is addedt0 briſe, Ch, 15, 26. and there 'tis render'd fer the Obidioncs of object | Faith, By Faith here ſome underiiand the Gotpel or Loctrine of it was ps ath, it hath this Sence, As 6. 7. Jure 3. &c. And then rhe 1 have been Meaning is; God, of his meer Grace, hath given me this Gi:ce rophers 3 Wat] Might ring rhe Nations to bclieve, and work 1n Tan: fo ly Jignil *Met0 the Doctrine of the Goipel, Others urderitand 112 fie elccnded - Faith ; and then the meaning is, 1have received rnis U, 5 LecI6's m nught bring the Nations to Believe, and fo to obey the + Cory *uYtore Obedience is joyn'd with Faith, becaute, by + <.i!.
ROMANS
| obey the Commands of God : and Faith it ſelf conſiſts in Obed;. ence, and is the great Command of the Goſpel. « According to the general Commiſſion, Mar. 28. 19. and a more ſpecial Commit-
1 F' . Ch.45 ,
L
ſion to this Apoſtle, wid. 4& 9. I5. G3l.2. 7, 8. 1 Tim. 2.7, and 2 Tim, 1.11, w That the Nations might believe in his Name, fo ſome: Others ſuppoſe theſe Words are added ro declare the end of Paul's Preaching and Apoſtleſhip, which was to ſer forth rhe Glory and Praiſe of Chriſt, vid, 2 Th:$ 1. lt.
6 Amongſt whom are ye alfo + the called of Jefis Chriſt y.
x The Romans are in this Number, and a part of the Nations, to whom I have a Commiſſion. and for whom I have received the Grace of Apoſtleſhip: He adds this, to ſhew his Warrant for wri- ting to them ; he did it by vertve of his Othee ; as alſo to humble them ; for though they were Romans, and ſuch as bore the great- eſt ſway in the World ; yer they were formerly Pagans and Idola- ters. y Though ſuch were ſome of you, to wit, Heathen Idolaters - yet now you are Chriſtians, and the Czlled of Jeſus Chriſt; tall outwardly by his Word, and inwardly by his Spirit. By ffeQual Calling you are become his Diſciples and Followers.
7 lo alithat be in Rome, z beloved of God, * called to be jaints a. Grace to you, and peace b from God our Father, and the Lord Jeſus Chrif :.
z He doth not dire& this Epiſtle to all thar there inhabited, ag ro the Emperor and Senate, &c. but ro the Church, and all the Chriſtians there,as appears by the two following Phraſes. He Wrote not to thoſe only which were Romans by Narion, but to a!l rhe Faithful, whether Jews cr Gentiles, bond or free ; for they were 2] one, and alike in Chriſt. They are deceiv'd rhar think this Epiſtle, becauſe dire&ed to the Rewanr, was written in Latine, The Greck Tongue was well underftood in that City. Tuv-nal calls Rome a Greek City, becauſe the Inhabitants, as well Natives as Strangers, did, ſome of them, uſe, and moſt of them underſtand thar Lan guage. 4 Or, called Saints, though there mighr be Hypocrites a« mongſt them, yet they were denominated from the betrer parr. The 7ews of old were only accounted a Holy Nation or People ; and the Genzles common or unclean ; but now that difference is taken away ; Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and effeQual Calling, makes the Ger. tiles Holy as well as the jews. The name [Sain:] doth not denore a Perfe&tion in Holineſs, but one that is devoted and conſecrated to God; who is Holy in Heart and Life, though he hath many imperte&ions. 6 Under theſe rwo words Grace and Peace, are coin- prehended all Spiritual and Temporal Bletfings Ir is an uſua! Sa- Jutation or BenediCion in the Epiſtles of this Apot'e, vid 1 Cer. 7. 3. 2 Coy. 1.2. Gal. 3: - EM. 2. Phil. 1.2. Col 2.2. 2 7- ff 1.2, 1 Tim, 1. 2. Tit. x. 4. Philemon 3. See the like in toc Fpiliies of Peter, 1, Per. 1. 2, 2 Pet. 1. 2. Seealfo, 2 John 3. Rev. 1.4. c Why 1S there no mention made here of the Holy Ghoſt ? Anſwr Be- cauſe he is imply'd in his Gifts : Grace and Peace are the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit. In other Salutations the Ho!y Ghoſt is expreſs'd, wid, 2 Cor 13.14 And here, when the Father and Son are nam'd, he is plainly imply'd.
8 Firlt 4+ Ichank my God through Jeſus Chriſt for you + ph;1. 4, all.that yourfaith is || ſpokenofthroughoutthewholeworld e. ij Or, Ccte-
d Pirſt, Here is not a word of Order, for there follows no Se- brated. condly, &c. but it ſerves to ſhew, that here the Epiſtle begins ; 1 Cor. rr. for all before, was but a preface or Inſcription. 9. d. In the firſt 26. place. See the like 1 7, 2. 1, e Thatis, through many parts of It ; 'tis a figurative Speech: Seethe like John 12. 19. Orclſe, by the whole World, may be underſtood the Rowan Empire, which Rul'd at that time over a great part of the Known World. See rhe like Luke 2. 1. Beſides, there was a reſort to Rome from all Parts of the World ; and fo this Report might be diffus'd far and near The Faith of the Goſpel at Reme, made it more Famous, thin al its Victories and Triumphs. Oh! How is Rom? degenerated | W2 may take up the Complaint concerning her, which we find, 7/4. 1.
11, 12. 'The Romanift; urge this place ro prove Rome the Mother- Church ; but without Reaſon : The Church of Ty:ſalowca had as high an Eulogy, wid. 1 Theſſ. 1 8. |
9 For * God is my witnefs f wham IT ſerve || with my ſpirir g in the goſpel of his Son; that * without cea- ſing þ+ T make mention of you always in my prayers.
F In theſe words there is the Force, if not the Form of an Oath. See the like, 2 Cor. 1. 18, and 11. 21. Gal, r. 20. His greatLove and Care of them was a hidden Thing, and known oniy to God. To Him therefore he Appeals for the Truth thereof. Oiths in certain Caſes, are allowable under the New Teſtament, as well as the Old. g 3. e. Sincerely, or with my whole Hearr, vid. Epheſ. 6. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 3. h. i.e. asoften as he prayed. This was a great in- dication of his hearty AffeCtion to them. | 10 | Making requeſt ;{(it by any means now at length
4-7
Gs l Or, my ſpiret.
* 3 Than
3. 10.
tChap.15.
. g_—
I might have a proſperous journey by the will of God) 23, 3-. &1| to come to you. Aon # This was one thing herequeſted of God, that what he had long - x