16 and the wrath of God against all unrighteousness. SECT. kuk, chap. ii. 4, "The just shall live by is written, The just faith" and as good men were then delivered shall live by faith. from the ruin which involved others, by trust Rom. i. 17 ing to and acting upon the Divine declaration; so now the like principle of faith, receiving and ness. 18 life and salvation. And as in this view it is 18 For the wrath well worthy of our regard, so there is an abso- of God is revealed lute necessity of its being attended to; for the from heaven against all ungodliness, and wrath of God is revealed from heaven, by many unrighteousness singular interpositions of Divine providence, men, who hold the and especially by the most express declaration truth in unrighteousof the sacred oracles, which teach us to look on the grand and final revelation of it as nearly approaching. And the terrors of this wrath are apparently levelled against all impiety and unrighteousness of men who wickedly restrain the truth in unrighteousness; when that heavenborn Captive would exert its energy upon their minds, and urge them to obey its dictates. This is, more or less, the generally prevailing character; and it exposes men to a sentence, the terrors of which, if they were well understood, would soon drive them, with the greatest solicitude, to seek their refuge in that gospel, the tidings of which they now so arrogantly despise. 19 The sad character I hinted at above, of restraining and imprisoning the truth in unrightousness, is more general than mankind are As it is written, The just shall live by faith.] The prophet Habakkuk, speaking of the destruction to come upon Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, observes how different the behaviour and states of good and bad men would be. The sinner's heart would be vainly lifted up to his destruction, while trusting to his own wisdom and power, (and accordingly prince and people became the sacrifices of this foolish selfconfidence :) whereas the righteous, the truly good man, would preserve his life by believing the Divine declarations, and acting according to them; and thus under the gospel, he that believes shall live. Some would render it, The just by faith shall live, or he shall live who is justified by faith; but however this might suit the Greek phrase, it seems less agreeable to the Hebrew, from whence it is taken. 19 Because that For the wrath of God is revealed, &c.] Commentators differ much in fixing the connection of these words. Some have considered this verse as another reason why he was not ashamed of the gospel; because it contained so awakening a declaration of the wrath of God against sin, and by that means had a most powerful tendency to awaken men's consciences, and save their souls: in which view, some treating the particle e as an expletive, have rendered it, there the wrath of God is revealed. And Mr. Locke brings it nearly to the same, where he explains it as a reason why Paul was so ready to preach the gospel at Rome. But the connection hinted in the paraphrase, seems most rational and natural. The sentences in Paul's writings often run into each other. them. The works of creation teach the knowledge of God. 17 iii. Rom. which may be known aware. We find it not only among those who SECT. of God, is manifest have enjoyed the benefit of a revelation from in them; for God hath shewed it unto God, but in all the Gentile nations. For the main fundamental principles of what is by any . 19 means to be known of God, that is, that he is the great Original of all, is manifest among them, for God hath shewed it to them, by a light uni20 For the invisi- versal as the sun. For those things of him 20 ble things of him which are invisible, are, and have been from the the world are clearly very creation of the world, not only intimated, seen, being under but being duly attended to, clearly seen by the stood by the things things which are made; the whole system of that are made, even which bears such eminent signatures of the his eternal power and Godhead; so great Artificer, as loudly to proclaim his name that they are with- and attributes, even his eternal power and di from the creation of out excuse: vinity; so that if any of the Gentile nations neglect to trace it, with reverence, love, and obedience, they are without excuse, and would be destitute of every just or plausible apology for themselves, if he should enter into judg 21 Because that ment with them: Because knowing God,h as 21 when they knew the great Former of all, and a Being of su God, they glorified him not as God, preme and incomparable perfection, they have neither were thank- not adored and glorified [him] as God their Maker, neither were duly thankful to him as their great and constant Benefactor; but acted as if they had neither opportunity nor capacity of acquainting themselves with him. has generally been the character of the Gentiles, without accepting those of the politest ages and most learned nations. Instead of setting themselves to inquire into the will of * Being duly attended to.] Noura seems to have this signification, and to be, as it were, included in a parenthesis; so that τοῖς ποημασιές governed of καθυραίαι. 8 Divinity.] It is observable that Augustine (Civ. Dei, viii. 1) nicely distinguishes between Sea, and Jolla the word here used; maintaining that the one signifies deity, or divine nature; the other divinity, or divine majesty and glory and if there be that distinction, the latter word is apparently more proper here, as divine glory results from that eternal power which is comprehended in the divine nature. Knowing God.] Some understand it as if he had said, Whereas they might have known God; but I think what Paul chargVOL. 4. 4 This es upon the philosophers is, that though they actually knew there was one supreme God, they neglected him, to conform (for low and base considerations) to the estab lished idolatry; which was really the case, to their aggravated guilt and condemnation; as appears from most of the passages in which the Pagan writers bear a testimony to the doctrine of the Unity; a specimen of which may be seen in Dr. Sykes's Connect. chap. xiv. p. 364-383; Dr. Cudworth's Intellect. System, chap. iv. § 10 Ab. Taylor, of Faith, p. 12-17, not. and -31, especially § 19-28. Neither were thankful.] It is worthy our observation, that gratitude to God is here put for the whole of religion; and no principle can be nobler, and none can be stronger or more extensive, Rom. tions, and their fool 22 Professing 18 The Gentiles, though thus taught, ran into the most stupid idolatry, SECT, the Supreme Being, and with becoming grati- ful, but became vain Äitude and zeal devoting themselves to his ser- in their imaginavice; they became vain and foolish in their ish heart was darki 21 boasted reasonings, entangling themselves ened. with a thousand unprofitable subtleties, which only tended to alienate their souls from every sentiment of true religion; and their unintelligent heart, instead of being enlightened by these sophistries, was more and more involved in darkness, and rendered impenetrable to the 22 simplicity of the most important truths. So to be that professing themselves to be wise, far be- themselves to wise, they became yond the common pitch, assuming and glorying fools. in the title of sages or wise men, at least in that of lovers of wisdom,' they became fools and idiots, degrading, in the lowest and most infamous manner, the reason which they so arrogantly pretended to improve, and almost 23 to engross. And as this was evident in a variety of other vices, in which the philosophers the glory of the unof heathen nations joined with the vulgar, so to an image made corruptible God, inparticularly in the early, and almost universal like to corruptible prevalence of idolatry amongst them, by which man, and to birds, they changed the glory of the immortal incor- and ruptible and eternal God, even all the majestic things. splendors in which he shines forth through earth and heaven, into the representing image of mortal and corruptible man; which, how elegantly soever it might be traced, was a great and insufferable degradation, had their folly proceeded no farther. But not content with this, they set up, as emblems of deity, and objects of worship, brutes and their images, birds and four footed animals, and even such vile reptiles as beetles, and various kinds of serpents which creep on the dust.m * Vain in their reasonings, sparascono ar εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτων.] Mr. Locke illustrates this by the stupid folly of their idolatry, 2 Kings xvii. 15, 16; Acts xiv. 15. But I rather think the word sianoyouas refers to the perplexing sophistry of the philosophers. I have often thought Lucretius one of the most remarkable illustrations of the character here drawn. What vain reasonings, and how dark a heart, in the midst of the most pompous profession of oracular wisdom! 23 And changed fourfooted beasts, and creeping 1 Professing themselves.] aoxovies tives σοφός, seems just equivalent to Xenophon's quonolas poop; which so evidently refers to the pride they took in the title of lovers of wisdom. See Raphel. in loc. Beetles and serpents.] Of this amazingly stupid, yet prevalent idolatry, the worship of serpents, see Jenk. Reas. of Christianity, Vol. II. p. 246-248; Tennison of Idol. chap. xiv. p. 352-354; Owen on Serp. chap. iv. and v. Stillingf. Orig. Sac. p. 516, &c. and were abandoned to the most infamous passions. 24 Wherefore up to uncleanness, 19 Rom. This was such scandalous and pernicious SECT. God also gave them superstition, that it is no wonder that God should iii. through the lusts of in righteous judgment withdraw from those hearts, who introduced and encouraged it. He there- 1.24 to dishonour their fore not only left them to sink lower and lower own bodies between in these absurd methods of worship, but also their own themselves: i. delivered them up to the vilest uncleanness, in [gratifying] the detestable lusts of their own heart; which grew more and more outrageous and enormous when the restraint of his common influences was thus withdrawn from their minds. Thus he left them to dishonour their bodies among themselves, as much as they had before dishonoured their rational faculties by 25 Who changed such senseless idolatries. This was so preva- 25 the truth of God in- lent an evil, that even many of them who knew to a lie, and wor- much better, and had in their own minds soundshipped and served the creature more er apprehensions of things, yet from mere secthan the Creator, ular motives, suppressed that better knowledge, who is blessed for- and conformed to popular superstitions and ever. Amen. For even their wo men follies, and thereby changed the truth of God, the 26 For this cause throughout all succeeding ages. God gave them up Therefore, I say, because of this inexcusable 26 unto vile affections. neglect of the ever blessed God, he abandoned did change them to the most infamous passions; for even their natural use in- their women, from whom the strictest modesty that which is might reasonably have been expected, changed against nature : 27 And likewise the natural use of the other sex to that which is also the men, leav- against nature.° Changed the truth of God into a lie.] Elsner takes great pains to shew, that the truth of God here signifies what he really was; and a lie, a false representation. See Elsner's Observ. Vol. II. p. 11. It is well And likewise their males, 27 known that idols are often called lies. Isa. xliv. 20; Jerem. iii. 23; xiii. 2. xvi. 19. • To that which is against natur Many horrible illustrations of this may be seen in Bos, Exercit. in lọc. 20 Rom. i. 27 They were given up to an undiscerning mind, ed in their lust s error which SECT. leaving the natural use of the female, have been ing the natural use iii. inflamed with the most scandalous and abomi- of the woman, burnnable desires towards each other, males with one toward another ; . males perpetrating that which is most shameful men with men workto mention, and detestable to think of, and re- ing that which is unceiving in themselves the just recompense of their seemly, and receiving in themselves error, in that stupidity and degeneracy of mind that recompence of 28 to which they were evidently left. And thus, their upon the whole, as they were not solicitous,P to was meet. retain God in their knowledge, nor to propagate they did not like to suitable conceptions of him, or address him by retain God in their proper acts of rational and pure devotion, God knowledge, gave them over to a delivered them over to an undiscerning mind, to reprobate mind, to do things most inexpedient and enormous; as do those things he cannot more dreadfully punish one sin than which are not con29 by giving up the offender to more. And ac 28 And even as God venient : 29 Being filled cordingly, universal depravation and corrup- with all unrightetion seized and possessed them; and the ousness, fornication whole series of their discourses and actions wickedness, covetousness; maliciousshewed that they were full of all manner of in- ness; full of envy, justice, lewdness, mischief, covetousness, and ma- murder, debate, delignity; perpetually injuring each other, and ceit, malignity; whisdrawing damage and misery on themselves; perers, while they were filled and intoxicated with every imaginable vice, envy, murder, contention, fraud, the inveteracy of all evil and pernicious habits, which no sense of decency, or regard 30 to reputation or interest could reform. In 30 Backbiters, ha stead of entertaining those friendly regards to ters of God, despite- Were not solicitous.] Edextuaσav im- 'Mischief, malignity, inveteracy.] Acports a concern to bring things to a trial or cording to some acute commentators, touchstone, which this translation express-ovnpa signifies doing mischief, xxx a es much better than ours, which coldly malicious temper, and xaxoba a custom renders it, they liked not. of repeating it frequently. Things most inexpedient.] The original Violent and overbearing] piesne is expression is a meiosis, to express things properly opposed to wopov, and expresses most detestable; as auxex spa signifies all the character of a man who is resolved to the inhumanities which Achilles most un- gratify his own appetites and passions, generously practised on the corpse of and to pursue what he apprehends his Hector. Compare Wisd. xiv. 22-27. See own interest, right or wrong; without at Bos in loc. all regarding those inconveniences or |