Ver. 2Ì the Epifile to the Romanes. might juítly condemne them. TIM. What m oy this teach tu. ? S 1 L. Fird, that God loves to cleare his juftice, from murmuring and corn - plaintt. Secondly,that if C11riltians do not ufe their knowledge well, they are much more without all excufe and de- fence, becaufe they have a better and a greater knowledge; for unto the law of nature, they have joyned the law of lf4oyjis,and the Do&rine of the Gofpel: where God giveth much,there he requi- reth much, and asketh much of them, to whom hecommitteth much. D I A LO G V E XI I. Verfe 21. tecaufe that when they knew not God, they did not glorifie him at God,neither were tbankefnll, but became iairie in their thoughts &c. TI MOTHEU S. ERe we dole with the drift and inter. pretatienof this Text, fptake fomething of the connexion, with that which goeth be- fore,andof the Apoffles method. S I L. The Apoftle rendreth a reafon why the Gentiles were without extufe; as if he lhould fay, they have no place of defence for ignorance, becaufe they had a knowledge of God,yet they ho- noured him not as was comely, bur of- fered unto him rather a double injury, For,firft, they denyed unto him his due woríhip, which confiilerh in glorifying God, andgiving him thankes, in both which they failed. Secondly, they vio- lated and hurt his Majefty, by putting upon him falfe worfhips, and by their wicked manners, whereof a Bead -roll and Catalogue is afterward rehearfed. T I t. What is the drift of this Text, which we have now in hand? S i L.Toaccufe and conviu theGete- tiles of unthankfulneffe and contempt of Gods worfhip,that is, of ungodli- neffe, which did appeare in this : that they did not glorifie God according to that knowledge they had of him; nor were thankefull unto him,according to that goodneffe which bee had be- flowed on them. T I M. Seeing we finde of wicked men recorded in Scripture, that they knew not God,Pf at .9 g.Ic,andin thu Chap. verfè 28. How it it to be taIn, that here Paul faith [they knew God ?] S I L. There is a contemplative, bare, and cold knowledge, which not chan- ging the minde, nor appearing in a&i- ons, maketh men never the better : and this knowledge the ungodly have. But Scripture denyeth into them that ef- feb uall knowicdge,which moveth and flirreth the heart to God -ward, to put confidence in him, and to be governed by his wili,delighting to expreffe it felfe in good workes. This onely deferveth the name of knowledge ;and not that other, which is idle and dead, feparate froni iludy and care, to give unto God his glory,by fubmitting to his pleafure. Ti M. What tbinkeyou to be meant by the gloriying of'God, and by thankefgiving, is there any di eremi bettreene thefe two? bee they not all one, and what may they import, if they bee divette ? S t L. Some take them to bee one:and the former to be opened by the latter. But the diflinbtive particle [Neither) fheweththcm to beediftine things, one from the other. By [glorifying] is u nder- flood an inward reverent opinion of God, to thinke honourably of his Na- ture, Properties, Mercy, Wifedome, Juftice, &c. of his workes and benefits; alfo,to tender unto him, the worship due to him. Thankefgiving compre- hends a due acknowledgement of his benefits, with a gratefull mention of them : alfo, with delire that others should take notice of them, to magnifie and praife his name with tie. Now, the Gentiles are here to be blamed, that they did neither the one nor the other. God being the end and ntarkewhereun- to all things tend, and the beginning or fountaine, from whom all good things flow ; (whereof the Heathens were not !, ignorant) yet by their knowledge, they wereprovoked and brought neither to glorifie him,norto praife & thank him. from hence to our Edification? Till. What infiru$iion may we take SaL.
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