and that Paul and such as Paul was being cryed down they alone might be doted upon with a blind kind of zeal and affection ver 17. but lest by condemning their false zeal he should have seemed to cry down all zeal therefore he discovereth what true and praise-worthy zeal is and this as it seemeth with an eye to his own practice whose zeal towards those Galatians first was so ordered that the thing whereunto his zeal for them did carry him was in it self good and for their good and edification Secondly it was constant so that distance of place which occasioned an alteration in them towards him had not made him to alter towards them ver 18. Doct. 1. See chap. 1. ver 7. doct 5. concerning his suppressing the name of the false Apostles whereby he sheweth more of indignation towards them nor he could have done by giving them any designation though never so base They zealously affect you 2. Hereticall Preachers and Seducers will be exceedingly fervent and zealous for their erroneous opinions and pretend much love and affection to the People of God while they are about to make them imbrace their Errors for saith he They to wit the false Apostles zealously affect you 3. Every thing which goeth under the name of zeal or which truly hath much of zeal and fervency in it whether for opinions or persons is not to be approven there being so much of sinfull zeal which an hypocrite may have and therefore is not to be valued or regarded So doth the Apostle speak of their zeal They zealously affect you but not well 4. There is a renting zeal which carrieth the person wherein it is with a violent fervor to rent the Church of Christ and to create prejudices in the minds of people against their faithfull Pastors while they extenuate their good 2 Cor. 10. 10. and above measure aggrege their sins and infirmities all such zeal is sinfull and unworthy to be taken notice of for the Apostle proveth that their zeal was not good from this that it carried them to rent those Galatians from Paul and the Body of the Christian Church They would exclude you 5. There is a self-seeking zeal when men pretending much love to God and to the good of souls are really hunting after the breath of applause to themselves and that they alone may have greatest weight in peoples affections all such zeal is also sinfull for he condemneth the zeal of the false Apostles because their great design in what they did was to make those Galatians zealously to affect them 6. As the great design of false Teachers and the upshot of all their most zealous and fervent endeavours is to gain credit among the people to their opinions and persons So the usual method whereby they walk for attaining this end is first to alienate the minds of people from their own Pastors that so they themselves may be looked upon as only worthy to have room in peoples affections for this was the method of the false Apostles They would exclude you to wit from us that you might affect them saith he 7. The Ministers of Christ would so condemn the counterfeit of saving graces which may be found in hypocrites as that they do not in the least measure reflect upon the real graces of God's Spirit which are found only in true Believers for Paul having condemned their false zeal falleth immediately upon the commendation of true zeal But it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing 8. It is not enough that the thing which we do be in it self good except our affections be somewhat warmed with love to the duty and stirred up with an holy indignation and revenge against any thing which would divert us from it for this is that zeal which is here commended It is good to be zealously affected saith he 9. It is required in godly and approven zeal first that it be orderly neither making nor upholding rents or schisms in the Church and betwixt the People of God and those who are over them in the Lord for the false ungodly zeal of the false Apostles is condemned from this that they would have excluded those Galatians from Paul Secondly that it be sincere as aiming not at base and selfish but approved ends such as God's glory 2 Cor. 11. 2. our own Rev. 3. 19. and our neighbours salvation Col. 4. 13. for their zeal is condemned from this that their great design in all they did was to make the Galatians affect them Thirdly that it be according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. as chusing right and approven means for bringing about the proposed end and not putting forth it self indifferently upon every thing good or bad without choice for saith he It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing Fourthly that it be constant not intending or remitting according as more of prosperity or adversity doth attend the making conscience of our duty Joh. 6. 26. but alwayes one and the same notwithstanding of any extrinsecal change of that kind for saith he It is good to be zealously affected alwayes Doct. 10. A Minister would labour to have his conversation so christian that if need require he may give his own practice for an instance or example of any duty which he presseth upon others as Paul doth here for having required constancy in zeal he hinteth at his own practice who was zealous for their good alwayes and not only when he was present with them Vers. 19. My little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you 20. I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you HE doth yet further pursue the intended scope which is to perswade them of his affection to them by making it yet more appear that his zeal for them was of the right stamp and not like that of the false Apostles In that first he was at great trouble and pains for their good such as are the pains of a woman in travel Secondly his design in all his labour and pains was not so much to make them affect him which was all that his adversaries sought after as to get the image of Christ which being once wrought in them by the means of his Ministry was now marred by their defection again repared in them and its lively lienaments drawn upon them which expressions of his intire affection are much sweetned by the affectionate stile of little children given unto them So that his whole discourse doth breath out no lesse affection than that of a tender mother towards her dear childe under some languishing disease or consumption ver 19. And thirdly that he desired vehemently to be with them face to face which was no great evidence of any hatred to them especially considering the end of his desire to wit that being more fully acquainted with their case he might accommodate himself in his speaking to them whether in
A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLES of Paul TO THE GALATIANS AND EPHESIANS BY JAMES FERGUSSON Minister at Kilwinning Isa. 28. 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another c. LONDON Printed for the Company of STATIONERS Anno Dom. 1659. To the Right Honourable and noble Lords Alexander Earl of Eglintoun c. AND Hugh Lord Montgomery his Son And to the Right Honourable noble Lady The Lady Mary Lesley Lady Montgomery RIGHT HONOURABLE IT is decreed in Heaven That we must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God Act. 14. -22. God only wise hath so resolved that by means of sanctified trouble the Heirs of glory may be weaned from earth and learn to place their chief contentment and happinesse not upon their enjoyments below which are uncertain empty and perishing but upon things above an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them How hard were it to make even those who are born of God long to be dissolved and bid adieu to all their sublunary contentments except the Lord in mercy did place a prick in every one of those roses and make their most promising earthly comforts within a little to prove as streams of brooks that passe away Job 6. 15 And how should this conciliate love to a sad and suffering lot and make the Lord's People who are strangers and pilgrims delight in the way which leadeth to such an home as Heaven is It is indeed our unacquaintance with Scripture and with what the Word of Truth holdeth forth to be the mind of God while He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth which doth occasion so much proud rising of spirit or base dejectedness of mind when the Lord doth not carve us out such a satisfying lot in all things as we would How often do we mistake our way and little lesse than quarrel with God only because He hedgeth us in with thorns of affliction that we cannot find out our lovers and therefore that man is truly blessed whom the Lord doth not only chastise but also instruct out of His Law Ps. 94. 12. and thereby make him understand and hear the voice of the rod and of Him who hath appointed it Mica 6. 9. And herein indeed the Lord doth greatly manifest His marvellous loving kindnesse and in wrath remembreth mercy that He joyneth instruction with correction and doth furnish His afflicted People with abundant means by which they may take up the mind of God for good unto them under His saddest dispensations even that the fruit of affliction is to take away their sin Isa. 27. 9 that He doth punish them seven times more and yet seven times more untill their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity Levit. 26. 24 28 41. that though He visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless His loving kindnesse will He not utterly take from him Psal. 89. 32 33. and that when they are judged they are chastened of the Lord that they should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. All this and much more to this purpose hath the Lord made known by His Word and doth daily inculcate and make more and more known by His sent Ministers who according to their Commission do open up and apply the rich treasure of holy Scripture unto the Lords People of their charge And as if all this were not sufficient He hath besides stirred up the spirits of many of His Servants in every age to 〈…〉 mit their Labours upon Scripture unto writing for the more publick use of the Church of God not only in the present but also the succeeding generations As for my self I ingenuously professe that being conscious of mine own weaknesse I did much incline to rest satisfied with expressing my Commission by word only in preaching to and conferring with my Flock and those of my charge But being earnestly requested and in a manner commanded by some Reverend Brethren whom I honour and reverence in the Lord to draw up briefly in writ a plain Analysis a short and sound Exposition of and the chief Observations grounded upon such Scriptures as I had either largely preached upon or more briefly opened-up to the Lords People of my charge I shewed them some of my weak endeavours of that kind to be disposed upon at their pleasure which when they were pleased to publish and to call for more work of the same nature expressing their confidence that what I had already done was acceptable to all that love the Truth and would be edifying to the present and after-ages and being thereunto also encouraged by diverse faithfull and understanding persons I have in obedience to their desires given-out this other Piece to be disposed of by them as they should see good And seing they have advised the publishing of it To whom could I with more confidence and conscience of duty dedicate these my mean labours than to your Honours considering that God hath appointed me to watch for your souls as one who must g 〈…〉 n account and that your Honours have endeavoured for your parts to encourage me to go about all the parts of my Ministery with joy and not with grief My Lords when I called to remembrance how long each of you was detained these years by-past from enjoying the benefit of my publick Ministery by your necessitated abode elsewhere I thought the best way to give you an account and to make you reap some fruit of my labours in your absence was to present these my weak endeavours to your Honours and what you have heard from me upon these Scriptures in publick when you were permitted to be my hearers I hope this little piece shall conduce to bring it to your remembrance and the Lord Himself convey it into your hearts there to remain to make your Honours more and more wise to salvation that in the day of the Lord Jesus ye may be matter of joy and a crown of rejoycing to those who have laboured among you and spoken the Word of God unto you And for you Madam who hath had liberty to be my hearer more frequently and constantly than my noble Lords as I trust your Honour will observe there is a good harmony betwixt that which I taught in the Congregation and which I now publish to the world and that this little piece shall according to your usuall diligence in searching Scripture and in keeping fellowship with God in the practice of all commanded duties be improved by your Honour for your further edification and encouragment to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing So when I consider how refreshfull it hath been often unto me to behold your sweet submission under the Lord's hand your truly
Gentiles 1 Cor. 16. 1. to supply the poor Jews who were turned Christians Rom. 15. 25. which they performed speedily and diligently See the places cited and 2 Cor. 8 and 9. chapters Doct. 1. It is frequently the lot of those who are rich in Grace to be poor in the things of a present life and who are heirs of a Kingdom Luke 12. 32. to be driven unto such straits as they are forced to live upon some charitable supply from others God seeing it convenient hereby to wean them from worldly contentments that Heaven may be the more longed after and more sweet when it cometh Thus the Christians in Judea for the most part were poor and such as needed supply from the Gentiles Only they would that we should remember the poor 2. Though those who are our own poor within the bounds where we live are chiefly to be relieved by us because of our nearer interest in such 1 Tim. 5. 8. Yet in cases of extremity even those poor who live remote from us because they are also of our own flesh Isa. 58. 7. and members of the same mystical body if Believers Gal. 6. 10. are also to be supplied by us for Paul was to stir up the Gentiles to contribute for the poor at Judea Only they would that we should remember the poor 3. The care of the poor and supply of the outward necessities of the Saints is an imployment not unworthy of the very chief Apostles and which Ministers and other Officers of the Church ought to make conscience of for the care of the poor was the last farewell of those Apostles Only they would that we should remember the poor which Paul also was forward to do 4. The Ministers of Jesus Christ ought to presse upon the People not only duties which are easie and cost them nought but also those that are burdensome and expensive especially that they would willingly give of those things which they enjoy for the supply of others which want and are to be as forward in pressing the one sort of duties as the other as being equally profitable to the Church and most evidencing of an inward work of Grace in the heart 1 Joh. 3. 17. Thus Paul was forward to presse upon the Gentiles to give some supply to the poor Jews The same which I was also forward to do or did speedily and diligently as the word signifieth Vers. 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed FRom this Verse to the 15. there is a further evidence of that Truth which he had formerly asserted concerning the authority of his Office and his divine Doctrine even in that point which was controverted betwixt him and his adversaries which he maketh appear from this That as an Apostle and by vertue of his Apostolick Office he did with Authority rebuke Peter one of the chief Apostles when in his practice at Antioch he declined from the Doctrine taught by him concerning the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law and that for any thing which appeareth to the contrary Peter in this debate did yeeld to Paul as having Truth for him This action of Paul's towards Peter is first summarly propounded in this Verse wherein Paul sheweth that boldly and freely he did oppose himself to Peter and that because his carriage as he doth clear more fully afterward was most blame-worthy Doct. 1. No band of friendship or confederacy which parties have entred no fear of occasioning the breaking-off of friendship whatever may be the consequences thereof ought to make those who are so conjoyned connive at others in a sinfull course or withhold a testimony against that which is sinfull in their friend when the hazard which may ensue from his sin to the Work and People of God doth call for it for though Paul had come to Jerusalem of purpose to purchase a good understanding betwixt him and Peter ver 1 2. and though they had given not long since mutual evidences of their harmony and agreement ver 9. and though their renting assunder was the thing which adversaries to Truth would have been most glad of as making much for the advantage of their bad cause Yet not long after this agreement was made when Peter falleth in a sin reproof-worthy which had dreadfull consequences to the People and Work of God as will appear afterward following upon it Paul doth freely and boldly give testimony against his sinful course But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face 2. As the Ministers of Jesus Christ are bound to reprove sin and vice so they are to reprove it first with much boldnesse and resolution not faintly as if they were more feared for the offence of man than grieved for the dishonour of God so Paul in reproving Peter withstood him In the Original it is a military word and signifieth to stand against whether it be by force of arms or arguments it is a word of defiance and combating as it were hand to hand face to face and foot to foot not yeelding a hair breadth to the adversary Rom. 13. 2. Eph. 6. 13. Secondly with ingenuity and candor so as not to conceal the man's fault only from himself and in the mean time to speak of it broad and wide unto others for his prejudice Lev. 19. 16. But they are to declare his sin even-down to himself and rebuke him for it Thus Paul withstood Peter to the face for the word in the Original doth not import that he withstood him only in shew and for the fashion making the beholders think they were serious when they were not as some of the Ancients did alleage such dissimulation had been most base in those two eminent Apostles and Paul had not here spoken truly affirming that Peter was worthy to be blamed and that he walked not uprightly so the word must read as it is here rendred to the face or to his face as 2 Cor. 10. 1. Thirdly with certainty and knowledge of the deed reproved both for the truth of the fact and the vicious quality of it Paul before he reproved was assured of both these Because he was to be blamed saith he Doct. 3. The most eminent Saints on earth are not free of their own sinful and blame-worthy failings that hereby they may be keeped humble and from being lifted up with their gifts graces and other excellencies 2 Cor. 12. 7. and others may hereby learn not to think of them above what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. for even the Apostles themselves and Penmen of Scripture though they could not erre in writing Scripture being therein guided by the infallible assistance of the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. Yet in other things they had their own sinful failings as is evident in Peter Because he was to be blamed 4. It is the part of every man though never so eminent and esteemed of by others when he meeteth with a just and deserved reproof to stoop to
having shewen his charitable confidence towards the seduced people doth evidence how dangerous their error was notwithstanding by denouncing Gods judgment against their prime seducers But he that troubleth you shall bear bis judgment saith he 6. How the native and ordinary effect of error is to trouble the Churches peace See Chap. 1. Vers. 7. Doct. 3. But he that troubleth you 7. Though there were not a Christian Magistrate to inflict civil punishment upon seducers and those who by drawing disciples after them do trouble the Churches peace or though the Christian Magistrate do not make conscience of that which is his duty herein Rom. 13. -4. yet such evil doers as those may certainly expect their deserved judgment from God either here or hereafter to be inflicted either immediately by Himself Zech. 10. 7. or mediately by some one instrument or other Zech. 13. 3. for though there was now no Christian Magistrate to punish such yet Paul with much confidence affirmeth He that troubleth you shall bear his judgment 8. So just is God that when He maketh inquisition for bloud in His day of vengeance He will suffer no impenitent transgressor how subtil soever escape His most accurate search nor yet passe free from the dint of His avenging stroke who-ever he be for parts power or estimation for he speaketh in the singular number he that troubleth you to shew that every one and as it were apart and one by one should be taken notice of and shall bear his judgment whoever he be that is without exception of persons Vers. 11. And I Brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer persecution then is the offence of the crosse ceased HE presseth the exhortation thirdly by refuting a calumny whereby as it seemeth his adversaries would have made people believe that Paul by circumcising Timothy to prevent the stumbling of the weak Jews Act. 16. 3. had declared himself to be of the same judgment with them in the present controversie And he answereth denying that he did urge Circumcision to be observed by the Gentiles at all Act. 21. 25. nor yet by the Jews in the sense of his adversaries and giveth two evidences of the truth of his denial First if he had preached Circumcision the Jews would not have persecuted him as they constantly did Secondly they would not have taken offence at the preaching of the Gospel or of Salvation through Christ crucified which is here called the Crosse or doctrine of the Crosse as 1 Cor. 1. 18. The truth of both which consequences lyeth in this that the great reason why the Jews did persecute the Apostle and were such enemies to his doctrine was his preaching down of Circumcision and the whole frame of that ancient legal administration under which they were born and educated Act. 21. 28. Doct. 1. It is the ordinary lot of faithfull Ministers to be subject unto slander and reproaches not only in respect of their lives Rom. 3. 8. but also in respect of their Ministry and Doctrine as if they were Hereticks for even Paul is reported of as a preacher of Circumcision which is supposed while he saith If I yet preach Circumcision 2. So active are heretical seducers as they leave no mean unessayed which may serve to confirm and establish their seduced followers if it were even to spread reports of their chiefest opposits that they are secretly and under-hand of the same opinion with themselves and that sometimes they declare their judgments to that purpose for so did they report of Paul as is here supposed If I yet preach Circumcision 3. The faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ though he be maliciously and basely reported of ought not to render evil for evil unto those who have invented or entertained such reports but to return love for their hatred and good for their evil labouring more to vindicate himself than to rub disgrace upon them whereby he shall heap coals of fire upon their head Rom. 12. 20. for so doth Paul while he laboureth only to clear himself to those Galatians among whom he was misreported of giving them the affectionate stile of Brethren And I Brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer persecution 4. While we labour to clear our selves from false imputations or calumnies we had need to use much circumspection in declaring the matter of fact lest we fail in any one circumstance and so be found lyars while we go about to justifie our selves for Paul is thus circumspect while he denyeth not that he did circumcise any for he circumcised Timothy Act. 16. 3. or that he did ever preach Circumcision for he did so while he was a Pharisee Gal. 1. 13 14. but that he did preach the observing of it now as a thing necessary to salvation If I yet preach Circumcision saith he 5. A faithfull Minister neither ought nor will conceal any part of necessary Truth which he is otherwise called to preach though he certainly know he will incur hazard losse and persecution from men because of it for Paul knew he was persecuted by the Jews for his preaching against Circumcision and yet he preacheth Why do I yet suffer persecution 6. Neither is he to conceal any part of necessary Truth when the eminent hazard of peoples salvation call 〈…〉 for the preaching of it though imbittered enemies should take occasion from his preaching of that one Truth to reject all Truth for Paul preacheth down Circumcision though the Jews did take occasion from his so doing to reject the whole Gospel for saith he Then to wit if he had preached Circumcision the offence of the Crosse is ceased 7. If men once place Religion and Worship in rites ceremonies and such externall observances the most substantiall Truths of God and duties of Christianity will not bear so much weight with them in progresse of time as the meanest of those for though Paul did preach Christ sincerely 1 Cor. 1. 23. and urged obedience to all the duties of the Moral Law Rom. 13. 8 9. yet seing he did not preach Circumcision he was persecuted by the Jews who placed Religion in such external performances Yea they reject and stumble at the doctrine of Salvation preached by him because he would not preach Circumcision also Why do I yet suffer persecution then is the offence of the Crosse ceased which implyeth that his not preaching Circumcision was the cause why they persecuted his person and stumbled at his doctrine Vers. 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you HE presseth the exhortation fourthly by a wish that their prime seducers who troubled their outward and inward peace were cut off from communion with the Church by the sword of Excommunication whereby he sheweth both that their sin deserved to be so censured and that the good of the Church if her present distemper could have born it did require that this censure had been inflicted Doct. 1. The Lord Christ King and Head of His Church
Circumcision upon them as a thing whithout the which they could not be saved whereby they laid upon them a kind of necessity and constrained them to be circumcised and sheweth three principles from which they did herein act two whereof are in this verse first from hypocrisie or a desire to make a fair outward shew of Religion by observing those fleshly and carnal rites such as Circumcifion difference of meats legal purifications and the like injoyned by the ceremonial Law Secondly from pusillanimity or a politick design to eschew persecution from their Country-men the Jews and from the Civil Power at the instigation of the Jews Act. 18. 12 13. for preaching the sincere doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ crucified which is here called the Crosse of Christ See chap. 5. ver 11. the fury of which persecuters was much abated towards such Christians as did observe the ceremonial Law of Moses the preaching down whereof of any other thing did inrage them most chap. 5. 11. Doct. 1. Though an external profession of Religion Rom. 10. -10. and the practice of such external rites 1 Cor. 11. 24. and other ordinances of divine worship as God hath commanded Col. 3. 16. are to be made conscience of yet when the practice of those external things is opposed to the inward substantial duties of Religion the former being rested upon without the latter Mat. 15. 8. or when the practiser affecteth a vain shew and to be reputed religious because of those things much more than to be religious really and indeed Mat. 6. 16. this is the sin of hypocrisie loathsom both to God and man and that especially when people affect a shew from the practice of those rites which are not commanded of God for this is condemned here in the false Apostles that they desired to seem exceedingly religious and to make a fair outward shew of Religion by observing such carnal rites as God had now abolished under the Gospel As many as make a fair shew in the flesh saith he It is ordinarily observed that the zeal of those who are carried away with the spirit of error themselves and whose great work is to seduce others doth most run out upon the externals of Religion thereby affecting a fair shew and to be reputed as men singular for piety and devotion that so they may deceive the simple who take all for gold that glistreth Rom. 16. -18. So those Apostles desired to make a fair shew in the flesh 3. An erring conscience is of great force and mightily prevalent with erring persons to make them follow the dictates thereof It being usual for such to pretend conscience as a reason why they cannot subject themselves to Truth God in His holy Justice doth give them over to a spirit of delusion 2 Thess. 2. 11. and maketh conscience to be their snare when it imbraceth darknesse for light Isa. 5. 20. and uncessantly vexeth them untill they execute its most unreasonable irreligious unnatural and sometimes most blasphemous commands Joh. 16. 2. Jer. 32. 35. for the false Apostles did constrain them to be circumcised mainly because by teaching the absolute necessity of Circumcision to Salvation Act. 15. 2. they possessed their consciences with that erroneous opinion and their consciences so misled did constrain them to follow its dictates 4. As persecution doth ordinarily follow upon the sincere preaching of the Gospel So when persecution for the Gospel waxeth hot there are usually many found who to decline a suffering lot do tamper with the persecuters of Truth though not by total apostasie from Truth yet by coming a great length in making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience only to gratifie those who persecute the truth and to break the edge of their rage and fury against themselves who notwithstanding will labour to keep up their credit in the Church of God as if they were acted from no such politick design but from a principle of light and conscience for so those false Apostles constrained others to be circumcised pretending conscience for their so doing when their design was only lest they should suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ. 5. Though Hereticks and every one who are carried away with a spirit of error pretend to conscience as that which they desire to follow and dare not contradict in what they hold yet very frequently such especially they who are seducers of others do but make a pretext and shelter of conscience to cover their pride politick designs love to ease in a troublesome time pusillanimity of spirit fear of persecution and a desire of vain glory by which they are acted more than from any principle of conscience for those false Apostles pretended to light and conscience as the rule of what they did Act. 15. 2. and yet they did it only saith Paul lest they should suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ and ver 13. That they may glory in your flesh 6. However they who persecute others for Truth do also pretend to conscience Isa. 66. 5. yet they are often found to be men destitute of conscience and more politick than conscientious even in those things wherein they pretend most to conscience in so far as they do dispense with some professors of Truth if so they come but a little towards them and comply with them in some things only though not in all things as intending hereby to work them up to a greater length in progresse of time for so the persecuting Jews did not molest those Christians who were circumcised though they did otherwise professe faith in the Messiah already come whom the Jews had crucified as is clear from this They constrain you to be circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ. 7. As a desire to eschew a suffering lot and persecution even for Truth by all lawful means is no wayes sinful but commanded Mat. 10. 23. and commendable Prov. 22. 3. So to dispense with the least jot of Truth and to imbrace the smallest of Errors contrary to Truth that hereby the greatest of sufferings might be eschewed is blame-worthy and extreamly sinfull seing the least of sins hath more of evil in it than the greatest of sufferings Those are our affliction but not our sin for the Apostle condemneth his adversaries not that simply they had laboured to eschew persecution but that they constrained others to be circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. Vers. 13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh THe Apostle first maketh good his former charge against his adversaries to wit That they urged Circumcision not from zeal to the Law of God and from conscience but from a politick base design because they made no conscience to keep the Law themselves that is neither the moral Law which they transgressed daily by their wicked and licentious lives Philip. 3. 18 19. nor
condemnation unto others Heb. 11. 7. for the metaphor of an earnest used among Merchants when the sum covenanted is not presently given doth bear so much Who is the earnest of our inheritance 4. As even Believers are apt to doubt if ever the covenanted inheritance shall be bestowed and actually enjoyed by them So the Lord is most willing to do all which in reason can be required for removing all doubts of that kind and more particularly He giveth them an earnest or a part of this covenanted inheritance in hand to assure them of his purpose to bestow the whole in due time for the metaphor of an earnest doth bear this also the end of giving an earnest being to assure the receiver of the giver's honest purpose to perform all that he hath promised which otherwise might be called in question Who is the earnest of our inheritance 5. The Spirit of the Lord sealing Believers and those saving graces of the Spirit which he worketh in sealing do serve for the same uses in relation to the Covenant of Grace wherein heaven and glory is promised to Believers for which an earnest doth serve in a civil bargain for as the earnest is a part of the sum and usually but a small part and yet may assure the receiver of his obtaining the whole So the Spirit and His work of grace received here is begun glory Joh. 17. 3. and though but a small part of it 1 Cor. 13. 12 13. yet the smallest measure of grace may assure the man who hath it of his obtaining the full possession of glory in the day of the Lord Jesus Philip. 1. 6. hence the Apostle calleth the Spirit with his graces this earnest Who is the earnest of our inheritance From the time how long the use of this earnest was to continue Learn 1. As real Believers are Christs possession in whom He dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. and whom He manureth and maketh fruitfull Joh. 15. -2. So He hath purchased them to wit by paying a price to provoked justice 1 Cor. 6. 20. and by force from Satan their old possessor and master Heb. 2. 14 15. and purchased them for this end that He might possesse them for speaking of Believers he calleth them a purchased possession 2. Though the redemption and delivery of Believers be already begun and their bonds loosed in part Col. 1. 13. yet their compleat redemption is but to come to wit from sin at death Heb. 12. -23. and from misery not untill the last day then and not while then shall their bodies be raised up in glory and their redemption be full and compleat Rom. 8. 23. for the Apostle speaketh of their redemption as of a thing yet to come Untill the redemption of the purchased possession 3. As this earnest even the holy Spirit with His graces being once given cannot totally be lost So if this day of redemption were once come there shall be no further use of an earnest the covenanted inheritance will then be fully possessed and consequently no place left for fears or doubts about the obtaining of it for he saith the Spirit was to be an earnest untill the redemption and so He must continue with them untill then but was not to serve for an earnest any longer Who is the earnest untill the redemption of the purchased possession From the end proposed see what is already observed upon ver 6. and ver 12. Vers. 15. Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints 16. Cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers THe Apostle in the second part of the Chapter taking occasion from what he heard of those Ephesians breaketh forth in thanksgiving and prayer to God for them whereby he prosecuteth his main scope in so far as that by every sentence and word almost he doth breath forth the high esteem which he had of God's free grace in Christ and thereby doth confirm their faith besides that while he prayeth for their perseverance and growth in the faith and knowledge of saving truths he doth indirectly at least excite them to persevere and make progresse in the same And first having shewn the good report which was brought unto him of those spiritual graces which were eminent in them whereof he instanceth two which are the sum and compend of all the rest and doth illustrate them from their principal object faith in Jesus Christ and love to all the Saints ver 15. he maketh known unto them what was his exercise upon their behalf even that being incited by the consideration of these spiritual blessings bestowed by God upon them and mentioned ver 13 14. and by the report which he had of them ver 15. he made conscience to continue in the duties of thanksgiving and prayer to God for them ver 16. From Vers. 15. Learn 1. It is not sufficient that Christs Ministers do presse duties upon the Lords People having convincedly cleared unto their consciences the equity which is in those duties but they must also hold forth unto them a copie of that obedience which they so much presse by their own example and practice for so the Apostle having abundantly cleared ver 13 14. that the Lord 's converting and sealing of those Ephesians did call upon them to praise the glory of His grace he himself doth here put hand to this work Wherefore saith he I cease not to give thanks for you 2. It is a great encouragement to blesse the Lord and to pray unto Him in behalf of those who are making conscience of these duties for themselves for while he saith I also give thanks he supposeth they were doing the like and that he was encouraged from thence 3. Grace is like a precious oyntment whose savour cannot be hid the report of it where it is in life will spread and make his name who hath it savoury unto such as are truly gracious themselves for Paul though at a great distance being now at Rome heard of their faith in Jesus Christ and love to all the Saints 4. It is the duty of Christians to be joyfully reporting and speaking of the grace of God and good which is in others providing it be wisely done that is first sparingly and so as not to place all our own Religion in speaking of the Religion of others Secondly not rashly or without such grounds in the person whom we commend as charity at least may rest upon Thirdly impartially and not factiously crying up some and decrying others who are equally deserving Jude -16. for Paul's hearing of their faith and love implyeth that some had reported to him of that good which was in them 5. Even in the best Churches in those primitive times who were most commended by the Apostles every one had not faith and so is it yet All are not Israel who are of Israel Rom. 9. 6. for the word rendred their faith in the Original is the faith which
is among you he could not say positively that all of them had faith but faith was among them 6. Saving faith is an excellent fruit of the Gospel preached among a People without which the Word cannot profit Heb. 4. 2. and by which we are united to Christ and have right to all the spiritual blessings purchased by Christ who is the chief object of faith whom it doth apprehend as He is offered in the Promise for Paul doth mention their faith in Jesus Christ as an excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel for which he blesseth God After I heard of your faith in Jesus Christ saith he 7. The grace of love to our neighbour with the duties thereof flowing from love to God in the first place 1 Joh. 4. 12. is an excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel preached among a People especially when the Saints have most of this love as resembling God most And when their love is laid forth upon Saints as they are Saints and for the reality or appearance of God in them and not for other by-respects only or mainly and in a word when it is extended unto all Saints for Paul doth mention their love to the Saints and to all Saints as another excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel for which he blesseth God After I heard of your love unto all the Saints 8. As the graces of faith in Christ and love to the Saints are alwayes conjoyned they being in a manner the two legs of a Christian without any one whereof he cannot walk and the other is but dead and withered I am 2. 17. so faith in its exercise hath the precedency of love faith being the fountain from which the streams of love do flow in so far as faith laying hold upon God's love in Christ inflameth the heart with love to God which love to God consisteth in keeping of His Commandments 1 Joh. 5. 3. and the chief of God's Commands next unto love to Himself is that we love our brother 1 Joh. 4. 21. for the Apostle here as elsewhere Col. 1. 4. 1 Thess. 1. 4. conjoyneth these two graces and giveth faith the precedency After I heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and love to all the Saints From Vers. 16. Learn 1. As the duties both of thanksgiving and prayer ought to be made conscience of by Christians so the practice of these two duties do well together for each of them doth contribute for the help of another in so far as thanksgiving to God for favours received doth notably tend to suppresse that fretting quarrelling impatient humour which often venteth it self against God in our prayers Psal. 77. 7. compared with 10 11. and the exercise of prayer doth elevate the heart somewhat towards God and so in some measure warm the affections with love to God Psal. 25. 1. and thus disposeth much for the duty of thanksgiving for the Apostle maketh conscience of both those duties and that joyntly I cease not to give thanks in my prayers 2. It is not sufficient for Christians once to begin well and break off fair in the practice of those duties but they must continue in them there being always abiding reasons both for thanksgiving and prayer and when there is a lazy falling off from the practice of them for a time it is usually found a task of greater difficulty to begin of new than it was at first for the Apostle saith I cease not to give thanks in my prayers he ceased not to wit so far as his other necessary imployments and duties of his calling did permit for what we do frequently and alwayes when occasion offereth we are said to do it without ceasing 3. The Ministers of Jesus Christ especially ought not to be puffed up with any successe which the Lord is pleased to give unto their labours or sacrifice to their own drag or net Gal. 6. 13. but would ascribe the praise thereof to God who alone maketh His People to profit Isa. 48. 17. for Paul hearing of their faith and love ceased not to give thanks for them to God 4. As it is the duty of one Christian to pray for another and especially of a Minister for his Flock So our prayers for others will avail little except we be daily making conscience of praying to God for our selves for saith Paul I make mention of you in my prayers he had his own ordinary prayers for himself wherein he did remember them 5. As to the occasion of his praying for them see upon Col. 1. 9. doct 1. Vers. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened THe Apostle in the second place giveth a short sum of his prayer unto God for them And first he describeth God the Father unto whom he prayeth to be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit as Christ is man Psal. 22. 10. as He is our Mediator Psal. 40. 8. and with relation to that Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ as mediator Heb. 2. 13. And the Father of glory so called because He is in His own nature infinitly glorious Psal. 145. 5. the fountain of the whole Godhead and all the divine Attributes in the Son Psal. 2. 7. and holy Ghost Joh. 14. 26. for glory is sometimes taken for the Godhead and divine Attributes Joh. 2. 11. and because He is the first cause of all that glory which is in any of the creatures Psal. 8. 5. And lastly He is the object of all glory to whom all glory is due from the creatures Psal. 19. 1. Secondly he sheweth what he sought in prayer even wisdom or a further encrease of that wisdom and saving knowledge of divine mysteries whereof the Spirit of God is the author mentioned ver 8. together with a clearer insight in Scripture where those mysteries are revealed by the same Spirit Which wisdom he sheweth doth mainly consist in the saving believing and operative knowledge of Him that is of Jesus Christ ver 17. And having more clearly expressed what he meaneth by this Spirit of wisdom even the removing of the natural blindnesse of their understandings and enduing them with a clear discerning in the things of God ver 17 he doth illustrate it further from those ends for the attainment whereof he would have this wisdom bestowed as shall be cleared afterwards Hence Learn 1. The more painfull and laborious that others whether Ministers parents friends or neighbours are for bringing about our salvation and spiritual good we ought to be so much the more excited to painfulnesse and diligence about the same thing our selves else their pains will not only do us no good but also much hurt the Lord usually judicially plaguing the man whom every one would have doing well only himself will not for the Apostle sheweth that he prayed and what he prayed for from God unto them not
a right unto Him Job 3. 36. with 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. and to all those excellent saving priviledges which were purchased by Him Job 1. 12. So whoever would receive this gift aright must receive Him as their head to quicken them to rule them and to be reverenced by them for He gave Him to be head to the Church 2. The power and superiority which Christ hath over His Church chiefly the invisible Church of reall Believers as head is of another kind than that which He hath over all other creatures besides as being more intimate amiable and in a manner more native and natural and accompanied with willing subjection in His Church Psal. 110. 3 even as the superiority which the King's head hath over his own body or his royal consort being compared with that which he hath over his subjects or rather his subdued enemies for He gave Him to be head over all to the Church Over all that is in a singular and eminent manner above the domination which He hath over all other creatures 3. None in any sense can be an head to the Church unto whom the Church in that same sense is not a body so that if the Church be not the Pope's body the Pope cannot be the Churches head for there is a reciprocation betwixt the head and body in this purpose as Christ is the Churches head so the Church is His body He gave Him to be head to the Church which is His body 4. None can draw comfort from those sweet relations of head husband king c. which Christ hath taken upon Him towards His Church but they who stand under a correspondent relation towards Him as being His body spouse and subjects and who make conscience of such duties as each of these relations do bind unto for as Christ is an head to the Church so the Church is His body Which is His body saith he 5. As Christ by taking upon Himself those relations towards His Church which are found amongst men doth stand obliged unto those duties which men are bound to by vertue of such relations Psal. 23. 1 c. So the Lord's People are allowed and commanded to search unto the duties and priviledges following upon such relations among men and from thence to learn what to expect from Christ by vertue of that relation and what honour and priviledges they do enjoy by standing under that relation to Christ for from this that Christ and the Church stand under the relation of head and body the Apostle inferreth that the Church hath this priviledge of being Christ's fulnesse even as the shoulders arms breast belly legs and thighes are the fulnesse of the natural body so that mystical Christ made up of head and members is not compleat and full without the Church or the least Believer in the Church Which is His body the fulnesse of Him saith he 6. In searching forth the grounds of these similitudes or relations taken from amongst men whereby Christ setteth forth to our capacity what He himself is to His People we would carefully guard lest by pressing them too far we ascribe any thing to Christ which is not according to the analogie of Faith or in any measure dishonourable to Him for Paul having stretched-forth that similitude of the head and body so far as to infer thence that the Church is the fulnesse of mystical Christ he carefully guardeth against a mistake whereby people might think that then some perfection were wanting in Christ to be supplyed by His Church while he saith that Christ filleth all in all 7. As even Believers in themselves are empty creatures till they be filled being destitute of all good which they may call their own Rom. 7. 18. and unable to help themselves if it were but with one right thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. So there is a supply to the full of all their emptinesse in Christ who is made of God unto them wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor 1. 30. and communicateth largely and to the full of His own fulnesse unto such as are sensible of their own emptinesse Joh. 1. 16. Psal. 81. -10. for He filleth all in all 8. Before that Christ do thus supply our emptiness out of His own fulness He must first be in us and united to us by faith Eph. 3. 17. for He is in all whom He filleth He filleth all in all CHAP. II. IN the first part of this Chapter the Apostle doth commend the doctrine of salvation by free-grace first from the consideration of that misery under which not only the Ephesians and other Gentiles were before conversion as being spiritually dead ver 1 following the corrupt custom of the world and Satan's suggestions v. 2. but even the Jews also as being inslaved to their own corrupt lusts v. 3. Secondly from the consideration of that delivery from sin and misery which was common to them both And first he mentioneth the first fountain and internal impulsive cause of that delivery to wit God's free-grace ver 4. Secondly the several branches of it as their quickning in the way of grace ver 5. the resurrection of their bodies and their glorification in heaven ver 6. Thirdly the final cause of this delivery to wit the manifesting of God's rich grace ver 7. And fourthly he cleareth and proveth they were saved only by grace by removing all other things inconsistent with grace from having influence upon our salvation And that first generally ver 8. and then particularly their good works because first otherwise they should have had matter of gloriation in themselves as to this purpose the contrary whereof is intended by God ver 9. Secondly power to do good works was given them in regeneration So that though they be necessary yet they are not meritorious ver 10. In the second part of the Chapter he maketh a more particular application of the former purpose unto the Ephesians and in them to all the Gentiles And first he layeth forth that misery which was in a great part peculiar unto them as they were Gentiles and this both more generally ver 11. and more particularly in five several branches ver 12. Secondly he declareth their present happy estate of nearness to God and His Church through Christ briefly ver 13. and explaineth more fully that Christ was the peace-maker and in order to His making peace had abolished the ceremonial Law ver 14 15 and sheweth a twofold necessity of Christ's so doing both for uniting of Jew and Gentile in one Church ver -15. And for reconciling both of them to God ver 16. Thirdly he sheweth that this benefit of nearnesse was published and actually communicated unto them by the preaching of the Gospel ver 17 which he proveth from the accesse which both Jew and Gentile had to God ver 18. And lastly he concludeth from what is said that the Ephesians were now in a blessed state comparing the whole Church to a city a family ver 19. and
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
in dispensing grace and salvation now in a way diverse from what He did formerly any should suspect that therefore God had altered His purpose he sheweth here all this had come to passe according to His eternal purpose 4. As it is but small comfort unto a Minister that he is intrusted to carry unto others an excellent message and glad tydings of the plot and draught of mans salvation surely grounded upon Gods purpose and infallibly executed by Christ in all its steps except he make application and take a share of those glad tydings unto himself So the way for either Pastor or People to apply the Gospel and all those rich treasures of spiritual blessings contained in it unto themselves is by taking hold upon Christ and pleading a well-grounded interest in Him as theirs for if Christ be ours all things are ours Rom 8. 32. Hence is it that Paul having magnified his Ministery and Message doth make application of those precious things which he was intrusted with unto himself by pleading an interest in Christ as his while he calleth Him Jesus Christ our Lord. Vers. 12. In whom we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of Him HE doth magnifie his Office eighthly from three excellent priviledges whereof Believers among them some in a greater some in a lesser measure some at one time some at another did partake by the means of his Ministery as being thereby brought to Christ in whom they enjoyed all these 1. Boldnesse or liberty to speak all their mind freely as the original word doth bear whereby as it is distinguished from the other two is meaned that holy freedom and boldnesse which is in reconciled souls to speak their whole heart to God both in the duty of prayer and thanksgiving and is opposed to misbelief terror of conscience or to whatsoever doth straiten the heart or stop the mouth in discharging these duties 2. Accesse to wit unto God See chap. 2. 18. which is larger than the former as comprehending freedom and liberty of spirit in reconciled souls to exercise all their saving graces in the exercise whereof communion with God doth consist 3. Confidence or a well-grounded perswasion that both our persons and performances are accepted of God All which priviledges he sheweth were enjoyed by them by vertue of their being in Christ of whom he spoke ver 11. and by the exercise of faith relying upon Him Doct. 1. Whatsoever worldly disadvantage may follow upon the preaching of the Gospel unto a People Matth. 10. 34 35. yet those excellent and spiritual priviledges which are conveyed thereby unto them who receive the Gospel may and ought sufficiently commend the Ministery of it unto all for Paul doth here commend his Office from these spiritual fruits which were enjoyed by it as their being in Christ in whom they had boldnesse and accesse with confidence 2. And more particularly liberty and freedom to speak our heart to God in all our concernments and accesse to God or fellowship with Him in the exercise of all our graces all obstructions arising either from the apprehension of Gods terror and our own guiltinesse or from our inability backwardnesse of spirit to good or from those impediments which the devil the world or our own hearts do create and cast in our way being removed Those I say together with confidence and a well-grounded perswasion that both our persons and duties are accepted of by God may and will abundantly serve to commend the Ministery of the Gospel unto those who have found it accompanied with such effects to their own hearts whatever other troubles they may be under for their receiving of it for the Apostle commendeth his Ministery from their enjoying of those priviledges in particular by the means thereof In whom we have boldnesse c. 3. The more a Christian doth find his heart enlarged and his tongue loosed to speak unto God in the duties of prayer and praise he will find the more of accesse unto and of fellowship with God in the exercise of all His saving graces and the more a man be restrained of liberty in those duties he will readily find himself the more restrained from the exercise of faith hope patience humility meeknesse or any other of His saving graces for the Apostle conjoyneth boldnesse or liberty in prayer and praises with accesse or freedom of spirit to approach unto God in the exercise of saving graces In whom we have boldness and access 4. A well-grounded perswasion of our acceptation with God both as to our persons and actions doth serve exceedingly to furnish the heart with boldnesse in prayer and with familiar accesse unto and fellowship with God in so far as a great many of those obstructions which 〈◊〉 boldnesse and accesse do arise from diffidence misbelieving doubts or ignorance whether God accepteth of us or not Rom. 10. 14. for the Apostle speaketh of confidence or of this well-grounded perswasion as having some influence upon the other two while he saith boldnesse and accesse with confidence 5. Those excellent priviledges of boldnesse accesse and confidence are not only purchased and conveyed unto sinners by Christ as was explained in the point of accesse chap. 2. ver 18. doct 2. but also they are enjoyed by none but such as are in Christ and united to Him by a lively and saving faith and all who are not so in Christ are estranged from spirituall liberty and boldnesse in prayer though they be never so much flowing in eloquence and discourse They are estranged also from accesse unto God being banished from His favour and presence Psal. 58. 3. and have no well-grounded confidence that God doth accept either of their persons or actions seing He is well-pleased only in Him Matth. 3. 17. for he saith In whom meaning Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence They were first in Him 6. Faith in Jesus Christ whereby we receive Joh. 1. 12. and rest upon Him for salvation Isa. 50. 10. is one thing and confidence or perswasion of our acceptation with God is another the former being the cause root and fountain of the latter For Paul sheweth that confidence floweth from faith while he saith with confidence by the faith of Him or faith in Him See Gal. 2. 20. 7. As faith in Jesus Christ is that grace which uniteth us to Him So it not only goeth before our boldnesse accesse and confidence but also maketh way for and is the cause of those and therefore the more that faith is keeped in exercise there will be the more of liberty and boldnesse the more of accesse to God and nearnesse and the more of a well-grounded perswasion of our acceptation by God and confidence for he ascribeth their being in Christ their accesse boldnesse and confidence unto faith while he saith by the faith of Him Vers. 13. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you which is your glory THe Apostle having now sufficiently magnified
what they ask delay or disappointment being in that case much better for severall reasons than a present grant for saith Paul He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Now he speaketh not of His absolute power but as it is operative and working in and for Believers as appeareth from the instance given according to the power that worketh in us saith he 6. This superabundant work of Gods mighty power transcending the hopes and apprehensions of the most inlarged hearts is not reserved wholly to be manifested in the glorification of the Elect but is manifested already to every Believer in part in so far as the work of their conversion at the first of carrying on the work of grace in them afterwards of their through-bearing under and delivery from crosses and trials the timous and unexpected trysting of severall comfortable providences with their necessities are so many proofs and instances of Gods working above what they do ask or think for He is able to work so saith he according to the power that worketh in us 7. We ought to look upon the by past instances of Gods gracious and powerfull working in us as so many confirmations of our faith that He will work powerfully in us for the time to come yea and above what He hath already wrought according as our present state shall call for it for he maketh God's working powerfully in them at their conversion an argument to confirm them that God would work exceeding abundantly even to the fulfilling of all his petitions for them the accomplishment of some whereof to wit their being filled with the fulnesse of God was more than any thing already wrought in them according to the working of His mighty power saith he Vers. 21. Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen NExt there is the thanksgiving it self wherein the Apostle having his own heart doubtlesse duely affected and overcharged with high thoughts of Gods goodnesse mercy power justice and other attributes manifested chiefly in that admirable work of Redemption whereof he hath spoken at length from the beginning of this Epistle and having engaged his heart to set forth the glory and excellency of those praise-worthy attributes both in word and work doth further wish that this duty of glorifying God may and thereby also doth foreprophesie that it shall be gone about by Gods true Church to wit among visible professours members of the Church and chiefly sincere Believers even all such as should find the saving effects of Gods glorious attributes in their own experience and this in all ages and generations so long as the world should stand and to all eternity after time shall be ended and by Jesus Christ in whom all their sacrifices of prayers and praises or of any other performance are accepted of God Doct. 1. The subject matter of a Believers song of praise and glory to God is not only those things which God hath graciously done already but what He is yet to do together with the consideration of His power and goodwill to do them for the Apostle doth here ascribe glory to God even for what He was able to do above what they could ask or think as appeareth from the connexion of the two verses 2. As we ought to make conscience of praise and thanksgiving to God our selves So such is the weight of this duty in it self Psal. 106. 2. and so far short doth the best come in it Neh. 9. -5. so profitable is this duty unto those who do practise it Psal. 147. 1. that we would seriously wish and accordingly endeavour that many others would take a lift of it and joyn with us in this weighty task of giving glory to God for this is a part of Paul's giving glory to God even a wish that the Church may joyn with him in it Unto Him be glory in the Church 3. Though it be the duty of all reasonable creatures to set forth Gods glory yea and all do set it forth one way or other even damned men and devils in a passive way Rom. 9. 17. Yet only those are fit to go about this heavenly duty in a spiritual manner and only such will make conscience of it whom God hath separated from the world unto Himself and upon whom He doth manifest the gracious effects of His praise-worthy attributes for he enjoyneth this duty unto the Church and especially to real Believers in it because the Lord doth make His glorious attributes in their gracious effects manifest only to such Psal. 76. 1 2. Unto Him be glory in the Church 4. Praise and thanksgiving is a duty to be performed not only by Professors and Believers severally and apart but by all of them conjunctly in the assemblies of Gods people as being a part of that publick homage we owe to God Psal. 65. 1. and a 〈…〉 an of mutuall edification Col. 3. 16. for he saith unto Him be glory in the Church 5. Though the duty of thanksgiving and praise be all which God requireth from us for favours bestowed on us Psal. 50. 15. yet we cannot discharge even this duty of our selves and acceptably but by Jesus Christ through whom we have furniture and strength to do Philip. 4. 13. accesse unto God in doing Eph. 2. 18. and acceptation with God when we have done either this or any other duty Eph. 1. -6. for he saith unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus 6. As God shall never want glory from His Church So there shall alwayes be a Church through all ages to hold up this song of praise and glory to God against which the gates of hell shall not prevail Matth. 16. -18. neither shall the Church ever in any age want matter of praise the saddest times want not their own mercies Ezek. 9. 13 for as this is a wish so it is a prophesie that unto Him shall be glory in the Church through all ages 7. See further from the continuance of this song unto all eternity and from the Apostles Amen whereby he closeth the thanksgiving upon Gal. 1. ver 5. doct 3. and 4. World without end Amen CHAP. IIII. THe Apostle having in the three preceeding Chapters given a short sum of saving doctrine doth now to ver 21. chap. 6. exhort them to suitable practice And first being to presse upon them the practice of such duties as are more general and common to all as they are Christians to chap. 5. ver 22. He doth in the first part of this Chapter exhort them to unity and to make way for his so doing he first premitteth a general exhortation to walk worthy of their vocation ver 1. And next subjoyneth a more particular exhortation unto such graces as have a more special influence upon unity as humility c. ver 2. and so doth fall upon his intended scope which is to presse upon them the study of unity ver 3. Which he inforceth 1.
the prisoner of the Lord. See more from this stile taken by Paul chap. 3. ver 1. doct 2 3 4 5 6 7. Doct. 6. So ticklish are people to be dealt with in the point of pressing duty and so ready to cast at duty when it is not pressed in a way suitable to their own mind 2 Tim. 4. 3. that though Ministers are not to be directed by people as to the matter which they preach 2 Chron. 18. 12. 13. yet as to the manner of bearing-in what is pressed they are much to condescend to that way which will be most taking with and gaining upon their humor and particularly they are to presse the duties of holinesse with as much of servent earnest and insinuative entreaty as if it were a matter of their own concernment only or as if people by their obedience were to hurt themselves for doing a favour unto their Ministers for Paul doth presse his exhortation by an insinuative entreaty rather than by commanding I beseech you the word signifieth vehemently to entreat 7. It is no small honour which God doth put upon His people when He effectually calleth them and by His omnipotent and irresistible power Joh. 12. 32. doth draw these who were before dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 1. from under the power of darknesse and translateth them unto the Kingdom of His dear Son Col. 1. 13. giving them actuall possession of the state of grace with all the priviledges accompanying that state here 1 Joh. 3. 2 and a right unto Luk. 12. 32. with the well grounded hope of glory to be enjoyed hereafter Eph. 1. 18. for he speaketh of their vocation as a state of much dignity and honour requiring a singular sort of walking answerable to it That ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 8. So far are we from meriting by our holy and tender walking that God shall call us out of nature unto the state of grace and consequently bestow a right to heaven and glory upon us that our effectuall calling doth go before our holy walking as that without which we cannot walk one step acceptably in the wayes of God for Paul supponeth them to be already called and from that exhorteth them to walk answerably That ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 9. It is the duty of called Christians and will also be their care and study to have a constant eye upon that dignity unto which they are called that so they may walk worthy of it and answerably unto it which then is in some measure performed when we have respect unto all the commandments Psal. 119. 6. and do in a speciall manner make conscience of all those particular duties aftermentioned in this Epistle for he exhorteth them to walk worthy of their vocation as their duty following upon and flowing from that dignity put upon them in effectall calling Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 10. But more particularly Our carriage and practice cannot be answerable to this excellent state to which we are called except first we shake off slouth and lazinesse bestirring our selves in the way of duty Secondly as we begin well so we hold on without down-sitting and turning aside And thirdly we be daily advancing and making progresse in our Christian course for he designeth a carriage answerable to this excellent state by walking which implieth all those three motion or exercise constancie in it and progresse in the way That ye walk worthy of the vocation Vers. 2. With all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering for bearing one another in love HE doth next exhort unto severall graces and duties the exercise and practice whereof are not only branches of that walking worthy of their vocation spoken of ver 1. and here pressed as such but also necessary helps and means for attaining and entertaining that unity which he is afterwards to presse as first humility or lowlinesse a grace and vertue whereby a man from the sense of his own infirmities Gal. 6. ver 1. and the uncertainty of outward things which he enjoyeth 1 Tim. 6. 17. doth esteem but meanly and soberly of himself and of all that is his Philip. 2. 3. Secondly meeknesse a vertue whereby we are rendered tractable and easie to be conversed with I am 3. 17. whereby also we moderate anger so that we are not provoked but for just causes and not more or longer provoked than the Word of God alloweth and do speedily restrain and suppresse anger when it hath transgressed the just bounds Eph. 4. 26. Thirdly long-suffering which is the same in substance with meeknesse only it further implyeth the continuance of the exercise of meeknesse so as it is not interrupted neither with length of time nor with multiplication nor heightening of injuries Matth. 18. 22. Fourthly mutuall forbearance flowing from love for the right performance whereof the former three are spoken of as necessary qualifications as appeareth from the grammaticall construction of the words and it consisteth in our pleasant bearing with and tolerating of whatsomever is displeasing or loathsome to us in the carriage of others though not so as to connive at their sin or to neglect means of reclaming them from their sin Gal. 6. 1 2. yet so as we do not withhold any necessary duty which we otherwise owe unto them Matth. 5. 44. or cease from following after peace and concord with them Heb. 12. 14. Hence Learn 1. How diligent soever a Christian be in publick or private duties of Gods immediate worship or in the duties of his particular calling yet he dothnot walk answerably to that excellent dignity unto which he is called except he be of an humble meek and condescending spirit and do evidence himself to be so by his digesting of bearing with and passing over the infirmities and failings of those whom he converseth with in so far as he do not make a breach upon the peace and unity of the Church of God for he doth instance their walking worthy of their vocation in the exercise of humility meeknesse long-suffering and in mutuall forbearance in order to the keeping of unity in this and the following verses With all lowlinesse c. 2. The grace of humility and lowlinesse as it is most beseeming Christians so it is of necessary use to fit men for the duty of mutuall forbearance in order to unity and peace in so far as the humble man being conscious of his own infirmities doth know he needeth as much of forbearance from God and others as others do need from him Rom. 7. 18. and through humility is made to think but meanly of himself and highly of others Philip. 2. 3 4. and so to eschew vain glory and pride the usuall occasion of strife Prov. 13. 10. for he presseth lowlinesse in order to forbearance and unity while he saith with all lowliness forbearing one another and ver 3. endeavouring to keep unity 3. Humility and lowlinesse is also necessary to
henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro which implyeth an acknowledgement that at least he was once such a childe and that it was necessary for him as well as others to quit that childish temper 4. As the renewed children of God are once babes in Christ and weak in all the parts of the new man even in knowledge prudence patience and other graces so they must not be alwayes such but are to be growing upwards towards perfection for the first of those is implyed and the other expressed while he saith That we henceforth be no more children 5. Pronenesse to error and easinesse to be carried away with every doctrine which pretendeth to Truth is a mark of one who is not grown in grace and but a babe in Christ if he be renewed at all for he calleth those children who are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine 6. That errors and heresies are not lesse damnable and dangerous than other sins appeareth from this that the souls hazard from these is expressed by the hazard of masterlesse ships tossed by contrary winds among rocks or beds of sand while he saith tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine 7. The spirit of error is alwayes turbulent and when suffered to walk abroad doth raise most strange commotions both in the publick state of the Church while hereby the lovers of Truth are called publickly to contend for it Jude ver 3. and in the hearts of private Christians chiefly those who are weak and unsetled and hereby made to fluctuate among the rocks of several opinions and sometimes at last to split upon some one error or other Gal. 1. 6. for so much is implyed while he compareth heretical doctrines to the boisterous winds which drive the ship of the Church to and fro with every wind of doctrine 8. There â—s no erroneous doctrine so hazardous and damnable but Satan will find out some active spirits to spread it and to seduce others unto the imbracing of it for those are the men here spoken of by whose sleight and cunning craftines the winds of false doctrine are made to blow and carry children to and fro tossed by the sleight of men 9. As those whom Satan engageth to carry on a course of error and heresie in a Church are usually men of parts and gifts exceeding far in abilities the generality of the Lords People whom they intend to seduce and as far as men of age and understanding go beyond simple children and babes So these whom Satan thus engageth do usually prove men void of conscience and stand not much upon fraud or falshood providing they may gain their point for the Apostle calleth them men in opposition to those whom formerly he called children and sheweth them to be such men as did make use of sleight and cogging craftinesse and a subtile compendious art of deceiving for carrying on their point by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive 10. Though heretical spirits and seducers of others are men void of conscience Yet they make it their great work to hide their knavery and to appear that which they are not by their large pretences to conscience and piety 2 Cor. 11. 15. hereby to deceive the simple and to carry on their wofull design the more securely under that cover Rom. 16. 18. for he compareth them to cunning gamsters who carry the matter so dexterously that their fraud and knavery do not appear by the sleight of men He alludeth to subtile coggers of dice as said is 11. Hereticall spirits and ringleaders of errour are usually more than ordinarily assisted in their wofull work and so as they fall upon dexterous means which they pursue uncessantly and are attended with marvellous successe oftentimes in so doing the Lord permitting Satan so to act them and to act by them for heightening the triall and making a more speedy and through discovery of the unstability of peoples spirits by those means for the expressions here used do imply their more than ordinary assistance in all those by the sleight of men their cunning craftinesse or singular dexterity to do any mischief and their lying in wait to deceive or their deceiving by a compendious subtil art 12. However subtil seducers make a fair shew of Reason Scripture Piety and Humility for procuring credit to their errors Col. 2. 23. yet the strong and only prop whereupon error leaneth and wherein its great strength doth lie is nothing else but vanity falshood subtil craftinesse and deceit for Paul sheweth that these are the arms of Hereticks whereby they defend their errors even winds of doctrines sleight of men cunning craftinesse and lying in wait to deceive 13. That great measure of parts and gifts with which hereticall seducers are frequently indued their unwearyed diligence in making use of these their deceits falshood and sleights for gaining their purpose and the more than ordinary successe which they are attended with in trying times ought not to discourage the weakest of the Lords people or make them dispair of standing out against their assaults but rather incite them to watchfulnesse to seek after knowledge a spirit of discerning solidity in judgement and stability in truth that so in the strength of the Lord they may resist their activity and wiles for the latter part of the verse hath an indirect argument in it for pressing the duty contained in the former even that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and that because they had to do with the sleight of men the cunning craftinesse of those who lie in wait to deceive Vers. 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things which is the head even Christ HE doth illustrate the fore-mentioned end of the Ministery thirdly from another fruit of that spirituall edification unto which the work of the Ministery is also subservient even to growth in grace or that real Believers by speaking the truth or rather as the word signifieth by cleaving to the truth of heavenly doctrine and by making conscience of the duties of love and good works as the fruit of their sincerity in adhering to truth may grow up and make progresse in all christian vertues untill they attain to their full stature and height of growth even such a measure of conformity with Christ as they be in a manner transformed in Him and become most perfectly one with Him whom he calleth here as often elsewhere See upon chap. 1. 22. the head to show a reason why Believers should grow up in Him and to through conformity with Him even that so the Members of this mystical body may be in some measure proportionable to their head Doct. 1. The ordinance of the Ministery is appointed of God not only to awake those who are yet in nature and drive them to Christ Eph. 5. 14. but also for the good of those who are
already converted even to make them grow up in grace untill they come to perfection and therefore none who live on earth can justly account themselves to be above this Ordinance for the Apostle sheweth that also is one end of the work of the Ministery that those who are already quickened by it may grow up into him 2. The work of edification intended to be brought about by the ordinance of the Ministery is not attained upon souls though they be preserved free from Error except they also know the Truth adhere to it and be growing up in grace and in making conscience of all the duties of an holy life for Paul having mentioned one fruit of that spirituall edification mentioned ver 12. to be freedom from error and infection from false teachers ver 14. he here addeth another that speaking or cleaving to truth in love we may grow up into him in all things 3. Our making conscience to grow in grace is a soveraign remedy against the hazard of being surprized with error and tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine in so far as then we are so much busied about our heart that we have not leisure to be taken up with vain and giddy notions of an unsetled head for Paul having dehorted them from being as children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine subjoyneth as a preservative from that unsetled temper but speaking the truth in love we may grow up 4. It is not sufficient for these who live under the drop of Ordinances to attain to the being of grace so as they can prove by evident marks that they have grace but they must also labour to grow in grace for hereby we glorifie God and speak to the commendation of our Lords table whereat we feed Joh. 15. 8. hereby we attain to the enjoyment of many rich priviledges which otherwise we are deprived of 1 Joh. 4. 18. and hereby also we are more enabled to ride out against a storm in trying times as appeareth from the conhexion of these two verses teaching that babes in Christ and children are tossed to and fro with every wind when grown and growing Christians will ride it out for Paul teaching that the end of the Ministery is to make Believers grow doth show they ought to grow while he saith But speaking the truth in love we may grow 5. As we do then sincerely adhere to the truth of heavenly Doctrine when we make evident our so doing by walking in all the duties of love both to God and our neighbour for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. So our love is then truely Christian and not a fleshly lust or morall vertue only when it is grounded upon truth and the result of our adhering to it by faith for therefore Paul conjoyneth these two making the latter as it were the result of the former while he saith but speaking or cleaving to the truth in love 6. That Christians may grow in grace it is most necessary they labour to have both their understanding enlightened with truth and their heart and affections inflamed with love without either of which our growth is not Christian and spirituall but either superstitious and blind even a growth in error if the understanding be not enlightened or growth in pride conceit self-love and arrogance if the head only being filled with light our affections be not inflamed with love to God and our neighbour for therefore he prescribeth that by speaking the truth in love we should grow up 7. This Christian growth must not only be in one thing but in all things in so far as grace must be growing not only in all the parts of the soul understanding will and affections but the whole man also and all the parts thereof must grow according to all the ordinary dimensions or in all Christian vertues and duties both of our generall and particular calling 2 Pet. 1. 5. even as it is in living bodies who grow equally and proportionally in all their parts of length breadth height and depth That we may grow up in all things saith he 8. Then do Christians grow as they ought when they are in a perpetuall motion towards Christ so as to be daily more and more like Him incorporate in Him and one with Him that full conformity with Christ and that most perfect union and communion with Him which shall be attained in glory being the mark and scope toward which they tend and without attaining whereof they do not sit down satisfied as if they had enough for saith he we may grow up into Him 9. Though there ought to be a spiritual emulation among Christians so as to strive who may grow most and outstripe others 1 Cor. 14. 12. Yet there should be no division envious strife or carnal emulation among them upon this account so as to envie the progresse of others or cast stumbling-blocks in their way to retard them but an harmonious on-going and rejoycing in the progresse one of another seing they are to grow as the parts of one body under one head Christ for so much doth Paul here teach We may grow up into Him which is the head even Christ. Vers. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love THe Apostle doth illustrate the forementioned end of the Ministery fourthly and joyntly inforceth the study of love and unity by shewing how all gifts and offices do tend to the edifying of the body and furtherance of that growth whereof he spake ver 15. while he describeth Christ the Head presently spoken of from His influence upon and relation to the Church His body wherein he alludeth to a natural living body and the way how it being orderly made up of its severall members joyned together by nerves and sinews doth receive life motion nourishment and growth from the head and heart by the benefit of those bonds and ligaments whereby the particular members do not only receive life and nourishment unto themselves but do also convey them unto others so that every member doth receive due encrease and thereby the whole body doth come to maturity and growth In allusion to which way of the naturall growth of the naturall body he sheweth first that by vertue of spirituall influence drawn from Christ who is as the head and heart of the mysticall body the whole body to wit that which is militant on earth or all sincere Believers the true and lively members of this body are joyned fitly or orderly every one in his own place and station and also firmly or compactly with Christ and among themselves Secondly that they are thus joyned by the means of spirituall joynts and s 〈…〉 ews whereby we are to understand every thing that joyneth Believers with Christ and among themselves and they are either joynts and bonds of inward
the full consent of their will and benfall of their affections to think upon and delight in the fulfilling of their lascivious perulant and filthy lusts And thirdly which was the result of all the rest they acted all sort of uncleannesse with a sort of greedinesse and as it were striving who should do most mischief for a prize and reward Doct. 1. Though originall sin hath seazed upon the whole soul understanding will and affections yet the Lord hath keeped so much of the knowledge of Himself and of right and wrong in the understanding of naturall men as they may know in many things when they sin and do evil and so much of conscience as to accuse or excuse according to the nature of the fact Rom. 2. 15. whereupon followeth either grief or joy in their affections for while he saith they were past all feeling and lost all remorse he implieth they once had it before they came to that height 2. Wicked men may arrive to such an height of sin as to have no sense of sin no greif nor check nor challenge from conscience for it for this is to passe feeling which Paul affirmeth of those Gentiles who having past feeling 3. As one degree of sin maketh way for another so in particular hardnesse of heart and obstinacie in sin do eat out the edge of conscience making it wholly senslesse and stupid so that it giveth neither check nor challenge for sin for upon their hardnesse of heart did follow that which is here affirmed Who being past feeling 4. A watching conscience doing its duty is the strongest restraint from sin and where that is not all other restraints will serve for little purpose for upon their having past feeling he saith they gave themselves over to lasciviousnesse 5. When men do give themselves without check and restraint to think upon their sin with delight they cannot choose but fall out in the outward act of that sin though it were never so grosse for upon their giving themselves over to lasciviousnesse they gave themselves also to work all uncleannesse 6. For a man to be given over to lasciviousnesse and to fulfill his beastly lusts without all check or challenge it argueth a great height of impiety and such as speaketh a man ignorant of God judicially hardned in heart and altogether past feeling for he maketh this the result of all the fore-mentioned branches of their wickednesse even that they gave themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all wickednesse 7. As upon senslesse stupidity of conscience through frequent resisting of light there followeth an unsatiablenesse in sinning especially in the sin of uncleannesse that the more a man doth sin he is the more eager upon sin and can never have enough of it So when a man cometh to this he is then arrived at the greatest height of sin unto which ever the Heathens destitute of the knowledge of God did attain for this is the highest step of all that through hardnesse of heart being past feeling they did not only simply act uncleannesse but gave themselves to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Vers. 20. But ye have not so learned Christ HE presseth the former exhortation set down ver 17. from this That the saving knowledge of Christ wherein they were instructed was inconsistent with such a licentious life as those other Gentiles lived in Doct. 1. The anatomizing of that vile monster sin and setting it forth in its blackest colours is not alone sufficient to scare the Lords people from it but such is the interest which sin hath in the best and such is their pronenesse to it that besides there must be other strong arguments made use of to keep them from falling in it for the Apostle having set forth the vilenesse of sin at length seeth it necessary here to super add another argument to inforce the former dehortation But ye have not so learned Christ saith he 2. As the giving of loose reigns to sin is inconsistent with the state of grace and the saving knowledge of Christ So there is no argument more prevalent with a gracious heart to keep them up from profanity and loosnesse than the through inculcating of this truth for among many other arguments Paul maketh choice of this But ye have not so learned Christ. 3. As true Believers must be schollars daily learning somwhat So the sum of all they have to learn and know is Christ He being the end of the Law Rom. 10. 4. and the great subject of the Gospel Col. 1. 27. in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. for saith he ye have not so learned Christ. 4. There is no remedy or cure of our naturall corruption and of all those other filthy wounds and sores that follow upon it but in Christ Jesus being truely known imbraced and made use of as He is set forth in the Doctrine of the Gospel No moral precepts though inforced by most strong and moving considerations can reach the root of this wofull disease for he opposeth their learning Christ as the alone antidote against that vanity of mind with all its branches and degrees formerly spoken of But ye have not so learned Christ. 5. Accordingly as we are instructed and learned by Christ so we ought to walk and put that knowledge which we have of Him and from Him in practice for his scope is to prove they should not walk so because they had not learned Christ so Vers. 21. If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus HE doth here limit the former reason by showing the knowledge which they had of Christ was inconsistent with such a licentious life only upon this supposall if so by learning Christ preached they had been inwardly taught and instructed by Christ Himself in the truth and as the truth was in him who did not only know the truth but also practised what He knew so that His life was a true copie of that holinesse which is taught in the Gospel Matth. 11. 29. Doct. 1. It is not every sort of learning Christ or of knowledge that may be had of Christ which excludeth profanity and is in consistent with a licentious life Many do in a sort learn Him and know Him who abuse that knowledge they have of Him for making them sin the more securely Rom. 6. 1. even those who turn the grace of God to wantonnesse Jude ver 4. for he sheweth what he spake of that inconsistency which is between learning Christ and the practice of profanity doth not alwayes hold while he addeth this limitation if so be ye have heard him 2. Whatever grounds a Minister hath for charity to judge of all or any of the Lords people committed to his charge as truely gracious yet he ought to expresse that his judgement of them with so much warinesse and caution as ground may be given unto them to enquire in their own condition and search
seat of reason the mind and understanding in all men is by nature infected and polluted by this old man of inbred corruption for otherwise there were no need that we should be renewed in the spirit of our mind 2. It is not sufficient in order to our effectual learning of Christ and being taught by Him that we cease to do evill and labour to mortifie our inbred corruption with the several branches thereof but we must also learn to do well and endeavour to have the whole man adorned with the several graces of Gods Spirit making conscience of all the positive duties of an holy life for the Apostle sheweth their being taught of Christ consisted not only in the putting off the old man but in being renewed in the spirit of their mind and ver 24. in putting on that new man 3. See three doctrines implyed in the notation of the word renewed which signifieth to restore a thing deformed and antiquated to its ancient form and beauty upon Col. 3. vet 10. doct 4 5 6. Doct. 4. Right information of the mind and judgement and the knowledge of truth and duty flowing therefrom are most necessary to be sought after by Christians if so they would lead an holy life An erring mind will of necessity at least in so far make a crooked heart and an irregular hand for Paul sheweth that in particular it is necessary to be renewed in the spirit of the mind Vers. 24. And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse REsteth the third thing which the effectual learning of Christ doth require from and work in those who are so taught even that it be their daily task to put on the new man that is to be more and more endued and adorned with new and spirituall qualities whereby their mind may not only be renewed as was mentioned ver 23. but also their will affections and actions Which renewing work he sheweth is carried-on by Gods creating power after the pattern of His own Image which consisteth in perfect conformity to Gods Law as well in the second Table set forth here by righteousnesse as in the first set forth by true holinesse or holinesse of truth to wit that which is wrought by truth Joh. 17. 17. and is not counterfeit but sincere true and reall which epithet doth also agree to righteousnesse Now those gracious and spiritual qualities are called the new man and said to be put on as new garments See the reasons for both upon Col. 3. ver 9 10. doct 3. Hence Learn 〈◊〉 Where there is saving knowledge wrought in the mind sanctified practice in all the duties of an holy life will follow for unto the renewing of the mind ver 23. is here subjoyned the putting on the new man in righteousnesse and holinesse 2. So dead and indisposed are we by nature to holinesse and grace that no lesse than creating power is required to work it in us It is neither implanted by nature Psal. 51. 5. nor attainable by any industry or pains of ours Rom. 9. 16. but is a work of Gods omnipotency though He make use of means for that end 2 Tim. 4. 2. for he saith this new man is created 3. Only those who are renewed in knowledge and have their souls adorned with gracious and spirituall qualities of righteousnesse and holinesse are like to God and such as are most so are most like unto Him for Paul speaking of being renewed in the mind and of putting on the new man saith that it is after God or as it is more plainly Col. 3. 10. after the Image of God Which after God is created saith he 4. The Image of God consisteth not so much in the natural substance or faculties of the soul or the abilities of it for those are in a wicked man as in spiritual gifts and graces even conformity with God in true knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse for the Apostle speaking of the renovation of the mind by knowledge and putting on the new man in righteousnesse and holinesse saith That this is after God or after His Image 5. This new man of grace created after Gods Image as it consisteth not in things external Rom. 14. 17. but in the inward and substantial graces of Gods Spirit so it comprehendeth all spiritual habits and vertues and the exercise of all those graces in all the duties of universal obedience prescribed in both the Tables of the moral Law for he sheweth this new man consisteth in righteousnesse and holinesse which include a conformity to the Law of God in both its Tables Which is created in righteousnesse and holinesse 6. No performance of any one or of all commanded duties whatsoever is a sufficient proof of a renewed mind or the new creature but when it carrieth alongs with it that necessary ingredient of sincerity and truth which maketh the performer of any duty take God for his party Gen. 17. 1. bring up his heart to every duty Jer. 3. 10. and level at Gods glory as his main scope in all duties 1 Cor. 10. 31. and make conscience not only of one but of every duty Luke 1. 6. for he giveth this epithet of truth and sincerity to that righteousnesse and holinesse wherein this new man of grace created after Gods Image doth consist in righteousnesse and true holinesse or in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Vers. 25. Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour for we are members one of another THe Apostle being in the third part of the Chapter to presse upon them the exercise of some particular vertues which do belong to all Christians of whatsoever rank or station equally aswell as those formerly spoken of all of which are injoyned in the second Table of the Commands exhorteth them first from what he spake of putting off the old man and putting on the new to lay aside and mortifie the sin of lying forbidden in the ninth Command whereby a man doth speak what he knoweth or conceiveth to be untruth with an intention and purpose to deceive He exhorteth them also to speak the truth every man with his neighbour that is to speak as they think and to think of what they speak as it really is so that our speech may be conform both to the thing it self and to our conceptions of the thing Which exhortation in both its branches is inforced from this that they were not only members of one body but one of another every member of this mysticall body being bound to contribute all its endeavours as for the good of the whole body in the first place so of every particular member in the next and therefore it had been alike unnaturall and monstrous for them by lying and deceiving to circumveen one another as it were for the eye in the naturall body to deceive the hand or for any one member to contrive and carry on the ruine of another Doct. 1. It is not sufficient for
speaketh here of a further discovery and manifestation of it by the light of reproof which was usefull and necessary All things that are reproved are made manifest 3. The Lord doth sometimes blesse not only publick preaching but also the word of reproof in the mouth of private Christians and the example of their holy life for making godlesse sinners take occasion thence to reflect upon themselves and therein as in a glasse to see the filthy vilenesse of their beloved sins and to judge themselves for them for he saith All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light to wit the light of verball or reall reproof held forth even by private Christians for he doth not speak here to Ministers only 4. The probable good which God may bring about to the party reproved by the means of our reproof should have more of weight to incite us towards the making conscience of this duty than the feared inconvenience to our selves arising from the parties displeasure should have to scare us from it for Paul will have us to set upon this dutie because of our neighbour's good which probably will be brought about by it reprove them saith he For all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light 5. As there is no duty of the successe whereof we use to be more diffident than that of reproving the sins of others So there is not any duty the successe whereof we have better ground to be perswaded of even than of this that discovery of sin to the sinners conscience either to his conversion or further obduration shall follow upon a timeous and well-guided reproof for he proveth that this effect shall follow upon reproof as natively as the discovery of things dark and hid doth follow upon light for that is light saith he which discovereth all things Vers. 14. Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light HEre is a second argument to enforce the duty of reproving those unfruitfull works of darknesse which also confirmeth the former to wit that by reproving them they should be made manifest The argument is taken from Gods own example who in His Word doth reprove the world of sin and thereby conveyeth the light of Jesus Christ unto them as the Apostle proveth by shewing what is Gods great work and design through His whole Word whereof this verse is a short sum though it seemeth more particularly to relate unto Isa. 60. ver 1. 2. from which this place is thought to be cited with some variation in the words but none in the purpose Which design is threefold The first branch whereof is here implyed even to convince all unrenewed men especially how wofull and dangerous their present case is and that it is a spirituall sleep and death 1. A sleep because the carnall man hath all his spirituall senses bound up Isa. 43. 8. having no spirituall fellowship with those who live a new life Ephes. 4. 18. doth dream and fancy that he seeth heareth and converseth with them Rev. 3. 17. which he will after find to be but a meer fancy when his conscience doth rouze him up Rom. 7. 9. neither hath he power over himself but is exposed as a prey to Satan or any who mindeth his spirituall hurt 2 Tim. 2. 26. for such is the case of those naturally who are in a naturall sleep And secondly a death because the naturall man hath not only his senses bound up as in a sleep but there is no spirituall power or faculty remaining in him to do any thing which is truly good Rom. 8. 7. as a dead man hath no principle of life or vitall action The second branch of this great design is here expressed which is to point out unto all such what is their duty in that case even to awake and rise from the dead that is in a word to turn to God to break off their sins by repentance and to set about all the duties of holinesse flowing from the principle of a new life Which duty is here and elsewhere enjoyned by God unto dead sinners not that it is in their power Jer. 13. 23. but because it is their duty so to do yea and such a duty as must be gone about otherwise they cannot be saved Luk. 13. 3. and because by such exhortations and commands as by an outward mean the Spirit of God doth effectually work that in them which He requireth from them Rom. 10. 17. The third branch of this great design is to encourage them unto this duty from the promise of a greater measure of the light of knowledge holinesse and comfort here all which are comprehended under the name of light See upon ver 8. and of glory hereafter called also light Col. 1. 12. to be given unto them by Christ upon their so doing Doct. 1. The pains which God doth take upon godlesse sinners yet in nature to awake them from the sleep of sin and to draw them unto Christ is a strong argument binding us to commiserate the case of such and from pity towards them to endeavour in our stations to bring them out of that wofull state wherein they are Our obligation to help them is greater than His besides that we are bound to work with God and to further His design for he inforceth upon them the duty of reproving those godlesse Atheists in order to their conviction and amendment from Gods example who doth the like Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest 2. That God hath appointed reproof of sin to be the ordinary mean of awakning dead sinners and of bringing them to Christ and that He maketh use of this mean Himself all alongs His Word in order to this end should encourage us as we have accesse in our stations to make use of that mean towards those with whom we converse as knowing God may and when He pleaseth will blesse the mean appointed by Himself whatever unliklyhood there be otherwise of successe for he exciteth them to practise this duty from this that God maketh use of reproof as the ordinary mean of bringing souls to Christ Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest 3. Scripture doth not consist so much in the formall words as in the sense and meaning of those words and therefore though we cannot keep in memory the very formall words of Scripture yet if we remember the sum of the purpose contained in those words we may make use of it as of the Word of God whether for confirmation of truth refutation of errour exhortation to duty or reproof of sin and vice 2 Tim. 3. 16. for the Apostle being to presse this duty of reproving upon them from Scripture doth not cite the very formall words of Scripture but giveth the generall drift of all Scripture in few words or the sense and meaning of one particular Scripture to wit of Isa. 60. 1 2. from which this verse seemeth to be cited Wherefore he saith Awake
good and advantage and because it must be done with condescendency of spirit and stouping seing our proud and lofty spirits do look upon every duty towards our neighbour as below them And he addeth in the fear of God which containeth 1. a motive to the duty this mutuall submission and stouping unto all those duties which we owe one to another being an evidence of a man's fearing God Gen. 42. 18. and 2. the right fountain from whence this submission should flow for then do we our duty towards others acceptably and as we ought when our so doing floweth from the fear and awe of God Col. 3. -22 and 3. the rule and measure of this submission there being none bound to submit himself to please his neighbour further than is consisting with that subjection and obedience which he oweth unto God Act. 5. 29. Doct. 1. We are not under pretence of going about the duties of Gods immediate worship to neglect those other duties of our particular callings and which we owe to man in our several stations God alloweth time for both we are to take time for both and conscientious regard of the one and of the other are most consistent for the Apostle enjoyneth both the former and latter sort of duties as it were with one breath which is clear from the grammatical construction of the words Giving thanks alwayes submitting your selvet one to another Yea secondly The consciencious discharging of those duties which we owe to our neighbour in our several stations in a way acceptable to God doth call for and argue a copious measure of the saving work of Gods Spirit in the heart no lesse than those other duties of Gods worship and service for this verse dependeth upon and is constructed with ver 18. Be filled with the Spirit submitting your selves 3. There are none living whom God alloweth to live only to themselves but all are bound to lay out themselves in their respective imployments for the good and behoof of others even superiors for the good of inferiors for this command is given to all without exception Submitting your selves one to another 4. As God hath tyed us not to live to our selves only but also to others whose good we are to aim at in our place and station So for a recompence and that there may be a kind of equality He hath tyed those others to live also unto us and one way or other to be forth-coming for our good and advantage for the command and obligation founded upon it is reciprocal Submitting your selves one to another 5. Where the fear of God is rooted in the heart it will make a man conscientiously carefull and tender of his duty towards man so that he will not only do his duty but also do it from a right principle and motive and so do as he will not overdo by displeasing God while he goeth about to please men for he holdeth forth the fear of God as the fountain motive and rule of that submission which is here enjoyned Submitting one to another in the fear of God Vers. 22. Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. THe Apostle cometh now to presse those particular duties which are incumbent to every member of a compleet Family And being to begin with the duties of husbands and wives he doth in the first place exhort wives to their dutie to wit that part of it which is peculiar to them passing-by those other duties which are common to them with their husbands as love Tit. 2. 4. Col. 3. 19. communion of body and goods 1 Cor. 7. 4. dwelling together 1 Pet. 3. 7 bearing mutually with one anothers infirmities Gal. 6. 2. These duties then peculiar to the wives are here briefly summed up in this one word of submission properly and strictly so called and it supposeth somewhat in the wife to wit a reverend esteem of her husband as the root of this submission spoken of ver 33. to be evidenced in her respective speaking to him and of him 1 Pet. 3. 6. and it expresseth somewhat to wit the obedience of the wife to her husband in things lawfull flowing from reverence and submission of mind 1 Pet. 3. 5 6. It implyeth also somewhat as consequentiall to that state of subjection wherein the wife is placed even the exercise of several vertues as that she be a keeper at home Tit. 2. 5. an active promotter of her husband's and her own affairs especially within doors Prov. 31. 13 c. that she evidence shamefastnesse sobriety and submission in her moderate speech in her grave and affable deportment and in rendering her self teachable in those things wherein she shall be instructed by her husband 1 Tim. 2. 9 10 11 12. Now this submission of the wives is explained first from the party to whom they owe it to wit their own husbands even though they should come short of others in knowledge wisdom and every other thing which doth deserve it 1 Sam. 25. 17. And 2. from the manner motive and rule of their submissive obedience while he saith as unto the Lord to wit Christ expresly spoken of ver 23. For 1. It must not be constrained and feigned but willing and sincere resembling so far at least that subjection which they owe to the Lord Christ for though the comparative particle as doth not hold forth an equality in all things yet it pointeth at a similitude and likenesse in some things 2. It must not flow from a natural principle only of law custome or desire of preventing domestick broyles but from conscience of duty to the Lord Christ and from respect to His ordinance who hath so appointed And thirdly it must be only in things lawfull and no wayes contrary to that submissive obedience which they owe to Him Doct. 1. As the right ordering of Families doth conduce much to the advancing of Religion and Policy combination in Families being the foundation of all other societies So the good and orderly conversation of husband and wife is of great concernment for advancing piety and godlinesse among all the other members of the Family for as the Apostle presseth much those duties which belong to Christians as they are members of Families so he doth begin with the duties of husband and wife Wives submit your selves 2. When we are to deal with persons of several estates and conditions and to inform and presse upon them their respective duties we are to begin with the inferiours rather than the superiours because their duty through the subjection which is in it is more difficile and being made conscience of is a strong motive unto the Superiour to go about his dutie in like manner for therefore the Apostle in pressing duties upon those three pairs which are in every compleat Family doth alwayes begin with the inferiour first as here Wives submit your selves 3. The great and main duty which a wife as a wife ought to learn and so learn as to practise it is to be
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
arguments the first whereof is in this verse and taken from the equity and righteousnesse which is in it even that children should do all the forementioned duties unto their parents to whom under God they owe their very being The Laws of all Nations even of the most barbarous do enjoyn it an◠all creatures who have life and sense are carried in some measure by a kind of instinct unto it Hence Learn 1. The great and main duty which a childe as a childe ought to learn and so to learn as to practise is to obey his parents even to receive their instructions and execute their lawful commands this being a duty which of any other proud and rebellious nature is most averse from and yet such as nature it self doth plead for its equity so that whatever children be otherwise for beauty for strength for quicknesse wisdom activity learning preferment or honour yet this being inlacking they fight against the very law and light of nature and so are a reproach to their parents Prov. 19. 26. and do accelerate the judgement of God upon themselves 1 Sam. 2. 25. for though the obedience here enjoyned doth draw with it all those other duties which children owe to their parents as was shown in the exposition yet it doth in the first place signifie a submissive hearkening unto and obeying of their lawfull commands as the word in the Original doth imply which he doth mainly presse upon children Children obey your parents 2. This duty of obedience to parents belongeth unto all children whatsoever so that neither age sexe place honour or condition do exempt them wholly from it 1 King 2. 19. for he speaketh indefinitly unto all children and of both sexes Children obey your parents 3. Children are bound to obey not only one but both their parents the mother as well as the father yea the holy Ghost doth expresly provide for the mother giving her the precedency Lev. 19. 3. because her sexe being weaker she is the more subject to be despised for he useth a word common to both father and mother while he saith Children obey your parents 4. It is not sufficient that children obey their parents either from a natural instinct or fear of their displeasure or hope of great things to be received from them and enjoyed by them but their obedience must flow from conscience of duty towards God who doth enjo 〈…〉 it and be regulated by and subordinated to that obedience which they owe to Him otherwise their obedience is only heathenish and naturall but not Christian for he commandeth Children obey your parents in the Lord. 5. The nature of man is since the fall become so perverse and backward that there is need of a spur of earnest exhortation inforced with strong and evident reason to stir us up even to those duties which are written in broadest letters upon every mans heart by nature for the Apostle seeth it necessary not only to exhort unto this duty of obedience to parents but also to enforce his exhortation by arguments For this is right saith he 6. The first and chief motive which ought to set us on work to any duty is not so much the advantage which may redound to us by the practice of it as the equity and righteousnesse which is in the thing it self as being commanded by God and well pleasing in His sight for he enforceth obedience to parents from the equity of it before he mention ver 3. the profit which should accresce unto children by it For this is right saith he Vers. 2. Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise THe Apostle passing-by all other reasons to prove the equity of the former injunction doth pitch upon one to wit the Law of God enjoyning this duty in the fifth Command The scope of which Command is to prescribe all those duties which inferiours owe to their superiours and by consequence which superiours owe to their inferiours where all superiours are expressed by the name of father and mother because the authority of parents is most natural and the yoke of it most easily comported with and therfore all other authority goeth under the name of that to render it lesse invidious to those who are to be subject unto it And the duty enjoyned to inferiors is their giving honour to superiors which implyeth as was shown ver 1. reverence obedience and gratitude Now this command is described from its precedency as being the first and most weighty command in all the second table and from the manner of propounding it not nakedly but with a speciall promise of a particular mercy subjoyned to this command in particular and expressed ver 3. which cannot be said of any other command for the promise annexed to the second is a generall promise of mercy made to such as keep all the commands Hence Learn 1. Whatever God hath commanded in His Word is most righteous equitable and just for he proveth that it is right for children to obey their parents because the Law of God enjoyneth honour thy father and mother 2. Though the Law of Ceremonies given by Moses doth not oblige Christians Christ the substance of those shadows being come Col. 2. 17. nor yet the judiciall Law which was given to the Jewish Commonwealth and to stand and fall with it Numb 36. 6 7. yet the moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments as being never yet repealed by God doth stand in force and is binding unto Christians for Paul doth urge this duty of obedience unto parents upon children because the morall Law enjoyneth it Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise 3. So far is God from abolishing different ranks degrees and states among men that He taketh speciall care to have those and publick order in those inviolably preserved while He not only enjoyneth the respective duties of superiors and inferiors but also giveth them the first and chief place among all those other duties which man doth owe to man for saith he honour thy father and mother by whom as we shew are meaned all lawfull superiors and he addeth which is the first commandment to wit in the second table 4. Though God as absolute Lord might enjoyn us obedience to His commands without giving any promise of a reward yet so backward are we to our duty and so mercifull is God that to overcome our backward unwillingnesse He is pleased sweetly to allure us by His gracious promise of a free reward unto our obedience for here is a commandment with promise Vers. 3. That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth HEre he sheweth what that promise is and thereby giveth a second argument to inforce the duty of obedience upon children unto parents taken from the profit and advantage which should redound unto them by it for the Lord doth here expresly promise prosperity and long life to all such as make conscience of this
walk acceptably in their stations for here is in it a direction even for servants Servants be obedient unto your masters 4. The great and main lesson which servants as servants ought to learn and so to learn as to practise is to be obedient to their masters and in a word faithfully and diligently and according to their masters own lawfull directions to go about their affairs So that whatever they be otherwise for wisdom breeding or profession of piety yet if they be inlacking in this either neglecting their businesse or preferring their own wisdom in carrying of it on to the direction of their masters they are a reproach to the Gospel in so far as they make not conscience of that which the Gospel requireth from them most for this is it he doth mainly presse upon them Servants be obedient unto your masters 5. This duty of obedience belongeth unto all servants towards their masters So that neither birth breeding nor their near relation of kindred unto their masters do exempt them from it providing they be servants for he speaketh indefinitly unto all servants Servants be obedient unto your masters 6. This duty of obedience from servants is payable to all masters without exception whether they be good or bad rich or poor great or small no diversity of that kind doth detract from the masters authority nor ought to lessen the servants obedience for he speaketh indefinitly also of masters Servants be obedient unto your masters 7. As the power of masters yea and all earthly power whatsomever doth only reach the body and the outward temporall concernments of inferiors and cannot reach their conscience soul or spiritual concernments except to constrain the outward man unto the obedience of what God hath already prescribed in those So neither ought superiors to make their will an absolute rule to be followed by their inferiors in all things nor yet inferiors to give up themselves wholly to follow all their directions with a blind and implicit obedience for they are but masters according to the flesh that is have power over the bodies of servants only 8. It is not sufficient to do what is commanded by God in any thing except we do it in that manner wherein it is commanded and particularly servants must not only yeeld obedience to their masters and do them service but they must do it in such manner as it ought to be done and in speciall their obedience and service must be qualified as the Apostle hath expressed even with fear and trembling singlenesse of heart c. See the exposition of this and the two following verses 9. A proud heart evidencing it self in a saucie malapert awlesse and carlesse carriage is most unbeseeming the condition of servants and highly displeasing to God in them as being opposit to that property of fear and trembling which ought to accompany their obedience Be obedient with fear and trembling 10. Though servants are to stand in awe of their masters displeasure and even from fear of that to go about their service Mal. 1. 6 yet they must not be acted from fear alone nor think themselves exonered when so much is done as his displeasure will be eschewed but being acted from other motives also they must make conscience of severall other things in the matter and manner of their service which the awe and fear of their master would never constrain them unto for although the master know not the heart and consequently the servants need not to trouble themselves about their heart from the fear or dread of him yet they are to obey in singlenesse of heart 11. A servant can never discharge his duty with that sincerity and tendernesse which he oweth unto his master except he have an high esteem of Christ and in the first plac become an obedient servant unto Him that so from love to Christ he may yeeld himself obedient to his master in Christ and so far as obedience to him doth not crosse that obedience which he oweth to Christ for he biddeth them be obedient unto their masters as unto Christ and so implyeth they must be first obedient unto Christ. Vers. 6. Not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart HEre are moe properties of the obedience required from servants or rather an explanation of that property already expressed to wit singleness of heart which he explaineth 1. negatively while he opposeth it to eye-service which is here condemned in servants who then are guilty of this sin when they seem respective to their masters person and carefull of what concerneth him himself being present or when they know their deportment will otherwayes come to his knowledge but at other times are unfaithfull and carelesse which sin of eye-service is aggreaged from this that those who are guilty of it are men-pleasers not as if it were simply unlawfull for servants to endeavour to please their masters for that is commanded Tit. 2. 9. but when they only seek to please them and that they may seem to please them care not to deceive them by appearing to be that in their presence which really they are not and consequently do not labour to approve themselves to the all-seeing eye of God This is the sin of men-pleasing here condemned in servants as being near of kin to eye-service Next positively by shewing that then did they serve in singlenesse of heart when 1. they behaved themselves as the servants of Christ knowing that they behoved to be countable to Him who knoweth the double dealing even of the very heart Jer. 17. 10. and that He will accept of their lawfull obedience unto their masters as service done to Him And secondly when taking God for their party and looking upon the lawfull commands of their masters as the will of God unto them they do set about to execute them cordially and sincerely even from the heart without dissimulation and hypocrisie Doct. 1. A single heart is alwayes constant in good and the same in secret which it is before the view of others for eye-service whereby servants are one thing before their masters and another thing behind their backs is here opposed to singlnesse of heart not with eye-service 2. A man may so walk as to content the eye of those who behold and to please men to the full who can see no further than the outside 1 Sam. 16. -7. and yet his way be highly displeasing unto God for though eye-service be a sin displeasing unto God Yet servants may please men with it as is here implyed not with eye-service as men-pleasers 3. When a mans chief design is to gain applause and to be well esteemed of by men he hath no further regard of his duty either to God or men than what doth make way for the promoting of that design for men-pleasing is the fountain of eye-service in servants or of their neglecting duty but in so far only as they may be seen and
of free-men and masters And that this argument may have the more force with them he appealeth to their own conscience and knowledge for the truth of it if it was not so as he had affirmed Doct. 1. Then and then only may a man reckon himself to do good or a good work acceptable to God when the thing he doth is warranted by Gods will revealed in His Word when he doth it in singlenesse of heart from an inward principle of love and good-will within in the heart and in obedience to Gods command or as service unto Him for the obedience required from servants was to be so qualified ver 5 6 7. and he doth here call it a doing good Whatsoever good thing a man doth 2. Even the basest drudgery of servants being so qualified is a doing of good and cometh within the compasse of good works which the Lord will take notice of as such for it is with an eye to the imployment of servants mainly that he here speaketh Whatsoever good thing a man doth the same shall be receive 3. As it is lawfull to eye the promised reward for our encouragement in the way of duty So it is the mind of God that every one should in the due and right order make particular application unto themselves of such promises as are in Scripture held forth unto all in general for he holdeth forth the promise of a reward which is made unto all who do good in general to be made use of by Christian servants for their encouragement in particular Whatsoever good a man doth the same shall be receive of the Lord. 4. Promises have no influence to excite unto duty except the truth of them be known and believed so that ignorance and misbelief of divine truths are a great cause of abounding profanity and neglect of duty in all ranks for he layeth the weight of their encouragement to duty from this promise upon the knowledge and faith which they had of it knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall be receive of the Lord. 5. The Lord in dispensing rewards looketh not to the externall beauty splendour or greatnesse of the work but to the honesty and sincerity of it how mean or inconsiderable soever it be otherwise for the promise of a reward is to the outwardly mean and base works of poor servants if so they be honest and sincere aswell as to the more splendid honourable and expensive works of their rich masters The same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Vers. 9. And ye masters do the same things unto them forbearing threatning knowing that your master also is in heaven neither is their respect of persons with him HE doth here in the first place set down the duties of masters towards their servants 1. positively while he enjoyneth them to do the same things which is to be understood not of the duties themselves which are much different from the duties of servants See them briefly summed up upon Col. 4. ver 1. doct 1 2. but of those properties and conditions which are common to the duties of both so that the master is bound to discharge his duty towards his servant in singlenesse of heart as service to Christ in obedience to the will and command of God from his heart with love and good-will even as the servant is bound to minde those qualifications in his duty towards his master Next negatively while he forbiddeth threatning or rather commandeth to relax and moderate threatning as the word doth signifie and so the thing forbidden is excesse in threatning and boasts when they are alway menacing oftentimes for light occasions and sometimes for none And by proportion all fierce and inhumane way of dealing with servants by masters whether in words or deeds is here forbidden also In the second place he inforceth this duty by minding them of that which they did know at least ought to have known even that they also aswell as their servants had a master above them to call them to an accompt to wit God who to make the argument more pungent is described 1. from His magnificent and stately Palace where His glory shineth to wit the Heaven not as if He were only there and nowhere else Jer. 23. 24. but to set forth His absolute dominion 2 Chron. 20. 6. His omniscience Psal. 11. 4. His holinesse Isa. 57. 15. and His omnipotency Psal. 115. 3. so that their sin could not be hid from Him His holy Nature did hate it He had both right and power to punish it 2. From His impartiality and justice in judging so that He respecteth not persons nor faces outward shew and appearance as the word signifieth and therefore by persons is not meaned the substance or personal subsistence of men but their outward state and condition even that which is conspicuous in man and doth commonly make him more or lesse esteemed among men as country state of life riches poverty wisdom learning c. and consequently to respect persons is to wrest judgement from a sinfull respect to the outward state condition of parties and such other things which are wholly extrinsick to the cause in hand which vice the Lord is free of as being the righteous Judge of the world who cannot be byassed by fear love pitty or any other inordinate affection as man is and consequently the outward dignity power or wealth of masters would not make Him spare them if they made not conscience of their duty Hence Learn 1. Though masters are freed from subjection and giving obedience unto their servants yet not from doing duty unto them Neither is there any power among men so absolute no not that of Kings and supream Rulers Rom. 13. 3. -4. -6. but it implyeth an obligation through vertue of Gods Ordinance upon those who are invested with it to make conscience of several duties towards their inferiours and subjects for he saith And ye masters do the same things unto them 2. It concerneth masters in their place as much as servants in theirs not only to go about their duty but also to advert to the manner wherein they do it even that it be done in sincerity cordially chearfully taking God for their party more than men for he saith Ye masters do the same things unto them 3. It is not only lawfull but in some cases necessary for masters sometimes to threaten boast cast down their countenance upon negligent lazy disobedient and chiefly upon profane servants providing they do it moderatly and keep off excesse for the Apostle doth not simply forbid all manner of threatning but only prescribeth a moderation thereof Forbearing or moderating threatning 4. The Servants of Christ in the reproof of sin ought mainly to guard against such evils as those to whom they speak through custom perverse inclination or a deluded mind are most ready to fall into and so ought people set mainly against such sins in themselves and thereby defend the wall
where it is weakest and the enemies greatest force doth lie for because masters are most prone to break out against their servants in threatning railing and reviling words as thinking words are but wind and their tongues are their own Psal. 12. 4. therefore he forbiddeth that evil mainly and expresly Forbearing threatning saith he 5. As it is very usuall for powers on earth sinfully to oversee and not to punish the cruell and unjust dealing of masters towards servants So those sins which are most connived at by men are most severely taken notice of by God for the Apostle mindeth them that God would call masters to an accompt how they carried towards their servants though men did not take notice of them Knowing that your master also is in heaven 6. It is too too ordinary for men in place and authority above others to carry themselves as if they had none above them to be countable unto or at least to dream that the Lord will not take such strict account of them as of their underlings and servants for the Apostle obviateth such thoughts and so doth indirectly imply that masters did so think while he saith your master also is in heaven and there is no respect of persons with him 7. Ministers are bound to inculcate even those truths upon the Lords people which they in charity do judge to be throughly known already by them because truths are better known than made use of by the most part yea the calling to mind of known truths by the publick Ministery doth through Gods blessing put a new lustre and efficacy upon them for inciting unto duty for therefore though the Apostle supponeth they knew this truth yet he putteth them in remembrance of it Knowing that your master is in heaven See what is observed further upon this description of God from His royal palace and impartiality in judging upon Col. 3. ver 25. doct 4 5. and Col. 4. ver 1. doct 4 5 6. Vers. 10. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might THe Apostle having from chap. 5. ver 21. exhorted unto those duties which belong to Christians as they are members of families doth now in the second part of this Chapter exhort unto one duty which belongeth unto all Christians in generall the making conscience whereof is necessary for practising all or any of the fore-mentioned duties even that they would prepare and make ready for a christian warfare And being in the first branch of this part of the Chapter unto ver 14. to inforce this duty more generally he doth first propone the exhortation to wit that finally or notwithstanding of all he had formerly spoken this one thing did remain yet necessary to be delivered by him for so much the Original word doth imply even that they would be strong fortifie themselves take to them spirits and resolutions in order to their Christian warfare And this first by looking at and making use of that strength which they had and all Believers have without themselves in the Lord Christ who is engaged with them as leader and generall in this warfare Joh. 10. 28. And particularly they are to look at and act their faith upon the power of His might or His almighty power in order to their being strong and resolute as that which alone was able to answer all their faintings and fears arising either from their own weaknesse Rom. 4. 19. with 21. or the strength of enemies Joh. 16. 33. Hence Learn 1. It is not enough for Christians to know what they ought to do by vertue of their severall relations except they also set about the practice of their duty according to what they know of it for the Apostle having already instructed them in the knowledge of their duty he sheweth this one thing was yet remaining even to prepare themselves with resolution and courage in order to their better practising of it Finally or this yet remaineth that ye be strong in the Lord. 2. As the duties of a Christian life whether in our generall or particular calling will not be discharged by us without a battell and conflict with strong difficulties and terrible adversaries So it is the duty of Christs Ministers not only to presse duties upon the Lords people but also to forewarne them of these difficulties and dangers which ly in the way of their duty and to instruct them how to wrestle with and overcome them all for so doth Paul having already pressed upon them the duties of their generall and particular callings he doth here not only forewarne them but also forearme them against difficulties and hazards Finally be strong in the Lord. 3. Though the Lords Servants sometimes may and are also bound to command and charge the people of God committed to their charge to make conscience of their duty 1 Tim. 6. 17. yea and also denounce against them most terrible threatnings if they neglect it 2 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 13. yet so long as gentle exhortations enforced with sweet smooth insinuations and rationall demonstrations of the equity and necessity of the thing may prevail they are rather to be followed by them thereby testifying their affection unto and charitable esteem of their hearers as of rationall men who are in a greater probability to be wrought upon by insinuations desires and convincing reasons than by threats and boasts for the Apostle doth here gently exhort them enforcing this exhortation by an insinuative compellation while he calleth them brethren and afterwards convinceth them of the equity and necessity of that to which he doth exhort them Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord. 4. So strong and terrible are these difficulties which Christians are assaulted with in the way of duty See ver 12. that there is need of more than ordinary strength resolution and courage for meeting with them and charging through them Faint hearted-cowards and lazie sluggards will never face them far lesse overcome them Prov. 22. 13. for in order to their rancountering those difficulties he biddeth them be strong that is take to them spirits and courage 5. No naturall courage nor hardinesse of spirit arising from mans naturall temper though in some respect sufficient for making men endure any temporall hardship without succumbing Prov. 18. 14. is able to underprop and bear us up against the furious assaults of such spirituall adversaries and breaking discouragements arising from such multiplied difficulties as daily do assault us in our Christian course for he biddeth them be strong not in themselves or in the power of their own naturall resolutions but in the Lord and the power of his might 6. No strength of grace inherent no spiritual courage flowing from the graces of Gods Spirit in us is alone and by it self sufficient to make us stand and bear us through as victors in this spirituall conflict we must besides be underpropped by the power and strength of Christ the Lord without us by whose influence our inherent graces
duty For understanding of which promise know that though it was to be understood even in the most plain and obvious sense of the words as it was held forth to the ancient Church to whom God used to promise and bestow things carnall and earthly as an earnest and shadow of things heavenly 1 Cor. 10. 11. Yet even then there was a tacite condition implied to wit in so far as the thing promised should serve for Gods glory 2 Chron. 35. 24. and the good of those to whom the promise was made 1 King 14. 13. But now under the New Testament though this promise even in the letter be doubtlesse fulfilled unto many Yet it is chiefly to be understood in a sprituall sense in so far as the godly obedient childe whether he live long or short doth alwayes live well because he liveth in Gods favour Psal. 63. 3. and cometh to a full and ripe age as having reached the prize and mark for attaining whereof life is given even the salvation of the soul Isa. 65. 20. Hence Learn 1. Though our first and chief motive unto duty ought to be the equity and righteousnesse which is in the thing it self as being commanded by God Yet we may eye the promised reward whether temporall or eternall as a secondary motive and encouragement providing it be not looked at as a thing to be merited by our obedience Luk. 17. 10. for as ver 1. he inforced this duty of obedience from the equity of it in the first place So here from the advantage which should redound unto children by it in the second place That it may be well with thee 2. So merciful is God to man that He hath injoyned only those things as equitably righteous and conducing to His own glory which tend also and no lesse to our own profit and advantage so that we need not to separate our own well-being from His glory but are alwayes to seek the former as a mean of and in subordination to the latter for the Apostle sheweth that this duty of obedience in children as it tendeth to glorifie God in the first place it being a doing of what is right according to His command So it tendeth to the advantage of children in the next That it may be well with thee 3. To live well and long upon the earth is in it self not to be despised or under-valued in so far as though the godly man the longer he liveth he is the longer keeped out of heaven yet he findeth the moe proofs and experiences of Gods goodnesse here on earth 1 Joh. 3. 13. and hath the larger opportunity of a fair seed-time of glorifying God here and consequently shall of free grace reap a more plentifull harvest of comfort at death and of glory hereafter 2 Cor. 9. 6. for he promiseth this as a blessing to the obedient childe that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth which as we shew is accomplished sometimes in the very letter 4. Then do we rightly apply unto our selves under the New Testament those things which were spoken to the Jews under the Old when passing-by what was in such things typical or astricted to the infant-state of the Church which then was we look upon what was substantial moral or of common equity as belonging unto us yet for so much doth the Apostle teach while citing the promise annexed to the fifth command he saith only that thou mayest live long upon the earth and omitteth the last clause of that promise to wit which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20. 12. whereby that promise was in a peculiar manner astricted to the Jews and to the land of Canaan which He did give them to inherit 5. The best way to thrive even in things worldly and to attain prosperity health wealth and length of dayes so far at least as shall serve for Gods glory and our own good is to live a godly life by taking heed thereto according to Gods Word and especially by giving due reverence and obedience to our natural parents and consequently to all our lawfull superiours because of the Command of God for unto the Command ver 2. Honour thy father and mother this promise is subjoyned that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth Verse 4. And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. HE doth here in a word set forth the duty of parents And because they are apt to abuse their parentall authority and chiefly the fathers therefore he enjoyneth to them and by consequence to the mothers to beware of provoking their children to wrath or of imbittering their spirits which is done either by denying them that which is their due in food râ—iment or meanes of education Lam. 4. 3. or by commanding things in themselves unjust 1 Sam. 20. 31. or by unjust and rigorous commands about things in their own nature indifferent 1 Sam. 14. 29. or inveighing with bitter words against them chiefly when there is no cause 1 Sam. 20. 30. and lastly by beating them either unjustly when there is no fault 1 Sam. 20. 33. or immoderatly unseasonably or basely when there is a fault Next he doth guard them against the other extremity of too much indulgence to their children while he exhorts them first to bring them up or as it is in the original to nourish them which comprehendeth not only their giving unto them present maintenance from the womb Gen. 21. 7. but also their providing for them against the future 2 Cor. 12. 14. and training them up in any lawfull imployment whereby they may be able under God to sustain themselves and theirs Gen. 4. 2. And secondly to joyn nurture and admonition with their education by the former whereof is meaned the timous seasonable and compassionate correction of children which parents are bound to dispense Prov. 13. 24. and by the latter is meaned the information of their judgement how they ought to carry themselves towards God in things religious Gen. 18. 19. and how towards man in righteousnesse civility and good manners which is also a great piece of the duty of parents towards children Prov. 31. 1 8 9. And lastly he addeth that their education must be in the admonition of the Lord Christ that is such as becometh Christians and by which young ones are instructed chiefly in the knowledge of Gods Word of Jesus Christ and of the way of salvation held forth by Him Hence Learn 1. Such is the prevalencie and interest of sin in the soul of man now fallen that in some it wholy extinguisheth or much weakeneth the most intense of our natural affections and maketh them run in a channel quite contrary unto what they ought for the Apostle supponeth that even naturall affection in some parents to their own children will be so far weakened as by their unnatural carriage to provoke and imbitter them