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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09383	A commentarie or exposition, vpon the fiue first chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians: penned by the godly, learned, and iudiciall diuine, Mr. W. Perkins. Now published for the benefit of the Church, and continued with a supplement vpon the sixt chapter, by Rafe Cudworth Bachelour of Diuinitie	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Cudworth, Ralph, 1617-1688.	1604 (1604)	STC 19680; ESTC S114465	595,047	756

the instant or present time for we are vncertaine whether we shall liue till to morrow or no. Iam. 4. 14. Therfore looke what we would doe at the houre of death if we were now at the last gaspe panting for breath or if we did see Christ comming in the cloudes to iudgement the very same thing we ought to do euery day with like zeale and feruencie of sp 〈…〉 t to praise and magnifie the mercie and goodnesse of God with like feare and trembling to worke out our owne saluation and to seeke re conciliation with like loue and sinceritie of affection to be beneficiall vnto our brethren c. VI. This doctrine meeteth with all miserable minded mē who hauing great meanes and opportunitie of doing good yet let slippe or rather cut off all occasions that might induce them thereto who in a brutish minde like to the sw●ne neuer doe good nor profit any till their dying day I speake not against the laudible custome of bequeathing goods to go●ly vses by a mans last will and testament but against those that doe little or no good all their life long till the houre of death Let these men consider that as the late repentance of malefactours a little before their death is commonly but a ceremoniall repentance so the funerall beneficence of those who giue little or nothing in all their life is vsually no free but a formall and extorted gift formall in doing as others do 〈…〉 torted in that it is giuen to stoppe the mouth of an accusing conscience The vitall beneficence is that which God accounteth of by so much to be preferred before the other but howe much it doeth more euidently declare a more liuely faith in the prouidence of God and a more vnfained loue of our brethren Againe they giue testimonie that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God Lastly they haue the benefit of poore mens praiers to whome they are beneficiall which otherwise they should want VII The circumstance of time hath here the force of an argument for it inforceth the exhortatiō much that we should doe all the good we can and take the benefit of the opportunitie because time will not alway last the holy Ghost in sundry places of scripture from the consideration of the shortnesse of our time enforceth the duties of faith repentance newe obedience as 1. Cor. 7. v. 29 30 31. And this I say brethren because the time is short hereafter that both they that haue wiues be as though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioice as though they reioyced not Ebr. 3. v. 7 8. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts and v. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day The godly in all ages haue practised this dutie Peter knowing that the time was at hand that he was to lay downe his tabernacle stirres vp himselfe to greater diligence in his calling and saith I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things so long as I am in this tabernacle seeing I know the time is at hand that I must lay it down as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2. Pet. 1. 12 13 14. The Church praieth thus to God Teach vs to number our daies that is so to consider the shortnesse vncertaintie and vanitie of our life that we may apply our hearts to wisedome Psal. 90. 12. But wicked mens practise is cleane contrarie for they take occasion vpon the shortnesse of their time to liue as they list to take their pleasures and to followe the lusts of their hearts therfore they say Let vs eate and drinke for to morrowe we shall die Esay 22. 13. Our life is short and tedious and our time is as a shaddowe that passeth away Come therefore and let vs enioy the pleasures that are present Wisd. 2. v. 1 5 6. And hence it is that some spend their time in eating and drinking and going gorgeously and faring delitiously euery day other in gaming carding dicing rioting revelling as the tearme is in swaggering wherin they followe their father the deuill who is therefore more full of wrath knowing that he hath but a short time Apoc. ●2 12. To these we may adde all such idle persons as followe no vocation or trade of life but day after day and yeare after yeare are still deuising new pastimes as they call them to trifle the time away These men hasten the iudgements of God and pull it vpon them before God inflict it It is a great iudgement of God for a man to be in that case that in the morning he shall say would God it were euening and in the euening would God it were morning Deut. 28. 67. In this case is euery idle loiterer who through idelenes is wearie of himselfe grieued the time passeth away so slowly and to these qui nihil agunt we may ioyne them qui male agunt and those also qui aliud agunt all which are condemned in this text against them Titus the heathen Emperour shall rise in iudgement and shall condemne them because he remembring on a time as he fate at supper that he had trifled away the day in doing nothing said Amici hodie diem perdidi Friends I haue lost this day II Ye see how large a letter I haue written vnto you with mine owne hand Here beginneth the Conclusion beeing the third generall part of this Epistle consisting of two parts an Insinuation in the II. verse a Recapitulation in the verses following He insinuateth himselfe into the minds of the Galatians by a twofold argument First from the largenes of his Epistle Ye see how large a letter I haue written secondly from the instrumentall cause in that he writ it with his owne hand where he giues authoritie to it and a kind of eminencie aboue his other letters And in both he commendeth his diligence loue and care which he had of them The word translated ye see is ambiguous and may be taken either as a commandement See how large a letter I haue written or as an assertion Ye see The like ambiguitie is in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip. 2. 5. and may be read either thus amongst whom you doe shine or see that you shine as starres It is not materiall In whether acception it be taken seeing the sense is all one The first argument to mooue the Galatians to attention and acceptation of Pauls paines and good affection is taken from the largenes of his Epistle The word in the Originall translated large is strangely wrested by sundrie interpreters without cause Hilarie referring it to the loftines of sentences Hyperius to the profunditie and depth of matter Ierome to the greatnes of the character Chrysostome and Theophylact to the badnes of his hand as not beeing able to write well H●imo to the Hebrew character in which he wrote

by them guiding vs and beeing a law vnto vs. Rom. 8. 3. 14. Thirdly God by manifold afflictions nurtures and schooles vs partly to preuent sinnes to come and partly to humble vs for that which is past 1. Cor. 11. 32. Ier. 31. 18. The vse Seeing the law is abrogated as I haue said we must be a free and voluntarie people seruing God not of constraint but willingly as if there were no law to compell vs. All nations shall flow as waters to the mountaine of the Lord. Isa. 2. 2. Thy people shall come willingly in the day of assemblie Psal. 110. 3. In the daies of Iohn Baptist the kingdome of heauen suffered violence Ieremie saith they shall teach euery man his neighbour and his brother Ierem. 31. 31. because men shall learne freely without compulsion or calling vpon Here is the fault of our times Many say in heart to Christ Depart from vs we will none of thy waies and many againe are zealous for the things of this life but for duties pertaining to Gods worship and the saluation of their soules they are neither hot nor could This negligence and slacknes is full of danger and therefore with speede to be amended For cursed is he that doth the worke of God negligently and the Lord will spue out such persons 26 For ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus 27 For all ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ. 28 There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus Paul had said before v. 25. that the beleeuing Iewes after the publishing of the Gospel were no more vnder the law as vnder a schoolemaster In this 26. v. he renders a reason hereof and it may be framed on this manner If we Iewes were still vnder the law as vnder a schoolemaster then we should be still after the manner of seruants but we are not after the manner of seruants because we are children for euen ye Galatians and that all of you are children of God not by Circumcision or by the keeping of the law but by faith in Christ. Againe that they are children of God he prooues it thus Ye are baptised into Christ and in baptisme ye haue put on Christ in that ye are ioyned with him and haue fellowship with him who is the naturall sonne of God therefore ye are sonnes of God It may be saide All children of God all baptised all put on Christ how can this be seeing some are Iewes some Gentiles some bond some free some men some women The answer is made v. 27. there are differences of men indeede but in Christ all are as one In these words I consider two things The first is the benefit or gift bestowed on the Galatians which is sonne-ship Adoption or the condition of Gods children The second is the description of this benefit by foure arguments The first is by the circumstance of the persons ye all are children of God The second is the inward meanes namely faith in Christ Iesus The third is the outward meanes or the pledge of adoption ye are all baptised into Christ. The last is the foundation of adoption and that is to put on Christ or to be one with him For the better conceiuing of the benefit three questions may be mooued The first is whose sonnes the Galatians were Ans. The sonnes of God It may be saide how the sonnes of God I answer againe God is called a father in two respects first he is a father in respect of Christ the essentiall word and then God signifies the first person Againe God is called a father in respect of men Elect to saluation then the name God is put indefinitly and it comprehends not onely the first person but also the sonne and holy Ghost For all three doe equally regenerate them that are adopted And Paul saith of the Godhead indefinitly there is one God and father of all Eph. 4. 6. And when we pray saying Our father c. we inuocate not onely the first person but also the Sonne and holy Ghost And the sonne of God is expressely called the Father of eternitie in respect of vs Isa. 9. 6. and he is said to haue his seede Isa. 53. 11. The second question is in what respect are the Galatians the children of God Ans. A childe of God is two waies by nature by grace The childe of God by nature is Christ as he is the eternall sonne of God A child by grace is three waies By creation thus Adam before his fall and the good angels are the children of God Secondly by the personall vnion thus Christ as he is man is the child of God Thirdly by the grace of adoption thus are all true beleeuers and in this text the Galatians are saide to be the children of God In this grace of adoption there be two acts of God one is Acceptation whereby God accepts men for his children The other is Regeneration whereby men are borne of God when the Image of God is restored in them in righteousnes and true holines The third question is what is the excellencie of this benefit Ans. Great euery way Ioh. 1. 12. he which is the child of God is heire and fellowheire with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and that of the kingdome of heauen and of all things in heauen and earth 1. Cor. 3. 22. he hath title in this life and shall haue possession in the life to come Againe he that is Gods child hath the angels of God to tend on him and to minister vnto him for his good and saluation Heb. 1. 14. The first argument whereby the adoption of Gods children is set forth is concerning the persons to whome it belongs in these wordes All ye are the children of God So Paul saith all the Ephesians are Elect. Eph. 1. 3. And Peter calls all them to whome he writes 1. Pet. 1. 1. Elect and Iohn 1. epist. 3. the children of God And herein they follow the iudgement of charitie leauing all secret iudgements to God Here I obserue one thing that euery grieuous fall doth not abolish the fauour of God and extinguish the grace of regeneration For the Galatians erred in the foundation of religion and had fallen away to an other Gospel and yet Paul saith that they were for all this the children of God and not some but all of them This truth may be seene by experience The child of God before his fall hath a purpose not to sinne in the time of temptation when he is in falling he hath a strife after he is fallen he lieth not in his fall as wicked men doe but he recouereth himselfe by new repentance And this shews that the child of God by his fall doth not returne againe to the estate and condition of wicked men When S. Iohn saith he that is borne of God sinnes not his meaning is this he that is borne of God

that there is a great want of the grace of God among ●s Therefore take heede of it 30 But what saith the Scripture put out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman The second answer to the former obiection is in these wordes that they which hate the children of promise shall at length be cast out of the house of God Obiect I. These wordes cast out the bondwoman are the words of Sara to Abraham therefore they are not the words of scripture Ans. The words were vttered by Sara but they were afterward approoued by God Gen. 21. 12. and thus they are the voice of scripture Obiect II. Sara is commended for her subiection to Abraham 1. Pet. 3. 6. yet here shee speakes imperiously Cast out the bondwoman Ans. Shee speakes this not as a priuate woman but as the voice and mouth of God and that no doubt by instinct from God And therefore the words shee vttereth are to be esteemed as the commandement of God This her case is extraordinarie and not to be followed Thevse I. All carnall hypo●●ites mockers of the grace of God shall be cast forth of Gods familie though for a time they beare a sway therein This is the sentence of God Let vs therefore repent of our mocking and hereafter become louers of the grace of God as Christ was Mark 10. 21. II. Consolation the persecution of the people of God shall not be perpetuall For the persecuting bondwoman and her sonne must be cast out The rodde of the wicked shall no● rest vpon the Lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. This is our comfort III. All iustitiarie people and persons that looke to be saued and iust●fied before God by the law and the workes of the law either in whole or in part are cast out of the church of God and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen The casting out of Agar and Ismael is a figure of the reiection of all such Behold here the voice of God casting downe from heauen the greatest part of the earth the Turke the Iew the obstinate Papist with the stepmother the Romish church 31 Then brethren we are not children of the seruant but of the freewoman The conclusion of the whole argument following directly from the 27. verse If we be children of the promise then are we children of the freewoman and not of the bondwoman consequently we are iustified and saued without the works of the law by the meere grace of God causing vs by faith to rest on the promise of God whose substance and foundation is Christ. CHAP. V. 1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage THese words are repetition of the principall Conclusion of the whole Epistle Which was on this manner I Paul am called to teach and my doctrine is true therefore ye did euill to depart from it and your dutie was to haue stood vnto it Further they are collected and inferred vpon the conclusion of the last argument vsed in the last chapter thus Ye are children of the freewoman and therefore ye are free and therefore ye should hold fast your libertie In the words two maine points of doctrine are propounded The first is that by nature we are all intangled with the yoke of bondage For the better conceiuing of this I will handle three points the nature of this bondage the signe of it and the vse Touching the nature of it Our spirituall bondage stands in three things The first is bondage vnder sinne which Paul teacheth when he saith I am carnall sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Here remember that by sinne is meant Originall sinne which hath two parts Guiltines in the first offence of Adam which is imputed to all mankind and the disposition of all the powers of the soule to all manner of euill whatsoeuer And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosie infecting the whole man and it raignes like a tyrant ouer the soule of man by tempting intising and drawing him from one actuall sinne to another so as he can doe nothing but sinne Iam. 1. 14. The second thing is obligation or subiection to all punis●●ment both temporall and eternall And it hath three parts The first is Bondage vnder Satan who keepes vnrepentant sinners in his snare according to his owne will 2. Tim. 2. 26. he rules in their hearts like a God 2. Cor. 4. 4. and hath power to blinde them and to harden their hearts till he haue brought them to eternall death Heb. 2. 14. The second is bondage vnder an euill conscience which sits in the hearts of offendours as an accuser and a terrible iudge and lies like a wild beast at a mans dore readie euer and anon to plucke out his throat Gen. 4. 7. The third is bondage vnder the wrath of God and the feare of eternall death Heb. 2. 15. The third part of this bondage is the obligation to the ceremoniall law It pertaines not to all mankind but onely concernes the Iewes to whome it was a yoke of bondage Act. 15. The signe of this bondage whereby it may be discerned is to keepe a course or practise in sinning Ioh. 8. 34. He that commits sinne is a seruant of sinne or againe a life led according to the custome and fashion of this world in the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye which is couetousnes or in the pride of life Eph. 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. The vse We must learne to see feele acknowledge and bewaile this bondage in our selues Deliuerance belongs onely to such captiues as know themselues to be captiues Luk. 4. 18. and labour vnder this bondage Matth. 11. 28. Thus did Paul when he saith I am sold vnder sinne and O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death To feele this bondage is a steppe out of it and not to feele it is to be plunged into it Secondly we must pray earnestly for deliuerance The dumme creatures sigh and trauell till they be deliuered from their bondage much more then must we doe it Rom. 8. 22. Thirdly we must learne to detest whatsoeuer is of our selues because it wholly tends to bondage Lastly we must be content with any affliction that God laies on vs though it be lingring sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment For God might worthely lay on vs all shame and confusion because we are by nature slaues of sinne and Satan The second maine doctrine is that by grace there is a libertie pertaining to the people of God Here I consider foure things 1. what this libertie is 2. the author of it 3. the persons to whome it belongs 4. our dutie touching this libertie For the first Christian libertie is called the Good or commoditie of Christians Rom. 14. 16. It is a spirituall Right or condition lost by Adam and restored by Christ. I say spirituall because

breathing as the soule And so it carries a fit sense For as the bodie without breath is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by breathing so faith that is without workes is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by workes 3. There is a false composition of the wordes to be considered faith that is without workes is dead is true but to say faith is dead without workes as though workes gaue life to faith is false and not the meaning of S. Iames but the former onely Againe the Papists hence gather that faith and loue are ioynt causes in the iustification of a sinner and that faith worketh loue in iustifying men before God But this Interpretation is against the whole scope of this Epistle in which Paul prooues that there is no iustification by the law c. 5. v. 4. and therefore no iustification by loue Againe Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. that righteousnes is reuealed without the law and therefore without loue And againe that we are made the righteousnes of Christ as Christ is made our sinne namely by imputation and therefore not by infusion of loue 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly faith iustifies by apprehending Christ in the promise and therefore not by loue The consequent I prooue thus Faith and loue are two hands of our soule Faith is an hand that laies hold of Christ and it doth as it were pull him and his benefits into our soules But loue is an hand of another kind for it serues not to receiue in but to giue out the good it hath and to communicate it selfe vnto others Therefore faith cannot iustifie by loue Lastly loue in order of nature followes iustification and therefore it doth not iustifie For first of all faith laies hold on Christ then followes iustification vpon iustification follows sanctification and loue is a part of sanctification They vrge for themselues the words of Paul that faith works by loue Ans. Paul doth not shew in this verse what iustifieth but what are the exercises of Godlines in which Christians must be occupied And he doth not shew how faith iustifieth but how it may be discerned to be true faith namely by loue Secondly they obiect that faith and loue are alwaies ioyned and therefore ioyntly worke in iustification Ans. They are ioyned in one person or subiect and they are ioyned in the exercise of Christian life but they are not ioyned in the article of iustification Thirdly they vrge the 2. of S. Iames where it is saide that a man is iustified not onely by faith but also by works v. 24. Ans. Faith in S. Iames is put for an historicall knowledge of religion or for the bare confession and profession of faith Againe iustification is twofold one of the person the other of the faith of the person Iustification of the person is when a sinner is absolued of his sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. Iustification of the faith of the person is when faith is approoued and found to be true faith and a beleeuer iustifies himselfe to be a true beleeuer Of this second iustification speakes S. Iames and it is not onely by faith but also by workes Lastly it may be obiected that loue is of no vse if it doe not iustifie Ans. Iustification and sanctification are two distinct benefits 1. Cor. 1. 30. and 6. 11. Iustification ministers vnto vs deliuerance from hell and a right to life euerlasting Sanctification is a fruit of the former and serues to make vs thankefull to God for our iustification and loue serues for the same vse because it is a speciall part of Sanctification Thus much of the deprauation of the text by the Papists Hence further I gather that many falsely in these last daies boast of faith because it is not ioyned with profiting in knowledge with true conuersion vnto God with fruits of loue to God and man whereas all true faith is fruitefull in good workes 7 Ye did runne well who did letyou that ye should not obay the truth The meaning Ye did runne well In these words Paul alludes to the games of running vsed among the heathen And he compares the word and precepts of God to a way or race beleeuers to runners life eternall to the price God to the vmpire or iudge the lookers on are men and Angels good and badde and the Exercise of religion is the running in this race Read of this 1. Cor. 9. 24. Phil. 3. 13 14. Who the interrogation hath in it the force of a reproofe or complaint And the sense is this they did euill which turned you forth of the way and you haue done euill that you obaied not the truth The like is Psal. 2. 1. Why doe the heathen rage that is it is great wickednes for them to rage Let stoppe intercept your course turne you out of the way That you should not obay that you should not giue credence to the doctrine of Paul and obay it The scope These wordes are a repetition of the principall conclusion of the whole Epistle And this repetition is not in vaine For it serues to bring the Galatians to a consideration of their offence and to amendement of life Hence I obserue that the often and serious consideration of our sinnes and liues past is a meanes to worke in vs a detestation of our sinnes and a reformation of life Thus Dauid saith that vpon consideration of his waies he turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119. 59. And the cause why there is so little amendement among vs is because we neuer so much as thinke what we haue done In these wordes Paul sets downe three duties of Christian people The first is that they must be runners in the race of God Indeede the Sabbath of the Iewes figured a rest which is contrarie to running but this rest is from sinne and not from good duties This dutie of running teacheth vs foure things The first is that we must make hast without delay to keepe the commandements of God specially the commandements of faith repentance new obedience Psal. 119. 32 60. Contrariwise it is a great fault for youth others to deferre amendement till old age or till the last and deadly sicknes For that is the time to ende our running and not to beginne The second is that we are to increase and profit in all good duties specially in knowledge faith repentance But we in this age doe otherwise For either we stand at a staie or goe backe and very fewe of vs proceede forward in good duties And there are two causes of this One is blindnes of minde which makes vs that we see not how little our faith and repentance is and how great is the masse of our corruption the second is our vnbeleefe in the Article of life euerlasting The third dutie is that we must neither looke to the right or left hand or looke to things behind vs to set our affection on them but we must presse on forward to