Chap. 21. PARAPHRASE. greffions of many Men, viz. all that were under the NOTES. : TEXT. grace did much more a bound: That as fin hath reigned 21 unto death, even fo might grace reign through righteoufnefs unto eternal life, by Jefus Chrift our Lord. Intention of God to remove the Ifraelites out of this State by the Law and fo he says himself, that he gave them Statutes and Judgments, which if a Man do, he fall live in them, Lev. xviii. 5. And fo St. Paul tells us here, Chap. vii. 10. that the Law was ordained for Life. Whence it neceffarily follows, that if Life were intended them for their Obedience, Death was intended them for their Difobedience : And accordingly Mofes tells them, Deut. xxx. 19. that he had fet before them Life and Death. Thus by the Law the Children of Ifrael were put into a new State: And by the Covenant God made with them, their remaining under Death, or their Recovery of Life, was to be the Confequence not of what another had done, but of what they themselves did. They were thenceforth put to ftand or fall by their own Actions, and the Death they fuffer'd was for their Tranfgreffions. Every Offence they committed against the Law, did by this Covenant bind Death upon them. 'Tis not eafie to conceive that God fhould give them a Law, to the end Sin and Guilt should abound amongst them, but yet he might and did give them a Law that the Offence which had Death annexed fhould abound, i, e. that Death, which before was the declared Penalty of but one Offence, fhould to the Jews be made the Penalty of every Breach by the Sanction of this new Law, which was not a Hardship, but a Privilege to them. For in their former State, common to them with the rest of Mankind, Death was unavoidable to them. But by the Law they had a Trial for Life: Accordingly our Saviour to the young Man, who asked what he should do to obtain eternal Life, answers, Keep the Commandments. The Law increafing the Offence in this Senfe had also another Benefit, viz. That the Jews perceiving they incur'd Death by the Law, which was ordained for Life, might thereby, as by a School-mafter, be led to Chrift, to feek Life by him. This St. Paul takes notice of, Gal. iii. 24. (1) ПagπTwμa is another Word, fhewing St. Paul's having an Eye in what he fays here, to what he faid in the foregoing Verfes. Our Bibles tranflate it offence, it properly fignifies Fall, and is used in the foregoing Verfes, for that Tranfgreffion which by the pofitive Law of God had Death annexed to it, and in that Sense the Apostle continues to use it here alfo. There was but one fuch Sin before the Law given by Mofes, viz. Adam's eating the forbidden Fruit. But the pofitive Law of God given to the Ifraelites, made all their Sins fuch, by annexing the Penalty of Death to each Tranfgreffion, and thus the Offence abounded, or was increafed by the Law. (m) Sin. That by Sin St. Paul means here fuch Failure, as by the Sanction of a pofitive Law had Death annexed to it, the beginning of the next Verfe fhews, where it is declared to be fuch Sin as reigned in or by Death, which all Sin doth not, all Sin is not taxed at that Rate, as appears by ver. 13. fee the Note. The Article joyn'd here both to Tμa and apagría, for it is To Twμa, and i apastía, the offence and the Sin, limiting the general Signification of those Words to fome particular fort, feems to point out this Senfe. And that this is not a meer groundlefs Criticifm, may appear from ver. 12, and 13. where St. Paul uses àμagría in thefe two different Senfes, with the Distinction of the Article and no Article. (n) Grace might much more abound. The reft of Mankind were in a State of Death only for one Sin of one Man. This the Apostle is exprefs in, not only in the foregoing Verfes, but elsewhere. But those who were under the Law (which made each Tranfgreffion they were guilty of mortal) were under the Condemnation of Death, not only for that one Sin of another; but alfo for every one of their own Sins. Now to make any one righteous to Life from many, and thofe his own Sins, befides that one that lay on him before, is greater Grace, than to beftow on him Juftification to Life only from one Sin, and that of another Man. To forgive the Penalty of many Sins, is a greater Grace than to remit the Penalty of one. SECT. I 2 SECT. VI. N. 3. C H A P. VÌ t—23. CONTENT S. T. Paul having in the foregoing Chapter very much magnified Free Grace, Grace through Chrift reftored to Life again; and also as many of them as believed in Chrift, were re-established in Immortality by Grace; and that even the Jews, who by their own Trefpaffes against the Law had forfeited their Lives over and over again, were alfo by Grace reftored to Life, Grace fuperabounding where Sin abounded, he here obviates a wrong Inference, which might be apt to mislead the Convert Gentiles, viz. Therefore let us continue in Sin, that Grace may abound. The contrary whereof he fhews, their very taking upon them the Profeffion of Christianity, required of them by the very initiating Ceremony of Baptifm, wherein they were typically buried with Chrift, to teach them that they, as he did, ought to die to Sin; and as he rofe to live to God, they should rife to a new Life of Obedience to God, and be no more Slaves to Sin in an Obedience and Refignation of themselves to its Commands. For if their Obedience were to Sin, they were Vaffals of Sin, and would certainly receive the Wages of that Mafter, which was nothing but Death: But if they obeyed Righteousness, i. e. fincerely endeavoured after Righteousness, though they did not attain it, Sin fhould not have Dominion over them by Death, i. e. fhould not bring Death upon them. Because they were not under the Law, which condemn'd them to Death for every Tranfgreffion; but under Grace, which by Faith in Jefus Chrift juftified them to eternal Life from their many Tranfgreffions. And thus he fhews the Gentiles not only the no Neceffity, but the Advantage of their not being under the Law. TEXT. W then? fhall we con- tinue in Sin, that grace God forbid: how fhall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein ? W PARAPHRASE. HAT fhall we fay then? Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound? God forbid: How can it be that we (o), who by our embracing Chriftianity have renounced our former finful Courses, and have profeffed a Death to Sin, fhould live any longer NOTES. An.Ch. 57. 2 (0) We, i. e. I and all Converts to Chriftianity. St. Paul in this Chapter fhews it to be the Profeffion and Obligation of all Chriftians, even by their Baptifm, and the typical Signification of it, to be dead to Sin, and alive to God, i. e. as he explains it, not to be any longer Vaffals to Sin in obeying our Lufts, but to be Servants to God in a fincere Purpose and Endeavour of obeying him. For whether under the Law or under Grace, whoever is a Vaffal to Sin, i. e. indulges himself in a Compliance with his finful Lufts, will receive the Wages which Sin pays, i. e. Death. This he strongly reprefents here to the Gentile Converts of Rome (for 'tis to them he fpeaks in this Chapter) that they might not mistake the State they were in, by being not under the Law, but under Grace, of which, and the Freedom and Largenefs of it, he had fpoken fo much, and fo highly in the foregoing Chapter, to let them fee, that to be under Grace was not a State of Licence, but of exact Obedience in the Intention and Endeavour of every one under Grace, though in the Performance they came fhort of it. This ftri& Obedience, to the utmost reach of every one's Aim and Endeavours, he urges as neceffary, becaufe Obedience to Sin unavoidably produces Death, and he urges as reafonable for this very Reason, that they were not under the Law, but under Grace. For as much as all the Endeavours after Righteoufnefs of those who were under the Law were loft Labour, fince any one Slip forfeited Life: But the fincere Endeavours after Rightequfnefs of those who were under Grace, were fure to fucceed to the attaining the Gift of eter nal Life. Chap. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. PARAPHRASE. in it? For this I hope you are not ignorant of, that we For if we have been 5 planted together in the likenefs of his death: we fhall be alfo in the likenefs of his refurrection : Knowing this, that our 6 old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin Now if we be dead with 8 Chrift, we believe that we fhall alfo live with him: Knowing that Chrift 9 being raifed from the dead, dieth no more; death hath more dominion over him. NOTES. 3 (p) in the Hellenistick Greek fometimes fignifies into, and fo our Tranflation renders it, 2 Pet. ii. 3. And if it be not fo taken here, the Force of St. Paul's Argument is lot, which is to fhew into what State of Life we ought to be raised out of Baptifm, in a Similitude and Conformity to that State of Life Chrift was raised into from the Grave. 6 (9) See Gal. v. 24. E b. iv. 22. Col ii. 11. 1 Pet. iv. 1. () It will conduce much to the understanding of St. Paul in this and the two following Chapters, if it be minded that thefe Phrafes, to ferve Sin, to be Servants of Sin, Sin reign in our mortal Bodies, to obey Sin in the Lufts of our Bodies, to yield our Members Inftruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin, or Servants of Uncleanness, and to Imquity unto Iniquity, to be free from Rightecufness, to walk, live, or to be after the Fle, to be carnally minded, all fignifie one and the fame thing, viz. the giving our felves up to the Conduct of our finful, carnal Appetites, to allow any of them the Command over us, and the Conduct and Prevalency in determining us. On the contrary, that walking after the Spirit, or in newness of Life, the Crucifixion of the Old Man, the Deftruction of the Body of Sin, the Deliverance from the Body of Death, to be freed from Sin, to be dead to Sin, alive unto God, to yield your felves unto God, as thofe who are alive from the dead, yield your Members Servants of Righteousness unto Holiness, or Inftruments of Righteousness unto God, to be Servants of Obedience unto Righteousness, made free from Sin, Servants of Righteousness, to be after the Spirit, to be fpiritually minded, to mortify the Deeds of the Body, do all fignifie a conftant and steady Purpofe, and fincere Endeavour to obey the Law and Will of God in every thing, these feveral Expreflions being ufed in feveral Places, as best ferves the Occasion, and illuftrates the Senfe. 7(s) The Tenor of S. Paul's Difcourfe here fhews this to be the Senfe of this Verfe; and to be aflured that it is fo, we need go no farther than ver. 11, 12, 13. He makes it his Business in this Chapter, not to tell them what they certainly and unchangeably are, but to exhort them to be what they ought and are engaged to be by becoming Chriftians, viz. that they ought to emancipate themselves from the Vallalage of Sin, not that they were fo emancipated without any danger of Return, for then he could not have faid what he does, ver. 1, 12, 13 which fuppofes it in their Power to continue in their Obedience to Sin, or return to that Vaffalage if they would. PARAPHRASE. An. Ch. $7. Neronis 3. nion over him, he is no more fubject to Death. For NOTES. to (t) See Heb. ix. 26-28. 1 Pet. iv. 1, 2. II (u) Sin is here fpoken of as a Perfon, a Profopopeia made ufe of all through this and the following Chapter, which must be minded if we will understand them right. The like Exhortation upon the fame Ground, fee 1 Pet. iv. 1-3. (w) See Gal. ii. 19. 2 Cor. v. 15. Rom. vii. 4. The Force of St. Paul's Argument here seems to be this; In your Baptifm you are ingaged into a Likenefs of Chrift's Death and Refurrection. He once died to Sin, fo do you count your felves dead to Sin. He rose to Life, wherein he lives wholly to God; fo muft your new Life, after your Refurrection from your typical Burial in the Water, be under the Vallalage of Sin no more, but you muft live entirely to the Service of God, to whom you are devoted in Obedience to his Will in all things. 12(x) In your mortal Bodies, ev in the Apoftle's Writings often fignifies by. And he here, as alfo in the following Chapters, ver. 18, and 24. and elsewhere, placing the Root of Sin in the Body, his Senfe feems to be, Let not Sin reign over you by the Lufts of your mortal Bodies. 13 (y) Sinful Lufts, at least thofe to which the Gentiles were most eminently enflaved, feem fo much placed in the Body and the Members, that they are called the Members, Col. iii. 5. (z) 'Ex vengŵv, From among the dead. The Gentile World were dead in Sins, Eph. ii. 1, 5. Col. ii. 13. thofe who were converted to the Gofpel were raised to Life from among thofe dead. 14 (a) Sin fall not have Dominion over you, i. e. Sin fhall not be your abfolute Mafter to difpofe of your Members and Faculties in its Drudgery and Service as it pleafes, you fhall not be under its Controul, in abfolute Subjection to it, but your own Men, that are alive, and at your own Difpofal, unless by your own free Choice you inthral your felves to it, and by a voluntary Obedience give it the Command over you, and are willing to have it your Mafter. It must be remember'd, that St. Paul here, and in the following Chapter, perfonates Sin as ftriving with Men for Maftery to deftroy them. (b) For. The Force of St. Paul's Reafoning here ftands thus: You are obliged by your taking on you the Profeffion of the Gofpel, not to be any longer Slaves and Vaffals to Sin, nor to be under the Sway of your carnal Luft, but to yield your felves up to God to be his Servants in a conftant and fincere Purpose and Endeavour of obeying him in all things; this if you do, Sin fhall not be able to procure you Death, for you Gentiles are not under the Law which condemns to Death for every the leaft Tranfgreffion, though it be but a Slip of Infirmity; but by your Baptifm are enter'd into the Covenant of Grace, and being under Grace, God will accept of your fincere Endeavours, in the Place of exact Obedience; and give you eternal Life through Jefus Chrift; but if you by a willing Obedience to your Lufts make your felves Vaffals to Sin, Sin, as the Lord and Master to whom you belong, will pay you with Death, the only Wages that Sin pays. Vol. III. Zz but Chap. 15. 16. PARAPHRASE. TEXT. What then? shall wers under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to 16 whom ye yield your felves fervants to obey, his ferobey; whether of fin unto vants ye are to whom ye death, or of obedience unto righteoufnefs? but you are under Grace, in the Gofpel-State of the Covenant of Grace. What then, fhall we fin becaufe fin, because we are not we are not under the Law, but under the Covenant of Grace (c)? God forbid. Know ye not that to whom you fubject your felves (d) as Vaffals, to be at his Beck, his Vaffals you are whom you thus obey, whether it be of Sin, which Vaffalage ends in Death; or of Chrift in obeying the Gofpel, to the obtaining of Righteouf nefs and Life. But God be thanked, that you who were the Vaflals of Sin have fincerely, and from your Heart, obeyed fo as to receive the Form, or be caft into the Mould of that Doctrine under whofe Direction or Regulation (e) you were put, that you might conform your felves to it. Being therefore fet free from the Vaffalage of Sin, you became the Servants or Vassals 19. of Righteoufnefs (f). (I make use of this Metaphor 17. 18. that ye were the fervants But God be thanked, 17 of fin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was de livered you. Being then made free 18 from fin, ye became the fervants of righteousness. I fpeak after the man-19 ner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh: NOTES. 15 (c) What is meant by being under Grace, is easily understood by the undoubted and obvious Meaning of the parallel Phrafe under the Law. They, 'tis unqueftion'd, were under the Law, who, having by Circumcifion the Ceremony of Admittance been received into the Common-wealth of the Jews, owned the God of the Jews for their God and King, profeffing Subjection to the Law he gave by Mofes. And fo in like manner, he is under Grace, who, having by Baptifm the Ceremony of Admittance been received into the Kingdom of Chrift, or the Society of Chriftians, called by a peculiar Name the Chriftian Church, owns Jefus of Nazareth to be the Meffias his King, profeffing Subjection to his Law deliver'd in the Gofpel. By which it is plain, that being under Grace is fpoken here, as being under the Law is, in a political and national Senfe. For whoever was circumcifed, and owned God for his King, and the Authority of his Law, ceafed not to be a Jew or Member of that Society by every or any Tranfgreffion of the Precepts of that Law, fo long as he own'd God for his Lord, and his Subjection to that Law; fo likewife he who by Baptifm is incorporated into the Kingdom of Chrift, and owns him for his Sovereign, and himfelf under the Law and Rule of the Gofpel, ceafes not to be a Chriftian, though he offend against the Precepts of the Gofpel, till he denies Chrift to be his King and Lord, and renounces his Subjection to his Law in the Gospel. But God, in taking a People to himfelf to be his, not doing it barely as a temporal Prince, or Head of a politick Society in this World, but in order to his having as many, as in obeying him perform the Conditions neceffary, his Subjects for ever in the State of Immortality reftored to them in another World, has fince the Fall erected two Kingdoms in this World, the one of the Jews immediately under himfelf, another of Chriftians under his Son Jefus Chrift, for that farther and more glorious End of attaining eternal Life, which Prerogative and Privilege of eternal Life does not belong to the Society in general, nor is the Benefit granted nationally to the whole Body of the People of either of thefe Kingdoms of God, but perfonally to fuch of them who perform the Conditions required in the Terms of each Covenant. To thofe who are Jews, or under the Law, the Terms are perfect and compleat Obedience to every Tittle of the Law, Do this and live: To those who are Chriftians, or under Grace, the Terms are fincere Endeavours after perfect Obedience, though not attaining it, as is manifeft in the remaining Part of this Chapter, where St. Paul acquaints thofe who ask whether they shall fin, because they are not under the Law, but under Grace; that though they are under Grace, yet they who obey Sin, are the Vaffals of Sin; and those who are the Vaffals of Sin fhall receive Death, the Wages of Sin. 16 (d) Yanony, Obedience. That which he calls here fimply Taxon, Obedience, he in other Places calls, axon Tisews, Obedience of Faith, and waxon Xes, Obedience of Chrift, meaning a Reception of the Gofpel of Chrift. 17 (e) 'Els or Tagedonte, unto which you were delivered; No harsh, but an elegant Expreffion, if we obferve that St. Paul here fpeaks of Sin and the Gofpel, as of two Matters, and that thofe he writes to were taken out of the hands of the one, and delivered over to the other, which they having from their Hearts obeyed, were no longer the Slaves of Sin, he whom they obeyed being by the Rule of the foregoing Verfe truly their Master. 18 (ƒ) 'EdeλNTE Ty Sixcloσurn, Te became the Slaves of Righteoufnefs. This will feem an harsh Expreffion, unless we remember that St. Paul, going on ftill with the Metaphor of Mafter and Servant, makes Sin and Righteousness here two Perfons, two diftin&t Masters, and Men paffing from the Dominion of the one into the Dominion of the other. of |