X. As images are nothing else but lying empty vanities, fo to worship them, or God by them, is to change God's glory into that lie this was their fin.

XI. However men may conceive that they are no way wronging God, nor giving what is his due unto images, when they fet up that way of worship which he hath never instituted; yet the Lord looks upon them as fuch as worshipped and ferved the creature and not the Creator; for the wileft of thofe Heathens did not take their images to be their gods, but worshipped God, as they thought, in and by these, and yet we fee here it is faid, they worshipped the creature more than the Creator.

· XII. Tho' idolatry hath a natural tendency to the robbing of God of his bleffednefs and perfection, yet notwithstanding of all thofe courfes which idolaters follow, they are fo far from leffening his bleffed nefs, that, on the contrary, they heighten and aggravate their own guilt in labouring to wrong him, who is bleffed, and that for ever: All this is imported in that he adds, Who is bleffed for ever.

XIII. A fpiritual and gracious heart cannot hear of others their wronging of God and difhonouring him, but they muft ftand up in defence of his Majefty, and labour to affert and vindicate his glory and the hearing how others rob God of his glery and due, will make them clofe with him, as the only ever-blessed Lord: and therefore does Paul here break out in this, Who is bleffed for ever. Amen.

XIV. As it is an ordinary thing for the judgments of God to be far out of the fight of wicked men; and for God's hand not to be seen in his ordinary or temporal rods and afflictions, because of fin; fo, efpecially in his fpiritual plagues, it is a hard matter for folks bewitched with fin to read God's anger in these, or once to take notice of them as plagues: therefore does Paul come over this again, and again, and here, verfe 26th, fay, For

XV. As it is no eafy matter for carnal folks to fee God's hand ftretched out, either in temporal or fpiritual plagues; fo is it as hard a matter to fee the procuring caufe of fuch and fuch punishments; and therefore God alfo muft point us to the fin in particular for which his anger burneth: hence it is that Paul points out clearly and particularly what their fin was for which God punished them, and fayeth, Wherefore, and for this caufe, &c.

XVI. When once lufts and concupifcence begin to burn within the heart, and the affections are defiled, then, ordinarily, fin ends not there, but breaketh out in all manner of unnatural and abominable practices; for fo it did here, when the lufts of the heart got liberty, and the affections were defiled, then the most abominable Sodomy and filthinefs that can be imagined followed: For even the women did change the natural ufe into that which is against nature, &c.

XVII. Whatever fpiritual or temporal plagues God fends on finners, they ought to look upon it as a drink of their own brewing; as a fit recompence, and meet reward of their wicked doings: this judgment is faid to be a recompence which was meet.

XVIII. When God once gives up folks unto the fwing of their own corruptions then there is no bonds of modefty, or na tural light, or reafon, that will hemm them in; but they will break over all banks, and be violently carried down with the tor rent: for here, when God left them, thei very women, whom nature might hav taught more modefty, and men alfo, whi might fee more of the vilenefs of tha courfe by the very light of nature, becam filthy in their Sodomitical courfes.

XIX. As it is a heinous crime in itfel to err in the matters of God and religion and to leave the way of worshiping hi which he hath commanded, and follow

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way which he never allowed; fo whoever indulge themselves therein, will not ftop there, but run on to other vices and wicked courfes against their neighbour, as we fee in thefe Heathens.

XX. However men may please themfelves in their wicked courfes, and think they have to do with a merciful God, who will not ftill take notice of their carriage, and punish them for every thing; yet they will find in the latter-end that they have been deceived, when they find him a God juft and righteous, who will multiply and increafe his judgments, as they multiply and increase in fin: for here the longer and farther they went on in fin, God's judgments grew, till at length judgments had overtaken heart, affections, actions, ay, and mind, and judgment and all.

XXI. Howbeit it be a fad plague to be left of God to commit wickednefs with greedinefs and delight, even when there is light in the confcience left to bear witnefs and give teftimony against fuch practices; yet it is a far fader ftroke when he gives folk up to a reprobate mind, and a darkned understanding, that they fhall not know when they are doing wrong; therefore this judgment of being given up to a reprobate mind, comes in the laft place.

XXII. When men trample upon and contemn the small light they have, and go over the belly of their confcience, and fhut out thoughts of God, it is just with him to inflict this fore and fad punishment upon them, and grant them their hearts defire, that as they like darkness beft, they fhould have nothing but darkness: and therefore fays Paul, as they liked not to retain God in their knowledge fo he gave them up to a mind devoid of all knowledge. XXIII. As it is by the knowledge we have of God that we do in a manner retain him and poffefs him; fo when we do hot retain this light and knowledge we have, but put out that little light we have gotten, we do what in us lies to banish God from us; and this is a crying fin; this

was their fin, they liked not to retain God in their knowledge.

XXIV. The lefs knowledge of God, and light, we have, the more incapable are we of doing duty either to one or other; and ignorance is an inlet to all mischief: for when once their judgments were judicially blinded, and they had loft the very principles of humanity, which very nature taught, then they did thofe things which were not convenient; and they could not but do thofe things, for God gave them up to a mind void of all understanding, that they might do that which was not convenient.

VERSES 29. 30. 31. 32. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickednefs, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, defpiteful, proud, boafters, inventers of evil things, aifobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, (that they which commit fuch things are wor thy of death) not only do the fame, but have pleafure in them that do them.

THE apoftle doth here farther clear

how heinously guilty the Heathens were before God, by enumerating a large number of iniquities which did reign among them, of fome whereof all were guilty: and, withal, fheweth how God's anger was kindled against them, in bringing in thofe reigning fins as fruits and effects of their being given up unto their own reprobate mind. And this evidence is, first, fet down in general; Being filled with all unrighteoufnefs: Then, fecondly, inftanced in twenty-two particulars, to verfe laft. And, thirdly, their guilt is aggravated, verfe laft, from two particulars; 1. In that they committed thofe evils, even notwithstanding that, by the very light

of nature which God had implanted in them, they knew he would take vengeance, and punish them for fuch acts of unrighteoufnefs with death. 2. In that they thought it not enough to commit thofe heinous crimes themfelves, but also did ftir up, countenance with delight, and encourage others to do the fame abominations, by taking delight in them that do them.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Since the fall of Adam, whereby the covenant of life was tranfgreffed, there is no man who by nature is not wholly defiled with fin and corruption, and in whom fin hath not overgrown all the faculties of the foul for here thefe (and as thefe were, fo all by nature) are faid to be filled with all unrighteousness; they have not one empty room in all their fouls, all are filled with ungodlinefs.

II. So mighty is this torrent of corruption in folks by nature, that if God would but give way, and give folks over unto their own perverfe, reprobate minds, it would carry them headlong to all acts of iniquity, and run out to all, even the most abominable, wickedness whatsoever for here they are faid to be filled with all unrighteousness; that is, all manner of unrighteoufnefs, they fcarred at none.

III. As the fervants of the Lord, who would bear in convictions upon peoples confciences, would not think it enough to infist on generals touching their finfulness, but condefcend on particulars, whereby convictions become more pungent; fo all fuch as would be thoroughly convinced of their guilt before God, would not dwell on generals, but bear in upon their own confciences particular convictions, for particular guiltinefs: therefore doth Paul inftance particulars, after that, in general, he had told they were filled with all unrighteoufnefs.

IV. Fornication, and all uncleannefs, is a heinous fin before God, however men may account light of it, as a venial small

fault; feeing every man is to poffefs his veffel in fanctification and honour, 1 Theff. iv. 4. for this was a fin laid to the charge of thofe Gentiles, however they made fmall reckoning of it.

V. Men left of God will take fuch delight in wickednefs, as they will take up the very trade of Satan, who is that wicked one, who taketh great pains to moleft and destroy people, and fludy with full purpose and endeavour to hurt, and with craft to undo their neighbours for thefe who were given up to a reprobate mind, were filled with wickedness, pravity, or troublesomeness.

VI. When men lay afide thoughts of God and his all-fufficiency, and do not delight to dwell upon the thoughts of that fulness which is in him, they then fet their hearts fo upon the world, as they cannot be fatisfied with any portion thereof which the Lord alloweth them, but have inordinate defires to have more, tho' to the prejudice and hurt of others, by hook and crook, (as we ufe to fay); and greedily labour to fcrape together, and to keep near the things they have acquired in a world: for this is the covetousness which thefe who liked not to retain God in their knowledge gave themselves to.

VII. When men once give way to this evil of covetousness, which is idolatry, Col. iii. 5. and lay down a firm refolution to be rich, then, as they expofe themselves to many temptations, fnares and hurtful lufts, which draw on to perdition, and pierce themselves through with many forrows, 1 Tim. vi. 9. 10. 11. fo, in particucular, they lay afide all pity and charity, and become malicious or mifchievous, labouring to overthrow utterly others about them, that they may rise upon their ruins; therefore is this malicioufnefs joined with covetoufnefs: See Prov. i. 19.

VIII. As envy is a heinous evil of itself, being a vice whereby men are difcontented at, vex and grieve for the good of others, and their profperous eftate, and a