Matthew Poole and continuators on Romans 16:20

20. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you . Amen.

q. d. And to encourage you to be watchful, I dare promise you shall be successful.

So he is called, chap. 15.33.

As he began this Epistle with wishing them Grace and Peace, so he ends it: He had said, chap. 15.33. The God of Peace be with you. And here he saith, The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you. He was once & again shutting up his Epistle, but having more room and time, he makes some short Additions and Supplements, as 'tis usual with those that write Epistles. This Salutation he was wont in the end of every Epistle to write with his own hand. 2 Thes. 3.17. It is repeated, v. 24. Hereby he intimates the necessity of the Grace of Christ, therefore he prayeth for it again and again. See the Notes on chap. 1.7.

The word signifies to bruise by treading: it imports the Conquest that the Lord gives his people over Satan and all his wicked instruments, that divide, seduce, or oppress his people; the promise is that they shall overcome him and them; they shall deal by Satan and his Agents, as [illegible: 1 word] and his Captaines did by those five Kings, [illegible: 1 word] 10. [illegible: 1 span] Rev. 2[illegible: 1 letter].11. This promise plainly bears upon the first grand promise, in Gen. 3.15. That Jesus Christ the Seed of the Woman should bruise the head of the Serpent: For it is by vertue of his bruising the head of Satan, that he is subdued and brought under our feet. The Seed of the Woman in their own persons, as well as in their representative, shall bruise the Serpents head.

Or suddenly, Though now he rage, yet ere long he shall be thrown down. Some refer this to the day of Judgment, others to the time of Constantine, who overthrew Idolatry: and that it is not only a Promise, but a Prophesie also of the Conversion of the Roman Empire. There are that think that the Apostle doth comfort here the Believing Romans, by telling them, that the dissentions raised amongst them by means of Satans malice and subtilty, should be shortly quenched and reconciled; and that it was effected partly by this Epistle, and partly by the Apostles labours afterwards amongst them.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 paragraph]; [illegible: 1 word] 3.15.