Sayfadaki görseller
PDF
ePub

166

Rom.

ish one another.

The apostle prays that the Romans might abound in hope. SECT. May he give you a well grounded complacency believing, that ye xxxii. and comfort, in consequence of the growing may abound in hope through the power strength of your faith, that you may abound in a of the Holy Ghost. xv. 13 more cheerful and lively hope of eternal glory, through the power of the Holy Spirit, confirming all those habits of grace which you experience, as planted and rooted in your souls by his agen14 cy. And cheerfully do I expect this, when I 14 And I myself reflect on what he has already done; for I am also am persuaded indeed myself persuaded concerning you, my that ye also are full of you, my brethren, brethren, that ye are already full of goodness, of goodness, filled and of unfeigned benevolence to each other, with all knowledge, being filled, through these illuminating influenc-able also to admon: es which you have received, with all spiritual knowledge, and so well acquainted with the whole nature and genius of the Christian religion, as to be both able and inclined to admonish and encourage one another, as to this meek and peaceable disposition, which I have been recommending, and every other part of an amia15 ble and valuable character. Nevertheless, 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly to you, brethren, I have and enlarged with the greater freedom, in this written the more boldly unto you, in part of my epistle, on the privilege to which some sort, as putting God hath called Gentile believers, in some you in mind, because measure as stirring up your grateful and pious of the grace that is remembrance of them, because of that great grace given to me of God, 16 and favour which is given to me of God; Even

16 That I should be the minister of

that I should be the ministering servant of Jesus Jesus Christ to the Christ unto the Gentiles, administering to them Gentiles, ministerin his name, and by his authority, the infinitely ing the gospel of valuable gospel of God: that the offering the God, that the offering up of the GenGentiles to him, as a holy sacrifice, by my tiles might be achands, may be acceptable to God, being sanctifi- ceptable, being sanced and set apart by the Holy Spirit, so plenti- tified by the Holy fully communicated to them in a rich variety 17 I have there17 of gifts and of graces." I have therefore, in fore whereof I may this respect, considerable matter of boasting in glory through Jesus Christ, in those Christ Jesus, with respect to the things of things which per God, and the office which I bear in his tain to God.

Sanctified by the Holy Spirit, &c.] To explain this of the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit, supposed to have happened at Antioch in Pisidia, on converts, who might be called the first fruits of the idolatrous Gentiles, Acts xiii. 52, which is the interpretation advanced by the author of Miscell. Sacra. (Vol. I. p. 112,) and his follow

Ghost.

ers, is not only a needless limitation of the more noble and natural sense here given, but in my judgment, for reasons in part given in my notes on the Acts, an explication which goes upon various principles, precarious, or rather utterly incredible.

With respect to the things of God, &c. rap rov OV.] Raphelius very justly

Reflections on Christian forbearance and selfdenial.

167

church; which I esteem far more honourable than any services SECT. of the Jewish state or priesthood.

IMPROVEMENT.

xxxii.

1

MAY the abundant communication of the Spirit that is in fesus Christ, form us more to the amiable temper here recommended! That we may prove the distinguished strength of our verse minds, by the superior fortitude with which we bear the infirmities of our weaker brethren, and may seek the noble pleasure of 2 pleasing our neighbours for their good, and to their edification. Let the generous selfdenial of our great Lord be in this view ever before our eyes and let us endeavour to feel the reproaches which are cast upon God, much more sensibly than those which immedi- 3 ately fall upon ourselves.

Happy are we in the scriptures, which through Divine Provi- 4 dence and grace have been written for our instruction. May they inspire us with patience and consolation, and establish our souls in humble hope! May our hearts be cemented in the bond of mutual love, that with one mind and one mouth we may glorify 5,6,7 God, and receive each other, with an endearment like that, with which, if we are true believers, notwithstanding our smaller differences, we are received by him.

Mercy is communicated by Christ to Jews and Gentiles, who 8-12 therefore are justly required to unite their praises to the root of Jesse. Let us all trust under the shadow of this pleasant plant, and may we be filled with all joy and peace in believing. What can furnish out so calm a peace, so sublime a joy, as the Christian 13 hope? May we all abound in it by the power of the Holy Ghost. And surely if we are filled with such joy and hope, we must be filled with all goodness too, with a truly benevolent temper to- 14 wards others, which a sense of our own happiness tends most powerfully to promote. We Gentiles have been presented to God 16 as a holy offering: may we be sanctified more and more by the Spirit; and established in a firm confidence in Christ, that he will transact all our concerns with God, under the character of the great Mediator: esteeming that the most happy and glorious 17 circumstance in the station, which Providence may have assigned to us, which gives us the greatest opportunity of spreading the honour of so dear a name, and of presenting praises and services to God through him..

observes, that this phrase has a peculiar ing. Other texts are illustrated by this propriety, when applied to sacerdotal af- remark, and particularly, Heb. ii. 17. See fairs, and especially victims presented to Raphel. Not. ex Xen. in loc. God; of which the apostle is here speak.

168 The apostle would not boast of what Christ had not wrought by him ;

SECT. xxxiii.

Rom.

SECT. XXXIII.

The apostle takes occasion from what he had been saying, to mention the extent of his own labours, and his purposes of further journies, in which he hoped to visit the Romans; in the mean time, earnestly recommending himself to their prayers. Rom. XV. 18, to the end.

I

ROMANS XV. 18.

ROMANS XV. 18.

and deed,

HAVE hinted above at the cause I have to FOR I will not rejoice and boast in Christ, as to what relates to God, and the office of my Christian which Christ hath dare to speak of any of those things Av. 18 ministry. For I will not dare to boast falsely, not wrought by me, nor even speak any thing of what Christ hath to make the Gentiles not indeed wrought by me, to bring the Gentiles obedient, by word into obedience. No; God forbid! that I should either exceed the bounds of truth, in making the report, or arrogate any thing to myself, as my own work, when speaking of the conversions that have indeed been made. I humbly confess that it is Christ who hath wrought whatever is done yet I boldly declare, that his grace and mercy hath, in this respect, distinguished me both in word and deed, by the manner in which he hath enabled me to speak, and the things which he hath strengthened me to perform. He hath wrought by the miracu- 19 Through mighty lous energy of signs and wonders, accomplished signs and wonders. in and by the amazing power of the Spirit of Spirit of God; so by the power of the God, which hath not only been plentifully im- that from Jerusalem, parted to me, but bestowed on others by the and round about unlaying on of my hands; so that thus supported, to Illyricum, I have I have with the happiest effect, fully preached gospel of Christ. fully preached the and explained the gospel of Christ, from Ferusalem, Antioch, and Arabia, in the east, round about through all the Lesser Asia, and Greece, even as far as the western shores of Illyricum, which so nearly borders on your own cele

19

20 brated Italy. For it has still been the object 20 Yea, so have I of my ambition, so far as Providence would strived to preach the

a As far as the western shores of Illyri. cum.] Though it is evident from hence, that St. Paul before the date of this epistle, which was in the year 58, had preached the gospel in these regions, it is observable, that Luke takes no notice of this, in the history of the Acts; where he also omits to mention the journey he took to

Arabia, on his first conversion, and several other very remarkable facts, referred to in the xith chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians, and elsewhere; and it is very possible, that the visit to Crete, when Titus was left behind to ordain elders, Tit. i. 5, might be of this number.

169

therefore he had been hindered from visiting the Romans ¿ gospel, not where permit me to indulge it, to preach the gospel, sECT. Christ was named, not where Christ was [already] named, lest I xxxiii. lest I should build should seem desirous to build upon another man's foundation : foundation, and so decline the difficulties which Rom.

upon another man's

xv. 20

21 But as it is attend the settlement of new churches. Others 21 written, To whom indeed have done this, and little else; but I he was not spoken of, they shall see : have chosen a different manner of acting; as it and they that have is written, in words well applicable to the series not heard, shall un- of my labours, (Isa. lii. 15,) " They to whom

derstand.

cause also I have

nothing was declared concerning him, shall see, and they who have not heard, shall understand." Thus have many received from my mouth, the first notices they have ever had of true religion, and of the method of salvation by the 22 For which Great Redeemer. The consequence therefore 22 been much hindered was, that I have been long hindered from coming from coming to you. to you; which, out of my singular affection for you, I was very desirous of doing though it be something contrary to the method of proceeding which I generally choose, as you have the Christian religion already, by the Divine 23 But now hav- grace, most happily planted among you. But 23 ing no more place now having no longer place, either at Corinth, in these parts, and having a great de. or elsewhere in these Grecian climates, no more sire these many work of this kind remaining to be done here, years to come unto of which Providence seems to open any probable prospect, and having also on various accounts, a great desire for many years to come to 24 Whensoever I you; I will attempt to put it into execution. take my journey into Spain, I will come If I go into Spain, I will endeavour, if possible, 24 to you: for I trust to come to you; for I hope quickly to have an

you;

Vol. II. p. 64,) to make the first proclamation of a Redeemer's name, in places where it had before been quite unheard of. And probably, in mentioning this, he may glance upon those false apostles who crept into churches which he had planted, and endeavoured to establish their own reputation and influence there, by alienating the hearts of his own converts from him, their spiritual father; while like some in our own days, who have trod most exactly in their footsteps, they built on his grand and noble foundations, an edifice of wood, and hay, and stubble, 1 Cor. iii. 12.

Object of my ambition, so far as Providence would permit me to indulge it, to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, &c.] The meaning to be sure cannot be, that Paul scorned to come after any other Christian minister; which would have argued a height of temper very inconsistent with the humility of this blessed apostle; and does not agree with what we read in the history of the Acts, of his going to preach the gospel at Damascus, Antioch and Jerusalem; to which it seems probable, Troas, if not Corinth, or Ephesus, may be added. It may sig. nify that, far from declining dangers and If I go to Spain, &c.] It appears oppositions, which might especially be ex- probable from hence, considering the bected in first breaking up, as it were, the principle which St. Paul chose to govern fallow ground of heathen and unevangelized himself by, of not building on another man's countries, he rather felt a sublime ambi- foundation, that no apostle had yet planted tion, as quolur signifies, (see Elsner, any church in Spain: which as Dr. Ged VOL. 4.

23

[ocr errors]

170 to whom, after going to Jerusalem, he designed to come.

xxxiii.

XV. 24

your company.

SECT. Opportunity of going thither, and as I pass by, to see you in my will contrive, if I can, to see you, and shall ex- journey, and to be brought on my way pect to be brought forward by you in my way thitherward by you, Rom. thither, by the kind attendance of some of my if first I be somefriends at Rome, and the refreshment which what filled with my spirit may receive from others; if I may first, not only have a short interview in passing, but make such an abode with you as to be in some degree satisfied with your [company :] say in some degree, for I know that if I were to indulge my own affection to you, my visit would be much longer than the views of duty elsewhere will permit.

25

I

25 But now I ge

This I speak with relation to my future designs: but I am now going to Jerusalem, minis- unto Jerusalem, to tering to the necessities of the saints there, by saints.

minister unto the

26 For it hath

of Macedonia and A

pleased them

salem.

such contributions as I have raised for their subsistence, or may farther collect, as I prose26 cute my journey. For it hath pleased [the churches of] Macedonia and Achaia,d to make a certain collection for the poor saints, their be- chaia, to make a lieving brethren, that are in Jerusalem, who certain contribution are exposed to such peculiar persecution and for the poor saints 27 affliction. I say, it hath pleased them to do which are at Jeruthis; and, though I acknowledge their free 27 It hath pleased love and generosity in it, yet I may say, that them verily and in a sense, they are their debtors: for if the their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been brought into so happy a Gentiles have been union with God's once peculiar people, and made partakers of are made partakers of their spiritual things, the their spiritual things, invaluable blessings of the gospel, first brought their duty is also to minister unto them to them from Jerusalem, and by persons of in carnal things. the Jewish nation too; they ought certainly to be ready, with all religious gratitude and respect, to minister to them in their carnal things, and impart the inferior blessings of Providence, 28 in which they so much more abound. Having therefore dispatched this affair, and sealed to fore I have performthem, that is, safely delivered as under seal, sealed to them this ed this, and have this present, which is the fruit of that love and care which their Gentile brethren so justly express towards them, I will, if it please

des justly observes, very ill agrees with the legend of St. James; for, according to that, he had now been fifteen years in Spain, and had erected several bishopricks there. Gedd. Misc. Vol. II. p. 221.

& Churches of Macedonia, &c.] As we read of no more than one collection of the

28 When there

Macedonian churches, which was that directed by Paul, when he went from Ephesus to Macedonia, (Acts xx. 1,) in the year of Christ 57; this circumstance seems to fix the date of this epistle pretty early in 58; as was observed in the_introduction, and the former note there referred to.

[ocr errors]
« ÖncekiDevam »