III. Tho' many fancy and dream of an interest in Chrift because of their outward profeffion, civil carriage, or fome fuch fandy ground; yet fach, as would have the benefit of a real interest in him, must have a real union made up with him; for before we can get virtue from him to preferve us from outward wickednefs, we mult put on the Lord Jefus.

ing what may be for its advantage, and contriving all things for the behoot there. of, is urterly inconfiftent with the puting on of the new man, and the graces of the Spirit of Chrift; for thefe go together, to put on the Lord Jefus Chrifl, and not to make provifian for the flesh.

VII. Sin and corruption have feized upon the whole man, and defiled not only IV. Jefus Chrift is a complete covering the understanding, 1 Cor. i. 23. and the for finners, not only able to cover their will, Rom. viii. 7. but also the fenfual part, nakedness by his righteoufnefs, Rev. iii, 18. the flesh is infected therewith; for here and fo to fave them from the wrath of provifion must not be made thereto, and it God, but also able to make them beauti-hath finful lufts and defires. See Eph. ii. 3. ful and comely, without fpot or blemish, Eph. v. 27. by the powerful operations and effects of his fanctifying Spirit, and fo to preferve them, as a perfect armour or coat of mail, against the affaults of Satan without, and of lufts and corruptions with. in: for here, to preferve the believing Romans from these filthy abominations mentioned before, he bids them put on the Lord Jefus Chrift; fo that he is a covering not only as a Jefus, but also as a Lord..

VIII. Believers fhould not only guard against the external outbreakings of corruption, to the fcandal of the gofpel, but foot they fhould even beware of the firit rite. of the motions of fin, and fhould endeavour what they can to prevent the first budings of fin within; for they must fee that they ftir not up the lufts of the flesh, even thefe first motions towards unlawful objects, that precede the actual consent of the will. See Ephef. ii. 3.

IX. Tho' the Lord allow us the mode rate and fober ufe of the creatures for the fuftentation of our natural bodies, Ephef. v. 29. 1 Tim. v. 8. 23. yet the very awe of God, and fear leaft we give occafion to this undaunted wild beast, the flesh, tơ break loofe and go beyond bounds, should move us to fobriety, and diffuade us from pampering the fame, and from fatisfying the boundlefs defires of it.

V. It is not enough for people to clofe a bargain with Christ at the first, and by faith get his righteousness put on, that thereby guilt may be hid, and they put into a juftified ftate; but alfo, because they will still be falling out into new tranfgref. fions, they will still need of new to be covered with a lap of that righteoufnefs; and becaufe they have no stock of grace of their own, to bear them out against fierce af faults of temptation, and winter-blasts of X. Ministers fhould be careful in all corruption, but are daily impeded and their exhortations to holinefs and fanctifihindered from bringing forth the fruits of cation to lead people out of themfelves, and righteoufnefs which they are called to, to bring them in to Chrift their only fartherefore their puting on of Chrift muft niture and ftrength; and people fhould rebe a conflantly renewed or continued act, folve to set about every duty in the strength and this is it which is elfewhere called the of the Lord, trufting to him, and making puting on of the new man, Col. iii. 1o.ufe of him by faith for that effect; for now 12. 4. Ephef. iv. 24. therefore doth he in the end of his preffing thefe Romans exhort even these believing Romans, to put unto holiness, he leads them in to Chrift, on the Lord Jefus Chrift. See Gal. iii. 27. faying, faying, And put ye on the Lord Fefus VI. To be fo much taken up with the Christ.. ffhand carnal part, as to be fill forecast..

CHAP.

A

CHAPTER XIV.

FTER the apoftle has, as we have heard, laid before thefe Romans, feveral neceffary duties fuitable for them, as Chriftians in general, and according to their feveral relations, he now comes to handle a point of present ufe and concernment for them, viz. That feeing they who were converted to the faith of Chrift, were not all of one and the fame fize, but fome weak and some strong among them, by reafon of which there was a daily feeding storm of strife and contention among them in their daily walk, and concerning their daily carriage; he thinks it needful to spend fome time upon the ground of this unchriftian disagreement, and therefore speaks to it through all this chapter, and in the begining of the next.

That the fubject of the apostle's difcourfe may be the better understood, and his doctrine taken up, we must shortly take notice of these few particulars:

ift, In this city of Rome there were converts both of Jews, Acts viii. and Roman Gentiles; and therefore thro' the Epiftle we may mark how the apostle speaks to both indifferently, and fometimes more exprefly.

2dly, The ground of this debate and contention among thefe, was fome parts of the ceremonial law; fuch as unclean meats, which by the ceremonial law might not be earen; and folemn days, befide the weekly fabbath, fuch as their new moons, their folemn feafts, and folemn faft-days, and the like: fee verfes 2. 5.

3dly, The Jews, chiefly fuch as were not as yet fufficiently inftructed in the nature of their chriftian liberty, and knew not how Chrift had nailed that law of commandments to the cross, and had untied the yoke of the ceremonial law from their necks, and being inured to that way of worshiping God, could not at the first be induced to quit that way whereby they and their fathers had worshiped God for fo many generations, and that way which was taught their forefathers by eminent Mofes.

4thly, And, upon the other hand, the Gentiles neither would conform with the Jews in these ceremonies, as being never acquainted with them, as to their own practice; and fuch of the Jews as had learned more of their chriftian liberty, and knew how Chrift had freed them from bondage, would not practise these ceremonial pieces of service.

5thly, Upon this arofe daily disputes and diffentions among them, the strong defpifing fuch as could not fee fo far as they, and difregarding them as needlessly fcrupling brethren, ftarting at ftraws: Upon the other hand, fuch as were weak, entertained uncouth thoughts of the other, and looked upon them as no tender walkers, and rafhly paffed fentence upon them as contemners of strictness, and lovers of licentioufnefs and liberty.

This divifion being very fcandalous and troublefome, the apostle takes fome pains here to remove the fame; and therefore, 1. He speaketh to both the weak and the ftrong, and preffeth a more chriftian, brotherly, harmonious living together, bearing with one another, and conftruing better of what another doth, and that with many

preffing

preffing arguments, to the middle of verfe 13. And, 2. He fpeaks more particularly unto the ftrong, and preffeth them unto a forbearance of the practice of their liberty, in fuch and fuch particulars as mared their chriftian, comfortable and edifying way of living together, and tended to nothing but the ftumbling of these weak ones, and to gendering of ftrife and contention. Now, the ground whereupon the apostle goes is this: After the death of Chrift, tho' by his death the ceremonial law got its death's Wounds, yet was it not inftantly taken away: it being fo folemnly inftituted of God, and obferved for fuch noble ends fo long a time, it was to be buried honourably, and fo to be carried to its grave leisurely: So that tho' after the death of Christ, who was the substance of all thefe fhadows, the ceremonial law had no obligation upon the confciences of people, that tye was broken; yet it was no fin to practife the fame for a time, until the gospel was more fully cleared, and univerfally published; and therefore during that interval of time, viz. betwixt the death of Chrift and the full publishing of the gospel, they became morally indifferent, and might either have been practifed or not practifed, and nothing either urged the practifing or not practifing of them, but the avoiding of fcandal: Hence we fee that when Paul is among the Jews, who would have taken offence and exception at him, if he had altogether forborn the practice thereof, he circumcifeth Timothy, Acts xvi. 3. and kept fome other ceremonial rites, Acts xxi. 21. 22. 23. &c. At another time, when he is among the Gentiles, and fees that his practising thefe ceremonies would indeed prove fcandalous, he forbeareth, and will not circumcife, Gal. ii. 3. And though the Gentiles were never allowed to take on that yoke, Acts xxi. 25. and xv. 1. to 30. yet as that council, Acts xv. did refolve that Gentiles fhould only forbear the use of their chriftian liberty in fome few particulars, that thereby they might prevent the ftumbling of the Jews; fo the fame doth Paul here; he will have the strong forbear the eating of fome meats which the ceremonial law had discharged, to prevent the ftumbling of their weak brethren, and fo preffeth only a ceding in fome things for peace's fake, and a forbearance of fome acts (which otherways they might have done.) for the good of the weak; and therefore in the last part of the chapter, he fpeaks only of the meats, and nothing of the other ground, their holy days, because in this they were to act, and in the other only to forbear acting.

IN

N this verfe the apostle fets down a general direction to the strong, how to carry themselves toward the weak; that is, how fuch as had attained to more light and perfuafion of the right bounds of their christian liberty, fhould carry themfelves to fuch as had not as yet win their length, but were filled with doubts and fcruples anent the liberty which they ought to make ufe of; Him that is weak in the faith; fuch an one he would have the ftrong receive, that is, as the word

importeth, take them near them in intimate fellowship, as Acts xvii. 5. take. them in great love and affection with tendernefs, as Philem. 12. 17. Acts xxviii. 2. and deal with them, for their instruction, with great kindnefs, and hearty good-will, as Mark viii. 32. Acts xviii. 26. fo he will have the ftrong lovingly and tenderly dealing with the weak, keeping them in their bofom, and gently binding up their wounds, and helping their weakness. But not to doubtful difputations; that is, not to perplex and trouble them with vain, useless and jangling intricacies, and needlefs debates, that will be fo far from edifying and inftructing them, that it will rather 3 U

tend

who knew better their freedom, and ab- | unto them, tho' in matters trivial, and instained from no fort of flesh, but believed different, they stand not to occafion diviand were perfuaded that they might eat fions, jarrs, and unchristian debates, for so all things. was it here at Rome, and all about the ufe of indifferent things.

In the third verse the apostle speaks a word to both these perfons, and gives each an exhortation to their duty, that ftrife and unchriftian-like contention might be avoided; And, 1. he speaks to the strong, who eateth all things, and he fays to him, Defpife not him that eateth not; fuch were ready to undervalue and contemn the weaker, as unworthy to be taken notice of or regarded; and this he fpeaketh against. 2. To the weak he fays, Let not him who eateth not, judge bim who eateth: The weak are too ready to pafs fentence upon the stronger, as profane and careless, and are often rafh in their judgment; and upon this the debate and heat of contention is keeped up upon their part.

OBSERVATIONS.

IV. Tho' the more knowledge we have, we should be the more humble, knowing how small a portion of knowledge we have, and how all that we have is freely bestowed upon us of free grace; yet fo much are we puffed up with it, if there be not much grace to ballaft us, 1 Cor. viii. 1. that we are ready to undervalue and lightly efteem fuch as are inferior to us in knowledge, tho' poffibly beyond us in tendernefs and grace: He that was ftrong here, and believed that he might eat all things, was defpifing him that eated not.

V. So confident are we ordinarily of our own perfection in judgment and practice, that if any go beyond us, and practife that which we have not clearness to do, we are ready to pass a rash sentence upon them, as untender, unchriftian, uncircumfpect, if not profane in their carriage; for fo did the weak here; He who did not eat, judg

I. As the members of Christ's church have not all the fame degree of know ledge and understanding, but fome have more light than others, fo upon this divered him who eated. fity of degrees of knowledge there is di verity of practices, and fo this fhould feem no ftrange thing in the church; for here there were fome who as he believed he might eat all forts of meats, fo he fcrupled at none; and others who as they believed they might eat but of fome of the creatures, fo they did eat only herbs.

II. The more christian knowledge people have attained, the greater liberty have they in their walk; and the lefs they have win to, the more are they filled with fcruples, doubts and fears, and the lefs freedom they have: One believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak,

VI. Where there is not mutual hearty love and chriftian charity, to fympathize with one another, and to conftrue well of what another doth, and to fufpect what we do ourselves, rather than what others do, there cannot be fuch amity, peace and concord, as there ought to be among the members of the fame body; for this was the ground of their divifion, the strong. contemned the weak, and the weak fufpected and rafhly judged the ftrong.

VII. As it can never be imagined that ever all the members of the church of Chrift fhall attain unto the fame degree of understanding and clearness, and unto the fame uniformity in practice, in all things; III. So great is the ftrength of cor. fo it is the duty of Chriftians to be joinruption even in believers, and fuch as feeming together, and walking with other in

eateth herbs.

to have greatest knowledge and greatest tenderness, and thereby are fo wedded un. to their own opinions, that by flicking

love, each prefering others to themselves, and more highly efteeming of them, that fo neither the one may defpife, contemn, 3 U 2

nor