abusive injury to others no doubt they would have punished him And verily many Preachers whose Doctrine is tolerable are so abusive in false reviling Application that we may say some Orthodox Churches have need of Church Justices to keep the peace The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the ROMANS The INTRODUCTION FOr the understanding of Paul's Epistle to the Romans it is necessary I. To understand his main Design and Subject II. To that end to know what Parties he had to do with III. And what their several Errours were or their Temptations to Errour IV. And by what Arguments he opposeth them and what he granteth them I. Paul's great Design is to establish the Roman Christians in the Faith of the Gospel and in Holiness of Life and in mutual Love and Concord against all the Temptations which then assaulted them II. The Adversaries of their Stability and his Design whom he noteth are 1. The Roman Heathens especially the Learned sort 2. Especially the Jews and the Judaizing Christians 3. Some Erroneous Heretical Christians who were inclined both to Libertinism and to Divisions III. The Errours opposed by him were I. The Heathens who while they scorned the Faith of a Crucified Christ shewed how little they were to be regarded by their Sins against the Light of Nature II. The Jews had all these following Errours 1. Because God had made them a peculiar People by special Privileges and Promises they were over-proud of it as if they had been the onely Servants that God had in World and that none but Jews and their Proselytes were saved 2. And so that their Law was to be received by all the World 3. That this Law given to and by Moses for their Government as a peculiar Republick was so excellent because thus Divine that the keeping of it was the sufficient and onely way of Salvation 4. Herein they overlook'd the Promise which was before the Law and presupposed in the Law as its Foundation and its very Life both the Common Promise made to lapsed Mankind in Adam and Noah and the spiritual part of the Special Promise made to Abraham 2. And they overlook'd the signification of their Types and Ceremonies and look'd at the Law meerly as a Law of Works rewarding or punishing for the doing or not doing it 5. Therefore they mistook the promised Messiah to be a King of David's Line who was to restore their Commonwealth and subdue the Nations to it and rule them in earthly Glory by that Law and so made him subservient to Moses's Law as to be restored by him 6. And so they thought that this Law must endure for ever and that to talk of its abrogation was Blasphemy against God III. The Judaizing Christians conjoyned Christianity and the Law and thought that though Christ's Miracles Resurrection and Spirit proved him to be the Messiah who died for their Sins yet he came not to change their Law but to establish it And first they were long before they could be convinced that it was not necessary to the Gentiles to be Proselytes to it And when they were forced to grant that they still held that it was necessary to all the Jews And therefore they kept up their Ceremonies and separated too far from the Gentile Christians And the Gentile Christians too much despised these IV. Besides these there were some that Heretically took it to be a part of their extraordinary Knowledge to hold That Christianity delivered Men not onely from the Jews Law but from subjection to Men and from necessary strictness in outward Actions And they made a Party for these Opinions V. The Apostle I. dealeth but briefly with the Heathens and argueth against them from their own Errours and Crimes 1. Telling them of the Light of Nature and then of their odious Sins against it that the Christians might not be moved by the scorns and opposition of such a blinded uncapable sort of Adversaries II. But the chief Work of his Epistle is to confute the Jews and Judaizers and to establish the Gentile Christians against their Errours and Opposition To which end he proveth all these things 1. That the Gentiles are not bound to receive the Law of Moses and become Jews 2. That they may be justified and saved by the Faith of Christ as well as the Jews 3. That God foretold their Calling by the Prophets and the Promise to Abraham extended to them as the Spiritual Believing Seed or Children 4. That if this were not true none could be justified or saved because by the Deeds of the Law as such no man can be justified The Jews themselves must be justified by Faith or not at all 5. That the Law of Moses as such came long after the Promise and the Justification of Abraham by Faith and therefore could not null that Promise or way of Life 6. That the Law required such a degree of Works or strict Obedience as no man kept and therefore none could be justified by it 7. That the Law was given but to the Jews and God is not onely the God and Governour of the Jews but of the Gentiles also 8. That the Law forbiddeth Sin and curseth the Sinner and condemneth him and therefore doth not justifie him 9. That the Law as such giveth not Grace and Strength to keep it but supposeth Ability But the Grace and Spirit of Christ enableth 10. That the Law by accident irritateth Lust and increaseth it and doth not mortifie and overcome it 11. That the Law was given to another end than to justifie the Sinner by its bare Works even to convince Men of Sin and the need of Grace and as a Schoolmaster to lead them to Christ who is the End of the Law 12. That Pardon Justification and Salvation must needs be God's free Gift to the Guilty and Condemned and not the Reward of Meritorious Works of the Law nor can any pretend the Title of Innocency or Debt 13. That Christ is designed to gather a more large and excellent Church than the Jewish Nation even a Catholick Church through all the World and that more spiritual and holy into which the Jews if they will believe shall be all graffed which will be to them a higher Privilege than to live under the Mosaick Politie 14. That the Jewish Law was so operous shadowy burdensom and terrible that it is part of the Office of a Saviour to deliver men from it and to bring them under a far better Law and Covenant of Grace By many such Arguments he confuteth the Jews and Judaizing Christians III. How he confuteth the Censorious Dividers who agreed in the Essentials of Christianity but differed about some Jewish Rites and also the Erroneous that enclined to Licentiousness and unjust Separation from the Orthodox will be sufficiently shewn in the particular Expositions IV. But the Apostle denieth none of these following Truths but implieth some and expresly asserteth others of them as Concessions 1. According to the Promise made to Abraham the
those that Paul disputed against had in conceit separated the Law as such from the Promise or Covenant of Free Grace and thought to be justified by the Merit of their Obedience to it III. Perverse Engagement against one anothers Opinions as dangerous hath made Paul's Doctrine of Faith and Justification seem much more difficult than it is 1. It is certain That by Faith he meaneth no one single Act onely as is The believing that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us as if we were not justified by believing in God the Father or the Holy Ghost or trusting the Promise of Glory or believing that Christ died for our Sins rose ascended intercedeth reigneth and will judge us and glorifie us or by consenting to his Covenant of Grace accepting offered Mercy c. Faith is a Moral act containing many Physical acts of Understanding and Will like a Covenant-consent to a King a Husband a Physician c. It is all that is essentially required in Baptism to the Collation of the Grace there given It is Christianity in consent 2. This Faith is commanded by God and Grace and Glory promised to them that by believing obey this Command which maketh it the Condition or Moral receptive Qualification for this Gift And though God's Grace cause Men to believe yet the Command and Conditional Promise are the Means by which God worketh this Effect And that the Promise be Conditional joyned with threatning to Disobedience is no more needless than the Command or Preaching is 3. Hence Men may claim Pardon upon believing but none can claim Faith by vertue of any absolute Promise of God before he have it 4. Though no Creature can merit of God in Commutative Justice as giving him a Benefit yet they may merit of him as in Governing Justice or Distributive But this is various as the Governing Law is According to the Law of Innocency no man meriteth nor Justification according to the Law of Moses save Christ alone Christ's Merit was in the fulfilling the undertaken Mediatorship which was fulfilling the Law of Innocency which he onely was capable of and Moses's Law and the peculiar Acts of a Mediator This Merit of Christ is the valuable procuring meritorious Cause of all our Deliverance Pardon Justification Adoption c. of which our own Habits or Acts are no Parts nor are at all to be judged to be in stead of any part of the Office of Christ 5. But we are not Lawless but under a Pardoning and Justifying Law or Covenant of Grace which giveth Grace and Glory as is said to them that believe and repent that is pardoneth them and giveth them the in-dwelling Spirit of Love and right to Life if they sincerely trust Christ's Mediation and Promise for it and give up themselves for that end to God their reconciled Father to Christ as their Saviour and his Spirit as their Sanctifier And because God will not give us the free Gift of Christ and Life with him but as first qualified by this Condition of Faith therefore Faith is said to be imputed to us for Righteousness that is This Acceptance of his free Gift in Christ is all that the Law of Grace by which we shall be judged requireth of us that we may be accounted Righteous without Innocency or the Works of Moses's Law or any that make not the gift of Pardon and Life to be of free Grace To have Righteousness imputed is to be accounted Righteous 6. To call Faith a Justifying Instrument is an unapt Speech of Mans vain invention but may be tolerated if they mean but A Moral receptive Disposition unfitly called A receptive Instrument But not in proper sense 7. But though Christ is our Surety and Vicarius poenae in some sense and properly a Sacrifice for our Sin and merited all that we have by his Righteousness yet it subverteth the Gospel and Christianity to teach as some do That Christ did so properly personate every one of the Elect that in the sense of God and the Law though not Physically they all perfectly fulfilled the Law of Innocency in and by him and so are justified by that Law as imputatively being sinless As if that Law had said Thou or thy Surety shall die if thou sin and we are justified by the same Law that condemned us and no Death or Suffering or permitted Sin were any Penalties on us And as if we were at once reputed sinless from Birth to Death and yet must have a Christ to die for our Sin and must daily beg forgiveness of it CHAP. I. 1. PAul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an Apostle separated unto the Gospel of God 1. â—y an immediate appearance of Christ from Heaven by Voice and Inspiration sâ—â—t to publish the glad tidings of Redemption and Salvation by Christ 2. Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scripture 3. Concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh 4. And declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead 3. Having his Humane Nature from his Mother of David's line 4. But the Power of God which owned him by the Spirit of Holiness and his Resurrection from the dead did demonstrate that he was not a meer Man but Gods own Son sent from Heaven and miraculously incarnate 5. By whom we have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name 5. By whose own heavenly mission I received this favour and honour to be his special Messenger sent to call all Nations to believe and obey the Gospel and proclaim the Glory of his Name 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ 6. Of whom God hath vouchsafed you to be a part being the called followers of Jesus Christ 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be saints Grace be to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ 7. To all in Rome that are the beloved of God called out of the World into the Holy Christian state I salute you by this Benediction and Prayer that the Grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and that true Peace and Welfare which is its special Fruit may be yet more upon you 8. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the world 8. And first I thank my God through Jesus Christ that as you dwell in that City which is most eminent in the World which is an advantage to the lustre and communication of your Faith so your profession of that Faith is so illustrious as to be famous throughout the World 9. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers 10. Making request if by any means now at length I might
of peace have they not known 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. David truly describeth the state of Corrupted Nature and of all Men till Grace restrain or change them in Psal 14. and 53 c. that There is not one of them that are Righteous Men They understand not practically the matters of True Wisdom and chief concerns but are a blind and sottish Generation and therefore they seek not seriously to know God or to please him and enjoy his love They are turned from the way of truth and obedience and happiness They are all but hurtful or unprofitable in the World and none of them that set themselves to a Life that may do good to themselves or others or to please God They are so like Satan who seeketh whom he may devour that their Throat is like an open Sepulchre greedily gaping to devour the Just and Godly their Tongues serve the Father of lies in slandering Gods Truth and Servants and their Words are like Adders Poyson that tends to do mischief and destroy the good and innocent Cursing and false deceitful words are the fruit of their Lips They are ready to shed the Blood of the Godly and Innocent The way of their Life is Destruction and Misery to the Faithful and to the Societies where they live and finally to themselves Nature and Custom may teach them to talk for Peace and Unity and Love But they do not and will not know the true Nature of them or the way by which they must be attained For they are not governed by the Law and Fear of God but by their Carnal deceived Wit and Worldly Interest which God condemneth 19. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God 19. All this is written in the Jews Law and therefore is spoken to and of the Jews as well as others for the Law speaketh to none but those that are Subjects and obliged by it So that neither Jew nor Gentile can be justified as innocent but all such self-justifiers will be confuted and all the World proved guilty of Sin and Punishment before God when he shall judge them 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin 20. By all this therefore it is clear that seeing all that are under Moses's Law are Sinners against the Law and none are innocent no Flesh shall be justified in Gods sight by that Law For as they are Sinners so it is the Law which notifieth their Sin and condemneth them for it 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference 21. But there is another way of Righteousness ordained of God for our Justification and the Glory of his Grace and Justice without the keeping of Moses's Law or being justified by it 22. Even the Righteousness prescribed by God and given by his Grace which is by the way of Faith in Christ even our believing trust in him and adhering to him and this is prescribed and given to and found in all true Believers without difference 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ 23 24. For all Men are Sinners and therefore have come short of obtaining the Glory which God had appointed to the Innocent that never brake his Law and cannot be saved or justified by the Law which they have broken but must be justified by his free Grace forgiving their sin and giving and accepting their sincere Faith and Repentance through the Redemption of lost Sinners which Jesus Christ hath wrought for them and in them 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus 25 26. Whom God hath by his unsearchable Counsel Decree and Ordination set forth to be the great Reconciler and Propitiation by the way and means of Faith in his blood as a Propitiatory Sacrifice and the Seal of his Truth and Love and this was as well as by justifying the Innocent to demonstrate that he is a Holy Just and Merciful God and no friend to sin but a loâ—er of Holiness and Truth in Pardoning to such Believers all their past Sins to which his forbearance and reprieve was a preparation I say to declare that he is as merciful so Just while he will have so precious a Sacrifice for Sin and by Pardon and Grace doth make and judge the Faithful Righteous which is it which is now fully declared by our preaching the Gospel 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith 27. Grace therefore must have the Glory of our Justification For who can boast that he hath it by Innocency because he deserved not death by Sin No this is utterly shut out By what Law Is it by the Law of Moses or any Law which justifieth Men because they sinned not against it nor deserved death No but by another Law even the Law of Faith which Grace hath brought us under which pardoneth and saveth true Penitent Believers 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law 28. Therefore against the Jews and all self justiciaries we conclude that the Law of Moses much less the first Law of pure Innocency is so far from being necessary to the Gentiles for Justification and Salvation that no Man Jew or Gentile is otherwise justified by God but by his free Grace given through Jesus Christ to all true Believers who accept it as a free gift 29. Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also 29. And how absurd is it to think that God is a God that is a merciful Governour to no more in the World than that little sorry People of the Jews Doth not his actual Mercies and his Government obliging all the World to the use of some means for Recovery Pardon and Salvation confute this and shew that he is the God and Merciful Governour also of the Gentiles 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith 30. It is the same God who will justifie Circumcised Believers and uncircumcised Believers by one and the same way Even by the way of Grace and
and so only to them then it was null to Abraham and it is of no effect to any 15. Becsuse the law worketh wrath for where no law is there is no transgression 15. Because as the Law is made to forbid and condemn Sin so it obligeth Sinners to undergo the Punishment which were no obligation were there no obliging Law And Abraham was not under Moses's Law and so transgressed it not 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the law but to that also which is of the saith of Abraham who is the father of us all 16. Therefore this great Promise and Blessing is made to Believers as such that it may be free and of meer Grace that so it may be sure and firm to all the Seed or Children of Promise not only to the Jews that had the Law and were the Natural Seed but to the Gentiles also who have Abraham's Faith and so are his Spiritual Seed who is the Father of all Believers 17. As it is written I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were 17. As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations and not of the Israelitish Nation only So that though the Gentiles were not then called as now they are by the Gospel yet that God who promised this to Abraham when his Body and Sarah's were naturally past Generation and to Isaac when he was unborn and again when God demanded him as an Offering and thence as it were raised him from the dead that God I say did decree the calling of the Gentiles and spake of that in Promise which was long after to be done 18. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy seed be 18. This was the meaning of Gods Promise to Abraham who against all natural probability trusted Gods Promise and believed and hoped that accordingly he should become the Father of many Nations And that as was promised his Seed should be as the Stars in Heaven 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was an hundred years old nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb 19. And his Faith was not weak and shaken with the consideration that his aged Body was almost dead and unfit for procreation or that Sarah's Womb was so also 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in saith giving glory to God 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform 20 21. He was not staggered by unbelief unto a distrustful doubting but was strong in Faith whereby he gave God the Glory of his Power Wisdom Love and Truth being fully perswaded that though Nature shewed no probability of it in second Causes the Almighty God could perform all that he had promised 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness 22. And therefore this way of glorifying God by the trusting belief of his free Promise was so suitable to Gods Ends and Honour that he accepted it as Righteousness or a sufficient qualification of him that should partake of his free given Mercy though Abraham had no sinless innocency nor could say that he never deserved death 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead 23. And certainly God did not leave this on Record for Abraham's sake only as if there had been a Righteousness and right to Life which he only must have and belonged to no other and he must be justified by some odd way proper to himself 24. But this is written also for all us to tell us what Righteousness God requireth and accepteth to our Salvation and that if we believe with trust on his Power Truth and Mercy who raised up our Lord from the dead this Faith shall be imputed to us for Righteousness and we shall be saved by the Sacrifice Merits and Mediation of Christ though our Sins deserved death and neither the Law of Innocency or of Moses justifie us 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 25. Even our Faith in God by Christ and in him who for our Sins was made a Propitiatory Sacrifice to procure us free Forgiveness of them and was raised again to cause our Justification by uniting us to himself and pardoning our Sin and giving us his Spirit and right to Impunity and Salvation and justifâ—ifying this right and us as our Advocate and by his Sentence as our Judge CHAP. V. 1. THerefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 1. Therefore I may conclude that being Constituted Accounted of God and judged Righteous by Faith we have Peace with and towards God as Reconciled and Adopted through our Lord Jesus Christ notwithstanding we are not justifiable as fulfillers of the Law 2. By whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 2. By whose mediation it is that we came or had access by Faith into this blessed state of Grace and Gods Favour wherein we now are and greatly rejoyce in hope of the promised Glory of God 3. And not onely so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad on our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us 3 4 5. Yea more than so but also in all our tribulations which we undergo in the World for Christ and Righteousness we exult with glorying and joy knowing that this tribulation doth by exercise increase our Patience and being tryed our patient and constant suffering maketh us the more certain by experience that our Faith is sound and giveth us experience of Gods supporting Grace And this experience much confirmeth our hope of Gods acceptance and our Salvation which we should be apt to doubt of if our Faith and Gods Grace had not been thus tryed it being easie by self-flattery to think untryed Faith is better than it is And this confirmed hope will never leave us to shame by disappointment for it is accompanied and sealed by that special gift of the Holy Ghost which sheddeth abroad on our Hearts the effects and sense of the Love of God through Christ and so replenisheth us with Reflecting-love to God even as the Summer Rains and Sunshine moisten and warm the Earth and replenish it with pleasant Fruits 6. For when we were yet without strength
we could be content to know no more than God doth teach us and to be no wiser than St. Paul was 1. He teacheth us That there are some called according to God's purpose and foreknown by him that is to be such as he will use as is after mentioned He knoweth them to be those whom he purposeth to call and save But Paul was not so presumptuous and profane as to dispute How God foreknoweth them or why he purposeth to call them rather than others 2. And whereas profane Men do foolishly say If God decree and foreknow my Salvation I shall be saved whatever I do and if he do not I shall not St. Paul tells us That those whom God purposeth or decreeth to save he predestinateth to be conformed to the Image of his Son even to the Means as well as to the End So that to say That God doth predestinate Men to Salvation and not to Holiness of Heart and Life is to contradict God's Doctrine of Predestination As God doth decree how long we shall live and withal that we shall live by Meat and Drink so he decreeth that we shall be saved and that by Faith and sincere Obedience And sure they know not what they say who call this Doctrine of Election Licentious Doth it encourage Men to Impenitency or Disobedience to tell them that God doth predestinate Men to repent and obey and be saved Will it tempt Men to live after the Flesh in Worldliness or Sensuality to believe that God hath decreed to make them to live after the Spirit and to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh and to avoid such Sins 3. And Paul tells us That this Chain of Causes is all decreed of God from the first to the last and therefore that it is God's Purpose which secureth the Event of our Glorification And it 's strange that any should think that God should undertake so great a Work as Mans Redemption and not effectually secure the Success by his own Will and Wisdom but leave all to the lubricous Will of Man 4. But the Apostle tells us of no such Decrees of the Causes of Mens Damnation God causeth and giveth Grace and foreknoweth that which he will give But he doth not cause or give Men Sin nor necessitate any to commit it and therefore decreeth not to cause it nor foreknoweth it as his own Work but as Mans. So that Election and Non-election or Reprobation are not of the same kind degree and order VII The sense of the Terms of the 30 Verse Expositors much differ about but there is no great Doctrinal Controversie depending on it 1. It is doubted whether by Calling here be meant only Effectual Calling and Conversion or only General Calling antecedent to its Efficacy But it 's confessed that both these are asserted in the Scripture 2. It is doubted why Sanctification is omitted or where it is included But it 's agreed that it is one Link of the Chain of the Causes of Salvation 3. And so it 's doubted what the Word Justifie doth mean But the thing is agreed on 4. And the greatest doubt is whether every one of these Causes will infer the rest or only the connexion of all the foregoing will infer that which followeth 1. There is small reason to doubt but that by Calling is meant Effectual Calling Else it would neither prove Predestination nor infer Justification 2. Sanctification is a Word which signifieth many Acts. As it signifieth the Gift of our first Faith and Repentance and our Covenant-devotedness to God in Baptism it is the same with Effectual Vocation Regeneration and Conversion But as it signifieth the after-gift of the In-dwelling Spirit to habituate the Soul with fixed Holiness and Love and the Practice of these it followeth Vocation at least in order of Nature 3 Justification sometime signifieth Making us righteous sometime accounting us righteous sometime by Apology maintaining us to be righteous sometime by Judicial Sentence pronounâ—ing us righteous sometime executively using us as righteous usually many of these together all the rest being implied It is certain that God maketh Men righteous before he account or judge them righteous Now to make a Man righteous and justifiable in Judgment all these concur 1. The Merit of Christ's Righteousness as the deserving Matter and Cause 2. The Act of the New Covenant giving him a part in Christ and with him Pardon of Sin and Right to the Spirit of Grace and unto Glory 3. The Gift of Faith and Repentance that Christ and his further Grace may be ours and for continuance the holy Habits and Acts of Sanctiâ—â—cation And seeing all sound Expositors confess with Beza that at least three Texts by Justification mean or include Sanctification we have reason to judge that part of Sanctification is here included in Vocation and part in Justification and some think the Triumphant part in Glorification And certainly this inferreth no unsound Doctrine 4. Augustine thought that the Links of this are separable unless you include the first as the Qualification of all the rest by way of distinction and that the meaning is That God will call all the Predestinate or Elect and will justifie all the Predestinate that are called and will glorifie all the Justified that are predestinate and called but that there are some justified and sanctified that were not predestinate nor shall be glorified but fall away What the sâ—nse of the Ancient Fathers was about Perseverance Ger. Vossius hath so truly opened in his Theses that I may thither refer the Inquisitive My own sense of it I have opened in my Catholick Theologie and it 's too long a Case to be handled here But I think no confirmed Christian doth totally and finally fall away and that the rest of the Doubt should not be thought enough to break the Love and Peace of Christians VIII As to the Doubt Whether the 38 and 39 Verses speak of God's Love to us or ours to him as they are in themselves inseparable so I think that the Context giveth us Reason to think that it is both even the Bond of mutual Love which is here spoken of All the doubt is Whether it be spoken of every true Christian or only of the Elect and Confirmed of which before CHAP. IX 1. I Say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh 1 2 3. I am so far from saying all that I have said in contempt of the Jews or triumph over them in their misery that I protest as a Christian I lie not my Conscience bearing me witness which is illuminated and actuated by the Holy Ghost that in the midst of all my rejoycing in Christ I have great heaviness and continual sorrow of Heart for the sin and misery of the Jews who are
as he lift and giveth them arbitrarily in great inequality He giveth his Mercy to whom and in what degree he please and whom he will he leaveth in their wilful sin and even occasioneth though he cause it not their obduration by such mercies and providential dispensations as he knows they will abuse to harden themselves in sin 19. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will 19. It 's like you will say If this he so why doth he find fault with Men that want but what he will not give them and are not what he will not make them Doth not all this proceed according to his Will If he would give them all his Grace they would be better 20. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formeth it Why hast thou made me thus 20. Gods Laws and Governing Will which make Mans Duty is resisted by sin but as to the Disposing and Donative Will of God as our Owner and free Benefactor can Man that is a dark and sinful Worm think himself meet to call God to account and demand a reason of his free Gifts why he giveth them to this Man and not to another Darest thou thus dispute with God and ask a reason of his Will which is absolute and the spring and reason of all created good Hath the unformed Matter an antecedent right to any subsequent shape or use and may it say Why hast thou made me thus and not in a nobler form for higher use 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour 21. The power that a Potter hath over his Clay is incomparably less than God hath over Man and yet none accuseth him for making one Vessel to serve at the Table and another for a baser use As God had done thee no wrong if he had made thee a Dog or a Toad and not a Man so he doth thee none if he give thee not that undeserved abused Grace which he freely giveth to others that as little deserve it 22. What if God willing to shew hi wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 22. Shall Man accuse God because he resolveth to shew his punishing Justice and Power on those self-hardening wilful sinners who made themselves Vessels of wrath and fitted to destruction when he hath in long patience and forbearance endured them while they abused Mercy 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory 23. And because he will make known the riches of his Glory in the felicity of those whom he had freely made Vessels of Mercy and had by Grace prepared them for Glory 24. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles 24. I mean on all us that are true Christians both Jews and Gentiles effctually called by his free Grace 25. As he saith also in Osee I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 25. Which purpose of free Mercy to undeserving sinners he expresseth in Hosea 2.23 saying I will call them c. 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God 26. And as the words Hos 1.10 shew that God will call even unworthy outcasts and make them his People by free Grace 27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea a remnant shall be saved 27. Which differencing Grace God expresseth even of the Israelites Isa 10.32 33. that of all their number it is but a remnant that shall escape his Judgment and return from captivity signifying the like difference as to their Salvation by the Faith of Christ 28. For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because a short work will the Lord make on the earth 28. Or the Consumption decreed shall overflow in Justice for the Lord God of Hosts shall make a Consumption even determined in the midst of all the Land c. 29. And as Esaias said before Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed we had been as Sodom and made like to Gomorrah 29. And that differencing mercy decreed to save a little remnant the other words of Isay prove Except the Lord c. 30. What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnes have attained righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith 30. What shall we say then to this mystery of Grace the calling of the Gentile world and the abscission of the most of the present Nation of the Jews which so much offendeth them That the Gentiles who lived in darkness and unrighteousness have attained Righteousness in reality and imputation even that which is by Faith in Christ 31. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness 31. But Israel who had Gods own Righteous Law and trusted to be justified by keeping it have not understood the True Law and terms of Justification nor have attained that Justifying Righteousness to which their Law did point them 32. Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone 32. And wherefore have they not attained it Because they understood not that the Promise and Covenant of Grace was the very life and foundation and end of the Law by which they should by faith have expected Justification as Gods free gift to True Believers but thought it must be had by the Righteousness of their own Works in keeping all the Ceremonies and Precepts of that Law For Christ became to them a Stumbling-stone in whom they should have believed 33. As it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 33. As it is written Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a Stone which many will stumble and fall upon though it be the pretious Foundation-stone and a Rock that many shall be split upon though that on which my Church is built and whosoever believeth on him shall not be disappointed nor ashamed of his hopes So that the cause why Israel is cast off is not because God sent not his Son and Gospel to them nor invited them to believe nor gave them evidence of the Truth of Christ which was sufficient to convince a well-disposed mind much less because he hindred them from believing or because he shewed mercy to the Gentiles but because by error they hardned themselves against Christ as not answering their Carnal erroneous
Law and freely given by Grace and fully now revealed in the Gospel by Jesus Christ and trusting to their own Works of the Law as a sufficient Righteousness to justifie them have by their errour rejected Gods free gift of Justification by Faith in Christ 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 4. For they should have understood that the sense and use of the Law is to lead them for Righteousness to Christ who is its end and prefigured in its Sacrifices and other Types 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law That the man which doth those things shall live by them 5. For though the Law do point Men to a better Righteousness yet in it self as a Law it owneth nothing as a Righteousness sufficient to Justification but that which Moses thus discribeth Lev. 18.5 The Man that doth these things and breaketh not this Law shall live by them 6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart Who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above 7. Or Who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead 8. But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach 6 7 8. But I may describe the Righteousness which is of Faith in the Words of Moses Deut. 30. Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend into Heaven or how can we know Gods Will that never were in Heaven Or who shall bring us thence a certain Messenger of it or Who shall descend into the deep or it is hid from us like the depths of the Sea and who shall fetch it to our Knowledge But as it saith The word is nigh thee God hath not concealed it but sent it from Heaven Christ is come down to make known God and his Word and he is risen and gone to intercede for us in Heaven And he hath brought his Gospel both to our Eyes Mouth and Ears and writeth it by his Spirit in our Hearts And Moses there seemeth to intend such a way of Righteousness by free Grace to the Repenting Israelites And this is it which our Preaching fuller revealeth to you 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved 9. That if thou confess Christ before Men notwithstanding persecution and own him as Christ before the world and believe truly and heartily that God raised him from the dead and thereby witnessed that he owned him and justified the truth of his Gospel thou shalt be saved as well as justified For to justifie a Man is partly to justifie his Right to Salvation 10. For with the heart man believeth to righreousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 10. For these two make up the Gospel terms of Life To give up Soul and Body to Christ if thou believe sincerely in him with thy Heart thou wilt be accepted for his Merits by God as Righteous and if thou constantly confess and own him whatever thou suffer by it from Men by Word and Deed in obedience and patience thou shalt possess the Salvation to which thy Justification initially gave thee right 11. For the scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed 11. For Isa 8.16 God hath prmised us in his Word that whoever believeth on him and trusteth him on his Promise and practically placeth his hope accordingly shall never be disappointed and ashamed of that Hope 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him 12. For God is no respecter of persons and saveth not Men or rejecteth Men because they are Jews or Greeks The Law of Grace doth equally pardon and justifie Jew and Gentile that truly repent and believe and no other He is the same Lord over all and is Rich in Mercy to all that call on him in Faith for when he proclaimed his Name to Moses Exod. 34. as gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. it was his very Nature and Decree by which he would be known to all the World and not only by the Jews 13. For whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved 13. For as it is said Joel 2.32 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall he saved that is of what Nation soever he be if he truly seek God he will be found of him and if he fear God and work Righteousness by Faith he shall be accepted of him for he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a preacher 14. And this sheweth you the necessity of Preaching the Gospel for how shall Men seek and worship and call on that God and Saviour in whom they have not believed And how shall they believe in him of whom they have never heard And how shall they hear if no one tell them or preach to them Even the Works of Nature and Providence that reveal God darkly must be told Men by Instructors to make them capable of understanding them Much more the Gospel of Christ 15. And how shall they preach except they be sent As it is written How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things 15. And how shall Men Preach the Mysteries of Salvation that are not called and sent of God by his Qualifications and Commission for who can be such a Light in the World that is not taught and gifted by the Father of Lights And who can in Gods name proclaim the Word of Reconciliation as his Messenger who is not authorized by him so to do We love glad Tidings and welcome the Messengers of them and this should be the Entertainment of Christs Apostles and Ministers in the World who bring the most joiful Tidings of Salvation As it is written How beautiful are the Feet of them that c. Isa 52.7 16. But they have not all obeyed the Gospel for Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our report 16. But you may say Why then doth not this Preaching convert more of the Jews This excellence of the Gospel and the preaching of it doth not suppose that all that have it will be converted by it For of the Jews Isaiah saith Lord who hath believed our Report Few did hearken to the Prophets Isa 53.1 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God 17. It is evident that they must hear that they may believe and Gods Word must be preach'd to them or made
Christ to be our Leader and Teacher to sin for it it is he that taught us this And dare you charge Christ with Sin 18. For if I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressour 18. For if we that have preached Deliverance from the Law and that it doth not justifie us do now intimate the contrary by our Practice we confess our selves Sinners in teaching such Doctrine heretofore 19. For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God 19. The Law it self hath taught me not to trust it for Justification nor to live in the Bondage of it but to look for Life towards God by Christ 20. I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 20. As Christ was crucified and took away this Wall of Separation and Yoke of Bondage so I am now a Member of his Body the Catholick Church and am dead to the Law and it to me But I have a better Life by which Christ liveth in me both objectively as trusted and loved and efficiently by his Spirit And now it is by Faith in him who loved me and gave himself for me that I live 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain 21. I do not by returning to the Law make void all the Design of Grace in our Redemption Christ is dead in vain if Righteousness must be by our performance of the Law of Moses for what need we then any other Sacrifice for sin or to be Redeemed from its Curse CHAP. III. 1. O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you 1. So great is your folly in inclining to Judaism that you seem in it as men bewitched and deprived of Reason to turn from Grace to the Law so soon when Christ crucified for your deliverance hath been so plainly preached and set forth before you 2. This onely would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 2. Do but answer me from your own Experience Have you not received the Spirit your selves some for Miracles or Tongues and the sincere for Sanctification If not you are none of Christs If yea then by what means did you receive it Was it by the Works of the Law you will not say it or was it by hearing the Gospel of Faith 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh 3. Are you so foolish as having received a Spiritual Doctrine and having received and seen the Gifts of the Spirit by it which are its Seal that you should think it your growth or perfection to turn to the Carnal Ceremonies of the Law which gave you not the Spirit 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain 4. Will you lose all the sufferings which you have undergone If you turn to the Law you lose them all 5. He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 5. Are the Miracles that are wrought among you and the Spirit communicated to your selves given from God by the Ministry of the Law or its Works or by the Preaching of the Gospel Note That here is a strong Evidence for the Matter of Fact That the Gift of the Spirit and the Working of Miracles were then things certainly existent Else when Paul appealed to these seduced Galatians themselves as to Men that had the Spirit and these Miracles among them and that with the provoking Words of foolish and bewitched how easily would they have confuted him and said They knew of no such thing This had been the likeliest way to turn them from Christianity with scorn to make that his Proof which if false must be so known to them all 6. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness 7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham 6 7. As it was by believing and trusting Gods Promise that Abraham was accounted righteous so it followeth that it is Believers that are his Seed as Heirs of the Promise 8. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all nations be blessed 8. And the Scripture foretelling that God would justifie the Heathen as he did Abraham by Faith did in effect preach this Gospel to him then when it 's said In thee shall all Nations be blessed and therefore not the Jewish Nation onely 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 9 So that if the Promise be made to them in Abraham they that have the same Qualification of Faith must needs be they that are blessed in him though they keep not the Law of Moses which Abraham did not nor the Gentile Believers 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them 10. For all that trust for Justification and Life to their own doing the Works of that Law and not to the free Grace of God in Christ must needs be cursed and not justified by it For it saith Cursed is every one that continueth not c. which no man doth 11. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for The just shall live by faith 12. And the law is not of faith but The man that doth them shall live in them 11 12. It 's evident that before God none is justified by the Law For it 's said that The just by faith shall live But the Law considered in it self as distinct from the Promise doth not give Life on condition of Faith receiving it as a free Gift but on condition of doing all that it commandeth Though the Law as subordinate to the Promise be of Faith 13. Christ hath reedeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 13. That Law which curseth us doth not justifie us but so doth Moses's Law and therefore came Christ to redeem us from that Curse suffering as a Sacrifice for us a cursed Death 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith 14. That the Blessing which was pronounced to Abraham as a Believer might come
on all Jews and Gentiles who are Believers and we might through Faith receive the promised Gift of the Holy Ghost as we have done 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men Though it be but a mans covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made He saith not And to seeds as of many bâ—t as of one And to thy seed which is Christ 15 16. Even Men presume not to violate Covenants And Gods Promise to Abraham was to him and his Seed which immediately was Isaac prefiguring Christ eminently Though as all the Carnal Seed also sprang from Isaac so all Believers be included as springing from Christ 17. And this I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot dissanul that it should make the promise of none effect 17. And so the Covenant to Abraham as the Father of the Faithful including a Promise of Christ and his Seed by Faith was not nulled by the Law which was Four hundred and thirty years after But if Justification before was by Faith it must be so still and so all true Believers justified 18. For if the inheritance be of the law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise 18. For if the Blessing meant in that Covenant with Abraham be given on condition of keeping Moses's Law then cometh it not by free gift as it did to Abraham by that Promise But God gave it freely by Promise to Abraham without his keeping that Law 19. Wherefore then serveth the law It was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the promise was made and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator 19. To what use then was the Law given To convince Men of Sin and restrain them from it and make them know the need of a Mediating Saviour whom Moses typified as a Mediator in receiving the Law from the Ministry of Angels 20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one but God is one 20. Now Mediation is between two Parties Of these that God is one who made the Promise to Abraham and justified him by Faith and surely is not mutable 21. Is the law then against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the law 21. And hath this One God contradicted his Promises by his Law By no means Therefore he intended not that the Works of the Law should be our justifying Righteousness which it must have been if it could have given Life by the meritorious keeping of it and so God should have overthrown his former way of Justification 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe 22. But the Scripture tells us that all Men are under the Guilt of Sin and the Law doth not justifie Sinners that break it Therefore none can be justified by it And this it doth to teach us to look for Life by a Promised Christ 23. But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed 23. But before the Gospel and Christ Incarnate came which now as Objects constitute our Faith we Jews were under the restraint and tutorage of the Law to teach us to wait for Christ who is the Truth and End of the Law 24. Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith 24. And so the Law to us Jews was suited to our Youth and Rudeness to keep us as a School-master in a learning and restrained State and prepare us for the Gospel and teach us to look for Justification by Faith in Christ alone 25. But after that faith is come we are no longer under a school-master 25. But now Christ is fully revealed to our Faith we are no longer under that preparatory Tutorage of Moses's Law 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus 26. For now all you that are sincere Believers are from under the bondage of legal servile Tasks and Fears and are taken into the Family of God as his adopted Children by Christ whom you believe in And all of you profess your selves to stand in this Relation and Hope 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ 27. For as many of you as have sincerely consented to the Baptismal Covenant and so been baptized into the Faith of Christ and Relation to him have thereby even put him on as your Garment and wholly given up your selves to him and so as his Members are united to him And all that are baptized have professed this which the Sincere perform 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus 28. So that the difference between Jew and Greek Bond and Free Male and Female maketh no difference in your Relation to Christ and your Justification and Salvation by him 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise 29. And if you be Christ's who was eminently Abraham's Seed in whom all Nations by Faith are blessed then it must needs follow that you also are Abraham's Seed in and through Christ and so are justified as Abraham was by Faith without the keeping of Moses's Law CHAP. IV. 1. NOw I say that the heir as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all 2. But is under tutours and governours until the time appointed of the father 1 2. As Heirs enjoy not their Estates in Minority but under Guardians are used like Servants till Maturity 3. Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world 3. So the State of Legal Ceremonial Bondage was suited to our rude Minority 4. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law 5. To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons 4 5. But when God who carrieth on his Works from low Beginnings to Perfection saw it meet to use us as at Maturity he sent his Son into the World whose Humanity was made of a Woman made under the Law which he perfectly fulfilled that he might redeem those that were under the Law from its Bondage and Curse that they might henceforth serve him as Sons not in Legal Terrour but in Love and Joy 6. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father 6. And as Fathers communicate their Natures to their Children and not onely their
obeying 25. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way 25. And was it not by Doing by Faith or a Faith causing Obedience that Rahab was justified 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also 26 For as it is a dead spiritless body that cannot stir so it is a dead notional uneffectual belief that commandeth not a man's life and action It 's dead in it self and dead as to mens Justification and Salvation Annotations NOthing but mens misunderstanding the plain drift and sense of Paul's Epistles could make so many take it for a matter of great difficulty to reconcile Paul and James where there is no considerable shew of contradiction I have shewed the scope and sense of Paul before the Epistle to the Romans 1. That his arguing is to prove that it is not the Law of Moses that can justifie any man as a meer doer of it nor any works at all in commutative Justice making the reward to be of debt for the value of the works and not of free grace but that Justification must needs be of Gods free gift and therefore by the Merits of our Redeemer and therefore that a fiducial accepting practical Belief of Gods free Gift Covenant or Promise of Grace and Glory for in and with Christ is the condition on our part to be performed by his Grace which is our Moral Qualification or receptive disposition on which God by his Covenant giveth us right to the foresaid free Gifts Christs Grace and Glory This Faith Paul never described by some one single Physical act of the Soul but as a Moral act of the man as we use the Word in humane converse As if one say if you will trust me as your Physician I will cure you if you take me for your Tutor I will teach you Here to trust or take him signifieth a consenting trust to be medicined and to be taught by such a one If one say to a condemned Beggar trust me and I will give thee a Lord-ship in a Foreign Land it signifieth a trust consenting practically to go with him and trust his Convoy and forsake his own Country And James never questioned this Doctrine But some Vain Men as James calls them misunderstand this and spin us out a Web of their own Vanity feign it to be Paul's Doctrine 1. They say that Paul by Faith meaneth not Faith by which we are said to be justified but only Christ who doubtless is a chief object of that Faith 2. That God the Father or the Holy Ghost are none of the object of Faith as it is justifying 3. That it is not Christ himself as Prophet or King but only as Priest that is this object 4. That it is not all Christs Priest-hood but only Sacrifice and Righteousness that is this object and not his Heavenly Intercession 5. that it is not Christs Sacrifice and Righteousness as meerly meritorious of our Pardon and Life but as it was paid and performed by Christ as our surety in our Legal Reputative Person and so is imputed to us as our own because done by another in our name and stead as one payeth a debt by another that was bound for him 6. That so far as Faith is here meant it is but one single Physical act of Faith in Specie and there they are utterly disagreed 1. Whether it be an act of the understanding or will or both 2. Whether one act can be the belief of many objects viz. of Christs Sacrifice Obedience Promise Pardon Heaven c. 7. Yea many say that it is but one individual act that we are justified by which no mortal man can know the individuation of the Souls acts being obscure and the objects being always many conjunct and they say that it is only our first act of Faith and that all following acts of the same species finding us justified cannot justifie us any more than works 8. They say that Faith justifieth only as an Instrumental Cause and not as a Moral qualifying receptive condition or disposition 9. They say that believing in the Father the Holy Ghost and hoping for Heaven and praying for Mercy and Repenting of Sin and Loving God and our Saviour and his Word and Saints and Thankfulness for Grace and Obedience to Christ and Patience and forsaking all for him are the works which Paul meaneth to exclude from Justification and so is Faith in Christs Righteousness as an Act but not as an Instrument 10. They are utterly disagreed whether Faith justifie by appropriating only Christs active Righteousness or also his Passive or also his Divine Righteousness and Perfection 11. They say that by Imputing Faith for Righteousness is meant that not our Faith but Christs Righteousness is Imputed in it self and not its merited effects only to be our own because we performed it by him 12. They say that it is the very Law of Innocency and Works that justifieth us as having perfectly fulfilled it in and by Christ 13. they most hold that in Christ we have both perfectly kept the Law from birth till death by imputed obedience and yet satisfied for not keeping it by his sufferings as if perfect obedience imputed could consist i th sin 14. They say that Gods corrections are no punishments because else Christs Suffering was insufficient and God should punish one sin twice 15. And that our pardon and justification is perfect as soon as we believe 16. And that no more is needful to our continued Justification than to its beginning 17. And that yet more is needful to our Salvation than to our final Justification Many such humane Inventions man's brain hath spun out and made a Doctrine of their own and called it Paul's And James having to do with carnal Gospellers that thought to be saved for being of a right Opinion and calling this Faith doth 1. Tell them that this is not that true Christian Faith which hath the promise of Justification and Salvation but that that is a powerful practical belief and trust 2. Therefore their Doing that which Faith consents and engageth them to do must justifie that Faith to be sound which must justifie them as the condition of life 3. And that therefore this Efficiency or Doing of this practical Faith is part of the condition of their Justifications and it justifieth the man himself 1. As it justifieth his Faith and so justifieth him to be a sound Believer and not an Infidel or Hypocrite 2. In that the effectual operative nature and consent to obey is essential to that Faith it self 3. In that as a Faith accepting Christ and consenting to obey him as the Author of Eternal Salvation is the condition of our first entring into a state of Life and Justification so our performance of that consent by sincere obedience and perseverance is the condition of our Justification as continued and consummate at
Judgment and so of our final Salvation 4. In that sincere Holiness and Obedience is the very matter that must justifie men against the virtual or actual accusation of Satan that they were not holy and obedient but ungodly or hypocrites As Faith it self is the matter of our Justification against the accusation that we were not Believers Now James speaketh of no other Faith than Paul doth But 1. He speaketh of another thing under the name of Works 2. And he speaketh of a working Nature in Faith for our Justification begun and of the Deeds themselves as needful to its continuance And in a word he speaketh of such Justification by no sort or works 1. In opposition to Christ or free Grace or 2. In coordination with him 3. But in meer instituted subordination to him And no Christian must ascribe to any Faith Works or act of Man the least part of the Office of Christ CHAP. III. 1. MY brethren be not many masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation 1. And as I thus admonish you against the Errour of Hypocrites who take their dead Opinions and Professions for a Justifying Faith so must I do against another Vice which that sort of Hypocrites are guilty of Their Pride and Self-conceit maketh them think that their knowledge is much higher than other Christians and that they are the fittest men to be Teaching Masters and Reprovers and so they are all forwarder to Teach and Magisterially Censure others and use their Tongue to contemn others as short of them in knowledge and to boast of themselves and all their Talk runs in a Teaching and not a Learning way But I warn you to avoid this proud and masterly spirit for it will make your sin the greater and without excuse and increase your condemnation 2. For in many things we offend all If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body 2. Your zeal goeth out by censuring others as great sinners in comparison of you perhaps for not observing your Ceremonies and Traditions or not taking you for their Teaching Masters But fear sin in your selves yea lest your censorious reproachful unbridled Tongues should prove worse than that which you censure others for He that hath most power to rule his Tongue and sinneth not in words is like to be the most perfect Christian and can rule his actions by the same Obedience and Wisdom which doth rule his Tongue 3. Behold we put bitts in the horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body 3. As we rule the whole bodies of Horses by a Bridle in the mouth so could you bridle your mouths it would both signifie a power to rule your lives and much promote this 4. Behold also the ships which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds yet are they turned about with a very small helm whithersoever the governour listeth 4. So the Pilot by so small a thing as the Helm ruleth great Ships that are under the force of Winds 5. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things 5. And man's Tongue is but a small part of the body though it boast great things and the Government of that little member is a great part of the Government of the man 5 6. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth And the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue amongst our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell 5 6. The Tongue in the body and the World is like fire among much combustible matter As a little fire kindleth much so this little member doth both kindle defiling passions and guilt in our own bodies and also kindle hatred rage and strife in the World and set on fire the Societies and Affairs of Mankind in the World being it self set on fire by the Devil and used by hellish temptations to hellish designs in diabolical employment 7. For every kind of beasts and of birds and of serpents and things in the sea is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind 8. But the tongue can no man tame 7 8. For all sorts of Animals have been mastered by Man But the Tongue of another who can master when we have so much ado to subdue our own 8 9. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God 10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing 8 9. It is to us and in the World an unruly evil till Grace shall tame it and infecteth our selves and the societies where we live with the mortal Poison of many great sins The same Hypocrites who praise God and worship him with it do reproach their Brethren with it not only Men that have some of Gods Image in their natural faculties but those that are Gods true Servants better than themselves who are renewed to Gods Image in Holiness by Grace 10. 11. My brethren these things ought not so to be Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter 12. Can a fig-tree my brethren bear olive-berries either a vine figs so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh 10 11 12. Do you not perceive that your ill reproachful Tongues which vilifie speak evil of and condemn good Christians for not being of your minds do confute themselves when the same Tongues profess to honour God and boast of Wisdom and Religion in your selves If you were as Wise and Godly as you profess your Tongues would not by speaking ill of your Brethren shew the contrary No Fountain sends forth sweet water and bitter fresh and salt no Fig tree brings sorth Olives The tree is known by its fruits 13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom 13. Are any among you indeed as much wiser and knowing and excelling others as you would be thought when you censure or despise them Shew it if you would have any wise man believe you not by proud boasting or talking against others but by the true fruits of the Spirit even a better conversation than theirs in all your dealings and by more good works with that humble meekness which signifieth true Wisdom 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish 14 15. But if you have a bitter Zeal and envy and uncharitable heart-rising and strife against your Brethren pretending truth Orthodoxness or Religion for your swelling envy and emulation and talking and preaching down Love and Peace to make those that differ from your side to seem hateful or contemptuous in comparison of
and went up into a mountain and sat down there 30. And great multitudes came unto him having with them those that were lame blind dumb maimed and many others and cast them down at Jesus feet and he healed them 29 30. Note How earnestly will men seek for bodily heaâ—th who are senseless of their Souls concerns If Christs Ministers could give all men health and wealth what abundance of followers would they have and who would for this imprison persecute or silence them 31. Insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak â—â—e maimed to be whole the lame to walk and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel 31. Note Great and sensâ—ble Miracles and 〈◊〉 force men to acknowledge the hand of God and to praise him 32. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat I will not send them away fasting lest they faint by the way 33. And his disciples say to him Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude 34. And Jesus saith to them How many loaves have ye and they said Seven and a few fishes 35. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground 36. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes and gave thanks and brake them and gave to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude 37. and they did all eat and were filled and took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full 38. And they that did eat were four thousand men beside women and children 39. And he sent away the multitude and took ship and came into the coasts of Magdala 32 c. This was the second Miracle of compassionate feeding the hungry Is not Christ in Heaven as merciful and sufficient for Soul and body as he was on Earth CHAP. XVI 1. THe Pharisees also with the Sadducees came and tempting desired him to shew them a sign from heaven 1. Not believing the reports of all his Miracles they desired that they themselves might see some sign from Heaven which might certainly prove that God had sent him thinking that he could not do it 2. He answered and said to them when it is evening ye say it will be fair weather for the sky is red 3. And in the morning It will be foul weather to day for the sky is red and lowring O ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky but can ye not discern the signs of the times 2 3. You can conjecture what weather will be by the sky And is it to you so hard a matter to know by my doctrine and all the miracles and good works that I have done that I am sent of God that you must prescribe what signs God shall shew you from heaven before you will believe 4. A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonas And he left them and departed 4. When your own wickedness hindereth you bebelief you call for a sign from heaven to convince you But I again tell you you shall have no sign but that of the Prophet Jonah He that is filthy let him be filthy still 5. And when his disciples were come to the other side they had forgotten to take bread 6. Then Jesus said to them Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees 5 6. Note Christ doth not bid them to avoid all converse with these men or not to hear them read the Law of Moses but to take heed of receiving any of their false doctrine 7. And they reasoned among themselves saying It is because we have taken no bread 8. Which when Jesus perceived he said to them O ye of little faith why reason ye among your selves because ye have brought no bread 9. Do ye not yet understand neither remember ye the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up 10. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets ye took up 11. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake not to you concerning bread that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees 12. Ten understood they how that he bade them not beware of of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees 7 c. We are dull of understanding till Christ instruct us and apt to put a carnal sence upon his words 13. When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying Whom do men say that I the Son of man am 13. Note Christ would not so much as urge his own Disciples to confess him to be the Christ till his works were a cogent testimony that their faith might not be precarious nor by bare command but by convincing evidence 14. And they said Some say thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets 14. Note 1. Men were convinced that he was of God that is the multitude but not the Rulers But they thought he was not the Messiah but some great Prophets Soul in a new body 2. By this it is evident that the multitude then believed the immortality of the Soul else they could not think that those Souls came into other Bodies 15 16. He saith to them But whom say ye that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art the Christ the son of the living God 15 16. Note 1. It was meet that those that were to preach Christ to others should be brought to an open confession of him themselves 2. It s like the rest believed as Peter tho he only spake 17. And Jesus answered and said to him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it to thee but my Father who is in heaven 17. It is a point of so great importance to Sanctification Justification and Salvation verily to believe me to be the Christ and Saviour that this faith is the evidence and means of thy blessedness It is not mere man that hath revealed this so as to make thee a true believer but my heavenly Father by my works and word and by his grace 18. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it 18. And as thou hast consest me to be Christ I will say to thy comfort that as thy name signifieth a Rock or Stone So by thee and thy brethren I will build my Church on this Rock agaist which all the powers of Hell the Devils and wicked men shall not prevail Note 1. It is a great controversie whether by this Rock be meant 1. Christ himself 2. Or the faith and confession of Christ
25. And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternall life 25. To try his skill 26. He said unto him What is written in the law how readest thou 26. Note They err who say that the Law of Moses prescribed not the meanâ— to Eternal Life 27. And he answering said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self 28. And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shall live 27 28. Note This is not the same History that is mentioned Matth. 19.16 there is much of the same and yet much difference There Christ repeateth the Commandments particularly but here the Lawyer repeateth them summarily So Mark 10.17 agreeth with Matthew But that in Luke 18.18 is the same with this and a distinct History Note Whoever loveth God sincerely and his Neighbour as himself shall be saved But this will never be done without Regenerating Grace 29. But he willing to justifie himself said unto Jesus and who is my neighbour 29 Note This overwillingness to justifie our selves is one of the deâ—â—est rooted commonest vices in corrupted Nature 30. And Jesus answering said A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves which stripped him of his raimâ—â—t and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead 31. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way and when he saw him he passed by on the other side 32. And likewise a Levite when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side 33. But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was and when he saw him he had compassion on him 34. And went to him and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine and set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him 35. And on the morrow when he departed he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him Take care of him and whatsoever thou spendest more when I come again I will repay thee 30 31 32 33 34 35. The Priest and the Levite who should be the most holy and charitable past by him without helping him but a Samaritan one contemned by them as a Heretick or prophane Rustick took him up and helped him Note They abuse the Text that say by the Samaritan is meant Christ and by two pence the Two Testaments c. 36. Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbour unto him that fell among the theeves 36. Which of theâ— toâ—â— the man for his Neighbour and dealt as a Neighbour with him 37. And he said He that shewed mercy on him Then said Jesus unto him Go and do thou likewise 37. So do thou and though he be a Samaritan a Schismatick a Heretick use him with such charity as thy Neighbour Note Do they so that ruin hunt and destroy such and better men 38. Now it came pass as they went that he entred into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house 39. And she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus's feet and heard his word 38 39. Martha was the House-keeper or Owner 40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said Lord doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me 40. The followers of Christ to be provided for were many and the work seemed necessary 41. And Jesus answered and said unto her Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things 42. But one thing is needfull And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her 41 42. Thou troublest thy self more than needs and unseasonably about many things of less necessity But to learn the way of Salvation and so to be blessed in the Kingdom of God is the one thing of absolute necessity This Mary hath preferred and so shouldest thou and have left serving to the second place And none shall deprive her of that better portion which she hath chosen Note 1. Christ doth not blame Martha for her carâ— and work but for not preferring better Nor speaks this so much to blame her as to commend Mary and to teach us all what to prefer 2. One thing only in a comprehensive sense as containing Salvation and its necessary means is of such absolute necessity to man that all things else should be put behind it 3. Preferring things less necessary though good and troubling our selves about need-nots is a common fault even of religious persons 4. That is a fault out of its due time and place which is a great duty in its season 5. They that prefer and chuse the best shall have the best whoever is against it 6. Even godly persons and near are apt upon cross Interests and Opinions to censure and accuse each other upon mistake when the fault is in the accuser and that to Christ 7. But Christ will justifie the right CHAP. XI 1. AND it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples 1. It seems they had till now been too little and unskilful in prayer 2. And he said unto them When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth 3. Give us day by day our daily bread 4. And forgive us our sins for we also forgive every one that is indepted to us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil 2 3 4. See the Exposition of the Lord's Prayer on Matth. 6.9 Note It is evident that Christ gave them this prayer to be used both as a Directory for Matter and Method and as a meet form of words when they pray comprehensively and summarily though not trying them alwaies to use these very words nor to go through the whole Method when occasion confines them to some one branch or requires them to insist most on it much less obliging or allowing them to use no other And so the Apostles and all the Churches understood it The small difference in words between Matthew and Luke are not material save that Luke omitteth the doxology in the end By Debt verse 4. is meant chiefly wrong or sin For so the Syriack signifieth in which Christ spake Though also our obligation to keep the Law of Innocency on pain of death or for Justification is a Debt which God remitteth by the Law of Faith and Grace and accepteth on our part Faith and sincere Obedience for the Merit of Christ who fulfilled that perfect Law 5. And he said unto them Which of you shall have a friend and shall
kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith 27. To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever Amen 25 26 27. I conclude as Christ taught us in his Prayer with that which is the End of all Religion and of our Lives and salvation it self the Glorifying of God To him that can make all our Exhortations effectual and is of Power to establish you according to that Gospel which we preach as it is now a Mystery openly revealed which was more darkly delivered from the beginning and not clearly understood by Jews or Gentiles but now is openly made manifest by Christ the Light of the World and his Spirit in his Servants and by the Scriptures of the Prophets now opened and agreeing with our Gospel which by Gods Command we make known to all Nations to bring them to this Faith which now is the eminent and necessary Obedience to the Command and Covenant of Grace I say To God only be Glory as the End of all our Grace and Glory through Jesus Christ whom he hath ordained to be the Chief Means and Glass in whom his Glory shall shine forth to Man for ever Amen ANNOTATIONS WHy do we read so much in the scriptures of the Obedience of Faith Some would not have Faith called Obedience lest that signifie Works Ans God hath not made Believers or Unbelievers Lawless or under no Command No Act of Man pleaseth God whicn is not Obedience to his Will When God sendeth abroad the Gospel or Word of Faith he commandeth Men to hear it believe it and obey it But bare Commanding is not all but with it he giveth convincing Evidence of its Truth and persuading Reasons and Motives to obey it Therefore we translate the same Word sometime believing and sometime being persuaded and the same sometime unbelieving and sometime unpersuaded and disobedient And Christ is called The Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him To say that Faith as it is Obedience is the Condition or Qualification for Salvation but not for Pardon or Justification is a perverse Invention of Mans Brain But cannot Men distinguish between obeying the Law of Innocency or of Moses and obeying the Law of Faith and Grace yea and between obeying this Gospel initially by believing repenting and entring into the Baptismal Covenant which entreth into a State of Justification and Right to Life and the progressive Obedience of performing that Covenant to the End which is necessary to Survivors for actual Glory Christ knew what he said to the Jews This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom the Father hath sent and Paul was sent to the Gentâ—le World to preach the Obedience of Faith that is that Obedience which consisteth in actual Faith performed to the Doctrine and Command of Faith and which hath the Promise of Pardon Grace and Glory freely given for the Merits of Christ The First Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the CORINTHIANS The INTRODUCTION WHen it was that Paul wrote this Epistle and when these Corinthians were converted to Christianity and what Wealth and Reputation Corinth a Chief City of Achaia was then of I pass by as things presupposed The Occasion of writing this is of nearer concern to be known for the understanding of it It was not unusual with him as to visit the Churches which he had planted so to write to them for their Establishment when he could not be present with them But as to the Matter and Manner of his Writing the Case of the Corinthians was the Occasion 1. There were several Cases which it seems they proposed to him which he resolveth as about Church-Order and Prophesie and Prayer about Eating things offered to Idols about Marriage and Separation c. 2. There were many Scandals among them which he endeavoureth to heal by convincing Reproof as 1. â—actions and Schisms by setting up Teachers in envious Competition 2. Conceitedness of more Wisdom than they had 3. Hearkning to envious Teachers that villified him and defamed his Person and Ministry 4. The favouring of Incest and Scandal and neglect of Discipline 5. Going to Law against one another and that before Heathen Judges when they should have decided their Differences by amicable Arbitration 6. Defrauding and wronging one another 7. Too easie Thoughts of Fornication 8. Scandalous eating things offered to Idols 9. Too much backwardness to maintain the Ministers and the Charges of their Work 10. Prophane Disorder at their Love-Feasts and Sacrament even to partiality and Excess of Drink and scandalous Unreverence for which God punihsed some in the Flesh 11. Overvaluing Gifts and undervaluing lower Christians that wanted them as not enough sensible of the Necessity and Extent of Christian Unity 12. Disorder in their Sacred Assemblies in the Exercise of their Gifts 13. Some erring about and against the Resurrection and others too much hearkning to them These things Paul reproveth and blameth them for not reforming but persuadeth none to separate from that Church for all these Corruptions But by this we may know what must be expected from young unskillful Christians and what Faults will be in such Churches as ours though the Pastors were the best when the Churches were so faulty in the Apostles Time and Presence and how far they are from the Apostolick Spirit Skill Love and Lenity who would Excommunicate all as intollerable Schismaticks who Conform not to all their devised unnecessary Additions and dare not subscribe their Justification or Approbation of all their Forms And they also that quarrel with their Teachers and forsake them when Men of New Opinions and Zealous Confidence tempt them And they that in stead of doing their own part to reform the Corruptions of such Church and in Love and Tenderness to draw Sinners to Repentance do take the dividing lazie Course to separate from such Churches with a few counted the best who will put them to least Labour and Trouble in Discipline Paul himself held Communion with this and other such Churches notwithstanding all these Faults And we find not that he Excommunicated any one though he require them to do it and decreed to do it but on one 1 Cor. 5. and reverst that Purpose I find not in all the New Testament that there was ever two Christian Churches in any one Town or City upon any Difference among them unless you will call the condemned Nests of Hereticks such CHAP. I. 1. PAul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Softhenes our Brother 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours 1 2. Paul a called Apostle by the special Electing Will and Favour of
small Injuries or Occasions but beareth forbeareth and forgiveth and doth not think evil of any groundlesly or till constrained nor design evil or hurt against any unnecessarily or unjustly 6. Rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth 6. It doth not rejoice in the Sins that others commit nor in the Wrongs they undergo nor themselves to do unjustly against any or to be prosperous therein against them 7. Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 7. It doth by others as we feel we do by our selves that is it bâ—areth with the Faults of Men so far as â—â— not against their own or others good It is inclined to believe the best of all Men till Evidence constrain us to know the worst not neglecting such cautelous suspicion as may save us from rash and foolish trust It still hopeth well of others as far as there is any ground of hope It endureth hurt and wrong from others when it is for their own or others greater good 8. Charity never faileth but whether there be prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away 8. Holy Love is an everlasting Quality and Employment and shall not cease but be perfected at Death and in Heaven But Prophesying Languages Sciences and all the artâ—ficial and imperfect sort of Knowledge which now we have shall cease as useless there 9 10. For we know in part and we prophesie in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away 9 10. For here the manner of our knowing in the Body is imperfect and the measure is all inadequate we know nothing wholly but some part of things and so we speak even in Prophesying and Preaching But Perfection will end all this Imperfection 11. When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things 11. As Manhood and increase of Wit and Experience change the Childish Speech Understanding and Thoughts into that which is true and more perfect so much more will the Life to come do 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 12. For our Knowledge now in this Body and World is by imperfect Media as we see things in a Glass and know by Riddles Parables or Similitudes a superficial Glimpse But then we shall know as Men that see each others Faces by intuition Now we know but little Parts and Out-sides and Accidents of things and nothing adequately but then we shall know in the World of Spirits as those Spirits now know us which is better than we know our selves 13. And now abideth faith hope charity these three but the greatest of these is charity 13. I conclude therefore That though now our State of Grace consist of Faith Hope and Love the Greatest of these is Love For it is the Divine Nature the Everlasting Work the Souls Felicity even its Complacency in God and in all his Saâ—nts and all his Works and it is the End to which Faith and Hope are but the Means ANNOTATIONS 1. YEt Faith and Hope have their peculiar Offices which Love alone cannot perform As the Heart cannot do the Work of the Hand or Eye 2. By Faith is meant Believing and Trusting in God through Christ for Grace and Glory And by Hope is meant a desirous comforting Expectation of the Good promised and believed 3. It followeth That he hath the most excellent Knowledge who hath most holly Love And all the Learning that kindleth not this Love is but dreaming doating diverting and deceiving Vanity 4. The English abuse of the Word charity deceiveth many as if it were nothing but Giving to the Poor But it is the Love of God and Holiness and of holy Persons and of our Neighbours as our selves and specially of the holy Celestial Society Christ Angels and Saints 5. By this we see that those Church-Rulers Preacher Writers Disputers and all other Malignants who zealously labour to destroy Love and to perswade Christians to hate and persecute and destroy one another for their selfish Interests Opinions or Factions whatever they think of themselves are Diabolists and Cainnites the Devils Slaves and in his Image do his Work 6. It 's made a doubt by some Whether Faith and Hope continue not in Heaven because say they How shall we know things past as the Creation Flood c. but by Believing And shall we not Believe and Hope for the Perpetuity of Glory But 1. We know not now in what manner God will make known things to us there Whether in seeing him we shall see all things or how 2. However it will not be the same things that are called Faith and Hope which are exercised on Promises and are but Means to that Perfection which is their End So that if you call them by the same Names they will be but equivocal 7. This much tells us what Measure of Faith and Hope are necessary to Salvation viz. so much as shall cause in us sincere Love to God and Holiness and Heaven to one another 8. This tells us what those Texts do mean which promise the Spirit of Sanctification to penitent Believers viz. The Holy Ghost doth but prepare us and open the Door by Faith and Hope that by them as means he may excite holy Love and as a Spirit of Love dwell in us and possess us 9. This teacheth Ministers how to Preach and People what and how to hear read meditate and confer and live and what true Religion is viz. To do all as may most kindle holy Love as we use the Bellows to kindle the Fire Pure Religion and undefiled is to visit the Fatherless and Widows in adversity and keep our selves unspotted of the World 10. This teacheth as what Fear or God to use None that breedeth hard thoughts of God or quencheth holy Love but a Reverence of him and a Fear lest by Sâ—n we make our selves unlovely to him and fall under that Justice is holy and good even when it destroys the wicked Other Fear of God is sinful Superstition CHAP. XIV 1. FOllow after charity and desire spiritual gifts but rather that ye may prophesie 1. The sum of my Advice is That above all you value and pursue Charity or holy Love But desire also Spiritual Gifts in subordination to it and for the profitable exercise of it and therefore prefer Prophecy which is speaking by immediate Inspiration to the Instruction and Edification of others as most profitable 2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men but unto God for no man understandeth him howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries 2. For he that speaketh in an unknown Language speaketh not to the Understanding of Man though God understand him
cause at all of their Pardon or Justification It is but a necessary Receptive Qualification he that shuts the Window causeth darkness But it 's sottish to say that he that openeth it doth more than the Sun to cause light which he causeth not at all but removeth the impediment of reception and Faith it self is Gods Gift of Grace though Preaching and Perswasion be the means of working it CHAP. VI. 1. WE then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 1. We then whose Office is to subserve Christ so your Salvation beseech you that ye take care that all the Mercy which he hath shewed you in the Gospel and you profess to have received be not in vain and â—â—ustrated by any deceit 2. For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation 2. It is of exceeding great moment to know your time and day of Grace God hath his accepted time and special day of Mercy which all should watch and take as it is written I have heard thee c. And certainly this is your time and day of Mercy while Mercy is so freely and fully preached to you 3. Giving no offence in any thing that the ministery be not blamed 3. Our care is to give no occasion of falling to any nor expose the Ministry to blame or to the hard thoughts of those that should be saved by it 4 5. But in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings 4 5. Note What an approved Minister of Christ must endure and do for the Ends of his Ministry if he be called to it 6. By pureness by knowledge by long-suffering by kindness by the holy Ghost by love unfeigned 7. By the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left 8. By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report 6 7 8. Note By how many means the Work of the Mâ—nistry is promoted and how we must be qualified thereto 8 9 10. As deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet alway rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things 8 9 10. Our Life is made up of seeming but not real Contradictions As Deceivers use Craft to huâ—t Men we use our Wit and Skill or Wiles to save Men and yet we deliver nothing but the truth Our Spirit and Spiritual Condition is unknown and yet our Out-side known to many We daily are exposed to the danger of Death and die daily and yet you see we are alive We are oft chastened and yet not killed we are under many Sorrows in the Flesh and yet we continually rejoice in God we are poor and yet God useth us to make many rich in Grace we have nothing and yet by Faith all the World is ours as ordered by God and used by us for our Spiritual Good Love maketh all other Mens Estates comfortable to us as our own and God useth all things for our good 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged 12. Ye are not straitned in us but ye are straitned in your own bowels 11 12. Our Mouth hath been opened to you in full Communication of the Gospel and our Hearts enlarged towards you in Love and Zeal for your Salvation If yet there be any straitness and defects in you of Knowledge and Love it is of your selves and your own deficiency 13. Now for a recompense in the same I speak as unto my children be ye also enlarged 13. And Justice requireth that as Children to a Father your Love and Kindness be large towards us and that the Fruits of our Ministry in you be not narrow and defective 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelivers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness 15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel 14 15. Let not Seducers or Carnal Interest draw you to Communion with Infidels and Idolaters as if you were inclined to their way or were yet indifferent in Religion Partake not externally of their Sacrifices as if you were of their Society For how can such Contraries as Righteousness and Unrighteousness Light and Darkness Christ and Belial a Believer and an Infidel be united or have special Communion even Symbolical in the things wherein they are contrary 16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 16. Will you join the Temple of God and Idols together God hath made you his Temple and peculiar People and promised specially to own you in Communion as your God And will you go to Idols Temples as if your God had Concord and Communion with them 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 17 18. Wherefore go not to the Idols Temples and symbolize not with them in Religion to avoid Persecution but come out from among them as a holy People segregate to the Lord and defile not your selves with their unclean things and then God will own you as his Sons and Daughters while you are pure and cleave to him 1. Note That this Command for the Church to avoid Communion with Idolaters and Infidels is perverted by them that feign it to forbid Communion with Christians and their Churches if they do but differ in some tollerable Opinion or Practice from them which their censorious Ignorance will falsly call Idolatry They call such Differences or Defects False Worship and then say we must not join in False Worship Whereas every faulty Manner of Worship may be called False because it is so far disagreeable to the Rule And no Man offers any Worship to God that is not False if all Faultiness be Falseness But it 's no False Worship that will allow us to separate from Churches or Christians further than they separate from Christ and Christ disowneth them for that Faultiness or than they make any Sin to be to us necessary to any part of their Communion They were very foul Sins even in Worship that the Corinthians were guilty of and yet none was commanded to come out from them And much more are those Papists displeasing to God who cast out
Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children 25. For Hagar signifieth Mount Sinai in Arabia and prefigureth the present State of Jerusalem which is outwardly in bondage to the Romans and inwardly to their Law 26. But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all 26. But the Jerusalem above in Heaven of which true Christians on Earth are Heirs and to which they belong by Promise Initiation and relative Union with Christ which is the Mother of us all that are Children of Promise the Gospel and Spirit coming from Heaven and our Inheritance being there is fully freed from all Bondage and so are we all initially in our Gospel-Liberty 27. For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travailest not for the desolate hath moe children than she which hath an husband 27. For it 's written c. The Christian Church which before Christs coming was but in obscure Rudiments and after was but as a Grain of Mustardseed a little Flock shall become Catholick and be incomparably greater than was the Jewish Church Note That whereas many Expositors take Jerusalem which is above or Supernal to mean only the Church on Earth because it is caused by Grace and Revelation from Heaven and tendeth to it they causelesly give away a plain Text which proveth the Immortality of the Soul and its Felicity presently upon our Death As if Jerusalem above were but Jerusalem on Earth caused from above and so was Moses's Law and the old Jerusalem The Heavenly Society containeth the Spirits of the Just made perfect with the innumerable Company of Angels c. Heb. 12. To this we are joined in the Relation of Heirs When it is said That this shall come down with Christ at Judgment it implieth that it was with Christ in Heaven before and he hath promised that where he is there his Servants shall be also Joh. 12.26 And that some Expressions here signifie the Church on Earth is not against this for the Church on Earth is but the lower part of that in Heaven 28. Now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise 28. We are Children by Adoption and free Gift and of a freely-given Inheritance 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now 29. As Ishmael persecuted Isaac so now the Jews and Carnal Seed do persecute Christians the Spiritual Seed 30. Nevertheless what saith the scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman 30. But as the Scripture saith Cast out c. so the unbelieving Jews that trust to the Works of the Law for Life shall not inherit the saving Privileges of the Christian Church 31. So then brethren we are not children of the bond-woman but of the free 31. So then we that are the Children of Promise saved by Faith are not under the Bondage of the Law but delivered from Sin and Curse by Christ CHAP. V. 1. STand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage 1. It is not a vain thing which Christ hath purchased for us undervalue not this Freedom and cast it not away but hold it fast and do not causelesly return to the Yoak of Jewish Bondage Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debter to do the whole law 2 3. I Paul tell you That if you be crcumcised as these Men tell you must be Acts 15. that is as it binds you to Moses's Law as the Condition of Salvation you renounce the Deliverance purchased by Christ and so he will be no Saviour to you For to be so circumcised is to bind your selves under that whole Law and Covenant of Works Note That as Baptism Physically taken is but Washing and is not Baptism in the Moral sense which is a Sacramental Covenanting with Christ by that Figure just so the Physical Act of Circumcising is not Circumcision in the proper Moral sense but using it as a Covenanting Sign And as Abraham used it as a Seal of the Promise to him as a Believer it is in specie morali another thing from that used by the Carnal Jews as signing another Covenant For they used it as a Covenanting Sign that they would keep Moses's Law as the Condition of Life whereas they ought to have used it as a Seal of the Promise made to Abraham and his Seed and also to bind them sincerely to keep that Law as the Matter of their Obedience trusting to the Promise for Grace and Pardon So that Paul doth not say that the Abassines that are circumcised for other Ends or Timothy or such believing Jews as were circumcised only to win the Jews had no profit by Christ but only such as believed those that taught them Except you be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses you cannot be saved 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace 4. What use is Christ of to you If you trust to your fulfilling the Law for Justification you renounce Justification by Grace and so are fallen from Christianity and the Covenant of Grace 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith 5. For the Spirit of Christ which is poured out on the Faithful causeth them to wait in hope of that Blessedness of which we are made Heirs by the Righteousness of Faith 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love 6. For in our State of Christianity as Subjects of Christs Kingdom a Man shall not be accepted and justified as circumcised or as uncircumcised though Circumcision as binding him to the Law of Works may undo him But the Qualification necessary to â—alvation is Faith working by Love that is such an effectual Belief of the future Heavenly Blessedness purchased and promised by Christ as causeth us to place our Trust and Hope on Gods Love and Christs Merits and Promise to attain it and in the sense hereof to love God and that Glory above all thiâ— World and our Neighbours sincerely as our selves 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth 7. You began your Race of Christianity well who hath stopped and perverted you from the Belief and Obedience of the Truth of the Gospel which you then received 8 9. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 8 9. This Judaizing was never taught you by me that first preached to you or by God But a few corrupted Men among
by Office the Care of gathering many Churches and then taking care of their Preservation and Increase by urging the Doctrine and Commands of Christ and Ordaining Bishops over particular Churches Episcopos gregis by their own and the Flocks consent and not otherwise and then exhorting such Pastors and Churches on just occasions to do their Duties And who can be against such Archbishops But some that now feign the Idea of a Bishop to be one that hath many score or Hundred Churches under him which have no Bishop but himself and one that is set over them without their consent and that ruleth them by force of the adjoyned Sword Imprisonment or Ruine are ready to Dream that Timothy and Titus were such Bishops Doubtless every City or Corporation where were Christians had then a Church at least and every Church a Bâ—shop at least And whether it was Timothy or another Ephesus was not without Tho it 's true that we find him so constantly with Paul almost every where where he was that it 's hard to believe that he was very long at Ephesus 2. Note That Churches are in danger of Corruption by other Doctrines than those delivered by the Apostles And their Doctrines were so sufficient that no other should be taught 3. Though some think it is still the Gnosticks that are here described by Fables and Genealogies its most like to be all the Judaisers And though Genealogies be part of Scripture it 's perverseness to make too great a stir about them and to turn Religion into endless Questions and divert from matter of Faith in which our Edification chiefly doth consist Multitudes sin by too much stir about lesser Scripture Verities when by wrangling or long study it hindreth them from greater 5. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 15. The Holy Scripture is as a compleat Body which hath its Accidents and Ornaments as well as Essential and Integral Parts as Hair Nails Colour c. But it is the end that is the chief part and must be preferred And the end of all Christ's Doctrine and Law is Charity or to bring Mens Souls to the love of God and Man and Goodness as its very Nature And the grand means to this are 1. A Heart purified by Gods Spirit 2. A good Conscience not guilty of reigning sin and justified from the guilt of former sin and present Infirmity by Christ 3. And unfeigned Faith in Christ by which we are united to him and have our part in the foresaid benefits And this is the Sum of True Christian Religion in few Words which is more profitably insisted on than Jangling Controversies 6. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling 7. Desiring to be teachers of the law understanding neither what they say not whereof they affirm 6 7. And some that have roved from this Mark not placing Religion finally in Love to be promoted aforesaid have turned aside to Vain Jangling or Vain Chat as if Religion lay in being Doctors of Moses's Law when as they understand not what they say themselves nor what the things are which they pretend to teach Note 1. They that shoot not at this mark as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and place not Religion as aforesaid have ever since corrupted it by Vain Jangling though not about the same Subjects Some setting the Churches together by the Ears about unnecessary curious Notions concerning the person of Christ or concerning Gods Decrees and Concourse and some about the Clergies Universal Domination and about their Canon Law worse than was that of Moses and their Dunghil of Corruptions and ensnaring Ceremonies and some about quibling Notions concerning Justification Faith and Works Satan hath Religious Diversions for them that are above Sensuality And Ignorant-confidence with rage is the usual Character of all such 8. But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully 8. We praise the Law as well as they It is Gods Law and therefore good if lawfully used which is to lead Men to Christ and typifie Spiritual things to come and to condemn and restrain sin but not to justifie Men instead of Grace nor to be imposed on the Gentiles or continued when a better doth displace it 9. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers 10. For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for liars for perjured persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine 11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust 9 10 11. It must be foreknown 1. That the World was not Lawless that had not Moses's Law They had the Law of Nature and the common Law of Grace which was given to Mankind after the fall And Christ hath now brought us the Holy Spiritual Law of Grace in the most perfect edition So that sin is condemned where Moses's Law is not received or known 2. That Moses's Laws as such were all Political for the Government of that Republick even the Ten Commandments and had Penalties to be executed by Men annexed as an essential part of it Now of this Law saith Paul It was not made with these Penalties either to bridle or to punish them that without it were Righteous Men that is Who were obedient to the Law of Nature and of Grace and whose Hearts were ruled with the love of Righteousness and needed not to be frightened to it by Corporal Penalties much less for us Christians who have Christs Law of Grace and are Sanctified by his Spirit writing it in our Hearts by Love of Goodness But God knowing the corruption of Mans Heart did make it for the Israelites to restrain them by fear from living like Lawless Disobedient Men c. and to punish them by the Magistrate who were ungodly sinners unholy profane murtherers c. which the Gospel and Christs Law which I preach is as much against as Moses's Law and more powerfully overcometh So that we that have better even Christs Law without us need not the continuance of Moses's Law 12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry 12. Note It is a great mercy to be entrusted with the Ministry of the Gospel with Ability and Faithfulness 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief 13. Note 1. The great Mercy of God to great sinners even Persecutors and Blasphemers may be converted 2. That God giveth the greatest Mercy without previous merit 3. The word because here meaneth not that Ignorance was a proper cause of Gods Mercy But that it made
that this Promise is made it followeth that it is a Promise on condition of preceding Faith As Vocation giveth Faith which is the Condition of consequent Justification and Sanctification Though all be of Grace God's Wisdom maketh the Condition a means to introduce the rest 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 11. And it shall not be doubtful to them whether the Lord or Baal be the true God as it hath been with this unstedfast People who have so long lived in Idolatry For all the Church of Believers from the least to the greatest shall know and own me to be their God and not need to be again taught it as an unknown thing Note That this speaketh not against the necessity of Humane Teaching for it is by such teaching that God is supposed to give them the knowledge of himself Nor doth it mean that it shall be needless to teach the best to know God better for to know him is the sum and perfection of Knowledge and 't is Life Eternal But the meaning is That it shall not be an unknown thing that the Lord is our God 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more 12. For the greatness of my Mercy shall forgive all the sins of their unconverted state and not charge them upon them to their destruction and all the infirmities of their regenerate state Note That this Promise of Justification as well as the former of Sanctification supposeth them to be Believers in order of Nature first as the Condition 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 13. This term of a new Covenant implieth that the old one must then be abolished and the time is come CHAP. IX 1. THen verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary 1. The Mosaical Covenant had its proper Ordinances of Service to God and an earthly temporary Tabernacle 2. For there was a tabernacle made the first wherein was the candlestick and the table and the shew-bread which is called the sanctuary 3. And after the second vail the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all 2 3. This made Tabernacle had two parts In the first called the Sanctuary was the Candlestick c. And within the second Veil was the Holiest of all Note Some out of Philo say that the Tabernacle and the Temple after was made as an Image or Figure of the World and therefore called Worldly the outer part figuring the lower World in which was the Candlestick with six Branches and one in the midst signifying the Planets and twelve Loaves on the Table signifying the Fruits of the Earth The inmost signifying the highest Heavens But 't is presumptuous to trust our Wit too far in feigning Divine Significations And 't is groundless hence to gather that it was called a Worldly Sanctuary 4 5. Which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold wherein was the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded and the tables of the covenant And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat of which we cannot now speak particularly 4 5. In it was the Golden Censer for Incense brought when the Priest went in and the Ark overlaid with Gold in which or near it was the Pot of Manna and Aaron's Rod and in it the Table of the Commandments of the Covenant and over it the Images of Angelical Cherubims shewing God's Glory when it appeared to men which also shadowed the Covering or Mercy-Seat 6. Now when these things were thus ordained the priests went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God 7. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people 6 7. Into the first part of this Tabernacle the Priests went to perform the ordinary Service But into the second went only the High Priest once a Year but not without the Blood of Calves and Goats which he offered for such sins of himself and the people as were expiable 8. The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing 8. By this the Holy Ghost signified that under that Law or Tabernacle-state the Access of Sinners to God for assured Acceptance here and Glory hereafter was not yet clearly fully and with satisfiing Assurance revealed nor by that Law as such conferred for it was reserved to the coming of the Messiah Though the Promise or Law of Grace saved men then 9. Which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience 9. Which figuratively signified the time then or now present when the Gifts and Sacrifices were offered which could not suffice to perfect the Acceptance of the Offerer with God or to cleanse him from the Conscience and Guilt of Sin 10. Which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation 10. I speak not of the Laws of Nature of Godliness Charity Justice and Sobriety which are common to the Jews with us and other people but of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 positive Institutions of bodily Service to God proper to Moses's Law And these Laws in such Outwards as the Body performeth called Rites and Ceremonies Meats Drinks Washings which God indeed imposed on them as a material part of their Obedience but it was as suited to their Carnality and Minority till the Messiah's Reformation set up a better Law and Worship 11. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building 11. But Christ is come a High Priest of the future Felicity promised in the Gospel even to procure us Grace and Glory officiating in a greater and more perfect Tabernacle even his Body now glorified in Heaven having done his preparatory Work on Earth which was not built as Tabernacles are on Earth 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us 12. And not as the Levitical Priests by the Blood of Goats and Calves offered for Expiation but by obedient and voluntary offering his own Blood a Sacrifice for the sins of the World he obtained his Entrance into the state of Glorious Exaltation there to intercede for us and rule us having here by his Merit and Sacrifice purchased Eternal Redemption
preach Note 1. That those Bishops which God commandeth men to obey are those that watch for the Souls of all the Flocks as men that must give account of all and not those that have many hundred or score of Churches without any other Bishop save one and never see or know or once hear the names of one of many hundred called their Flock much less ever taught them or gave them the Sacrament 2. That God having trusted the Pastors by Office with Church-Government by the Keys it is very false that the people should govern it by Vote Though it is true that being governed but as Volunteers by the Pastors their Consent is needful to their Subjection and to their Profit and Salvation 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly 18. Our Work and Charge being so great and of such importance to your selves while some revile and persecute us and some turn from us and disobey our Doctrine do you pray for us that God will guide strengthen support and prosper us For our Conscience is our Witness that we are faithful in our Ministry and our Lives 19. But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner 19. And put up this one Request also for me that I may the sooner be restored to the comfort of your Service 20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 20 21. My chief Benediction and Prayer for you is that God who will be called The God of Peace as being the Giver the Lover and the Objective End of Love and Peace who raised our Lord and Saviour from Death whose Resurrection is the great Encouragement of our Hope even him who is the chief Pastor of all his holy Flock by the Purchase of the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant compact frame and fit you by Holiness and Union for every good Work to do his Will and work in you by his Spirit as he commandeth you in his Word that which is well pleasing in his sight To please him being the ultimate End of the whole Creation and as here begun the way thereto To whom be Glory in this perfect fulfilling of his Will for ever and ever Amen 22. And I beseech you brethren suffer the word of exhortation for I have written a letter unto you in few words 23. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty with whom if he come shortly I will see you 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints They of Italy salute you 25. Grace be with you all Amen 22 23 24 25. Note 1. So bad is Man even Christians through the Relicts of their Corruption that when the most important comfortable Doctrine is delivered to them for their own good and that with the most convincing Evidence there is need of earnest Intreaty and Exhortation that they would bear it and not fall out with it neglect it or reject it 2. For people to know and regard their faithful Pastors or Church-Guides or Rulers is of so great importance to their Salvation and the Churches Union Strength and Safety against Ignorance Unbelief Error and Unruliness that they are three times minded of it in this one Chapter The General or Catholick Epistle of JAMES the Apostle say most Copies Whether the Writer was one of the Twelve called the Son of Alpheus or rather the Son of Cleophas Cousin-German to Jesus and called his Brother is uncertain The drift of the Epistle is 1. To establish the Christian Jews in a well ordered religious Course of Life and fortifie them against Tribulations 2. To shame a sort of Sectaries who misunderstood and abused the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and turned Religion into Opinion and yet were not only Magisterial Boasters of their great Knowledge but did it by a censorious contentious Contempt of others and making Ostentation of their supposed Wisdom as Hereticks use to do by a proud and wrangling self-exalting way 3. To reprove the Over-valuing of the Rich and their Contempt of the Poor and the Guilt of Sensuality Worldliness and Pride that had corrupted some among them 1. JAmes a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad greeting 1. Note 1. Ten of the Tribes ever since the Reign of King Hoshea were scattered by Captivity and the rest were in great numbers dispersed through much of the Roman Empire partly by the many Insurrections and Wars which had brought them to Ruine by Conquerours and partly by smalness and poverty of their Countrey so that at first the Apostles when they travelled into Heathen Countreys began their Preaching Church-gathering with the Jews Synagogues which they found there 2. My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations 3. Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience 2 3. Note 1. He speaketh not of direct Temptations to sin as cast into us by the Devil or carnal allurements and fleshly appetite and lusts but of Tryal by suffering for Christ and Righteousness chiefly and partly next for such correcting Tryals from God as tend to our amendment 2. It is not the suffering that is matter of joy in it self but the good effects of a proved Faith and increased Patience Tryals because they tend to this should be received with joy but when they cause this much more 4. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing 4. Note 1. The care of a tryed suffering Christian should be to look to his Faith and Patience as the Goldsmith doth to his Gold in the fire and to see that they be duly and fully exercised and have their perfect work 2. A full or perfect exercise and use of Patience in great Tryals sheweâ—h a strong entire Christian and hath great joy when a lame use of Patience mixt with much impaâ—ience sheweth a lame Christian and giveth but little joy 3. To despair or fret or swell with bitter revengeful thoughts against our Persecutors or Enemies is contrary to sound Christianity 5. If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 5. Wisdom is necessary both for the guidance of you in all your difficulties and duties and the management of all your religious affairs And all Parties pretend to the greatest Wisdom to draw People to be their Disciples But if you would be truly wise seek it not by running unto Hereticks but by sincere prayer to God who is the bounteous giver of it and doth not
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 5. Consider how God himself confuteth your over-valuing rich men and vilifying the poor Is it not mostly of the poor that your Churches consist Is it not them that God hath chosen poor in the World but rich in Faith to be here made Heirs and hereafter Possessors of that Kingdom of Glory which he hath promised to them that truly love him 6 7. But ye have despised the poor Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called 6 7. Yet you despise the poor whom God himself chuseth and honoureth And doth not your own experience and suffering condemn you Who is it but rich men that oppress you by tyranny and draw you like Malefactors before their Courts of Judicature Do they not blaspheme the name of Christ and reproach your Religion 8. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye do well 8 I persuade you not to hate men for their riches but not to think that these allow you so partial a differencing If you obey God's great Command as the Scripture teacheth you to love all sorts of your neighbours as your selves according to the various degrees of their truest amiableness be they rich or poor you then do well 9. But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors 9. But if you thus inordinately respect men differently for their wealth not only the Gospel of Love but the Law of Moses convinceth you as sinners Exod. 23.3 Lev. 30.15 Deut. 1.16 17. 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all 11. For he that said Do not commit adultery said also Do not kill Now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the law 10 11. And that Law condemneth all that continue not in all things therein written to do them and we are bound by God's Law inforce to universal Obedience If you keep all other Commands and presumptuously break one you are contemners of the Law and so interpretatively break all 12. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty 12. And though you are delivered from Moses's Law and the Covenant of Works remember that Christ is your King and Law-giver and you are not lawless therefore so speak and so do as they that are under his Law of Liberty and Grace and shall be judged by it by Justification or Condemnation 13. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgment 13. For though this be a Law of Mercy it will condemn the unmerciful without mercy It hath its conditions of life or death though none but what consist with Grace But the merciful shall find mercy at Judgment And God's mercy in Christ as the cause and their mercy to men for his sake as the condition will prevail against condemning Judgment 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him 14. Is not a meer wordy Profession an unprofitable thing to your selves as well as to others Will professing Christianity and saying you believe profit you to Salvation if you obey not Christ and live not according to the Gospel 15 16. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food And one of you say unto them Depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit 15 16. Will good words cloath the naked or feed the hungry Is it not like a mocking of them 17. Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone 17. Even so your notional knowledge and belief and the bare professiâ—n of Faith if it produce not the fruits of Obedience Love and Mercy is but an uneffectual dead thing in it self shewing a dead Soul and is dead as to your Justification and Salvation 18. Yea a man may say Thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works 18. Any one may say to this man if thy Religion be sound it will have life and power and be known by its fruits Canst thou shew and justifie thy Religion or Belief without any good works or fruits as I can do mine by them 19. Thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble 19. It is part of thy Religion to believe that there is One God This is well done it is a most fundamental Truth but it saveth not the Devils that believe it and tremble 20. But wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar 20 21. But art not thou a vain man that knowest not that Faith is but a dead Opinion uneffectual to justifie and save if it be uneffectual to Works Dost thou not discern how plainly the Scripture confuteth thee Was it not Doing in Faith or a Faith that caused working Obedience by which Abraham was justified who was the Father of the Faithful when he offered his Son Isaac and God said Gen. 22.16 Because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy Son thy only Son in blessing I will bless thee c. 22. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect 22. You may see that his Faith made him obey God's Command and the obedient working of it did constitute it a sound effectual Faith without which it could not justifie him 23. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God 23. And this is the true sense of the Scripture which saith Abraham believed c. that is he so far believed and trusted God as to offer up his Son and this trust working by such Obedience or this practical effectual trust was so accepted by God that though he was not perfect without sin God accounted him a righteous man that was meet for the free Salvation of his Grace and to be called The Friend of God 24. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only 24. You see then that by such necessary doing God's will which is the product of an effectual Faith and sheweth it to be lively and sincere and not a dead Opinion a man is accounted just by God accordâ—ng to the Covenant of Grace through Christ and not only by bare believing or not by believing only without
not that the outward act of washing the Body serveth to this Salvation nor must you think that God layeth it on any outward Ceremony save as it is the exercise of our Obedience and Faith But it is the faithful answer to God of a resolved Soul in the Covenant of Baptism who when asked doth profess and promise to believe in and give up it self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to Renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Baptism is but the celebration of this saving Covenant and it is covenanting sincerely that is the Condition of Salvation and Washing is but the sign 22. Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him 22. And well may I say that Christ's Resurrection saveth sincere baptized Covenanters as God by the Ark did Noah c. when Christ thus risen is gone into Heaven advanced to the highest Authority and Honour all Angels and all Authorities and Powers in Heaven or Earth being made subject as his Enemies to their woe and his Servants to their joy shall shortly find so that he is fully able to give and do for us whatever he hath promised and we need CHAP. IV. 1. FOrasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin 2. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 2. Let then the sufferings of Christ have their due effect on you in conforming you to his death that you may as crucified or dead men give over sinning being as dead to fleshly lusts that ye no longer live the rest of your time in the flesh according to the lusts of your selves or any tempting men but wholly live to the will of God as your Rule and End 3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries 3. Alas we did too long live according to Heathen Sensuality and that time cannot be called back even in lasciviousness and lusts either fornication or immodesties that tend thereto and in excess of wine or strong drinks in revellings and banquettings or unnecessary feastings to gratifie fleshly appetite and lusts and in the bacchanals and jovialties of their Idolatry 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you 4. And though it is monstrous against humanity that reasonable men should thus live like brutes yet they stand and wonder at you as if you were the monsters or strange people because you will not be as bad and mad as they and run with them brutishly against God and Faith and Reason into this sensual excess of sports lust and riot 5. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead 5. But the time is near when for all this they must come to Judgment and a sad account they must shortly give to the Righteous Judge of all the World 6. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit 6. But wonder not at their obloquy nor imitate them but look to the Example of the Martyrs and those that are dead in Christ who received and obeyed the Gospel preacht to them that while they were judged and persecuâ—ed in the flesh according to the rage of men they might live in the Spirit unto God and obtain his glory through all such suffering 7. But the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer 7. But the time of their foolish rage and of your patient suffering will be but short The end of all earthly things is near therefore let soberness be to you instead of lusts and revelling and fleshly pleasure and by watching and prayer seek and wait for grace and glory 8. And above all things have fervent charity among your selves for charity shall cover the multitude of sins 8. And above all things be sure that you have and carefully preserve and exercise not only peace and mutual forbearance but a special love yea fervent love to one another even to all Christians and specially in your Societies and Relations For as love covereth and not aggravateth faults towards one another so God who hath said Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy and if ye forgive you shall be forgiven will cover and forgive the many sins of sincere loving Christians Note 1. The two Extreams that in all Ages have torn the Church should have regarded these words of Peter 1. The Papal Church-tearers that persecute all that consent not to their Canons Forms and Shadows should have remembred above all things even above your pretended plea for Obedience to you and Decency and Order have fervent Love 2. And the passive Separatists that can find faults enough in the Orders and Forms and Ceremonies of Churches to separate from the Communion of almost all on Earth should have deeplier received such Texts as this above all your superstitious pretences to more purity of Churches and better Discipline have fervent Charity 3. It is but partiality and jealousie of the Cause of Justification against the Papists which maketh some excellent Expositors distort this Text so as to exclude from its sense God's covering of our sins because they consider not aright 1. That Pardon as continued and as renewed for daily renewed sins hath more for the condition of it required in us than the first Pardon and begun Justification hath The first act of sound Faith serveth for the beginning but the continuance of it with its necessary fruits is necessary to the continuance and renewing of Pardon 2. That the Faith which is required to Justification and Pardon is giving up our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the Baptismal Covenant That is our Christianity which is not put in opposition to that Love or Repentance which is still implied as part of the same Covenant Consent or its necessary fruit but to the Works of the Law of Moses or of Works or any that are set in competition with Christ and Free Grace If prejudice hindred not men the reading of the Angel's words to Cornelius and of Christ's forgive and ye shall be forgiven and the Parable of the pardoned Debtor cast into Prison for not pardoning his Fellow-servant with Jam. 2. and Matth. 25. would end all this controversie 9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging 10. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God 9 10. As God hath
the Grace of sincere Righteousness and Holiness that thou bear not the shame of Hypocrisie and halting between Heresie or Infidelity and saving Truth and for the Illumination of my Spirit to know the danger of Heresie and Hypocrisie 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent 19. If I forsake you not but shew my love to you it will be by chastening you to revive your Care and Zeal If therefore you love not Chastening prevent it by Zeal and Reformation 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me 20. I have my time of offering Mercy and desiring you to entertain it And if any man hear and obey this Call I will come in by my Spirit and take habitual Possession of him and have spiritual Communion with him and he with me Note Though it be not without the Grace of Christ that we open to him when he knocks and receive his offered special Grace yet in this he layeth so much on Man as to make our Opening that is our accepting-Accepting-Faith the Condition of his Entring for a fixed Habitation by habitual Love and Holiness On which account Divines use to say that Faith and Repentance wrought first in Conversion are the Conditions or Qualifications for consequent Justification and Sanctification 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne 21. To him that overcometh all the Temptations of this Life so far as to keep his sincere Faith Love and Obedience to the End I will give a Participation in my Kingdom Power and Glory even as I obtained my Glory by overcoming Satan and the World Note This expoundeth what is meant before by Ruling the Nations with a Rod of Iron c. 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches 22. Note Let every man that hath an Ear and Heart lay close to heart these Reproofs Warnings and Promises of Christ to these seven Churches for it concerneth them all Again note that notwithstanding all Christ's Reproofs and Threatnings to many of these Churches he biddeth no one separate from them CHAP. IV. 1. AFter this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter 1. After this the Vision that I further saw was as if a Door had been opened into Heaven c. Note 1. Not that Heaven hath a Door but the Vision was to be suited to the Capacity of a Soul in Flesh 2. The Notices which advance Man's Understanding on Earth come all from Heaven 2. And thither must we look and seek if we will know the things of God 2. And immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne 2. And immediately I was in an Extasie the Spirit acting me as above the Body And God revealing things according to my Capacity I thought I saw a Throne the Seat of Royal Glorious Majesty and a Royal Person sat on the Throne 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone and there was a rain-bow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald 3. And the Power and Glory of him that sat on the Throne was represented to me as by the similitude of precious Stones a Jasper and a Sardine And his Glory and faithful keeping of his Covenant was represented to me by the Appearance of a Rain bow like an Emerald in colour round about the Throne 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold 4. Note The Apparition being made to him that was a Jew was a Representation of the Jewish Camp in â—he Wilderness with the Tabernacle in the midst â—â—cording to which also the Temple-Worship was â—â—â—med to bear some similitude And the Christian-Assemblies had some resemblance to that Some think it relateth to the Church at Jerusalem which had say they twenty four Elders say some twelve Apostles and twelve Elders others that it is to the Bishop of Jerusalem and four and twenty City-Bishops of Judea who use to sit in Council with him who yet saith Dr. H. were then but the sole Pastors of single Assemblies without any other Elders under them but were after to have such Others think it intimateth that all Churches should unite in such Synods as consist of twelve Teaching Elders and twelve Ruling Elders that are not Teachers Rather all Churches and Pastors are signified by twenty four But all these are but mens unproved thoughts save only that in general the Vision appeared in resemblance of such an Assembly as is here described And it clearly intimateth 1. That the Elders have a proper Dignity and Honour and Power signified by their Seals and White Rayment and Crowns of Gold I would not have ignorant proud Lads that can but get a Lay-Patron to present them to a Benefice where they may live in the guilt of betraying Souls to call themselves these Elders nor to feign in White Rayment that they have Crowns of Gold 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God 5. Note 1. The Glory and Terrour of the heavenly Apparition is thus expressed From the similitude of the Temple-Worship and more fully of the Church-Worship and Sacred Assemblies whence must proceed the Light of Doctrine the Thunder of Reproof and just Censures and the Voices of common Consent and Praises to God Whether it signifie the scorching Lightnings and Thunderingâ— Excommunications of Lay-Chancellors Officials Surrogates Commissaries c. that use an absent Bishop's name over not one Parish only but many score or hundred Parish-Churches I leave to the Arguments of the Affirmers 2. The seven Lamps are expounded of the seven Spirits of God relating as some suppose to the Lamps which were continually to burn before the Tabernacle Exod. 17.20 and after before the Temple And as others think to the seven Deacons at Jerusalem Others think it is the seven Guardian Angels of the Asian Churches to whom John specially directeth all this Book though for the use of all others But of this and other such passages the great doubt is whether really there be not in the Spiritual World which John saw such things as he describeth and the Institutions about Tabernacle Temple and Church-Assembles be not formed to some resemblance of these Or whether all be spoken only of the things below of
expectations For though God would glorifie the riches of his Grace by Jesus Christ yet was it not his Will to reveal him in such visible Majesty and Glory as should of it self necessitate and force Men to believe in him For then Faith would have been no Work of Tryal nor fit for a Reward but such as the wicked and sensual might perform But God would so reveal his Son as that Faith might have sufficient encouragement and help and yet such difficulties as might make it proper to honest Souls and fit for a reward so that those that will be biassed by prejudice and worldly Interest will stumble and fall on the Rock which they should be built on but to them that sincerely trust and obey him he might be the author of Eternal Salvation and be the Power and Wisdom of God ANNOTATIONS 1. THis Chapter is ordinarily misunderstood 1. Because Men observe not what it is that Paul is proving 2. And because they distinguish not God's Acts which he doth as an Owner and Benefactor from those Acts of Justice which he doth as Rector to Subjects under his Laws and Covenants 3. And because they distinguish not the Common Law of Grace made to fallen Mankind from the Covenant of Peculiarity proper to the Jews 1. Many think that Paul here giveth the Reason from God's meer Will and Reprobating Decree why some are Unbelievers and hardned in Sin and are not pardoned and saved when others are 2. And so they think that God pardoneth and justifieth and saveth Men without any Reason or Cause fetch'd from their different Qualifications but meerly from his Will 3. And they think that Esau was not onely shut out from the Covenant of Peculiarity but also from the Commoner Covenant or Law of Grace and was hated to Damnation meerly from the antecedent Will of God But contrarily 1. It is evident that St. Paul is but proving and justifying God's free Mercy in calling the Gentiles while he permitted the obstinate part of the Jews to cut off themselves by Unbelief and wilfully rejecting Christ II. And that he speaketh not at all of any arbitrary Inequality in his Rewards and Punishments but only in his free Gifts all Men should understand that God is to Man 1. Our Owner 2. Our Benefactor 3. Our Rector 1. As an Owner he may do with his own as he will 2. As our Benefactor he giveth many things antecedently to his Laws and many things besides what he there promiseth And as a Lord and Benefactor he distributeth his Gifts with incomprehensible arbitrary variety and none have cause to accuse him for giving another more than them He wrongs not the Stars by not making them Suns nor the Clouds by not making them Stars nor Men by not making them Angels nor Beasts in not making them Men nor Worms or Toads by making them no better And scarce two things in the World are like without any dissimilitude or inequality But when he hath made a Law of Precepts Prohibitions Rewards and Punishments it is his Justice equally to perform them to all according to their Qualifications and Titles He pardoneth all Believers and none else He glorifieth all that are justified and sanctified and none else and giveth the Reason of the different Sentences from their Qualifications and Works Mat. 25. c. which he doth not in his Gifts as meer Benefactor So that he doth not say that the Reason why some are pardoned and saved is not in him that willeth and him that runneth but the Reason why of two ill-deserving Persons or Nations one is overcome by decreed effectual Grace and the other hath not that Grace that so overcometh his wilful Resistance III. And when Paul speaketh of Esau being hated the Text alledged meaneth no more but that the Edomites were exposed to God's overflowing Punishments on Earth and that Esau was less loved than Jacob and he and his Seed rejected from the Covenant of Peculiarity But as it is certain that they were under that Law of Mercy made to Mankind in fallen Adam and Noah so it is not said in Scripture that Esau was damned or void of Saving Grace II. As to the Hardning of Pharaoh and others it being agreed by all sober Christians that God causeth not Sin we need to debate it no further Whether the sense be That he denieth them softning converting Grace when they have forfeited it by wilful Resistance and so permitteth them to be hardned or Whether it be that he doth those good and righteous Acts which he knows they will be wilfully hardned by as Occasions and Objects or both these Here is not the least hint that God damneth any or decreeth so to do meerly because he will do it without any Reason taken from their own Deserts Or that he maketh some Men Sinners or damneth them meerly as the Potter differenceth his Vessels of Clay But only that when all have deserved to be forsaken and condemned and he giveth Common Grace for their Recovery to all why he freely giveth more which shall be infallibly effectual to some rather than to others when those some were no better than the rest It 's said by some School-men That Mens Damnation is caused by Sin but God's Decree to damn them is not nor hath any Cause But this must be more distinctly answered By God's Decree to damn Men is meant 1. Either the Effects of his Will 2. Or his Will it self 3. Or his Will as extrinsecally denominated from the Object correlated to it 1. No doubt but Punishment which is the Effect of his Will hath a Meritorious Cause in Mans Sin 2. The Will of God or his Decree considered as in God is nothing but his Essence which hath no Cause and is not in it self called a Decree to damn Men. 3. The Denomination of God's Will from its relation to the extrinsick Object hath objective Cause the Object qualified Whoever truly repenteth and believeth may be sure of his Justification and it 's sinful to doubt of it on pretence that God may condemn whom he will when he hath told whom he will not condemn And whoever is unregenerate and ungodly may be sure he is unjustified and unpardoned and in a damnable state for God hath assured us of this in his Word CHAP. X. 1. BRethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved 2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge 1 2. My great desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be converted and saved And it is laudible in them that they have a Zeal of God and his Law and Worship but it is frustrate because misguided by errour 3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God 3. For they being ignorant of God's way of Justification and Righteousness intended as the end of the