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terribly ravaged it, and seized on it was wholly seized by the Ottoman France and Spain; and about a third Turks. About the end of the 8th part of the people were murder-century, when the pope had got ed by them wherever they came- himself made a civil prince, a shaTwice, Italy was ravaged; Rome dow of the Roman empire was erectwas besieged, and some years after, ed in Germany, in which the in 410, was taken and burnt. Much deadly wound given to that of Rome about the same time other Goths seemed to be healed. This will and the Alans, Burgundians, and probably continue till the beginning Vandals, spread havoc and ruin in of the millennium, when the kingFrance and Spain. At last, Attila, dom of Jesus shall, like a mounwho called himself the scourge of tain, fill the whole earth, Gen. ix. 27. God, with his almost infernal Huns, Zech. vi. 1 to 7. Dan. ii. 33, 34, for 14 years, most terribly distressed 40 to 44. and vii. 7, 8, 19-27. and Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, France, xi. 30-35, 40. Acts xi. 28. Rev. and part of Italy, putting almost eve-vi. and viii. and xii. and xiii. 3. ry thing to fire and sword where- A Christian church was very early ver they came. The emperor Va- planted at Rome. To them Paul lentian III. had scarcely diverted wrote an excellent epistle. That them by a promise of tribute, when Paul was the author of this epistle, he was murdered. His empress Eu-and consequently, that it is canoni doxa invited the Vandals from Af-cal, appears, (1.) From the inscriprica, to avenge his murder. After tion and title. (2.) From the usual ravaging Sicily and Italy, and taking salutation at the end of the epistle, and pillaging Rome, they, under compared with 2 Thess. iii. 17. (3.) Genseric their king, returned home From the style and matter of it, laden with booty, and with multi-which are of a piece with the rest of tudes of slaves, A. D. 455. After Paul's writings. 4. From the consent the western empire had languished and tradition of the universal church. out 21 years more, under eight tur-It was written to certain Christian bulent reigns, Odoacer, afterwards converts living at Rome. As busiking of the Heruli, and other bar-ness had brought hither barians, deposed Augustulus, and tians out of the other provinces, they many Christranslated the government to Ra- had laid the foundation of a church venna, another city of Italy. His go- in the capital of the Roman empire. vernment had continued but about There were at that time likewise 16 years, when it was abolished by many Jews at Rome, who inhabited Theodoric, king of the Goths.- on the other side of the Tiber. It is Their royal government had conti- usually asked, why Paul, inditing to nued at Rome about 60 years, when the Romans, chose rather to write Justinian, the emperor of the east, in the Greek than in the Latin lanrecovered part of Italy, and abolished guage? To which it may be answerthe Roman senate, By this time ed, that though the apostle could not the Romans in the western empire be ignorant of the Latin tongue, yet mingled with the ancient Goths, and he was better acquainted with the the various tribes of barbarians, who Greek, and Juvenal will inform us, had poured in themselves from the that the Greek was in daily use among east, were divided into ten sovereign- the Romans, even the women. To ties or states. (See HORN.) The which may be added, that as this episeastern part of the Roman empire, tle contains all the grounds of the whose emperors resided at Constan- Christian doctrine, it might be proper tinople, notwithstanding hard strug-that copies of it should be sent to gles with the Persians, Saracens, and other churches; and the Greek lanTurks &c. continued till about the guage was the most convenient for middle of the 15th century, when that purpose, as being of greater ex

tent, and more generally spoken were under the law, but faith in Jethan the Latin. The epistle was sus Christ. This was the state of the written at Corinth, and sent by Pho- Israelites. As to the Gentile world, be, a servant or deaconess of the he tells them, that though God made church at Cenchrea, in the port of himself known to them by the legi Corinth. The principal aim of Paul ble characters of his being and powin this epistle to the Romans, is to er, visible in the works of the creapersuade them to a steady perseve- tion, yet they glorified him not, nor rance in the profession of Christiani- worshipped the only and true God; ty, by convincing them, that God is but revolted from him, and worshipthe God of the Gentiles as well as of ped stocks and stones; and therefore the Jews, and that now under the gos-God had cast them off, and given pel there is no difference between the them up to vile affections, which led Jew and the Gentile. This he does them to all sorts of vices: that God, several ways: (1.) By showing that by sending his Son, had shown them, the Jews and Gentiles being equally together with the Jews, the way of sinful, the former could have no title, being justified by faith in Jesus Christ; on account of their having the law and lastly, that though justification and the promises, to exclude the lat-unto eternal life be only by grace, ter from being the people of God un-through faith in Jesus Christ, yet der the gospel. (2.) That Abraham it was their duty to endeavour after was the common father of all that be- righteousness, and all the blessings lieved, as well uncircumcised as cir- of the gospel. cumcised. (3.) That God had pur- In the last part, he applies his subposed from the beginning to take ject, exhorting them to a variety of the Gentiles to be his people under duties towards God, towards one the Messiah, in the room of the another, towards magistrates, toJews, who had rejected him. (4.) wards weak brethren, towards miThat the Jews had no reason to com-nisters, and concludes with a vast plain of being rejected, since they number of salutations, and a warnhad been warned of it, and might ing against schism, chap. xii.-xvi. find it threatened in their ancient A christian church, real or pretendprophets. But besides the assurance ed, has still continued at Rome. he gives the Roman Christians, that According to the lists we have, there they were the people of God, with- have been about 230 bishops or popes out circumcision or other observance at Rome. Among the first 65, I find of the Jews, which is the main drift nothing remarkably good, none of of this epistle; he has woven into them being eminent for learning, nor his discourse the chief doctrines of excelling their fellows in piety; though Christianity, and given them a com- no doubt, many of the primitive ones prehensive view of the dispensations were holy men; and it is as certain, of Providence from first to last, in many of them were ambitious wretchreference to eternal life. He repre- es, who studied to exalt themselves sents to them, that by Adam's trans- to a lordship over their brethren. Of gression, sin entered into the world, the last 165, I find not one giving and death by sin; that by Moses any tolerable evidence of the grace God gave the children of Israel a of God in him; but all of them prelaw, which if they obeyed, they tenders to headship over the Christian should recover that immortal life church; and many of them noted for which had been lost by Adam's falsehood, perjury, murder, whoretransgression; that this law, through dom, magic, and almost every thing the weakness of human nature, had horrid. There have been also about failed of attaining the great end for 35 anti-popes, and these much of the which it was given: that, therefore, same temper and practice with their there was no way left to those that rivals. See Antichrist and Church.

27.

While the Romans governed a great ROOT, (1.) That part of a plant, part of the world, they, either for which is fastened in the earth, Job money, or good deeds, or of free fa- xiv. 8. (2.) A foundation which es vour, conferred the right of citizens tablished what is built on it, Job on such as were not of their nation, xxviii. 9. (3.) That from which any and even sometimes on the inhabi-thing proceeds; so the love of money tants of a whole city. In this sense, is the root or cause of all evil, 1 Tim. Paul and Silas were Romans, having vi. 10. A wicked person, or one a legal title to all the privileges of who imbibes pernicious errors, is a the citizens of Rome, or her colonies, root of bitterness, which secretly inActs xvi. 37, 38. and xxii. 25, 26, fects and corrupts others with the poison of sin, Deut. xxix. 18. Christ ROOF. The roofs of houses in is called the Root of Jesse, or David, the east were made flat, with a plat- as he is the author of their being, form of plaster, and a battlement or and immutably establishes the glory balustrade to prevent accidents, Deut. of their family, Isa. xi. 10. Rev. v. xxii. 8. These roofs were used for 5. and xxii. 16. If the root be holy, drying flax, Josh. ii. 6. Here their so are the branches; if the ancient owners enjoyed the cool of the even- patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jaing, 2 Sam. xi. 2. and here they per- cob, the parents of the Hebrews, formed their devotions, Isa. xv. 3. were in covenant with God, their Zeph. i. 5. Acts x. 9. As this mode children must be consecrated to his of building rendered them private service, and not cast off for ever, places, the Jews frequently burnt in- Rom. xi. 16. The root of nations cense to idols, and performed their goes up as rottenness, and their blosidolatrous devotions on them, Jer. soms as dust, and they have neither xix. 13. In the feast of tabernacles root nor branch left, when there is an they made booths on the roofs of their utter destruction both of parents and houses, Neh. viii. 16. The grass on children, Isa. v. 24. Mal. i. 4. To these roofs must soon wither and die, be rooted and grounded in Christ, is as having no root, i. e. as having lit- to be firmly united to him, and well tle or no moisture to nourish it, Psal. established in the faith and experi cxxix. 6. A beautiful emblem of ence of his truth, Col. ii. 6. The root the enemies of Sion. The word roof of the matter is in a person, when he is also used for the upper part of has a real habit or principle of grace, the mouth, which is an instrument and a firm belief of the fundamental of speaking and tasting, Job xxix. doctrines of the gospel, from which 10. the fruit of good works proceeds, Job ROOM, (1.) A place, Gen. xxiv. xix. 21. To take root, spread out the 23. (2.) The stead, or office, 2 Sam. roots, or to have the root by great wa xix. 13. (3.) A state of liberty and ters, is to become seemingly fixed in comfort, Psal. xxxi. 8. (4.) Cham- great prosperity, 2 Kings xix. 30. ber apartments. As upper rooms Job xxix. 19. Ezek. xxxi. 7. The were most retired, strangers, at the roots of a hypocrite are wrapt about passover, and other solemn feasts, the heap and he seeth the place of stones ; had the upper rooms allotted for his condition is apparently establishtheir lodging, Mark xiv. 15. and ed, and though be has no proper root here the disciples attended their de-of grace, yet he cherishes a hope of votions, Acts i. 13. (5.) A seat, great happiness, Job viii. 17. The Luke xiv. 8. Notwithstanding mul- royal family of Judah had their roots titudes are coming to Christ, there is under the king of Egypt, and toward always room: abundant room in his the king of Babylon; by submission love, his covenant, and his church, to Pharaoh-necho, Jehoiakim obtainfor their spiritual and eternal hap-ed the kingdom; and by solemn enpiness, Luke xiv. 32. gagement of subjection, Zedekiah

ROVERS, plundering robbers, or wandering ravagers; so the Amalekites, who burnt Ziklag, are called by our translators, 1 Chron. xii. 21, :

got the crown from Nebuchadnezzar, increases spiritual and hastens a nat Ezek. xvii. 6, 7. To be rooted out, tural death, Prov. xiv. 30. plucked up by the roots, or to have the roots dried, or killed with famine, is to meet with fearful destruction, that ruins the principal men, and overturns the constitution of the state, Deut. xxix. 28. Hos. ix. 6. Isa. xiv. 30.

ROUGH places, are such as are uneven, uncultivated,abounding with briers and thorns, Deut. xxi. 4. By To put ROPES on the head, was John Baptist's ministry, rough places expressive of great distress, and ear- were made plain, and rough ways nest desire and request of compassion, smooth: people, even the very worst, 1 Kings xx. 31, 32. were prepared to regard the person,

ROSE, the name of a well-known miracles, and doctrine of Christ, Isa. flower, and the tree that bears it. xl. 4. Luke iii. 5. A rough wind, is Rose-bushes thrive best in a rich, one strong and boisterous, and is an moist, open soil; for when the soil emblem of heavy and irresistible cais dry, and the situation shadowed, lamities, Isa. xxvii. 8. Rough caterthe flowers are less beautiful. Tour- pillars, goats, and garments, are such nefort mentions 53 kinds of roses, of as are hairy and shaggy, Jer. li. 27, which the damask rose, and the rose Dan. viii. 21. Zech, xiii. 4. of Sharon, are among the finest. The ROUSE, to stir up from sleep or essence of damask roses is an excel-rest, Gen. xlix. 9.

lent perfume. Roses in general are To ROW, is to push forward a delightful to the eye, agreeable in their ship or boat with oars, Mark vi. 48. smell, and useful in medicine, for Thy rowers have brought thee into curing consumptive disorders, &c. great waters; thy rulers have, by Jesus Christ is called the Rose of their pride and folly, plunged thee Sharon; how unbounded his comeli-into great difficulties, and thine eneness, delightfulness, and efficacy, for mies have driven thee to the very the healing of our soul! Song ii. 1. point of utter destruction; as the TyThe wilderness blossoms as the rose ;rians were by the Chaldean siege, through the preaching of the gospel, when obliged to desert their city, the Gentile world shall be converted and build another in the adjacent to Christ, and flourish with saints and island, Ezek. xxvii. 26. graces, Isa. xxxv. 1.

ROAST. The slothful man roast eth not what he took in hunting; he does not enjoy the fruit of his labour; but what is ill gotten is unhappily spent, Prov. xii. 27.

ROYAL, kingly. The royal city, is that where the king dwells, Josh. x. 2. Royal dainties, are provision fit for the table of a king, Gen. xlix. 20. The law of God is called royal, because it is the authoritative will of the King of kings, Jam. ii. 1. And the saints are a royal priesthood; they are at once kings and priests unto God, 1 Pet, ii. 9.

ROT. The name of the wicked Tots; is soon forgotten, and becomes infamous, Prov. x. 7. God was as rottenness to the house of Judah, gradually wasting their numbers, glory, RUBY, a precious stone, of a red and strength, and rendering them colour, mixed with purple. In its contemptible, Hos. v. 12. A bad most perfect state, it is a jewel of wife is rottenness to her husband: she great value, and in hardness is second greatly destroys his reputation, use-only to the diamond. Its usual size fulness and wealth, and is a mean is of the bigness of the head of a of hastening his death, Prov. xii. 4. large pin, but is found from that size Envy is the rottenness of the bones; as to 40 caracts. The price of Jesus it weakens the faculties of the soul, Christ and his grace, is infinitely su wastes the natural constitution, and [perior in value to rubies, Job xxviii.

18. But the original word PENI-ing them to act, prosper, or suffer, at NEM, is thought by some to signify his pleasure, Psal. Ixvii. 4. Christ is pearls.

a governor, and has the government RUDDER, a piece of timber hung on his shoulder; he is the great ruler on the stern post of a ship by four or of his church, who appoints her laws five hinges, to bridle her motion, and and ordinances, and sets up offices turns her to what side the steersman and officers, and dispenses favours or pleaseth, by means of the position corrections as he sees meet, Isa. ix. of it in the water. That piece of tim- 6, 7. Jer. xxx. 21. Satan and his ber in the inside of the ship to which agents are rulers of the darkness of the rudder is fastened, is called the this world; they reign over and dihelm, or tiller, and sometimes the rud-rect wicked and ignorant men in der. The ancient rudders had four their works of darkness, Eph. vi. 12. parts; the clavus, or helm, whereby Judah ruled with God, when Hezethe whole was directed; the pole, kiah and his princes zealously prothe wings, and the handle; and often- moted the reformation of the kingtimes they had two, and sometimes dom, Hos. xi. 12. Men rule their three or four, rudders to one ship; own spirit, when they restrain their and they at least occasionally fasten- passions and lusts, and direct the ed their rudders to the ship with motions of their soul by the rule of cords, Acts xxvii. 40. God's law, Prov. xvi. 32.

RUDDY, or REDDISH. See WHITE. As the Jews had their rulers civil RUDE. It is hardly probable that and sacred, so under the New TesPaul had any thing awkward in his tament there is still a civil and ecmanner of speech; but he hints that clesiastical government; the former he was indifferent, suppose the Co- of which is of God, as to the generinthians reckoned him thus defec- ral plan; but the particular form, tive, 2 Cor. xi. 6.

whether of kingdom or commonRUDIMENTS. See ELEMENTS. wealth, or mixed of both, as in BriRUE, a plant that bears a rosy tain, is left to the discretion of men; flower, and which when dried, was and so is called an ordinance or creaformerly much used in medicinal in- ture of man, 1 Pet. ii. 13. The duty fusions, being esteemed an excellent of civil magistrates to their subjects, expeller of poison or pestilential in- is to establish good laws, and see to fluence in fevers, and a cure for dis- the execution of them, Zech. viii. 16. orders of the head, Luke xi. 42. 2 Chron. ix. to govern them wisely. RUIN, destruction, or the cause of and justly, 2 Chron. i. 10. to punish it, Isa. xxv. 2. 2 Chron. xxviii. 23. evil doers, and encourage them that Let this ruin be under thine hand; do well, Rom. xiii. 3. to protect take thou care of this disordered and them from enemies, and preserve perishing state, Isa. iii. 6. to them their various rights and

A RULE, is, (1.) Government, privileges, 1 Tim. ii. 2. Prov. xxviii. dominion, 1 Kings xxii. 31. (2.) 16. As the true religion tends A canon, or precept by which the at once to the honour of God and thoughts or actions are directed; the welfare of nations, they ought thus the word of God is our rule, to by their laws and example to exert direct us how to glorify God, and themselves to the utmost to promote enjoy him, Gal. vi. 16. (3.) A the same. By the exercise of the boundary or measure which one civil power in favour of Christianity, cannot rightly go beyond, 2 Cor. they ought to prevent or abolish persecution, profaneness, idolatry, suTO RULE, or GOVERN, is to direct perstition, or heresy, and remove all and order by authority, Dan. iv. 26. occasions thereof; and to maintain 1 Kings xxi. 7. God governs the na- for Christians the whole of their spitions, by managing them, and caus- ritual privileges granted them by

X. 13.

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