marking the great alteration that grace | has made, that they may read their obligation to God the more clearly and diftinctly; therefore doth the apoftle again come over it, and fay, Being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, &c. II. Tho' fo long as believers are on this fide of time, they carry a body of death about with them, and a fin that ftill befets them, and be daily breaking out in actual tranfgreffions, to the dishonour of God, and marring of their own peace and comfort; yet are they delivered from the reigning power, the tyranny and flavery thereof; it doth not domineer over them as before: Being made free from fin. III. This fweet and happy change which is made in a foul, is the only work of God; the elect are mere paffives therein: it is fo fully the Lord's work, that none of the glory belongeth to any other; therefore he fays, Being made free from fin, in the paffive voice. IV. Believers being by faith delivered from the tyranny and bondage of fin and corruption, are given away to God as fworn fervants to him, for promoting his intereft, and matters touching his glory and honour; for he addeth, and become fervants to God. fervants to him, and lived in holinefs; for he addeth, And the end everlasting life. VII. Tho' now believers have many ups and downs, and many changes in their condition, and meet with many eclipfes, and many clouds interrupting the glorious rays of the fweet favour of God, which is better than life; yet the life is coming which fhall never have an end, and then fhall there never be a vail drawn betwixt Chrift and believers, but they fhall fee him face to face, and live in that condition. during all eternity: The end everlasting life. VIII. The confideration of the noble and rich advantage of walking with God, and of keeping clofe with him, should move all the Lord's people to follow holinefs with all their might; and renewed. fights and views of the end of our faith, even the falvation of our fouls, will chear us up to run the race that is fet before us, and to work out our falvation with fear and trembling. This is the apoftle's argument to diffuade them from fin; Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.. VERSE 23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through. Jefus Chrift our Lord. IN V. The fruit that fouls reap, through clofing a bargain with God, and giving up N this verse the apostle confirmeth both themfelves unto him and his fervice, is the last two reafons, viz. That the end more and more conformity with God's of fin is death, and the end of holiness is image, in true holiness; and whofoever everlasting life; faying, For the wages of have truly covenanted with God, will find fin is death; Death doth as certainly folfome fruit of this kind following there-low upon a trade of fin, as wages followeth upon, even growth of grace here away: Ye have your fruit unto holiness. VI. Howbeit many think little of clof ing with God, and have not a heart for holiness and piety, but are enemies thereunto, and yet, notwithstanding thereof, think well to reap life in glory; yet there is none that fhall ever enjoy the crown of life, and live in glory for ever, but such as have given up themselves to God as the work; death is the due defert and wages of fin: But the gift of God is eternal life; that is, eternal life will certainly follow holiness, it being the gift of God, whofe gifts are without revocation or repentance, Rom. xi. 29. and the gift of God purchased by a price; and therefore he addeth, through Jefus Christ our Lord: He is the purchafer of this free gift, and therefore believers may be fure of it. OB OBSERVATIONS. of undeferved and free love: The gift of God is eternal life. III. As eternal life is the free gift of God, fo is it purchased at a dear rate, even by the death of Jefus Christ; and this purchase doth not mar its freedom, nor doth its freedom fay it was not purchafed: it is the gift of God through Jefus Chrift. 1. Howbeit fin be fweet in the mouth, and men be taking great delight therein, when they are commiting the fame with greediness, and be ready to promife to themselves good days, and eternal life, notwithstanding of their following a trade of fin; yet bitter fhall fin prove in end, when the dreadful wages and reward there- IV. Life eternal being thus the free of fhall be had, even death; and death gift of God, and the gift of God purchafwill certainly be the upfhot, and the ended at fo dear a rate as the death and fufof a finful life: The wages of fin is death. ferings of Jefus Chrift; it is freer to beII. As the grace of God, which he believers than if it were made the wages of ftoweth upon his people here away, is free their working: this is the ground of the and undeserved; fo is glory, which will confirmation, The gift of God is eternal certainly follow grace, a free gift of God, life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. and all will be forced to take it as a fruit CHAPTER VII. VERSES 1. 2. 3. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband fo long as he liveth: but if the husband be dead, fhe is loofed from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband liveth, he be married to another man, he shall be called an adulterefs: but if her husband be dead, he is free from that law; so that he is no adulterefs, tho' fhe be married to another man. FRO ROM the 12th verfe of the former, doneth efcapes, and helpeth to more hochapter, the apostle has been exhort-linefs: And having removed that objection ing the Romans, and in them all believers, to the study of holinefs; and, for that caufe, encouraged them, by telling them, they were not under the law, but under grace, fo that tho' they were ready to flip afide, becaufe of the remnant of corruption which they carry about with them, yet they needed not be difcouraged, because they were not now under the law, rigorously exacting complete and perfect conformity, and condemning for the fmalleft efcape; but under but under grace, which par which petulant wits, greedily griping after any thing which might appear to fofter their loofenefs, will raife, he cometh now to confirm what he had faid, chapter vi. 4. and to clear how they were not under the law, but under grace; and, withal, preffeth what he was preffing before, viz. Sanctification; and this he doth unto the 7th verfe: then he removeth feveral cavils, which he knew the wicked were ready to object against his doctrine, unto the end. The The argument, then, by which the a poftle is proving, that they, that is, believers, are not under the law, may be conceived thus: Whofoever are dead to the law, thefe are no more under the dominion of the law: But believers are dead to the law; Therefore, &c. The affumption he layeth down, and cleareth, ver. 4. and the propofition he proveth in thefe verfes; 1. In the general, from the nature of the moral law, The law hath dominion over a man fo long as he liveth; laws are not made for dead folk, but for living, to direct their course, and way of walking; and in this, as it were, he appealeth to themfelves, faying, Know ye not as if he did not queftion but they knew this: and then, I speak to them that know the law; and this he doth to gain their goodwill the more, and to win in the better upon them, who had fuch a high eftimation of the law, and would easily be offended with any who would but feem to fpeak any thing anifs of it, or to its difparagement; and for this fame caufe alfo, he gives them the appellation of brethren, that they might not think he was reafoning thus out of a Spirit of contradiction and oppofition, for he esteemed them brethren ftill, but might confeat to the truth in a brotherly man ner. Next he proves it in a more particular manner, from a particular law, viz. that law of marriage betwixt man and wife, (where we may mark, that it is not his cope to fpeak fully to the doctrine of marriage, and handle it according to the full latitude, and all its exceptions, but only he speaks of it, as it were, by the bye, as it was first inftituted of God;) and fo layeth down a comparison betwixt that conjunction which is betwixt married folks, and that which was fometimes betwixt a believer and the law, (whereby alfo he confirmeth the former reafon, for what agreeth to the fpecies will agree to the genus) and the first part of this comparifun is fet down, verfes 2. 3. (the latter part being fet down, verfe 4.) wherein is fhown, 1. How the woman is bound to her husband; and, 2. how he is loofed. 1. She is bound, (1.) fo long as he liveth. (2.) She is bound fo as the is not free to marry another; for, If he be married to another, he shall be called an adultrefs. 2. She is free, (1.) if her husband be dead; for, if her husband be dead, he is loofed from the law of her husband, and is now at her own hand, and miftrefs of herfelf. And, (2) fhe is fo free, that if her busband be dead, fhe is no adulterefs, though he be married to another. OBSERVATIONS. I. Minifters fhould not ftudy to preach fuch truths as will relifh most with their hearers, and pleafe their palate best; but they ought to lay forth what truths are neceffary: and however they be not favoury unto their people, they fhould fo much the more infift in clearing of them, after the example of the apo tle, who refted not on one word touching the law's lofing power over believers, but, tho' he knew they liked not to hear any thing that seemed in the leaft to rub upon the law, yet he infifts upon that fame fubject through this whole chapter. II. In dealing with adverfaries, or others, about controverted truths, it were good for their conviction to make ufe of fome known, uncontroverted principle, and thence deduce what they would have received; for where there is no agreement in any common notion or principle, there is no hope of geting truths received: therefore Paul, in debating this matter, doth wifely lay down, in the first place, what they received as truth, and did not doubt of faying, Know ye not; which is as much as if he had faid, You know this, and cannot deny it, viz. that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth. III. It is not the moft gaining way, in dealing with adverfaries of truth, to contemn their parts and abilities, and to speak of 2་2 An Expofition of the Epifle to the Romans. of them in an undervaluing manner; but rather, on the contrary, to acknowledge their parts and knowledge, and make ufe of that for their conviction, as the apoftle doth here; he does not lightly them, but fays, they knew the law. IV. In all our attempts to gain folks to the truth, we fhould ftill labour to gain their affection; and we should fo carry our felves, as they may be convinced of our love and tender refpect towards them, and that we feek not to fhame, or rub any affront on them, but intend, out of a friendly and brotherly manner, to gain them; for Paul doth infinuate himfelf thus upon thefe here, by ftiling them brethren: thus he laboured to conciliate their favour. V. Whatever laws God is pleafed to lay upon the head of any of the children of men, because they come from him who is the fupreme Ruler and Governor of the world, and hath abfolute power and fovereignty over all creatures, they have a kind of dominion, lordfhip, and authority over them, authoritatively commanding, forbiding, and threatening in cafe of difobedience; for Paul fays here, that the law bath dominion over a man; it hath a lordship and authority, for fo the word fignifies, Luke xxii. 25. VI. The Lord having appointed the law to be a rule, whereby our life in a prefent world may be regulated and fquared, this authority and dominion which the law hath over men, lafteth no longer than the man is in a capacity to obey, and in life; for, the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth. VII. Albeit the husband is to give honour to the wife, as the weaker veffel, 1 Pet. iii. 7. yet is fhe to be in fubjection to her husband, 1 Pet. iii. 1. her place and ftation is a place of fubjection unto her husband, who is therefore called the head of the woman, I Cor. xi. 3.: For here her married state is set out by a word import Chap. VII. ing fubjection, as if the were, fo to fpeak hath fo contrived the bufinefs of marriage clofe and ftrait, that neither parties have in marriage, and thofe alfo who have any riage be, yet death loofeth it, so that the V. 19. what truths they hold forth unto people, as as clear as may be, confidering their rude- So then, in this verfe (to confider it in nefs and incapacity to take up the myfteries itself,) 1. The affumption is laid down, of religion, and for that caufe may lawfully Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead make ufe of homely and cleanly fimilitudes to the law; ye are judicially and legally to illuftrate points; after the example of dead to that law as a covenant of works, Paul, who makes ufe of the homely ex-preffing complete obedience, yielding no ample of marriage, to clear the bufinefs he is about. VERSE 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye alfo are become dead to the law by the body of Chrift; that ye fhould be married to another, even to him who is raifed from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. A Fter he has fet down the fimilitude, he applieth it to his purpofe here, and fo fets down the affumption of the main argument, which we fpoke of before, and confirmeth it from feveral grounds. Take the whole comparison thus, in fhort: As there is fuch a ftrait tye betwixt married perfons, so as they cannot break to other without great guilt, as long as both are in life, but when the husband is dead that tye is loofed, and fhe may lawfully marry another husband, and be in fubjection unto him; fo there is a ftrait tye betwixt unbelievers and the law, or covenant of works, that no man can get fhaken off, but will still be under the dominion thereof, that is, under the rigorous exaction of obedience, conform to the covenant of works, and its curfe, becaufe of every breach, as long as that law, or covenant of works, ftands in full force; but now having fled in to Chrift you are freed from the law, that former husband is dead, (but leaft he irritate them, he changeth the phrafe, and inftead of faying, the law is dead to you, he fays, you are dead to the law, it being all one thing upon the mat. ter; for the wife is no more bound to her husband when he is dead, than if the were dead herself,) and are married to Chrift who is rifen from the dead, and fo dieth no more. affiftance, but condemning for the leaft tranfgreffion, and fo it is not your husband to lead you to heaven, and whofe commands you must obey for life. 2. He cleareth and confirmeth this, (1.) by fhewing the way how this liberty from fuch a rigorous domineering husband was procured and obtained, viz. by the body of Chrift; he being your cautioner laid down his life a ranfom, and fatisfied juftice, and the law, and thereby hath obtained everlafting redemption, and bloted out the handwriting which was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, Col. ii. 14. (2.) By fhewing a twofold end of this liberty; 1. That ye might be married to another, even Chrift: Ye were not de-. livered (would he fay) from your former husband that you might live as you lifted,. but that you might be tied to another husband; and this other husband is described to be him who is raised from the dead, to fhew the unchangeableness of this match that will never be diffolved; for death diffolveth the marriage knot, but here there is no fear of death, he being alrea- * dy dead and rifen again: as alfo, to fhew how we fhall rife with him by virtue of his refurrection; and therefrom alfo have influence to rife unto newness of life, which we are called to. 2. The other end is, that we should bring forth fruit unto God: alluding unto the ftate of marriage, one end whereof is to bring forth a holy feed; hence children are called the fruit of the womb, Pfal. cxxvii. 3. and cxxxii. 11. We were not fet free from the law, and married to Chrift, that we might lead a licentious life, but that we might glorify God in our Christian walk, and bring forth fuch works to our husband, who is God, Ff as |