Romans 13

Romans 13:1

The apostle urges obedience to magistrates, justice in all its branches, and love, as the fulfilling of the law; concluding the chapter with a warm exhortation to that universal sanctity which might become, and adorn, the excellent dispensation of the gospel. Rom. XIII. 1, to the end.

ROMANS XIII. 1. AMONG the many exhortations I am now Giving you, my Christian brethren, to a ROMANS XIII. 1. LET every soul be subject unto the

All are to be subject to the superior authorities.

life worthy of the gospel, that of obedience to magistrates, to which I now proceed, must be acknowledged of distinguished importance. I know the Jews are strongly prejudiced against the thoughts of submitting to heathen governors; but let me strictly charge and enjoin it upon every soul among you, without exception, how holy soever his profession be, and however honourable his station in the church, that he be in all regular and orderly subjection to the superior civil authorities which Divine Providence hath established in the places where you live. For there is no such legal authority, but may, in one sense or another, be said to be from God. It is his will, that there should be magistrates to guard the peace of societies; and the hand of his providence in directing to the persons of particular governors, ought to be seriously considered and revered. *The authorities that exist under one form or another, are in their different places, ranged, disposed, and established by God,*ᵃ the original and universal Governor. *He therefore, who, by an unjust resistance, endeavours to confound these ranks, and sets himself, as it were, in arrayᵇ against the authority of which magistrates are possessed,*ᶜ withstands the disposition of God, for the

ᵃ Disposed and established.] So I render the word πλημμιαν, thinking the English word ordained rather too strong. Compare Acts xiii. 48, and the note there. Divine Providence ranges, and in fact establishes, the various governments of the world; they are, therefore, under the character of governments, in the general to be revered: but this cannot make what is wrong and pernicious in any particular forms, sacred, divine, and immutable, any more than the hand of God in a amine or pestilence, is an argument against seeking proper means to remove it.

ᵇ Sets himself, &c.] This seems the most direct import of ανθίωσεν, which may allude to the word πλημμιαν, anged or marshalled by God, used above with respect to the magistrate, ver. 1.

ᶜ Authority of which magistrates are assessed.] Bishop Hopkins lays great stress on the word εχωία, here used, as signifying a lawful authority, and incapable of being applied to an usurper; and in

pursuance of this, has taken some pains to shew, that the power of the Roman emperors in the apostle’s time was not usurped, the people having given up their original rights to the senate, and the senate to the emperors. But as this is a very abstruse question, and the pretended evidence for it very slender and exceptionable, and so far as I can judge, quite unsatisfactory; so it is certain, that εχωία is sometimes applied to an usurped authority, being applied to the power of Satan. Acts xxvi. 18; Eph. ii. 2. Compare Eph. vi. 12; Col. i. 13; chap. ii. 15; Rev. xiii. 2, 4, 5; to which several other instances might be added. But the natural and candid interpretation proposed above, needs not the support of such a criticism, and frees us from the endless embarrassment of the question of a king de Jure, and de facto. I should think it unlawful to resist the most unjust power that can be imagined, if there was a probability only of doing mischief by it.

vo . 4.

For magistracy is the ordinance of God, for the general good.

public peace and order : and they who withstand so wise and beneficial an appointment, shall receive to themselves condemnation, not only from the civil powers they injure, but from the supreme Sovereign, whose laws they break, and whose order they endeavour to reverse.

And indeed the gospel purposes to which magistracy is subservient, make it very apparent, that God must be displeased when that is despised : for rulers, in their several offices, are not on the whole a terror to good works, but to such as are evil, being intended to encourage the former, by punishing the latter. Wouldest thou not therefore be afraid of the high authority with which they are invested? Do that which is good, and thou shalt, according to the general course of administration, have not only protection, but praise and respect from it. This, I say, may reasonably be expected, and will be the case, where the magistrate understands himself and his office : for he is, according to the original appointment, to be considered as elevated above his fellow men, not for his own indulgence, dominion, and advantage, but that he might be to thee, and to all the rest of his subjects, as the servant and instrument of God for thine and the public good. But if thou dost that which is evil, and so makest thyself the enemy of that

Are not a terror to good works, &c.] If circumstances arise in which this argument is not applicable, it is reasonable to be taken for granted, that the apostle did not intend here to pronounce concerning such cases. Nothing can be said for interpreting these passages in favour of unlimited passive obedience, which will not prove any resistance of a private injury unlawful, by the authority of our Lord’s decision ; Matt. v. 39, 40. And this would subvert the great foundation of magistracy itself, which is appointed by force to ward off and prevent it, or avenge such injuries. But it was very prudent in the apostle not to enter into any question relating to the right of resistance in some extraordinary cases ; as those cases are comparatively few, and as the justest decisions which he could have given on that subject might possibly have been misrepresented, to his own detriment, and that of the gospel. The general laws of benevolence

to the whole, so strongly asserted in this context, are in particular cases to determine ; and all particular precepts, in whatever universal terms they are delivered, are always to give way to them.

In the general course of administration, &c.] As it is certain the case often is otherwise, and was particularly so with respect to Nero, under whom this epistle, was written ; it is necessary to interpret the words with this latitude. And there is great reason to conclude, that magistrates in general are in fact much more beneficial, than hurtful, to society, which is a good argument for a general submission ; and that was, as we observed above, all the apostle could intend to enforce. Compa. Prov. xviii. 22, where, if I mistake not, the sense is similar, and is to be understood thus, “generally speaking, a wife is a felicity, rather than a detriment to her husband, though to be sure there are many excepted instances.”

society of which he is the guardian, thou hast indeed reason to be afraid: for he holdeth not the sword of justice, which God hath put into his hand, in vain. It was given him for this very purpose, that he might smite malefactors, and thereby preserve peace and order in his dominions. And in doing it, he is to be regarded, not as acting a severe and oppressive part, but as the servant and substitute of God; an avenger appointed in his name, to [execute,] not his own personal resentment, but the wrath of a righteous Providence, against him that doth evil, in instances wherein it would be highly improper to leave that avenging power in the hands of private injured persons. Therefore, when this is considered, piety, as well as prudence, and human virtue, will teach thee, that it is necessary to be in a regular subjection, not only out of regard to the dread thou mayest reasonably have of that wrath and punishment which man can execute; but also for the sake of conscience, which will be violated, and armed with reproaches against you, if you disturb the public peace, and resist the kind purposes of God, by opposing governors, while they act under his commission. This is in effect, what all subjects profess to own, as on this account you also pay tribute; which magistrates every where receive, and is levied for this apparent reason, that they are to be considered as the ministers of the good providence of God, who give to the public the whole of their time, care, and labour, and continually applying themselves to this one affair, the execution of their high office, have a right to be honourably maintained out of the public revenues, on the most obvious principles of equity and justice. On this principle, therefore, be careful that you render to all what is justly their due; even though you may have opportunities of defrauding them of it, to your own immediate and temporal advantage. To whom tribute [is due,] for your persons or estates, [render] such tribute, rd in vain.] This flicting capital punishment, which the lawfulness of in- is subverting the chief use of ma is

All social duties summed up in the love of our neighbour.

or taxes; and to whom custom is due, for any commodity exported, or imported, render that custom; and seek not clandestinely to convey such commodities away, without paying it. To whom reverence is due, on account of their worth and character, render reverence; and to whom any external form of civil honour and respect is due, by virtue of their office and rank of life, though it should so happen that they have no peculiar merit to recommend them to your regard, scruple not to pay all proper marks of honour; and guard against that stiffness, which, under pretence of Christian simplicity, by disputing such common forms, may rather indulge pride, and occasion reproach. On the whole, owe nothing to any, but endeavour to manage your affairs with that economy and prudent attention, that you may as soon as possible balance accounts with all who have demands upon you, except it be with respect to that debt, which, while you pay, you will be renewing; I mean, the obligation you will ever be under to love one another. That I would recommend to your constant care; for he that loveth another, hath in a compendious manner fulfilled every thing that the law requireth with respect to him. For that [precept,] Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour’s, and any other command respecting our fellow creatures, if such [there be] is summed up in this one excellent and comprehensive precept, which I wish may be engraven on all our hearts, so as to regulate every affection and action; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Thou shalt learn to put thyself, as it were, in his place, and to act as, in a supposed change of circumstances, thou

Tribute to whom tribute.] It is well known that the Jews had a favourite notion among them, that they, as the peculiar people of God, were exempted from obligations to pay tribute to Gentiles: (Joseph. Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 1; Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 1, § 2, & cap. 8, (al. 7,) § 1;) against which this passage is directly lev-

elled, though without pointing them out in any invidious manner. Reverence.] This must certainly be the import of φόβοι here, as also, of φόβοι, Eph. v. ult. and it expresses the inward disposition, as τιμω, honour, expresses the conduct and external behaviour, proceed-in from it.

Christians are to put on the works of darkness,

Love worketh couldest reasonably desire to be treated. Now sect. o ill to his neighour: therefore love it is very obvious, that love worketh no evil to xxix. ’s the fulfilling of the one’s neighbour; nay, wherever that noble prinav. ciple governs, it will put men upon doing all Rom. they can, to ward off injury from one another, xiii. and to make the life of each as comfortable and 10

happy as possible: therefore it may well be said, as it is asserted above, that love [is] the accomplishment of the whole law.

And let me urge you to attend to this, and to 1 the other precepts I have given, with so much the greater diligence, knowing the circumstances of the present season; which, if you consider, you will see that [it is] high time now to awake out of sleep, and vigorously to improve every opportunity of doing good, and prosecuting the great business of life, which is to secure the Divine favour, and your final happiness: for our great expected salvation [is] now considerably nearer than when we at first believed. We have complete salvation in view, it is continually advancing upon us, flying forwards, as it were, on the swiftest wings of time; and that which remains, interposed between the present moment, and our entering on the promised reward, is comparatively but a very small span. Act therefore at all times, in a holy subordination to such a circumstance! And since the night is far advanced, since the dark state of the present life, in which we often confound good and bad, is almost over, and the day is drawing near, even that day which will shew every thing in its proper colours and forms; let us therefore put off the works, which suit only a state of darkness, and let us put on the complete armour of light. Let us be clothed with all the Christian graces, which like burnished and beautiful armour, will be at once an ornament and defence, and which will reflect the bright beams that are so gloriously rising upon us. And as [being] now in the clear and open day, let us take care to walk decently, honourably, and gracefully; since the lustre, already shining about us, requires great refor-

nourably and grace- Dr. Milner renders it, let us walk we exactly signifies. grace. Fading Flowers of Life, p. 31

an to put on the Lord Jesus.

mation and exemplary holiness : not in rioting and drunken debauches, not in chambering,k ef- feminacy, and lasciviousness,l the vices in which so many are wasting and polluting the hours which nature has destined to necessary repose : not in the contention and emulation which the indulgence of such irregular desires often oc- casion. But laying aside all these abomina- tions and enormities, let us put on the Lord Je- sus Christ,m our great Sovereign and Saviour. Endeavour, my brethren, to obtain thegreatest conformity to his temper, and to appear as like him as possible, in every particular in which he can be the object of our imitation ; for that short precept will contain all that is necessary to adorn our profession to its greatest height. And while so many are spending their time, and thoughts, and substance, in those low pur- suits which regard only the meaner part of their nature ; make not a solicitous provision for the flesh, to [fulfil its] irregular desires, nor be in- tent in pleasing any of the senses, even where their demands may not appear directly crimi- nal ; but labour to preserve the superiority of the immortal spirit, and to keep it continually under the discipline of so holy, and so noble a religion.

IMPROVEMENT.

WHILE subjects learn reverence and obedience to their mag- 1-5 istrates, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake, may magis-

k Chambering : Koñaz.] This Leigh explains of lying long in bed. I will not de- fend that sense of the word ; but I will here record the observation which I have und of great use to myself, and to which I may say, that the production of this work, and most of my other writings, is owing ; viz. that the difference between rising at 5, and at 7 of the clock in the morning, for he space of forty years, supposing a man to go to bed at the same hour at night, is nearly equivalent to the addition of ten ears to a man’s life, of which, (supposing the two hours in question to be spent,) 8 hours every day should be employed in study and devotion.

l Effeminacy and lasciviousness.] I think σιγνις, properly signifies a soft, luxuri- us, and effeminate manner of life, attended with an affected delicacy very detrimental

to that resolution which is so necessary an ingredient in the character of one who would approve himself a good soldier of Je- sus Christ.

m Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.] A strong expression for endeavouring to be clothed with all the virtues and graces which composed his character. Which reminds me of what Plutarch tells us con- cerning the kings of Persia ; that on their coronation day, they put on a robe, which the first Cyrus wore before he was king, to remind them of imitating his exem- plary temper and behaviour. Plutarch. Artaxerx. apud Opera, Tom. vi. p. 1851, Edit. Steph. 1572. It is observable, the apostle does not say, " put on purity, and sobriety, peacefulness, and benevolence ;" but he, in effect, says all at once, in saying, put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflections on the obedience due to governors, &c.

trates learn a correspondent care to answer that end of their sect. office, which the apostle makes the foundation of such precepts xxix. as these, and to be indeed the ministers of God for good, a terror verse 3, 4 not to good but to evil works.

GREAT BRITAIN, while I write this,* is happy in a government to which this character may justly be applied. Its subjects are under the greatest obligations to the Divine goodness, in having so remarkably overthrown the attempts of those who would have left us little use of the scripture; but would themselves have abused it, to have rivetted on the heaviest fetters, by perverting this passage of St. Paul, as if he had intended to subvert every free constitution under heaven, and to put a sword into the hand of merciless tyrants, to kill and take possession of the heritage of the Lord, counting his people but as sheep for the slaughter.

While we are thus happy, we shall be doubly inexcusable, if we fail in rendering both honour and tribute, where they are so justly due.

May we extend our care to the universal law of love; and 8-10 may it be so deeply engraven on our hearts, that the practice of every social virtue may become easy and delightful.

And on the whole, being animated by the approach of salvation, 11, 12 may we awake to the vigorous discharge of our duty, and while the light of the gospel scatters about us so bright a ray, may we walk, in every respect, worthy of it, that we may have no reason to wish for the veil of darkness to cover our shame. May we not only abstain from the vices, which are here branded with the infamy they deserve; but distinguish ourselves in cultivating the contrary virtues. And that we may do it effectually, may we 13 put on the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering continually the obligations we are under to consider his life as the model of our own. So shall we make the gospel day yet brighter in the eyes of all around us, and anticipate, while we are here in this world of comparative darkness, the lustre, with which we hope, through his influence and grace, to shine forth in the celestial kingdom of our Father.

• Anno Domini, 1749.

The weak should be received, not to doubtful dis