from this other of having undertaken the obedience of God 29. And when the people were gathered thick together he began to say This is an evil generation they seek a signe and there shall no signe be given it but the signe of Jonas the prophet Paraphrase 29. As for the second question proposed v. 16. he now in the presence of a great multitude gave answer also to that see Mat. 12. 39. 30. For as Jonas was a signe to the Ninevites so shall also the son of man be to this generation Paraphrase 30. For as Jonas preaching in the streets of Nineve being accompanied with the miracle of having been three daies in the whales belly and then being cast up on the shore alive was an assurance to them that without repentance they should speedily be destroyed So shall the preaching of Christ to the men of this age accompanied with his death and resurrection after three daies be a certain forerunner of destruction to them that believe not 31. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and shall condemn them for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solomon and behold a greater then Solomon is here Paraphrase 31. here is more of wisdome heavenly divine doctrine then ever was in all Solomons words or writings Mat. 12. 42. 32. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here Paraphrase 32. here is more powerfull preaching denuntiation of severer judgments then those that Jonah denounced against Nineve 33. No man when he hath lighted a candle putteth it in a secret place neither under a bushel but on a candlestick that they which come in may see the light Paraphrase 33. To that purpose of v. 28. that they only are bles'd which not only heare but observe Gods commands belongs that known speech of Christ delivered at another time also Mat. 5. 15. and Lu. 8. 16. No man c. 34. The light of the body is the eye therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of light but when thine eye is evil thy body also is full of darknesse Paraphrase 34. And to the same purpose may be applied that other used also by Christ in the same sermon on the mount see note on Mat. 6. 22. l. that the heart being once truly warmed with Christian virtues will fill the whole body with charitable and Christian actions 35. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darknesse Paraphrase 35. Take care therefore that the Christian precepts and graces afforded thee be not accompanied with an unchristian life 36. If thy whole body therefore be full of light having no part dark the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light Paraphrase 36. If therfore the Christian doctrine have taken full possession of thee and no faculty or affection be left out from being wrought upon by it then sure the actions will be most illustriously so and the whole life of such an one will be as a room with a blazing torch or candâ—â— it enlightned in every corner without any intermissions or mixture of unchristian actions 37. And as he spake a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him and he went in and sat down to meat 38. And when the Pharisee saw it he marvailed that he had not first washed before dinner Paraphrase 38. the Pharisee wondred to see him lie down to dinner without washing his hands first See Mar. 7. 3. notes on a. and b. 39. And the Lord said unto him Now doe ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickednesse Paraphrase 39. Ye hypocriticall Pharisees wash your selves as if a man should wash his vessels the outside of them only leaving the insides of them full of all filthinesse for thus doe ye wash your bodies leaving your soules full of all uncleannesse 40. Ye fooles did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also Paraphrase 40. This is an extreme folly for if your outward washings were in obedience to God you would cleanse the insides your hearts and soules also as well as your bodies 41. But rather note c give almes of such things as you have and behold all things are note d clean unto you Paraphrase 41. The best way of purifying your selves estates meats and drinks c. from all pollution cleaving to them is in stead of that which you Pharisees attempt by washing your hands your vessels c. by works of mercy and liberall almesgiving as far as you are able restoring to the injured or if there be not place for that giving to those that want 42. But woe unto you Pharisees for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and passe over judgement and the love of God these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Paraphrase 42. anise and cummin Mat. 23. 23. and so also of rue and every the meanest herb that growes in your garden and omit the principall duties both to God and man These are the main things which God requires of you though those other lower performances ought not to be omitted of paying tithes exactly according to the law and custome among you 43. Woe unto you Pharisees for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets Paraphrase 43. Consistories Mat. 23. 6. 44. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are as graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them Paraphrase 44. grown over with grasse and they which see the specious outsides of them Mat. 23. 27. know not what is within viz. bones of dead men and putrefaction and so are pollured by them see note on Mat. 23. g. 45. Then answered one of the Lawyers and said unto him Master thus saying thou reproachest us also Paraphrase 45. Doctors of the Law members of the Sanhedrin or Consistories and saith unto him This speech of thine seems to reflect on us and the gravity that belongs to our places and persons and is a reproach to us 46. And he said Woe unto you also ye lawyers for ye lade men with burthens grievous to be born and ye your selves touch not the burthens with one of your fingers Paraphrase 46. And ye certainly are not free Ye are they which lav heavy tasks on others and think not your selves obliged to performe or undergoe any part of them 47. Woe unto you for ye note e build the sepulchers of the prophets and your fathers killed them 48. Truly ye bear witnesse that ye allow the deeds of your fathers for they indeed killed them and
performances 8. But be not ye called Rabbi for one is your master even Christ and all ye are brethren Paraphrase 8. But doe not ye contend thus for superiorities for precedence one above another for you are all fellow servants by being fellow Christians 9. And call no man your note d father upon the earth for one is your father which is in heaven Paraphrase 9. And give not up your faith absolutely to be swayed and ruled by any man as children are to be swayed wholly by theâ—â— parents bare will and as these men Pharisees c. have their admirers and followers in religion whereas indeed God your father in heaven is onely he to whose doctrine and precepts ye owe this absolute faith and obedience 10. Neither be yee called Masters for one is your master even Christ Paraphrase 10. And doe not ye pretend to be leaders or teachers but all fellow disciples that receive the faith from me and so communicate it to others 11. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant Paraphrase 11. As for any precedency or superiority which shall hereafter be instituted in the Church ye are not to look upon that but as an office of burthen and duty of watching and waiting on them over whom ye are placed 12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted Paraphrase 12. And indeed for this this ought to be the Rule that whosoever is ambitious of dignity in Christ's Church ought never to be admitted to it but he that shall thinke himself unworthy of it is fittest to be advanced to it 13. But wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee shut up the kingdome of heaven against men for yee neither go in your selves neither suffer yee them that are entring to go in Paraphrase 13. yee keep the multitude from embracing the Gospell or doctrine of Christ to which they are generally enclin'd yee suppresse the meaning of the Scriptures which belong to the Messias And not only reject Christ your selves but prohibite others from beleiving on him which were it not for fear of you would willingly imbrace him 14. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee devour widowes houses and for a pretence make long prayer therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation Paraphrase 14. For in stead of shewing mercy and charity to them that are left destitute ye on the other side are greedy and rapacious grinde the face of the poor and devour the remainder of their substance whom ye ought in reason to relieve and that ye may doe these acts of uncharitablenesse more securely yee pretend to great piety and for a colour or faire shew that you may be the more trusted and so have opportunities to doe it the better use to make long prayers But for this for your making piety a colour and guise under which to practise the greater sinnes 15. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee compasse sea and land to make one note e proselyte and when he is made yee make him twofold more the child of hell then your selves Paraphrase 15. to get one Gentile to your religion and when he is so by teaching him the worser part of your doctrine that which fortifies him against the receiving of Christ and by pressing him to that legall strictnesse which is commanded you as Jews but belongs not to him you put him into a far worse and more dangerous estate and make him more vehemently to oppose the Gospell then your selves or your own children naturall Jewes 16. Woe unto you yee blind guides which say whosoever shall note f swear by the Temple it is nothing but whosoever shall sweare by the gold of the Temple he is a debtor Paraphrase 16. Wo unto you which take upon you to be the leaders of the blind Ro. 2. 19. and are blind your selves saying If a man swear by the temple he is not obliged by that oath but he that swears by the Gold of the Temple in any promissory oath he renders himself a debtor in any assertory he is guilty of perjury if it be not true 17. Yee fools and blinde for whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the Gold Paraphrase 17. What a sottish senselesse folly is this which your deep learning hath advanced you to For sure the Gold of the Temple which receives all the sacrednesse it hath above other gold meerly from being the Gold of the Temple cannot be more sacred then the Temple it self nor consequently the oath by the gold obliging when an oath by the Temple it self is not 18. And whosoever shall sweare by the Altar it is nothing but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it he is guilty 19. Yee fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift 20. Whoso therefore sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon Paraphrase 20. The swearing by the altar conteins in it that other oath which yee take to be so much more obliging that by all the free-will offerings presented at or on the altar and so cannot possibly be lesse obliging then that alone 21. And whoso shall sweare by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein Paraphrase 21. by God who although he have his throne in heaven yet is pleased to own the temple as his place of residence or dwelling upon earth 22. And whoso shall swear by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon 23. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law note g judgment mercy and faith these ought yee to have done and not to leave the other undone Paraphrase 23. in matter of paying tithes you are as exact as any the strictest lawyer would require of you descending to the tithing of herbes of which there was doubt and dispute whether they ought to be paid or no but for the great morall duties both of the second and even the first table just dealing and works of mercy towards men and the great duty even of the Law Faith in God you are farr from the practise of these which being the most considerable weighty duties ought most precisely to be walk't in to be made your work and care and the other though not to be left undone yet counted inferiour to those 24. Yee blind guides which streine at a gnat and swallow a camel Paraphrase 24. are very scrupulous in small and very adventurous in the greatest matters 25. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excesse Paraphrase 25. Yee are all for washing of outsides as of your vessells to eat and drink in so also of your hands and whole bodies and in
opposed and persecuted by men they shall be own'd and crown'd by God as his Martyrs or Confessors 11. Blessed are ye when note e men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Paraphrase 11. When ye shall be reviled and persecuted and have all kind of evil reports calumniously raised against you because you are professors of the faith of Christ â—this was the condition of Martyrs and Confessors in the Christian Church when Christianity it self was persecuted as ver 10. of all that constantly adhere to any part of Christian duty and are not by any temptations of persecution c. moved out of it 12. Rejoyce ye and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Paraphrase 12. Exult or leap for joy for God will reward upon you not only your integrity and your patience but their multiplied revilings and slanders with a multiplied recompense in another world For thus were the Prophets before you dealt with those that came with commissions immediately from God with whom if ye communicate in doing well and suffering patiently ye shall proportionably partake of reward with them 13. Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt note f have lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men Paraphrase 13. You disciples all sorts of true Christians see note a. are the men that by your doctrine and exemplary piety and charity are to keep the whole land the whole world from putrefying But if your lives grow unsavoury or noysome what meanes is there imaginable to repair or recover you None certainly And then are ye unsavoury Christians the most unprofitable refuse creatures in the world and so shall be accounted of Mark 9. 50. Luke 14. 34. and dealt with accordingly 14. Ye are the light of the world A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid Paraphrase 14. As a city set upon an high illustrious place is seen by all that travail neer it and by them enquired after what it is so the Christian Church which is a most conspicuous society in respect of the difference of their lives from other men cannot chuse but be taken notice of by the rest of the world and either attract them by their good or discourage and deterre them by their evil examples Isa 60. 11. Phil. 2. 15. 15. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house Paraphrase 15. It is my design in you in the doctrine which ye are to preach and the exemplary lives which you are to live to set up a torch or eminent luminary like the sun in the firmament for all the world to be enlightned by it and directed in the actions of their lives Now ye know 't is not mens meaning when they light a candle to put it under that which will cover and shut up the light of it but to set it up at the best advantage so that it may dispense its light most freely to all that are within reach of it And so must ye diffuse your doctrine and examples to all the heathen world whose ignorance and sins render them answerable to the dark parts of the house which yet the candle when it comes to them doth illuminate 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven Paraphrase 16. Honest honourable commendable actions such as are not practised by other men 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the note g law and the prophets I am not come to destroy but note h to fulfill Paraphrase 17. To take any thing from the Law and the Prophets i. e. the rule of duties toward God and man in force among the Jews to loose mankind from the obligations that formerly lay upon them v. 18 19. and note f. to permit much lesse to cause any one morall command to be evacuated but to repair and make up whatsoever is any way wanting to restore whatsoever hath been taken from it by false interpretations of those which have striven to evacuate some parts of it to require more explicitly what was obscure before and where there is any need to encrease and adde unto the Law 18. For verily I say unto you Till heaven and earth passe one note i jot or one title shall in no wise passe from the law till all be fulfilled Paraphrase 18. Till the world be destroyed and all things come to an end no one least particle shall depart from the Law or be taken away or loose its force or obligation 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven but whosoever shall doe and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Paraphrase 19. By his practise and doctrine evacuate any one of the least commands of the Law or which I shall now deliver to you he shall be the least see note on c. 8. k. i. e. be despised and rejected by God in the day of judgement which is called Gods Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 1. Mat. 25. 1. or he shall be cast out of the Church be thought unworthy of having his name retained in the catalogue of Christians here or Saints hereafter as among the Jews he that did teach and do contrary to the determination of the Consistory i. e. who being a Doctor of the Law did teach any thing to be lawful which the determination of the Consistory made to be unlawful he was look'd upon as a rebellious Elder and was by law to be put to death But whosoever shall himself practise and teach others to practise all not neglecting the very least of them shall be rewarded in an eminent manner here and at the day of judgement shall be a principal Christian here and Saint hereafter advanced to the dignity of judging others and to the glory attending it in heaven 20. For I say unto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven Paraphrase 20. Shall abound more above the ordinary practise of men then the actions or righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees abounds 21. note k Ye have heard that it was said by them of old times Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement Paraphrase 21. Delivered by Moses in the Law to the Jews that they should commit no murther and that he that did so should be lyable to be tryed for his life pleadable in the lesser Sanhedrim the house of twenty three men who had
The use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 law in the new Testament is very observable and the several notions of it may perhaps be reducible to two heads for first it signifies in one general notion the whole way of oeconomy among the Jews under the old Testament taken precisely by it self without opposition to the reformation wrought after by Christ that way that men were then put into in order to their eternal weal. Thus in this chap. v. 17. I came not to dissolve the law c. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perfect it i. e. not to destroy or pull asunder that former fabrick under the old Testament but to reform and improve it in some things wherein it may be better And so v. 18. when he saith One Iota or title shall not passe from the law till all be done i. e. till the end of the world and again v. 19. when of him that looseth any of the least of these commandements he saith that he shall be the least in the kingdome of heaven 't is clear that the law there signifies the old Testament-course the religion of the former age which indeed Christ came to review and reform to bring substance in stead of shadows to make clearer revelations clearer or higher promises and precepts which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fill up but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pull asunder or dissolve it This Justin Martyr excellently sets down in his discourse with Tryphon the Jew Something 's there were saith he not only permitted as that of divorce c. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained and appointed you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the hardheartednesse of that people as Circumcision and other such outward observances to interpose some checks or stops in their course of carnality and impiety that they were so bent to that they would not mind the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those eternal and natural rules of justice and piety Now these things being thus required of them by the Law of Moses they again abused contrary to Gods design placed all piety in those external performances and neglected the natural justice and piety signified and meant by God to be secured and not betrayed by them This therefore Christ comes to reform to require the substantial duties in stead of the shadows that darkly signified them and all the changes wrought by Christ were of this nature Reformations And so we know pulling out weak or broken Timber in a building and putting in better and stronger is not pulling down of a house but only repairing it so farre was Christs design from destroying of it And it is observable that in that place of v. 17. the Prophets are added to the Law and so both in that and many other places the Law and the Prophets together signifie the religion of the former age simply taken as that differs from Christianity which was the altering some things in it to the better reforming and mending of it so Mat. 7. 12. This is the law and the prophets i. e. this is a prime part of the Jewish religion or doctrine and c. 11. 13. the Prophets and the Law prophesyed till John i. e. the Jewish religion continued in every part till John the Baptist and Luke 16. 16. the same is again repeated and Matth. 22. 40. all the law and the prophets i. e. the whole doctrine of that religion Thus Mat. 12. 5. 22. 36. and 23. 23. Luke 2. 22 23 24 39. Luke 10. â—6 and 16. 17. and 24. 44. and so generally throughout all the Gospels and most places in the Acts it signifies viz. the religion of the Jews only with this difference that sometimes the context pointeth to one part of it sometimes to another but to any of these parts still as they are in conjunction with the other parts and so with the whole body of their religion In the Epistles and perhaps in some of the places of the Acts as when there is mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zelotes of the law and the like some variation may be observ'd and that will give us the second notion of the word as 't is set opposite to the Gospel For though Christ had told them and that most truly that he came not to destroy the law but only to reform and perfect it in all respects yet such was the blindnesse and obstinacy of the Jewes and their zeal for every ceremony in the Law and their pride in discriminating themselves from all other men by that privilege of having and observing the Law just as 't was given to Moses i. e. the Jewish religion in every title that when Christ would make reformations telling them the true significations of their types and giving them substance for shadowes they look'd upon Christ and his Disciples after him as enemies of the religion of the Jewes and set up their more imperfect legal observances which were only burthens to exercise and imploy them in time of their minority and had nothing of real good in them and might well be left off especially when God in Christ declared his will that they should and gave excellent moral substantial precepts in stead of them against all Christs scheme or form of reformation Which dealing of theirs was the same in effect as if that God that first design'd the frame of the Temple should after appoint some little things to be alter'd in it very much to the better from that which was lesse to that which were more useful and agreeable and to that end to pull out some little pins to take down some partitions and the like to take off Wood and put Gold in stead of it and the people that first received that Temple from God and observed and valued it only for his sake should now oppose the so useful alterations and reformations as destructive to this Temple of Gods erecting and be zealous for the punctual retaining of that old form against God himself in this new designation This was the practice of the Jewes generally in Christs time nay even of a great number of those that had received and beleived on Christ for though they rejected not what he taught but followed him became his Disciples took him for and clave to him as the Messias yet many of them especially those that had any thing of the Pharisee in them before their conversion would have all the Mosaical rites observed by all Christians Acts 15. 2. Which was in effect as if they should accept of a reformation and embrace all the new things which Christ brought in but withall require to keep all the old ones too those which he took out to put those in in the stead Or as if he that had his burthen made easier by God should call for his harder heavier burthen again and oppose God and all his faithful servants nay persecute them as the zealous Judaizing Christians and Gnosticks after did because they would not agree with
them to impose these heavier tasks on all men How unreasonable this was is easily discern'd but however by this means it came to passe that a great contention did in the infancy of the Church arise betwixt the Judaizing zelots and the Orthodox meek disciples of Christ The former were for the observation and continuance of every ceremony of the Judaical law obliging all the very Gentiles as many as accepted of the faith of Christ to undertake the observance of it to be Circumcis'd c. The latter asserted the liberty of the Gentiles who were never under that Jewish yoke and for the Jewish converts insisted on Christs reformation and consequently the abolition and non-obligation of those shadowes which he had changed for that which was so much more excellent Rom. 7. 4. The Judaizers yet farther press'd the great prerogative that the Jewes had beyond all others in having that Law of Moses meaning by it that exact form as it was given by him and as that was oppos'd to Christ's reformation or the same now review'd and reform'd by Christ Nay because the promises made to Abraham were by them suppos'd to belong to all the Jewes which stuck close to that old Mosaical form and to none else and to help them to justification to the favour of God and pardon of sins Mat. 3. 8 9. though they liv'd in many sins unreform'd and those such as were of farre greater moment Mat. 23. 23. than the omitting the ceremonies of the Law could ever be deemed which they so vehemently stood for therefore they more and more enhaunsed and press'd the necessity of retaining every pin in the Temple every ceremony of the Mosaical law as it was before Christs reformation And with them the Gnosticks soon complyed and generally inflam'd the unbeleiving Jews against all the Orthodox Christians that did not And against these Hereticks and those boasters of this Law as a prerogative beyond all others these assertors of Moses's old form against Christ's review and reformation the Apostles wrote the greatest part of most of their Epistles And so in them though the word be very oft used in the former notion for the Jewish religion not as 't is opposed to but as 't is perfected by the Gospel and that so often that 't were redious to name them yet doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the works of the law many times signifie that which I now set down for the second notion of the word this old form of the Jewish religion as it was before it was reformed by Christ in those particulars formentioned and that in opposition to the new form as it now stands reform'd and heightned altered and improv'd by Christ Thus Rom. 2. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking to and of the growing sect of the Gnosticks or Judaizers He rests in depends on and boasts of the law discriminates himself from all others not only Gentiles but Christians which Judaize not and though he commit grosse sins against the very law v. 21 22. yet he thinks to be justified by being a punctual assertor of the external observances of the Law against all things else even against Gods own reformations So Rom. 3. 20. By the works of the law no flâ—sh shall be justified before him i. e. by observation of the form prescribed by Moses as it differs from Christs reformation or by bare observing the outward ceremonial without the inward substantial part of it the circumcision without the purity Rom. 2. 28 29. For as it follows by that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discerning or acknowledging of sin the law of Circumcision shews a man his o he commits farre from justifying him in the commission of it So again v. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as v. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the law or without the works of the law i. e. without that punctual observation of the Mosaical form the righteousnesse of God or God's way of justifying men is manifested Where 't is observable that this way of justifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the law taken in this second sense is said to be testifyed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law and the prophets in the first sense It being often intimated by them that not the outward ceremony but inward purity was that which is acceptable to God So again v. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law of works opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the law of faith the outward to the inward law where yet v. 31. having oppos'd them in that second notion he makes them friends again in the first notion of the Law In which saith he Christ did not abolish but only perfect and so establish the Law heighten the former duties and require more elevated performance of them then was before beleived to be under precept and for the Ceremonial change them from the external to the internal performance of them and so likewise for the Judicial requiring the equity of them i. e. that which among us is proportionable to that which appeared to be Gods will among them as farre as the variation of circumstances makes prudent or reasonable for us So again Rom. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise to Abraham was not by the law The law there signifies the command of Circumcision Gen. 17. 10. which being after the giving the promises to him Gen. 12. 2 7 and 13. 14. and 15. 1 4 6. and 17. 2. it could not be said that that was the foundation of the promises made to Abraham so Gal. 3. 17 18 21. and so Rom. 4. 14 15 16. So again Rom. 6. 14 15. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the law under the Mosaical yoak of legal performances such as Christ reform'd and alter'd is oppos'd to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under grace that state under Christs reformation So Rom. 7. 4. you are dead to the law or the Law to you you are no more bound to it and v. 6. we are freed from the law i. e. from those parts of it wherein Christs reformation hath made a change So Rom. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unability and weaknesse of the law points to that second notion of the Law before 't was perfected by Christ So Gal. 2. 16. three times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the works of the law in the same sense as was explain'd Rom. 3. 20. So again c. 3. 2 5 10 11 12. and in many more places in that chapter only with this light change The Law without the mercy or pardon of sin brought in by the Gospel The Law taken alone as Exclusive of the other For by that Cursed is every one that continues not in all c. And in this sense is v. 13. the curse of the law that punishment that the Law brings on every sinner and none but the Gospel frees us from So c. 4. 21. and c. 5. 4 18. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
garments worne over the other and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one of those as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scholiast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outward garment thicker and warmer then the other and it is to be observed that this latter was both more usefull and prizable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Poet then the former being as Josephus saith of the High-priest's Pall and so Rev. 1. 13. a long garment down to the ground and as Maimonides addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the garments of noble men And so Mat. 11. 8. speaking of these under the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fashion was for courtiers to wear them and so they go generally for garments of Peace and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Plutarch and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Theoprastus signifies such a life So * Alexander Aphrodisaeus speaking of the unfitnesse of using clothes to soften or effeminate the body which should rather be designed as Armes to to fortifie and make it courser and so stronger saith that it is much fitter to use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one inner garment then two which they that took care for softnesse and smoothnesse did and yet better to use none at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the outer garment only where the Interpreter of Stobaeus in whom this passage is set down p. 18. most absurdly renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interula quite contrary to the design of the place where it must needs signifie the outer which is generally the lesse smooth or soft garment not the shirt or inner garment which in Homer hath that Epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to contra-distinguish it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eustathius which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he else where expresseth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here to be the upper garment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole matter is put out of question by the words of Plutarch in his Nuptial precepts speaking of the wind and the Sun contending which should force he man out of his clothes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the outer garment that which only the wind had force on and that which in the Sun-shine was first put off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be the inner garment And then that is the gradation here If any man sue thee and take away thy lower or inner garment let him take away thy upper garment also rather then thou by opposing violence or revenging thy self on him think to secure thy self from farther greater damage The truth is if Christ's discourse were of his forcible taking away the garment from thee it would be more reasonable that the Upper garment should be first named and the Inner garment after it because that is the order of pulling off and accordingly S. Luke setting it down with some change and speaking of the case of Forcible taking away he inverts the order and sets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 6. 29. but our Saviour here speaks of Civil violence using a suite at law as the engine to rob thee and then 't was fittest to name that first which was least pretious or considerable and afterward that which was more valuable that so the duty of this Text might be enforced which was that in case of any lesser inconsiderable injury done to us we should not meditate revenge or flie to force though by that pacifick meanes we incurre the danger of a farre greater losse V. 41. Go a mile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Persian word and custome to take up men as we take up Post-horses to carry our burthens from stage to stage and so the word is used c. 27. 31. which when one hath performed another is taken up in his stead for the next Post These stages are each of them a Parasange called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Agathias because when men came to the end of them they did refresh themselves and return home Now the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mile which is here mention'd for the supposed stage is but the fourth part of a Parasange or thereabout the Parasange being saith he thirty stadia and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but seven or eight to signifie as in the former the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a light supportable injury or rather a Contumely only and the taking away the Cloak a robbery again supportable to him that hath the Coat left and perhaps a great Estate also so here the oppression or invasion of liberty spoken of to be but a petty damage going but a quarter of an ordinary Post and no burthen mention'd neither and they that are so impatient of such tolerable injuries as to oppose force or meditate revenge for them which ordinarily brings greater sufferings upon them and so is farre from gainful to them that use it especially to break into open violence upon such light grounds are directly contrary to this practise of Patience here commanded and prescribed to all Christians V. 45. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here again being answerable to enemies v. 44. and in the notion mention'd in Note on v. 39. are the injurious as on the other side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good are the freindly or kind differing from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous that follows just as Rom. 5. 7. or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous and merciful or as when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good is express'd to signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benignity as Mat. 20. 15. or as when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 3. 1. good works in our ordinary phrase signifies works of charity or mercy such an one as Hesychius explains by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word taken into the Greek language from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Syriak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only with the addition of the Greek termination and so in like manner the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect answerable to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 48. signifies the same charity or benignity of nature and is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Parallel place Luke 6. 36. V. 47. More 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The phrase may seem to have respect unto the Hebrews language who call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundance of goodnesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Kimchi excellence of or exceeding goodnesse such as belongs to the special pious extraordinary Jewes and Christians proportionably Thus in Pirche Avoth c. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that saith That which is mine thine and that which is thine is mine which is the
such yet grace which is alwaies so 12. Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should doe to you doe ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophets Paraphrase 12. Another branch of prime Christian duty required of you is this that whatsoever you would esteeme reasonable that other men should doe to you if you were in their and they in your condition the same you must now think your selves obliged to doe to them for this equity is taught you by your own law and Scriptures in force among the Jewes see note on Mat. 5. g. 13. Enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Paraphrase 13. Let all your care be to set your selves upon the Christian course be it never so strict for 't is easie to enter on a vicious course and go through with it and there are multitudes good store which passe that way to eternall destruction and damnation 14. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Paraphrase 14. And there will be all need of your care because the entrance and whole course of a Christians life is made up of perfect strictnesse in opposition to the loosnesse of the world and that makes so few to choose it 15. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves Paraphrase 15. Take heed of false teachers that when they come to infuse their doctrines into you weare sheep-skins as the prophets oft used to doe thereby pretending the greatest innocency and meeknesse that can be but design and intend the direct contrary devouring and rapacity See Acts 20. 29. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles Paraphrase 16. Ye shall certainly know them and discern them if you take notice of and weigh the doctrines which when they have gotten some authority with you they will presently endeavour to infuse into you They that make no other use of their being counted prophets but to infuse higher degrees of all kind of piety and charity into you ye may resolve they are sent from God for the Devil would never help men to credit and reputation in the world who should make use of it only to the advancement of piety But if their design be to infuse into their followers any seeds of impiety injustice uncleannesse uncharitablenesse sedition rebellion c. Let their pretences and behaviour be never so fair be sure they are false prophets 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Paraphrase 21. And though in words they take upon them to be the only servants sons and saints of God as hereticks and schismaticks ordinarily doe yet these words of theirs and their confident calling on God are not such fruits by which you can judge well of them for 't is not every one which beleiveth on me which acknowledgeth me which looketh for salvation from me that 22. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful workes Paraphrase 22. At the day of judgement Lord we are the men which thou by thy power hast enabled to foretell things to come and by the same to exorcise Devils and doe all kind of miracles 23. And then will I professe unto them note d I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Paraphrase 23. saying I never knew you 24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock Paraphrase 24. Beleiveth and entertaineth all these commands here contained in this Sermon beginning c. 5. 1. and practiseth them he is like a prudent builder that laid the foundation of his house upon a rock see note on c. 10. b. 25. And the rain descended and the note e floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock Paraphrase 25. Land-floods that proceeded from that sudden rain 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand Paraphrase 26. Shall be like and by all men known and reputed to be like 27. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and great was the fall of it 28. And it came to passe when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at his doctrine 29. For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes Paraphrase 29. For all this Sermon of his whether spoken continuedly or with pauses between was delivered by him as by one which had extraordinary power and mission prophetick at least which since Ezras time had been intermitted as the Jewes confesse and not as the Doctors of Law among the Jewes Annotations on S. MATTHEW Chap. VII V. 3. Mote What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies will appear by two waies of judging first by the judgment of the Greek Grammarians Hesychius renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thin drie pieces of wood and then taking it in that notion of a thin piece of wood the least splinter or shiver imaginable of very little yet of some length 't will be here very fitly used and set opposite to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beame the biggest and longest piece of wood which is used The second way is by comparing the next verse which is the varying the phrase a little with a Proverbial speech among the Jewes in and before Christs time set down afterward with some variation in the Talmud thus They which say to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take out the small piece of wood out of thy teeth are answer'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take out the beame out of thine eyes To check the importunity of those who are alwayes censuring and condemning others for small matters reprehending for trifles when they are themselves guilty of those things which are much more to be reprehended V. 6. They trample There is in these words observable an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a going back speaking first to the second of the two things proposed and then after to the first As it is very frequent with
have recover'd it at its rebuilding and increase by Herod whereas the gold or the gift which the piety of the Jewish Donour had consecrated might be allowed by them to have that sanctity but this being so weak a reason leaves it lyable to the censure of Hypocrisie which Christ here layes upon it the true cause surely being that by perswading men that the gold and gifts brought to the Temple were the holiest things in the world holier then the Temple or Altar it self they might bring men to great liberality that way and so make gain of their doctrine \1 \2e words are to be taken which affirme the Law to be a Schoolemaster or leader of children to Christ these being but those initial elements fitted for those of tender years and grosser understandings yet designed also to adumbrate those things which are now more clearly taught us by Christ As for the Law of God as that was given to Moses and comprehended all the duties to God and man 't is evident that faith in God is a part and weightier part of that and so reducible to the first and great Commandment as that phrase Mat. 22. 37. comprehends the whole first table of the Commandments being certainly comprised in the love of God and supposed in it and not onely so but it is particularly contained in the first commandment of that first table I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods but me the former of which are federal words and so are to be answered by our beleeving what God promiseth in his Covenant viz. that he is our God a merciful and a gracious Father and so to be filially depended on trusted in and obeyed as well as loved by us and the latter part commanding us to have God for our God must again be interpreted to require from us a beleeving of him both as that signifies a fiducial relyance and affiance on him a beleeving his promises and as it is a beleeving whatsoever he shall say whether bare affirmations our doctrinal points either in the Old or New Testament revealed to us or more especially his commands and threats as our beleef of them is all one with fearing and obeying him Gods veracity being one of those his attributes to which our beleef must be answerable if we will be deemed to have him for our God As for the promises of another life which are a principal part of the object of a Christians faith if they be not thought to have been revealed under the Law of Moses which is conceived to look onely toward an earthly Canaan and so the felicities of this life onely This sure is a mistake caused in many perhaps by not distinguishing betwixt lesse clear revelations such indeed were those under the Law in comparison with the lustre that Christ brought into the world and none at all or perhaps by most through not observing that those diviner promises were revealed before the Law and being found inefficacious among the sensual world God was farther pleased to adde under Moses those earthy promises to attract even sensual men and give them a present tast of those good things which he had laid up for them that would adhere to him These therefore being long before revealed to Adam and Noah and by tradition from them stedfastly beleeved by all the people of God were supposed in the Mosaical Law as known already and therefore needed not therein to be more particularly repeated Besides Moses in his giving the Law to the Jewes set down over and above the Law it self a story from the Creation to his time wherein many passages there are which give certain evidence of another life and the joyes of that as the reward of a godly living as when of Enoch it is said Gen. 5. 24. that Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him when he was but 365. years old which must needs inferre that somewhat extraordinary befell Enoch which the Apostle calls translating him Heb. 11. 5. and also that that life to which God took him was much more desireable than that which here he parted with else his untimely death farre sooner than others there recited both before and after him could not be proposed as a reward of his walking with that is pleasing God Heb. 11. 5. This translation of Enoch then being known among those in whose time it happened and by Moses recorded for all the Israelites to know that came after must needs be to all them a testimony beyond all doubt of this truth that there remained a blessed life after this for those who pleased God The like was that of Elias in the time of the Kings who was visibly carried up to heaven and this both by the sonnes of the prophets foretold before-hand and testified by Elisha who succeeded him in his prophetick office and was an eye-witnesse of it The same appears by that passage of Gods being by himself styled in the Law the God of Abraham c. after their death whence our Saviour concludes against the Sadducees that Abraham lived with God and that there was another life revealed by God in that style To this pertains the speech of Balaam Num. 23. 10. Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his But above all the express words of Daniel long before Christ and so under the Law Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt And in a word though the Law given by Moses have not in the letter the mention of any other life but that in the land of Canaan yet all the ceremonies of the Law were principally no doubt designed to this end to adumbrate and so reveale this truth unto them and that in such a manner as was most for the turn of such childish and gross and rude minds viz. by sensible representations which the Apostle that well knew their meaning interprets to this sense throughout the Epistle to the Hebrewes and assures us that Abraham Isaac and Jacob expected a city that had foundations whose builder and maker was God Heb. 11. 10. meaning Heaven undoubtedly by that phrase And so of Moses v. 26. that he had respect to the recompense of reward that sure which was after this life for he came not to Canaan the pleasures and honours of which were on this intuition despised by him v. 25. Thus much hath been here added on this occasion for the refuting the doctrine of those men who can discern none but temporal carnal promises under the Law whom for farther satisfaction if it be yet needfull I referre to the judicious and perspicuous Treatise of P. Baro De praestantia dignitate divinae legis dedicated to Archbishop Whitgift but first read in his Lady Margarete Lectures at Cambridge Lib. 1. V. 27. Whited sepulchres There is little difficulty to determine what is meant by
fright thinking it had been a vision of some spirit without any reall body joyned unto it 38. And he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why doe thoughts arise in your hearts Paraphrase 38. yee doubt or suspect me to be a spirit without a body 39. Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Paraphrase 39. it is very I body and soul together 40. And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet Paraphrase 40. gave them leave to see and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet 41. And while they yet believed not for joy and wondred He said unto them Have ye here any meat Paraphrase 41. And the greater and more transporting their joy was the lesse confident were they of the truth of it and therefore to confirm them in the certain belief of it he called for some meat 42. And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and of an honey comb 43. And he took it and did eat before them 44. And he said unto them These are the words which I said unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Paraphrase 44. What you now see I did foretel when I was among you before my crucifixion is agreeable to all the severall images and predictions of me in all the books of God which were of necessity to be fulfilled 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures Paraphrase 45. Then by the speciall operation of his spirit he gave them the understanding of the Scriptures in those things especially which concerned the Messias 46. And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day 47. And that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem 48. And ye are witnesses of these things Paraphrase 46 47 48. The summe of which he declared to be this that the Messias was thus to be put to death and rise again and that his Apostles the witnesses thereof should after his resurrection preach repentance and upon that remission of sinnes to Jerusalem and through all Judea first and then to all the nations of the world 49. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem untill ye be indued with power from on high Paraphrase 49. To which end he promised immediately to send them the holy Spirit promised by God the Father to descend from heaven upon every one of them and so to install them to succeed him in his office till which time he commanded them all to stay and not to stiree out of Jerusalem 50. And he led them out as farre as to Bethany and he lift up his hands and blessed them 51. And it came to passe while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven Paraphrase 51. Act. 1. 9. 52. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy 53. And they were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God Amen Paraphrase 53. constantly at the times of devotion see note on Act. 1. d. in some of the chambers of the Temple Annotations on Chap. XXIV V. 18. Cleophas This Cleophas saith Hegesippus was the brother of Joseph Marys husband and so the reputed uncle of Christ whose son Simeon saith Eusebius there was by the joynt consent of all the Apostles then living made Bishop of Jerusalem after James as being neerest of kin to our Saviour The Gospel according to S. JOHN CHAP. I. 1. IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God 2. The same was in the beginning with God 3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Paraphrase 1 2. In the beginning of the world before all time before any thing was created the son of God had a subsistence and that subsistence with his Father of whom he was begotten from all eternity and was himself eternal God and being by his Father in his eternal purpose design'd to be the Messias who was among the Jews known by the title of the Word of God see note on Luk. 1. b. he is here fitly express'd by that title The word Paraphrase 3. This eternal word of God I mean by which all things were at first created 4. In him was life and the life was the light of men Paraphrase 4. He brought with him that doctrine which is worthily called life c. 6. 63. and 12. 50. because it leads to holy life here such as God will be sure to accept of through Christ and to reward eternally whereas the law was the bringing in of death see c. 10. 10. and this vivificall doctrine was the means designed by God to lead and enlighten all mankind especially the Jews to tell them their duty and therefore is called the light of life c. 8. 12. 5. And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Paraphrase 5. Though through the darknesse of mens hearts the greatest part of the Jews themselves had no fruit or benefit by it 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John Paraphrase 6. There came a man with commission from God to preach repentance to the lews 7. The same came for a witnesse to bear witnesse of the light that all men through him might believe Paraphrase 7. He was by God sent on purpose to testifie that Christ was the Messias the true teacher sent from heaven that so by that testimony of his all men might believe on him 8. He was not that light but was sent to bear witnesse of that light Paraphrase 8. This Iohn was not the Messias but the whole end of his mission into the world was to 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man note a that cometh into the world Paraphrase 9. That word which now I speak of that is Christ is that true light eminently that which light is defined to be able to refresh and warm the coldest and to enlighten the darkest heart And he as the sun after a long darknesse of night is now risen in our hemisphere see v. 10. and c 9. 5. and 12. 46. and being manifested to the world shineth forth to every man therein 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Paraphrase 10. This word was from the beginning in the world in so eminent a manner that indeed the world was made by him but the generality of men did not take notice of him 11. He came unto his own and his own received him not Paraphrase 11. And therefore
judgement of God Paraphrase 3. And then how is it possible that thou shouldest judge the pure Christian to be a breaker of the Law and thereupon in a damnable estate onely for not being circumcised and yet deem thy self safe when thou art guilty of those filthinesses which were most eminently prohibited by the Law of circumcision 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Paraphrase 4. Or shall God's great patience and longanimity in deserring his vengeance on unbelievers and his forbearing so long to punish thy sinfull course be cast away upon thee be despised and not made use of by thee Dost thou not consider that all this long-suffering of God to thee is purposely designed to bring thee to reformation and if it work not that effect will tend to thy heavier ruine 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Paraphrase 5. Wilt thou thus go on in obdurate resisting of all God's methods and be never the better by his deferring these judgements so long but onely to adde more weight to thy ruine when it comes 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds Paraphrase 6. Who shall not consider circumcision or uncircumcision but punish or reward every man according to his actions 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Paraphrase 7. To them that by constancy of pure Christian performances and by patient bearing of the persecutions that fall upon them for that profession go on in pursuit of that reward which Christ hath promised to such he shall bestow another life upon the losse of this eternall blisse in the world to come 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Paraphrase 8 9 10. But to schismaticall factious men which are as it were born and composed and made up of contention as the Gnosticks are that resist the right way deny the Christians the liberty of not being circumcised and themselves live in all unnaturall sins those that do thus renounce the Gospell and live contrary to the Law to such all judgements must be expected desolations and destructions here in a most eminent manner and eternally misery attending them And as the Jew shall have had the privilege to be first rewarded for his good performances as appears by Christ's being first revealed to him in whom consequently and proportionably he shall have all spirituall grace and crown if he embrace Christ and live exactly and constantly according to his directions so must he also expect to have his punishment and destruction first and that a sad one at this present by the Roman armies upon their small rejecting and refusing Christ The greater his privileges are the greater also his provocations and his guilt will be And then the Gnostick also that takes part with the Jew shall bear him company in the vengeance As for the Gentiles as they are put after the Jewes onely and not left out in the mercies of God particularly in the revealing of Christ so shall their punishments upon their provocations onely come after the punishment of the Jewes not be wholly superseded and accordingly 't is to be seen in the predictions of both their ruines in the Revelation the Jewish unbelievers and Gnosticks are punish'd first and then the Gentiles and carnall Christians with them also 10. But glory and honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile 11. For there is no respect of persons with God Paraphrase 11. For God's rewards and punishments are not conferr'd by any uncertain rule of arbitrary favour or displeasure neither depend they upon any outward privileges or performances as either having or not having received the Law being or not being circumcised but are exactly proportion'd according to mans inward qualifications or demeanours 12. For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Paraphrase 12. For all those of the Gentile world who having not received the Mosaicall Law of circumcision have sinned against that knowledge of God which hath otherwise been afforded them shall be adjudged to perdition though not by the Law of Moses it shall never be laid to their charge that they have not been circumcised or though they be punished yet shall not they have that aggravation of their sin and punishment which belongs to those which have received the Law of Moses they shall onely be judged for their not observing the Law of nature see Theophylact the Law of Moses being not able to accuse them And those who having received the Law of Moses and in it the sign of the covenant circumcision doe not yet live according to it such are these unbelieving Jewes and Judaizing Gnosticks all the benefit that they shall reap by their having received the Law and circumcision shall be to have that their accuser by which they may be condemn'd the deeper in stead of their advocate to plead for them 13. For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Paraphrase 13. For to speak to the latter first see note on Mat. 7. b. 't is a dangerous unchristian error to think that the heating or knowing their duty the having the Law delivered to them yea and the seal of the covenant circumcision in their flesh without conscientious practice of the duties thereof shall stand them in any stead No 't is onely the living orderly according to rule and Law that will render any man acceptable in Gods sight 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Paraphrase 14. And for the former 't is clear for when the other people of the world which have not had that revelation of God's will and Law which the Jewes had do without that revelation by the dictate of their reason and those natural notions of good and evil implanted in them and by those precepts of the Sons of Adam by parents transmitted to children and so without any further revelation from heaven come down unto them perform the substantiall things required in the Law of Moses and denoted by circumcision and other ceremonies this is an argument and evidence that these men do to themselves supply the place of Moses's Law 15. Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and note c their thoughts the mean
while accusing or else excusing one another Paraphrase 15. And that obligation to punishment which is ordinarily caused by the Law these men demonstrate themselves to have without help of the Mosaicall Law From whence also it is that as conscience which according to the nature of the word is a man's knowing that he hath done or not done what is by Law commanded is constantly witnesse either for or against them that they have done or not done their duty so the generall notions and instincts of good and evill that are in them without any light from the Mosaicall Law do either accuse them as transgressors of the Law of God or else plead for them that they have not culpably done any thing against it From whence it appers to be most just even by their own confession that they that have sinned without Law transgress'd the Law of nature should also be punish'd though they never heard of this Mosaical Law which was the thing affirmed v. 12. from whence to v. 16. all that hath been said is but a parenthesis 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to note d my Gospell Paraphrase 16. And when I speak of perishing and judging v. 12. I speak of that doom which shall involve all both Jewes and Gentiles at that great day when Christ Jesus being by his Father seated in his regal power shall at the end of all come forth again to judge the world not according to outward privileges or performances but inward qualifications demeanures being as he is a searcher of hearts For then shall the Jewes be dealt with either in judgement or mercy as they have lived or not lived according to the rules of the Mosaicall Law and so the Gentiles also according as they have obey'd or not obey'd the Law of Nature And this is the very doctrine that hath been taught us by Christ and by me and others preached to the world 17. Behold thou art note e called Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God Paraphrase 17. And thus shall the process be to the Judaizing Gnosticks in this or the like from Thou that callest thy selfe or saist thou art a Jew though indeed thou art not Thou that dependest on the outward performances of the Law circumcision c. as if justification were to be had by that and could not be had without it Thou that boastest that God is thy father or favourer in a peculiar manner because thou adherest so faithfully to his Law even in opposition to Christs reformations see note on Mat. 5. g. 18. And knowest his will and note f approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law Paraphrase 18. Thou that undertakest to know all the mysteries of God's will and thence art by thy selfe called a Gnostick or knowing person and upon examination to approve and practise the highest perfections by the skill which thou hast in the Law of Moses 19. And art confident that thou thy selfe art a guide to the blinde a light of them which are in darkness Paraphrase 19. And so by that advantage takest thy selfe to be a most knowing person fit to lead all others and despising the orthodox Christians for blinde and ignorant see note on Jam. 3. a. 20. And instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the note g from of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Paraphrase 20. Assumest great matters to thy self as having a scheme or abstract of all knowledge and true religion see note on 2 Pet. 1. c. by the knowledge and understanding which thou hast and by the glosses which thou givest of the Law 21. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal 22. Thou that sayest A man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit sacrilege Paraphrase 21 22. Thou therefore I say that pretendest such zeal to and skill in the Law that art so strict for legall performances dost thou commit the same sinne thy selfe supposing it stealth c. which thou condemnest in others dost thou that condemnest a Christian for not being circumcised commit the great sinne forbidden in the Law of circumcision This is as if he that pretended such a pious respect to the place of God's worship as not to endure with any patience a false God or idol to be set up in it should yet so much despise the same place as to rob it of those things that are consecrated to it which sure it as absolute a profaning of any holy place as to set up the most heathen idol in it 23. Thou that makest thy boast in the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God Paraphrase 23. Thou that gloryest in thy zeal to the Law dost thou commit the most unlawfull practices and by so doing bring a reproach on all Christian religion 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Paraphrase 24. For the unbelieving Gentiles seeing and judging by your evill lives are aliened from Christianity have an evil opinion of the profession and of Christ whom you worship and so those Scriptures which mention the dishonour of God's name among the Gentiles Isa 52. 5. Ezec. 36. 20 23. may fitly be accommodated to you 25. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision Paraphrase 25. For men that thus live 't is madness to think that circumcision will stand them in any stead For circumcision is a Sacrament to seal benefits to them who are circumcised if the condition required of them that is the sanctity and purity signified thereby be performed also but if not there is no speciall advantage comes to them by being circumcised that is by thus complying with the Mosaicall Law 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision Paraphrase 26. And by the same reason if those who are not observant of the Law or circumcised viz. the Christians of the Gentiles live those lives of purity and sanctity which that Sacrament was set to engage men to they shall be accepted by God as well as if they had been circumcised 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the Law judge thee who note h by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law Paraphrase 27. And those that having not been circumcised nor received the Law of Moses see note on Mat. 5. g. but onely those naturall dictates and directions which are common to all men if they yet do the things commanded in the Law of the Jewes that is the morall substantiall part of it they shall condemn thee who being in that legal state and observing not the sense and meaning but onely
comparison again very uneven for if as sinne was a meanes to bring condemnation into the world so the same or some other one sinne had been the occasion of bringing mercy in and pardon had been wrought for that one sinne and no more or for those that should for the future perfectly and exactly obey then the comparison had been equall but the sinnes that occasioned the mercy and have their parts in the benefit of this justification are many sinnes and the persons that should receive it not righteous in that degree as Christ was and that makes the comparison uneven 17. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ Paraphrase 17. For if by Adam's sinne in that one kind death came into the world and through that one mans loynes and by the parity of reason that death was entailed upon all his posterity as being born after his image and guilty of other sinnes though not of that special kind then in like manner or rather indeed much more they that believe on Christ that receive and make use of that most rich grace righteousnesse of Christ that is are holy gracious and righteous too though not in his degree and so are according to his Evangelical way capable of this justification shall by the resurrection of Christ and by his living and interceding forever for them be sure to reigne with him 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the rightousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Paraphrase 18. To conclude therefore as by one Adam's offence v. 12 and 16. sentence came on all offenders that is upon all meer sonnes of Adam to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one God's gift of mercy in Christ v. 17. is come on all men Gentiles as well as Jewes to justification that is to the accepting them as just though they formerly lived in never so sinfull a course if they imitate the righteousnesse of Christ by sincere renovation 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Paraphrase 19. For as by Adam's one act of eating the forbidden fruit against which death was threatned all his posterity as such and much more all that sinn'd in any other kind that is all meer mean in the world were subjected to that punishment death which was then pronounced only against the earing of that so by Christ's having performed exact perfect obedience and then suffered death in our stead or to make satisfaction for us all men even the Gentiles themselves that shall come in to Christ and perform sincere faithfull obedience to him shall be justified though they be not perfectly just and accepted by him 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sinne abounded grace did much more abound Paraphrase 20. As for the Law that was given by Moses that came in by the by as it were to give men the more convincing clear knowledge of duty and sinne and so though it were not designed to that end see Theophylact yet by consequence it became a means to aggravate and enhanse sinne see note on Mat. 1. k. to render it more exceedingly criminous by being against a promulgate Law and that again is a means of making the mercy now in the Gospel to be farre a greater mercy to the Jewes to whom Christ and the Gospel were first sent 21. That as sinne hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paraphrase 21. That as we visibly see the great power and authority of sinne over men by the punishment it hath brought on them as is evident by death's seizing upon all so it may be as visible what a royall illustrious power there is in the mercy of Christ over sinne in respect of this new way of justification by Christ even to take away all its condemning and reigning power from it by granting pardon and forgivenesse of and victory over it through Jesus Christ our Lord and all this to Gentiles as well as Jewes Annotations on Chap. V. V. 9. Justified Having formerly given the notion at large of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to justifie Note on c. 3. b. all that is here necessary to be added will be by way of enquiry whether the passive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified here be only a Nominal or Real passive that is whether it only note the action as farre as concerns Christ's part in meriting and obtaining Gods pardon and acceptance for us and God the Fathers part in admitting sinners to pardon giving them place of repentance which is no more in effect but the offering pardon and acceptance on the conditions of the Gospel or whether to this action of the Father and Christ it farther superadde the reception thereof in the patient the actual partaking of it For these two somewhat distant notions the word is capable of either 1. that we are as farre as belongs to God's and Christ's part justified the price being pai'd by him and accepted by his Father and that if we be not now actually so 't is through our own default our non-performance of the condition or 2. that we have the benefits of Christs death bestowed and conferred actually on us pardon of sinnes c that is are actually justified That the forther is the meaning of the word here may appear 1. by the generall drift of this chapter which is to set out the love of the Father and of Christ towards us v. 8 c. God commendeth his love towards us c. where therefore the matter is determined to that which Christ doth for us toward our Justification that is to his death the sole meritorious cause of it without looking to that which is extrinsecall to it our performance or non-performance of the condition which is required on our parts to make us capable of the benefit thereof that having been formerly and often mention'd v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified by faith 2 dly by that which is said v. 8. we being yet sinners Christ died for us where 1. his dying for us is all one with our being justified by his death as appears by the circumstances of the Context the 8 9 10. verses compared together and 2. by sinners meaning habituall grosse sinners which is also express'd by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v 6. not weak but sick even to death see 1 Cor. 8. Note b. 't is certain that to them continuing such actual justification belongs not so again v. 10. We when we were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his son where as death is all one with blood so is reconciled to God
be called an adulteresse but if her husband be dead she is free from that law so that she is no adulteresse though she be married to another man Paraphrase 3. And this is so farre from being a nicety that indeed matters of the greatest importance depend upon it For if while her husband liveth she yield her self to any other she is acknowledgedly guilty of adultery but if her husband be dead she may freely marry any other man and live with him conjugally and be as innocent in so doing as if she had never had former husband 4 Wherefore my brethren ye also note b are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God Paraphrase 4. And thus my brethren even those of the Jewes that are believers in Christ the Law is through Christ dead to you also and not only to the Gentile believers Act. 15. and so ye also are freed from the obligation of the Law that is as it were dead to it that ye may now according to the laws of marriage be safely joyned and espoused to another viz. to that Christ whose resurrection from the dead shewes him to be alive that so ye may live in conjugal affection and obedience to him and being made fruitfull by his Spirit we may as wives that live with their husbands bring forth all holy Christian actions to the honour and praise of God 5. For when we lusting in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Paraphrase 5. This while we lived under the paedagogie of the Law was not done by us which is one reason of abolishing it Christ now giving precepts of inward purity in stead of those externall ordinances and giving his Spirit to enable to perform them over and above what was under the Law For when we were under those carnal ordinances though all sinfull practices were forbidden by that Law and so were rendred more criminous by being prohibited by a promulgate law yet our sinfull desires and affections that proposed those objects which were thus forbidden that law had no power to mortifie and subdue and so notwithstanding that law those sinfull affections were obeyed and yielded to in our members and so brought forth that sad fruit obligation to punishment eternal and that was all the good we reap'd by the Law 6. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Paraphrase 2. But now we are freed from the Law as that beside the morall precepts contain'd also those carnal external performances see Mat. 5. g. that obligation being cancelled by which they were due so that now in stead of being outwardly circumcised and in our lives impute we must think our selves most strictly obliged to set to the performing of that real substantial purity which was signified by the legal observances of circumcision c. serving Christ in new life and Evangelical obedience see ch 8. 1. in lieu of that external bloody obedience which the Law of Moses written of old by God's appointment and so here called the writing or the letter did then require of all Jewes See note on Mat. 5. g. 7 What shall we say then Is the Law sin God forbid Nay note d I had not known sinne but by the Law for I had not known note e lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Paraphrase 7. But here again it is objected to us that by thus arguing we lay charge and blame upon the Law that it is sin or the cause of sin contenting it self with that external performance of the ceremony and not exacting the inward purity of us To this I answer by way of detestation of that calumny of which our doctrine is perfectly guiltlesse No sure we lay no such thing to the charge of the Law we should be most unjust if we did For the Law hath done its part given us knowledge that the very desires of the heart are sins and that distinctly in the tenth commandement which I had not known had not the Law distinctly told me that it was so and set circumcision as an emblem of that duty of mortifying all carnall desires 8. But sin taking occasion by the commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead Paraphrase 8. But the Law having indeed onely given me the prohibition and that ceremony to sence it and no more and in this particular of coveting not so much as denouncing any present legal infliction upon the commission of it the customary sins of men seeing there was no punishment assigned to this sin that is being only forbid by the Law without any annexation of punishment took an advantage by the Lawes only prohibiting and not punishing this sin and so perswading me that the external ceremony of circumcision which was commanded under penalty of excision would serve the turn without any more invaded me and wrought in me all inward impurity which as it would not so probably have been able to doe if the Law that mentioned this prohibition had fortified it with denunciation of punishment as in other cases or if indeed the trusting on the external performance the privilege of being circumcised had not given men some security and confidence that nothing should be able to doe them hurt deprive them of the favour of God that were thus circumcised so would it not have been neer so criminous if it had not been distinctly prohibited by the Law For it is a known truth that the criminousnesse and punishablenesse of any act ariseth from its being prohibited by some law 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the commandement came sin revived and I dyed Paraphrase 9. The people indeed of the Jewes lived formerly without the Law see note d. that is before the promulgation of it but as soon as the Law was given the sin of disobeying a promulgate Law became greater and the disobedient Jew more punishable by reason of the Law and no way the better for it As when a man is sick and doth not know his condition and danger the Physician coming tells him of both and prescribes him a strict diet for the future if he will recover but he observes not his prescriptions continues intemperate and so dyes under the Physicians hand and in spite of his care 10. And the commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto death Paraphrase 10. And the Law which was meant to keep them sinless and so to bring them to life being not obeyed did in the issue of it bring onely death on them 11. For sin taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and
by it slew me Paraphrase 11. For the Law prescribing circumcision under penalty of excision but not prescribing the inward purity under that threat nor denouncing any present judiciall punishment upon the commission of the contrary sin but onely prohibiting it and no more sinne took advantage by this impunity of the Law and first seduced me to inward impurity and then by occasion of the commandement which forbad it and so made it criminous insnared and wounded me to death 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandement holy and just and good Paraphrase 12. And so the objection v. 7. was a groundless objection for though the Mosaicall Law were the occasion of sin or were made advantage of by sin yet it was not the cause and so still that Law is holy and the Commandement against coveting holy just and good first holy whither that signifie piety toward God or purity from all allowance of impurity and so secondly just in allowing no manner of injustice and thirdly good as requiring charity to others and so no manner of colour or tincture of ill in it onely 't was not so highly perfect in any of these respects 't was not fill'd up to so high a pitch as is now by Christ required of us 13. Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sinne that it might appear sinne working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandement might become exceeding sinfull Paraphrase 13. Was therefore this good Law guilty of death to me was it the cause of bringing it on me No not so neither but sin was that onely cause which is guilty of all And so see note on Mat. 1. k. this is a means of setting our sin in its colours that it works destruction to men by that which is good and so sin it self is by this means extremely aggravated and making this use of the Law it becomes extremely or superlatively sinfull or the Law shewes me what a sinfull thing sinne is which will not be repress'd by the Law 14. For we know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnall note f sold under sinne Paraphrase 14. And the reason why the effect of the Law is so contrary to what was intended by it is this that the Law is spirituall and not performable by a carnall man but the carnality of men sold under sinne that is habituall slaves to sinne ready to do all that it bids them though the Law never so distinctly prohibite that is the cause of all 15. For that which I doe I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. Paraphrase 15. For such men as I now speak of carnall men v. 14 though they are taught their duty by the Law yet do they not by the dictate of their understanding or conscience that which they do it is not that which in consent to the Law they approve but that which by their conscience directed and instructed by the Law they hate and dislike that they do 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good Paraphrase 16. And this very thing is an argument that the Law is acknowledg'd to be good that they dislike that which they do in disobedience to the Law they never commit any prohibited evill but their conscience accuses and smites them for it 17. Now then it is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me Paraphrase 17. And so 't is not the whole they that commits sinne or they as they are led and instructed by the Law and so the Law still is vindicated from the charge v. 7. but it is their carnality resisting the Law or sin having gotten power over them and so carrying them in despight of the Law and conscience admonishing the contrary 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not Paraphrase 18. For in men whose affections are not mortified by the spirit of Christ but carnally disposed or led by their own corrupt customes 't is not the law or knowing their duty that will doe any good on them To approve indeed or like that which is good the law enableth them but the carnal affections do still suggest the contrary and carry them in despight of the prohibitions of the law 19. For the good that I would I doe not but the evil which I would not that I do Paraphrase 19. And this is clear by the experiment for they do not perform that good which as the law commands so they consent to be good but the evill which they consent not to be good and which the law tells them they should not do that they do 20. Now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but sin that dwelleth in me Paraphrase 20. Which plainly argues the truth of that which was said v. 15. and 17. and is full answer to the objection against the law v. 7. that the law is farre from being guilty of their sin and that 't is not they by the duct and dictate of the law or their own conscience guided by the law that do evill but carnality or custome of sinne that hath got such a sway or power over them 21. I finde then a law that when I would do good evill is present with me Paraphrase 21. By this then you may discern the law and the goodness and the energy or force of it that when carnality moves men to evill the minde illuminated by the law enclines them to good or that evill when it is represented to them findes them inclined to the contrary 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man Paraphrase 22. For according to the understanding or superiour faculty contrary to the carnal or bodily part of them they are pleased with all those things that the law of God is pleased with 23. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members Paraphrase 23. But there is another commanding power in the members which sets it self in direct opposition to those dictates of the law in the mind which in carnall men v. 14. gets the better of the day carries them captive slaves to doe what the flesh requires to have done by them 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Paraphrase 24. This is a sad condition the very state of a carnal man under the law and out of which the law cannot rescue any man nor from the destruction that attends it 25. I thank God thâ—ough Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh
the law of sinne Paraphrase 25. Yet blessed be God by the grace and strength of Jesus Christ ch 6. 23. there is a way to get out of this cursed estate 1. pardon to every penitent sinner which may encourage any to break off this estate of sin and 2. grace and strength in Christ to perform what God in Christ will accept that is sincere though not perfect obedience the thing affirmed v. 6. and resumed at the beginning of Chap. 8. So then the conclusion of this digression from v. 7. to this place is that the bare knowledge of the Law of Moses doth only direct the understanding what is the duty which notwithstanding the carnal man accustomed to his own waies of sin may think fit still to go on in them and so though one and the same person doth two things at once with his understanding he serves the law of God is delighted and pleased with those things wherewith that is delighted and yet at the same time with the flesh submits to the suggestions and customary actions of the flesh and falls into sins directly contrary to the suggestions of his conscience and the law in it and this is justly rewarded with death ch 6. 23. Annotations on Chap. VII V. 1. The law hath power over The construction and meaning of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are commonly rendred the law hath power over a man as long as he liveth is somewhat uncertain and for the determining of it the first thing to be considered is the designe and matter of the discourse in this chapter which is discernibly this To vindicate his doctrine charged on him Act. 21. 21. it is not certain whether then truly or no but without doubt now profess'dly taught by him that the Judaical law was abolished by the death of Christ Ephes 2. 15 16. Col. 2. 14. and so now was not obligatory to a Jew This he now thinks fit to declare to the Jewish Christians at Rome as in the former chapters he had vindicated the liberty of the Gentiles from the obligation of it to them and justified his preaching the Gospel to them both which together did by way of interpretation and necessary consequence contain under them this of the obligingnesse of the Law to a Jew For the Law of the Jewes commanding a strict separation from the Gentiles all that were not their Proselytes and circumcised and Paul and other the Apostles being Jewes their conversing with and preaching to the Gentiles could not be allow'd upon any score but that of the abrogation of the Jewish Law which accordingly was of necessity to be revealed to S. Peter in a vision Act. 10. and so seems to have been to S. Paul Ephes 3. 3. before he durst preach to Cornelius who though a Proselyte of the Jewes yet was not a Proselyte of their Covenant or righteousness that is was not circumcised This abolition of the Law to you that is to his brethren the Jewes v. 4. and to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us v. 6. that is to S. Paul and those he speaks to that is to them that know the law v. 1. and so still the Jew-Christians at Rome is here evidently proclaimed v. 4. and 6. And therefore in all probability that must be the importance of these words which may most directly prepare and contribute to the inferring of that conclusion To which end first it is necessary that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be rendred as long as he the man not as it liveth This appeareth by the instance v. 2. by which that which is said v. 1. is exemplified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The woman which hath an husband is by the conjugal law bound to the living husband where the husband is the person whose life is considered in this case who as long as he lives hath power over his wife and so long the wife by law is bound unto him but if he die she is free c. By this also it is manifest in the second place that the man which is meant in the latter part of this first verse as long as he liveth cannot be the person on whom the Law hath power or force but some other who by law hath power and authority vested in him For it is apparent v. 2 and 3. that the life or death of the person under subjection is not the thing taken into consideration and if it were it would not tend to the inferring of the designed conclusion for the Jewes could not be supposed to be dead but the Law that had power over them and though v. 4. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you are put to death may make that seem possible to be here meant yet the contrary being so evident by the whole drift of the discourse it is certain that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there you are put to death to the law must be interpreted as a figurative speech to signifie the law is put to death to you as when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void to be evacuated or cancelled and so is all one with being put to death and is so used Ephes 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having cancell'd the law all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having blotted it out Col. 2. 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having nailed it to the crosse we read of the woman v. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would literally be rendred she is cancell'd from the law of the husband but indeed signifies the law of the husband is cancell'd or ceaseth to be in force to her and so v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are cancelled to the law signifies the law is cancelled to us Which being thus farre deduced it remaineth in the third place that the former part of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must either thus be rendred the law of the man hath power or force or remains valid joyning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the man to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 law not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath power or else because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is otherwise placed being affix'd to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly governs a Genitive case and is used with one Lu. 32. 25. just as here it will be if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be governed by it it is possible that the word man which is the he in the latter part may be implied and understood though not specified in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 law thereby signifying not Law in generall but more specially any law which conveyeth a right or giveth power or dominion to one man over another according to the primitive notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 law from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distribuo noting an assignation or distribution of every mans right unto him and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 2. evidently signifies the conjugal law
after the Spirit Paraphrase 4. That so all those ordinances of the Law circumcision c. which were given the Jewes to instruct them in their duties might in a higher manner more perfectly be performed by us see note on Mat. 5. g. which think ourselves strictly obliged to abstain from all that carnality that that outward ceremony was meant to forbid them and now to perform the Evangelical obedience that he requires and will accept from us without being circumcised 5. For they that are after the flesh doe mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Paraphrase 5. For they that are carried by their own carnal inclinations or by customes and habits of sin and the carnall affections consequent thereto do generally mind and meditate on carnal things but they that are led by the Spirit of Christ the duct of the Gospel study and mind those things wherein inward purity and sanctity doth consist 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Paraphrase 6. And as the Gospel is of force to free from sin more then the Law was so to free from death too v. 2. For that study or appetite or desire of the carnal man bringeth death ch 7. 5. but that will or desire that the Spirit or Gospel infuses into us or the desire and pursuite of Spiritual things see Theophylact brings life and peace that is a vital state of soul under God here and eternall salvation hereafter 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Paraphrase 7. For the carnal appetite is a downright opposition to the Law of God too unruly to obey the commands of God neither indeed can it be brought to that obedience by a bare prohibition of the Law for the swinge of passions and lusts are much more violent then so 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Paraphrase 8. And so these men carnall Jewes though they know the Law are very farre from pleasing God see note on Mat. 12. e. from 〈◊〉 acceptable to him the Law doth nothing to the justifying of them that are thus farre from obeying the true meaning of the Law 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Paraphrase 9. But ye Christians under the Gospel if ye have any of that spiritual divine temper which Christ came to infuse by his doctrine and example are thereby engaged to all manner of sincere inward purity to mortifie the flesh with the affections and lusts and if ye doe not so ye live not according to the Gospel and if not so ye may thereby know that ye are no Christians Christ will not own you for his however ye have received the faith and are admitted into that number 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Paraphrase 11. But if ye be Christians indeed translated and raised above the pretensions of the Jew to the purity of the Gospel of Christ and your lives be answerable thereto then though being sinners the punishment of sin that is death befall you and so your bodies die and return to dust which is the punishment of sin yet your souls shall live for ever an happy and a blessed life as the reward of your return to Christ in the sincerity of a new and righteous life to which the Evangelical justification belongs 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in you Paraphrase 11. And then even for your dead bodies they shall not finally perish neither they shall be sure to be raised again For the Spirit of God by which you are to be guided and led is that divine omnipotent Spirit that raised Christ's dead body out of the grave and if ye be guided by that animated and quickned by that live◠pious and holy life there is no doubt but God will raise your mortal bodies out of the graves also by the power of that same Spirit that raised Christ's 12. Therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh Paraphrase 12. By these so many obligations therefore and interests of yours the eternall well-being both of soules and bodies ye are engaged to give over all care of satisfying or gratifying your flesh in its prohibited demands to live no longer in your former habits of sin now ye have received the faith of Christ 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Paraphrase 13. For if consenting your selves with the external performances of the Mosaical law circumcision c. ye still continue to commit those sins which that was set to prohibite this will bring all destruction upon you 't is not the Mosaical Law will keep you from ruine But if by the faith and example and withall the grace and assistance of Christ ye shall actually mortifie all the polluted desires of the flesh and live spiritually according to what Christ now requires ye shall certainly rise to the life immortal or live eternally 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God Paraphrase 14. For this being led by the Spirit of Christ living after Christs example and doing what he commands and enables us to doe is an evidence that we and not only the Jewes who challenge it as their peculiar are not onely the servants but the children of God and consequently that God will deale with us as with children bestow the inheritance upon us 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we note d crie Abba Father Paraphrase 15. Nay the truth is the condition of a Jew see note on Lu. 9. 10. is so farre from making men sons of God that at the best it is but a slavish condition to be obliged to those performances which being external as circumcision c. and having nothing of goodnesse in them are done meerly for fear of disobeying and being punished by stoning and the like see Theophylact. Which is just the condition of servants who must doe what the master commands or be beaten if they doe them not and so was fittest for the Jewes an hard stubborn people and accordingly had effect among them they observed what came so back'd but what did not they observed not which is it that denominates the Law weak through the flesh v. 3. But our Christ now hath engaged and drawn us with
officer and to trust himself in God's protection and count that Princes doe not use to punish men for doing well but for doing ill for seditions conspiracies c. and therefore if thou wouldst make a prudent provision for thy self if thou dost desire to be secure from being punished by the magistrate doe not offend against his lawes and thou shalt in all probability receive nothing but reward for it from him 4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good but if thou doe that which is evill be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath on him that doth evill Paraphrase 4. For that is as considerable a part of the magistrate's office to which he is designed by God and for which thou art to count thy self happy in him to assist and not resist him that God hath set him over thee to secure and defend thee and help thee to a peaceable possession of all God's other benefits which are all worth nothing to thee if thou maist not enjoy them peaceably And that is a reasonable consideration to move thee to adventure the hazard of being injured by magistrates and not to cast off their yoke on every remoter fear of it but to take the possible dangers and certain benefits together and from thence to conclude that 't is for the subjects good that Princes are sâ— over them And generally 't is our own fault if there be any thing formidable in them In that case indeed the Magistrate hath a sword put in his hands by God and 't is his office to be God's executioner of punishment on malefactors and he is obliged to doe so by conscience toward God whose officer and commissioner he is 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Paraphrase 5. And consequently our obedience is due to him not onely for fear of punishment from the magistrate for 't is possible a cunning oâ— a prosperous offender or rebell may avoid that but in obedience to the constitution of God whose officer he is and to the command of honouring and paying subjection c. to him 6. For for this cause pay you tribute also for they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing Paraphrase 6. For this is the distinct reason why tributes and customes are paid to Kings viz. because they are commissioners sent from God who having full power over all we have as the free donor of all may assign his commissioners what proportion he please and that a liberall one as he did the double portion to the elder brother and this but very reasonable seeing in the discharge of their office they spend themselves with an unwearied patience and constancy attending on it as the hardest and heaviest task that any man in a kingdom undergoes and is therefore in proportion the most richly to be rewarded of any 7. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Paraphrase 7. This therefore layes all obligation on you to render to Princes as a debt due from subjects all extraordinary or ordinary payments as also that reverence and honour which by the Law of God belongs to them as well as obedience and diligent subjection v. 1. 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law Paraphrase 8. For ye Christians must not think that your Christian liberty will free or disoblige you from the discharge of any debt or duty to any man inferior or superior that is either of justice to ordinary men or subjection to those whom God hath set over you One debt onely ye must owe all and yet pay that too as oft as occasions are presented that of charity which must be so pai'd that it be alwayes owing and if this be discharged as Christ requires not onely to friends but to all even those that have behaved themselves as enemies to us the persecuting heathen Emperors c. this is that perfection of the Law which Christ requires Mat. 9. 48. 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witnesse Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other commandement it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Paraphrase 9. For all the six commandements of the second table the five here named and the sixth that hath all this while been insisted on that of Honour thy parents Kings c. v. 1. all these I say are but parts of that great duty of charity or loving thy neighbour c. so strictly now commanded by Christ and so farre from being now evacuated or abrogated that it is rather heightened in each branch and improved by the Gospell and consequently every of those six and particularly that of duty to Kings is still required under Christianity let the Gnosticks advocates and patrons of liberty or rather licentiousnesse under that pretencâ—â—each what they please to the contrary 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law Paraphrase 10. That charity that is required of us Christians is so farre from depriving any other of his right that it gives rules of all abundance of mercy and goodnesse to all for in that consists that perfection of the Law which Christ requires Mat. 5. see note on Mat. 12. e. 11. And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of cep for now is our note c salvation neerer then when we believed Paraphrase 11. And that exhortation to keep close to all Christ's precepts to discharge to all men that duty which Christ requires by prescribing us charity v. 18. is now the rather to be press'd because of the particularity of time which should make us watchfull to the performance of all duties the time of our deliverance or escaping by Christ promised and by us so long expected see note on Mat. 10. 9. and 24. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 5. and 2 Pet. 1. 3. being now â—igher at hand which may encourage us to be diligent and persevere to the end then it was when we first received the faith 12. The night is far spent note d the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darknesse and let us put on the armour of light Paraphrase 12. The present dark state of persecution of the pure Christians by the unbelieving Jews and the Gnosticks among you is now well over and the more joyfull lightsome state of quiet and calm is now as the day approaching see 2 Pet. 1. 19. 1. Joh. 2. 8. which is a mighty obligation to us to perform the deeds or the day all actions of Christian purity casting off the doctrines and practices of the Gnosticks and
among you pronounce to you positively that if you depend on circumcision and legal observances for justification Christ will stand you in no stead 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to doe the whole Law Paraphrase 3. For by laying upon himself a necessity of circumcision and expecting justification by that he absolutely obliges himself to perfect obedience without which the Law cannot justifie any ch 3. 10. 4. Christ is note a become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace Paraphrase 4. All that run this way of the Judaizers must know that Christ is become uneffectual to them If you expect to be justified by legal performances ye have disclaimed all title to the Gospel See Heb. 13. a. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse by faith Paraphrase 5. For we according to the Gospel and the promise made to Abraham expect to be justified without legal performances only by faith or Evangelical obedience 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which note b worketh by love Paraphrase 6. For now under the Gospel 't is not material whether a man be circumcised or no all that is required to our justification is faith not all that is called by that name but such as is made perfect by addition of those duties which we owe to God and our brethren 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth Paraphrase 7. Ye began well in receiving the Gospel as I preach'd it to you who hath caused you not to continue in that course 8. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Paraphrase 8. This new doctrin of the necessity of Judaical observances is not taught you by God or by him whether my self or any others who brought you to the faith 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Paraphrase 9. It comes from a few false teachers among you that have infected you with this sowre false doctrine of Judaizing which will spoil all your Christianity v. 2 4. 10. I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be Paraphrase 10. And I hope it will not extend farre for I am confident of you in respect of the faith planted among you that you will not be carried away with these errors but the teachers of this doctrine whosoever they are or of what quality soever shall suffer and be censured for it 11. And I brethren if I yet preach circumcision why doe I yet suffer persecution then is the offence of the crosse ceased Paraphrase 11. Some of your teachers it seems have told you that I am for the urging of circumcision upon Christians and that I have done so in some places But I pray doe you guesse of the truth of this suggestion by the persecutions which I suffer which generally fall upon me among the Jewes for my affirming the Mosaical Law to be abolished and would not fall upon me if I pressed the observation of the Mosaical Law in this particular of so great importance The great exception that the Jewes have against my preaching and other believing me is the abolition of the Mosaical Law and the removing of that one exception would be the appeasing of the wrath of the Jewes who probably would oppose it no longer but this you see is not done for the Jews are still as great opposers of Christianity where it is preached by me and of me for preaching it and of others that so receive it from me as ever they were 12. I would they were even note c cut off which trouble you Paraphrase 12. Thus unreasonable are their pretensions that would seduce you from your constancy and are content to say any thing though never so false and improbable to that purpose all that I have to say of them is I wish they were excommunicated turned out from among you that thus endevour to pervert you 13. For brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Paraphrase 13. Christ hath freed you believers from the rigour of the Law that is both from the necessity of Mosaical observances and of perfect exact obedience under the penalty of the curse onely do not you make an uncharitable or a carnal use of this liberty either to conteâ—â—n and scandalize those that dare not use this liberty Rom. 14. 1. or to fall into acts of sin and to think your Christian liberty will excuse you but by charity behave your selves toward all your brethren in this matter of legal ceremonies as may be most for their advantages 14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Paraphrase 14. For this is indeed the summe of that Law which ye pretend so much to vindicate endeavouring the good of all others as much as ye can or as you would your own and not permitting your zeal to set you on designes of malice and defaming of others 15. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another Paraphrase 15. But if you be so uncharitable as to calumniate and defame one another this will break out in a while as in other places it doth already to open feuds persecuting and mischieving your fellow-Christians 16. This I say Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Paraphrase 16. My advise therefore is that you order your actions according to the Gospel rule and doe not those things which are most acceptable to the senses most agreeable to your carnal or worldly ends 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things ye would Paraphrase 17. For this is certain that he that will serve God must doe many things contrary to his sensual or secular ends For there being two desires in you the one proceeding from the carnal the other from the rational spiritual faculty or reason instructed by the Gospel and these being so opposite one to the other that whatsoever one liketh the other disliketh it follows that whatsoever you doe in compliance with the one you doe in opposition to the other and so that you doe not will or chuse with both wills rational and sensual whatsoever you will or chuse but one of these still resisteth the other 18. But if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law Paraphrase 18. That then which is your duty is to follow the duct of the Spirit and if so if you follow the Gospell rule in despight of all the temptations
body so v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of the sins of the flesh that is the sins of the flesh Or else it may be taken in opposition to shadows or dark resemblances Gods will being in Christ not in shadows as among the Jewes but plainly and substantially revealed for the practice of inward purity and not for the observation of those shadows thereof which had been among the Jewes And thus the 17 th verse seems to interpret it the sabbarbs c. though they were as commemorations instituted for the Jewes by strength of that institution to be observed by them yet had they also a farther aspect to somewhat under the New Testament and as such are said to be a shadow of things to come the body or reality whereof is of Christ Where the Christian doctrine is affirmed to be that substantial divinity of which that which was under the Law was a shadow But this cannot well be otherwise applied to the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ which is the primary sense in which that other is contained of the manifestation of divine knowledge in the Gospel but as the word shadow is a general word to signifie any image especially a dark or imperfect one Thus every body naturally casts its shadow which as it is the dark image of the body viz. of some lineaments of it so is it farre from the substance of it Thus the Ghosts that is the species or images of men but not their bodies are call'd their umbrae shadows And according to this notion of the word Shadow I suppose the word bodily may here be interpreted in opposition to it that as on the earth here below the sun casts its beams and so dwells here in or by its beams or irradiations but the body of the sun is in heaven and so though here be some light below yet there only the fulness of light is so here God was in Moses and the Prophets and in other wise holy men to whom he revealed his will in some degree in some raies beams images of his perfections and more then so God is said to dwell in his saints which differs from being in them only by permanence or continuance but still he is or dwels in them onely in those images of him shadows or raies not as the Sun doth in the heaven where the body of it is in a fulness so as he cannot be more in any other but in Christ he dwels in fulness o as nothing could be added to it and so in him bodily that is as the Sun dwels in the firmament where the body of it is The whole divine nature is not onely in part but fully without absence of any part of it in Christ and that not by a species or shadow or image onely but really and substantially and so consequently which is the thing which is here designed to be proved by it the will of God must be supposed to be so revealed in Christ or by Christ that there can be no need of addition from the heathen philosophy or from the Jewish law which the Gnosticks woul◠needs have added to it And that is the full sense of these words V. 4. Handwriting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a bill or writing under a mans hand whereby he binds himself to some payment of money or duty a band or obligation and which stands in force against him to bring any forfeiture or penalty upon him upon non-performance of the condition to which he is bound that which the Rabbins call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cautio debitoris an obligation scriptura vel literae quibus conti ur potest as quam alius alii tradit saith Elias Levita a writing in which is contained a power which one gives another over him Thus is the Law of Moses as it requires abstinence from meats observation of daies v. 16. and so laies obligation on a Jew that others are not bound to and binds him to forfeiture of all his hopes and also to punishment if he doe not perform them In which case this band or bill is here supposed to be brought against him signed by himself and stands in force against him Now two waies there are to cancel any writing the one by blotting or crossing it with a pen the other by striking a nail through it The first is done by Christs doctrines requiring now the inward purity in stead of those external observances and that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrines here as Theophylact acknowledgeth rendring it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Faith and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrines of Faith and Ephes 2. 15. a place parallel to this it will more appear by looking on the place and the second is done by Christs death expressed in that to the Ephesians by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nailing it to his crosse V. 16. In respect The meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here which Ios Scaliger and Isa Casaubon Ep. 24. have pitched on is that by it is noted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a chapter or tract of the Talmudists upon that subject For the lesser parts of the Talmud are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divisions or parts Among their writings there is now one called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tract of a good day that is a feast in it many chapters or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sections From thence is the mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iustinian Novel de Heb. 146. By which it appears that among the Expositors of the Law there were some called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that expounded their heads of doctrine severally the chief of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the meaning of the place will be Let no man passe sentence on you by what you doe in eating or drinking by that section of the Rabbins about Feasts New moons Sabbaths that is by your observing or not observing of those things which were required indeed by the Jewes but meerly as shadows and types of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entire and continual feast that a Christians life ought to be now under the New Testament See Origen Cont. Cels l. 8. p. 404. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be mistaken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a day is a conjecture of some which it is sufficient to have named having no authority of any MS. to countenance it V. 18. Beguile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Phavorinus the word signifies to condemn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being all one onely the former peculiar to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Grecian games the other common to all judicatures and proportionably the notion of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Composition being the same too and so the word will have the same significancy here that
and there distinctly specified more than in any other place of the New Testament under the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 6. 20. science falsly so named that is the men that assumed falsly to themselves the name of Gnosticks or knowing men And against some doctrines and practices of theirs he here arms him CHAP. I. 1. PAUL an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope Paraphrase 1. I' Paul that Act. 13. 7. was sent out and constitured an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the designation of him who being God incarnate is both our Saviour and Lord to rescue us from the power of sin and to rule and reign in our hearts even he on whom all our trust and expectation and hope of good is founded and built 2. Unto Timothy my own son in the faith Grace mercy and peace from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Paraphrase 2. To my dearly beloved Timothy whom I first converted and so begat to Christianity I send my heartiest wish of all good from God our carefull and loving father and Christ Jesus to whom he hath committed all power in his Church unto the worlds end 3. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine Paraphrase 3. This Epistle I now send thee for thy directions in pursuance of that Commission which I gave thee when I constituted and appointed thee to reside as Bishop at Ephesus at the time when I went thence to go to Macedonia Act. 20. 1. that presiding and governing the Church there thou mightest suppresse the seeds of the Gnostick heresie sowed there and keep men within the form of sound doctrine that which in all Churches was delivered by us 4. Neither give heed to fables and endlesse note a genealogies which minister questions rather than edifying which is in faith so doe Paraphrase 4. And warn thy flock not to heed those fabulous pedegrees of the gods which under the name of Aeones the Gnosticks see note on Col. 2. a. talk so much of and so bring in many perplext disputes rather than instruct men in the way of salvation under the Gospel or of Christian doctrine in matters belonging to God 4. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Paraphrase 5. The substance and perfection or else the designe and aime of Christian duty being charity whose genealogie is this faith unfeigned begets a good conscience that is abstaining from all sin that purity of heart that love of all men 6. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling Paraphrase 6. Which some aiming not at have gone out of the way to a divinity made up of empty words for so was the Gnosticks see v. 4. 7. Desiring to be teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm Paraphrase 7. Joyning Judaisme to Christianty undertaking to expound the Law and to find those mysteries in it which are the foundations of their impure doctrines but observe no part of the Law nor at all apply it to the ruling of their lives 8. But we know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully Paraphrase 8. Which is consequently a grievous abuse of the Law whose whole goodness consists in this that a man order his actions so by it as to abstain from the sins that it forbids and doe the good which it requires 9. Knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers for manslayers Paraphrase 9. It being certain that as good men will perform their duty without any law so the Law of Moses as all other lawes was given to the sons of those excellent Patriarchs because it was foreseen they would not alwaies continue so good and so was on this very designe to keep in order such men as these to restrain such impure Gnosticks as these from the sins they are guilty of and not to stand them in any stead except they live according to it Accordingly you know that Moses's Law is very severe against the rebellious and contumacious against blasphemers and seditious such as Corah Num. 16. 8. called Sinners there and to such are the Gnosticks compared Jude 11. to the impure and such as contemn all that is holy such as Esau to whom the Gnosticks are compared Heb. 12. 16. against parricides and murtherers 10. For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for lyers for perjured persons and if there be any other thing which is contrary to sound doctrine Paraphrase 10. Against fornicators and those of the foulest sort of those Lev. 18. 22. against those that steal and sell servants Exod. 21. 16. Deut. 24. 7. against false and perjurious persons and generally all those sins and sinners that now the Gospel of Christ makes to be such and these hereticks are noted for 11. According to the note b glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust Paraphrase 11. According to the Gospel of Christ or of God when he dwelt among us appeared here on the earth for the preaching of which I have been constituted an Apostle 12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the ministery Paraphrase 12. And I account it a great mercy of Christ both that he hath given me abilities and that he hath vouchsafed to make use of me for so great a work thinking me a fit person to be so intrusted and setting me apart to doe him service in the Church 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief Paraphrase 13. Having been so hugely unfit and unworthy of such an honour by my former behaviour whilst I was a Jew blaspheming the name of Christ persecuting the Christians and using them most despitefully Notwithstanding all which God was mercifull to me looked on it but as an act of blind zeal in me and therefore laid it not so to my charge as to deliver me up to my self but recalled me mightily in the midst of my carreer 14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Paraphrase 14. Since which time he hath most plentifully poured out on me the gifts of the Holy Ghost and proportionably to them a lively faith toward Jesus Christ and an earnest zeal for his Gospel which hath been wrought in me by his grace 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all note e acceptaion that Christ Jesus came into
Gnosticks from which especially flow the faults to which the censures are most due viz. forbidding of marriage to which is consequent all impure abominable living and abstinence from wine and meats c. 4. 3. I therefore now warn thee concerning these two In the former respect that abstaining spontaneously from marriage not as from a thing unlawfull but onely denying thy self that liberty which thou maiest lawfully use thou be sure to preserve perfect chastity and not fall into the least degree of Gnosticisme for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to commit those sins which thou art to censure in others That is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be guilty thy self not onely to be blameable for thy indulgence to others and so for their commission So Eph. 5. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness that is do not permit your selves to be drawn into their dark villanous mysteries to commit those heathen sins which there are committed but rather discover them and bring them to light And so Rev. 18. 4. Go out of her my people that ye may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicate with or partake of her sins that is be corrupted with and drawn into the like commissions And so here 't will be a caution to Timothy against the Gnostick practices as elsewhere to avoid youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. not to fall into those guilts which he ought to detest and punish but to keep himself perfectly pure from their practices As for the second thing their abstinences from meat and wine this temper is to be observed It is no doubt lawful for those that can do it without any hurt to their bodies to abstain from meats which are most pleasurable and so from wine and for thee to do thus as long as thy health well permits is both lawful and commendable and the Gnosticks heresie consists in this that they impose such abstinences on all as necessary and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Canons Apostolical style it out of a detestation and an opinion of the unlawfulness of meat not for self-denial or austerity but these creatures of God being created for the benefit and refreshment of man these thou mayest very safely make use of and thy health of body being infirme and subject to frequent diseases there is no reason thou shouldest never drink any wine the continual use of water may be hurtfull to such an habit of body as thine and moderate taking of wine may be more proper and then it is best to remit of that austerity which might otherwise be laudably continued and tend to the preserving of virginal chastity but is not to be imposed on those whose health will not bear it To this interpretation of the words agrees the discourse of Cyrill of Jerusalem Catech. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Barocian MS. reads instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Barocian not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Barocian addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When we fast we abstain from wine and flesh not hating them as unlawful but expecting a reward despise not therefore those that eat in respect of the weaknesse of their body nor find fault with those that use a little wine for their stomach and frequent infirmities nor condemn them as sinners neither hate flesh as unlawful for the Apostle knew some such when he speaks of forbidding to marry and abstaining from meats Which being said on this occasion incidentally he returnes again to the former matter v. 24. But if both these neither partake c. and keep thy self pure be interpreted to be an effect or consequent of his laying on hands suddainly then there is no such occasion of introducing that parenthesis and therefore sure that is not the meaning of it V. 24. Some mens sins are open before That these two last verses of this chapter belong to the business of Church-Censures and Absolution may appear by the Context v. 20. there is direction for the publick rebuking of offenders whether by way of correption or inflicting the Censures and v. 21 there is a conjuration against prejudging on one side and partiality or favour on the other and v. 22. deliberation and delay and observation of the penitents behaviour is required before he be absolved Lay hands suddainly on no man that is before the sincerity of his reformation be approved to thee according as in the Primitive Canons they must exercise themselves for some space in good workes before they are capable of Absolution and then some words coming between as proper to Bishop Timothies youth that he be sure that he fall not himself into those sinnes which he sees committed by others and so his office of jurisdiction become a snare to him and on occasion of that the 23 d verse being added by way of parenthesis it followes very pertinently to that former matter Some mens sins are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 open beforehand c. that is by not absolving offenders over hastily by observing waiting a while thou wilt be more able to passe a right judgment For the behaviour of some men under the Censures is so ill that they deserve to be farther censured rather than absolved and in that respect it is not good to be too hasty in absolving And the good works of some men doe approve demonstrate the sincerity of their repentance which yet they cannot doe if they be absolved presently before they have so approved themselves And whether one way or other mens works will manifest what they are and though for a time they may be concealed yet if the Bishop make not overmuch hast to absolve they will discover themselves either by their good works to be sincere or by their ill to be unsincere And so still this is the rendring of a reason for the point in hand that the Bishop make not overmuch hast to Absolution CHAP. VI. 1. LET as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed Paraphrase 1. Those Christians that are bond-men to heathens must perform all service and obedience to them which belongs to them by the law of servants among the heathens that the profession of Christianity and the doctrine of the Gospell be not looked upon by the heathens as that which makes men worse livers then they were neglecting their morall duties for being Christians 2. And they that have believing masters note a let them not despise them because they are brethren but rather doe them service because they are faithful and beloved note b partakers of the note c benefit These things teach and exhort Paraphrase 2. And those Christians that have Christian masters must not withdraw any of that obedience which is due to them
those things for which he intercedes for us grace and pardon to all obedient sincere Christians and is able and ready to help us in time of need 2. A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man 3. For every high Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer 4. For if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law 5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Paraphrase 5. And those Priests which officiate here on earth do attend on and perform none but that figurative typical service which signified and represented this offering of Christ presenting himself to God in Heaven and there interceding for us So that that which was by God himself said to Moses when he was to make the Tabernacle that he should take care to make it according to the pattern shewed him in the Mount may fitly be applied by way of accommodation to this matter this offering of Christs in Heaven being indeed that substantial Idea of which all the service of the Tabernacle was but a type or shadow and so fitly styled an heavenly pattern 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministery by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises Paraphrase 6. But as for Christs office or Ministery that he thus exerciseth it is above that of the Levitical Priests which consisted only in typical observances and as much above them as the Covenant which Christ mediated between God and man was above the Mosaical oeconomy Of this Covenant it is observable first That it is now settled as a Law in which both parties are mutually bound to each other God to man and man to God and secondly That it is a much more excellent perfect beneficial Covenant then the former the duties now required more spiritual and sublime and the promises now proposed infinitely better promises then those which were under the Law viz. not only legal impunity which the sacrifices under the Law yielded but pardon and remission that pardon not only for light faults sins of error c. for which those sacrifices were designed but even for wilful sins if forsaken and repented of yea and the pouring out the Spirit on all flesh giving spiritual gifts for the building up of the Church not only to a few as to one or two Prophets under the Law but to many even to all Gentiles as well as Jewes yea to all Christians in some measure and lastly in stead of the promises of a temporal Canaan the plain promises of eternal life and blisse 7. For if that first covenant had been faultlesse then should no place have been sought for the second Paraphrase 7. For if the Covenant under the Law had been so perfect that it could not have been improved or bettered there would have been no need of a second Covenant 8. For finding fault with them he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah 9. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Aegyt because they continued not in my Covenant and note a I regarded them not saith the Lord. Paraphrase 8 9. Which appears by this because when he speaks in the Prophet Jeremy c. 31. 31. of making a new Covenant he doth it by way of complaint or finding fault with the weaknesse and imperfection of the former see c. 7. 18. after this manner or form of speech The Covenant which I will now make is not after the rate of the Covenant which I made with the Israelites by Moses a Covenant made up of external carnal commandments when I brought them out of Aegypt for that was not effectual to them was not able to attract them to obedience or perseverance but they fell off from me and consequently I forsooke them saith the Lord. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Paraphrase 10. But this is the Covenant which I will make in the latter dayes or age of the Messiah in time of the Gospel I will in stead of those external carnal ordinances and observations give them spiritual commands for the regulating their affections precepts most perfectly agreeable to all rational minds and by the exceeding greatnesse of that grace and mercy in this and many other particulars ver 12. I shall incline their affections willingly to receive my Law as well as convince their understandings of their duty and so I will take pleasure in them and they shall perform obedience unto me live like a people of God worthy of such a Leader 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Paraphrase 11. And there shall be no need of such pains in teaching men what they are to doe as under Moses Law which consisted of many outward performances which had no such inward essential goodnesse in them as that a mans own reason should prompt him to them and approve them as best and most excellent if they were not taught by the Law-maker and kept still in their minds by instruction in the Law but the precepts now proposed being so agreeable to humane reason they shall be found written by every man in his own heart as it were able of themselves to approve themselves to men see Deut. 30. 11. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Paraphrase 12. Especially when that part of the Covenant is considered promise and assurance of pardon for all forsaken sins as also for frailties and weaknesses daily continuing upon us For in all reason such a Covenant as this giving us assurance of such gracious usage will have great efficacy to move any man to devote himself wholly to Gods service that easie and blessed yoke 13. In that he saith A new covenant he hath made the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Paraphrase 13. And this form of speech A new Covenant is an argument that the former was old and an evidence that so indeed that legal Covenant or Mosaical
and no other means of appeasing them save the denying of the Faith or by compliances seeming to doe so that whosoever was not sincere was sure to be tempted out of his profession V. 14. Glorie That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory is answerable to the Hebrew Schechinah the appearing of God by Angels or any other glorious way hath been often said Note on Mar. 1. 2. see 2 Pet. 1. 3 17. and Jude 24. and that that also signifies that eminent way of Gods appearance which is therefore called his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Incarnation and being of Christ here on the earth hath been formerly noted also on Joh. 1. c. So 2 Cor. 4. a. the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is the glorious exhibition of God so visible in Christ here on the earth And so most probably here it signifies and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be the state or condition of Christ when he was here upon the earth with which is here fitly joined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of God so Christ incarnate was God blessed for ever that is the same way of dispensation and oeconomy which was used on Christ when he was here on earth see Note on Luk. 9. e. And that this is the meaning of it here will be judged by the Context which pronounces them happy that are reproached for Christ's name because by that means they are made like Christ that prime person that suffered for well doing V. 15. A busie-body What the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies will best be guest by observing first that it is here joined with other great and grosse sins Theft Murther Evil-doing secondly by comparing it with another word of near signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 3. 11. against which the Apostle exhorts 1 Thess 4. 1. This crime is either of a lower or higher sort the first is idlenesse the second improves it into sedition Against the former the Apostolick doctrine did proceed by way of censure that they were not to be acknowledged in the Catalogue of those poor that were to be relieved by the Church out of the publick stock but rather under the title of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorderly persons used as thieves with whom they are here placed which were to be sold as slaves forced to labour and so taken off from their idlenesse and medling with other men's matters Thus among the Aegyptians idlenesse was a capital crime among the Lucani he that lent money to any idle person was to loose it among the Corinthians the slothfull were delivered to the carnifex saith Diphilus Another higher then this there was of undertaking to have the charge of those that do not belong to them a fault which at this time was very observable among the Jewish Zelots who pretending to and promising themselves a perpetual immunity from all power of men as the onely children of God which were not therefore to be under any man particularly under Heathens but to enjoy an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or immunity would force all men to join with them against the Romans that is against the publick peace calling themselves the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benefactors and saviours of the nation and plundering all that would not be as active and seditious as themselves Such as these were very rife at the time of writing this Epistle and might justly be here ranked with thieves and murtherers being most eminently both of these under pretence of zeal to the Law and making all men perform their duty V. 17. For the time The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here will most conveniently be joined with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 16. as the matter of the Christians joy and occasion of his glorifying God that this is the season of judgments beginning at the house of God For there being two parts of God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judgment the one tolerable the other intolerable the one for advantage of the sufferer the other for the greatest disadvantage the one here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first part of the judgment the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end or tail of it the one assigned to pious men the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 house of God the other to the impious obdurate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disobedient see c. 3. g. it must needs be look'd on as an happy condition and that which is matter of joy and not of sorrow to any that they have their part in the former of these and not in the latter of them What the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end here is may perhaps be questioned whether any vengeance in this life or that greater in another life But the answer is easie it belongs primarily to the vengeance that here should light upon the obdurate Jewes their utter excision now approaching styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all things v. 7. in comparison with which the persecutions that now fell on the persevering Christians from their hands were very light and supportable but this not to exclude but to be the entrance on that sad arrier the dregs of that bitter cup in another world What is here addded of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteous scarcely escaping is thaken from Prov. 11. 31. where that which is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is from thence rightly rendred by our English behold the righteous shall be recompensed on the earth is by the Septuagint by mistake as it is probable of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for some other word rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteous hardly that is not without some difficulties and persecutions escapes where as the recompence on earth which the righteous meets with is the punishments and afflictions which befall him in this life so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saved must be the temporal preservations here or immunity from afflictions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardly saved his bearing some sharp pungent part of them but those not comparable with that other part of God's cup of trembling which expects the ungodly both here in a remarkable destruction and in another world CHAP. V. 1. THE Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed Paraphrase 1. The Bishops of your several Churches see note on Act. 11. b. I exhort who am my self employed here at Rome to govern the Church one that attended Christ at his crucifixion and was also at his Transfiguration present at that discourse concerning the glory that should be consequent to his death see 2 Pet. 1. 16. the remarkable destruction of his crucifiers and deliverance of his faithful disciples see note on 2 Thess 1. 6. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking
are Gods bydels that is messengers or officers See S t Hen. Spelman ' s Glossary in the word Bedellus This title was given to the chief priest in the Old Testament particularly in Malachie For he is the Angel or messenger of the Lord of hosts whose lips therefore were to preserve knowledge and from thence as from the oracle the people were to require the Law to receive knowledge and direction for their duty These Angels are by antient writers known and affirmed to be Bishops one in every of those Sees and not only so but Metropolitans to whom the Bishops of the adjacent cities were subordinate see Note b. And this course of government is here owned and approved by Christ himself by his sending those messages to those Angels in these Churches and by his holding the starres which resemble them in his right hand v. 10. ch 2. 1. whilest he visits or walks in the midst of the Candlesticks or Churches As for Mr. Brightman's only argument to the contrary because there is mention of many Bishops or Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. 17 28. that is easily answered that the Bishops of Asia were the men understood in that place who met Paul at Miletus but that they are Episcopi Ephesi Bishops of Ephesus is a direct falsification of his there being no such phrase used in that place And for that one objection which by some is drawn against their being single persons because ch 2. 24. after speaking to the Angel of Thyatira it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to you and the rest that are in Thyatira as if the Angel before were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you here the answer will be easie if it be observed that in the antient Greek MSS. particularly that at S. James's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is left out and the words read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you the rest or to the rest of you that are in Thyatira and who have not known the depths as they call them but those depths of Satan c. Where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you the rest or the rest of you is set in opposition to the Gnostick complying party among them before mentioned and belongs not to the Angel or Bishop but as one and the prime of that pure constant party I need adde no more for answer to this so slight an objection These Angels are here described by the hieroglyphick of starres in token of their office to illuminate and send out influences to rule the faithfull under them as the Sun and the rest of the starres do this inferiour world and the Churches where they preside are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sockets for lamps or candlesticks as being the places where these starres as so many lamps or torches do shine where they are set or fastned to give light to all that come into the room Now because these Angels are so considerable parts in the Churches therefore it is that the messages which are sent to the whole congregation of Christian professors under them are here address'd particularly to the Angels c. 2. 1. And so in the rest where though the Angels were single persons yet what is said to them is not said only to their persons but to the universality of the people under them whose non-proficiency or remission of degrees of Christian vertue especially their falling off from the constancy and courage of their profession do deserve and are accordingly threatned with the removal of that Christian knowledge that grace those privileges of a Church which had been allowed them c. 2. 5. which is not so properly appliable as a punishment of the Bishop as of the people under him And therefore in the Paraphrase I have generally changed the Singular into the Plural number by that means to leave it indifferently to the Bishop of each Church and the people under him and yet farther to the other Churches subordinate to each of the Metropoles here named Of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see more Note on Act. 12. e. CHAP. II. 1. UNto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write These things saith he that holdeth the seven Starres in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Paraphrase 1. To the Bishop and with him the Church of Ephesus deliver this message Thus faith Christ described c. 1. 13 and 16. sustaining and honouring with his right hand the seven Governours or Bishops of the seven Churches and coming now to visit and examine and according to desert to punish or reward the members of these Churches and to admonish them timely what may be mended in them 2. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evill and thou hast tryed them which note a say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars Paraphrase 2. I observe and approve your labour and great industry in the Gospel and your most constant patience and perseverance in the faith your no kind of compliance with the vitious men that creep in among you Ye have put the false teachers to the test examined their doctrine and mission see note on Joh. 20. b. and found them to be counterfeits 3. And hast born and hast patience and for my names sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Paraphrase 3. And you have formerly undergone many pressures and persecutions and held out against all assaults of terror or difficulty and for the profession of Christianity have endured very sore and sharp afflictions and were not then disheartened in your course by persecutions in the way 4. Neverthelesse I have somewhat against thee because thou note b hast left thy I first love Paraphrase 4. But one charge or accusation see Mat. 5. 23. I have against you of this Church that that vehement pure Christian love casting out all fear of danger which at first was in you and evidenced it self by your confession of the faith with courage and without fear you since have somewhat remitted and are not altogether so fervent and intense and valiant as at the first you were 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of its place except thou repent Paraphrase 5. Call to mind therefore that degree of Christian zeal and courage which was in you at the first and being sensible of the decay return to it again and act as Christianly and valiantly in all things as at first you did or else I will suddainly punish you by removing the light of the Gospel from you by leaving no Church among you 6. But this thou hast that thou hatest the note c deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate Paraphrase 6. Yet one thing is to be said in your commendation that the temptations of the Gnosticks being of two sorts the baits of lusts
with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what I hate in one place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what I would not v. 16. and that again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil that I would not v. 19. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are directly all one 't is not imaginable how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what I hate I do should not be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of doing evil this being no less than a direct contradiction to interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do by not do which neither Methodius nor any other mans authority can prevaile with any reasonable man to receive from him This inconvenience when Methodius foresees his onely answer is that he desires them who make this objection to declare what evil it was that the Apostle hated and would not do and yet did whether when he willed to serve God he yet committed Idolatry But sure the whole force of this answer if there be any is founded in interpreting the words to be spoken by S. Paul in his own person and so is perfectly prevented by him that understands the Apostle not of himself but of an unregenerate man From which process of Methodius and what he there addes in that place of the Apostles pronouncing against Idolaters and other such sinners that they cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven the conclusion is regular and unavoidable that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do and work be interpreted of actions or of any more then thoughts unconsented to then the person that is spoken of by S. Paul Rom. 7. is one that shall not inherit the kingdome of God and then sure no regenerate person by Methodius's arguing Which therefore is most constringent and convincing that this chapter speaks of an unregenerate person for that 't is beyond all controversie that he cannot use those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do c. of meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinking or phansying only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not of consenting or doing And so in like manner that being carnal and sold under sin which is all one with a servant of sin in other places of the same Apostle it being then so ordinary to sell servants sub hastae under his speare as it were that had taken or conquered them and carried captive by the law in his members that is by his own carnal heart cannot be affirmed of him that lives in and walkes after the spirit To which this farther evidence may also be added from the using the phrase the Law of sin v. 23. the unquestionable importance of which we have from the immediate consequents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or law of sin is sure the command or empire of sinne to which he that is captivated as the person here spoken of is must be acknowledged to be under the dominion of sin and that certainly is unreconcileable with a regenerate state This is farther express'd v. 24. by the body of death and so beares proportion to what had been said v. 5. when we were in the flesh as that is there opposed to the spirit the mâ—tions of sin did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death which concludes that condition which is here spoken of to be a damnable condition And it is remarkable that ch 8. 2. the law of the spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ is said to have made the Apostle free from this law of sin death From whence the argument is irrefragable That to which the person Rom. 7. 23. is said to be captivated is the same from which the grace of Christ hath delivered the regenerate justifyed person ch 8. 2. But the grace of Christ doth not free the regenerate man in this life from injections of phansy or thoughts unconsented to for certainly the regenerate man doth not pretend to that measure of grace as shall free him from all such Therefore that of thoughts unconsented to is not it to which the person Rom. 7. 23. is said to be captivated Against the evidence of this I foresee not what can reasonably be suggested CHAP. VIII 1. THere is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Paraphrase 1. There is therefore now no obligation lying on a Christian to observe those ceremonies of Moses's Law circumcision c. ch 7. 4 6. from whence to the end of that chapter the Apostle had made a digression to answer an objection ver 7. nor consequently danger of damnation to him for that neglect supposing that he forsake those carnal sins that the circumcised Jewes yet indulged themselves to and perform that Evangelical obedience in doing what the mind illuminated by Christ directs us to that inward true purity which that circumcision of the flesh was set to signifie that is now required by Christ under the Gospel see note on c. 7. c. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from note a the law of sin and death Paraphrase 2. For the Gospel which deales not in commanding of carnal outward performances but of spiritual inward purity the substance of those legal shadowes and that which was meant by them and so is proper to quicken us to new life in or through the grace and assistance of Christ who brought this new law into the world hath freed us Christians from the power and captivity of sin c. 7. 23. and so also from death the wages of sin from neither of which was the Law of Moses able to rescue any man 3. For what the Law could not doe for that it was weak through the note b flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Paraphrase 3. For when through the fleshly desires of men carrying them headlong into all sin in despite of the prohibitions of the Law c. 7. 14. the Law of Moses was by this means weak and unable to reform and amend mens lives then most seasonably God sent his own Son in the likenesse of flesh that is in a mortal body which was like sinfull flesh and differed nothing from it save onely in innocence and that on purpose that he might be a sacrifice for sin and by laying our sins on him shew'd great example of his wrath against all carnal sins by punishing sin in his flesh that so men might be perswaded by love or wrought on by terrors to forsake their sinfull courses 4. That the note c righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but