29. Being filled with 29, 30 & 31. Such as Injuftice, A. D. 57. all unrighteoufnels, Uncleannefs, Treachery, Covefornication, wicked- toufnefs, Malice, Envy, Murder, nefs, covetousness, Contention, Cheating, Mischiemalicioufnefs, full of voufnefs, Whifpering, Defamaenvy, murder, detion, Hatred of God and Goodbate, deceit, malignity, whispers, nefs, Abusiveness, Haughtiness, 30. Backbiters, ha- Flattery, Invention, Difobediters of God, defpite- ence to Parents, perfect Unful, proud, boafters, thoughtfulness, Falfity to our inventers of evil Words, Oaths, and Promises; things, difobedient to Want of natural Affection, Imparents; placableness, and Inhumanity. 31. Without un derstanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32. Who knowing the judgment of God (that they which commit fuch things are worthy of death) not only do the fame, but have pleasure in them that do them. 32. Yet all or fome of these Crimes, were the Generality of Heathen People guilty of, while Reafon and Nature, nay feveral of their own Laws declar'd them fuch Actions as deferved Death, and confequently they ought to have concluded 'GOD must severely punish them; yet fo defperately were they funk in Impiety, as not only to commit them themselves, but freely to communicate with, and even encourage others in the Practice of them. And this is abundantly fufficient to prove the Gentiles to be under the abfolute Want of CHRIST as a Saviour, by Faith in whom alone they can be pardoned and redeemed. СНАР. II. The CONTENTS. The fame impartial Justice of God that must needs fubjet the Gentile Sinners to divine Wrath and Punishment, must fall equally upon the Jews, while they are guilty of the fame Vices. For a wicked Jew therefore to condemn them as incapable of the Gospel and Kingdom of the Meffiah, is to caft himself by the fame Argument. God's future and folemn Judgment will pass upon all Men, in proportion to the Light and Advantages they have enjoyed, improved, or neglected. Outward Privileges of Religion not the Thing that faves Men. Sins against a revealed Law, made the Jews more guilty than the Heathens were. Wherefore they alfo must rely upon the fole Mercies of CHRIST the 1. Redeemer. A. D 57. TH Herefore thou ble, O man, whofoe eft for wherein thou judgeft another, thou Now that the Wrath of God is juftly due upon the heinous and wilful Impieties of all ManWorld is fo plain an Example of kind; and the Gentile Part of the it, (Chap. i.) it muft needs follow, that if you Jews infult and condemn them upon this Account, as utterly incapable of the Gospel-Covenant and Kingdom of the Meffiah, you must condemn your felves at the fame Time, because you, are guilty of the fame Crimes. 2. But we are fure that the judgment of 2. You may indeed be thus fevere in your Thoughts of their Condition, and partial to your felves; but certain it is, both from the Nature and Will of God, that fuch Degrees of Wickednefs must render all Sorts of People without Diftinction, obnoxious to his juft Judgments. I 3. And 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgeft them which do fuch things, and doeft the fame, that thou fhalt efcape the judg ment of God? 3. And how can you fo much A. D. 57. as imagine, while you thus imperiously pafs Sentence upon others for tranfgreffing the Laws of Nature, that you Jews can ever efcape the Divine Vengeance for committing the fame Things a gainst the exprefs Law of Mofes? 4. Or defpifeft thou the riches of his goodnefs, and forbearance, and long fuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God lead eth thee to repentance? 4. Nay, is it not the highest fpifing the rest of Mankind. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. 6. Who will render to every man accord ing to his deeds: 5. Certainly your obftinate Refufal of the Gospel-Terms of Pardon and Salvation, will be a dreadful Aggravation of all your former Crimes, in the Day of God's final Judgment. 6. Who will then, with an exact and impartial Juftice, beftow his bounteous Rewards, and inflict fevere Punishments, upon all People of every Nation and Profeffion whatever, in proportion to the Knowledge they have had of his Divine Will. 7. To them, who by patient continuance in well doing, feek for glory, and honour and immortality; eternal life: 8. But 7. He will beftow eternal Glory and Happiness upon all (whether Jews or Gentiles) who endeavour after it, by conftantly adhering to the Religion of JESÚS CHRIST. P3 8 & 9. *Ver. 4. Forbearance and long Suffering. Compare 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16. and fee Dr. Mill's Prolegom. §. 28. A. D. 57. 8. But unto them tile. 10. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew firft, and alfo to the Gentile. 10 & 11. But Glory, Honour, and Peace, fhall then be the Reward of all true Difciples of Chrift, of whatever Nation; for God will make no Diftinctions on Account of any former Privi no refpect of perfons leges or Relations of People to 11. For there is with God. 12. For as many as have finned without law, fhall alfo perifh without law and as many as have finned in the law, fhall be judged by the law. him. 12. Nay, and God will not only, in that Day, reward every one, as a Chriftian Believer, indifferently, but will exercise perfect Juftice and Mercy, even to Heathens that never had any Opportunity of knowing his revealed Will. Thofe that tranfgreffed against the meré Light of Nature, fhall be judged and punished only by the Laws of Nature; whilft the Jews that finned against the revealed Law of Mofes, fhall receive a Punifhment proportionable to the Abuse of fuch a greater Light. 13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law fhall be justified) 13. For you are infinitely mistaken, if you think the bare external Privilege of being under the Covenant of Abraham, and Profeffion of the Jewish Religion, Ver. 9. To the Jew firft. See Aas xiii. 46. 15 is enough to fave you; no, nothing but a Life suitable A. D. 57. to the Laws you are under, will do that. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the law, de by nature the things things contained in the law; thefe having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 14. And you are as much in the Wrong when you conclude, thofe good Heathens can no Way be juftified and faved, becaufe they have had no written and pofitive Laws of God as you Jews have; for if they perform the fame moral and fubftantial Duties, by their induftrious Ufe of the Light of Reason and Nature, that a few does, by Direction of the written Law, they are fo far a Law unto themselves: 15. Which thew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or else excufing one another: 15. That is, their own Reafon and Confciences, by which they honeftly judge between what is Good and Evil, Lawful and Unlawful to be done, is the fame moral Rule to them, as the written Law is to you; and they shall be condemned or acquitted, according to the Improvements they make of the plain Dictates of it. 16. In the day when God fhall judge the " fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift, according to my gospel. 16. This impartial Diftribution of Divine Juftice, both to Jew and Gentile, I fay, fhall be made at the great and folemn Day of Judgment; when JESUS CHRIST, appointed by God the Father to be the Judge of the whole World, fhall pafs Sentence upon all the fecret, as well as open Actions of all Men; (weighing the Conditions, Circumstances, and P 4 Advan Ver. 16. When God fhall judge the Secrets of Men, va κρυπτὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. The Meaning of this Phrafe is, not that God is to judge the fecret in Oppofition to the open Actions of Men, but is to judge of, and reward all Men by their iuward, moral Difpofitions and Qualifications, in Contradiftinction to their external and formal Profeffion of Religion; agreeably to the 28th, and 29th Verses. |