly displayed in this plan which was 
 now revealed. It evinced, in an emi 
 nent degree, the ivisdom of God. That 
 wisdom was evinced in devising the 
 plan ; in adapting it to the renewing of 
 the heart ; the justification of the sinner ; 
 his preservation, guidance, and sancti- 
 ficatioii ; and in the manner in which 
 the divine attributes had all been seen 
 lo harmonize. All this the apostle had 
 
 [A D <H< 
 
 Written to the Romans irnnr, 
 Corinthus, and sent by Phe- 
 be, servant of the church at 
 Cenchrea. 
 
 illustrated in the previous parts of *.ht> 
 epistle ; and now, full of the convictions 
 of this wisdom, he desires that all the 
 praise and honour should be to God. 
 The tendency of the plan is to promote 
 his glory. The obligation on all who 
 are benefited by it is to give him 
 praise. K Be glory. Praise ; honour. 
 t Through Jesus Christ. By means 
 of the work which Jesus Christ has 
 performed ; through him now as media 
 tor and intercessor in the heavens. 
 
 The subscription, " written to the 
 Romans," &c. is evidently added by 
 some other hand, but by whom is un 
 known. Paul assuredly would no* 
 write this to inform the Romans that 
 it was sent by Phebe, whom he had 
 just commended to their kindness. It 
 has been shown, moreover, that no 
 reliance is to be placed on any of the 
 subscriptions to the epistles. Some of 
 them are known to be false. By whom 
 they were added is unknown. In this 
 case, however, the fact which it state* 
 is correct, that it was wi tten fro 
 Corinth, and se-nt fcy Phebe 
 
 THE END. 
 
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