Romans 5

THerefore being justified by faith As he had before asserted and proved particularly, in chap. 3.28. and 4.24., we have peace which God i. e. We have reconciliation with God, who before were utter enemies to him, Col. 1.21. he is now become our friend as he was Abraham's. through our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the only Mediator of Reconciliation. vid. 2. Cor. 5.19. Ephes. 2.14, 15, 16. Col. 1.20. 1 Tim. 2.5.. Hitherto of the cause and manner of our Iustification; now follow the benefits and effects.

By whom We have not only reconciliation with God by Iesus Christ, but also by Faith in him we are admitted to his presence, his Grace and Favour. One may be reconciled to his Prince, and yet not to be brought into his Presence. Witness Absalom, &c. vid. Eph. 2.18. and 3.12. 1 Pet. 3.18. also we have access by faith, into this grace This grace is either that whereof he spake, ch. 3.24. or else rather it may be understood of that excellent state of Reconciliation, Friendship and Favour with God, which God has graciously bestowed upon us. wherein we stand Or in which we stand or abide, not stirring a foot for any temptation or persecution. A metaphor from Souldiers keeping their station in fight. A man may obtain his Princes Favour, and lose it again. But, &c., and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God In the Glory hoped for, a Hebraism. vid. Luke 10.20. 1 Pet. 1.8, 9. even in that Glory which God has promised, and consists in the enjoyment of him..

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also As old Souldiers do in their scars of Honour. vid. Gal. 6.17. 2 Cor. 12.9, 10, 11. Believers don't only glory in their future happiness, but in their present sufferings & afflictions. Yet not so much in affliction it self, as in the issue and fruitful effects thereof, of which he speaks in what follows., knowing Finding by experience. that tribulation worketh patience Not as if affliction of its self and its own nature did this, for in many it has a contrary operation; but God who is the Author and giver of patience, Rom. 15.3. does make use of it for this purpose; it is a means sanctified of God for the exercising, obtaining and increasing thereof..

And patience, experience viz. Of Gods sustentation and care of us, and of his Faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. Isa. 43.2. Psal. 91.15. 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. as also of our own sincerity, and strength to endure and persevere. Mat. 13.21.; and experience, hope i. e. of the Glory of God as before in v. 2. or hope of farther mercy & seasonable deliverance. Believers find & feel that God has delivered them, and does deliver them, and in him they trust and hope, that he will still deliver them.:

And hope maketh not ashamed It does not disappoint or deceive us. Frustrated hopes fill men with shame and confusion, Iob. 6.19, 20. This passage seems to be taken out of Psal. 22.5., because This is either rendred as the reason of all that went before, therefore the justified by Faith have peace with God, access to him by Faith, Hope of Glory, Joy in Tribulation, &c. Because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts; or else it is a reason of what immediately preceded: therefore hope maketh not ashamed, because the Love of God is shed abroad, &c. the love of God Understand it either actively of our Love to God, or rather passively of his Love to us, (of which he speaks v. 8.) and of the sense thereof is shed abroad in our hearts is greatly manifested or abundantly poured forth. A frequent metaphor both in the Old and New Testament. vid. Isa. 44.3. Ioel 2.8. Zech. 12.10. Iohn 7.38. Act. 2.17., by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Not excluding the Father and Son, it is the more proper work of the Spirit, both to make us feel the Love of God, and to fill our hearts with love to God..

For when we were yet without strength Utterly unable to help or redeem our selves., in due time Some read it according to the time, and refer this clause to the forgoing words; making this to be the sense, When we were weak in time past, or in the time of the Law, before grace appeared, then Christ died, &c. Others rather refer it to the following words, and so our Translation carries it, that in due time. i. e. in the fulness of time, as Gal. 4.4. or in the time that was before decreed, and prefixt by the Father. The Scripture every where speaks of a certain season or hour assigned for the death of Christ. vid. Mat. 26.45. Iohn 8.20. and 12.27. and 17.1. Christ died for the ungodly i. e. for the sake, or instead of such as were enemies to God (as v. 10) and so could deserve no such favour from him..

For He amplifies the Love of Christ in dying for the ungodly, and shows that it is unparalleld and without example. scarcely for a righteous man will one dy: yet peradventure for a good man By a good man, you must understand one that is very kind and bountiful, or one that is very useful and profitable; that is, a publick and common good. Instances may be given of those that have sacrificed their lives for such. Lilloe stept between the Murtherer and King Edwin his Master. Nich. Ribische lost his life to preserve Prince Maurice at the Seige of Pista. some would even dare to dy.

But God commendeth i. e. He declareth or confirmeth it, by this as a most c rtain sign, he makes it most conspicuous or illustrious. vid. Iohn 3.16. 1 Iohn 4.9, 10. his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us i. e. In a state of sin, and under the guilt and power of Sin. Believers in some sense are still Sinners, 1 Iohn 1.8. but their sins being pardoned and subdued, they go no longer under that denomination. Sinners in Scripture are said to be those in whom sin dwells and reigns. vid. Iohn 9.31. such we were by nature. Yea we were not only Sinners but enemies to God, which farther commendeth the Love of Christ in dying for us: there is no greater Love amongst men, than when one layeth down his Life for his Friends; but herein Christs Love excell'd, that he gave his Life for his enemies..

Much more then The Apostles arguing is cogent, for 'tis more to justifie and reconcile Sinners, then to save them being justified; Christ therefore having done the former, he will much more do the latter. being now justified by his blood i. e. By Faith in his Blood or Sufferings., we shall be saved from wrath through him The Greek reads it with an Article from that Wrath, whereby is meant the Wrath to come, or eternal punishment..

For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God Put into a capacity of reconciliation, God being by Christs death made reconcilable, and also actually reconcil'd, when we Believe through the Merits of the Death of Christ. by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life i. e. By the Resurrection to Life, Salvation is ascribed to the Resurrection and Life of Christ, because He thereby does perfect our Salvation; He ever living to make Intercession for us, Heb. 7.25. And because by his Resurrection and Life, we shall be raised to eternal Life at that Day..

And not only so q. d. We don't only rejoyce in the hope of Glory, and in tribulation of which he had spoken. v. 2.3. (all that fell in between, being a long parenthesis) but we rejoyce & glory in God himself, who is become our God and merciful Father in Jesus Christ., but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement This is rendred as the reason why we should rejoyce in God through Jesus Christ; for by him God is attoned or reconciled, satisfaction being made for our Sins in his Blood. The particle now has its Emphasis, to show the priviledg of those who live in these times of the Gospel..

Wherefore From this Verse to the end of the Chapter, the Apostle makes a large Comparison between the first and second Adam, which he joyns to what he had said by the causal Particle Wherefore. q. d. Seeing Things are as I have already said, it is Evident, That what was Lost by Adam, is Restored by Christ. This Verse seems to be Lame and Imperfect; the Reddition is wanting in the Comparison: For unto this (As by one Man sin entered into the World) there should be added, So by Christ, &c. But the Reddition, or second part of the Comparison, is suspended, by reason of a long Parenthesis intervening to the 18. and 19. verses where the Apostle sets down both parts of the Comparison., as by one man viz. Adam. Obj. Eve first sinned. 1 Tim. 2.14. A. He is not showing the order how Sin first entred into the World, but how it was propagated to mankind. Therefore he mentions the Man, because he is the head of the woman, and the Covenant was made with him: Or, Man may be used collectively, both for man and woman; as when God said, Let us make Man, &c. sin It is to be understood of our first Parents actual sin, in eating the forbidden Fruit; this alone was it that affected their posterity, and made them Sinners, v. 19. entred into the world Understand the Inhabitants of the world; the thing containing by an usual Metonimy is put for the thing contained., and death by sin As the due reward thereof. Death here may be taken in its full latitude for temporal, spiritual and eternal death., and so death passed Seized upon all, of all sorts, Infants as well as others. upon all men, for that all have sinned Others read it thus; in which all have sinned. i. e. in which one man, and so it is a full proof that Adam was a publick person, and that in him all his posterity sinned and fell. He was our Representative, and we were all in him as a Town or Country in a Parliament Man, and although we chose him not, yet God chose for us. The words are rendred in which in other places, and the preposition is put for vid. Mar. 2.4. Heb. 9.10. and if our translation be retained, it is much to the same sense; for if such dye as never committed any actual sin themselves (as Infants do) then it will follow that they sinned in this one man, in whose loynes they were; as Levi is said to have paid tithes in Abrahams loynes, Heb. 7.9..

For untill the Law sin was in the world: q. d. It appears that all have sinned, because sin was always in the world, not only after the Law was given by Moses, but also before, even from the beginning of the World till that time. but sin is not imputed when there is no Law q. d. It appears there was a Law before the Law of Moses, for if there had been no Law all that while, then sin would not have been imputed to men, so as to make them liable to punishment or death but sin was imputed or charged upon men before the Law of Moses, and death past upon all. Therefore there must be a Law by the transgression of which men were sinners before that time. And that was either the Law of Nature, or the positive Law which God gave to Adam, the transgressions whereof is imputed to all, as we shall see, v. 19. Some think the Apostle does here obviate a Cavil. q. d. Let no man think that sin began to have its being together with the Law, for there was sin before there was any written Law to forbid it. The same acts that were forbidden afterwards by the Law, were before committed, and were really sinful in the sight of God. But sin was not so well known, nor so strictly charged upon the sinner as it is since the Law was given. It was not imputed comparatively, though absolutely it was, as may appear by many instances, as the drowning of the World, the destruction of Sodom, &c..

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses He proceeds to prove his assertion in the foregoing verse, that sin was in the world before the Law; because death, which is the wages of sin did reign, and had power over all mankind from Adam to Moses which was about 2500. Years. even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions i. e. Over very Infants, that had not actually sinned as Adam did. But though Infants did not sin like Adam, yet they sinned in Adam. The guilt of his sin was imputed to them, else death could have had no power over them. Infants (as one says) are not altogether Innocents, the very first sheet or blanket wherewith they are covered is woven of sin and shame, of blood and filth, Ezek. 16.4, 6. who is the figure of him that was to come Of his Ofspring (so some) which came of him in after times, his Posterity (as before) was represented in his person: But others better expound it of Christ, who is the second Adam; and of whom Adam was a Figure or Type, not in respect of such things as were personal to either of them, but of that which by them redounded to others. The first Adam was the Original of mans Natural and Earthly Being: The second Adam of his Spiritual and Heavenly. By the first Sin and Death came into the World, by the second Righteousness and Life..

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift q. d. But yet the resemblance betwixt the first and second Adam, is not so exact as to admit of no difference; differences there be, but they are to great advantage on Christs part. e. g. Compare Adams Sin and Christs Obedience, in respect of their Efficacy and Virtue, and you will find a great difference.. For if through the offence of one many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ has abounded unto many The Obedience of Christ (which is the product of his Grace and Favour) is much more powerful to Justification and Salvation, than the sin of Adam was to Condemnation. If the transgression of mere Man was able to pull down Death and Wrath upon all his natural Seed, then the obedience of One which is God as well as man, will much more abundantly avail to procure pardon and life for all his Spiritual Seed. He does not give the preheminence unto the Grace of Christ in respect of the number, but of the more powerful Efficacy and Virtue..

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation: but the free gift is of many offences to justification q. d. As there is a difference between Adam and Christ in respect of their persons, so also in respect of their Acts, and the extent thereof; for one sin of Adam did condemn us, the mischief arose from one offence; but the free gift and grace of Christ does absolve us not only from that one fault, but from all other Faults and Offences. It reacheth to the pardon not only of Original Sin, but of all other personal and actual sins..

For if by one mans offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ Here he shows the difference in respect of the Effects and Consequents of their Acts. If by means of one man and his one offence death had power over all mankind, then much more shall the grace and gift of Righteousness, which is by Jesus Christ alone, obtain eternal life for all that have received abundant Grace and Mercy from him..

Therefore Here, after a long Parenthesis, the Apostle returnes to what he had begun to say, in v. 12. and now he makes the Comparison full in both members, which there by reason of intervening matter was left imperfect as I before hinted. as by the offence of one judgment Guilt which exposeth to Judgment. came upon all All the Posterity or natural Seed of the first Adam. men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift That which all along he calls the Free Gift, seems to be the benefit the Believers have by Christs Obedience. came upon all men Not all universally, but all Sorts of men indifferently, Gentiles as well as Iews: Or all that are his Spiritual Seed Or All men here, is put for many men: See elsewhere. vid. Luke 6.26. Act. 22.15. Many is sometimes put for All. Dan. 12.2. and again All for Many; and indeed these two words, All and Many seem to be used reciprocally by this context in particular v. 15. and 19. unto justification of life.

For as by one mans i. e. Adams, see the notes on v. 12. disobedience many i. e. All as before, many is here opposed to one or a few; the meaning is, Though Adam was but one, yet he infected many others, his sin rested not in his own person. were made sinners Brought into a State of sin. This is more than when all the World were said to sin in him. The word is used to signifie great and hainous sinners. The Apostle here informes us of that which all Philosophy was ignorant of, viz. the Imputation of Adams sin, and our natural Polution flowing from it. Yea, this was more than the naked History of mans fall by Moses did discover; There indeed we see the Cause of death, how that came upon all mankind; but that Adams sin was accounted to us, that by his disobedience we are involv'd in Sin and Misery, that is not clearly revealed in the Books of Moses. We are beholding to the Gospel, and particularly to this Text and Context, for the more full discovery hereof.: so by the obedience of one, i. e. Of Christ. He leaves out the word, Man, either for brevities sake, or because Christ was not a mere man as Adam was. Here the Apostle concludes the Collation he had made between Adam and Christ, whom he had all along represented as two publick Persons, or as two common Roots or Fountaines, the one of Sin and eath, the other of Righteousness and Life. And indeed there are throughout the Conte t (as one observes) several Textual and Grammatical Obscurities, as also redundant and defective expressions which are not unusual with this Apostle, whose matter runneth from him like a torrent, and cannot be so well bounded by words. Another says upon the consideration of the difficulties in this context, we do not need Theseus his twine of thread, but the Holy Ghost and that Light by which this Epistle was wrote, to guide us into the understanding of it. shall many be made Righteous.

Moreover Here he shows the reason why the Law was given, although (as tis in v. 13.) before that time sin was in the world, it was that the offence might abound., the law entred, that the offence might abound Either strictly the offence of that One man, or rather largely the offence of Every man. The particular (rendred that) is to be taken either Causally, and so it is interpreted by Gal. 3.19. where it is said, the Law was added because of transgression, that thereby the guilt and punishment of sin being more fully discovered, the riches of Gods free grace and mercy might be the more admired; or else Eventually, it so falls out by accident, or by reason of mans corruption, that sin is thereby increased or augmented. The Law is Holy, Just and Good (as hereafter) how then does that encrease sin? Either as it irritates the Sinner, chap. 3.20. and 7.8, 11. or makes manifest the sin, chap. 7.7, 13. thereby sin is known to be as indeed it is out of measure sinful.: But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound This is added by way of Correction to mitigate the former assertion, and it layes down a second end of giving the Law, the former was the encrease and manifestation of sin, the latter is the abounding or superaboun ing of Gods grace There is this difference to be observed; that the first end is Universal, for in all men both good and bad, the Law worketh the encrease and knowledg of sin; but the other is Particular and peculiar to the Elect; to them only the grace of God is superabundant after that they have abounded in sin, and by how much the greater is their guilt, by so much the greater is the grace of God in the free forgiveness thereof.:

That as sin has reigned Before he ascribed Dominion and Raign to Death, now to Sinners; the reason is evident, because death indeed reigneth by sin. Before also he had made the comparison betwixt Adam and Christ, here 'tis betwixt sin and grace, the power of one and of the other. The summe is, that as Sin has prevailed over all mankind to bring death upon man, not only a temporal but eternal death, so the grace of Christ prevails, and becomes effectual to confer upon us eternal Life. unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness i. e. Imputed or imparted. unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord See how sweetly the end answers the beginning of this Chapter, and how Jesus Christ is both the Author and Finisher of all..