Romans 4

WHat shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh These words may either be refer'd to Father, and then they import no more, but that Abraham was their Father according to the Flesh, Rom. 9.5. Or else they may be refer'd to the following word Found. And then the Question is, What has Abraham Found i. e. Got or attain'd according to the Flesh. The Sense is, What has he gotten by his Righteousness, which stands in Works, and are done in the Flesh? Abraham obtain'd not Righteousness by any Works Ceremonial or Moral: So the word Flesh is taken, vid. Phil. 3.3, 4. when under the word Flesh came Circumcision, our own Righteousness, which is by the Law, or whatsoever is or may be oppos'd to that Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ., has found? The Apostle proceeds to Prove his main Conclusion, Ch. 3.28. which is, that a Sinner is Iustified by Faith without Works, from the example of Abraham. He was a Man that had Faith and Works both; yet he was Iustified by Faith, and not by Works; and who doubts, but the Children are Justified after the same manner that their Father was: There is but one way of Justification; this is the Connexion.

For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory He has Cause or Matter of Glorying and Boasting; he has something from whence he may take Occasion of so doing., but not before God Something must be supplied to fill up the Sense, i. e. He has nothing whereof to glory before God. The Argument of the Apostle might be thus form'd: If Abraham had obtain'd Iustification by Works, he should have had somewhat whereof he might glory before God; but he had nothing whereof to glory before God: Therefore he was not Iustifified by Works. God's way of justifying Sinners is such, as shuts out all glorying and boasting, as he had before laid down, Ch. 3.27..

For what says the Scripture The Scripture refer'd to, is in Gen. 15.6. The Apostle a little varies the Words; in Genesis 'tis, He believed in God, but here He believed God: Again in Genesis 'tis exprest Actively, He imputed it to him for Righteousness but here Passively, It was imputed to him for Righteousness. The Answer is, That the Apostle in both follow'd the Septuagint, which was then more in use than the Hebrew Text; and both are capable of an easy Reconciliation, the Difference being more in sound than in sense.? Abraham believed God i. e. The Promises of God, that He would be his Shield, and exceeding great Reward, Gen. 15.1. That He would give him an Heir of his Body, ver. 4. That He would multiply his Seed, ver. 5. whereby he understood not only his Fleshly Seed, but also the Messiah, the Saviour of the World, which was to come of his Loyns; He took on him the Seed of Abraham, Heb. 2.16. and besides these Promises in Gen. 15. He believed that Promise which was made him Gen. 12.3. That in him and his Seed, All Families of the Earth should be blessed. That in these Promises the Messiah is understood, is evident from Gal. 3.8, 16. and that Abraham had an Eye to him is Evident, without exception, from Iohn. 8.56., and it was counted unto him for righteousness i. e. He was Justified thereby, to have Faith imputed for Righteousness, and to be Iustified by Faith is the same thing. Faith is not our Righteousness materially, but Objectively and Organically, as it apprehends, and implys the Righteousness of Christ, which is the Matter of our Iustification. Our Adversaries the Papists, oppose the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Us; they Cavil at the very Word, and call it a Putative Righteousness; and yet the Apost e useth the Word Ten times in this Chapter, and in the same Sense that we take it. But, How shall we Reconcile our Apostle with Saint Iames, about the manner of Abraham's Justification: He sayes expresly Iames 2.21. That Abraham our Father was Iustified by Works, when he Offered his Son Isaac; and thence he infers, ver. 24. That By Works a man is justified, and not by Faith only. They are easily Reconcil'd, forasmuch as the One Discourseth of the Cause of our Justification before God; the Other of the Signs of Justification before Men. The One speaks of the Imputation of Righteousness; the Other of the Declaration of Righteousness. The One speaks of the Office of Faith; the Other of the Quality of Faith. The One speaks of the Justification of the Person; the Other of the Faith of that Person. The One speaks of Abraham, to be Justified; the Other of Abraham already Justified..

Now to him that worketh i. e. To him that Worketh, with a design or intent to Obtain or Merit Justification by his Works, for else he that Believeth, also Worketh; only he is said not to Work, Secundum quid, after a sort, to the end or intent that he might Merit by it., is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt He speaks this by way of Supposition, in case he should have Fulfill'd the condition of perfect Obedience: And yet to speak Properly, there is no Reward, as a due Debt from God to him that Worketh, Rom. 11.35. only he speaks after the manner of Men, and useth a Civil Maxime, taken from Humane Affairs.. He proceeds to prove, That Abraham was not Justified by Works, but by Faith, and free Grace, and so had no cause of Boasting. This he Illustrates by a Comparison betwixt one that Worketh, and one that Worketh not, but Believeth.

But to him that worketh not i. e. To him that Worketh, not to the end or intent before-mentioned, or with respect to Justification, but takes the other way to be Justified and Saved, and that is the way of Believing., but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly That makes him, who is wicked in himself, Just and Righteous in Christ, or Justifies him that was ungodly; but after Justification is made Godly. By ungodly, some would understand such as want that Perfection of Godliness, as they may build the Hopes of Justification upon; because the Proposition is drawn from the Instance of Abraham, a Man not void of Godliness., his faith is counted for righteousness Not considered in its self as a Work, but in relation to Christ, the Object of it; and as an Act of Receiving and Applying him; as Eating nourisheth, though it be the Meat that does it. So &c..

Even as David also describeth Here it may be Obj ted, that David no where say That he is Blessed unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works. A. Though the Words be no where Extant in David, yet the Sense is, as appears in what follows. the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. To the Example of Abraham taken from Moses, he adjoyns the Testimony of David, that so he might more fully prove what he had A serted, Ch. 3.21. Both the One and the Other were of great Authority amongst the Iews

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are orgiven This Testimony is taken out of Psal. 32.1. and it is well enough Accommodated to the Occasion for those two, to remit Sin, and to impute Righteousness are inseparable. The one is put here Figuratively for the other: They mistake, who take Occasion from hence, to make Iustification to consist only in Remission of Sin: The Text will not bear it. The Apostle's Design is, not hereby to declare the full Nature of Justification, which he had done before; but only to Prove the Freedom of it, from any Respect to Works, in the instance of this principal and Essential part of it. Remission of Sin, to the Imputation of Righteousness, differ, as the Cause, and the Effect. Remission of Sin, presupposeth Imputation of Righteousness; and he that has his Sins remitted, has Christ's Righteousness irst imputed, that so they may be remitted and forgiven to Sinners., and whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin The same thing is exprest three several wayes; there are three Things in Sin, to be Consider'd: 1. There is an Offence against God, which is said to be Forgiven. 2. There is a Filthiness in Sin, which is said to be Covered. 3. There is Guilt in it, which is said not to be imputed..

Cometh This word Cometh, is not in the Original, but it is aptly inserted by our Translators. this blessedness then upon the circumcision Circumcision again is put for the Circumcis'd, and Vncircumcision for the Uncircumcis'd, vid. Rom. 2.28. only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say q. d. This we have Prov'd, and it is on all hands confest, That Abraham's Faith was reckon'd to him for Righteousness: Now therefore, the Question is, Whither this Blessedness of Justification belong to the Circumcis'd only, or to the Uncircumcis'd also. that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision And if this be the Question, the way to Resolve it, is, To Consider in what Circumstances Abraham was, when his Faith was thus reckoned to him for Righteousness; it was a long time before he was Circumcis'd. The Promise to which Abraham's Faith had Respect, was made to him Fourteen Years at least, before his Circumcision: Compare Gen. 15.2. and 17.24, 25. Also, vid. Gen. 16.16. If the Blessedness therefore of Iustification, was not Annext to Circumcision, the Gentiles are no less capable of it than the Iews,.

And he receiv'd the sign Or Circumcision which is a Sign. Two Things are here Affirm'd of circumcision: 1. That it was a Sign; Of what? Of the circumcision of the Heart, of original Sin and its Cure. 2. That it was a Seal; Of what? Of the Righteousness of Faith: Of the meaning of which, see the Notes on ch. 1.17. This is a Periphrasis of the Covenant of Grace, wherein Righteousness is promis'd, and made over to us in a way of Believing: And this is not the only Place where the Righteousness of Faith is put for the New-Covenant, vid. Rom. 10.6. and the Notes there. Circumcision is called a Seal, because it was a Confirmation of the Covenant of Grace, and the Righteousness therein promis'd. The common Use of a Seal amongst Men is to Confirm and Ratify a Matter, and make it more Firm and Sure: It is joyn'd often with an Earnest, which is for the same end and purpose. The Corinthians Conversion is said to be the Seal of Paul's Apostleship, i. e. It was a Confirmation of i and made it more Evident that he was Sent of God. What the Apostle sayes of an Oath, that we may say of a Seal; It is for Confirmation, and for putting things out of Controversy. When God made a Promise to Abraham, He Confirm'd it with an Oath; and when He made a Covenant with him, and with his Seed, He Confirm'd it by a Seal, and that was Circumcision; which he calls in Genesis the Covenant of God, and here the Seal thereof. And what is said of circumcision, is not spoken of it barely as circumcision, but as a Sacrament; and it shows the Nature and Use of all Sacraments, both of the Old-Testament and New; that they are Seals of the New Covenant. That which the Apostle mentions here of circumcision, has nothing Proper and Peculiar in it to circumcision as such; but it may, with equal Reason, be apply'd to any other Sacrament; It belongs as well to the Passover, yea to Baptism, and the Lords Supper, e. g. The Apostle first calls Circumcision a Sign, so was the Passover, so is Baptism, and the Lords Supper. Again, he calls it A Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, or of the New-Covenant, as before. And so is each of the other Sacraments; take for instance the Lords-Supper: Our Saviour calls the Cup therein the New-Testament or Covenant, that is, It is a Seal and Confirmation thereof. And what is here Affirm'd of Abraham, may be Affirm'd as well of the Eunuch, or the Iayhor, or any Baptiz'd Person; he receiv'd the Sign of Baptism, a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, and of Remission of Sins, &c. of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father i. e. That he might be Known or Declared to be the Father of such; see the like Phrase Mat. 5.45. Though many of the Fathers did Believe before Abraham, yet none of them are said to be the Fathers of the Faithful, as Abraham was, because God made to none of them the like Promise, concerning their Posterity, as he did to Abraham. See the next Verse. of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also.

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham The former Verse tells you he was the Father of the Believing Gentiles, for the Covenant was made with him, for all his Believing Seed, when he was Vncircumcised, which shows, That Righteousness is, and may be imputed to them also, without any outward Circumcision; and then he is the Father of the Believing Iews; especially of as many of them, as unto circumcision, do add the Imitation of his Faith. Who (besides circumcision which they deriv'd from him) do also Transcribe his divine Copy, and follow his Example of Faith and Obedience: That leave their Sins, as he did his Country; that Believe all God's Promises, and adhere to him against all Temptations to the contrary., which he had being yet uncircumcised.

For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham Some by the World do understand, the World of the Faithful, or Believers dispersed over all the World: And so in Effect it is the same which he said before, Tha Abraham should be the Father of all that Believe, whither of the circumcision or uncircumcision. Others by the World, do understand the Land of Canaan; under which also, Heaven was typically Promised and Comprehended, vid. Heb. 4.3. and 11.9, 10, 16. This by a Synecdoche, is put for all the World; and so also Tabor and Hermon are put for the East and West of the whole World, Psal. 89.12. This was promis'd to Abraham, and to his Seed, Gen. 12.7. and 15.18., or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith i. e. It was not made to Abraham, because he had merited it by keeping the Law; but because he had believed God, and obtain'd the Righteousness of Faith. In the whole Verse is couch'd an Argument for Iustification by Faith without Works, which is the Apostles drift; and it may be thus form'd, If the Promise of Inheritance to Abraham and his Seed, was to be accomplisht not by Legal Obedience, but by the Righteousness of Faith; then it follows, That We are Iustified by Faith, and not by Works; but the Promise of Inheritance to Abraham and his Seed, was to be Accomplish't, not by the Law, but by the Righteousness of Faith..

For if they which are of the law Compare this with Gal. 3.9, 10. There the Apostle sorts them that seek Righteousness and Salvation into two kinds. First, Some are of Faith, and they are such as seek Salvation in that way. Again, Others are of the Works of the Law, and they are such as seek Salvation by means thereof. These Phrases of the Law, and of the Works of the Law, are all one. be heirs That is of the Promises of God; of the Heavenly Rest, of which as before, Canaan was a Type., faith is made void i. e. If they which seek the Inheritance of the Law, can by the Law obtain it, then there is no use of Faith: To what end should we by Faith go out of our selves to seek Righteousness and Salvation in Christ, if we could obtain it by the Legal Obedience. See the like, Gal. 5.4., and the promise made of none effect i. e. The Promise it self, which was made to Abraham, and his Seed; that also is ineffectual, and brought to nought; no Man shall be Saved by it. For as much as the Law can bring no Man to the Obtaining of what is promis'd.. i. e. If they that trust to the Fulfilling of the Law, be Heirs of the Promise of God, and so the Inheritance come by Works; then Faith is to no purpose, neither is there any Use of it, and so also the promises which are made to believers are vain and useless. This is the Sum of this Fourteen Verse, a more particular Explication follows.

Because the law worketh wrath i. e. The Wrath of God: And this it does not of its self, but occasionally in Respect of our Disobedience. This is a Confirmation of what was said in the foregoing Verse: That the Inheritance is not by the Law, and the Works thereof; he proves it from the Effect and Work of the Law, such as it has in all Men since the Fall; it worketh Wrath, it is so far from entituling Men to the Promis'd Blessing that it exposeth Men to the Curse and Wrath of God, Gal. 3.10.: For where no law is, there is no transgression q. d. And that it worketh Wrath is Evident, because it discovers and occasions Trangressions, betwixt which, and God's Wrath, there is an inseparable Connection. This Assertion is simply True, of things indifferent, as were all Ceremonial Observations before the Law required them; for then before the Law it was no Sin to Omit them: But of things which are Evil in their own nature, it must be understood Respectively, and after a sort. That is, there was no such great Transgression before the Law was given, as afterwards. The Reasons are, Because we are Naturally bent to do that which is forbidden us; and so by the probability of the Law, the Stubborness of Man's Heart is increased. As also, Because by the Law comes the clear Knowledge of Man's Duty, and so the Servant that knows his Masters Will, and does it not, is worthy of the more Stripes..

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, Abraham's Seed is of two Sorts. One Sort is of the Law, to wit, the Iews. Another Sort is, of such as walk in the Steps of Abraham's Faith, whither Iews or Gentiles. To all these the Promise must be sure; which cannot be, if the Law be made the Condition or Means of the Inheritance. not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Here are Two New Arguments to Prove, That the Inheritance is not of the Law, but of Faith. It is of Faith, that it might be by Grace; for to be Iustified by Faith, and by Grace, are all one with the Apostle. Again, That the Promise might be sure to all the Seed; whereas, if it were of the Law, it would be unsure and uncertain, because of Man's Weakness, who is not able to perform it.

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations) before him whom he believed i. e. In the Sight of Esteem of God. He was not the Father of many Nations by Carnal Generation in the sight of Men, but by Spiritual Cognation in the Sight of God. Or as it may be read, Like unto God, after his Example; and then the meaning is, That God so Honoured Abraham's Faith, that He made him a Father, in some respects like Himself: As God is an Universal Father, not of One, but of all Nations, so was Abraham. Again, As God is their Spiritual Father, not by Carnal Generation, so was Abraham also., even God who quickneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were: i. e. Abraham believed in Him as Omnipotent. His Omnipotency is described by two great Effects of it. The One in making that to have a Being again, which had ceas'd to be, as in the Resurrection. The other, in causing that to be, which never was; or to make all Things of Nothing, as in the Creation: He Expresseth this by calling Things, to intimate the great Facility of this Work to God. He only spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and all was created. And as Abraham thus generally believed the Power of God, so 'tis likely he made a particular Application of it, to his own State at present; as he believed that God could raise the Dead so that He could Raise him Seed out of his own dead Body, and Sarah's dead Womb. And as he believed, That God could Create Things out of nothing, so He could give him Seed that had none; yea, and make the Gentiles a People, that were not a People.

Who against hope believed in hope Abraham, when he had no natural or rational Grounds of Hope, either in Respect of himse f, or Sarah his Wife, did yet Believe and Hope he should have a Son; and so be a Root or Stock, from whence many Nations should spring: And this Faith and Hope of his, was Grounded upon the Power and Faithfulness of God., that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be So as the Stars of Heaven for Multitude, which must be supply'd out of the Promise, in Gen. 15.5.. Here the Apostle Digresseth a little from his principal Argument, and falls into a Commendation of Abraham's Faith.

And being not weak in Faith, he considered He regarded not the Impotency of his own Body, which was, as it were dead, because of his Age, in respect of any desires or powers of Generation. Abraham several years after Marryed Keturah, by whom he had divers Children, How then does the Apostle say his body was now dead, or unable for Generation? Some say that the deadness of Abrahams body was only in his own Opinion. Augustine has two Answers. 1. That his body was not dead simply, but in respect of Sarah, he might be able to beget Children of a younger Woman. 2. His body was revived, and he receiv'd a new Generative Faculty of God. Another question may be mov'd, and that is, how the Apostle could say that Abraham considered not his own body, being dead? seeing we read, Gen. 17.17. that Abraham upon the promise of a Son, fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a Child be born unto him that is an Hundred years Old? &c. Some answer that Abraham at first doubted, but afterwards he recollected himself, and got over that unbelief, his Faith overcame all difficulties: others say, that he doubted not at all of the truth of Gods Promise, but was uncertain only how it should be understood, whither properly or figuratively, vid. Gen. 17.19. Others say, that these words of Abraham are not words of doubting, but enquiring; they proceed from a desire to be farther instructed, how that thing should be. It was a Question like that of the Virgin Mary's. How shall these things be? Augustine sayes, That Abrahams laughter was not like Sarahs. Hers proceeded from Distrust, His from Joy and Admiration. not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb.

He staggered not at the promise of God Viz. in Gen. 15.5. & 17.16., through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: As all do that rely upon the Power and Promise of God, setting to their Seals that He is True.

And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform He lookt upon God as one that was perfectly able to do what ever he had promised, and as one that was most faithful and sure never to fail in the performance; collecting nothing else from the difficulty and improbability of the matter, but that it was the fitter for an Almighty Power to effect..

And therefore it was imputed to him for Righteousness vid. v. 3. By reason of his Faith he was as sufficiently disposed and qualified for the obtaining of the promise, as if he had had all the Righteousness required by the Law..

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him:

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Here it may be enquired. If Abraham's Faith did justifie him, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness, what does this concern us? The Apostle Answers it was recorded of him for our sakes. vid. Chap. 15.4. And to us there shall be the like imputation, if we believe in God, that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead. This is a greater Act of Faith than Abraham's was. And the nature of justifying Faith lies rather in aff ance, or in putting trust in God through our Lord Iesus Christ, then in assent or in giving credit to the Truth of his promise. Q. Why does the Apostle single out this Act of raising Christ from the dead to describe the Father by? A. To maintain the proportion betwixt the Faith of Abraham, and the Faith of his Seed; that as his respected the Power of God, in raising (as it were) the dead, so in like sort should ours. So some. But the Apostle speaks, as if there were some special reason and ground for confidence in God for justification in this Act of raising Christ from the dead; and indeed nothing is more fit to establish our Faith in persuasion of our justification than this; for when God raised up our Lord Iesus Christ, having loosed the pains of death, he gave full assurance, that his Justice is fully satisfied for our sins. Had not Christ Iesus our surety paid the utmost farthing that was due for our sins, he had still continued in prison, and under the power of death. Hence 'tis that the Apostle Peter tells us, 1 Pet. 1.3. That God has begotten us to a lively hope of the Heavenly Inheritance by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead; there being no more effectual means to persuade us of the pardon of sin, of reconciliation with God, and of acceptance to eternal Life, then that Jesus Christ our surety and sponsor is risen from the dead.

Who was delivered r for our offences i. e. for the expiating of them. Isa. 53.10., and was raised again for our justification Not that his death had no hand in our justification. vid. Rom. 3.24. but because our justification which was begun in his Death, was perfected in his Resurection. Christ did meritoriously work our justification and salvation by his Death and Passion, but the efficacy and perfection thereof with respect to us, dependeth on his Resurrection. By his Death he paid our debt, in his Resurrection he received our acquittance, Isa. 53.8. when he was discharged, we in him, & together with him received our discharge from the guilt and punishment of all our sins. This one verse is an abridgment of the whole Gospel.. He says delivered rather than Crucified, to lead us by the hand to the first cause thereof, the determinate councel of the Blessed Trinity, vid. Act. 2.23. and 4.27.28. Rom. 8.32.