Romans 13

The former Chapter is called by some, Saint Paul's Ethicks, and this his Politicks: He having said, in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter, That Christians must not avenge themselves, but refer all to God, who says, That vengeance is his, and he will repay it: Some might infer from hence, That it was not lawful for Magistrates to Right the wronged; and avenge them of their Adversaries; or for Christians to make use of them to such a purpose; Therefore, to set us right in this matter, he falls into the following Discourse. Others think, That the Apostle having spoken in several places concerning Christians Liberty, left what he had said should be misconstrued, as if he meant, that Christians were freed from Subjection to the powers that were over them; he seasonably insists upon the Doctrine and Duty of Obedience to Authority; which point, is more fully handled in this Context, than in any other place besides LEt every soul be i. e. Every Person: In the first verse of the foregoing Chapter the body was put for the whole Man; here the Soul; and when he says every Person, it is plain, that Ecclesiastical Persons are not exempted subject He does not say, be Obedient, but be Subject; which is a general word (as some have noted) comprehending all other Duties and Services. This Subjection must be limited only to lawful things; otherwise, we must Answer as they did. Act. 4.19. Or as Policarpus did, when he was required to Blaspheme Christ, and swear by the fortune of Caesar, he peremptorily refused, and said, We are taught to give honour to Princes and Potentates, but such honour as is not contrary to true Religion. unto the higher powers Though he speaks of things, he means Persons; and he calls them Rulers in the third Verse, where he calls Powers in this first verse. See in Luk. 12.11. Christ tells his Disciples, They should be brought before Magistrates and Powers; 'tis the same word, and 'tis plain, he means Persons in Power. Chrysostome notes, That he rather speaks of our Subjection to powers, then persons in Power; because, that howsoever their Power be abused, their Authority must be acknowledged, and obeyed. He speaks of powers in the plurall number, because there are diverse sorts and kinds thereof, as Monarchy, Aristocracy, Democracy; Under which soever of these we live, we must be subject thereunto. By higher powers, he means, the supreame Powers (so the word is rendred. 1 Pet. 2.13.) To them, and to those that are Authoriz'd by them, we must submit, for that is all one, as if we did it to themselves, 1 Pet. 2.14. 1 Tim. 2.2. There are other Inferior Powers which are also of God, as Parents, Masters, &c. But of these, he does not speak in this place. For there is no power but of God This is a Reason of the foregoing Injunction. q. d. That which has God for its Author, is to be acknowledged, and submitted to; but Magistracy has God for its Author. Ergo, He speaketh not here of the Person, nor of the Abuse, nor of the manner of getting into Power, but of the Thing its self, viz. Magistracy, and Authority: And he says, it is of God: He Instituted the office, and he appointeth or permitteth the Person that Executes it: This Clause is attested and illustrated, by Prov. 8.15. Dan. 4.32. Iob. 19.11.: the powers that be, are ordained of God This Passage is an Exemplification of the former. Erasmus thinks it was inserted by some Interpreter, by way of Explanations; but it is found in all ancient Coppys; therefore, that conceit of his is without Foundation. The Emphasy of this Sentence, seems to lye in the word Ordained: Power and civil Authority is not simply from God, as all other things are; but it is Ordained by Him. This Word (as one observes) implyeth Two things; Invention, and Ratification. God invented and devised this Order, That some should Rule, and others Obey; and he maintaineth and upholdeth it..

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God Thess Words are, Either an Argument to enforce the Subjection enjoyned in the former part of the foregoing Verse. q. d. You may not resist; therefore, you must be subject: Or else, they are an Inference from the latter part of it. q. d. Seeing the Civil Power is of God, and of his Ordination; therefore it must not be resisted or opposed: To resist Authority, is to wage War against God himself.: and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation The Word properly signifieth Iudgment, and it is applyed in Scripture, Either to humane and temporal Punishment, as Luk. 23.40. 1 Cor. 6.7. 1 Pet. 4.17. Or else, to divine and eternal Punishment, as Luk. 20.47. Heb. 6.2. 2 Pet. 2.3. Accordingly it may be understood of eternal Punishment, That the Resister of Authority, shall receive from God; or of temporal Punishment, That he shall receive from the Magistrate..

For Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil This Verse contains a farther Augument for Subjection to the higher Powers, and 'tis taken from the Benefit thereof, or from the end of Magistracy, which is for the Punishment of Evil, and the encouragement of good works, vid. 1 Pet. 2.14. When he sayes, That Rulers are not a terror to good works, he means, They are not so ordinarily; or they were not Ordained for that end, but the contrary. Or else, by (are not) understand they ought not so to be.. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same q. d. Wouldst thou be free from fear of being Punished by the Magistrate? Do that which is Good, and thou shalt not only be free from Fear, but sure of Praise and Reward, vid. Prov. 14.35. and 16.13. By Good, he means, not that which is so Theologically, but Morally. q. d. Live honestly, hurt no Man in Word or Deed, give to every Man his Due, &c. This is good in the sight of all Men; of Heathens themselves.:

For he is the minister of God to thee for good q. d. That is the end of his Office; and for this Reason God has invested him with his Authority. The Scripture applyeth the same Title to him that Preacheth the Word, and to him that Beareth the Sword; both are God's Ministers, and there is one common End of their Ministry, which is the Good and Welfare of Mankind.. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain This is the Reason why he that Transgresseth the Moral Law of God, or the wholesome Laws of the Land where he lives, should be afraid of the Magistrate, because He ears not the Sword in vain. The Sword is figuratively put for Power and Authority: He alludes to the Custome of Princes, who had certain Officers going before them, hearing the Ensignes of their Authority. q. d. The Magistrate has not his Authority for nothing, or for no purpose; but that he may Punish the Evil, as well as Defend the Good.: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil Here is another Reason why Evil Doers (as before) should be afraid of the Magistrate: Or rather, the same Reason, in other and plainer words, because he is God's Officer to Execute Wrath upon him that does Evil; He is in God's room upon Earth, and does the Work which primarily belongeth unto him, vid. chap. 12.19. By Wrath, here understand Punishment (so in Luk. 21.23. chap. 2.8.) The word Execute, is not in the Text but aptly enough supplyed by our Translators..

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake q. d. Seeing things are so as I have said; That Magistracy is of God, that it is his Ordinance, that it is for the benefit of Mankind, and that it is Armed with the Sword; Therefore, there is a necessity of Subjection, and that for a double Reason. First, From fear of Wrath, or Punishment from the Magistrate. Secondly, And more especially from the obligation of Conscience, because God has so Commanded; and to Erre in this Particular, is to offend God, and to wound our own Consciences, vid. 1 Sam. 24.5. Eccles. 8.2. and 1 Pet. 2.13.:

For, for this cause i. e. In Token, or in Testimony of that Subjection you owe to Magistracy, you pay Tribute. pay you tribute The Word is Plural in the Original, and thereby is intended all Taxes and Burthens, which are legally and customarily imposed. also: for they are Gods ministers, attending continually upon this very thing This is a Reason why Tribute should be paid to Rulers; because it is for the Support of their Authority, and a due Recompence for their great Care and Industry. When he sayes, They attend continually upon this very thing: The meaning is not, they attend always upon the receiving of Tribute; but it is to be understood of the Duty of Magistrates, which is, to be continually promoting the good and welfare of their Subjects; to encourage the Good, and punish the Evil Doer, which is the very thing he had been before speaking of..

Render therefore to all their dues This Verse Concludes his Discourse about the civil Powers. When he says, Render to all their Dues; he does not mean all Men, but all Magistrates, whatever they be for Quality, either good or bad; or whatever they be for Degree, either supream or subordinate; Render to them their Dues. i. e. Whatever of right belongs to them, vid. Mat. 22.21.: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor There are Two things that more especially belong to Rulers, and are due from those that are under them. The One is Maintenance; The Other is Reverence. The First is exprest here by Tribute and Custom; if these two differ, then the Former is a Tax laid upon the Substance; the Latter upon the Person. The Second by Fear and Honour; Fear notes inward, and Honour outward Reverence and Respect. Fear is the Magistrates due, by reason of his Authority; Honour, by reason of his Dignity..

Owe no man any thing Neither your Superiours, nor your Equals, and Inferiours; render and pay to every Person, what is Due to him, let his Rank and Quality be what it will., but to love one another q. d. Only there is one Debt that you can never fully Discharge; that you must be ever paying, yet ever oweing, and that is Love.: for he that loveth another, has fulfilled the law This is a Reason why we should Love one another, and be still paying that Debt; and it is taken from the Excellency of Love: He that loves another (i. e. He that does it in Deed and in Truth) has fulfilled the Law; He means, the Second Table of the Law, as the next Verse shows. He has done what is required therein.. Having Treated of special Duties belonging to Superiours, he now comes to that which is more general, and belongs to All.

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self This Verse proves, That Love is the fulfilling of the Law. 'Tis done by an Induction or Enumeration of the particular Precepts of the second-Table. The Fifth is not mentioned, because the Iews made that Commandment a part of the first-Table; so some: Or because he had Treated before of Duty to the higher Powers and Superiours, under which Parents are comprehended, so others: It may be, he would only mention the Negative Precepts, as being most contrary to Love. But, Why does he mention the seventh Commandment before the sixth? Because of the commonness of Adultery amongst the Romans; so Some Because of the Odiousness of it; so Others. Hence Adultery is first named amongst the Works of the Flesh, Gal. 5.10. Possibly it is, because the Seventy, in Exodus, rehearseth the Commandments in this very Order. The tenth Commandment is sum'd up in one word, Thou shalt not Covet; It seems then, it is but One Commandment, and their Opinion is ridiculous, who divide it into Two. When he sayes, If there be any other Commandment? he means a Commandment of the same nature, requiring us to Pay what we Owe one to another. Ergo. To honour our Parents; or he means, any oth in the Scripture, though not expressed in the Decalogue. All Commandments respecting our Neighbour, are sum'd up in this One; Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self, vid. Mat. 22.39. Gal. 5.14. 1 Tim. 1.5..

Love worketh no ill to his Neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law This Verse is an Argument to prove what was proposed, ver. 8. It may thus be formed, That which worketh no ill, or does no hurt to our Neighbour, fulfilleth the Law: But Love worketh no ill to his Neighbour. Ergo, That this is the property of Love, vid. 1 Cor. 13.5. When he says, Love does no hurt, this is imply'd, That it does good to his Neighbour. Where only Negatives are mentioned, the Affirmative also is included; and the Negative is only set down in this place, that it may the better correspond with the foregoing Verse..

And that Or Moreover, the Speech is Elliptical, something must be understood, as (I say or add) q. d. Unto this Exhortation, to Christian Love, I further add what followeth., knowing the time i. e. Considering, it is a Time of great Tryal, or Time of Gospel-light., that now it is high time to awake out of sleep i. e. To shake off Slothfulness, Security, and all former Sinful Courses. See the like, 1 Cor. 15.34. Eph. 5.14. 1 Thess. 5, 6, 7, 8. q. d. Consider, now it is the hour or season to Awake or Rise up, to lay aside your Night-Cloaths; as it is in the following Verse.: for now is our Salvation nearer than when we believed Or Salvation is nearer to us, than when we first began to Believe. Some would understand it of Temporal Salvation, and Deliverance from those Persecutions, which befel the Christians in the Infancy of the Church; from these they were Saved and Delivered, by the Destruction of the Iews their Persecutors. This was foretold by Christ, and expected by the Christians; and it was nigher at hand, than when they first Embrac't the Christian Faith. But Most understand it of eternal Salvation, which he sayes, was nearer than when they first Believ'd. In which Words, is couched another Argument to Awaken or Stir up the believing Romans; The First was taken from the Consideration of the time or season; The Second, from the nearness of the word. Therefore it should be with them, as with those that Run in a Race; the nearer they come to the Goal, the faster they Run, lest others should get before them..

The night is far spent, the day is at hand Some, by Night and Day, do understand the night of Iewish Persecution, and the day of Deliverance and Salvation, vid. Heb. 10.25. Others, by Night, understand the time of Ignorance and Infidelity; This he sayes is far spent, or for the greatest part it is past and gone: Darkness is not perfectly done away, in this Life, amongst Believers themselves, 1 Cor. 13.9, 10. By Day, they understand the time of Gospel-Light, and Saving-Knowledge: So in the next Verse, and in 1 Thess. 5.5. This he sayes is at hand, or is come nigh; it was Dawning upon the World, and would Shine brighter and brighter, till it were perfect Day.: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness i. e. All our former Sins, which are called Works of darkness, here, and in Eph. 5.11. They are so called, because they are usually Committed by those that are in Ignorance and Darkness; and because some Sins, such as he speaks of in the next Verse, were wont to be Committed in the darkness of the Night, Men being ashamed of them in the Day time, vid. Iob 24.15. 1 Thess. 5.7. These he Exhorts the believing Romans to cast off: The Word implyeth, hast and hatred, Isa. 30.22. and 31.7., and let us put on the armour of light i. e. All Christian Graces, which are bright and shining in the Eyes of the World, Mat. 5.16. and which will be as so much Christian Armour, to Defend us against Sin, and all the Assaults of Satan..

Let us walk honestly as in the day q. d. Let us behave our selves decently, and with a holy shamefacedness, as becomes those to whom the Grace of God, and the glorious Light of the Gospel has appeared. This honest walking is expressed by three Adverbs in Tit. 2.12. i. e. Soberly, Righteously, Godly.; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying He innumerates divers Vices, which are contrary to this honest walking, and he sets them down by pairs: He makes three pairs of them. The First, Is Rioting and Drunkenness; by which he means intemperance or excess in Eating and Drinking. vid. Luk. 21.34. The Second, Is Chambering and Wantonness by which he means Actual uncleanness, and all Lustful and Lascivious dalliances. vid. Gal. 5.19. Eph. 5.3. Col. 3.5. 1 Thes. 4.3, 4, 5, 7. 1 Pet. 4.3. The Third pair, is Strife and Envying. All these Vices are twisted and connected. Intemperance causeth uncleanness, and both cause Contention and Emulation, Prov. 23.29, 30. The Famous St. Augustine confesseth, that he was Converted by Reading, and Pondering this Text..

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ He Exhorted, v. 12. To put on the Armour of Light, now to put on Iesus Christ: This is necessary, for though Grace may help to defend, Yet it is Christ and his Righteousness only that can cover us (as a garment does our nakedness) In the sight of God, to put on Christ, is to receive him and rest upon him by Faith; as also to prosess and imitate him. You have the same Phrase, Gal. 3.27., and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof By Flesh, here some understand the corrupt Nature: Others the Body. When he sayes, Make no provision for the Flesh; he does not mean, That they should not provide things necessary for the Body; this is allowed Eph. 5.29. 1 Tim. 5.23. We are no where commanded to neglect or macerate our Bodies: but he means, that we should not gratifie it in its sinful Lusts or Lustings. vid. 1 Cor. 9.27. Sustain it we may, but pamper it we may not; we must not care, cater, or make projects for the Flesh, to fulfil its Inordinacies and Cravings..