so as we magnify God's grace, and acknowledge our own weakness, ver. 7. 8. 9. yet vain and foolish boasting of what we have done, of purpose that we may feem some body among people, and be highly ac. counted of, is a great fin, and the daughter of pride; for after pride here followeth boalling. XIX. Such is the corruption of the heart of man, that if God leave him, he will not only be carried headlong to all manner of known wickedness and abomination, but will also run to the devising and inventing all new Leard-of ways whereby God may be thonoured; and in this their wicked and devilish invention will be fruitful: so these Heathens are moreover said to be inventors of evil things. XX. As it is an unnatural evil for children to be stubborn and rebellious, and to refuse obedience to their parents, of whom they have their being next to God; so it is just with God, that such as forget their duty to him, and become haters of him, should be left to carry themselves most unnaturally against their parents: therefore are they faid to be dif. obedient to parents. XXI. Men giving way to their corrupt hearts, and the swing of their beastly affections, will be fo carried headlong there by, to do many things without difcretion, judgment, and understanding; and as this is their judgment, so is it their sin still, that they are without understanding. XXII. Tho' covenants, vows, or promises, made concerning things unlawful, cannot bind, but may and must be broken; yet if they be of things lawful, they ought to be made confcience of, even tho' made with evil men, and rafhly, and that to our prejudice: this is one of the Heathens fins, that they were covenant breakers. Pfal. xv. 4. ---He that fweareth to his own burt, and changeth not. 2 Sam. xxi. 1.---It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he flew the Gibeonites. XXIII. It is just with God that such as are haters of him should be given up to that inhumanity, that they should respect neither kindred, friendship, nor alliance; but should be void of all natural affection, sparing none, that thereby they may get their lusts satisfied: these haters of God were alfo without natural affection. XXIV. Howbeit men may account it a matter of wisdom and manhood, to refuse to be reconciled to fuch as have injured them, and make it a principle of policy to keep and hide malice under a friendly countenance; yet to be of such a difpofition, argueth a man to be given up of God to a reprobate mind: among other fins, which were the fruits of this judicial stroke, this was one, they were implacable. XXV. It is a great fin, and where it reigneth argueth a graceless heart, to be merciless, not sympathifing with the miferable, or laying their miseries to heart, nor endeavouring to relieve them from their distress; for this was another fin of these Heathens, they were unmerciful. XXVI. The Lord hath conftituted and appointed a rule of justice according to which he hath refolved to rule the children of men, and punish or reward them according to their actions; for we hear of the judgment of God. XXVII. According to this rule of juftice, the Lord (who according to his abfolute power might have ordered things otherways, had it feemed good in his eyes) hath made death the just defert and punishment of every the least sin: for this is his judgment, that they which do fuch things are worthy of death. XXVIII. However, thro' the fall of Adam, all of us hath loft that knowledge of God and his will that is necessary for us to know, that we may thereby attain life eternal; yet it hath pleased the Lord, for the hemming in of the Heathen, (unto whom he would not reveal his mind more especially) at least for the rendering therm the more inexcufable, to leave in them fo much much light, and fuch an impreffion of that equitable rule of justice of his, as that, notwithstanding of all their wickedness, their very confciences, and the very light of nature within them, might show them, that fuch and fuch tranfgreffions deferveth death at the hand of God: for these wicked Heathens knew the judgment of God, that they that do such things are worthy of death. XXIX. When people do accustom themselves unto fin, being given up of God unto their own corrupt hearts, no knowledge of the just judgment of God due for such and such acts of iniquity, will scar them from them; and when men, notwith standing they know the just defert of their carriage, will go on in fin, they hugely aggravate their guilt: for this is the aggra vation of their guilt, that they knew the judgment of God, and yet for all that, went on in doing those things. XXX. It is a heinous aggravation of guilt, when men think it not enough to cominit all wickedness themselves, but become authors and abettors unto others, and do stir up and encourage others unto, and applaud them in finning against God; for hereby is their guilt aggravated, that they not only did those fins themselves, but took pleasure in them that did them. 1 CHAPTER II. VERSE I. Therefore thou art inexcufable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself: for thou that judgest, dolt the fame things. T HE apostle profecuteth his purpose, | mouths stoped, and were made inexcufeanent the Gentiles, in this chapter, able, so as their own confciences might have condemned them as worthy of death; therefore they in no ways can be juftified by their works. The major propofition is unquestionable, and needed no probation: And as to the assumption, he confirmeth it in this first verse.. He is speaking of the strictest sort among them, fuch as were judging, reprehending, checking, and find ing fault with others for their wickedness; and fuch, he says, were without excuse, and did condemn themselves by this argument: Whoever reprove others for fuch faults as themselves are guilty of, do condemn themselves in so doing, and stop their own mouths. This is clear: but fo it is, that thou that judgest, dost the fame. things for which thou reprovest others; therefore thou art guilty by thy own testimony. until the 17th verse, where he begineth with the Jews and farther sheweth, that they cannot be justified by their works: and this he doth by a new argument, which he profecuteth at large, and removeth all objections which might be made by fuch with whom he was dealing. The argument we may conceive to be this: If fo be fuch among the Gentiles that seemed most righteous, and walked most strictly, were condemned as worthy of death by their own confciences, and had their mouths stoped, so as they had no excuse to pretend, for all the shifts and pretexts they used, to put a glofs upon, and cover their finful courses; then the Gentiles cannot be juftified by their works before God. But fo it is that the best and strictest among the Gentiles had their B OBSERVATIONS. I. Among the very Heathens, where iniquity did rage and reign, and all wickedness was committed with greediness, and was patronized and applauded, there was some who gave teftimony (however they were not right themselves) against these wicked courses, and reproved and condemned such wicked livers; for there were some here that judged, that is, reprehend. ed, others for their fins. II. It is a very fallible mark, to gather from folks outward carriage toward the wicked, in reproving and cenfuring them for their iniquities, that they have a perfect detestation thereat; for such is the strength of hypocrify, that it will carry folk to reprove even fuch fins which they themselves are not free of: as here the tightest fort of Heathens reproved others, when themselves were also guilty. III. However it be no fin in itself for folks to reprove fin in others, yet that will be so far from justifying of them in their courses, that, on the contrary, hereby they subscribe to their own condemnation, as just and righteous, and stop their own mouths from using any apology for themselves, feeing they continue in, and approve of, and practise that fin themselves, which they condemn in others for here fuch as did judge and reprove others, did do the fame things, and therefore condemned themselves, and were without excuse. IV. It is a great aggravation of folks guilt, when they know the hazard of their doings, and fee what they do deferve, and yet notwithstanding malapertly go on, and hereby their mouths are stoped for ever; and they have no shift nor evasion, but mult stop their mouths, as having nothing to apologize. This is clear from the connection of this with the last verse of the preceding chapter, held forth in the par ticle therefore. They knew the judgment of God, that they which do such things were worthy of death; and therefore they were VERSES 2. 3. But we are fure that the judgment of God is according to truth, again't them which commit fuch things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do fuch things, and doft the fame, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? HEre the apoftle is removing two objections, or fubterfuges, under which they might have thought to have hid themselves. As, first, verses 2d and 3d, They might have thought that God only faw to the outfide, and took no notice of the inward frame and disposition of their hearts; and that God would fpare and forbear them, because they were cenfuring and reproving others; but he an(wereth, We are fure that the judgment of God is according to truth: He looketh not fo much to the outside, as to truth in the inward parts; and his judgment is true against fuch (without exception) as commit inquity, whether the fame or the like. All which he further confirmeth, verse 3d, by proposing it as a question, implying, That it were a great abfurdity once to think that they would escape God's judgment for those faults, for which, or the like, others could not escape their judgment or cenfure. OBSERVATIONS. 1. One main ground whereupon hypocrites do rest, when they fatisfy themselves with a naked out-side form, is either atheifm, or ignorance of the perfection of God's law, or both: Atheism, in imagining that God is not an all-feeing Lord, who taketh notice of, and is perfectly privy unto all the motions and stirings of the heart, but is altogether ignorant thereof; and ignorance of the law, in imagining that it only commanded the outward man, and meddled not with the inward frame and disposition of the heart: for these hypocrites here thought that God's jndgment was not according to truth. II. Mens fostering thoughts of atheism in their heart, will not keep God a whit the more from confidering, and taking notice of those things, and judging according to those things which their atheistical thoughts would put far away from God's cognizance: for notwithstanding of their imagining the contrary, yet fays he, We are fure God's judgment is according to truth. III. However it be in part good, that men have an outward conformity unto the law, and in part is commendable; yet all that external fairding will not keep off the judgment of God, due for their inward pravity and hidden wickedness: for God's judgment is according to truth, against fuch, for all their feigned holiness, and external fobriety. IV. Another pillar of hypocrify is a groundless fancy and imagination, that God's judgments will not come near them, but they shall certainly escape the fame : this is clearly intimated, verse 3d. V. Such secure, sleeping, self-pleasing hypocrites, who will bless themselves in their own courses, and will not be convinced of their danger, thro' God's imminent judgments, ought to be awakened and roufed up sharply; wherefore the apofile ufeth sharpness of speech when he speaks to those, faying, And thinkest thou, Oman, that judgest them who do fuch things, and doft the same, that thou shalt escape the gridgment of God. VI. The most effectual way for awakening fecure, fleeping hypocrites, who rest on an out-fide, and fatisfy themselves therewith, is to shew them, that God's eyes fearch, and his eye-lids try the very hearts, and the most retired motions thereof are open and naked before him; and these he regardeth more than their open profeffions; and that accordingly he will pass sentence; so as no man, even he that was most strict in his outward converfation, shall escape; the righteousness of the righteous shall not fave him. All which the apostle doth here. VII. It is the most absurd, and most unreasonable thing in the world, for any to think to escape God's judgment for fuch fins, or the like, for which others cannot escape their sharp censure. How strict foever men be, God is more strict: therefore does the apostle propound it as a most abfurd thing, once to think to escape God's judgment. VIII. As it is by a divine instinct that men are carried to the reproving of fome fins in others; so it shadoweth forth, thơ' weakly, God's just judgment against all fin, even the least: and we may look upon others reproving of fin as a confirmation to us, that God will be about with them, if they in the least incline to those evils which they condemn in others; for, doft thou, fays he, that judgest others, think to escape God's judgment, if thou do the fame things. IX. As the confideration of the natural pravity that is in man should further our conviction of the truth of God's judgment, when we fee that even they reprove and condemn vice in others; so should the confideration of our weakness and inability to stand out against God, convince us of an impoffibility to escape his hand, if he enter into judgment with us: therefore fays he, Thinkest thou, O man, &c. VERSES 4. 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longSuffering; G Suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But after thy hardness and impenitent beart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. TH Here is another (or fecond) fubterfuge under which they thought to have sheltered themselves, and which the apostle manifesteth to be vain. The shift is this: They thought that because they were spared and forborn, and they faw nothing of that kind whereof the apostle was speaking formerly, they could perceive nothing evidencing God's difpleafure, but, on the contrary, were blessed of God with many good things; and so they might think that God approved of their courses, and was not offended thereat. The apostle forsfeeing that they would make use of this shift, laboureth to convince them of the folly thereof, at large, unto the 17th verse. In these two verfes the apostle doth two things, to evince the vanity of any fuch fhelter. First, He sheweth, how unreafonable and abominable it is, to gather any such conclufion from the Lord's gentle dispensations, by way of question as if he had faid, verse 4th, Is this all the use you make of God's goodness, in bestowing fuch temporal favours and good things upon you, and in forbearing to enter into judgment with you because of your grofs wickedness, to take encouragement therefrom to commit all wickedness, and to grow the more infolent and disobedient? What, are you so brutish as not to know that God's goodness in that kind should be looked on with another eye, and under another notion; as motives and induceiments to prevail with you to run in to God, who is so bountiful; and thereby declares how ready he is to embrace finners, and how unwilling and loath to strike and destroy them? Is it not much more reafonable that God's goodness should be upon? Then, verse 5th, the apostle, fe condly, sheweth, how little this use they make of God's goodness will be to their advantage, ere all be done; and how little cause they will have to boast themselves of it, by clearing, that however God fpair them a while, and they be forborn, and by continuing in their wickedness, harden their hearts flill the more, and are the farther from repenting and rueing what they had done, and returning to the Lord; yet they will not escape, for they shall be as fure of it as a man is of his treasure: and by their wickedness they are laying up in security that which shall in end prove their ruin, in the terrible day (which shall be a day of wrath unto the wicked) in which God shall declare, before men and angels, his righteous judgment, which now men think nothing of. OBSERVATIONS. I. So ready are foolish men to applaud themselves in their foolish courses, and fo great ill-will have they to receive any impression, and entertain any motion that may any way tend to awaken them from their secure condition, and scar them from these abominable courses which they have formerly been taking pleasure in, that they will be building up sconces and fortreffes, under which they think to shelter themselves from any thing that can be faid to the contrary, and when one faileth, will betake themselves unto another, under which they suppose to ride at a lee anchor; fo hard a matter is it to get secure finners made fenfible of their danger, as the apostle giveth us to know, in his hunting out these proud, felf-pleafing, hypocritical Romans from hole to hole, and chafing them from one sheltering place after another. II. Tho' men that have no defire to forfake their evil courses, but love to fleep in a found skin, and their idol in their bofom. may fancy many props and pillars unto themselves, upon which to build their confidence, and the affurance of their ac otherways recompenfed, than be trampled | ceptance, tho' they walk after the imagi |