That the forther is the meaning of the word here,
may appear 1. by the generall drift of this chapter,
which is to set out the love of the Father and of Christ
towards us, v. 8, &c. God commendeth his love to∣wards
us, &c. where therefore the matter is determi∣ned
to that which Christ doth for us toward our Ju∣stification,
that is, to his death, the sole meritorious
cause of it, without looking to that which is extrinse∣call
to it, our performance or non-performance of the
condition, which is required on our parts to make us
capable of the benefit thereof, that having been for∣merly
(and often) mention'd, v. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
being justified by faith: 2dly, by that which is said
v. 8. we being yet sinners Christ died for us; where
1. his dying for us is all one with our being justified
by his death, as appears by the circumstances of the
Context, the 8, 9, 10. verses compared together; and
2. by sinners meaning habituall grosse sinners, which
is also express'd by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, v 6. not weak, but sick,
even to death (see 1 Cor. 8. Note b.) 'tis certain that
to them, continuing such, actual justification belongs
not; so again v. 10. We, when we were enemies, were
reconciled to God by the death of his son; where as
death is all one with blood, so is reconciled to God with
justified, and that belongeth to enemies, while they are
such, to whom yet we know by many other places,
that actual pardon, and so actual justification or re∣conciliation
belongs not: 3dly, by comparing of this
justification by Christ with the condemnation by
Adam, v. 16. where Adams condemnation belonging
to all, the justification spoken of must be that also
which belongs to all, and so not the actual pardon,
which doth not belong to all, or to any, but those who
perform the condition. All which being supposed, 'tis
from other places manifest, that some condition there
is required of us to make us capable of this benefit of
the death of Christ, the non-performance of which is
that which restrains and limits the number of men
actually justified to a farre narrower compasse then
that which is here spoken of; and this condition being
to be performed by us, by the means of the resurrecti∣on
and grace of Christ, 'tis therefore said c. 4. 25.
that he rose again for our justification, that is, to
make us capable of those fruits and benefits of
Christs death, as well as died for our sinnes. See Note
on c. 3. h.
[ b] V. 12. Wherefore] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here being an illative
form, and most fitly rendred Wherefore, makes it here
necessary to enquire, how that which followes is in∣ferr'd
from what went before; and the satisfying that
enquiry will prepare for a right understanding of the
remainder of this chapter. The former chapters had
maintained the right of the Apostles preaching to the
Gentiles, by shewing that God was an impartial
Judge both to punish impenitent, foul sins, and to re∣ward
penitence and good living, without any partia∣lity,
whether in Jew or Gentile, c. 1. and 2 but most
discernibly c. 2. 6. to the end. Then in the third chap∣ter
follow objections against this, and answers to them;
and on occasion of one of them, taken from the sinful∣ness
of the Gentiles, is inserted a discourse of Justifi∣cation
under the Gospel, shewing how that is no way
prejudiced by past sinnes, if they be sincerely forsaken,
nor hindred by want of Circumcision and Mosaical
observances. And this is insisted on, and exemplified,
in both parts, by the story of Abraham chapter 4. and
then brought home to all believers in the former part of
this chapter. From all which, as so many premisses. or
mediums of probation, the conclusion is here inferr'd,
but withall by comparing the Justification by Christ
with the Condemnation by Adam, farther confirm'd
and illustrated in the remainder of this chapter, viz,
that the mercy of God under the Gospel belongs unli∣mitedly,
or indefinitely, to all sorts of men, the Gen∣tiles
as well as Jews. For the discerning of which, it
will be needfull, that through the remainder of the
chapter, an Emphasis be laid on the universal forms of
speech, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the world, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all men,
v. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the world, v. 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the many,
and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 toward the many, v. 15. and again 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
toward all men, twic•• v. 18. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
the many, twice v. 19. By all and each of which
are meant in the widest latitude, without exclusion of
any, all mankind, to whom (Jewes and Gentiles) the
mercy and life introduced by Christ belongeth, (only
on condition of new life required of them) as the con∣demnation
or death in Adam did to all his posterity.
The other difficulties in the chapter, (caused by essipses,
v. 15, 16, 18. by a parenthesis of two verses, 13, 14.
by a comparison, divided one part from the other by
that parenthesis, and the second part of it rising higher
then the former, and so necessarily changed from the
form of a comparison or equality, to that of an argu∣ment
à minori ad majus, from the lesse to the greater)
are explicated in the Paraphraste, and need not here far∣ther
be insisted on.