x Though Rome be the Head of the Empire, and theRomans bear the Name of Wiſe and Learned Perſons; and though the Goſpel] hath the ſhew of ſimplicity, and is fooliſhneſs to the Wiſe Men of this World ; yet I am not aſham'd to own and publiſh this Goſpel of Chriſt. I don't ſhrink back, and withdraw my ſelf as Men do, from thoſe Things whereof they are aſham'd. Neither indeed need 1, becauſe how mean ſoever it ſeems:to be to Carnal Eyes, yet it 1s the Power of God unto Salvation, &c. » Not the cfential Power of God, but the Organical Power. See the like, x Cor. 1. 18. The meaning is, it is a powerful means ordain'd of God tor this pur- poſe. Touching the Efficacy and Excellent Power of the Goipe], tor the Converlion and Salvation of the Souls of Men. vid. 1/9.53.1. L Cor, 4. 15. 2 Cor. 4. 7. 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. Heb. q, 12. James 1. 21. z The Goſpel is offer d unto all, bur it profiteth unto Salvation on- Iv thoſe thar believe ; as a Medicine is only effectual to thoſe who reccive or apply it. a The Goſpel was firit to be publiſh'd to the Jews, and then to the Geniiles, whom he here calls Greeks, wid. Luke 24.47. AF. 1.%. This Order the Apoſtles accordingly kept and obſerv'd, As 13. 46.
17 For * therein is the righteouſneſs of God b revealed c from faith to taith-d ; as it is written, f "The juſt ſhall
live by faith e.
6 It will give Light to this whole Epiſtle, to Explain what is here meant by the Righteouſneſs of God. Some do thereby underſtand the whole Dottrine of Salvation, and eternal Life, which is revealed in the Goſpel ; and they make it the ſme with the Faith of God, chap. 3.3. and with the truth of God, chap. 3.7. Others, by the Righteouſneſs of God do underſtand, That Righteouſneſs whereby a Man 1s juſtified, or ſtands Juſt and Righteous in the Sight of God : And *tis cajled the Righreouſnels of God, to diſtinguiſh it from our own Righteouſneſs, Chap. 10. 3. And becauſe it is Appointed, Ap- prov'd, and Accepted by him ; it being ſuch as he himſelf can find no fauit with; Furtuner, it is call'd the Righteoutneſs of God, becauſeit was perforni'd by him, whois God as well as Man, and im- pured unto us. Hence he is ſaid to be made Righteoſneſs unto us, and we are laid to be made the Righteouſneſs of God in him ; we having his Righteouſneis,as he had our Sins,viz.by Imputation. This is often call'd the Righteouſneſs of Faith, becauſe,by Faith it is apprehended and apply'd. And again it is calld the Law of Righteoultneſs, chap. 9. 31. in Oppoſition to that Law of Righteouſneſs, whereby the unvelieving Zews ſought to be juſtified. c The Law of God diſco- vers no {uch way of juſtitying a Sinner ; not is it taught by Reaſon or Philoſophy : The Goſpel only makesa Revelation of it ; which occationed the Apoſtles glorying in ir. d This Apoſtle ſeems to delight in ſuch Repetitions, and there is an Elegancy in them;vie, ch. 6. 19. 2 Cor. 2, 16. 2 Cor. 3. 18. The wordsare variouſly inter- preted ; from the Faith of the Old Teſtament, to the Faith of the New :_ So that no Perton ever was or ſhall be Juſtified in any 0- ther way: Or, from a letter Faith to a greater ; not noting two Faiths, bur one and the ſame Faith increaſing to PerfeQtion. He laith, not trom Faith to Works, or from Works to Faith ; bur from Faith ro Faith, 2. e. only by Faith. The word (:0 be) muſt be un- dcrſtood, 9.4. The Golpel Reveals the Righteguineſs of God, ro be from Paith to Faith, Lhe begipning, the Continuance, the Ac- complithment of gyr ullification is wholly abloly'd by Faigh,e Some
den to me for this Detire, as iF it were an Arbitrary Favour ; tor } |
. , [1
i Plagues and Judgments ſpring not out of the Duſt, proceed nj7
| INg 3 and then 'tis a Reaſon why the Gentiles are
refer theſe words (5y Faith) to the SubjeQ of this Py; )Ofition. + iy Juſt, and thus they render it ; the Juſt by Fai: ſh11 Weg, ite ſo read, the foregoing Propoſition 1s the better prog - Arg There is ſome difficulty to underſtand the fitnets of this T wap, to prove the Concluſion in hand : For 'tis Evident, Thar th. D,. pher Habakkyk, in whom theſe Words are found, doth he bo remporal Preſervation : And, What is that to Eternal Lite 3 2 A The Babylonian Captivity figuc'd out our Spiritual Bondage - S'n and Satan ; and Deliverance from that Calamity Kat Fan forth our Deliverance from Hell, to be procur'd by Chris. "wg pare Iſa. 40. 2, 3, 4- with Mat. 3. 3. Again, genera] ev applied to particular Caſes, are not thereby reſtrained to thor. In ticulirs, but ſtill retain the Generality of their Nature «;- 19. 6. Again, one and the ſame Faith apprehends, ang oivec ©. Intereſt inall the Promiſes of God': And as by it we live}, the poral Dangers ; ſo by it we are freed from Eternal Deſtrygig, 18 For f the wrath of God 1s revealed from he: ven h againſt all ungodlinefs, and unrighteouſnef, of mes ; who || hold the truth in unrighteouſnels þ. f He proceeds to prove the principal Propoſition Jaid dow: the foregoing Verſe. The Cauſal Particle [for] implies as __ Men muſt be juſtified by the Righteouſneſs of God, becaut: the have no Righteouſneſs of their own to juſtifie «them ; the; ther ſelves are all unrighteous. This he proves both of the Gentiles in] Jews, He begins with the Gentiles, and proves it upon them "Mt this Verſe,to the ſeventeenth Verle of the ſecond Chapter ; and ther ha proves it upon the Jews alſo, from thence to rhe end of the ;);,
eſtimon;
Vis, Mat
ken.
Ma
; Chapter. g *Tis revealed in the Word of Gol, or rather by
Judgments which he inflicteth. + z. e. from God in Heaireg,