engagements to enlarge His own Kingdom Psal. 2. 9. that before means and instruments be deficient for the propagation of the Gospel He will turn the hearts of desperate enemies and make most bitter persecutors to be eminent lively and painful Preachers so was it here He who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed 6. How patient ought the Church of Christ to be under saddest persecutions and how far from base despondency of spirit as if her case were wholly desperate and remedilesse seing Jesus Christ at an instant can carry captive her chiefest adversaries and make them to be her stoutest friends as appeareth from this He who persecuted us now preacheth 7. As godlesse persecutors propose unto themselves no lesse than the total overthrow and rooting-out of Truth though neither Men nor Devils shall be ever able to effectuate it Mat. 16. 18. so men may look if they repent not Luke 13. 3. to be justly charged with the guilt of all that evil which once they intended as if they had actually accomplished it although it was without their reach so to do for that Faith or Doctrine of Faith as Tit. 1. 13. which Paul at this time did preach is said once to have been destroyed by him because he aimed at no lesse and his sin before God was no lesse than if he had done it although the Lord in mercy did pardon it 1 Tim. 1. 13. Now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed 8. We ought so to look upon notable changes which do fall out whether in particular persons or publick societies whether to the better or the worse as that we may see somewhat of God manifested in them either His Justice or Mercy Wisdom or Power some one Attribute of His or other and so as we may give a suitable return whether of fear or joy thankfulnesse or admiration or of any other sanctified frame of spirit and holy performance for which such a manifestation calleth for those Christians in Judea did so look upon this notable change in Paul as to see God's mercy and power manifested in it and accordingly with joy did give God thanks so much is imported in this They glorified God in me saith he 9. Whensoever God is pleased to make a man instrumental whether for our own particular good or the more publick benefit of Christ's Church as we would not be ingrateful unto the instruments themselves Judg. 9. 16 c. so neither are we to rest upon them ascribing the praise of what they do to them but as we would not provoke the Lord to smite them or at least to make them uselesse to us 1 Cor. 4. 6. we are to look unto God more than them ascribing the praise of what they do unto Him as that which is His proper right and due so do they ascribe to God the praise of any good which Paul did by his preaching They glorified God in me or concerning me 10. The more that God hath made it convincingly and from clear evidences manifest to the conscience of His People that a Work is owned and approven by Him and hath drawn an acknowledgement from them to that purpose unto His own praise it aggregeth the sin of those the more who would afterwards question or deny that Work to be His for the Apostle's scope in part is to aggrege the sin of his adversaries who denied him to be an Apostle immediately sent from Jesus Christ and that the Doctrine preached by him was the Truth of God from this that the Churches in Judea were convinced of the contrary and had acknowledged so much long since to the praise of God by giving glory unto Him on Paul's behalf so that those Galatians and the false Apostles were guilty of obscuring the glory of God shining forth in his Conversion and Office which was already acknowledged by others And they glorified God in me CHAP. II. IN the first part of this Chapter the Apostle addeth some further Evidences that both his Office and Doctrine were divine As first They were such as might abide the censure of the chief Apostles ver 1 2. Secondly In the main thing controverted which was about Circumcision the other Apostles did joyn with him in that they were not for but against the circumcizing of Titus ver 3. and for a weighty reason ver 4 5. Thirdly In that meeting which was at Jerusalem the other Apostles did find nothing for which to challenge either him or his Doctrine ver 6. but upon the contrary perceiving that Paul was called of God to be an Apostle ver 7. both from that divine assistance wherewith he was accompanied ver 8. and from those Apostolick gifts wherewith he was endued they acknowledged both him and Barnabas for Apostles ver 9. and all of them did part good friends the collecting of some supply to the poor Jews among the Gentiles being recommended by the rest to Paul ver 10. Fourthly He did rebuke Peter when in his practice he declined from the Doctrine taught by Paul concerning the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law and for any thing which appeareth to the contrary Peter in this debate did yeeld to Paul as having truth for him to ver 15. In the second part because this dispute about the Ceremonial Law did fly very high the false Apostles urging the observation of it as meritorious of justification therefore the Apostle turneth the force of the dispute against Justification by Works and proveth by several Arguments that we are justified by Faith only As first The believing Jews who had as much reason to boast in their works as any ver 15. did renounce all confidence in them for Justification ver 16. Next he preoccupieth an Objection and sheweth that this Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works giveth no encouragement to sin ver 17. Because 1. it did presse the mortifying and destroying of sin ver 18. And 2. though it did free them from the Law in several respects yet not as it is the rule of an holy life ver 19. Yea 3. it doth tye the justified person more strictly to subdue sin and lead an holy life ver 20. Lastly he addeth a second Argument to prove that we are justified by Faith only because if we were justified by Works Free-grace and Christ's death should be uselesse ver 21. Vers. 1. THen fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also 2. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately to them which were of reputation lest by any means I should run or had run in vain THe Apostle first mentioneth another journey of his to Jerusalem together with the time when and the companions with whom he went and that extraordinary Instinct and Command from God which moved him to undertake that journey ver 1 2 And secondly sheweth that when he came to Jerusalem he did privately
who transgresseth in one thing 5. There is no person whether rich or poor noble or ignoble learned or unlearned whose sin deserveth not the forementioned curse The consideration indeed of the person of some sinners doth aggrege their sin beyond the sin of others Rom. 2. 17. to 25 but no consideration of the person of any can so far extenuate his sin as to make it not deserving of God's wrath and curse for saith he Cursed is every one without exception who continueth not 6. Not only sins of commission or doing of that which the Law forbiddeth but also sins of omission or the leaving undone of what the Law commandeth do deserve the curse for saith he Cursed is every one not only who doth what the Law forbiddeth but who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them 7. It is not the bare knowledge of our duty nor yet a fair profession of love and respect to our duty so known which cometh up to that exact righteousnesse that the Law requireth under hazard of the curse there must be practice also according to that knowledge for Cursed is every one who continueth not to do them 8. This real obedience and practice that the Law of God requireth under hazard of the curse is universal extending it self to the conscience-making of all duties commanded together with the way wherein they are commanded Mat. 15. 8. and to the abstaining from all sins forbidden together with their occasions Job 31. 1. for Cursed is every one who continueth not in All things he saith not in some things only 9. This obedience required is also constant from the first minute of a man's life to the hour of his death so that though he should but once sin he is under the curse for Cursed is every one who coutinueth not to do them 10. It is altogether impossible for any one of fallen mankind either of himself Joh. 15. -5. or by any grace received in this life 1 Joh. 1. 8. to keep the Law perfectly or to attain to that exact measure of righteousnesse that the Law requireth which appeareth not only from what the Law requireth as it hath been formerly cleared but also from this Paul takes it here for a confessed and granted conclusion for if any could keep the Law then every man who seeketh to be justified by the works of the Law should not be cursed providing they did what they could as Paul here affirmeth seing the Law doth curse none but those who do not keep the Law For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written c. 11. Though every man doth break the Law and so deserveth that curse which is pronounced against sin by the Law Yet all are not left to perish under this curse some are delivered from it to wit those that are of Faith or who by Faith lay hold on Jesus Christ for righteousnesse who was made a curse for them ver 13. such having fled from the sentence and curse of the Law and laid hold on the Covenant of Grace revealed in the Gospel shall be judged not by the Law but the Gospel which admitteth of the Righteousnesse of a Cautioner imputed Philip. 3. 9. instead of an exact personall righteousnesse required by the Law for saith the Apostle As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse and so not they who are of Faith 12. Those who do not betake themselves to the Covenant of Grace must stand and fall according to the sentence of the Law or Covenant of Works and therefore seing the Law doth curse them as not having come up to the exact righteousnesse required in it cursed are they and cursed shall they be for saith he They who are of the Law or seek Justification by the Law are cursed because the Law seeketh more than they can perform Vers. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for The Just shall live by Faith 12. And the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them IN these Verses is the fourth Argument to prove the negative part of the main Conclusion to wit That no man is justified in God's sight who judgeth not according to outward appearence but according to Truth 1 Sam. 16. -7. by his personal obedience to the Law and that because righteousnesse and life cometh from Faith as he proveth from Habbak 2. -4. and therefore not from the Law ver 11. The force of which consequence as the Apostle declareth doth ly in this that the Law is not of Faith that is the way of Justification which the Law prescribeth to wit the Law as strictly taken for the meer precepts legal promises and threatmings of the Law See chap. 2. ver 15. doth not consist with the way of Justification by Faith because the Law promiseth life to him only who observeth what the Law prescribeth and so hath a perfect inherent righteousnesse as he proveth from Lev. 18. 5. but Faith conveyeth life to him who is destitute of that righteousnesse if he believe on Him that justifieth the ungodly by Faith as he hath cleared frequently before See Rom. 4. 5. and so doth not expresse it now ver 12. Doct. 1. There is a twofould Justification of a sinner one which is in the sight of God and is here expressed whereby he is reputed and standeth righteous and just in the estimation of God the Judge whose judgment is unerring and alwayes according to Truth Jer. 11. 20. Another which is before men and is here implyed whereby the sinner is reputed and standeth righteous in the estimation of men whose judgment as flowing from charity 1 Cor. 13. 7. and grounded upon outward appearance 2 Sam. 16. -7. may frequently erre and be deceived But that no man is justified in the sight of God 2. Though God do not justifie any or esteem of him as righteous for any works done in obedience to the Law Yet that a man may be justified in man's sight because of his works is not here denied by the Apostle for Justification before men is nothing else but a charitable judgment past upon the person that God hath justified him by Faith which judgment is grounded upon the evidences of the person's faith manifested in the fruits of good works Iam. 2. -18. But that no man is justified by the Law in Gods sight c. 3. The spirit of Error being once given way to doth so far blind the understanding Isa. 44. 20. that it cannot see and so far engage the will and affections to the maintaining of it 2 Tim. 4. 3. that the person erring will not see what Scripture saith against that Error though it be never so evident to an indifferent eye for though the maintainers of Justification by Works would not or could not see it yet the Scriptures even of the Old Testament
and no more spared than if we our selves who sinned had been in His place for the Text saith He was not only accursed but made a curse in the abstract to shew how greatly he was accursed in death neither was this execration only in respect of man who indeed did judge Him execrable Isa. 53. 3 4. but also in respect of God as appeareth by the testimony alleaged out of Deut. 21. 23. for though the Apostle intending the sense only and not the words omitteth the mentioning of God Yet in the place cited we have it thus He that is hanged is accursed of God 10. The malefactor among the Jews who was adjudged to end his life by hanging on a tree was pronounced by God to be a curse or accursed not as if every one who died that death even notwithstanding of their repentance had been rejected of God and condemned Luke 23. 39 43. but partly because that was a most odious and infamous death in it self as being aflicted only for atrocious and heinous crimes and partly because it was fore-ordained of God that Christ our Surety should end His life by that kind of death in order to our redemption and delivery from the Law 's deserved curse for which cause mainly God was pleased to pronounce that kind of death accursed above any other as appeareth from the Apostle's alleaging this Scripture to clear that Christ was made a curse for us It is written saith he Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree From Vers. 14. Learn 1. So wonderfull is God in working especially in that great work of our Redemption that He bringeth about one contrary by another He giveth life by death and the blessing by the curse and frequently in His way of working our choicest mercies do come through greatest miseries for Christ was made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles 2. The blessing promised to Abraham and to the Nations in Abraham or rather in Christ Abraham's seed Gen. 22. 18. was not of temporall things only as of Corn and Wine of a fat and rich soile these were only the shell but the kernell of that Promise were blessings of another sort even spiritual such as Grace here and Glory hereafter which appeareth from this that before this blessing could be conveyed to Abrahams believing seed a price of infinite value behoved to be paid for it a price too precious to purchase any temporal blessing by for even Christ was made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles 3. The spiritual blessing of Grace here and Glory hereafter promised to and in Abraham as it was purchased by Christ at a dear rate so it resideth and is exstant in Him who is as it were the storehouse wherin the blessing is laid up Col. 2. 3. and the dispenser of it unto Abraham's seed Act. 5. 31. in whom Believers are truly blessed Gen. 22. 18. and from whose fulnesse we do all receive and Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. for saith the Text That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ or as it is in the Original in Jesus Christ So that this blessing is still in Him as the fountain and dispenser of it 4. Though Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. -8. in so far as remission of sins and life eternal were bestowed upon Believers under the Old Testament through the merit of His death even before He actually died Rom. 3. 25. it being sufficient in order to these effects that it was transacted between the Father and the Son that He should die Isa. 53. 10. and that it was certainly known by God that He would die Act. 15. 18. Yet there were some effects of His death and those of great advantage to the Church both of Jews and Gentiles which were keeped in store and in Gods wise dispensation not to be actually bestowed untill the time of His death As first in relation to the Gentiles the real making-over of Abraham's blessing unto them whereby they were made one actual seed unto Abraham with the believing Jews was to follow upon Christ's death God having so provided and not to go before it for Christ was first made a curse by being hanged on a tree before the blessing of Abraham did come upon the Gentiles Secondly in relation to both Jew and Gentile the Covenant-promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. 7. which before Christ's death was vailed over with many carnal Ceremonies and lay hid under the many reiterated Promises of temporal blessings and an earthly Canaan Gen. 15. 7 c. was after Christs death to be made more clear the vail of Ceremonies and earthly blessings to be removed and the promised blessings of Righteousness and life everlasting to be held forth in their spiritual beauty and lustre for upon Christ's being made a curse he saith We to wit not only the Gentiles but the Jews also of whom Paul was one do receive the promise of the Spirit that is after the manner of speaking used by the Hebrews the spiritual promise in opposition to those external rites and shadows under which it did formerly lurk Doct. 5. Though by the grace of saving Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatever he knoweth to be revealed in the Word Act. 24. -14. and is in some measure especially when Faith is lively affected and doth practise according to what each Truth calleth for yeelding obedience to the Commands Rom. 16. 26. trembling at threatnings Isa. 66. -2. and imbracing the Promises of God for this life Psal. 23. 1. and that which is to come Heb. 11. 13. Yet the principal acts of Faith as it is saving and justifying are the accepting and receiving of the Promise and of Christ's satisfaction to the Father's justice held forth in the Promise for Paul speaking of Faiths part in Justification setteth forth the exercise of it thus That we might receive the promise by Faith 6. Faith doth justifie and make us blessed not for any worth in it self as if the work and merit of Faith were reckoned to us for righteousnesse but because it is the instrument and as it were the hand of the soul whereby we receive the Promise and Christ in the Promise whose satisfaction alone is our only righteousnesse before God Rom 5. -19. for that Paul is to be understood thus all alongs this dispute appeareth from these two Verses wherein he ascribeth our delivery from the curse and partaking of Abraham's blessing to Christ's merit or to His being made a curse for us giving unto Faith only the receeiving and imbracing of that satisfaction as it is offered in the Promise That we might receive the Promise through Faith saith he Vers. 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were
and freedom through vertue of that price Thirdly he sheweth the impulsive cause which moved God to bestow such a benefit even the riches of that same grace and free-favour in God formerly spoken of By all which he carrieth on his main scope which is to confirm those Ephesians that salvation and all the steps leading to it do flow from God's free-grace in Christ. Doct. 1. All men the Elect themselves not being excepted are by nature under slavery and bondage to sin Joh. 8. 34. Satan Eph. 2. 2. and to God's wrath Joh. 3. 36. for redemption presupposeth bondage In whom we have redemption 2. There was no delivery to be had from this bondage by prayer and intreaty nor by exchange of prisoners as in wars nor yet by strong hand and meer force but by paying of a price not to Satan who detaineth the Elect in slavery as a rigid Tyrant or mercilesse Jaylor from whom they are delivered by force Heb. 2. -14. but to God Eph. 2. 2. whose justice was wronged by the sins of the Elect and therefore behoved to be satisfied for redemption according to the force of the original word is a delivery by ransom and price 3. Jesus Christ is that Person by whom we have redemption from the fore-mentioned slavery this work by the counsel of the whole Trinity being put over upon Him as one who not only had right both of property to redeem the Elect being His creatures Heb. 1. 10. and of kinred Lev. 25. 48. as being our brother and of the same nature with us Heb. 2 14 but was also fitted to be our Redeemer a price to wit His humane nature being put in his hands to lay down Heb. 10. -5. and was able to redeem as being also God whereby His sufferings as man became a ransom of infinit value Act. 20. -28. for by saying In whom or in Christ we have redemption he saith that we have it by Him 4. We have this redemption not only by Christ but also in him which holdeth also in forgivenesse of sins He being the common store-house wherein the Elect have all their spiritual blessings treasured up even before they take their spiritual being from Him or get those blessings actually applied unto them as Adam's posterity have their original guiltinesse whence all actual transgressions flow treasured up in Him before they take their natural being from Him Rom. 5. 12. As also because this redemption and the fruits of it are not actually applied to the Elect until they be in Christ and by faith united to Him Joh. 3. 36. for saith he In whom meaning Christ we have redemption and forgivenesse of sins 5. The wrong done to infinit justice by our sin was so great that nothing performed by Christ could be a sufficient ransom in order to our redemption except he had crowned all his other actions and sufferings by laying down his life and undergoing a bloudy and violent death for We have redemption through his bloud to wit not as excluding his former obedience Rom. 5. 18 19. nor yet his other sufferings especially his soul-sufferings Isa. 53. 10. but as being the head-stone and compleating of all Joh. 19. 30. Doct. 6. Sin is a debt as being a wrong done against God obliging the sinner to repair God in his honour or otherwayes to underly the wrath of a provoked God for ever Rom. 6. 23 for the word forgivenesse in the Original and as it is used in Scripture is taken from those who are loosed out of a prison for debt The forgivenesse of sins 7. There is no delivery from this debt of sin and obligation to wrath because of sin but by pardon and forgivenesse It is an infinit debt and so cannot be satisfied by finit creatures for thus doth Paul expresse the way how the debt is removed even by forgivenesse of sins 8. Though the guilt of sin be removed by forgivenesse and therefore freely as to us yet that sin might be thus freely forgiven with the good leave of provoked justice forgivenesse of sin was purchased at a dear rate by Christ for as we have redemption through his bloud so also forgivenesse of sins 9. Jesus Christ hath this rich treasure of forgivenesse of sins which he hath bought by his bloud laid up in himself so that whensoever a sinner sensible of this weighty debt doth lay hold upon Christ by faith and is thereby ingraffed in Him his sins are freely pardoned and his debt remitted for In him saith he we have forgivenesse of sins 10. As that grace favour and good-will which God manifested in the salvation of sinners is a rich copious and abundant grace so nothing argueth the riches of this grace more than that from it do flow such excellent effects as the giving of Christ the Son of God to redeem slaves and rebels together with forgivenesse of sins they being infinit wrongs and there being many of them in every pardoned sinner Psal. 19. 12. And those not only ordinary infirmities but sometimes also heinous transgressions Psal. 51. 14. and yet free-grace pardoneth all and this not only in one but in all Believers in all ages and doth yet remain as full and overflowing in God to pardon self-condemned sinners as ever all which doth argue no lesse than a copious rich and abundant grace for the Apostle speaking of grace with relation to those two redemption and forgiveness which flow from it he calleth it a rich grace According to the riches of his grace saith he Vers. 8. Wherein the hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence THe Apostle doth thirdly speak of those spirituall blessings which were prepared in Election and purchased in that excellent work of Redemption as they are conveyed and applyed unto the Elect in their effectual calling whereby he carryeth-on his fore-mentioned scope in shewing That as God did give evident proofs of his free-grace and favour in all the former steps tending to salvation so he had manifested the abundant riches of his grace in the effectual calling of those Ephesians in so far as his eternal love which was before alwayes hid in a decree did no longer contain it self but overflowed in its effects towards them or in them as the word may be rendred which effects wrought by Gods grace in them he sheweth to be all wisdom and prudence under which are comprehended all the saving graces of God's Spirit in Believers if we take as we safely may take wisdom for the saving knowledge of divine mysteries and of such religious truths as are only to be believed and fall not under practice And prudence for that grace and vertue whereby we know our respective duties both to God and man and our actions and practices are ruled and ordered according to the prescript of God's Word for so the words are taken Col. 1. -9. Doct. 1. Whosoever are elected from eternity and for whomsoever Christ did give a ransom to provoked justice in the fulnesse of time all such in
wonderfull and matchlesse love for saith he For His great love wherewith He loved us 9. The Lord hath love to the Elect even when they are children of wrath and liable in the course of justice to the stroke of His vindictive anger for although God could not with safety of His own justice bestow Heaven upon them when they were actually such yet nothing hindereth why He might not love them being such that is have a will and fixed resolution even when they were liable unto wrath to bestow Heaven upon them having first from that same love given His own Son to deliver them from that state of wrath that so what eternal love had resolved to give them might be actually bestowed upon them without doing injury to divine justice for ver 3. he sheweth they were children of wrath and here that God loved them and both these before He quickned them Wherewith He loved us saith he even in the by-past time 10. The doctrine of our natural misery and spirituall death through sin is a lesson most necessary to be learned which we have no great pleasure to learn and which we are prone to forget as to a deep and lively impression of it even when it is learned for the Apostle's repeating this doctrine almost in the same words by which he had expressed it ver 1. doth hint at all these Even when we were dead in sins saith he 11. There is no application of the doctrine of God's mercy in order to our delivery from sin and misery except the doctrine of sin and misery be first applied and taken with for Paul being to apply God's mercy in quickning sinners unto himself and his country-men the believing Jews he doth first apply the doctrine of natural sin and misery unto them while he doth now speak of himself and the Jews also whereas ver 1. he spoke of the Gentiles only as appeareth by the change of the person Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 12. Whatever a man be before his conversion as to the point of civility and right use of his natural parts yet he is looked upon by God when He cometh to quicken him as one dead in sins who can neither help himself nor merit help at God's hand for therfore doth the Apostle assert that they were dead in sins immediatly before yea and in the act of God's quickning of them while he saith Even when we were dead in sins He hath quickned us 13. The state of grace which sinners dead by nature are brought unto at their conversion and wherein they continue untill death is a state of life the sentence of eternall death which they were liable unto ver -3. being taken off Rom. 8. 1. there being also new principles and powers infused in them at their effectuall calling whereby they are enabled to do those actions of a spiritual life Ezek. 36. 26 27. which powers are also continually actuated and excited to their work by renewed influence from the Spirit of God Philip. 2. 13. and accompanied oftimes in their actings with assurance of God's love Rom. 8. 16. peace of conscience Rom. 5. 1 2. and joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. whereby also they have not only a right unto Joh. 3. 16. but also the first fruits and begun possession of eternall life Joh. 17. 3. for the Apostle expresseth God's bringing them to and continuing them in the state of grace by His quickning of them hath quickned us saith he 14. Though love and mercy in God do set Him on work to quicken dead sinners yet this work cannot be brought about or accomplished without the intervention of Christ's merit and intercession who behoved to satisfie divine justice and thereby acquire unto us those things which love and mercy had prepared for us Isa. 53. 5. seing they were all lost in Adam Rom. 5. 15 16. and who being now exalted doth also apply them to us Act. 5. 31. for notwithstanding of what was said ver 4. of God's mercy and love as the inward impulsive causes moving God to quicken them yet the Apostle here sheweth that their actual quickning had a necessary dependance upon Christ's merit and mediation while he saith He hath quickned us together with Christ. 15. That Jesus Christ behoved of necessity to strike-in with His merit and mediation hereby to acquire and apply saving grace and salvation unto us doth in nothing hinder but that notwithstanding our compleat salvation from the first step unto the last doth wholly flow from God's free grace seing it was of grace that the Father did send the Son to die for us Joh. 3. 16. It was of grace that the Son did undertake Joh. 15. 12 13. And it is no lesse grace that what He did or suffered should be accepted in our name Rom. 3. 24 25. So that all is of grace and free good-will as to us for the Apostle having pointed at the necessity of Christ's mediation in order to their quickning doth presently adde as in a parenthesis by grace are ye saved 16. There is an infallible connexion betwixt converting grace and salvation so that all those who are now converted and quickned shall be undoubtedly saved for what the Apostle calleth quickned in the former part of the verse he calleth saved in the close so that he taketh the one for the other He hath quickned us By grace are ye saved Vers. 6. And hath raised us up together and made us fit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus HEre are the other two branches of their delivery to wit first The raising of their bodies at the last day for their spiritual resurrection from the death of sin to newnesse of life was mentioned ver 5. Secondly Their glorification in Heaven both which are yet to come 2 Tim. 2. 18. Mat. 25. 34. And yet he speaketh of them as already past when the Father raised and glorified Christ because seing Christ in His resurrection and entering of heaven did sustain a publick person representing all the Elect as their Head and Atturney-generall Job 10. 15. Therefore He was judicially looked upon by God in those actions as if all the Elect had risen when He rose and taken possession of Heaven when He did enter it Hence it is that in the close of the verse it is added in Christ to shew we are not yet raised and glorified in our own persons but in Christ our Head And the Spirit of God doth choose to set forth their future resurrection and glorification by shewing these are already accomplished in Christ their Head rather than by saying God shall raise them up and glorifie them that he may with one and the same labour point out the dependencie which their resurrection and glorification have upon Christs as the effect upon the cause the thing promised upon the pledge thereof as also the undoubted certainty that those shall come to passe a certainty greater than that of a simple prediction and
for her advantage Prov. 8. 30. with Gal. 2. -20. not for what is hers but for her self Hos. 14. 4 and not in words only but in deeds also testifying His love by the effects Joh. 15. 13. and in the constancie of His love who loveth whom He loveth unto the end Joh. 13. -1. even notwithstanding of their infirmities Psal. 89. 30 33. such ought the husband's love to be Doct. 1. Though husbands are not to suffer their wives to exercise dominion and authority over them that being contrary to the Ordinance of God and the good both of husband and wife ver 22. 23. yet seing the nature of men and of husbands in particular with relation to their wives are sufficiently bent of their own accord to exercise any power and authority they have and rather to exceed their due than to keep within it therefore neither ought they themselves so much to mind their power neither is it so necessary for them to be minded thereof by others as to be carefull how to use their power and authority well and as it ought for therefore the Apostle though he commanded the wives to submit yet he doth not expresly bid the husbands rule over their wives but husbands love your wives as thinking it more fit to let them understand how to use their power well than to stir them up to the exercise of it 2. The great and main duty which an husband as an husband ought to learn and so learn as to practise it is love to his wife and so to love her as to make love kyth in all his deportment towards her and in all those other duties which he oweth to her this being that one thing in the husband which sweetneth the yoke of subjection laid upon the wife giveth her courage under it and maketh her willingly submit unto it when it receiveth such a sweet return from her husband for Paul doth hold forth this as the husbands great lesson and the sum of all his other duty Husbands love your wives 3. There is no husband whatever he be for birth parts authority or power who is not tyed to love his wife and to evidence his love to her in all those duties mentioned in opening up the Text for he speaketh indefinitly unto all Husbands love your wives 4. Neither is there any wife to whom all those duties flowing from the fountain of love are not due by her husband No meannesse of birth Esther 2. 17. no personall infirmity 1 Sam. 1. 5. adultery being excepted Matth. 19. 9 nor frowardnesse of nature Joh. 19. 17. do prejudge her of them for he speaketh indefinitly also of the wives Husbands love your wives 5. Though it concerneth husbands and wives and others also who are tied together by mutuall relations as masters and servants parents and children to take some sort of inspection one of another lest any of their relations come short of their duty 2 King 5. 13. yet it concerneth every one most to make conscience of his own duty not only to God but also to his relations and that as for other reasons so for this There can be no greater encouragement to stir up his relations to make conscience of their duty to him for he commandeth every one to mind their own duty most the wives to submit themselves the husbands to love their wives and so in the rest 6. As Jesus Christ hath deigned Himself to undergo the relation of an husband to His Church So this and those other relations taken on by Him are not empty titles He doth the duties which all such relations do bind to even to the utmost And particularly He is such an husband that for love to His Church and all other duties flowing from love He is exemplary unto all other husbands seing greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down His life for His friends Joh. 14. 13. for as Paul implyeth here and in the verses following that Christ is the Churches husband so he holdeth forth His love as a pattern to be imitated by all Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church 7. The love which a husband carrieth to his wife ought to be founded not upon beauty riches health or any such thing only which is subject unto decay but also and principally upon that unchangable foundation of the love of Christ unto His Church which is here held forth not only as a pattern but as an argument also and the reason wherefore husbands ought to love their wives even as Christ also loved the Church 8. As those whom Christ doth love with a speciall love are only His that is real Believers who are subject to Him ver 24. So Jesus Christ did give Himself to death not for all and every one Joh. 17. 9. but only for His Church which is His All and consisteth of some of all Nations and of all ranks in the world in which respect only Christ is said to have died for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. for Paul astricteth both His love and His death to the Church As Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it See some further Doctrines gathered from the like words ver 2. Vers. 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word HE insisteth upon this excellent pattern of love by shewing two ends why Christ from love did give Himself for His Church The first whereof is attained in the present life and expressed in this verse to wit that He might sanctifie those for whom He gave Himself Which sanctifying work as it is here taken doth comprehend that whole complex businesse of translating the Elect from the state of sin and death to the state of grace and life even our regeneration justification and the gracious change of our dispositions or sanctification strictly so called as Joh. 17. 17. which he calleth a cleansing of us expressing the manner how Christ doth sanctifie His Church even by doing away the guilt of sin or obligation to wrath because of sin in justification Rom. 8. 1. and the filth power and activity of sin in the renovation of our natures after His own Image Rom. 6. 14. which cleansing work is here described from the externall means and instruments by which Christ doth cleanse His Church and make application of the vertue and power of His death and sufferings in order to that end And those are 1. the Sacrament of Baptism called the washing of water because of the externall rite and element used in that Sacrament and cleansing is ascribed to this washing not as if there were any vertue bestowed upon the water by God whereby grace is conferred and really wrought 1 Pet. 3. 21. but because though it be God alone who wholly and effectually doth sanctifie and cleanse us 1 Cor. 3. 7. yet this Sacrament as also the other are made use of by Him not only to represent Christ and those gracious saving works of His 1 Corinth
Apostle 2. Faithful and called Ministers of Jesus Christ are to be so far from cowardly ceding or heartlesse fainting under the bold bitter and unjust aspersions of those who would labour to question their Calling and thereby weaken their Authority and render the truth of their Doctrine doubtsom Mat. 21. 23. that they ought so much the more for the credit of their Office Rom. 11. 13. and for the Truth 's sake which they preach 1 Cor. 7. 25. avow their Calling against all who do question it Thus Paul writing to these Galatians amongst whom by means of the false Apostles his Authority was questioned more than in any other Church chap. 2. 6 9 c. expresseth himself more largely in avowing his Call to the Apostolick Office than in any other Epistle not only affirming that he was called by Jesus Christ and God the Father but also denying that he was an Apostle of men or by man 3. The Apostolick Office had this common to it with all other Church-offices whether ordinary or extraordinary Eph. 4. 11. that it was not the invention of man or founded upon authority meerly humane but was instituted by Jesus Christ to whom only it appertaineth to appoint Office-bearers in His House 1 Cor. 12. 28. for which respect Paul affirmeth he was an Apostle not of man as the Ambassadors and Officers of Princes and States are Ministers are Ambassadors for Christ representing Him and having their Authority from Him 2 Cor. 5. 20. 4. The Office of an Apostle had this peculiar unto it self that the designation of the person to undergo that Office was not mediately by the election and suffrages of men as it is in the calling of ordinary Office-bearers Act. 14. 23. but immediately from God so that the Function of the Apostles ceased with them and did not passe by succession to a Pope or any other for in this respect Paul affirmeth he was an Apostle not by man to wit meer man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father He was called immediately by God Act. 9. 15. Doct. 5. That Jesus Christ is not meer man but God also appeareth from this that the Apostle here opposeth Christ to man and so He behoved to be more than man and this was not an Angel Heb. 2. 16. and therefore He was also God Neither by man saith he to wit meer man but by Jesus Christ. 6. When Scripture ascribeth an action to the Father the first Person of the blessed Trinity as done by Him it is not to be so understood as if the Son and holy Ghost were excluded from having hand in that action but that they are rather included in the Father as persons of the same Godhead for the calling of the Ministers of the Gospel which is ascribed to God the Father is ascribed to the holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. and Paul who is here said to be called by God the Father is by the holy Ghost separated and sent forth unto a particular imployment in his Calling Act. 13. 2 4. and the raising of Christ from the dead in like manner ascribed to God the Father here is ascribed to Christ also Joh. 10. 18. and to the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 11. And God the Father who raised Him from the dead All the external actions of the Godhead towards the creatures are common to the whole Trinity Joh. 5. 19. So that the ascribing of some actions to the Father is not as if any of the rest were not concurring But because of the order of working which is among the Three Persons the Father being the first fountain of working as doing all things from Himself 1 Cor. 8. 6. by the Son 1 Cor. 8. 6. and holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 6 8. because of this order those actions which are common to the whole Trinity are frequently ascribed unto the Father 7. As Jesus Christ who hath life in Himself Job 5. 26. and is the fountain of life unto others Joh. 6. 33. was once among the dead so He was raised again by the power of the Father from death unto life and is alive for evermore Amen Rev. 1. 18. it being impossible that He should be holden by death Act. 2. 24. and Divine Justice having received full satisfaction from Him for all which He undertook to do or suffer as our Cautioner Joh. 16. 10. Who raised Him from the dead saith he 8. So blinded are men usually with preposterous zeal towards their erroneous opinions that frequently they do alleage those things for to uphold them which of all other things are most contrary unto them Thus the false Apostles that they might shake the Truth preached by Paul and establish their own contrary Error did alleage that he was no lawful Apostle as for other reasons so it would seem mainly for this Because he had not seen Christ in the flesh 1 Cor. 9. 1. nor yet was called before His death and that therefore his Doctrine was not to be much regarded Which reason Paul doth here refute by shewing he was called by Christ after He was raised from the dead and had taken possession of His glorious Kingdom leaving unto them to gather that therefore his Callâ—ng had at least no lesse dignity and glory in it than if he had been called by Christ when He was here upon the Earth in the dayes of His flesh And God the Father who raised Him from the dead From vers 2. Learn 1. The moc they are whom God maketh use of to hold out the beauty of Truth and Holinesse unto us that we may imbrace and follow it or the deformity and danger of Error and Vice that we may fly from hate and abhor it We are the more to take heed how we reject or imbrace dispise or obey what is so pressed upon us as knowing there will be the moe to bear witnesse of our guilt and seek to the equity of God's judgment against us if we obey not Luke 9. 5. for Paul doth joyn the consent of all the Brethren who were with him unto what he writeth that so his Doctrine and Reproofs might have the more weight And all the Brethren which are with me 2. Though the sins of a Church whether in Doctrine or Manners are not to be reputed as no sins by us because they are connived at or pleaded for by a Church Jer. 5. 31. and though the sins of Churches are to be pleaded against by private Christians in their places and stations Hos. 2. 2. So far are they to be from following of a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. Yet we are not so to stumble at the many sinful failings yea grosse enormities which may be in Churches relating either to Faith or Manners as presently to unchurch them by denying them to be a Church or to separate from them by refusing to keep communion with them in lawful and commanded Ordinances being purely administrated according to the prescript of God's Word chiefly if their Error be not contrary to fundamental
and Body as a Sacrifice by death upon the Crosse. The wrong was infinit Gen. 39. 9. and so must the price be even no lesse than the Bloud of God Act. 20. 28. Who gave himself for our sons 5. Such was the desire which Jesus Christ had to the salvation of lost sinners Prov. 8. 31. such was His care to perform what He had undertaken to the Father and what was fore-told of Him in Scripture Psal. 40. 7 8. that willingly and of His own accord without any constraint except that of love Joh. 15. 13. He did offer up himself a Sacrifice to satisfie provoked justice for He gave himself for our sins saith Paul 6. They for whom Christ did give Himself upon the Crosse are also delivered by Him from this present evil world which Christ doth not by taking them presently out of this world by death or otherwise Joh. 17. 15. But first by renewing their natures and so separating them from the condition of unregenerate men who are called the world 1 Joh. 15. 19. And secondly by guarding them against those baits and snares of sinfull temptations which are mainly prevalent in the men of this world 1 Joh. 2. 16. Thirdly by defending them so far as He seeth conducing for His own glory Psal. 76. 10. and their good Psal. 84. 11. from the malicious cruelty of wicked men of this world Psal. 105. 14. And lastly by taking them at the close of their time 2 Cor. 5. 1. from Earth to Heaven that they may be for ever with Himself Joh. 14. 3. for He gave himself that He might deliver us from this present world Doct. 7. So much do wickednesse and wicked men abound in the world Gen. 6. 5. so many are the snares and temptations to sin and wickednesse which are in it 1 Joh. 2. 16. so many also are the crosses and calamities which godly men may resolve to meet with while they are in the world Psal. 34. 19. that though the world simply in it self and as it speaketh our duration and abode in this life all the dayes of our appointed time be not evil but distinguished from evil Joh. 17. 15. Yet for those causes and in those respects the present world is an evil world for so it is here called 8. That any of lost mankind in whom by nature sin doth reign should have their natures renewed the power of sin in them mortified and so themselves delivered from this present evil world it was necessary that Christ should offer up Himself for as life eternal so also God's Image and Holinesse was forfeited by Adam's fall unto all his posterity 1 Cor. 15. 21. and so behoved to be purchased by Christ's death before ever we could attain unto it Heb. 9. 14. for saith the Apostle He gave himself that we might be delivered from this present evil world 9. This evil world wherein so much wickednesse so much misery and so many wicked men abound is but present not lasting transient not continuing it is hastening to its end Rom. 8. 19. and at last shall be consumed with fire 2 Pet. 3. 10. and a new World new Heavens and a new Earth are to succeed unto it wherein shall dwell righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 13. for he calleth this a present world importing that there is another to come 10. That Jesus Christ did offer up Himself in satisfaction to provoked Justice for the sins of the Elect was a thing decreed and appointed by the Father which as it speaketh the Fathers unspeakable love unto lost sinners Joh. 3. 16. so it sheweth the ground whereupon the satisfaction given by Christ is accepted for those who by faith lay hold on Him Joh. 6. 39 40. it was so transacted betwixt the Father and the Son even that He should give himself for our sins according to the will of God to wit the Father for when God is opposed to Christ then God signifieth the Father Yet so as the other two Persons of the Godhead are not excluded as is noted upon Ver. 1. Doct. 6. 11. By reason of this satisfaction given by Jesus Christ to provoked justice for our sins God who was before a consuming fire to sinners Heb. 12. 29. a strict sin-pursuing Judge Exod. 34. 7. becometh now our Father for justice being satisfied and that satisfaction laid hold upon by faith Rom. 5. 1. the enimity ceaseth and we become children yea heirs and joynt-heirs with Christ having received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15 16 17. This is imported while it is said According to the will of God and our Father Vers. 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen HEre is the close of the Salutation in which by holding forth his own practice for an example he comprehendeth the duty of the Redeemed they are to ascribe lasting glory and praise to God the Father for His good-will to this work of our Redemption by Jesus Christ. Doct. 1. As God in this great work of our Redemption by Jesus Christ hath made the glory of almost all His Attributes especially of His Justice as to Christ Rom. 8. 32. of His Mercy as to us Eph. 1. 7. and consequently of His infinit Wisdom 1 Tim. 1. 17. to kyth and shine forth So it ' is the duty of the Redeemed and such a duty as useth willingly to flow from the very making mention of that so excellent a Work in a heart duely affected with the worth thereof even to acknowledge that glory of His which is manifested therein and to wish that His glory may be set forth more and more both by our selves and others and this not only by speaking to the commendation of His Glory and Greatnesse Psal. 145. 5 6. but by making our whole life and conversation to be nothing else but a testimony of our thankfulnesse to Him 2 Cor. 5. 15. for the Apostle having mentioned that great Work ascribeth glory to God as God's due and his own duty To whom be glory 2. This duty of ascribing glory to God for the great and excellent work of our Redemption is such that it can never be sufficiently discharged there is no lesse required than a succession of Ages to Ages yea and Eternities leisure to ascribe glory to God for so much is imported while he saith To whom be Glory for ever and ever 3. The Glory of the Redeemer and of God who sent His Son to do that Work shall be the long-lasting and never-ending song of the Redeemed-ones through millions of imaginable ages even to all eternity so much doth the word rendered for ever and ever bear for it signifieth to ages of ages or innumerable ages 4. Our praise and thanksgiving to God must not be formal or verbal only Mat. 15. 8. but ought to be fervent and serious as proceeding from the most intimate affection of the heart Luk. 1. 46 47. signified by the word Amen that is Let it be so an earnest wish Vers. 6. I marvel that ye
of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me HEre is a third Reason to the same purpose with the former shewing more fully that justified persons are most strictly tyed to mortify sin and lead an holy life if so they walk according to the prescript of the Doctrine of Justification which was taught by Paul for he and by consequence all real Believers were crucified with Christ to wit the old man of their indwelling corruption Rom. 6. 6. it did receive the stroke of death by His death He having by death redeemed them from the slavery of it Tit. 2. 14. which crucifixion with Christ doth not destroy the natural life of Believers for so Paul sheweth he did live only the old man of corruption doth not live in them so as to act them in what they do but Jesus Christ doth live in them He being united to them as the root to the branches or head to the members and furnishing them with spiritual life and motion whereby the very natural life which they live and those things which concern that life are ordered and gone about by vertue of strength drawn from Christ by Faith in Him and the consideration of Christ's love to them and His dying for them because he loved them is a great inducement unto justified persons so to live Now this being true in Paul and in some measure in all Believers and seing the principles of the Doctrine of Justification did bind all to this It is evident that to affirm this Doctrine did tend to foster sin is but a foulforged calumny Doct. 1. As Jesus Christ did die a most shameful painful and cursed death upon the crosse Gal. 3. 13. so in His dying He did stand not as a private but as a publick person in the room and place of all the Elect for He was their surety Heb. 7. 22. and died for them Job 11. 50. so that when they lay hold upon Him by Faith and thereby are made one with Him Eph. 3. 17 the crosse and passion of Christ as to all those benefits which were purchased by it whether in order to the removal of the guilt of sin Mat. 26. 28. or to the subduing of its strength and quickning of them in the way of holinesse 2 Cor. 5. 15. or to the purchasing of life eternal for them Joh. 3. 16. is as verily made theirs as if they had been crucified in their own persons for Paul saith of himself as an instance of all Believers I am crucified with Christ. 2. The former confideration of the Believer's right to Christ's purchase in order to the subduing of sin layeth a strong engagement on him and giveth a great encouragement unto him to oppose resist and set about the mortification of sin in himself for Paul maketh this an argument to prove that the Doctrine of Justification in its own nature is no friend to sin because according to the principles thereof the justified person is crucified with Christ. 3. God's infinit wisdom hath found out the way whereby the threatning of death Gen. 2. 17. is fulfilled in the Elect so that they die and yet their lives are spared they die and yet they live for they are reckoned in Law to have died when Christ their Surety died for them so that He was taken and they go free Joh. 18. 8. thus is that riddle solved which is here propounded by Paul I am crucified with Christ yet I live 4. Though notwithstanding of fulfilling the threatning of death upon the Elect they do live yet upon their believing in Jesus Christ the old man of corruption and power of sin is so far weakened in them that it doth not bear the chief sway in their heart to command execute and order all their actions as formerly it did Gen. 6. 5. for thus is that other riddle solved which is here propounded Nevertheless I live yet not I to wit the old I the body of death and corruption did not live in him but was mortified and the dominion thereof removed Rom. 6. 14. Dost 5. The Doctrine of Justification by Free-grace revealed in the Gospel layeth on strong obligations upon the justified person to set about the whole duties of Sanctification not only those which relate to the mortifying of sin but also to his quickning in the way of grace both those must go together and the justified man is obliged to both and furnished with help and encouragement from the Doctrine of Justification to set about both for Paul sheweth they were both conjoyned in himself the first while he saith Not I live the second while he saith Christ liveth in me whereby is meant his following the motions of Christ's Spirit as the guide of his life Rom. 8. 1. and this he speaketh of himself as a thing that he was obliged unto and furnished for by the Doctrine of Justification which he taught otherwise he should not have refuted the calumny of his adversaries 6. That Christians may live the spiritual life of grace they must 1. be united to Christ and have Christ dwelling in them by Faith Eph. 3. 17. for speaking of the spiritual life which he lived he supposeth Christ to be in him But Christ liveth in me 2. Besides this union with Christ there must be a communication of influence from the Spirit of Christ to excite them unto Cant. 5. 2. enable them for John 15. 5. make them persevere Philip. 1. 6. and effectually to order and direct them in Philip. 4. 13. the practice of every thing that is spiritually good for this is to have Christ living in them to wit as the head in the members or root in the branches which do furnish the members and branches with all things necessary for life and growth and Christ's quickning of Believers in the way of grace is frequently see forth by similitudes drawn from those Col. 2. 19. Joh. 15. 5. 3. The Believer if so he would live this spiritual life must not only have the habit of Faith in his heart but also must keep it in daily exercise so as first thereby to try what he is to do if so it be warranted by the Word of Truth and how it is to be circumstantiated Rom. 14. 23. Secondly thereby to draw furniture from the Spirit of Christ for exciting enabling and directing him in the way of duty 2 Cor. 3. 5. And thirdly to apply pardoning mercy for covering the defects of duty when he hath gone about it and for removing the guilt of all his other sins Mat. 6. 11. for this is to live by the Faith of the Son of God or in the Son of God which Paul speaketh of as a necessary ingredient in this spiritual life 4. This spiritual life and life of Faith must be extended not only to spiritual duties and of God's immediate Worship but also to all the actions of our natural and temporal life in so far as they fall under a Command even to our eating and drinking 1 Cor.
22. 18. all Nations shall be blessed Fourthly The Blessings promised to Abraham's seed in the Covenant made by God with him were not only temporal carnal and appertaining to this life but heavenly and spiritual The former indeed were often inculcated upon the Ancient Church Deut. 28. 2 3 c. not as if these had been all or the main Blessings of the Covenant but as they were shadows only of things more heavenly Heb. 11. 14 15 16. for the Apostle explaineth one part at least of the Blessings promised to be Justification by Faith The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith saith In thee shall Nations be blessed Fifthly The man who is justified by Faith is a blessed man and there is no blessednesse under the Sun comparable unto this for a man to have his sin pardoned Psal. 32. 1. and the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him and so to be placed in a state of favour with God for the Apostle expoundeth the Blessing promised by being justified The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith Sixthly This Promise made to Abraham containeth in it the summe of the Gospel to wit the glad tydings of all spiritual blessings and particularly of a free-gifted Righteousnesse purchased by Christ to be bestowed upon all who by Faith should be ingraffed in Christ and that the Gentiles should have accesse in the dayes of the Gospel to these Blessings among the rest for the Promise holdeth out all this and Paul calleth the revealing of this Promise the preaching of the Gospel The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Seventhly The Gospel therefore is no new Doctrine but the same in substance with that which was taught to Abraham and to the Church under the Old Testament for saith he The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Eightly Though the Gospel or glad tydings of Salvation was not unknown to the Ancient Church yet it was but a very small glimmering light which they had of it in comparison with what we do now enjoy all that Scripture recordeth Adam and the Patriarchs to have had of it was in that obscure Promise Gen. 3. 15. and all that Abraham had of it was in this Promise here mentioned which though it was much clearer than the former because the day-light of the Gospel under the New Testament was then drawing nearer yet it was far short in clearnesse and plainnesse of these Gospel-promises which we do now enjoy as Joh 3. 16. Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Ninthly The blessing of Justification by Faith and of other spiritual favours promised to the Nations in Abraham was such as Abraham was not the author of it but a sharer in it with the rest of those to whom it was promised so he inferreth from the Blessing promised to Abraham That we are blessed with faithfull Abraham Doct. 5. Eminent Priviledges bestowed by God upon particular persons do not exempt them from walking to Heaven in the common path-way with others if so they look for it at all for Abraham though highly priviledged to be the father of Believers ver 7. in whom all Nations were to be blessed Gen. 12. 3. yet behoved to enjoy the Blessing not because of his own merit but freely and by Faith as well as others as is imported in the Epithet of Faithful given to Abraham We are blessed with faithful Abraham not with circumcised vertuous Abraham 6. God in bestowing of Blessings promised upon condition of Faith doth not so much look upon the greatnesse of Faith as the truth and sincerity of it for though every one who are of Faith believe not so strongly as Abraham did yet they are blessed with faithfull Abraham Vers. 10. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them HEre is a third Argument to prove that we are justified by Faith and not by Works because they who seek to be justified by the works of the Law are under the curse of God and so not justified which he proveth because according to Scripture Deut. 27. 26. the Law pronounceth the curse upon every man who fulfilleth not the whole Law in every tittle or jot of it now he taketh it for granted that none fulfill the whole Law and so doth leave unto them to gather that the Law doth fasten the curse upon all who seek Justification by it Doct. 1. That Paul doth mean the Works not only of the Ceremonial Law but also of the Moral all alongs this dispute while he excludeth Works from being the cause of Justification appeareth from the Scripture here cited which is verified mainly in the Moral Law as it appeareth from these sins in particular against which the Levites were to denounce the curse all of them being transgressions of the Moral Law Deut. 27. 15 16 c. to the end For it is written Cursed is every one 2. Fallen man is so far from attaining to a state of favour with God and happinesse here or hereafter by any Works which he can do that when he hath done the utmost even of what his natural strength or renewed faculties of grace can reach if he seek to be justified by it he remaineth under God's curse and wrath notwithstanding of all for the Apostle affirmeth universally of all that are of the works of the Law that is who seek to be justified by works done in obedience to the Law for therein was the great controversie that they are under the curse 3. The cursed estate of man by nature through sin and misery together with that impossibility he lyeth under to be recovered from that wofull estate and to regain a state of favour with God by any work of righteousnesse which he doth is a thing known not by the discoursing of natural reason which being blind in the things of God cannot judge aright neither of its own misery nor of the way of recovery from it 1 Cor. 2. 14. The knowledge of those is borrowed from Scripture-light whose sentence alone is to be stood to in this matter hence Paul appealeth to Scripture for probation of what he hath herein affirmed For it is written saith he Cursed is every one 4. Every sin even the least as being a wrong done against God Iam. 2. 11. who is infinit in all His Attributes Job 11. 7 8 9. and a transgression of His holy and righteous Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. Rom. 7. 12. deserveth no lesse than that the curse of God should light upon the sinner under which curse is comprehended all the miseries of this life Lam. 3. 39. death it self Rom. 6. 23 and the pains of Hell for ever Mat. 25. 41 46 for so the Scripture cited affirmeth Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that is
did give clear testimony against that Error and for the contrary Truth It is evident saith Paul for the Just shall live 4. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith and not by Works is no new-fangled opinion the Scriptures even of the Old Testament give testimony to it as the only way of Justification before God which then was for Paul proveth that none are justified by the Law from an Old Testament-Scripture cited out of Hab. 2. -4. The Just shall live by Faith 5. The Scripture cited teacheth first That the way of justifying a sinner or of making him righteous under the Old Testament and under the New is the same and therefore we may safely draw arguments from the one to the other for so doth the Apostle here It is evident for The Just shall live by faith Secondly Faith in God and His Promises especially these wherein Jesus Christ and His Righteousnesse are offered is that which maketh a sinner just and righteous in God's sight for the words may be rendred thus The Just by Faith shall live so that they shew what that is which makes a man just and righteous Thirdly The man who is thus just by Faith is recovered from that state of death wherein every man by nature lyeth Eph. 2. 1. and doth live which life of his doth also flow from faith for both righteousnesse and life are here ascribed to faith The Just shall live by Faith Fourthly This life by Faith which the Believer doth enjoy is such as furnisheth him with comfortable through-bearing in the midst of hardest dispensations without apostasie and fainting in so far as he doth not walk by present sense but taketh up God as reconciled to him in Christ 2 Cor. 4. 18. and looketh upon his present crosse as an evidence of God's fatherly love Heb. 12. 6. and knoweth it will have a blessed event to him in God's way and time Rom. 8. 28. and that his life is hid with God in Christ Col. 3. 3. far above the reach of any trouble for this is the Prophet's scope from whom this place is cited even to shew that the Just shall so live by Faith as to ride out the storm arising from the present trouble which was to overwhelm others See Hab. 2. 4. The Just shall live by Faith Fifthly This life of the Believer which he enjoyeth by Faith though it be begun here in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ Joh. 17. 3. and in freedom from the deserved sentence of death Rom. 8. 1. whereupon followeth a right to eternal life Joh. 3. 3. and in the lively practice of all commanded duties to which the Believer is enabled by drawing life and vertue out of Christ through Faith Philip. 4. 13. Yet this life is not circumscribed with the present time it 's to be perfected afterward in Glory so that the life flowing from Faith is a lasting never-ending ever-continuing and eternal life for the Promise is extended unto all imaginable future duration without any restriction The Just shall live by Faith From Vers. 12. Learn 1. Though the Law and Faith or the Gospel which is the Doctrine of Faith be not contrary each to other both of them being the Truths of God but are mutually subservient one to another in many things the Law making sin known Rom. 3. -20. the Gospel holding forth the remedy of sin Joh. 1. 29. the Law pointing forth our need of Christ Rom. 10. 4. and the Gospel giving us an offer of Christ for life and righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. The Law again holding forth those duties wherein the man made righteous by Faith ought to walk and to testifie his thankfulnesse Eph. 5. 1 2. and the Gospel or Faith in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel furnishing him with spirituall strength to walk in these duties which the Law prescribeth 2 Cor. 3. -6. Yet the Law and Faith are mutually inconsistent in the point of Justification so that if Justification be sought by the works of the Law it cannot be had by Faith and if it be had by Faith it cannot be attained by the works of the Law there can be no mixture of Law and Gospel Faith and Works in this matter for in this sense the Apostle affirmeth The Law is not of Faith 2. The Law doth offer life to none upon easier terms than perfect obedience and the constant and universal practice of whatsoever the Law prescribeth for the voice of the Law is The man that doth them to wit those things that the Law enjoyneth shall live in them or attain eternal life by his so doing 3. The way of Justification by Faith doth wholly exclude our doing and works and those of every sort from having influence as causes or conditions either in part or in whole upon our Justification before God for the Apostle proveth the inconsistency of the Law and Faith in the point of Justification from this that the Law suspendeth our right to life upon the condition of doing and works and therefore the way of Justification by Faith must wholly exclude Works else the Apostle should not cogently have proved the thing intended to wit That the Law is inconsistent with Faith from this That he who doth them shall live in them Vers. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith HE addeth a fifth Argument to prove the affirmative part of the main Conclusion to wit That we are justified by Faith and withall sheweth how Faith doth justifie not for any merit or worth in it self but as it receiveth Jesus Christ whereby all the blessings purchased by Him are applied to Believers for the Apostle obviating an objection which he foresaw might arise from ver 10. to wit If the Law do curse all men how then are any freed from the curse sheweth that Jesus Christ hath delivered us from God's wrath or the sentence of the Law 's curse by taking upon Himself the curse due to us while He was obedient to death even the death of the crosse Philip. 2. 8. Which kind of death was pronounced to be accursed as he proveth from Deut. 21. -23. This is contained ver 13. And hence he shewes a double fruit did flow the first to the Gentiles the blessing of Church-priviledges divine Ordinances and of Reconciliation Adoption Grace here and Glory hereafter promised to the Nations in Abraham Gen. 22. 18. being now purchased by Christ and residing in Him as the Head and Fountain did come through Him to the unrighteous Gentiles who before the time of Christ's death were strangers to Christ and to Abraham's blessing purchased by Christ Eph. 2. 12. The second fruit of Christ's death did accresse to the Jews among whom he reckoneth himself joyntly with the Gentiles who
the yoke with cords or somewhat else that they may not shake it off Vers. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing HE addeth a second argument to inforce the exhortation wherein having opposed his own Apostolick Authority for confirming the truth of what he is to say against all who would contradict it he affirmeth that the observing of any one Ceremony and especially of Circumcision to wit as of a thing which ought of necessity to be done and as a part of a mans righteousnesse necessary to salvation in which sense it was pressed by the false Apostles Act. 15. 2. did cut off the observer from all benefit by Jesus Christ. The reasons of which sentence are first the holding up of Circumcision and by consequence the whole bulk of that Mosaical Dispensation did say in effect that Christ was not yet come seing all those were to be done away at His coming Heb. 9. 10. Secondly Christ must either be our whole righteousnesse and compleat Saviour or not at all Act. 4. 12. Isa. 42. 8. So that by joyning Circumcision with Christ as a necessary part of their righteousnesse and a cause of salvation Christ did cease from being a Saviour to them at all Doct. 1. A Minister of Jesus Christ ought not to satisfie himself in this that what he speaketh is pertinent and apposit to the present purpose but would also endeavour that those to whom he speaketh may with attention and faith receive it off his hand In order to which it is not inconvenient that all-alongs his discourse he labour to quicken their attention by speaking somewhat for that very end especially when he is to utter any Truth of singular concernment or from receiving whereof he apprehendeth the hearers may be somewhat averse for such a truth is here delivered by Paul and therefore he prefixes a note of attention to it Behold saith he 2. A Minister ought to be so confident of the truth of his doctrine and of his own authority from Christ to deliver it that although his doctrine be contradicted and his authority undervalued he may yet with boldnesse assert both the one and the other for though Paul's Apostolick Authority was questioned See upon chap. 1. ver 12. and the Truth which he here holdeth forth much contradicted Act. 15. 2. Yet he opposeth his own Authority for the confirmation of this Truth against all who would oppose it Behold I Paul say unto you if ye be circumcised 3. That Paul in this dispute excludeth from Justification not only works flowing from the strength of man's free-will without grace but also those which flow from a gracious root wrought in the heart by Christ appeareth from this that those against whom he disputeth professed faith in Christ and so could not maintain that the works of a natural man destitute of Christ did justifie otherwayes this had been no cogent argum 〈…〉 t to refute their opinion that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing 4. Many do professe Christ who shall receive no saving advantage by Him especially they who rely upon any thing besides Him or joyntly with Him as the meritorious cause of their salvation for saith he If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Vers. 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law HEre is a third Argument to which also Paul premitteth his Apostolical Authority seriously affirming and by a publick profession confirming for so the word rendred testifie doth signifie that whosoever now Christ the substance being come did observe Circumcision to wit in the way wherein it was urged by the false Apostles Act. 15. 2. he was thereby engaged to keep the whole Law and this the whole Ceremonial and Judicial Law Circumcision being the initiatory Sacrament engaging the Receiver to the whole Mosaical Pedagogie Exod. 12. 48. and the whole Moral Law and that under the hazard of condemnation The reason whereof is That no lesse than universal and perfect obedience to the Law in all its precepts is required unto this that a man be justified by Works Gal. 3. 10. Doct. 1. Of how much the nearer concernment unto the salvation of hearers any Truth is the Minister of Christ ought so much the more to insist upon it and with so much the greater seriousnesse and fervency to inculcate and presse it as a matter of life and death that people may know he believeth and therefore speaketh and consequently may be the more moved with what he speaketh for Paul speaking of a Truth the not-receiving whereof would have condemned those Galatians he doth with much vehemency insist upon the pressing of it I testifie again saith he to every man that is circumcised 2. Because it is a matter of no small difficulty to get those reclaimed who are engaged in an evil course Jer 13. 23. therefore frequent testimonies would be given by Christ's Ministers against them in it that hereby the guilty party may have the lesse of ease and peace in their way and thereby through God's blessing upon His own mean be made to quit it 2 Tim. 2. 25. And at least the Lord's Servants may be the more exonered Ezek. 3. 19. and others of the Lord's People preserved from being infected with that sin which they do so much and so frequently testifie against 1 Tim. 5. 20. for in order to those ends Paul having once and oftener both in this Epistle and by his preaching doubtlesse while he was with those Galatians testified against this dangerous error of theirs doth here give further testimony against it while he saith For I testifie again to every man 3. It is wholly impossible for any meer man to keep the Law of God perfectly in this life and to obtain salvation by so doing Paul taketh this for granted otherwise this argument that circumcision did engage them to keep the whole Law under hazard of condemnation had not been cogent He is a debtor to do the whole Law 4. Though Believers in Jesus Christ be not delivered from their obligation to the least duty which is required by any precept of the Moral Law Mat. 5. 19. yet they are not under that exact rigor and condemning power of the Law whereby eternal wrath is denounced against the sinner for the meanest breach of the Law Deut. 27. 26. for while he speaketh of their being debtors to do the whole Law as a sad terrifying consequence of their being circumcised it must be understood not simply of their obligation to obedience but of an obligation under the penalty of the Law 's curse and hereby it is imported that sincere Believers are not under this obligation else the argument were of no force Vers. 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace FOlloweth a fourth Argument to wit Whosoever did observe the Levitical
but looked upon as a delusion with howmuch-soever confidence it be vented for Paul regardeth not their perswasion upon this ground It is not of Him that calleth you saith he 4. This may evidence perswasion or confidence not to be of God or real but a meer delusion when that thing the truth or lawfulness whereof we seem to be perswaded of is contrary unto that which we are called unto of God by vertue either of our general or particular calling for the description here given of God from His calling of them importeth their opinion was contrary to that christian liberty to which they were called of God and therfore perswasion about it was not to be regarded This perswasion cometh not of Him that calleth you saith he Vers. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump HE obviateth a second objection for if they should have said There was no reason why Paul should make so much noise seing they had not imbraced the whole Jewish Religion but did only observe some Ceremonies thereof and neverthelesse remained constant in the Christian Faith yea and possibly that even this much was not common to them all but the deed of some few only He answereth by a similitude taken from Leaven That a little false doctrine to which leaven is compared Mat. 16. 12. may easily in progresse of time corrupt a mans judgment in every other point of Doctrine and that a small number of scandalous or seduced persons to whom leaven is compared 1 Cor. 5. 6. may very speedily infect the whole Church Doct. 1. When they who are overtaken with sin and error cannot any longer hold off conviction or defend their practice by strength of reason it is ordinary for them to mince and extenuate the sin of which they are convinced and to make but small matters of greatest offences for the similitude here used supposeth there was an apâ—nesse in them thus to extenuate their error A little leaven saith he 2. It is the duty of Christ's Ministers not only by force of reason to endeavour a sinners conviction that his way is sinfull or erroneous but also to forecast those shifts whereby the sinner being convinced of his sin or error may readily go about to extenuate it and having found them out to shew the vanity and lightnesse of them for the Apostle doth forecast that readily they would extenuate their sin from this that it was but a little one and maketh their extenuation to be without ground shewing that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 3. The Church of Christ and every particular member thereof ought carefully to resist and watch against the very first beginnings and occasions of sin but especially of error The Church by labouring authoritatively to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1. 9 and by timeous and prudent application of Church-censures in case of incorrigible obstinacy Tit. 3. 10. and every particular Christian by labouring to be established and fixed in the Truth Col. 2. 7. lest he be carried about with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4. 14. and by avoiding all unnecessary commerce and fellowship with those who are carried away with a spirit of error 2 Joh. 10. for the least of errors and the smallest number of seduced persons are here compared to leaven a little quantity whereof doth secretly insinuate it self and insensibly convey its sournesse unto the whole masse or lump Vers. 10. I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be HE doth indirectly presse the former exhortation secondly by shewing his confidence grounded upon charity 1 Cor. 13. that through the Lords gracious working with them they should be reclaimed from their Error and made yet again to imbrace the same Truth which he did preach But withall lest from this his charity to them they should conclude the Error wherein they were was not very dangerous therfore he sheweth his just indignation against it by denouncing deserved wrath and judgment to be inflicted partly in this life partly in eternal death against their prime seducers without any exception save that of repentance which is to be understood in all threatnings Jer. 18. 7 8. Doct. 1. A loving Minister and zealous for the good of souls when he hath to do with those who are overtaken in a fault will of necessity be tossed with the tydes of contrary affections and as it were divided betwixt the exercise of hopes and fears love in Paul did stir up both those affections by making him fear the worst of those Galatians in the preceding verses and yet hope the best of them here I have confidence in you through the Lord saith he 2. The Minister of Jesus Christ is not to despair of their recovery who do oppose themselves but ought in charity to hope the best of all men so long as they are curable I have confidence in you through the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded saith he which was not a confidence of Faith grounded upon a word of promise and therefore infallible but a confidence of charity and love to their good which made him hope that God would bring about their deliverance wherein though the event should have disappointed him yet he had not transgressed seing that in our judgment of persons where things are doubtsom we are commanded to hope the best so far as may be 1 Cor. 13. 7. Doct. 3. It is convenient also that a Minister sometimes make known unto the people that charitable confidence which he hath of their recovery The knowledge whereof may not only furnish the people themselves with some heart and courage to set upon their duty arising from their Ministers hopes and confidence but also commend their duty and make it lovely to them as being pressed upon them by one who hath evidenced his love and charity toward them by that his confidence Besides it is looked upon as a thing disgracefull to disappoint those who from love to and desire after our good do hope the best of us Thus Paul maketh them know his confident hope of their recovery I have confidence that you will be 〈◊〉 otherwise minded saith he 4. As the sinners first conversion from sin to holinesse is God's work Eph. 2. 5. So the recovery of a sinner from his backsliding and defection is no lesse a work of infinit Power Psal. 51. 10. and the only work of God for the Apostle speaking of his confidence of their recovery doth rely not upon their strength but on the Lord for bringing about the thing hoped for I have confidence in you through the Lord saith he 5. A Minister would so make known to people his charitable confidence of their recovery from sin and error as he may not thereby give them ground to conceive that he is not much displeased with their sin and so render them secure under it as making a sleeping pillow of those his hopes for the Apostle
works of that kind So it is lawfull for Christians to have an eye to this reward as a motive whereby to work up their backward hearts unto a willing complyance with expensive duties of that sort providing first it be not looked at as a thing to be merited by their good works Rom. 6. 23. Nor secondly as the only or chief motive 2 Cor. 5. 14. for the Apostle by this similitude doth minde them of the promised reward as an argument exciting them unto beneficence Whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap Vers. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting VVHat the Apostle spoke generally concerning that proportion which shall be betwixt a man's future reward and his present work he doth now following the same metaphor of sowing and reaping make it more clear by distinguishing several sorts of sowers seeds grounds and several sorts of harvests answerable to each of those The plain meaning whereof is 1. That carnal and unregenerate men who take no other care but to spend their wit strength time and particularly their means upon the service of their own fleshly lusts such as are reckoned forth chap. 5. 19 20. they shall at last reap no fruit thereby but corruption that is eternal perdition for corruption is here opposed unto eternal life and this they shall reap from the flesh that is their own inbred corruption which with the sinfull effects thereof is the true seed of death and perdition And secondly that renewed and spirituall men who imploy their whole life study and labour and particularly their worldly substance for advancing the works of the Spirit whether in themselves or others such as are reckoned forth chap. 5. 22. and particularly for upholding the Gospel and a painful Ministry they shall receive the reward of eternal life and this from the Spirit that is the grace of God in them which is the true seed of eternity not by way of merit as destruction and corruption follow upon the flesh but from God's mercy and free gift as the Apostle doth in plain and proper terms put the difference Rom. 6. 23. according to which this metaphorick allegory must be expounded and may not be set in opposition to it Doct. 1. The whole world are comprized in one of two ranks they are either sowing to the flesh living in their unregenerate state and in slavery to their lusts whose end shall be perdition or they are sowing to the Spirit truly regenerate and imploying themselves for the advancing of things spiritual whose end shall be eternal life There is no neutral or midstate for Paul distinguisheth all in these two He that soweth to his flesh and he that soweth to the Spirit 2. It may be frequently observed that they who have not an heart to part with any thing of their temporall goods for God and pious uses but plead present poverty necessity and fear of future want when God doth call them to any thing of that kind are notwithstanding most profuse and lavish in spending their means to make provision for the flesh and to uphold the beastly lusts thereof for he that soweth not to the Spirit soweth to his flesh 3. Though carnal men do think their own way the only wisest while they spend their wit and substance for attaining present profit pleasure and preferment and do judge the way of the Godly but meer folly while they imploy their strength and means for things spiritual and such as God's honour is mainly concerned in and are not attended with an income of worldly advantage but rather of losse and detriment yet the end shall prove that those who thought themselves only wise men and gainers have been but meer fools and greatest losers and that those others whom they looked upon as mad-men and bad managers of their worldly affairs have been the greatest gainers and wisest adventurers for he that soweth to his flesh shall reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting 4. The state of the wicked after death is a state of corruption wherein though the substance of their soul and body shall not be annihilated but shall be upheld unto all eternity by the mighty power of God in the midst of unutterable torments Mark 9. 44. yet all their glory pleasure and gain wherein they placed their happinesse and for attaining whereof only they spent their time and strength Psal. 49. 11. shall then be consumed 2 Pet. 3. 10. and they themselves made to languish and pine away under the wrath of an highly provoked and then unreconciliable God 2 Thess. 1. 9. for saith he The wicked shall reap corruption meaning their state after death 5. The state of the Godly after death shall be a state of life the life of Grace being then swallowed up and perfected in the life of Glory which consisteth in perfect freedom from sin and misery Eph. 5. 27. in unconceivable joys Psal. 16. 11. and the full enjoying of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. which happy state of theirs shall be eternal they shall never weary nor yet be deprived of it for saith he the Godly shall reap life everlasting 6. Whatever sin a man committeth it is most properly his own work as flowing from the root of his own corrupt flesh but the good which he doth is not so properly his own as Gods in so far as it floweth from the Spirit of God and habits of Grace which were wrought in him by the self-same Spirit Philip. 2. 13. Col. 3. 10. for speaking of the flesh he setteth it forth by the appropriating Pronoun his He that soweth to his flesh but not so while he speaketh of the Spirit He that soweth to The Spirit not to his spirit Vers. 9. And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not THe Apostle from what he hath presently spoken of the reward of eternal life attending those who sow in the Spirit inferreth the former exhortation propounded ver 6. and enlargeth it by recommending unto them according to the sense given of the former similitude the study of good works and especially of beneficency in the general under the name of well-doing whereby he meaneth not only the outward work but also the doing of it in a right manner Mat. 6. 1. c. and that they would persevere to the end in that study notwithstanding of all contrary discouragements without base and cowardly ceding unto them and inforceth the exhortation by putting it above all question that they shall gather the fruit which God had promised though not presently yet in the due time that is the time which God doth judge most convenient but withall he addeth a condition of reaping in due time required on their part to wit if they continued constant in well-doing even the same unto which he had exhorted them in the former part
of the verse Doct. 1. As all men by nature are exceedingly backward from entring the course of well-doing and especially of exercising beneficency towards those whom God hath ordained to be objects of it Mark 10. 21 22 23. So considering the many discouragements which occur to a man while he is in this course of beneficency what from his own corruption what from the unworthinesse ingratitude and multitude of objects and what from the coldrife disposition and bad example of others who are equally if not more able there is no small propensnesse in all to sit up in that course and to give it over immediately or soon after they have entred it for Paul supposeth such a propensity and guardeth against it while he saith Let us not be weary of well-doing 2. It is not enough that men do so far subject themselves to the authority of God speaking in His Word as once to enter the way of obedience and to endure for a season Mark 4. 17 until possibly they attain to a name for piety Rev. 3. -1. or meet with some unexpected discouragement or tentation Mark 4. -17. But they must also persist in their begun course so long as they have any being Psal. 104. 33. for saith he Let us not be weary in well doing 3. That Christians may eye the promised reward and with what provisions they may have their eye upon it as a motive to obedience and peseverance See ver 7. doct 8. for the Spirit of God doth encourage them from this that in due time they should reap 4. Though God hath promised a rich reward from free-grace unto His Peoples sincere and willing obedience yet He hath reserved the date and time for the actual bestowing of that reward unto Himself So that though it be long delayed yet they have not ground to challenge Him for breach of promise as sometimes even His dearest Saints under a violent tentation have gone very near to do Psal. 77. -8. for saith he Ye shall reap but when not presently but in the due and proper time to wit that which God doth judge to be such 5. Though God as said is doth not limit himself to a determinate time when He will make His People enjoy the wished-for fruits and comfort of their laborious expensive and long persisted-in obedience yet the time made choice of by Him for His so doing whether in this life or immediatly after death is alwayes the due and proper time and hath a fitnesse in it in some respects all circumstances being well considered for the bestowing of that mercy beyond any other time for he saith Ye shall reap in due or proper time the word rendred time signifieth properly an opportune time the very article or point of time which determineth the fittest opportunity for doing any businesse and the epithet added doth intend the signification as if he had said an opportune opportune time or most opportùne time 6. That a man may upon just grounds and with confidence expect the good thing offered and contained in a conditional promise he must of necessity come up in his practice to that condition and qualification which is called-for in the promise Hence the Apostle exhorteth them not to weary because the promise of a reward includeth their not wearying as a condition Ye shall reap if ye faint not where by fainting we must not understand every slackning and remitting somewhat in our course for this befalleth sometimes the choicest Saints of God Psal. 73 2 c. but such a fainting as maketh the fainter totally and finally abandon the wayes of God which is not incident to the real childe of God Mat. 24. 24. Vers. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith HE doth yet again repeat and so closeth the former exhortation unto beneficency as a conclusion drawn from the former arguments And first he presseth the use-making of the present opportunity which they had of exercising this grace which relateth 1. mainly to the whole time of this life as that which being ended all opportunity of doing good by those who did ever untill then neglect to do good doth end with it And 2. to some parts of that time in which there is more ready accesse unto duties of that kind than at other times And secondly he sheweth the persons unto whom they should do good first to all men whomsoever next and especially unto those who being conjoyned by the ty of one common Confession of Faith in Jesus Christ are Members of His Church which is as it were His Houshold 1 Tim. 3. 14. Doct. 1. The Minister of Christ who would speak pertinently and edifyingly unto his hearers must not hand-over-head deliver every Truth as it cometh to his mind without any method or dependance of purposes but having such a scope proposed unto himself to aim at whether the illustration and confirmation of a truth or the inforcing of a duty or the reproving of sin or confutation of error he would digest in his mind and accordingly deliver in preaching all his other purpose so as it may be best subservient unto that scope whether as illustrations confirmations from Scripture and Reason or as motives helps cautions or arguments c. Yea and for the better help of peoples memory and better carrying along of their attention with the threed of his whole discourse he would frequently inculcate and re-assume that which is principally intended by him in his discourse and to which all the other pieces of it are subservient for so doth the Apostle propose ver 6. the inforcing of beneficency as the scope he aimeth at making all he hath said in the following verses one way or other subservient unto it and doth frequently reiterate the exhortation it self ver 6. ver 9. and here As we have opportunity let us do good 2. The servants of Jesus Christ should so presse the duties of beneficency upon others as not to exoner and keep themselves free from that duty who ought to be examples unto the Lord's People as in every duty so chiefly in those of beneficency 1 Tim. 4. 12. because People being more averse from such expensive duties than from any other do more readily snatch at every thing which may excuse their neglect and will judge no excuse more plausible than that even their Ministers do neglect all duties of that kind therefore the Apostle both in the former verse and in this includeth himself in the exhortation Let us not weary and let us do good saith he 3. As there are some fit opportunities offered unto us by the providence of God for doing our duty in any kind and especially for this duty of beneficency such as our meeting with convenient objects whose necessity calls for our help Isa. 58. 7. and our being fitted with abilities to do them good 2 Cor. 8. 14. So because those opportunities are in passing and being
as in the production of other natural effects for as the word is well rendred in beavenly places and better than in heavenly things so it seemeth the bestowing of those spiritual blessings is ascribed to God in heavenly places mainly because their original is only from Heaven and not from earth With all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Vers. 4. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love THe Apostle in the second place treateth of those spiritual blessings more particularly and so doth branch forth at large that reason of his thanksgiving to God presently mentioned and this in pursuance of the former scope which is to shew that salvation with all its causes do flow only from God's free grace in Christ that so the Ephesians might be firmly rooted and confirmed in the faith of this Truth And first he speaketh of those blessings as they were prepared and appointed for Believers in God's eternal decree of Election and Predestination to ver 7. In this verse he sheweth first That these spiritual blessings are bestowed upon Believers in time not by chance or rashly not from any worth in the receiver but according as God had fore-ordained in His decree of Election whereby before the foundation of the world that is from all eternity See Joh. 17. 24 He did choose some of mankind to eternal life Mat. 25. 34. passing by others and did choose them in Christ not as if Christ's death had moved God to love and elect for His electing love did move Him to give Christ for sinners Job 3. 16. Neither did He choose them in Christ as if they had been considered by God as already in Christ by faith and that because of their faith thus foreseen they had been elected by Him for so faith should not be a fruit flowing from election but a condition pre-required in the person to be elected which doth contradict this same very Scripture affirming that all spiritual blessings whereof faith is one do flow from and are bestowed according to the decree of Election He did therefore choose them in Christ as in Him whom He did in one and the self-same decree choose to be the Head of the Elect and chief foundation-stone of all that precious building His own House and Church 1 Pet. 2. 6. and by whom that glory and all things tending to that glory unto which He did choose them were to be purchased that so without doing injury to provoked justice they might be applied unto and actually bestowed upon the Elect for so is this purpose more clearly expressed 1 Thess. 5. 9. Secondly he illustrateth this decree of Election from the nearest end which God did design to be brought about by it even the sanctification of the persons elected whereby they should be rendred blameless before men and sincere and upright before God and that in love to wit in the duties of love to their neighbour flowing from love to God Mat. 22. 37 39 by which love as a touchstone the soundnesse of their sanctification should be tried Doct. 1. As God from all eternity hath chosen some of mankind and firmly decreed to bestow upon them eternal life Luke 12. 32. so there are others whom He decreed not to save but to condemn In which latter decree and much more in the former God hath done nothing unjustly seing as soveraign Lord over all the creatures He hath absolute dominion to dispose of them as He pleaseth Rom. 9. 19 20 21. and though sin in the reprobate was not the cause of God's decree of reprobation Rom. 9. 11 12 13. yet it is the cause of the reprobates condemnation so that his condemnation is just for saith he He hath chosen us which implyeth some were not chosen seing where all is taken there is no choice 2. Though no man except he who hath sinned that unpardonable sin Mat. 12. -32. can certainly know he is a reprobate there being no marks except that alone set down in Scripture by which reprobation can be certainly known Yet the Elect may attain to the assured knowledge of their own election seing God hath set down in Scripture the marks and evidences of election Joh. 6. 37. and hath promised to give His Spirit unto His own whereby they may infallibly discern these marks at least at sometimes in themselves 1 Cor. 2 12. for although the Apostle doth pronounce those Ephesians to be elected according to the judgement of charity only which believeth the best of others where nothing appears to the countrary 1 Cor. 13. 7. yet he behoved to have some undoubted perswasion of his own election before he could warrantably conclude himself to be elected seing not charity but certain knowledge is the principle from which a man ought to judge of himself 2 Cor. 13. 5. As He hath chosen us in Him saith he 3. Though the doctrine of Election and Reprobation be such as the unlearned and unstable are apt to wrest and stumble at to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. yet it is not wholly to be suppressed and locked up in silence from the Lord's People but would be soberly and prudently sometimes propounded unto them and that because of the many and great advantages which may be reaped not only by the doctrine of election such as the assurance of salvation Rom. 8. 29 30. strong incitements unto holinesse 2 Pet. 1. 10. and courage under crosses of all sorts Rom. 8. 38 39. but also by the doctrine of reprobation as contributing much to promove the salvation of the Elect by making them hate sin more Psal. 119. 119 120. and prize the kindnesse and good will of God more which made choice of them passing by others as good as they Rom. 9. 22 23. for the Apostle propoundeth this doctrine to the whole Church and insisteth upon it According as He hath chosen us in Him c. 4. As electing love in God is of an old standing even from all eternity and therefore most free there being nothing in the Elect before they had a being which might draw His love towards them So the Lord can and usually doth keep His purposes and thoughts for good to a people or person for a long time hid before He do discover them and make them known for He had set His love upon these believing Ephesians from all eternity which yet lay hid from the beginning of the world and did not kyth untill their effectual calling He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world 5. The Lord bestoweth spiritual blessings in time according to what He hath inacted in that His eternal decree of election before time So that every elect soul shall most undoubtedly enjoy those blessings And all of them even Faith it self not being excepted do flow from Election and are bestowed upon the Elect because they are elected unto them for saith he God hath blessed us with all spiritual
to a stately edifice founded upon Christ ver 20 21. And shewing they were a part of this building ver 22. Vers. 1. ANd you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins THe Apostle being yet further to establish those Ephesians in the doctrine of salvation by free grace in Christ and for this end to set forth the happinesse of that estate in which free grace had placed them sheweth the misery of their former estate before conversion even that they were dead not naturally but spiritually there being nothing of that spiritual life in them which consisteth in the union of the soul with God Joh. 5. 40. and in a vertue and power of the soul flowing from this union to do those things which are spiritually good and acceptable unto God Joh. 15. 5. even as the natural life consisteth in the union of the soul with the body whereby the man is inabled to move speak and do such other actions as are competent to that life so that their spiritual deadnesse doth speak a separation from God Psal 53. 3. and total inability to do any thing which is spiritually good Rom. 8 7. The efficient and formall cause of which death he sheweth to have been their sins and trespasses whereby under two words used indifferently in Scripture to expresse one and the same thing and both of them in the plural number is set forth the multitude of sins under which they lay in this their dead condition as their original sin their actual sins sins of omission commission and especially their manifold idolatries which are chiefly pointed at as those sins wherein not only the Ephesians but the world in general did wallow before Christ came in the flesh Act. 17. 29 30. Hence Learn 1. It is not sufficient that the Servants of Jesus Christ do only preach priviledges and hold-forth unto Believers that happy estate unto which they are lifted-up through Christ It is necessary also that joyntly herewith they be calling them to minde their wofull miserable and lost estate by nature that the one being set foregainst the other both may more clearly appear in their own colours and that those dangerous rocks of growing vain because of what they now are 2 Cor. 12. 7. and of turning discouraged and diffident because of what they once were Psal. 25. 7. may be eschewed for the Apostle in the preceeding chapter having spoken much of those high priviledges unto which the Ephesians were advanced by Christ he doth here minde them of that miserable state wherein God found them And you who were dead in sins and trespasses 2. There is nothing contributeth more to commend the doctrine of free grace to peoples consciences and so to commend it as to make them closely adhere unto it both in profession and practice than the serious perpending of mans wofull and altogether hopelesse estate by nature This alone would do much to scatter all that mist whereby humane reason doth obscure the beauty of this truth by extolling man's free will as a co-worker with grace Rom. 3. 19 20. and would necessitate the lost sinner to imbrace it and to venture his otherwise hopelesse salvation upon it 1 Tim. 1. 15. for this is the Apostle's scope through this whole Chapter even from the consideration of the wofull estate of those Ephesians before conversion to illustrate this doctrine of salvation by free grace and to confirm them in it And you who were dead in sins and trespasses 3. Believers in Jesus Christ are not to look upon their lost and miserable estate by nature separately and apart from but joyntly with God's free grace and mercy which hath delivered them from that misery for otherwise the thoughts of sin and misery may if God should give way swallow them up Mat. 27. 4 5. Hence is it the Apostle hath so contrived his discourse here that all-alongs while he speaketh of their misery in the first three verses the mind of the Reader is kept in suspense without coming to the perfect close of a sentence untill God's mercy in their delivery from this misery be mentioned ver 5. for the Original hath not these words he hath quickened in this verse but the Translators have taken them from ver 5. to make up the sense without suspending the Reader so long untill he should find them in their own proper place And you who were dead c. 4. Every man by nature and before conversion is dead not to sin for that is proper to the Regenerate only See Rom. 6. 2. where the grammatical construction is the same in the Original with that which is here only the sense is much different but in sin whereby he is wholly deprived of all ability and power to convert himself Rom. 9. 16. or to do any thing which is spiritually good Rom. 8. 7. for while he saith the Ephesians were dead in sins before God did quicken them he speaketh of a thing common to them with others and therefore he reckoneth himself and the other believing Jews with them ver 3. And you who were dead in sins 5. As the fountain-cause of this spiritual death was Adam's sin in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. through the merit of whose sin imputed to us we are deprived of original righteousness Rom. 7. 18. and a perverse inclination unto all evil hath come in its place Gen. 6. 5. So every mans own particular actual sins do lay him lower under this state of death and make his delivery from it more difficult Jer. 13. 23. for saith he Ye were dead in sins and trespasses under which are comprehended as we shew both their original and actual sins Vers. 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience HE proveth they were thus dead in sins and trespasses from their walking in and making a daily trade of sin without striving against it or any through remorse for it which wofull walk of theirs he doth illustrate from two guides which they followed and by which they were carried-on and incouraged in their sinfull course The first was the universal corrupt course and custom of the world that is of wicked men in the world Psal. 17. 14. in all ages which had become a Law for them to walk by The second guide was Satan who is here called a prince not only because there being a number of those unclean spirits they are joyned as one politick body among themselves under one who is as prince and head of the rest Mat. 12. 24. and 25. 41. but also and mainly because of that power which all the Devils and chiefly their head and prince have over wicked men in the world Joh. 14. 30. 2 Cor. 4 4. even over the children of disobedience which princely power of his is described from the place where by God's permission he doth exercise it to wit the
or other they followed the lusts of the flesh Among whom also we all had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh 3. They who in their unconverted estate have led a blamelesse life before the world and therefore have thought their condition abundantly good Philip. 3. 7 will when converting grace cometh see themselves to have been as vile and wretched as any They will not only see that nothing they did was truly good and acceptable to God as not being done in saith Heb. 11. 6 but also that the root of all sin was in them budding out without any check or restraint except from respect to self-interest credit pleasure or advantage Mat. 14. 5. and that the more blamelesse they were before the world spiritual pride did abound the more Philip. 〈◊〉 7 and so were more loathsom to God Iam. 4. 6. for Paul whose life even in his unrenewed estate was blamelesse Philip. 3. -6. being now converted affirmeth of himself as well as of others Among whom also we all in time past bad our conversation in the lusts of the flesh 4. As the unregenerate man is powerfully tempted by Satan and strongly encouraged by the common custome and example of others to sin against the Lord So there is a corrupt nature within him which maketh him readily entertain those external incitements yea and which would make him do mischief though there were not a devil to tempt nor any evil example to be followed and therefore none of those allurements and temptations to sin from without though never so strong doth excuse the sinner seing they are no more ready to tempt than corrupt nature in him is willing to be tempted for the Apostle having spoken of two guides of a natural man's sinfull course which are without him the custom of the world and Satan's suggestions ver 2. he addeth here a third which is within him and as forward as any of the former We saith he had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh 5. The whole man both soul and body is infected with sin by nature so that not only the sensual part but even his will and understanding are corrupted by it there being not only ignorance but also mistakes of God and good in the understanding 1 Cor. 1. 23. a crooked perversnesse and aversnesse from that which is spiritually good in the will Rom. 8. 7. for Paul reckoneth even the mind to wit as it is corrupted to be a part of flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 6. There are several degrees of sin whereof as the latter doth carry sin a step further on towards the height than the former so the former maketh way for the latter for first there is flesh or the very inbred corruption of our natures Secondly Lusts of the flesh these are the first motions of inbred corruption towards unlawfull objects and such as go before deliberation and advice and are forbidden in so far as they relate to our neighbour in the tenth Command Thirdly the desires or wills of the flesh which are somewhat more even the hearts through-consent to the sinfull motion and a fixed resolution to act it after deliberation and advice and is that kind of lust spoken-of Matth. 5. 28. And lastly the fulfilling those wills and desires of the flesh that is the actual committing of sin so resolved upon 7. Every unregenerate man come to age and discretion is a slave to sin in all the fore-mentioned degrees for Paul affirmeth here of himself the Jews and Gentiles before conversion that not only flesh was in them which did lust after unlawfull objects but that those lusts did come the length of fixed resolutions and desires yea and that they did fulfill and accomplish them for though civilians do not fulfill the lusts of the fleshly appetite yet they fulfill the desires of the mind by their pride vanity of spirit self-seeking and such like We all had our conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 8. As all men are guilty of original sin by nature and from the first moment of their conception Psal. 51. 5. and therefore in the course of divine justice liable to the stroke of God's vindictive wrath and anger and this by nature also So the misery of unregenerate men is never sufficiently seen untill it be traced up to this bitter root and fountain even the sin and misery wherein they were born for his saying they were children of wrath by nature implyeth they were also sinners by nature seing wrath doth alwayes follow upon sin and this he reserveth last as that which was the root fountain and head-stone of all their misery And were by nature the children of wrath 9. Though those who are borne within the visible Church have a right to Church-priviledges even from their birth and by nature which others have not See Gal. 2. Ver. 15. Doct. 1. yet all men whether born within or without the Church are alike by nature as to the point of original sin inherent in all and the desert of God's wrath following upon that sin which wrath is due to all for saith he speaking of the Jews We were by nature the children of wrath even as others by which others he meaneth the unchurched Gentiles Vers. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved THe Apostle having already set forth that miserable state wherein both Jew and Gentile were by nature and before conversion he doth in the second place hold forth their delivery from that wofull state and that in such a lively ravishing and comprehensive strain of speech as might not only inform their judgments but also work upon their affections to imbrace and adhere unto those truths which he here delivereth according to his intended scope And first ver 4. he declareth God to have been the prime author and efficient cause of their delivery whom he calleth rich in mercy to shew that He was acted herein not from their worth but His own abundant mercy which attribute of mercy doth speak His favour and good-will with relation to His Peoples miserie And withall he sheweth that it was only His great and ancient love towards them which set His mercy on work in order to their delivery Next vers 5. having resumed what he spoke of their miserable case ver 1. but so as he applyeth what was there spoken of the Gentiles only unto himself and the other Jews according to what was held forth ver 3. he propoundeth the first branch of their delivery to wit God's quickning of them together with Christ whereby is meaned the Lord's work of regeneration and bestowing upon them a spiritual life of grace in opposition to that spiritual death formerly spoken of together with all those benefits which accompany and flow from regeneration in this
life And they are said to have been quickned with Christ though not in their own persons for they were so quickned a long time after Christ's resurrection in their effectual calling but they were then quickned in their head and atturney Jesus Christ whose quickning after death was a sure pledge that they every one in his own time should be quickned also 1 Cor. 15. 20. and that the vertue purchased by Christs death Rom. 8. 11. and to be applyed unto them by Him who is now alive and liveth for evermore for that end Heb. 7. 25. And therefore the Apostle expresseth Gods bestowing of this spiritual life upon them by His quickning them with Christ. And before he mention the other pieces of their delivery he doth in the close of this vers ascribe the whole work of their salvation to Gods free grace which is the same in effect with His mercy and love spoken of ver 4. Only it further expresseth the freedom of those in opposition to any merit or worth in the persons to be saved which might procure their salvation Doct. 1. The Ministers of Christ would not only inculcate the doctrine of sin and misery but having insisted so much upon this subject as may serve to bring down that high conceit which people naturally have of their own righteousnesse and to convince them of their need of Jesus Christ a Saviour Then is it timous for them to open up the riches of Gods free grace and good will to save the vilest of sinners and what He hath freely done for bringing about salvation to their hand for the Apostle having set forth unto the life the natural misery of those Ephesians doth now openup the rich treasures of Gods free grace in Christ But God who is rich in mercy 2. The Lords Ministers when they fall upon this subject of Gods delivering lost sinners from their natural state of sin and misery through Christ they would labour to speak to it so fully affectionatly sensibly and with such life and power as that they may not only inform the understandings of the Lords People in those truths but also inflame their affections with love to them and admiration at the wisdom mercy goodnesse and other attributes of God manifested in this work for so doth the Apostle speak of this purpose not simply by saying God hath quickned us but God who is rich in mercy according to His great love and so forward in the two following verses 3. There is nothing contributeth more to inable a Minister to speak to the commendation of God's free grace in the salvation of sinners with that fulnesse sense life and affection as he ought than a deep insight in his own misery and the great need which he himself doth stand in of God's mercy for Paul in the third verse fore-going doth shew how sensible he was of the depth and breadth of his own misery hence he doth here speak so fully and movingly to the present purpose But God who is rich in mercy c. 4. The quickning of sinners and drawing them out of nature unto grace is only God's work there being no lesse required for bringing this about than omnipotent creating power See ver 10. And there being not only no principle left in man who is by nature dead in sins and trespasses whereby he might work or concur with God in working towards his own quickning Rom. 9. 16. but also much to oppose and resist it 2 Cor. 10. 5. So that in the first instant of his conversion and untill a new heart be given him and the seeds and habits of saving graces infused in him he is wholly passive as to any actual influence upon the effect which is wrought Jer. 31. 33. for Paul here condescending upon the cause of their quickning doth pitch not upon their own free will in whole or in part but upon God only while he saith But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 5. This attribute of mercy in God whereby without any grief or perturbation of mind which accompanieth men in the exercise of mercy he hath a propension and inclination to do good to the sinfull and miserable so far as His wisdom seeth convenient is the only thing in opposition unto all that is in a mans self which moveth God to quicken and bestow grace upon dead and gracelesse sinners for the Apostle speaking of God's quickning of those Ephesians describeth Him from His mercy to shew it was not their worth but His own mercy which moved Him to quicken them But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 6. As God is rich and overflowing in the exercise of this attribute of mercy which will appear if we consider that there is no creature towards which He doth not exercise His mercy Psal. 104. 24. and that mercy is exercised not only without but also often contrary to the deserving of those upon whom it is exercised Ezek. 36. 21 22. so there is nothing wherein God doth more manifest the riches and abundance of His mercy than in the work of quickning dead sinners and of carrying-on the work of grace in them untill it be perfected in glory The misery Ezek. 16. 3 c. and bad deservings of the object Jer. 14. 7. the great good things which are bestowed upon those miserable objects Luke 12. 32. the course taken for satisfying divine justice that so those good things might be without wronging of justice bestowed Joh. 3. 16. and the multitude of sins which mercy covereth in those objects not only before their conversion Isa. 55. 7. but also after it Prov. 24. 16. All these and many considerations besides these do manifest God to be rich in mercy in quickning of dead sinners But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 7. The highest cause which moveth God to manifest this His rich and special mercy upon any of lost mankind and from mercy to quicken them and bestow His saving graces on them was His love towards them which is no other than His will and resolution to impart those good things unto them together with His hearty acquiescence in the thing as that wherewith He is well pleased He did it because He would do it resolved to do it and had pleasure in the doing of it for saith he God who is rich in mercy for His great love hath quickned us 8. As God's love towards those whom He converteth doth not begin when they are converted but is of a more ancient even an eternal rise chap. 1. 4. So it is not an ordinary but a great love wherewith He loveth them The infinit distance betwixt Him and them Psal. 8. 4. His loving them when they were yet enemies Rom. 5. 8. the great things bestowed by His love Rom. 5. 6 7 8. and His unchangeablenesse in His love even notwithstanding of great provocations to the contrary Psal. 89. 33. All these and many besides these do abundantly declare that this love is a great
should in that case be given unto us for the vertue and worth of somewhat which is ours for Paul affirmeth that works even good works which we are created unto in Christ Jesus ver 10. are excluded from having any causall influence upon salvation lest any man should boast implying if works were not excluded man should have ground of boasting See Rom. 3. 27. Vers. 10. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them LEst the Apostle by commending grace and excluding works from being the cause of their salvation should have seemed to justle out works and an holy life as altogether unnecessary Therefore in this verse he sheweth that the study of good works is of absolute necessity required in those who are to be saved because all such whether Jew or Gentile for he speaketh in the first person including himself and the believing Jews are Gods workmanship that is renewed and made over again by Gods createing power through the interveening mediation of Christ Jesus and this of purpose that they may make conscience of good works yea and further God who had predestinated them to heaven had also decreed and prepared good works for them as the way wherein they behoved of necessity to walk in their journey to heaven which as it proveth the undeniable necessity of good works so it also confirmeth that they neither were nor could be saved by works because the power whereby they did good works did follow upon their regeneration and was given them freely by God As also God had prepared good works that they should walk towards heaven in them but not to merit heaven by them Doct. 1. Believers are Gods workmanship not only by naturall creation but supernaturall renovation they are not only once made but made over again not by having the substance of their soul and naturall powers thereof destroyed and new ones substantially different from those substituted in their place but by having the vitious qualities which were in those subdued and weakened and contrary graces and vertues implanted in their stead Eph. 4. 22 23 24. for saith Paul we are His workmanship the word signifieth a thing of His making whereby he meaneth not Gods first making of them as men but His making of them over again as renewed men which appeareth from what followeth His creating them in Christ and unto good works 2. As the making of sinners over again and new creatures is only Gods work So the power whereby He so maketh us is no lesse than creating power much like unto that power whereby in the beginning He made some things of nothing and some things of pre-existing matter but such as was wholly unfit and indisposed for those things to be made of it Gen. 2. 7. 22. considering that in this great and mighty work of God He maketh those who were wholly indisposed to good and averse from it Psal. 81. 11. yea perverse resisters of all motions towards that which is godly and holy Job 21. 14. to be true lovers of it and walkers in its for this much is implyed while he saith we are His workmanship created c. 3. Christ behoved to strike in as Mediator betwixt God and us before we could be made this new workmanship the life which we have by this new creation being purchased by His death 1 Joh. 4. 9. and applied unto us by His power after He is now arisen from death Act. 5. 31. The furniture whereupon the actions of this life are performed coming also from Him Joh 15. -5. for saith he we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus 4. Believers are made new creatures not to live idlely or to work wickedly but that they may in the whole course of their life make conscience of good works which are not only works of charity or duties of immediate worship but every duty whether of worship Act. 10. -2. or of our callings Act. 9. 36. 39. whether to God or man or to our selves Tit. 2. 12. which is warranted in the Word as lawfull or commanded as necessary Mic. 6. 8. gone about by a man regenerate and in Christ Mat. 7. 17 18. by vertue of influence from the Spirit of Christ Phil. 2. 13. for Gods glory as the main end of the worker 1 Cor. 10. 31. and with due respect had to all necessary circumstances Psal. 1 -3 every duty of that kind so gone about is a good work which Paul saith they were created unto in Christ Jesus even unto good works 5. Though many actions of unregenerate men are materially good and very usefull both for themselves and others Rom. 2. 14. yet no unregenerate man can do any work which is spiritually good and acceptable to God even their good works are but shining sins as being destitute of a great part of these necessary requisites unto a good work mentioned in the former Doctrine for Paul sheweth that a man must be a new creature and Gods workmanship before he can do a good work for we are saith he Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works 6. Though good works be not necessary to merit or purchase salvation yet are they necessary unto those who are justified and saved in severall respects not only as they are the necessary fruit and end of regeneration and as they are the way which leadeth to heaven their necessity in both which respects is grounded upon the present Scripture but they are necessary also as evidences of our right to salvation 1 Joh. 3. 14. as a guard to preserve peace with our own consciences 2 Cor. 1. 12. as evidences of our thankfulnesse to God and Christ who hath freely saved us 1 Pet. 2. 9. and for the edification of others Matth. 5. 16. for the Apostle's scope is to prove that as we are not saved by works so that good works are necessary in other respects We are created unto good works which He hath fore-ordained that we should walk in them 7. Christians are like unto those who walk in a journey from one place unto another through a streight and beaten way which lyeth betwixt in so far as they advance from sin Ezek. 18. 31. to heaven Phil. 3. 14. in the way of holinesse and good works for the word rendered to walk whereby he expresseth what should be the daily exercise of a renewed man is a metaphore taken from those who travell in a journey and he maketh the way wherein they walk to be good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 8. The Lord hath prepared and made ready good works as a beaten path wherein His renewed people may walk without any discourageing or perplexing difficulty in so far as He not only hath ordained in His eternall and unchangeable decree that they shall make conscience of good works which seemeth to be mainly meaned by His fore-ordaining of good works here spoken of but He doth also hold forth
Church of Christ is a thing which ought to be prized by us highly and sought after earnestly and so much as there is nothing in our power which we ought not to bestow upon it and dispense with for the acquiring and maintaining of it for so much was it prized by Christ that He gave his own life to procure it and did beat down all His own Ordinances which stood in the way of it He even abolished in His flesh the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make of twain one new man 2. There are no divisions more hardly curable than those which are about the Religion and Worship of God in so far as they engage not only the credit but also the consciences of the divided parties hence one party so engaged doth pursue what they maintain as that wherein Gods honour and their own salvation are most nearly concerned and doth look upon the other party as an adversary in so far at least to both of those for the Apostle speaking of Christs uniting the Jew and Gentile in one Church and Religion maketh use of a word which sheweth this was a task of no small difficulty even such that no lesse than creating power was required to it while he saith for to make in Himself the word signifieth to creat in Himself of twain one new man 3. So strict and near is that conjunction and union which is especially among true believers in the Church that all of them how far soever dispersed through the world do yet make up but one man and one body as being all whatever be their other differences most strictly united as members unto one head Christ 1 Cor. 12. 27. and animated as to the inward man by the same Spirit of God residing and acting in them Rom. 8. 9. for the Apostle sheweth that all of them whether Jew or Gentile were made not only one people one nation one family but one new man For to make of twain one new man 4. As the essentiall unity of the invisible Church without which the Church could not be a Church doth of necessity depend upon and flow from that union which every particular member hath with Christ as Head seing the grace of love whereby they are knit one to another Col. 3. 14 doth flow from faith Gal. 5. -6. whereby they are united to Him Eph. 3. 17. So the more our union with Christ is improved unto the keeping of constant communion and fellowship with Him the more will be attained unto of harmonious walking among our selves suitable unto that essentiall union which is in the Church of Christ for the Apostle maketh the conjunction of Jews and Gentiles in one Church to depend upon Christ's uniting of them to himself For to make in Himself of twain one new man saith he 5. The peace which ought to be and which Christ calleth for in His Church is not a simple cessation from open strife which may take place even when there remaineth a root of bitternesse in peoples spirits Psal. 55. 21. but it is such an harmonious walking together in all things as floweth from the nearest conjunction of hearts and the total removal of all former bitternesse of spirits for the peace which Christ did make betwixt Jew and Gentile did follow upon His abolishing the enmity and making them one man so making peace saith he From Vers. 16. Learn 1. Union and peace with men even with good men is to little purpose except there be peace and friendship with God also for the Apostle sheweth that Christ in abolishing the ceremonial Law did design not only the conjunction of the Church among themselves but their reconciliation with God also and the former in subordination to the latter And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body 2. As all mankind have fallen from that state of friendship with God wherein they once were before the fall Eccles. 7. 29. So the repairing of this wofull breach and making up of friendship betwixt God and the Elect was Christ's great businesse in the world for effectuating whereof whatever He did or suffered was in some one way or other subservient for the Apostle sheweth He suffered in the flesh abolished the ceremonial Law united the two Nations that He might reconcile both unto God in one body The word rendred reconcile signifieth the making up of old friendship 3. Though the believing Jews under the Old Testament were reconciled unto God even while the ceremonial Law stood in force Psal. 32. 4. Yet the price by vertue whereof they were reconciled could not be actually payed to wit Christ's death and sufferings except the ceremonial Law had presently evanished See Ver. 15 Doct. 4. neither could Jew and Gentile be united together in one body and so reconciled to God while that Law was in force and binding See Vers. 14. Doct. 5. Therefore and in those respects it was necessary for Christ to abolish the ceremonial Law that He might reconcile both Jew and Gentile unto God for so saith Paul He abolished the Law of Commandments in Ordinances that He might reconcile both unto God in one body 4. There can be no reconciliation betwixt God and us except we be united by faith to Christ and to the body of all Believers in Him So that none can be one with God who are not of the mysticall body of His Church yea and in so far will the sense and sweet effects of reconciliation with God be interrupted and obstructed as persons reconciled do give way unto divisions rents and strifes among themselves for the Gentiles and Jews being in one body with Christ and His Church come to be reconciled unto God That He might reconcile both unto God in one body that is being united among themselves in one body under Christ the head as is affirmed vers 15. 5. As Jesus Christ did interpose as mediator and peace-maker to reconcile God and us So He behoved in order unto this end to bear the chastisment of our peace and to lay down His life by a shamefull painfull and cursed death that so the justice of God being fully satisfied for our wrong we might enjoy God's peace and favour with life for he sheweth the mean of their reconciliation was the crosse of Christ not the material tree or matter of the crosse but Christ's sufferings and death upon the crosse That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse 6. Christ in suffering Himself to be overcome by death did fully destroy sin death the ceremonial Law and every other thing which could impede the reconciliation of the Elect with God He having thereby brought-in the substance of all those legal shadows Col. 3. 17. satisfied the justice of God and purchased grace and strength which afterwards He was to convey unto all Believers for mortifying and subduing the body of sin and death in them Act. 5. 31. for saith Paul He hath slain the enmity thereby that is by the
Believer doth thereby lay hold on Christ Philip. 3. -12. giveth Him daily imployment Joh. 15. -5. and Christ being so laid hold upon and imployed remaineth and resideth in the Believer for therefore is it that he ascribeth this indwelling of Christ in the heart unto faith that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 7. Such is the power and vertue of faith that those things which are at furthest distance whether in respect of time Joh. 8. 56. or of place are present to it and to the heart by it Even as those things are present to the eye and ear which are clearly seen and distinctly heard though in respect of place they may be many miles distant so whole Christ both as God and Man is present to the heart in His merit vertue and efficacy laid hold upon by faith though His humane nature be locally present in heaven only Act. 3. 21. and therefore there is no necessity in order to our spirituall life that His body be present in the Sacrament and received by the mouth and stomach for He is conveyed unto and dwelleth in the heart by faith besides that the flesh profiteth nothing Joh. 6. 63 Vers. 17. That ye being rooted and grounded in love 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge THe third petition followeth wherein the thing prayed for is an excellent effect of that spirituall corroboration flowing from Christs dwelling in them by faith spoken of ver 16. 17 even that God would make them grow in knowledge especially in the experimentall knowledge of his love in Christ. And first he setteth down the mean of attaining the thing prayed for to wit their firm and sure laying hold upon and adhering to the love and free grace of God in Christ as it is revealed in the Gospel by the grace of faith as trees are firmly fastened in the ground by their roots and edifices are built and lean upon their strong foundations for the two words rooted and grounded are metaphors taken from trees and edifices ver -17. Secondly the request it self first proponed more obscurely to wit that they might be able to comprehend or certainly to understand what that love of God in Christ is whereof he hath presently spoken and is to speak immediately afterwards and therefore it is most agreeable to the present purpose that it be here understood as the thing which he would have them able to comprehend in its infinit greatnesse and full perfection according to all its dimensions as of breadth whereby it is extended unto all ages Matth. 28. 20. and all ranks 1 Tim. 2. 4. of length whereby it reacheth from eternity to eternity Psal. 103. 17. of depth whereby it stoupeth down to the lowest depths of sin and misery and draweth sinners from thence Psal. 86. 13. and of height whereby it reacheth up to heavenly joyes and happiness and carrieth sinners up thither Joh. 14. 3. which are the four usuall dimensions and measures according to which we ordinarily take up the bignesse of grea test bodies And withall he sheweth that this compr ehension or uptaking of Gods love here prayed for was in part attained and in its full measure attainable after time by all reall Saints and sound Believers that hereby those Ephesians might be more animated and incited to aspire unto it vers 18. Secondly the request is proponed more plainly to wit that they might know in some measure and chiefly from their own experience this love which is here called the love of Christ not to seclude the love of the Father or holy Ghost but because the love of the whole Trinity is conveyed in the effects thereof towards lost sinners through Christ and His merit Joh. 3. 16. and concerning this love he affirmeth that it doth passe knowledge or created understanding to know it to wit fully and in its utmost extent seing it is infinit as God Himself is infinit ver 19 From ver -17. Learn 1. As trees cannot long stand against the blasts of boisterous winds except their roots be deeply fastened in some good ground and as houses cannot remain long firm and strong except they be built upon some sure foundation So neither can Professors hold out for any space of time against the furious assaults of many violent tentations except they be under-propped by and rely upon some strong foundation for the Apostle expressing that stability and constancy arising from the faith of God's love which he wished for to those Ephesians by two metaphors taken from trees deeply rooted and houses strongly built doth imply that without the faith of this love they were as trees without a root and houses without a foundation that ye being rooted and grounded in love 2. The only sure foundation whereon the soul being built and fastened is able to stand out against the strongest blasts of most violent tentations is the unchangeable and free love of God in Christ revealed in the Gospel and laid hold upon by faith and no conceit of our own righteousness naturall courage fixed resolutions or such like Matth. 26. 33. with 70. for the Apostle would have them rooted and grounded in love to wit the love of God in Christ. 3. As this love of God in Jesus Christ is a most firm rock and sure foundation in it self So it concerneth those who would be sustained by it against the furious assaults of Sathans tentations from all hands to be firmly fastened in and built upon it which is then done when they do not rest upon the notionall knowledge thereof in the brain so as to be able pertinently to discourse of it but when this marvellous love and all the good things prepared by it are laid hold upon by faith as they are offered and this not faintly but seriously as we would grip to a thing upon life and death 1 Tim. 1. 15. for Paul would have them firmely fastned in and built upon God's love as trees are rooted in the ground and houses are joyned with their foundations And the mean whereby they were to be so rooted and grounded in God's love is the grace of faith as appeareth from a parallel place Col. 2. 7. That ye being rooted and grounded in love From ver 18. Learn 1. As they who have found the saving effects of Gods love in Christ and consequently cannot but know something of it do yet know but a small portion thereof So the knowledge and chiefly the experimentall knowledge of this abounding and marvellous love from the felt and known effects thereof is of great concernment unto Believers and ought to be sought after by them accordingly for this knowledge is not only pleasant as being of a subject wonderfull but also edifying both in order to our comfort Rom. 5. -2. with 5. and to our incitement unto duty 2 Cor. 5. 14. for he prayeth for a greater measure of this
captivity captive and gave gifts unto men THe Apostle secondly in this first branch of the second generall argument for union from the diversity of gifts doth confirm from Psal. 68. 18. what he presently said that Christ is the author and bestower of all graces and gifts with their different measures In which place of the Psalm David doth look through the ark a type and shadow to Christ the substance and in a prophetical way speaking of things to come as already past to point-out the certainty of their performance he doth foretell that Christ should in a triumphant manner ascend up on high or unto the heighest heavens See ver 10. and that at and by vertue of His ascension He should first lead captivity captive that is as he had upon the crosse foiled His many enemies and begun to triumph over them Col. 2. 15. So in His ascension He should continue the triumph evidently declaring that He had given a totall rout to all the spiritual enemies of His Church and Kingdom The expression used to set forth this purpose hath in it an allusion to conquerors who in their triumphing solemnities used to drive their captive enemies before their own triumphant chariots See this expression used in the same sense Judg. 5. 12. And secondly following the same allusion to triumphing conquerors who used to divide and scatter the spoil and other magnificent gifts among the applauding Citizens and Souldiers he sheweth that Christ should at and by vertue of His ascension pour-forth and distribute a large measure of gifts and graces upon His Church and severall members thereof which prophesie the Apostle citing the place with some variation of the words but keeping close to the sense and purpose doth shew was now fulfilled by Christ and consequently that Christ is the bestower of all graces and gifts with their different measures as was affirmed ver 7. Doct. 1. Ministers ought to hold forth nothing for truth or presse nothing as duty upon the Lords people but what they may confirm and prove to be such from the authority of God speaking in Scripture yea and it is their duty sometimes to bring forward their proof by making expresse mention of it for thus doth Paul confirm what he spake ver 7. by a testimony cited from the Psalms Wherefore he saith that is David or the Spirit of God speaking by David saith 2. As there was much of Christ revealed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament though but darkly and under a vail of types and ceremonial shadows So He was revealed and spoken-of in those Scriptures as true God and Jehovah for that which is said Psal. 68. was spoken of God even Jehovah as appeareth from ver 4. and all alongst which Paul sheweth here was fulfilled in Christ Wherefore be saith he hath ascended c. 3. Though the very words and phrase of Scripture are much to be thought of and closely adhered unto so far as is possible lest by our unnecessary casting of Scripture-purpose in an affected strain of words unknown to Scripture we lose at length the purpose with the words 2 Tim. 1. 13. Yet the sense and meaning of Scripture is mainly to be sought-after and kept in remembrance so that though we do not call to mind the very words of such a Scripture but only the sense meaning and purpose of it we may draw comfort or information from it or make use of it otherwayes for the Apostle here as oft elsewhere doth not so much adhere to the precise words as to the sense of that Scripture which he cites in so far as where in the Psalm it is said Thou hast ascended and received gifts for men to wit He received them to be given to men it is here When He ascended and gave gifts unto men 4. Our Lord Jesus Christ having finished the work which was given Him to do on earth Joh. 17. 4. did locally ascend unto heaven carrying His humane nature up thither Act. 1. 9. 10. that so He might be exalted in that glory which He had before the world was Joh. 17. 5. and take possession of heaven in our name Eph. 2. 6. and there prepare a place for us Joh. 14. 2. for saith he When He ascended up on high 5. As Christ did engage in a warfare on our behalf with many strong and potent enemies to wit the devil the world sin death and hell So He hath carried the day of all and gained an absolute compleat victory over all in so far as though the Godly must have a battel with these Eph. 6. 12. yet Christ the Head of Believers is now above the reach of hazard from enemies and consequently Believers in their Head yea and they themselves are above all hazard also in so far as all their enemies cannot mar their salvation Rom. 8. 35 c. Sin and Satan doth not reign in them Rom. 6. 12 14. death hath lost its sting towards them 1 Cor. 15. 55. and become a passage unto life Philip. 1. 23. for by this captivity which Christ led captive is meaned not those whom He delivered from captivity but whom He fought against brought in captivity and triumphed over even all His and our spiritual enemies He led captivity or a multitude of captives captive 6. The constant opposition which Satan raiseth against the Church and Kingdom of Christ doth not so much flow from any principle of hope in him to prevail in that wofull work as from his inveterate blinded malice against the salvation of sinners so that he cannot but malign and oppose it though he know he cannot mar it for at Christs ascension he could not but know that by all his malicious cruel actings against Christ he had effectuate nothing but his own eternal shame and confusion seing that Christ did thereby openly declare He had led captivity captive 7. As those for whom Christ did purchase any good or advantage by His death and did manifest His purchasing good for them by His ascension were men and not devils So not only saving graces which are given to the Elect only but also common gifts are a part of His purchase which are given sometimes to reprobates for the good and edification of His Church Matth. 7. 22 23. for both these are comprehended here under gifts which being purchased by His death He did at His ascension in a larger measure than formerly give unto men and to men indefinitly even to rebels Psal. 68. -18. Vers. 9. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth THe Apostle doth thirdly comment upon and apply the cited testimony And first he sheweth what Christs ascending unto heaven to wit by His own divine power otherwise the Apostle's inference in this place should not hold did presuppose as necessarily foregoing even His previous humiliation and abasement in all its steps expressed by His descending to the lowerparts of the earth where the lower parts are to be
stand to their arms against him which implyeth that at least he would assault them yea and might in part prevail against them for we wrestle against the rulers of the darknesse of this world 15. Natural excellency greatnesse and dignity are very consistent and often-times found to be stained with the greatest moral deformity yea and most excellent creatures when they degenerate to wickednesse do usually prove most perverse for those glorious creatures whom he presently called principalities and powers having fallen from God became not only wicked but wickednesse it self in the abstract Against spiritual wickedness 16. So base so shamefull so defiling a thing is sin that it putteth a stain a blot a note of ignominy upon the greatest of created excellencies if once it get place yea the moe and more choice excellencies that God hath adorned any person with he proveth the more loathsom and abominable to God when he giveth loose reigns to wickednesse for those princely excellent creatures by reason of their sin are branded with this ignominious stile they are spiritual wickednesse 17. It addeth much to the christian souldier his disadvantage in this spiritual conflict that his grand and dreadfull enemy the devil is of a spiritual and immaterial substance for being a spirit he is of vast understanding and able to take up our natural inclination and what temptation will be most prevalent with us Joh. 12. 6. with Mark 14. 11. he is invisible both in his nature and approaches he oft doth reach a deadly blow before we know it is he 2 Sam. 15. 11. he penetrateth all material substance and cannot be keeped out by locked doors yea the external senses being closed he worketh upon the inward fancy and imagination Mica 2. 1. he is unwearied in his motions and never ceaseth to pursue his design notwithstanding of growing difficulties and multiplied repulses Gen. 39. 7. with 10. 12. he hath a singular dexterity in driving us on to act spiritual sins that is either inward sins of the heart or sins that are conversant not about carnal passions and fleshly lusts but spiritual objects such as spiritual pride errour unbelief c. these being more like to his own spiritual substance for he setteth him forth in his spiritual nature to make him more dreadfull as also according to the judgment of some Interpreters to hint at the kind of those tentations which with greatest dexterity and vigour he assaulteth the Saints with most even to spiritual sins against spiritual wickednesse or the spirituals of wickednesse as it is in the original 18. The malice of Satan doth bend it self against the Christian souldier not so much in his temporall and worldly as in his spiritual and heavenly concernments and whatever he doth to the Christian's hurt and prejudice in the former it is that he may hereby reach him a blow in the latter Job 1. 11. for Paul doth shew the matter about which the quarrel is betwixt Satan and us to be things heavenly not earthly in high places better because of heavenly things 19. No worldly concernment or hazard ought to go so near us as that which concerneth the eternal good and salvation of our souls the hazard of losing those concernments will startle a Christian souldier much as knowing it can profit him nothing to gain the whole world if he lose his soul for to make them take the alarm with greater speed he sheweth it was not things earthly but heavenly which Satan intended to spoile them of For we wrestle for heavenly things Therefore put on the whole armour of God as it is ver 11. Vers. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand HE doth here first repeat the former exhortation with some small variation as a conclusion following upon the former reason while he commandeth them to take unto them this whole armour and for the end formerly mentioned even that they might be able to withstand and resist the enemy as it were face to face foot to foot hand to hand and this chiefly in the evil day whereby is meaned not only the whole time of our life which is full of tentations and therefore in that respect evil but also and chiefly some circumstantiat time wherein tentations were to abound chiefly the time of death not excluding but rather probably including that time which was foretold by Paul himself Acts 20. 29 30. Next he enlargeth this end which was to be attained by their putting on and making use of their armour not only to their withstanding at the first onset and during the time of the fight but also to their standing after the victory and after they have done all or overcome all where by standing as it is distinguished from withstanding presently mentioned must be meaned the posture not of a souldier but of a conquerour who useth to stand when the conquered are thrown upon the ground Psal. 20. 8. Hence Learn 1. The dreadfull opposition which the Christian souldier must meet with in the way to heaven should not discourage or make him heartless but only incite him to shake off security and laziness and to prepare himself for the day of battell for from what he hath said ver 12. of their terrible adversaries he inferreth here wherefore take unto you the whole armour 2. As our serious fore-casting and thinking upon together with our preparing our selves accordingly for this christian conflict is a necessary duty So such is our love to carnal ease and security Prov. 6. 9. 10. that we are not easily excited to this duty one alarm will not do it for therefore doth he give them a second almost in the same words wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God 3. The graces of Gods Spirit by which the soul is compleatly armed for this spirituall conflict are not of our own making or procuring but being made to our hand by God we have them for the taking for he calleth them the whole armour of God and biddeth the Ephesians only take them take unto you the whole armour of God 4. As this spiritual armour or the saving graces of Gods Spirit being once put on may though not altogether 1 Joh. 3. 9. yet in a great part be wrung or wyled from us by the power and sleight of Sathan our dreadfull adversary So we are not in that case to quit the field and yeeld the cause but by renewing our faith repentance and former diligence in the use of meanes Rev. 2. 5. to take them to us again Neither are they ever so far lost but they may be recovered our great Generall being alwayes at hand to renew our strength to make us mount up and not be weary Isai. 40. 29 31. for the word rendered take unto you signifieth to take again or recover that which we have lost or let go 5. As our spiritual adversaries in this Christian conflict are most