Romans 4

Romans 4:1

WHat shall e say?] seeing every man is under condemnation and cannot be justified but onely by faith without workes. Romans 3:28 wee ought to say that Abraham himselfe the head of all such as enter to the covenant of grace, hath not been justified any other way though hee did farre urpasse his posterity in goodnesse. And that he hath not obtained life and glory by his owne works, and therefore his children cannot have any priviledge above him, but that his example is the rule of all their estate towards God, As pereining to,]considered in himselfe in his own naturall state, out of the grace of pardon and of justification.

Romans 4:2

For if,] that is to say, he hath obteined nothing by his owne proper merrits for if so be it were so, he would have somewhat whereof to glorie before God, but he had nothing for the justification which Abraham obtained by saith, v. 3. taketh away any glory of his owne from man Romans 3:27.

Romans 4:3

Abraham beleeved,] See the exposition upon Genesis 15:6.

Romans 4:4

Nw to him,] this passage being well understood shwth sufficiently that Abraham could have no conence nor matter of glory in his owne proper works, for he being justified by faith which ath no other object no foundation, but the grace, and poies of God, workes could take no place therein. Now he Apostle sets downe grace and faith here undr one kinde, and the law and works under another, and supposeth that the one cannot be mangled with the other in the caes of mans justification Romans 11:6 That worketh,] that goeth after this wy of workes, and buildeth thereupon to obtaine the reward of life promised by the law, Not reckoned,] in case hee have performed the condition therein set downe, namely, perfect obedience, But of deb,] not by vertue f any absolute merit, and naturall equivalncy, which cannot be betweene God and man, betweene whom there is no proportin, neither in the persons, nor in the actions, nor in goods, but by vertue of that voluntary act of God, doe these things and thou shalt live.

Romans 4:5

That worketh not,] who being unable to performe that condition of works doth not build thereon, but taketh the other way to bee saved, which is that of faith in Gods mrcy towards a sinner, by which Christs righteousnesse is given him, to bee cloathed therewith, and by vertue thereof to bee abolve from sinne and condemnation, His saith,] not considered in it self as it is a work that hath aie singuler merit o wrth but in its own relatiō to christ and in the action of reauing him, and livelily applying him to him selfe, as ating nourisheth, that is o say the meate that is eaten. See Isaiah 53:11. Romans 5:18-19. 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Romans 4:6

Without workes,] which is gathered out of Davids saying by a necessary consequence, for where there is remission, there is sin, without any satisfaction of his owne.

Romans 4:8

Impute,] a manner of speech taken from accompts and debts, as much as to say hee shall not hold him faulty nor guilty, to make him beare the punishment in his owne person.

Romans 4:9

Commeth this blessednesse,] there is besides, this to be considered in Abrahams example, that hee having received this noted testimonial of his iustification whilest hee was yet uncircumcised, it apeareth thereby that circumcision is not necessary thereunto; as the greatest part of the Iewes, even of those that were converted to the faith, believed.

Romans 4:10

How was it?] was it by means of circumcision as the Iewes hold?

Romans 4:11

And hee,] the Italian hath it Afterwards hee,] namely, after hee was declared iustified by faith. See Genesis 15. 6. and 17. 10 The signe,] sacraments having these two uses, of signifiing by the analogy, and correspondency there is betweene the bodily and the spirituall thing, and to seal the promise of internall grace correspondent to the signification, and that by vertue of Gods order, mediaing the condition of faith therein required, Aseale,] for circumcision ordained after Abrahams iustification by faith, was but a confirmation of that covenant of grace, by which God promised to cleanse man from his sinne, forgiving him it in Christ, and likewise to sanctifie and renew him by his spirit, which are the two benefits represented by circumcision, That hee might,] God would thus bestow upon Abraham, both the things and the times, to shew that as well the Gentiles as the Iewes are reputed to bee true children, comprehended within the covenant made with him and his posterity, so that they follow his faith, whither they be circumcised during the time circumcision was in no force according to Gods appointment, or whither they be not, after that God in stead of it had appointed another Sacrament, which is baptisme,

Romans 4:12

Which are,] that is to say, which are corporally circumcised.

Romans 4:13

For the,] that is to say, this is proved because man is made the childe of Abraham and partaker of the promises which were made to him in the same quality, as is noted of ABRAHAM in that solemne promise Genesis 15:6. Now that was not any dignity or merit, by which God was duced to yeeld him a reward, but faith receiving from God a gift freely offered. See Hebrewes 11. 8 That ee should,] to bee reestablished as GODS childe into the right and degree which Adam had before his fall to bee Lord over all the creatures. Which was figured to Abraham by the possession of the land of Canaan promised unto him, and to his posterity: and is in part effected by the just fruition which God gives his children of his creatures, as to Christs fellowes and members, and shall bee perfectly accomplished in the Kingdome of heaven. See 1. Cor. 3. 21 22. 1.

Timothy 4. 3. Hebrewes 1, 2. and 2. 5 Was not,]is not set downe in scripture to have beene made in regard of any righteousnesse or proper vertue of Abraham, but by faith imbracing Gods grace, and the promised Messias, in stead of all righteousnes that can appeare before God to obtain life.

Romans 4:14

For if,] if it were not so, and that by workes, man might obtaine that inheritance, all faith, covenants, grace, and promises, would bee void, which is wicked and most absurd, even to thinke. Now if righteousnesse and life is thorough grace, it must bee so absolutely, and purely, without any intermeddling of mens righteousnesse or the Law, for these two meanes cannot agree with one another. Romanes 11. 6. Galatians 3:1-29. v 12. 18 The promise,] which in these passages is alwaies taken by the Apostle, for the free and Evangelical promise, and not the legall.

Romans 4:15

Because,] that is to say, it is cleere that these two meanes of obtaining life and righteousnesse, cannot consist together, for the law is altogether rigorous, requiring perfect obedience, or denouncing death and condemnation to the transgressors, whereas contrariwise the promise is but a messenger of grace and reconciliation, For where,] this is proved because that man doth not truly know his sinne, nor doth not feele the mortall sting of it, but only by meanes of the Law, working effectually upon his conscience.

Romans 4:16

Therefore,] because that first means of obtaining righteousnesse by the law which God hath granted unto men, hath thorough sinne beene made not onely unprofitable, but even quite contrary and deadly: wee must of necessity have recourse unto the other, which is faith: which onely amōgst other vertues, can in this case agree with Gods meere grace, seeing that the operation of faith is not to acquire or merit, but only to receive what is given to us. Iohn 1. 12 Bee sure,] as grounded upon God and his immutable pleasure, and Christs perfect and everlasting righteousnesse, and not upon mens variable will, and inconstant obedience. See Ezekiel 16:61. Rom. 9 11. & 11. 19 To all,] namely, to the spirituall seed according to the faith, of which God intended to speake in that excellent promise, I will bee thy GOD and of thy seed after thee, Genesis 17:7 Not to that onely,] not onely to the nationall believing Iewes, who have been kept under the Pedagogie of the Law, and under a directour to Christ, without trusting therein for their righteousnesse and salvation.

Romans 4:17

Before him,] with a spirituall and divine paternity, which consisteth in example of faith, according to which God, can make whom he will Abrahams childe. Matth. 3. 9. as he of nothing created all things and raiseth the dead, and according to his paternity hee judgeth who are Abrahams true children, which he approveth of, whereas in mens iudgements the Iewes onely ought to bee so, According to others, the meaning is, that as God is not onely father in grace of those which are alreadie, but of all such likewise as he shall hereafter create by his omnipoent word, Abraham likewise by some correspondency hath beene reputed father of the Gentile, who had neither spirituall life, nor quality, such as was required for to be his children. Ephes. 2, 12 And calleth,] that is to say, by his word hee makes them to be, and as if one should say, to appeare for that end for which he hath appointed them, as he did in the creation of all things, and in the miraculous resurections wrought by Christ, Let there be light, azarus come forth, &c.

Romans 4:18

Who?] namely Abraham. Now hee sheweth by example of Abrahams beliefe touching the particuler promise concerning Isaack, what the true faith of al his children should be concerning the general promises of grace Against hope,] against all causes, arguments, and appearances of naturall hope, In hope,] that is to say, concerning a firme spirituall and supernaturall hope, by reason of Gods promises.

Romans 4:19

Hee csi leed not.] he stood nor stopped not upon the order of nature. ccording to which all hope of issue was taken away from him. So true th overcomes all apprehension of a mans owne impotency, thorough the lively perswasion of Gods promises.

Romans 4:20

Giving,] by acknowledging his Soveraigne truth, and infinite power, above all inferiour order or contrary difficulty, glory being set upon the highest point of emmency, above all other things.

Romans 4:22

It was] God by reason of his faith, held him to bee as sufficiently disposed to obtaine the ccomplishment of the promises, as if he had had all the righteousnesse, required by the law to receive Gds Benefis.

Romans 4:23

For his,] as if it had been some peculi¦ar act or priviedge of Abrahams, whereas it was a dcumen, and an example of iustifying faith, common to all his spirituall children.

Romans 4:24

On him,] namely in God, who in Christs mst glorious resurrection, gave an eay of his power, to raise spiritually all beleivers, and hath in the same resurection placed all the causes of their resurrections Romans 6:4.

Romans 4:25

Delivered,] namely to death, by the will of God, For our,] to make an expatio for them by his death For our justification,] namely, to shew unto us how wee were absolved as it were by manner of solemne iudgement, CHRIST our surety, being returned to life after hee had made an nd of satisfying for us, for a certaine argument, that God was fully reconciled to us, and that life was gained for us, which could not have beene is hee had remained dead, for the continuation of the payment, would alwaies have shewed the imperfection of it. See 1 Corinthians 15:17.