These words which I have now read need both vindication and expli- cation. My first work shall be —
First, Vindication, or reconciling Paul with Moses. That seemeth difficult, because in the allegation some things are changed, some things added, some things omitted, as appeareth by the collation of the places, the text and Deut. xxx. 12-14, ' It is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say. Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it ? neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unta us, that we may hear it, and do it ? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.'
To avoid the difficulty, some say these words are alleged sensu iran- sumptivo, only by way of allusion and accommodation ; not as inter- preting Moses, but as fitting them to his own purpose. But this I cannot yield to, for these reasons —
1. From the scope of the apostle, which is to draw off the Jews and Judaising brethren from sticking to the law of Moses as necessary to justification. To do it thoroughly, he bringeth an argument from Moses himself, who doth in his writings give a clear distinction between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith, and so, by consequence, between the tenor of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Now, if it were an allusion only, the apostle would produce a bare illustration, not a cogent argument, and so would rather explain than convince.
2. The exposition itself is so clear, that we need not make it an
SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9. 237
allusion, if we consider the place whence these passages are taken, Deut. XXX. The whole chapter is a sermon of evangelical repentance ; see the 1st and 2d verses, ' And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blesssing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart and with all thy soul.' This was spoken of a time which the Jews themselves confess to belong to the kingdom of the Messiah ; and reason showeth it. For the words were spoken by Moses as referring to such a time when the Israelites were dispersed among all nations, which happened not till after Christ's ascension and the preaching of the gospel, and doth yet remain, and will remain until the conversion of the Jews, of which the apostle will speak in the next chapter. So that Moses' words are applicable to them when the gospel dispensation was set on foot; that was 'the word which was nigh them.' The great prejudice of the Jews against Christ's being the Messiah was, because he came not in a way agreeable to their carnal conceits, or with such pomp and visible demonstration of authority as to satisfy all his own countrymen ; therefore they were prejudiced, and would not own him, nor receive the grace tendered by him, but looked for that as afar off which was nigh them and among them ; and therefore the apostle doth apply the words of Moses to them, to bring them to embrace the new covenant.
3. From the nature of the thing.
[1.] Certain it is to us christians that Moses wrote of Christ ; for our Lord saith, John v. 46, ' Had you believed Moses, you would have believed me ; for he wrote of me.'
[2.] If he wrote more obscurely, we must consider he was a prophet, not an apostle.
[3.] That he wrote of Christ in this place, the apostle's authority is sufficient, for he was a good interpreter. If he, being infallibly assisted, saw more in it than we do, we are not to cavil at his autho- rity, but witli reverence to receive this light ; not vex the citation by nice disputes, but humbly receive the interpretation he giveth of it.
You will say the words are altered.
But the apostles usually in quoting minded the sense rather than the words. And Moses' drift was to persuade them to take notice of the divine revelation made to them at that time when these things befell them, the destroying of the temple and city, and these dispersions among the nations.
Secondly, For explication. The words show us two things — (1.) What is the tenor of the legal covenant ; (2.) What is the tenor of the righteousness of faith.
First, What is tlie tenor of the legal covenant ? Ver. 5, * For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.' For, understanding his drift, you must consider this, that at tlie first promulgation of the gospel, both Jews and gentiles were rivals for the favour and mercy of God. They did both at the same time start and set forth as two racers,