Romans 12

Romans 12:1

I Beseech you] The fourth part of this Epistle, which after the finishing of the chief points of Christian doctrine, consisteth in the delivering precepts of Christianitie: and first he layeth generall grounds, whereof the chiefest is this, that every man consecrate himself wholly to the spirituall service of God, and do as it were sacrifice himself, trusting to the grace of God.

your bodies] That is, your selves, by a Synecdoche. In times past other bodies then our own, to wit, the bodies of beasts were offered, but now our own must be offered.

a living sacrifice] In times past dead sacrifices were offered, but now we must offer such as have the Spirit of life in them; by life he meaneth the new life in the regeneration of the Spirit, and this sacrifice is to be offered not as in the old law, by presenting it alive before the Lord, and shedding the bloud upon the Altar, but by a spirituall slaying and mortifying our carnall lusts and affections, Romans 6:11. 2 Corinthians 5. 5. Colossians 3:9.

acceptable] Gr. well pleasing.

reasonable service] Or, worship. That is, a spirituall service, so called in opposition to the carnall rites of the ceremoniall law; and he calleth it a reasonable service because it consisteth not in the outward offering up of unreasonable beasts, as in the Old testament: but in the offering up of our selves, who are men endued with reason. The like exhortation we have, Hebrews 13:15. 1 Peter 2:5. Or, agreeable to the rules of true reason.

Romans 12:2

be not conformed to this world] That is, take not upon you the forme and fashion of this world, which lieth altogether in wickednesse, 1 John 5:19. apply your selves not to the customes, dispositions, and practises of worldly and corrupt men, described by the Apostle, Romans 13:13. Ephes. 4. 18, 19. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 1 John 2:16.

but be ye transformed] See Ephesians 4:23. Changed, or altered in forme and fashion, not according to the body, but according to the soule and the faculties thereof; That is, be ye regenerated and changed from your naturall depravation in all parts of your soul, beginning from the very highest; namely, the understanding and reason, by which also the Spirit of God doth work upon all other inferiou faculties.

by] Or, in.

that ye may prove] See Ephesians 5:17. Give proofe by your godly life, that ye understand indeed what is the good will of God; or that by the gift of a spirituall judgement you may discern and approve that the law of God is altogether good, and perfectly compleat, Psalms 19:8. 11. Romans 7:22. and to submit our selves unto the same; or that we may discern what according to the law is good and acceptable unto God, and exactly correspondent to his will revealed in his word, which is the perfect rule according to which we are to frame our lives.

acceptable] Gr. well pleasing.

Romans 12:3

through] Or, by.

through the grace given unto me] By grace he meaneth his Apostolicall office freely bestowed upon him, as the word is taken, Romans 1:5.

to think of himself more highly] Or, to be wise.

but to think soberly] Gr. to sobrietie. We shall be sober if we take not that upon us which we have not, nor brag of that which we have. In the Greek there is a most elegant Paranomasie in three words of like sound, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which cannot be expressed in any other language; and the Greek Scholiast thereupon observes, that the Apostle sometimes useth choyce figures of Rhetorick to shew that he was not ignorant of that art: and yet not over frequently, that he might retain the simplicitie and majestie of his Apostolike style.

to every man, &c.] See Ephesians 4:7.

the measure of faith] By faith he meaneth the knowledge of God in Christ, and the gifts which the holy Ghost poureth upon the faithfull.

Romans 12:4

For as we have many members] See 1 Corinthians 12:12. There is a double reason of the precept going before; the one is because God hath not appointed every thing to be done by every man, but constituted diverse vocations, the bounds whereof men ought not to passe: the other for that the diversitie and inequalitie of vocations and gifts redoundeth to our commoditie, seeing the same is therefore instituted, that we should be bound one to another: whereupon it followeth, that no man ought to be grieved thereat, seeing that the use of every private gift i common.

office] Gr. action. or, operation.

Romans 12:6

Having then gifts] Or, but having gifts. See 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11.

whether prophecie] By prophecie he understandeth not the extraordinarie gift of fore-telling things future, but the gift of expounding the holy Scriptures, as the Apostle himself declareth the meaning of the word, 1 Corinthians 4:3.

proportion of faith] Some by proportion of faith understand an analogie to the Articles of the Creed, and from hence they collect this doctrine, That in all interpretations of holy Scripture we have an eye to the Articles of the Christian faith, and give expositions conformable thereunto; and that rule is good: but yet it seemes that the Apostles words have another meaning here; that he that hath the gift of prophecie ought to exercise it according to the proportion of faith, that is, according to the measure of that knowledge of heavenly mysteries revealed in Scripture, and given unto him.

Romans 12:7

he that teacheth] Gr. Tec. gift of teaching. Here he divideth (as some conceive) Prophets into Doctors and Pastours; the Doctors simply searched into the meaning of Scripture, but the Pastours besides the exposition of the Text, or commenting upon it, applied the sense of Scripture to the special use of their hearers. The former resemble our Readers in the Universitie; the latter our Preachers.

Romans 12:8

giveth] Or, imparteth.

with simplicitie] Or, liberally.

Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation] Now he cometh to the duties of the second Table, which he deriveth from charity, which is, as it were, the fountain of them all; and he describeth it by sinceritie, hatred of evill, earnest studie of good things, and good affection to help our neighbour. If it be demanded, why the Apostle addeth here the Epithete sincere, or without dissimulation, to love rather, then to other vertues? the answer is twofold, either because they are all comprised in love, or because there is almost no man who maketh not some shew of love or friendship to his neighbour, though he bear secret rancor and malice in his heart.

Abhorre] Gr. abhorring. or, hating.

cleave] Gr. cleaving.

Romans 12:10

Be kindly affectioned] See Hebrews 13:1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifieth naturall affection, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 love of the brethren. His meaning therefore is, that we should improve the naturall affection we bear towards any to a higher pitch, even to Christian charitie.

with brotherly love] Or, in the love of the brethren.

in honour preferring one another] Gr. going before one another. The meaning is not that we should ambitiously strive to outstrip one another in getting places of honour or preferment one before another; but strive to prevent one another in offices of courtesie and humanitie, and in giving honour one to the other, and yeelding the place and the hand. For Christian humilitie teacheth not onely not to preferre our selves above our equals, nor to equall our selves to our betters, but also in some cases to equall our selves to our inferiours; yea and to preferre them also above us. Primus gradus, &c. 1. Inferiorem se exhibere aequali. 2. Aequalem se exhibere inferiori. 3. Inferiorem se exhibere etiam inferiori. Bernardus.

Romans 12:11

Not slothfull in businesse] Or, remisse in industrie. In the Originall it is word for word, not remisse in your studie or diligence, that namely which every one ought to employ about his calling, in a spirituall carefulnesse to the glory and service of God, and to the good of the Church and the salvation of the godly.

fervent in spirit] Zealous, not cold, not luke-warme, but earnest in a holy spirituall affection.

serving the Lord] In some Editions it is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, serving the time; which reading if we should admit, we must not understand the Apostle as if he commanded us to be temporizers, or to apply our selves to the corrupt customes and manners of the times; but to keep time in all our actions, and do them in the fittest season, and as the Apostle elsewhere exhorteth, to walk wisely towards them that are without, redeeming the time, Colossians 4:5. Ephesians 5:16. because the dayes are evill: But in the most ancient Copie of Tecla, and generally in the most correct Editions, the word is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not the time, but the Lord; and the meaning is, that we should have no other aime or scope in all our actions then his service, and whatsoever our employment be, to consider with all diligence as servants of the Lord, what his service and honour requireth, Psalms 2:11. Ephesians 6:7.

Romans 12:12

tribulation] Or, affliction.

Romans 12:13

Distributing] Gr. communicating.

Romans 12:14

Blesse them, &c.] See Matthew 5:44.

Romans 12:15

Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce] In these words he condemneth Stoicall or apathie, and commendeth Christian sympathie. Some conceive that he alludeth to the two gates in Solomons Temple, at the one whereof they entered who were to be married, who were joyfull and merry; at the other those who were to do penance, and for a time were excluded from the company of the faithful, and these were alwaies sad and mournfull. Drusius ex Rabbi Juda.

Romans 12:16

Mind not] Gr. not minding.

condescend, &c.] Or, be contented with mean things. or, being carried with the low, or lowly.

Be not wise, &c.] See Proverbs 3:7. Isaiah 5:21.

Romans 12:17

Recompence to, &c.] See Proverbs 20:22. 1 Thes. 5. 15. 1 Pet. 3. 9.

of all men] Gr. Tec. of God and all men.

Romans 12:18

live peaceably with all men] See Hebrews 12:14.

Romans 12:19

avenge not] Gr. not avenging.

give place unto wrath] The words may admit of a double construction; either give place to the wrath of thine enemie according to that precept, currenti cede furori, be not as forward to provoke and wrong him as he is to wrong thee: or else, give place to the wrath of God, that is his judgement, prevent or hinder it not by revenging thy self.

Vengeance is mine] Gr. belongs to me. See Deuteronomy 32:35. Hebrews 10:30.

Romans 12:20

Therefore if, &c.] Gr. Tec. But if. See Proverbs 25:21.

in so doing] Gr. doing this.

coales of fire on his head] Either the meaning seemeth to be, thou shalt heap Gods judgements like coales of fire upon him: or, as Saint Augustine lib. 3. de doc. Christ. c. 16. Urentes poenitentiae gemitus, quibus superbia sanatur ejus qui dolet se inimicum fuisse hominis a quo ejus miseriae subvenitur: by rendering good for evill thou shalt bring heart-burning and sorrow to him; his own conscience checking him, for intending mischief to such an one, who hath deserved well of thee, and relieved thee in thy greatest danger and want. Yet whether he mean by coales of fire Gods judgements, or his enemies conscience pricking and vexing him, we must not do god unto him & relieve him in his necessitie to this end, that God may take vengeance on him, or he on himself for his evill mind towards us, for that were to be overcome of evill: but we must do it out of pure love and Christian charitie; for that is to overcome evill with good.

Romans 12:21

Be not] Gr. Be not thou.

overcome] Gr. overcome thou.