Being justified, the believer A. M. 4064. A. D. 60. A. D. 60. 2 By whom also we have access by || 3 And not only so, but we glory A. M. 4064. faith into this grace wherein we in tribulations also; knowing that g stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. tribulation worketh patience; • John x. 9; xiv. 6; Eph. ii. 18; iii. 12; Heb. x 19. d1 Cor. xv. 1.-e Heb. iii. 6. Matt. v. 11, 12; Acts v. 41; 2 Cor. xii. 10; Phil. ii. 17; condemnation and wrath no longer, but brought || maintained, against persecutors and false teachers, into a state of reconciliation and peace with him. to the Grecian combats, perhaps, by standing firm, "Our guilty fears are silenced, and we are taught || he meant that, as stout wrestlers, they successfully to look up to him with sweet serenity of soul, while maintained their faith in the gospel, in opposition we no longer conceive of him as an enemy, but both to the Jews and heathen, notwithstanding under the endearing character of a Friend and a the sufferings which the profession of their faith had Father." Through our Lord Jesus Christ- || brought on them," And rejoice in hope of the glory Through his mediation and grace. They have || of God-Here two other blessings are mentioned, also divers other privileges and blessings here enu- rising in degree above both the preceding; a hope merated, which are all the fruits of justifying faith; || of the glory of God, and joy arising therefrom. By so that where they are not, that faith is not. "It || the glory of God is meant the vision and enjoyment seems very unreasonable," says Dr. Doddridge, “that of the God of glory in a future state, particularly when the apostle wrote such passages as this, and after the resurrection and the general judgment; Eph. i. 1-3, he should mean to exclude himself, who including a full conformity to Jesus Christ, the Lord was no Gentile; they are not therefore to be ex- of glory, in soul and body; (to whom we shall be pounded as spoken particularly of the Gentiles; made like, because we shall see him as he is, 1 John nor could he surely intend by these grand descrip- || iii. 2 ;) also the glorious society of saints and angels, tions, and pathetic representations, to speak only and a glorious world, the place of our eternal abode. of such external privileges as might have been com- Of this, those that are justified by faith have a lively mon to Simon Magus, or any other hypocritical and || and well-grounded hope, being heirs of it in consewicked professor of Christianity. And if he did quence of their justification, Tit. iii. 7; and of their not intend this, he must speak of all true Christians || adoption, Rom. viii. 14-17; Gal. iv. 6,7; and through as such, and as taking it for granted that those to this hope, to which they are begotten again by faith whom he addressed this and his other epistles were, in the resurrection of Christ, who rose the firstin the general, such, though there might be some fruits of them that sleep, and by pardoning and refew excepted cases, which he did not think it neces-newing grace, communicated in and through him, sary often to touch upon. And this is the true key to such passages in his epistles as I have more par- || ticularly stated and vindicated in the postscript which I have added to the preface of my Sermons || on Regeneration, to which I must beg leave to refer my reader, and hope I shall be excused from a more particular examination of that very different | scheme of interpretation which Dr. Taylor has so laboriously attempted to revive. The main princi- || ples of it are, I think, well confuted by my pious and worthy friend, Dr. Guyse, in the preface to his Paraphrase on this epistle. they rejoice frequently with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. i. 3-8; being sealed to the day of redemption, and having an earnest of their future inheritance by God's Spirit in their hearts. Verses 3, 4. And not only so-Not only do we possess the four fore-mentioned inestimable blessings; but we glory in tribulations also-Which we are so far from esteeming a mark of God's displeasure, that we receive them as tokens of his fatherly love, whereby we may be enabled to do him more singular honour, and be prepared for a more exalted happiness. The Jews often objected the persecuted Verse 2. By whom also we have access-Greek, || state of the Christians as inconsistent with what Tηy pooaywyny, admittance, entrance, or introduc- they concluded would be the condition of the peotion. The word, as Raphelius has shown from the ple of the Messiah. It is therefore with great proheathen historian, Herodotus, is often used as apriety that the apostle so often discourses on the sacerdotal phrase, and signifies, "being with great solemnity introduced as into the more immediate presence of a deity in his temple, so as (by a supposed interpreter, from thence called "pocaywyevs, the introducer) to have a kind of conference with || such a deity." By faith into this grace-Into this || state of favour, and a state in which we receive, or may receive, grace to help in every time of need. The word also shows that the blessing here spoken of is different from and superior to the peace with || God, mentioned in the preceding verse, Wherein we stand—Remain, abide; or rather, stand firm, as the word enkaμev signifies. "As the apostle often compares the conflicts which the first Christians benefit arising from this very thing. The apostles and first Christians gloried in tribulations: 1st, Because hereby their state was made to resemble that of Christ, with whom they died, that they might live; suffered, that they might reign, chap. viii. 17; 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. 2d, Because their graces were hereby exercised, and therefore increased. And, 3d, They were hereby purified and refined, as gold and silver in the furnace. See Isa. i. 4, 5; Zech. xiii. 9. Knowing that tribulation-Under the influence of divine grace, without which it could produce no such effect; worketh patience-Calls into exercise, and so gradually increases our patience; even an humble, resigned, quiet, contented state of mind: piety and virtue, 1 Thess. i. 3, 1 John fii. 3; 1 Cor. xv. || 58, are increased and confirmed in proportion thereto. Verse 5. And hope-Such hope as is the fruit of faith, patience, and experience, namely, the full assurance of hope; maketh not ashamed-Does not shame and confound us with disappointment, but we shall certainly obtain the good things hoped for; yea, we know it cannot shame or disappoint us, because we have already within ourselves the very beginning of that heaven at which it aspires. For || the love of God―That is, love to God, arising from a manifestation of his love to us, even that love which constitutes us at once both holy and happy, and is therefore an earnest of our future inheritance in our hearts; that love, in the perfection of which the blessedness of that celestial world consists; is shed abroad-Greek, ɛKKɛxvrai, is poured out; into our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us-The efficient cause of all these present bless of wisdom and revelation, the Holy Ghost enables us to discern God's love to us; and as a Spirit of holiness and consolation, he enables us to delight ourselves daily in him, though for the present he appoint us trials which may seem rigorous and severe. suggesting those considerations which at once show the reasonableness of that duty, and lay a solid foundation for it. And patience, experience—The patient enduring of tribulation gives us more experience of the truth and degree of our grace, of God's care of us, and of his power, and love, and faithfulness, engaged in supporting us under our sufferings, and causing them to work for our good. The original expression, dox:un, rendered experience, signifies being approved on trial. Before we are brought into tribulation, knowing God's power, we may believe he can deliver; and knowing his love and faithfulness to his word, we may believe he will deliver: but after we have been actually brought into tribulation, and have been supported under it, and delivered out of it, we can say, from experience, he hath delivered; and are thus encouraged to trust in him in time to come. Thus Shadrach and his companions, before they were cast into the furnace, could say (Dan. iii. 17) to Nebuchadnezzar, Ourings, and the earnest of those to come. As a Spirit God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and they could also add, He will deliver us. But after they had been cast into the furnace, and their faith in, and obedience to, their God had been put to that fiery trial, their patience wrought experience; and they could say, from experience, He hath delivered us, as was ac- Verses 6-8. For-How can we now doubt of knowledged by the haughty monarch himself, say- || God's love, since when we were without strength— ing, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, &c., who hath || Either to think, will, or do any thing good; were delivered his servants that trusted in him. And utterly incapable of making any atonement for our experience, hope-That is, an increased and more transgressions, or of delivering ourselves from the confirmed hope than is possessed before experience depth of guilt and misery into which we were is attained; namely, 1st, Of continued help, support,|| plunged; in due time-Neither too soon nor too late, and deliverance. 2d, Of a comfortable issue of our || but in that very point of time which the wisdom of trials in due time. 3d, Of eternal salvation at last, God knew to be more proper than any other; Christ Matt. v. 12, John xvi. 20-22. Observe, reader, as soon died for the ungodly-For the sake, and instead of, as we are justified, and made the children and heirs such as were enemies to God, (verse 10,) and could of God, chap. viii. 17, we hope, on good grounds, for not merit any favour from him: that is, for Jews the glory of God; but our faith and other graces and Gentiles, when they were, as has been proved not having then been tried, our hope of eternal life in the first three chapters, all under sin. Observe, must be mixed with doubts and fears respecting our reader, Christ not only died to set us an example, steadfastness when exposed to trials, (which we are or to procure us power to follow it, but to atone for taught in the word of God to expect,) and our en- our sins; for it does not appear that this expression, during to the end. But when we have been brought of dying for any one, has any other signification into and have passed through various and long-con- than that of rescuing his life by laying down our tinued trials, and in the midst of them have been so own. "By the ungodly here, Mr. Locke understands supported by divine grace as to be enabled to con- Gentiles, as also by weak, sinners, enemies, &c. tinue in the faith, grounded and settled, and not to They are undoubtedly included; but it seems very be moved away from the hope of the gospel, our ex- inconsistent with the whole strain of the apostle's pectation of persevering in the good way, and being argument in the preceding chapters, to confine it to finally saved, attains a confirmation and establish- them. Compare chap. iii. 9-20, 22, 23; iv. 5; v. 20. ment: and our gratitude and joy, 1 Pet. i. 3, our I therefore," says Dr. Doddridge, "all along explain patience, purity, and diligence in all the works of such passages in the most extensive sense; and think A. M. 4064. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified "by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. were reconciled to 11 And not only so, but we also 'joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we 10 For Pif when we were enemies, we have now received the 2 atonement. || 42 Cor. v. 18, 19; Eph. ii. 16; Col. i. 21. John v. 26; xiv. 19; 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11.- Chap. ii. 17; iii. 29, 30; Gal. iv. 9.- -2 Or, reconciliation, verse 10; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. nothing in the whole New Testament plainer, than us the Holy Spirit, to remove the enmity from our that the gospel supposes every human creature, to minds, giving us, at the same time, such a display of whom it is addressed, to be in a state of guilt and the love of God to us, as won our affections over to condemnation, and incapable of being accepted with him; much more, being thus reconciled, we shall be God, any otherwise than through the grace and saved-Sanctified and glorified ; by his life-Restored mercy which it proclaims. Compare John iii. 16, 36; in order to our being thus saved: that is, by his ever v. 24; 1 John iii. 14; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Luke xxiv. 47; living to make intercession, and his thereby receivand especially 1 John i. 10, than which no assertioning for us, and communicating to us, continual supcan be more positive and express." For scarcely ||plies of grace. He that has done the greater thing, for a righteous, or rather, honest, just, and unblame- which is, of enemies to make us friends, will cerable man—One who gives to all what is strictly their tainly do the lesser, which is, when we are friends due; would one be willing to die-Though appre- to treat us as such, and be kind and gracious to us. hended to be in the most immediate danger: yet for But the opposition is not only between reconciling a good man-A kind, merciful, compassionate, enemies, and preserving friends, the latter being less bountiful man; peradventure some would even dare difficult than the former, but also between Christ's to die-Every word increases the strangeness of the death and life; his life here spoken of, being not thing, and declares even this to be something great his life in the flesh, but his life in heaven, that life and unusual. But God commendeth—Greek, ovvi- which ensued after his death. See Rom. xix. 9. 5ŋoi, recommendeth. A most elegant and proper ex- || Now if his death, when he was crucified in weakpression; for those are wont to be recommended to ness, performed the harder work, that is, reconciled us who were before either unknown to, or alienated his enemies, shall not his life, which is stronger, (for from us. In that while we were yet sinners-So far he liveth by his divine power as the Prince of life, from being good, that we were not even just; and that could not be held in death,) effect the easier were not only undeserving of his favour, but obnox-work, and preserve and save to the uttermost, those ious to wrath and punishment; Christ died for us— that are already made his friends? For, we are Died in our stead, that our guilt might be cancelled, reconciled by Christ humbled, and finally saved by and we brought into a state of acceptance with God. Christ exalted, it being in consequence of his exaltaVerses 9-11. Much more then-Since, therefore, it tion to the right hand of God, and his being invested hath pleased the blessed God to give us such an un- with all power in heaven and on earth, and made exampled display of his love as this, how high may || head over all things to his church, that he completes our expectations rise, and how confidently may we and consummates our salvation. And not only so— conclude, that much more, being now justified by his Namely, that we should be reconciled and saved; blood-Shed for us: that is, by his death, which is but we also joy, Greek, kavxwuevo, glory, in God—In the meritorious cause of our justification, while faith the relation in which he stands to us as our God, in that blood is the instrumental cause; we shall be and in all his glorious and boundless perfections, saved from wrath-From future punishment, from which we see are engaged for us; through our Lord the vengeance of eternal fire; through him-If he || Jesus Christ-By whom we are introduced into this so loved us as to give his Son to die for us, when happy state, who is our peace, and hath made God we were mere guilty sinners, we may assure our- and us one; by whom we have now-That we are beselves that, having now constituted us righteous, and lievers; received the atonement—Greek, TMŋo kataλλaaccepted us as such, pardoning all our sins for the yv, the reconciliation. So the word signifiés, and sake of the sacrifice of Christ's blood, he will cer- in all other passages where it occurs is so translated, tainly save us from eternal damnation; us who con- being derived from the verb karahλaoow, which is tinue in the faith, grounded and settled, and are twice rendered reconcile in the preceding verse, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. For to which it has so apparent a reference, that it is if, when we were enemies-Through the perverse- surprising it should have been here rendered by 90 ness of our minds, and the rebellion of our lives, different a word as atonement, especially as it is (see Col. i. 21;) we were reconciled to God by the quite improper to speak of our receiving an atonedeath of his Son-Which expiated our sins, and ment which God receives as made for our sins. rendered God reconcileable, and which procured for But, when we are made true believers in Christ, we VOL. II. (4). 49 b receive the reconciliation, and that not only averts since we see, in fact, that sin was imputed, we must the terrors of God's wrath, but opens upon us all the || conclude that the persons, to whose account it was blessings of his perpetual friendship and love; so charged, were under some law. Now this, with rethat the Father and the Son come unto us, and make spect to infants, could not be the law of nature, (any their abode with us, John xiv. 23; and we know and more than the law of Moses,) for infants could not believe the love that he hath to us, and in conse-transgress that; it must therefore have been the law quence thereof dwell in love, and therefore dwell in God, and God in us. The whole paragraph from verse 3 to 11 may be taken together thus: We not only rejoice in hope of the glory of God, but also in the midst of tribulations, we glory in God himself || through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the reconciliation. given to Adam, the transgression whereof is, in some sense, imputed to all, even to infants, he being the representative of all his posterity, and they all being in his loins. In other words, they do not die for any actual sins of their own, being incapable, while in infancy, of committing any, but through Adam's sin alone. Verses 12, 13. Wherefore-This refers to all the Verse 14. Nevertheless-Though the law was not preceding discourse, from which the apostle infers yet given by Moses, yet sin was in the world, and what follows: he does not therefore make a digres- was imputed, as appears by this, that death, which sion, but returns to speak again of sin and right- is the punishment of sin, was in the world at that eousness; as if he had said, "We may from these time, and reigned-Brought all under its power; premises infer, that the benefit which we believers from Adam to Moses-As verse 21, and chap. vi. 12; receive from Christ is equal to the detriment we even over them, &c.-Not only over them that had derive from Adam; yea, is on the whole greater than sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, that." For, as by one man-That is, Adam, the but also over infants that had not committed actual common father of the human species; (he is men|| sin, as Adam had done, and over others who had not, tioned, and not Eve, as being the representative of like him, sinned against an express law. Who is mankind;) sin entered into the world-Actual sin, the figure of him that was to come-A lively type namely, the transgression of Adam and its conse- of Christ in his public capacity, each of them being quence, a sinful nature, which took place in him, a public person, and a federal head of mankind: the through his first sin, and which he conveyed to all one the fountain of sin and death to mankind by his his posterity; and death-With all its attendants. || offence, the other of righteousness and life by his It entered into the world when it entered into being; free gift. Thus far the apostle shows the agreement for till then it did not exist; by sin-Therefore it between the first and second Adam: afterward he could not enter in before sin; and so-Namely, by shows the difference between them. The agreement one man; death passed-From one generation to may be summed up thus: As by one man sin entered another; upon all men, for that all have sinned—into the world, and death by sin; so by one man Namely, in Adam, their representative, and as being in his loins. That is, they are so far involved in his first transgression and its consequences, and so certainly derive a sinful nature from him, that they become obnoxious to death. Instead of, for that, Dr. Doddridge renders e' w, unto which, (namely, unto death, mentioned in the preceding clause,) all || have sinned. In which ever way the expression is rendered, the words are evidently intended to assign the reason why death came upon all men, infants themselves not excepted. For until the law-For, from the fall of Adam, unto the time when God gave the law by Moses, as well as after it; sin was in the world-As appeared by the continual execution of its punishment; that is, death: but-It is a self-evident principle that sin is not, and cannot be, imputed where there is no law-Since the very essence of sin consists in the violation of a law. And consequently, 50 righteousness entered into the world, and life by righteousness. As death passed upon all men, in that all had sinned; so life passed upon all men, (who are in the second Adam by faith,) in that all are justified. And as death, through the sin of the first Adam, reigned even over them who had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression: so through the righteousness of Christ, even those who have not obeyed after the likeness of his obedience, shall reign in life. We may add, as the sin of Adam, without the sins which we afterward committed, brought us death: so the righteousness of Christ, without the good works which we afterward perform, brings us life, although still every good as well as evil work will receive its due reward. Verses 15, 16. But not as the offence, &c.-The apostle now describes the difference between Adam and Christ, and that much more directly and ex( 4* ) b Sin and death came by Adam; but A. D. 60. CHAPTER V. A. D. 60. grace more abounds by Christ. A. M. 4064. gift. For if through the offence of one fed by one; much more they which A. M. 4064. many be dead, much more the grace receive abundance of grace, and of of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. || one, Jesus Christ.) 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 18 Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reign- of life. 6 a La John Or, by one offence. Or, by one righteousness.6 xii. 32; Heb. ii. 9. fication-Unto the purchasing of it for all men, notwithstanding their many offences, and the conferring of it upon all the truly penitent that believe in Christ. Verse 17. For, &c.-Here he shows the difference in respect of the consequence of those acts, or the different nature of the effects, that death came from one, life from the other; as if he had said, Moreover, there is another important article, in which the grace of the gospel exceeds the seeming severity which attended the imputation of guilt from our first father, Adam, namely, that, if by one man's offence death reigned by one-Over all his posterity, as we observed above; they who receive-By faith, John i. 12; abundance of grace-An abundant measure of God's love, of the influences of his Spirit, and the gift of righteousness, exhibited in the gospel; namely, those benefits which Christ, by his obedience unto death, has purchased for us; shall much more reign in life, by one- -The great restorer and recoverer of his seed; Jesus Christ-That is, believers shall by him be brought to a much nobler and more excellent life than that from which Adam pressly than the agreement between them. Now, the fall and the free gift differ, 1st, In amplitude, verse 15; 2d, He, from whom sin came, and He|| from whom the free gift came, (termed also the gift of righteousness,) differ in power, verse 16; 3d, The reason of both is subjoined, verse 17; 4th, This premised, the offence and the free gift are compared with regard to their effect, verse 18. And with regard to their cause, verse 19. Not as the offence-The sin of Adam, and the misery that follows upon it; so also is the free gift-The benefit that arises to us from the obedience of Christ; that is, there is not a perfect equality and proportion between the evil that comes through Adam, and the benefit that comes by Christ: they are not equal in their influence and efficacy. For if through the offence of one many be dead—If the transgression of one mere man was effectual to bring down death, condemnation, and wrath upon all his posterity, or natural seed; much more the grace of God-His love and favour; and the gift-The salvation; by grace, which is by one man— -Who, however, is God as well as man; even Jesus Christ-The divinely- || commissioned and anointed Saviour; hath abound- || fell, and which they lost in him. ed unto many—Is more abundantly efficacious to Verses 18, 19. Therefore, &c.-Here the apostle procure reconciliation, pardon, righteousness, and compares Christ and Adam together again, as he life, for all that will accept them, and become his began to do verse 12, with which this verse seems spiritual seed. The apostle's design here is to com- to be connected, (all the intermediate verses coming pare Adam's sin and Christ's obedience, in respect in as a parenthesis,) and he makes the comparison of their virtue and efficacy, and to show that the full in both members; which there, by reason of efficacy of Christ's obedience must needs be much intervening matter, was left off imperfect. As if he more abundant than that of Adam's sin. And not, || had said, On the whole you see, as I began to ob&c.-As there is a difference in respect of the per- serve to you before, that as by the offence of one, sons from whom these effects are derived, and the || judgment came upon all men to condemnation—Or, advantage is on the side of Christ; so there is a dif- the condemnatory sentence was passed upon all ference also in respect of the extent of the efficacy men; even so, by the righteousness of one-The of their acts: thus, one sin brought condemnation; obedience of Christ, the free gift-Or gift of grace; the mischief arose from one offence: here not only came upon all men— -Is provided for, and offered to, that one sin, but also many sins,-yea, all the sins the whole human race, and is actually conferred on of believers,-are pardoned, and their nature is re- all the spiritual seed of the second Adam, on all true newed: so that the benefit exceeds the mischief. believers; unto justification of life--Unto that justiFor the judgment—The guilt which exposed to fication by grace through faith, whereby we have judgment; was by one-Namely, by one offence; to a right and title to eternal life. Or, leaving out the Adam's condemnation-Occasioning the sentence of words in Italics, which are not in the original, the death to be passed upon him, which, by consequence, verse may be paraphrased thus: "As the conseoverwhelmed his posterity: but the free gift-Toquence of one offence on the one hand extended to xapiopa, the gift of grace, is of many offences- all men, to bring condemnation upon them; so also, Extends to the pardon not only of that original sin, on the other side, the consequence of one grand act but of all other personal and actual sins; unto justi- of righteousness extended to all men, who receive |