6

A general introduction, &c.

concludes with a benediction and a doxology, suited to the general purport of what he had been writing. (ver. 17, to the end.)

From the sketch here given, the reader might form some conjecture of the rich entertainment provided for him in this epistle, were he yet a stranger to its more particular contents; but, blessed be God, they are already familiar to almost all who have any regard for the Bible, and take any delight in perusing any part of it. I shall not therefore detain such from Paul's invaluable periods, any longer than whilst I observe, that whereas the interpretation of several phrases which occur here, has very much divided commentators, and laid the foundation for many unhappy contentions, which have been more efficacious to alienate the affections of Christians, than all the apostle's arguments, powerful as they are, have been to unite them; I am very solicitous to handle this epistle in as pacific a manner as possible. I shall therefore, as plainly as I can, give that sense of the disputed phrases which appears to me most natural, and briefly suggest, in the Notes, the reasons which induce me to understand them in the sense I have preferred. And I hope my readers will be content with this; for were I to produce what interpreters of different opinions have alleged, and canvass the reasons by which they have endeavoured to support their explications and criticisms, I must turn my work into a Treatise of Polemical Divinity; and so quite change that original plan, which I hope will be found much more entertaining and useful: nor should I, if the scheme were thus changed, be able to comprehend, in this whole volume, what I might easily find to offer on this epistle alone.

A

PARAPHRASE AND NOTES

ON

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO

THE

ROMANS.

SECT. I.

The apostle begins his letter with a general salutation to the Christians at Rome; in which he transiently touches on some very important doctrines of that gospel, which it was his great design to illustrate and enforce. Rom. I. 1-7.

ROMANS I. 1.

M

ROMANS I. 1.

i.

Rom.

i. 1

Po Jesus Christ, AUL, a servant Y dear Christian brethren, you receive secr. this epistle from Paul, who, though once called to be an apos- a bitter persecutor, hath now the honour to style himself a servant of Jesus Christ; whose property he humbly professes himself to be, and glories in it, as his highest happiness, to be absolutely at the command and disposal of such a Master. And he is the more sensible of his great obligation to this, as he hath been, in so wonderful a manner, called, not only to the fel. lowship of that holy faith which we all profess, or to the common services of the ministerial office, but even [to be] invested with the distin

8

SECT.

i.

i. 2

Paul, inscribing this epistle to the Romans,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

guished character of an apostle in the church. tle, separated unto He once indeed boasted that he was of the the gospel of God. Pharisaic sect, separated from the rest of the Rom. Jews by ceremonial observances, in which they place so peculiar a sanctity; but he now rejoiceth much more, that he is, by so special an act of condescending grace, separated to the glori ous and saving gospel of the blessed God, destined and devoted to its sacred interests; even 2 to that gospel which, before it was thus expressly committed to the Christian apostles, was in a more obscure manner promised, and in some measure declared and exhibited, by his proph ets, in the records of the holy scriptures, on which such bright lustre is now thrown by com3 paring the predictions with the events. I would take every opportunity of promoting in your Son Jesus Christ our 3 Concerning his minds, and my own, the highest regard to Lord, which was this blessed and evangelical dispensation with made of the seed of which God has favoured us; relating chiefly David, according to to his only begotten and beloved Son Jesus Christ, our great anointed Saviour, our ever honoured Master and Lord, who was born a few years ago of the seed and family of David, according to the flesh, that is, with respect to his human descent, and so far as flesh was concerned in the constitution of his nature : 4 [But] who is also to be regarded by us in a much higher view, as having been determinately, and in the most convincing manner, with power, accordmarked out as the Son of God, with the most ing to the Spirit of astonishing display of Divine power according to the operation of the Spirit of holiness,

the flesh,

4 And declared to be the Son of God

will be given for the like reflections on a thousand other occasions, though the limits of such a work as ours will not allow us so particularly to trace them.

is the exact signification of og verlos, Elsb Determinately marked out.]hat this ner has learnedly proved. Compare Acts xvii. 31.

Called to be an apostle.] As the judaizing teachers disputed Paul's claim to the apostolical office, it is with great propriety that he asserts it in the very entrance of an epistle, in which their principles were to be entirely overthrown. And the attentive reader will observe, with great pleas ure, what a variety of other most proper and important thoughts are suggested in other clauses of this short introduction: The spirit of holiness.] It seems to me particularly the views which the Jewish so little agreeable to the style of scrip. prophets had given of the gospel, the de- ture in general to call the Divine nature scent of Christ from David, the great doc. of Christ the Spirit of holiness, or the Holy trine of his resurrection, and Deity, the Spirit, that highly as I esteem the many sending the gospel to the Gentiles, the learned and accurate commentators who privileges of Christians as the called and have given it this turn, I rather refer it beloved of God, and the faith, obedience, to the operation of the Spirit of God in and sanctity to which they were obliged, the production of Christ's body, by which in virtue of their profession. Occasion means the opposition between xala ragaz

asserts his apostolical Mission.

holiness, by the res- which having originally produced that holy sECT. urrection from the thing which was born of the virgin, exerted its i.

dead :

Rom.

energy upon him on so many occasions, and especially in the triumphant resurrection from 4 the dead, which amply rolled away all the reproach of his cross, and entitled him to the honour of the first born among many brethren. 5 By whom we This is that illustrious person by whom we 5 have received grace have received grace and an apostolical mission ;* and apostleship, for obedience to the as I esteem it the greatest of favours to be thus faith among all na- employed, and furnished for this important tions for his name: work: especially since the plan is so extensive,

and it is the glorious design of it, that, out of regard to his name, all nations might, in due time, be brought to the obedience of the Christian faith, and thereby rescued from a state of idolatry and wickedness, formed to the most rational and sublime pleasures in the present life, and fitted for a state of complete and eter6 Among whom nal felicity: This is the grand scheme which 6 are ye also the called God is already carrying on in many Gentile

of Jesus Christ.

nations; among whom are ye Romans; illustrious in the world on many accounts, but on none so happy as on this, that ye also are now the called of fesus Christ, invited by him into the fellowship of his gospel, and a participation 7 To all that be of all its invaluable blessings. And as God 7 in Rome, beloved of hath especially committed this ministration to me, I do therefore, agreeably to the general purport of my office, inscribe this epistle to all in Rome, who are to such a degree beloved of God, as to be called to the privileges and hopes of Christianity, [and] numbered among that holy people who solemnly profess themselves consecrated to his service. And as, in this

God, called to be

and zala avuμa will be preserved; the one referring to the materials acted upon, the other to the Divine and miraculous Agent. Compare Luke i. 35.

the Son of God by it, seems very unscriptural, since he was proclaimed under that title so long before his resurrection.

• Grace and an apostolical mission.] Many Resurrection of the Dead.] Ežavasaras would render it the favour of the apostlevago is rendered by some, resurrection ship; but that rendering is not the most from among the dead, i. e. leaving many of literal; and it is certain that Paul did rethe dead behind; and Mr. Fleming has ceive grace to subdue his heart to the obetaken great pains to shew, that wherever dience of Christ, and fit him for the ministhe compound word avasaris (for he con- try of the gospel, before he received his siders it as one word) is used, it is always apostolical commission, whenever we supin this sense. See Flem. of Res. p. 70. By pose that commission to have been dated. this resurrection Christ was declared the I therefore choose to keep the clauses Son of God; but to say he was constituted thus distinct.

10

Rom.

Reflections on the regard due to the apostolic writings.

our Father, and the

SECT. view, I must think of you with great respect, saints: grace to you i. so I most unfeignedly wish grace and favour and peace from God to you, with all kinds of prosperity and peace, Lord Jesus Christ. from the blessed God, the great original of all good, who is now become our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is exalted at his right hand, that he may scatter down all the blessings of providence and grace on his people, and may rule over all things for the good of his church.

verse

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us begin the perusal of this excellent, though in many passages obscure, and difficult epistle, with paying our humble acknowledgments to the Divine goodness, that we are favoured with so valuable a part of scripture as that contained in the apostolical epistles. How happy are we, who read from the pen of those holy men the sentiments they entertained of Christianity, under the full illumination of the sacred Spirit; and so learn what were the leading affections which prevailed in their minds. By these letters, they open all their hearts to us, amidst their labours and sufferings, that we also may have fellowship with them in those important things in which their communion was with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.

With particular pleasure let us peruse the writings of Paul, 1 who was, in so peculiar a manner, called to be an apostle, and separated to the gospel of God. He gloried in the name of a servant of Christ, and let us emulate it as the greatest honour. Let us be animated to exert ourselves to the utmost under that 5 character; since God hath been pleased to bring us, though originally sinners of the Gentiles, to the obedience of faith, and to reveal unto us the gospel of his Son; that glorious gospel predicted by the prophets, and opened by the apostles, yea, by their 2 Divine Master.

May our hearts adore the great Emanuel, who, though he con3 descended to be made of the seed of David, according to his flesh, had a Divine nature infinitely superior to it. Let us often re4 flect on that glorious display of the power of the Holy Ghost, in his resurrection from the dead, by which he was marked out as the Son of God; and yielding to the force of such a demonstration, let us confide in him as Jesus our Saviour, and obey him as Christ our Lord.

We are called to partake of the privileges of his people; 7 we belong to the society of those who are eminently beloved of God, and who lie under obligations, as they are called an holy nation, a peculiar people, to be indeed saints, to be holy in all manner of conversation, as being entirely devoted to God and the