John Trapp on Romans 5

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. Being juſtified by faith.]

AS he had ſaid, Chap. 4.24.

We have peace with God] A bleſſed calm lodged in our conſciences: Like as when Ionas was caſt overboard, there followed a tranquillity.

Verſe 2. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. We have acceſſe] Chriſt leading us by the hand, and preſenting us to the Father, with, Behold, here am I, and the children whom thou haſt given me, Epheſ. 2.18.

Verſe 3. We glory in tribulations] As an old ſouldier doth in his ſcars of honour. See Gal. 6, 17. 2 Cor. 7.4.

Verſe 4. And experience, hope] Without hope patience is cold almoſt in the fourth degree, and that is but a little from poiſon.

Verſe 5. Hope maketh not aſhamed] As among men, many lie languiſhing at Hopes hoſpitall, as he did at the Pool of Betheſda, Joh. 5. and return as they did from the brooks of Tema, Job 6.17. Or, as men goe to a Lottery with heads full of hopes, but return with hearts full of blanks. The Dutch have a Proverb to this purpoſe, Sperare & expectare, multos reddit ſtultos. And we ſay, He that hopes for dead mens ſhoes may hap go bare-foot. Bad mens hopes may hop headleſle, they may periſh in the height of their expectancies. Not ſo thoſe that hope in God: they ſhall yet praiſe him who is the help of their countenance, and their God, Pſ. 43 ult. Nunquam confuſi, Deo confiſi.

Verſe 6. Christ died for] A ſufficient evidence of Gods deareſt and deepeſt love ſhed abroad in our hearts, as a moſt ſweet ointment.

Verſe 7. Yet per adventure for a good man] For a publike perſon. Lilloe ſtept between the murderer and King Edwin his maſter to intercept the deadly thruſt.Speeds Chron, lib 7. cap. 20. Life of K Ed. 6 pag 37. Turk hiſt fol. 730. A common ſouldier loſt his life at Muſſelborough field to ſave the Earl of Huntlies life: ſo did Nicolas Ribiſche to reſcue Prince Maurice at the ſiege of Pista.

Verſe 8. God commendeth, &c.] Herein God laies naked to us, the tendereſt bowels of his fatherly compaſſions, as in an anatomy.

Verſe 9. Much more then] It is a greater work of God to bring men to grace, then being in the ſtate of grace, [non-Latin text not transcribed] to bring them to glory; becauſe ſin is far more diſtant from grace, then grace is from glory.

Verſe 10. We ſhall be ſaved] Here the Apoſtle reaſoneth from regeneration to eternall life, as the leſſer.

Verſe 11. Not only ſo] Not in tribulation only do we glory (as v. 3.) but in the whole courſe of our lives.

Verſe 12. As by one man] Yet Anabaptiſts deny originall ſin, as did alſo the Pelag[illegible: 1 letter]ans of old, conſuted by Auguſtine. Egranus a German Preacher ſaid (as Melancthon reporteth) that original ſin is a meer fiction of Auguſtine, and other Divines; and that, Joh. Manl loc. com. pag. 486. becauſe there was no ſuch word found in the Scriptures. Papiſts ſay that originall ſin is the ſmalleſt of all ſins, not deſerving any more of Gods wrath, then only a want of his beatificall-preſence: and that too, without any pain or ſorrow of minde from the apprehenſion of ſo great a loſſe. There have been amongſt us, that have ſaid, that originall ſin is not forbidden by the Law. Directly indeed, Moulins Anaton. Armin c 8. Wotton on Joh. p 146. and immediately it is not: but forbidden it is, becauſe curſed and condemned by the Law. In originall ſin is a tacite conſent (eminently) to all actuall ſin. And ſome underſtand this text of all ſin, both originall and actuall.

And ſo death paſſed upon all men] As a ſentence of death on a condemned malefactour 1 or, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as thoſe diſeaſes that are called by Phyſitians, Corruptio totius ſubſtantiae; or as the rot overrunneth the whole flock.

Verſe 13. Sinne is not imputed] In mens eſteem, as Chap. 4 15.

Verſe 14. Death raigned] From the raign of death, he concludes the raign of ſin. Infants are no innocents: the firſt ſheet or blanket wherein they are covered is woven of ſin, ſhame, bloud and filth, Ezek. 16.4.6.

Verſe 15. Many be dead] Many is here put for all, as all for many, 1 Tim. 2.3.

Verſe 16. Of many [illegible: 1 letter]ffences] i.e. Of all, whether imputed to us, inherent in us, or iſſuing from us.

Verſe 17. Abundance] That is, abundant grace.

Verſe 18. By the offence of one] We were all in Adam, as the whole countrey in a Parliament-man. And although we choſe not, God choſe for us.

Verſe 19. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Many] That is, All, except Chriſt, ſinners, tainted with ſins, guilt and filth.

Verſe 20. But where ſin abounded] But then it is where ſinne that abounded in the life, abounds in the conſcience in grief and deteſtation of it,Act. and Mon. fol 1[illegible: 1 letter]30. as the greateſt evil. Bonner objected to Mr Philpot, Marytyr, that he found written in his book, In me Joanne Philpotto ubi abundavit peccatum, ſuperabundavit & gratia. This he ſaid was an arrogant ſpeech, Novum crimen, C. Caeſar.

Verſe 21. That as ſin hath raigned] That is, the wrath of God by ſin.

Through righteouſnes] Imputed and imparted.

By J[illegible: 1 letter]ſus Chriſt] See how ſweetly the end anſwers the beginning of the Chapter, and how Chriſt is both authour and finiſher, &c.