John Trapp on Romans 4

CHAP. IV. Verſe 1. As pertaining to the fleſh.]

THat is, As touching his works, v. 2. called alſo the letter, cha. 2.27. and the Law a carnall commandment, Heb. 7.16.

Verſe 2. But not before God] Who when he begins to ſearch our lacks, as the ſteward did Benjamins, can finde out thoſe out theeveries that we thought not of; bring to minde and light thoſe ſins that we had forgot, or not obſerved. When he comes to turn the bottome of the bag upwards, it will be bitter with us. Abimelech's excuſe was accepted, and yet his ſinne was chaſtiſed, Gen. 20.6.

Verſe 3. Abraham beleeved God] Latomus of Lovan was not aſhamed to write, That there was no other faith in Abraham, then what was in Cicero. Joh. Manlij loc. conc. p. 490. And yet our Saviour ſaith, Abraham ſaw my day, and rejoyced, ſo did Cicero never. Another wrote an apology for Cicero, and would needs prove him to have been a pious and penitent perſon, becauſe in one place he hath theſe words, Ibid. 481. Reprehendo peccata mea, quod Pompeio confiſus, ejuſ que par[illegible: 1 letter]es ſecutus ſuerim. A poor proof: Hoc argumentum tam facile diluitur, quàm vulpes comeſt pyrum.

Verſe 4. Now to him that worketh] Yet it is an act of mercy in God to render to a man according to his works, Pſ. 62.12. Exo. 206. Gods kingdom is not partum, but paratum, Mat. 25.34. not acquired, but prepared.

But of debt] Not ſo indeed, Rom. 11.31. but according to the opinion of the merit-monger, who ſaith as Vega, Coelum gratis non accipiam.

Verſe 5. His faith] Yet not as a work, nor in a proper ſenſe, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as Arminius and Bertius held, but as an act of receiving Chriſt.

Verſe 6. Ʋnto whom God imputeth] Ten times the Apoſtle mentioneth this grace of imputed righteouſneſſe in this Chapter: Yet the Papiſts jear it, calling it putative righteouſneſſe, ſo ſpeaking evil of the things they know not. Manlij loe. com. p. 494. Stories tell us of a Popiſh Biſhop that lighting by chance upon this Chapter, threw away the book in great diſpleaſure, and ſaid O Paule, an tu quo que Lutheanus ſactus es? Art thou alſo a Lutheran, Paul? But if the faith of another may be profitable to infants at their baptiſme, as Bellarmine holdeth, why ſhould it ſeem ſo abſurd a thing, that Chriſts righteouſneſſe imputed, ſhould profit thoſe that beleeve on him? The Jews indeed at this day being asked, Whether they beleeve to be ſaved by Chriſts righteouſneſſe? They anſwer, That every Fox muſt pay his own skin to the flaier. Thus they reject the righteouſneſſe of God, Rom. 10.3. As their Fathers did, ſo doe they, Act. 7.51. The Lord open their eyes, that they may convert and be ſaved.

Verſe 7. Are covered] Sic velantur ut in judicio non revelentur: So covered as that he never ſee them again, but as the Iſraclites ſaw the Egyptians dead on the ſhore.

Verſe 8. Imputeth not] Chargeth it not, ſetteth it not upon his ſcore, 2 Cor. 5.19.

Verſe 9. Cometh this bleſſedneſſe] This is the third time that the Apoſtle avoucheth the univerſality of the ſubject of juſtification. For this he had done once before, Chap. 3.23. and again, cha. 3.29 30, 31.

Verſe 10. In circumciſi[illegible: 1 letter]n] As the Jew would have it: No ſuch matter.

Verſe 11. A ſeal of the righteouſneſſe] Circumciſion is called a ſign, and a [illegible: 1 letter]eal by a Dectour of the Jews, more ancient then their Talmud. Zohar, Gen. 17.

That righteouſneſſe might be imputed] How fooliſh is that inference of Thammerus, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. that becauſe the word here uſed to ſignifie imputed, comes of a word that ſignifies reaſon, therefore the righteouſnes of faith muſt be ſuch as a man may underſtand and comprehend by reaſon?

Verſe 12. Walk in the ſteps] That herein perſonate and expreſſe him to the life, as Conſtantines children (ſaith Euſebius) did their father.

Verſe 13. Heir of the world] That is, Of heaven, ſay ſome; [non-Latin text not transcribed] of Canaan, ſay others, the pleaſant Land, more eſteemed of God, then all the world beſides, becauſe it was the ſeat of the Church. As man is called every creature, Mark 16.15. the Church is called all things, Col. 1. So Canaan is called the world, and Tabor and Hermon, put for the Eaſt and Weſt of the whole world, Pſal. 89.12.

Verſe 14. Faith is made void] See the Note on Gal. 3.12. and 5.2.

Verſe 15. No tranſgreſſion] ſc. Is imputed by men where there is no law written, See Chap. 5.13.

Verſe 16. It is of faith] Fides mendicâ manu.

Verſe 17. Who quickneth the dead] As he doth, when he maketh a man a beleever, Epheſ. 1.19. he fetcheth heart of Oak out of a hollow tree, and a ſpirituall man out of a wilde-aſſe-colt. See both theſe metaphors, Job 11, 12.

Verſe 18. Who againſt hope, &c.] Elegans antunaclaſis propter speciem contradictionis, ſaith Piſcator. Spes in terrenis, incerti nomen boni: spes in divinis, nomen eſt certiſſimi, ſaith another.

Verſe 19. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. He conſidered not] Gr. He cared not for his own body, &c. he never thought of that.

Verſe 20. Giving glory to God] Confeſſing and exalting God, as Luk. 17.18 giving him a teſtimoniall, as it were, Ioh. 3.33. with Deut. 32.4.

Verſe 21. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Being fully perſwaded] Gr. Being carried on with full ſail, and going gallantly towards heaven.

Verſe 22. See the Note on Verſ. 5, 6.

Verſe 23. For his ſake alone] But for our inſtruction and encouragement, Rom 15.4. See the Note there.

Verſe 24. That raiſed up Ieſus] And with him all beleevers Col. 3.1. Rom. 6.4.

Verſe 25. Who was delivered, &c.] Not that his death had no hand in our juſtifying: but becauſe our juſtification begun in his death, [non-Latin text not transcribed] was perfected by his reſurrection. Redemption we have by Chriſts abaſement, application of it by his advancement. This one verſe is an abridgement of the whole Goſpel, the ſumme of all the good news in the world. The grand inqueſt of all the ancient Prophets, 1 Pet. 1.11. Adore we the fulneſſe of the holy Scriptures.