Romans 3

Romans 3:1

After removing some objections, the sad case bo Gentiles is further illustrated; and the repres be agreeable to the scriptures of the Old Testam 1—19.

ROMANS III. 1.

BUT some may be ready to object, “If it be so, that no circumcision, but that of the heart, will avail to men’s final happiness; what then [is] the advantage of the Jew, or what the profit of circumcision, which yet you seemed to allow, when you said but just before, (chap. ii. 25,) that it in some circumstances profiteth?” Nor do I deny it now; I say that it profiteth much every way, or in a variety of respects; as I shall hereafter more fully shew, (compare chap. ix. 4, 5,) and chiefly in that they, who have received it, have been intrusted with the oracles of Godᵃ in the divinely inspired scriptures; by which they are taught many important lessons, which may direct their lives, and dispose them to embrace the gospel, to the security of their final and everlasting salvation.

Of great importance indeed are these Divine oracles to this purpose. And what if some, and they a considerable number, of those who once possessed these invaluable treasures, believed them not, or did not duly consider what they speculatively believed, and so rejected the gospel to which they were intended to lead: Shall their unbelief disannul and enervate the faith of God?ᵇ Shall it destroy his fidelity to his promises, or prevent our receiving them and owning their accomplishment, with becoming regard? God forbid, that we should insinuate any thing of this kind. No; let the blessed God ever be acknowledged to be true and faithful, though

ᵃ The oracles of God.] This is so remarkable and important a testimony to the Divine inspiration of the Old Testament in general, that it can leave no doubt concerning the full persuasion of St. Paul upon this head.

ᵇ The faith of God.] This is an ambiguous expression, and may either sig-

nify, the fidelity of God, or that faith of ours which God has pointed out as the way of obtaining justification and life. The senses run at last into each other. I have included both; and hinted, in the last words of the paraphrase, at a sort of intermediate sense; as the attentive reader will observe.

od is not unrighteous in taking vengeance.

every man be esteemed a liar, and unfit to have any confidence reposed in him; as it is written, (Psal. li. 4,) “that thou mightest be justified in thy words, and mightest upon the whole overcome, when thou art called into judgment; that they, who insolently dare to arraign the equity of thy conduct, may soon meet with the confusion they deserve.”

But a Jew may be ready further to object, and say, “If our unrighteousness recommend the righteousness of God, and illustrate his perfections in that way of becoming righteous by faith, which he now ordains; what shall we say, and what are we to expect? Is not God unrighteous, who inflicteth that wrath, which it is well known, you assert, he will execute upon the whole Jewish nation for rejecting it?” I now speak as a man, who had a mind to cavil at the gospel, might plead; and by no means express my own sentiments, as you may well imagine.

No; God forbid, that I should harbour such a thought, or allow such a consequence. For how then should God judge the world? With Abraham our Father, I acknowledge him under the character of the judge of all the earth; and maintain that he will always “do right.” Gen. xviii. 25. And as for such a caviller, he might as well speak out, and say, “If the truth of God hath abounded to his own glory by means of my lie, my falsehood and iniquity of any kind; if he has taken occasion to overrule my offence to the accomplishment of his word, and the honour of his administration; why am I nevertheless called into judgment as a sinner, and arraigned for that as a crime, which is at-

c When thou art called into judgment.] Elsner and Bos have abundantly shewn, that κρίνεσαι has this signification, (compare Acts xxv. 25; xxvi. 6,) and that γικαν, in such a connection, signifies to carry the cause. See Elsner, Observ. Vol. II. p. 18, 19; and Bos in loc.

d The righteousness of God.] Though the phrase be in itself ambiguous, I think Dr. Whitby has abundantly proved it has here the sense we live it.

e If the truth of God, &c.] The Prussian Testament renders this clause, “In the mean time if my lie conduces to the glory of God, by making the grandeur of his truth shine forth with superior advantage,” &c. This is the clear and genuine sense, but it is not consistent with the rule I generally follow, to deviate so far from the words of the original; and I mention it as a specimen of many liberties, in which I have declined following that version after attentive examination of it.

It will be no excuse, that we do evil that good may come.

tended with such happy consequences ?” [And why may I not say,] (as we are calumniated, and some most injuriously affirm, that we maintain) “let us do evil things, that good consequences may come from them ?” You may easily see, that principles like these would justify the greatest crimes in the world, if they might be so overruled as to prove the occasion of good ; and consequently, would so entirely confound the nature of good and evil, that I think it not worth while to argue with such persons ; whose condemnation is indeed so apparently just,⁶ that I leave them to be convinced, and silenced, by their own consciences ; and only mention such a detestable principle, solemnly to warn you against it.

But, to return from this long digression : If the question I mentioned before be repeated, and any say, “What then, upon the whole, have we Jews the advantage of the Gentiles so far, that in consequence of having these oracles of God which we have received, the promises which he will never fail to observe, and the principles of righteousness, which he will never himself violate in his conduct, we can claim justification before God by virtue of our obedience to his law ?” Not at all ; for we have before proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, and have placed them as convicted criminals at the Divine bar ; As it is written,⁶ (Psal. xiv. 1,) in a variety of passages which may be applied to the present occasion,

⁶ Whose condemnation is just.] I think this must imply, that there are certain rules which God has laid down for us, disobedience to which in any imaginable circumstances is universally a moral evil ; even though the quantity of good arising from thence to our fellow creatures, should be greater than that arising from observing those rules. For if this be not allowed, there can be no shadow of force in the apostle’s conclusion.

⁶ As it is written.] These scriptures are collected from different parts of the Old Testament ; but there are many editions of the Seventy in which they all stand together, in the xivᵗʰ or according to their order, xiiiᵗʰ Psalm ; which has given some occasion to think, that other alterations

may have been made in that Greek version, to render it more agreeable to the New Testament ; though many passages might escape the notice of such as made this attempt, if it were really made. But it must have been, as we see in this instance it was, a fruitless one ; considering how wide such copies were dispersed, and how different the religious sentiments of the persons with whom they were lodged. It seems much more reasonable, to account for the diversity we find between the original and quotations, by supposing the sense, rather than words, intentionally regarded ; and some accidental alterations have happened since in the Hebrew copies, which in several places may make the difference greater than it originally was.

ent asserts the universal depravity of mankind.

“There is none righteous, no not one; There is none that understandeth his duty and his true interest; there is none that seeketh after God, and constantly endeavoureth to secure his favour. They are all declined from that moral rectitude, which is the glory of the rational nature; they are altogether become useless as to the great end for which they were made, so that there is none that practiseth good, there is not so much as one. (Psal. xiv. 1—3; liii. 1—3.) Their throat [is] noisome and dangerous as an open sepulchre, gaping to swallow them up, or poison them with its infected air; with their tongues they have used the most mischievous deceit; and while they make the fairest profession of friendship, the mortal venom of asps [is] hid under their lips, which utter the most infectious and fatal slanders. (Psal. cxl. 3.) They are men whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; (Psal. x. 7;) so that the most shocking prophaneness mingles itself with that malignity of heart towards their fellow men, which breathes in every word. Their feet [are] swift to run towards the places where they have appointed to shed the blood of the innocent. (Prov. i. 16, 18.) Ruin and misery [are] on the whole in all their ways; they bring it upon others, and so, by an inevitable consequence, upon themselves at last. And as for the way of peace and happiness, they have not known or regarded it. (Isa. lix. 7, 8.) And, to sum up all in one word, the great cause of all this degeneracy is, that the fear of God is not before their eyes, but they are utterly destitute of any true principle of religion, of any reverence and love to the great and adorable Object of it.” (Psal. xxxvi. 1.)

“There is none that seeketh after God, &c.] It is allowed, that this passage only proves directly, what was the character of the Jews in David’s time; but it plainly shews that the wrath of God was awakened against them, as well as others, for their sins: it proves also, that a general degeneracy might prevail among them, though by profession God’s people; and it suggests a strong presumption, that if Israel in David’s time, which was one of its best ages, was so bad, Gentil nations were still worse; and in all these views, it was much to the apostle’s purpose to produce the passage. The like observation is in a great measure applicable to all the following quotations; a the paraphrase on ver. 19, suggests, or rather, as the apostle himself there evidently insinuates.

What the scripture saith is to convict the w

This, my brethren, is in general the sad vi. character of mankind in their fallen state; and Rom. the representation is the more striking, as it is iii. 19 borrowed from the sacred writings. Now we know, that what the law saith in such passages as these, it saith to those that were under the law;¹ they do not immediately relate to the heathen, but contain the character of those that were at that time the professing people of God. And as most of these passages are borrowed from the writings of David, Solomon, or Isaiah, it appears, that even in the best days of their state, they had a great deal of enormous wickedness among them. And if Israel, even at such a time, could not justify itself, much less can it be imagined that the idolatrous nations of the Gentiles should be able to do it: so that every mouth must be stopped, and the whole world stand convicted before God² as guilty, and acknowledge itself obnoxious to a dreadful sentence from his tribunal. Now I earnestly desire to bring every reader under a sense of this, as what is of the highest importance, in order to receiving the gospel with becoming gratitude and joy.

IMPROVEMENT.

Who can read this melancholy picture of human nature, copied by the hand of an apostle from the lines first drawn by inspired prophets, without deep humility, and lamentation? To this was it sunk, that there was none righteous, no not one; none disposed to seek after God, or to cultivate his fear. And from this bitter root, the apostasy of our nature from God, what detestable fruit proceeds! The throat which is like an open sepulchre the deceitful tongue, the envenomed lips, the malicious heart, the murderous hand! And who can wonder, that such rebels to their heavenly Father should sometimes prove ruffians to their brethren!

Let us bless God that we have been preserved from fallin into such enormities, and from falling by them. His grace has restrained us from sinning against him in such an aggravated manner; his Providence has guarded us from those whose feet are

¹ What the law saith.] It appears here, that this word law doth sometimes signify the Old Testament in general; for not one of the quotations above is taken from the pentateuch. ² Stand convicted before God.] So что-био то Ово seems exactly to signify. Archbishop Tillotson would render it, liable to Divine justice; which is the same in sense. See his Works, Vol. I. p. 126.

Reflections on the scripture account of men’s degeneracy.

swift to shed blood, and in whose paths there is destruction and misery.

Let us remember the view in which these instances were brought; even to evince this deplorable, but undeniable truth, that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. The purpose of conviction therefore being answered on our hearts, let us humble ourselves before God, as those that stand guilty in his presence, and obnoxious to his judgment.

Thankfully let us own the inestimable goodness of God in having favoured us with his sacred oracles, and endeavour to improve in the knowledge of them. Thus instructed, let us be careful to form the most honourable notion of God, as the worthy and universal Judge, who will never fail to do right; and may these views of him produce an abhorrence of every thing evil which must necessarily be displeasing to him. Nor let us ever allow ourselves to be brought under the influence of those fallacious and pernicious maxims which would persuade us, that the goodness of the intention sanctifies the badness of the action; or that the pretended benevolence of the end will justify irregularities in the means. God’s judgment and decision is final; and an inspired apostle’s authority is an answer to a thousand subtleties, which might attempt to turn us from the strictest rules of that immutable rectitude on which it always proceeds.

Romans 3:20

From the representation made above, of the guilt and misery of mankind, the apostle deduces the necessity of seeking justification by the gospel, and consequently the excellency of that dispensation, as exhibiting the method of it. Rom. III. 20, to the end.

ROMANS III. 20. THEREFORE by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified

ROMANS III. 20. I HAVE just been proposing to you convincing evidences of the universal degeneracy and corruption of mankind, and shewing you, that the whole world must stand convicted before God: therefore let all my readers be persuaded to admit it, as a most certain principle, and at all times to act upon it, that according to the just and humble acknowledgment of the Psalmist, (Psal. cxliii. 2,) no flesh shall be justified, or pronounced righteous, before him, by

² Be justified, &c.] The learned Vikringa hath with great propriety observed, that this word is borrowed from Psalm a judge, and cannot merely signify to ob-

No flesh to be justified by the w.

. works of complete obedience to the law of God, whether natural or revealed. For, instead of justifying any man, it only anticipates, in a more obvious and affecting manner, the sense of his condemnation; as by the law is the knowledge of sin, it discovers to us how grievous a thing it is, and exhibits the righteous displeasure of God against it.

But yet, blessed be God, every door of hope is not shut against the sinner, convicted by the law: for the righteousness of God, that is, the manner of becoming righteous, which God hath ordained and appointed in his gospel, without that perfect obedience which the law requires, is now made manifest; being indeed attested by the whole tenour of the law and the prophets, which join in leading our eyes to the

tain mercy. To be justified, also sometimes signifies to overcome in judgment, Psal. li. 4, and the expression of being just before God implies the same. And that this is the sense of the word in this epistle, appears from several passages; particularly Rom. ii. 3. So that on the whole, as he arises, justification is not a phrase parallel to forgiveness, but refers to a judicial process, and carries in it the idea of a littoral, praise, and reward. And indeed it seems to me always ultimately to refer to the being pronounced, and treated as righteous, in the great day of God’s universal judgment. See Rom. ii. 13, 16.

b By works of the law.] I think with Mr. Locke, that the word law must here be taken in this extent, comprehending ceremonial and moral, revealed and natural. And this I conclude, not so much from the omission of the article, (compare Rom. ii. 12, 14, 25, 27; chap. iii. 31; chap. v. 13, 20; in all which places, and many more, vœu without the article signifies the Mosaic law, as the sense evidently proves,) but from the conclusion which the apostle draws, and the whole tenor of his subsequent argument; which would have very little weight, if there were room to object, though we cannot be justified by our obedience to the law of Moses, we may be justified by our obedience to God’s natural law. And nothing can be more evident, than that the premises, from which this conclusion is drawn, refer to the Gentiles as well as the Jews; and

consequently, that law has here, and in many subsequent passages, that general sense. A very learned person has lately proposed to render ἐξ φίλων νόμῳ by the law of works; pleading βαπτίσμων διδάχης (Heb. vi. 2) as a parallel instance; but I have declined this rendering, as (ver. 27) the apostle expresses the law of works by words placed in a different order, νόμῳ των φίλων, opposed to νόμῳ πίστως; and (ver. 28) χορε φίλων νόμῳ is plainly, as we render it, without the works of the law; as the continuation of the apostle’s argument, in reference to Abraham shews. Nor can I see what great end could be served by allowing this criticism; since the apostle elsewhere asserts justification χορε φίλων without works. (chap. iv. 6.) And to say that φίλων is put elliptically for νόμῳ φίλων (that is, work for the law of works) is very arbitrary. Nor can I conceive, that any one can be justified by the law of works, without being justified by the works or vice versa; and this is expressly Paul’s assertion, chap. iv. 4, 5.

c By the law is the knowledge of sin.] This strongly implies the broken and disjointed state of human nature, in consequence of which the precepts which God gives us, will, on the whole, only serve to convict us of guilt, but not to produce an obedience by which we can finally be acquitted and accepted. Some render it, the law takes cognizance of sin.

d Attested by the law and the prophets.] See in this view, Gen. xv. 6; Isa. liii. ul. Dav. ix. 24.

But justification is by grace through the blood of Christ.

great Messiah : Even the righteousness of God, which he hath appointed us to seek, by the exercise of a living faith on the power and grace of his Son Jesus Christ ; to whom he commands us to commit our souls, with all humble and obedient regard. This way of obtaining righteousness and life is now, I say, made manifest to all, and, like a pure, complete, and glorious robe, is put upon all them that believe ; whether they were, or were not, acquainted with, or subject to, the Mosaic law before their conversion to Christianity : for there is in this respect no difference at all between one believer and another. For all have sinned, as we demonstrated above, and come short of the glory of God ; they have failed of rendering him that glory that was so justly his due, and thereby have not only made themselves unworthy the participation of glory and happiness with him, but stand exposed to his severe and dreadful displeasure : And if any escape it, they are such, as being induced to embrace the gospel, are justified freely without pretending to plead any merit of their own, by his rich and sovereign grace, proposed there by virtue of that redemption and deliverance which is in Christ Jesus his well beloved Son : Whom God hath in his infinite mercy proposed and exhibited to us in the gospel, as a propitiation through whom he may honourably discover himself as propitious to us, and converse favourably with us, as he did with Moses from the mercy seat : an inestimable privilege, which we receive by virtue of faith in his atoning blood, with which the throne of God is, as it were, sprinkled over ; as the propitiatory in the tabernacle was with the blood of the sin offering. (Lev.

• Come short of the glory of God.] Mr. Fleming, and after him, if I mistake not, Lord Barrington, explains this falling short of God’s glory, as signifying the loss of that lucid resemblance of the glorious Shechinah, which they, after Mr. Joseph Mede, suppose our first parents to have worn in their primeval state. But if it were to be granted they had such a glory in that state, I cannot think it would have been natural to have called it God’s glory, or to explain the word congenial of losing it, which certainly

signifies a deficiency of what might have been attained, rather than the loss of what is actually possessed. Compare Mat. xix 20 ; 1 Cor i. 7 ; Heb. iv. 1, chap. xii. 15.

• Proposed.] Some contend that republic here signifies to exhibit ; others, that it signifies to determine, intend, or fix upon. (Compare Ros in Loc. and Eph. i. 9, 11 ; Rom. i. 13.) I have chose the word propose, as having just the same ambiguity.

VO . .

Boasting excluded, not by the law, but by

xvi. 15, 16.) And this is appointed for a demonstration of his righteousness in the remission of sins, which now appears to be accomplished without any reflection upon that awful attribute, which might seem to have a claim so directly contrary to it; and this remission extends not only to the present, but former age, and to all the offences which are long since past, according to the forbearance of God, who has forborn to execute judgment upon sinners for their repeated provocations, in reference to that atonement which he knew should in due time be made. He has, I say, proposed his Son for a demonstration of his righteousness, which now, in this present ever memorable and signal time, is so wonderfully illustrated in the great transactions of our own age, intended for this purpose, that he might be, and appear just, and yet at the same time, without impeaching in any degree the rights of his government, the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus, whosoever he be,⁸ that is, of every one who sincerely believes in him, and acquiesces in that great method of salvation which God hath published by him, and established in his perfect obedience and meritorious sufferings.

Contemplate, I beseech you, this only way of redemption and acceptance, and say, Where then [is] boasting in our own righteousness, or on account of any other peculiar privileges? Or what reason can any who partake of these blessings, have to glory in themselves? You will easily see, that it is entirely excluded. And reflect farther, by what law is it excluded? [By the law] of works? By that of Moses, or any other law, promising life only to perfect obedience, and threatening all disobedience with inevitable death? By no means. This would leave a man all the little reason for boasting he could possibly have; even that

⁸ Just, and the justifier, &c.] By just, Mr. Taylor would understand merciful, and Mr. Locke, faithful to his promises; but either of these makes but a very cold sense, when compared with that we have here given. It is no way wonderful that God should be merciful, or faithful to his promises, though the justifier of believing sinners: but that he should be just in such an act

might have seemed incredible, had we not received such an account of the propitiation and atonement. But our explication is vindicated in a most masterly and unanswerable manner by the worthy author of an excellent tract, entitled, Christ the Mediator, p. 85, &c. to which I with great pleasure refer the reader.

Justification by faith esta lishes the aw.

he had acted perfectly right and well, and had all that excellence and worth of character which a being in his circumstances could attain. But if you suppose him to have recourse to the gospel, by the law of faith it must certainly be excluded, since the very constitution of that requires persons to acknowledge themselves sinners, and as guilty and indigent, to make an humble application to the free mercy of God in Christ for pardon, and every other blessing which is necessary to their final happiness.

We therefore are come to a conclusion of this part of our argument, that a man, of whatever nation, profession, or character, is justified by a true, lively, and effectual faith in the gospel, without the works of the law; that is, though destitute of any legal works, in consequence of which he could claim justification and life.

And this naturally leaves room to add, [Is God,] who hath established such a method of justification, the God of the Jews only, and not also of the Gentiles? Surely he is the God of the Gentiles too: since it is very evident, that all claim from works being thus universally given up, the Jews and Gentiles must in this respect stand upon a level. So that [it is] one God, the same eternal and unchangeable Jehovah, that will justify the Jews, who have received circumcision, not by that, but by faith; and will justify the Gentiles too, who are still in their uncircumcision, through the same faith; and therefore demands the grateful love, and the new obedience of both.

Now while we maintain this method of justification and salvation, can it be said, that we derogate from the honour of God’s justice or

h A lively and effectual faith, without works, &c.] By thus guarding the assertion we sufficiently see how very consistent it is with that of St. James, (chap. ii. 17, 24, 25,) who only in effect asserts, that no faith can suffice to our justification which is not in fact productive of obedience; and when the matter is thus stated, here is no appearance of contradiction.

i One God, who justifieth the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.] Ir. Locke would render it, seein God is

one, and supposes it an allusion to the prediction, Zech. xiv. 9, that the Lord shall be one, and his name one; fulfilled by the publication of the gospel. But think this supposed allusion far fetched, and see not any occasion for supposing the truth, and the truth through faith, to signify different things; nor can I see what different idea can here be affixed to them. L’Enfant renders it, he will justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision by the same faith.

Reflections on justification by grace through

his law? Do we set aside the law by faith, as if it were a faulty, or annihilate it, as if it were an useless thing? God forbid, that we should ever insinuate such a design, or entertain such a thought. Nay, on the contrary, we really establish the law,ᵏ on a firmer foundation than ever, and place it in a juster and more beautiful point of light: for we shew also its honour displayed in the atonement as well as the obedience of Christ; and we make it of everlasting use, for attesting the truth, and illustrating the necessity of the gospel, as well as for directing the lives of men, when they profess to have received it; as we shall abundantly shew in the process of this discourse.

IMPROVEMENT.

LET our whole souls rejoice in this glorious display of the Divine mercy, in so beautiful an harmony with Divine justice, in our redemption by Christ; to which the apostle in this section verse bears so noble a testimony. We are all become guilty before God; so that if he should mark iniquity, no flesh living could be justified before him: let us therefore with all reverence and esteem, and with all joy, embrace the righteousness of God, as now attested by the law and prophets, by Christ and his apostles; which shall be upon all believers without any difference: humbling ourselves deeply in the presence of God, as those who have sinned, and come short of his glory; and seeking to be justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. To him let us continually look, as the great propitiation; exercising faith in his blood, and rejoicing that those which seemed to our feeble apprehensions the most jarring attributes, are now reconciled and glorified. Let us readily acknowledge that boasting is excluded; and in the grateful overflowings of our souls fall down before that throne whence pardons are dispensed, and confess, “that this act of grace is our only plea;” and that we must remain humble before God for ever, in a sense of the demerit of our sins, and the abundance of his mercy. Let Jews and Gentiles unite in thanksgivings to God, and i love to each other, as having been all involved in the same condemnation, and all partakers of the same compassion. And let Christians remember, that God intended by this illustrious

ᵏ We establish the law.] Some render I think not the proper signification of it, Nay, but we are the persons that observe the law; which is a just and strong thought, (compare Rom. viii. 3, 4, but see Christ the Med. p. 90—96.

Abraham was not justified by works.

isplay of grace, not to supersede, but to establish his law. May see therefore make it our concern, that not only the actions of our lives, but the sentiments of our hearts, be directed and determined by it; as it is now enforced by more powerful motives than when it appeared in its unallayed terrors.