A. D. 57. you always in my prayers, 10. Making requeft (if by any means now at length I might have a profperous journey by the will of God) to 11. For I long to fee you, that I may impart unto you fome fpiritual gift, to the end you may be eftablished. 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (but was let hitherto ) that I might have fome fruit among you alfo, even as among other Gentiles. * 14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wife, and to the unwife. 15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome alfo. tify that I never pray to him, without praying for you, and begging his Providence would fo order it, that I might fafely arrive at Rome to fee you; come unto you. 11 & 12. Which is a Thing I very much wish for, and that to no other End and Purpose, but to confirm and ftrengthen you in your Chriftian Profeffion, by giving you fome feasonable Counfels, or by imparting fome fpiritual Gifts and Endowments of the Holy Ghost to you, for our mutual Comfort and Satisfaction. 13. And indeed I have often refolv'd with myself to come and vifit you, and do myself and you the Pleasure of promoting and enlarging the Gospel-Religion at Rome as well as in other Places, but have been hitherto prevented. 14 & 15. For as I am obliged by my Apoftolical Commiffion, to preach and propagate the Chriftian Doctrine to all Countries, t and to People of all Ranks, Degrees, and Capacities, I have no Reafon but to be ready and defi rous to do it to you also at Rome. 16. For Ver. 13. Prevented Probably by the unexpected Oppofition and Hardships he met with in Afia and Greece, from whence this Epistle was written. See Acts xiii. and xiv, &c. + Ver. 14. See Chap. xi. xiii. xv. xvi. and Gal. ii. 9. 16. For I am not afhamed of the gospel of Chrift: for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and alfo to the Greek. 16. For though I am fenfible A. D. 57. this Gofpel of Christ, is likely to meet with no little Oppofition from the Vices and Prejudices of Mankind; though fome of its Doctrines will bear hard upon the falfe Wifdom and Pride of the Gentile Philofophers, and others upon the Malice and Haughtiness of the Jews; though its Profeffors may now feem mean and contemptible, yet it is attended with fuch Evidences of Truth, with fuch Demonftrations of Divine Power, Wisdom and Goodness towards Mankind, as will recommend it to all impartial and confidering Men, as the best and only Method of Happiness and Salvation, both to Jew and Gentile, that will fincerely believe and obey it. 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it 17. I therefore neither muft, nor can, be afraid or ashamed to preach it, even in Rome itself, the great Metropolis of the World; is written, The just because I know, that this Mefhall live by faith. thod of God's redeeming and faving Mankind by their embracing the Faith, and living up to the Religion of Chrift, is revealed to the World with a * Ver. 17. Δικαιοσύνη γὰρ Θεῖ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίSews eis TiSIV. The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith. Mr. Limborch and Mr. Locke take the Phrafe from Faith to Faith, to fignify wholly by Faith, from two parallel Phrafes, in Chap. vi. xix. and 2 Cor. iii. 18. But I think those Phrafes not exactly of the fame Signification with this, and therefore judge this Conftruction moft natural, viz. Ainaioσúvn Der in wisews, i. e. God's Method of justifying us by Faith in Cbrifi, is revealed, tis wisi, i. e. to bring in all, both Jews and Gentiles, to believe and embrace it; for that is the Scope of the Apoftle's Argument. See Ver. 18, &c. However, fuppofing this Phrafe from Faith to Faith, be of the fame Signification with that of from Glory to Glory, yet the Sense of it is not the fame as wholly by Faith, but a bigher Degree of Faith. And this indeed might be the Apo fle's A. D. 57. à gracious Defign to bring in all, both Jews and Gentiles, under the Covenant and happy Privileges of it; according to thofe Words of the Prophet, The just Man fhall live by his Faith. [See Galat. iii. 11, 12.] 18. For the wrath of God is revealed of 18. And that there is an abfolute Neceffity, this Faith in Christ should now be preached to and embraced by all Men without Exception, is plain from that deplorable Condition of Vice and Wickedness, under which, both Gentile and few lie now involv'd. And first as to the Gentiles, they are known to have been long and univerfally guilty of fuch exorbitant Practices, as muft needs hinder in their Minds all Difcernment of divine Truth, and subject them to the eternal Wrath and Displeasure of Heaven. * 19. Because that which may be known of God, is manifeft in them, for God hath 19. Nor can they plead perfect Ignorance, in their Excufe; for the very Light of Natural Reafon was fufficient to have guided fhewed it unto them. them into fo much Knowledge of God's Nature and Will, as would have kept them from fuch abfurd Violations of their Duty; 20. For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen, being underftood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and 20. The divine Wisdom, Power and Goodness, that fhines out in the very Creation of the World, and in the conftant Government and Providence over it, being enough alone to render all grofs Idolatay and heinous Impiety utterly inexcufable. 21. So file's Meaning, That God's Method of justifying Men, was now revealed in order to bring them to a higher and bappier Degree of Faith in God [i. e. to more perfect Religion] than either Gentile or Jew bad yet been acquainted with. And of these two the judicious Reader may take his Choice. * Ver. 18. Who bold the Truth in Unrighteousness, or withbold and fupprefs the Truth by Iniquity, xalexórlar iv adıníg. 21. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkned. 22. Profeffing themfelves to be wife, they became fools: 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beafts, and creeping things. 21. So that they lived without A. D. 57. paying any juft Worship to God, void of all dutiful and thankful Behaviour toward him, and loft themselves in the most irrational Conceptions, and falfe Reasonings about him, even while they had fufficient Light to inftruct them better. 22. Yet under this Degree of Folly and Ignorance, did many of them ufurp the Title of wife Men and Philofophers. 23. An Ignorance fo affectedly ftupid, that while common Reafon would have reprefented God to them as a fpiritual, uncom pounded, incorruptible Existence, they impiously resembled him to the meaneft of corruptible Creatures, worshipping him under the Shape of mortal Men, nay even of Birds, and Beafts, and Infects. 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lufts of their own hearts, to difhonour their own bodies between themselves: 24. For which heedlefs and wilful Depravation of their Underftandings, God in just Judgment gave them up to all the woful Effects of it in most abominable Practices, even to the Lewdness of the Sodomites and Canaanites, the most dishonourable and fhameful to human Body. 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and ferved the creature more than the Creator, 25, 25 & 27. It was but juft, I fay, for God to leave fuch People, both Men and Women, to commit Things the moft unnaP tural Ver. 25. More than the Creator. Not befide the Crea ter, [as fome learned Men imagine] but waga, above or more. For A. D. 57. Creator, who is bleffed for ever. Amen. 26. For this caufe God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women tural to their Sex, and difhonourable to human Nature, who, by worshipping the vileft Creatures, had done fuch Difhonour to their almighty and blessed Creator. did change the natural use into that which is against nature. 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their luft one toward another, men with men working that which is unfeemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them * over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient: + 28. And when they had the Means of truer and more juft Notions of God, they neglected and would make no Improvement of them, it was but a righteous Punifhment for God to give them over to the perfect Swing of a rafh, injudicious, * and unthinking Temper, that must render them odious to God, by the habitual Practice of the most abominable + Vices; 29, 30 For this Word, when fet between two Nouns, does, in the New Teftament, denote a Comparison. Thus Rom. xiv. 5. One efleems one Day, Taga, above another. So Heb. i. 9. God hath anointed thee, waga, above thy Fellows: And elsewhere. *Ver. 28. 'Els adónsμov vv, To a reprobate Mind. The Word dénu, being capable of two Senfes, viz. either rejected or disapproved, or elfe that of undifcerning or inju dicious, I have comprehended them both. + Ibid. Ta un xadimovla, Things which were not convenient. The Meaning is, Things no Way agreeable to bu man Nature, as the following Catalogue of Vices plainly fhows. I have therefore, I think, juftly paraphrased it most abominable Vices, taking our Tranflation to be very dry, and fhort of expreffing the Spirit of the APOSTLE in this Phrase: This Way of speaking is very common in the Old Teftament. Thus, the Ufe of a falfe Balance, and to have Respect of Perfons, are faid to be not good, Prov. xx. 23. xxviii. 21. i. c. exceedingly evil. And the facrificing of Children to Molech, are faid to be Things which God commanded not, nor enter'd into bis Heart, Jer. vii. 31. xix. 5. i. e. which he feverely forbad. See alfo Rev. iii. 2. |