men was originated by him; it differs from | this great and glorious truth was thus made known, Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. Nor should we be. ¶ From faith, in riors. This phrase I take to be connected with the expression, "the righteousness of God." Thus, "the righteousness of God ;" and it means, that God's method of justifying men is from or out of a system of salvation by faith alone. The great truth of the gos pel is brought out, that men are justified by faith, and not by the deeds of the law The common interpretation of the pas sage has been, that the righteousness of God in this is revealed from one degree of faith to another. But to this interpretation there are many objections. (1.) It is not true. The gospel was not designed for this. It did not suppose that men had a certain degree of faith by nature, which needed only to be strengthened in order that they might be saved. (2.) It does not make good sense. To say that the right In regard to this plan, it may be observed, (1.) That it is not to declare that men are innocent and pure. That would not be true. The truth is just the reverse; and God does not esteem men to be different from what they are. (2.) It is not to take parteousness of God, meaning, as is comwith the sinner, and to mitigate his monly understood, his essential jusoffences. It admits them to their full tice, is revealed from one degree of extent; and makes him feel them also. faith to another, is to use words with(3.) It is not that we become partakers out any meaning. (3.) The connexion of the essential righteousness of God. of the passage does not admit of this That is impossible. (4.) It is not that interpretation. The design of the pashis righteousness becomes ours. This sage is evidently to set forth the docis not true; and there is no intelligible trine of justification as the grand theme sense in which that can be understood. of remark, and it does not comport But it is God's plan for pardoning sin, with that design to introduce here the and for treating us as if we had not advance from one degree of faith to committed it; that is, adopting us as another, as the main topic. (4.) The his children, and admitting us to heaven epistle is intended clearly to establish on the ground of what the Lord Jesus the fact that men are justified by faith. has done in our stead. This is God's This is the grand idea which is kept up; plan. Men seek to save themselves and to show how this may be done is by their own works. God's plan is to the main purpose before the apostle. save them by the merits of Jesus See ch. iii. 22 30; ix. 30; ix. 32; Christ. Revealed. Made known, x. 6, &c. (5.) The passage which he and communicated. The gospel states immediately quotes shows that he did the fact that God has such a plan of not speak of different degrees of faith, justification; and shows the way or but of the doctrine that men are to be manner in which it might be done. justified by faith. ¶ To faith. Unto The fact seems to have been under- those who believe (comp. ch. iii. 22); stood by Abraham, and the patriarchs or to every one that has faith, ver. 16. (Heb. x1.), but the full mode or man- The abstract is here put for the conner in which it was to be accomplish- crete. It is designed to express the ed, was not revealed until it was done idea, that God's plan of justifying in the gospel of Christ. And because | men is revealed in the gospel, which 18 For the wrath of God is | revealed from heaven against all a Eph.5.6. port, and deliverance. So in the gospel the blessings of salvation are represented as life, eternal life. Sin is represented as death, and man by nature is represented as dead in trespasses and sins. Eph. ii. 1. The gospel restores to life and salvation. John iii. 36; v. 29. 40, vi. 33. 51. 53; xx. 31. Acts ii. 28. Rom. v. 18; viii. 6.-This expression, therefore, does not mean, as it is sometimes supposed, the justified by faith shall live; but it is expressive of a general principle in relation to men, that they shall be defended, preserved, made happy, not by their own merits or strength, but by confidence in God. This principle is exactly applicable to the gospel plan of salvation. Those who rely on God the Saviour shall be justified, and saved. plan is by faith, and the benefits of which plan shall be extended to all that have faith, or that believe. As it is written. See Habakkuk ii. 4. ¶ The just shall live by faith. The LXX. translate the passage in Habakkuk, "If any man shall draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, but the just by my faith," or by faith in me, "shall live." The very words are used by them which are employed by the apostle, except they add the word my, pov," my faith. μου,” The Syriac renders it in a similar manner, "The just by faith shall live." The meaning of the Hebrew in Habakkuk is the same. It does not refer originally to the doctrine of justification by faith; but its meaning is this, 'The just man, or the righteous man, shall live by his confidence in God.' The prophet is speak18. For. This word denotes that ing of the woes attending the Baby- the apostle is about to give a reason lonish captivity. The Chaldeans were for what he had just said. This verse to come upon the land and destroy it, commences the argument of the epistle, and remove the nation, ch. i. 6-10. an argument designed to establish the But this was not to be perpetual. It proposition advanced in ver. 17. The should have an end (ch. ii. 3), and proposition is, that God's plan of justithey who had confidence in God should fication is revealed in the gospel. To live (ver. 4); that is, should be restored show this, it was necessary to show to their country, should be blessed and that all other plans had failed; and that made happy. Their confidence in God there was need of some new plan or should sustain them, and preserve scheme to save men. To this he devotes them. This did not refer primarily to this and the two following chapters. the doctrine of justification by faith, The design of this argument is, to show nor did the apostle so quote it, but it that men were sinners. And in order expressed a general principle that to make this out, it was necessary to those who had confidence in God show that they were under law. This should be happy, and be preserved, and was clear in regard to the Jews. They blessed. This would express the doc-had the Scriptures; and the apostle in trine which Paul was defending. It was not by relying on his own merit that the Israelite would be delivered, but it was by confidence in God, by his strength, and mercy. On the same principle would men be saved under the gospel. It was not by reliance on their own works or merit; it was by confidence in God, by faith that they were to live. ¶ Shall live. In Habakkuk this means to be made happy, or blessed; shall find comfort, and sup this chapter shows that it was equally clear in regard to the Gentiles, and then proceeds to show that both had failed of obeying the law. To see this clearly it is necessary to add only, that there can be but two ways of justification conceived of; one by obedience to law, and the other by grace. The former was the one by which Jews and Gentiles had sought to be justified; and if it could be shown that in this they had failed, the way was clear to show that there was need of some character of a ruler who is opposed to other plan. The wrath of God, all crime in the community, and who igy. The word rendered wrath expresses those feelings in the laws. properly denotes that earnest appetite, And the more he is opposed to vice or desire by which we seek any thing, and crime, the more we admire his or an intense effort to obtain it. And it character and his laws; and why shall is particularly applied to the desire we be not equally pleased with God, which a man has to take vengeance who is opposed to all crime in all parts who is injured, and who is enraged. of the universe, and who determines It is thus synonymous with revenge. to express it in the proper way for the Eph. iv. 31, "Let all bitterness, and sake of preserving order and promoting wrath," &c. Col. iii. 8, Anger, peace? The word divine displeasure wrath, malice," &c. 1 Tim. ii. 8. James or indignation, therefore, expresses the i. 19. But it is also often applied to meaning of this phrase. See Matt. iii. God; and it is clear that when we 7. Luke iii. 7; xxi. 23. John iii. 36. think of the word as applicable to him, Rom. ii. 5. 8; iii. 5; iv. 15; v. 9; ix, it must be divested of every thing like 22; xii. 19; xiii. 4, 5. Eph. ii. 3; v. human passion, and especially of the 6. 1 Thess. i. 10; ii. 16, &c. The passion of revenge. As he cannot be word occurs thirty-five times in the injured by the sins of men (Job xxv. New Testament. Is revealed. That 6-8), he has no motive for vengeance is, revealed to the Jews by their law; properly so called, and it is one of the and to the Gentiles in their reason, most obvious rules of interpretation and conscience, as the apostle prothat we are not to apply to God pas-ceeds to show. From heaven. This sions and feelings which, among us, have their origin in evil. In making a revelation, it was indispensable to use words which men used; but it does not follow that when applied to God they mean precisely what they do when applied to man. When the Saviour is said (Mark iii. 5) to have looked on his disciples with anger (Greek, wrath, the same word is here), it is not to be supposed that he had the feelings of an implacable man seeking vengeance. The nature of the feeling is to be judged of by the character of the person. So, in this place, the word denotes the divine displeasure or indignation against sin; the divine purpose to inflict punishment. It is the opposition of the divine character against sin; and the determination of the divine mind to express that opposition in a proper way, by excluding the offender from the favours which he bestows on the righteous. It is not an unamiable, or arbitrary principle of conduct. We all admire the character of a father who is opposed to disorder, and vice, and disobedience in his family, and who expresses his opposition in a proper way. We admire the | expression I take to mean simply that the divine displeasure against sin is made known by a divine appointment; by an arrangement of events, communications, and arguments, which evince that they have had their origin in heaven; or are divine. How this is, Paul proceeds to state, in the works of creation, and in the law which the Hebrews had. A variety of meanings have been given to this expression, but this seems the most satisfactory. It does not mean that the wrath will be sent from heaven; or that the heavens declare his wrath; or that the heavenly bodies are proofs of his wrath against sin; or that Christ, the executioner of wrath, will be manifest from heaven (Origen, Cyrill, Beza, &c.); or that it is from God who is in heaven; but that it is by an arrangement which shows that it had its origin in heaven, or has proofs that it is divine. ¶ Against all ungodliness. This word properly means impiety towards God, or neglect of the worship and honour due to him. sav. It refers to the fact that men had failed to honour the true God, and had paid to idols the homage which was due to him. Multitudes also i every age refuse to honour him, and made known by the light of nature. neglect his worship, though they are The truth pertaining to his perfections, not idolaters. Many men suppose that his law, &c. They hold it back, or if they do not neglect their duty to restrain its influence. In unright¶ their fellow-men, if they are honest eousness. Or rather, by their iniquity. and upright in their dealings, they are Their wickedness is the cause why the not guilty, even though they are not truth had had so little progress anong righteous, or do not do their duty to them, and had exerted so little influtrod ; as though it were a less crime ence. This was done by their yielding to dishonour God than man; and as to corrupt passions and propensities, though it were innocence to neglect and by their being therefore unwilling and disobey our Maker and Redeemer. to retain the knowledge of a pure and The apostle here shows that the wrath holy God, who is opposed to such deeds, of God is as really revealed against the and who will punish them. As they neglect of God as it is against positive were determined to practise iniquity, iniquity; and that this is an offence of they chose to exclude the knowledge so much consequence as to be placed of a pure God, and to worship impure · first, and as deserving the divine in- idols, by which they might give a dignation more than the neglect of our sanction to their lusts. Their vice and duties towards men. Comp. Rom. xi. Comp. Rom. xi. tendency to iniquity was, therefore, the 26. 2 Tim. ii. 16. Titus ii. 12. Jude reason why they had so little know15. 18. The word does not elsewhere ledge of a holy God; and by the love occur in the New Testament. Un- of this, they held back the truth from righteousness of men. UnrighteousUnrighteous-making progress, and becoming diffused ness, or iniquity towards men. All among them. offences against our neighbour, our parents, our country, &c. The word ungodliness includes all crimes against God; this, all crimes against our fellow men. The two words express that which comprehends the violation of all the commands of God; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c. and thy neighbour as thyself." Matt. xxii. 37-40. The wrath of God is thus revealed against all human wickedness. Who hold the truth. Who keep back, or restrain the truth. The word translated hold here, sometimes means to maintain, to keep, to observe (1 Cor. vii. 30. 2 Cor. vi. 12) ; but it also means to hold back, to detain, to hinder. Luke iv. 42, "The people sought him (Jesus), and came to him, and stayed him." (Greek, the same as here.) Philemon 13, "Whom I would have retained with me," &c. 2 Thess. ii. 6, "And now ye know what withholdeth," &c. In this place it means also that they held back, or restrained the truth, by their wickedness. The truth. The truth of God, in whatever way made known, and particularly, as the apostle goes on to say that which is The same thing is substantially true now. Men hold back or resist the truth of the gospel by their sins in the following ways. (1.) Men of influence and wealth employ both, in directly opposing the gospel. (2.) Men directly resist the doctrines of religion, since they know they could not hold to those doctrines without abandoning their sins. (3.) Men who resolve to live in sin, of course, resist the gospel, and endeavour to prevent its influence. (4.) Pride, and vanity, and the love of the world also resist the gospel, and oppose its advances. (5.) Unlawful business-business that begins in evil, and progresses, and ends in evil-has this tendency to hold back the gospel. Such is the effect of the traffic in ardent spirits, in the slave-trade, &c. They begin in the love of money, the root of all evil (1 Tim. vi. 10); they progress in the tears and sorrows of the widow, the orphan, the wife, the sister, or the child; and they end in the deep damnation of multitudes in the world to come. Perhaps there has been nothing that has so much held back the influence of truth, and of the α ungodliness, and unrighteous- | be known of God is manifest in 1 ness of men, who hold the truth them; for a God hath shewed it in unrighteousness: unto them. 19 Because that which may gospel, as indulgence in the vice of intemperance, and traffic in liquid fire. (6.) Indulgence in vice, or wickedness of any kind, holds back the truth of God. Men who are resolved to indulge their passions will not yield themselves to this truth. And hence all the wicked, the proud, and vain, and worldly are responsible, not only for their own sins directly, but for hindering, by their example and their crimes, the effect of religion on others. They are answerable for standing in the way of God and his truth; and for opposing him in the benevolent design of doing good to all men. There is nothing that prevents the universal spread and influence of truth but sin. And men of wickedness are answerable for all the ignorance and wo which are spread over the community, and which have extended themselves over the world. 19. Because. The apostle proceeds to show how it was that the heathen hindered the truth by their iniquity. This he does by showing that the truth might be known by the works of creation; and that nothing but their iniquity prevented it. ¶ That which may be known of God. That which is knowable concerning God. The expression implies that there may be many things concerning God which cannot be known. But there are also many things which may be ascertained. Such are his existence, and many of his attributes, his power, and wisdom, and justice, &c. The object of the apostle was not to say that every thing pertaining to God could be known by them, or that they could have as clear a view of him as if they had possessed a revelation. We must interpret the expression according to the object which he had in view. That was to show that so much might be known of 20 For the invisible things of 1 or, to. a John1.9. God as to prove that they had no excuse for their crimes; or that God would be just in punishing them for their deeds. For this it was needful only that his existence and his justice, or his determination to punish sin, should be known; and this, the apostle affirms, was known among them, and had been from the creation of the world. This expression, therefore, is not to be pressed as implying that they knew all that could be known about God, or that they knew as much as they who had a revelation; but that they knew enough to prove that they had no excuse for their sins. ¶ Is manifest. Is known; is understood. In them. Among them. So the preposition in is often used. It means that they had this knowledge; or it had been communicated to them. The great mass of the heathen world was indeed ignorant of the true God; but their leaders, or their philosophers, had this knowledge. See Note on ver. 21. But this was not true of the mass, or body of the people. Still it was true that this knowledge was in the possession of man, or was among the pagan world, and would have spread, had it not been for the love of sin. God hath showed it to them. Comp. John i. 9. He had endowed them with reason and conscience (ch. ii. 14, 15); he had made them capable of seeing and investigating his works; he had spread before them the proofs of his wisdom, and goodness, and power, and had thus given them the means of learning his perfections and will. 20. For the invisible things of him. The expression "his invisible things" refers to those things which cannot be perceived by the senses. It does not imply that there are any things pertaining to the divine character which may be seen by the eye; but that |