contrary hee is condemned In the second verse a reason of this is subjoyned because the judgement of God is just and according to the merit of the deed condemns every sinner both him that judgeth and him that is judged Therefore hee which according to the judgement of God condemns another to death for sin condemns himself doing the like things Vers. 3. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God This Argument in the following part of the Chapter is confirmed removing the four pretended Objections whereby men may evade the force of the Argument Object 1. Hee securely contemns the judgement of God who because God hath hitherto spared him promiseth himself impunity or freedome from punishment when hee judgeth others I am not afraid saith hee of the judgement of God The Apostle refutes this Objection and proves it null by six Reasons Reas. 1. That such an imagination is vain and foolish for Thinkest thou c. which is the same as if hee had said In vain doest thou think to escape the judgement of God Vers. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Despisest Reas. 2. Such an imagination puts contempt and abuse upon the riches of the bounty forbearance and gentleness of God when any one because God hath spared hitherto goes on in sin and conceives hopes to go unpunished Bounty Reas. 3. That the bounty of God ought to invite and move to repentance not to go on in sin out of hopes to go unpunished Vers. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Hardness Reas. 4. That such a thought is the hardening of our hearts in sin and a sealing of them up that wee cannot repent Treasure Reas. 5. That hee who securely contemns the judgement of God heaps up unto himself a kinde of treasure of punishments from divine justice to the time of that last and terrible judgement wherein that whole treasure of punishments in the most righteous anger of God shall bee openly poured out upon him Vers. 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 10. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Reas. 6. God will give to every man in the day of Judgement according to his works good or evil his rewards of grace or punishments of his justice To wit eternal life to them that persevere in obedience to the truth hoping for a reward vers 6 7. And besides the signs of wrath in this life eternal death also after this life as it is just for an angry God to inflict upon the adversaries of the truth and the servants of unrighteousness verse 8. Hee confirms this reason in that God will have no respect to any Nation or outward Priviledges in the inflicting of his punishments But the Jews which had the chiefest favours of God should bee first in their punishments and that hee would inflict upon the soul and body of the Heathens or Gentiles their deserved torments verse 9. And to the same manner in his rewards without difference of Nations hee will glorifie i. e. with all gifts that may externally accomplish a man such as Glory and Honour and inwardly which is signified by Peace and will heap upon the pious and honest Jew according to all the priviledges which hee hath vouchsafed to that Nation and will crown the pious and honest Gentile in his place with eternal life verse 10. from whence it follows that hee is deceived who indulges hopes of impunity because God hath hitherto spared him Vers. 11. For there is no respect of persons with God Hee confirms the former reason from the equity of God in that hee is no respecter of persons and hee meets with the second Objection propounded verse 2. against the severe judgement of God against sinners Some might object In the executing of Judgement respect is to bee had as well of the Heathen who lives out of the Church without the knowledge of the Law or the doctrine of God as also of the Jew which is a Disciple of God and an hearer of the Law God forbid that either of them should perish for both seems unjust although they are sinners Hee refutes this Objection and proves it just that every sinner should perish by five Reasons Reas. 1. Because there is no respect of persons with God that hee should exempt from condemnation those that persevere in sin whether Jews or Gentiles for any reason which appertains to the person not the cause And here it is to bee observed that God looks with an equal eye upon the Jew and Gentile out of Christ not in the degrees of punishment but in the guilt of eternal death which all sinners are worthy of although not in the like degree Vers. 12. For as many as have sinned without Law do by nature the things contained in the Law those having not the Law shall be judged by the Law Reas. 2. This confirms and unfolds the other because they that have sinned without the Law scil written Against the Law written upon their hearts by nature even by the same Law within them shall perish without the written Law by the sentence of Justice And whoever have sinned in the Law or in the knowledge of the Law written shall bee condemned even by the sentence of the written Law Vers. 13. For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Reas. 3. Especially intended against the Jews who according to the rule of Righteousness cannot bee accounted for Righteous before God even they that are hearers of the Law unless they perform perfect obedidience to the Law which because neither Jew nor Gentile can do by consequence neither can they bee exempted from deserved condemnation but on the contrary especially the Jews which are hearers of the Law and do not keep it are most worthy of judgement Vers. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves 15. Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Reas. 4. Especially intended against the Gentiles which though they have not the written Law yet they have a Law within
them and by nature do some external works of the Law although they have not the written Law yet that Law within them is a Law and that really and indeed written upon their hearts as their consciences witness accusing them when they do ill and excusing them when they do well Therefore they have nothing to pretend why they should not undergo deserved condemnation when they sin much less the Jews Vers. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Reas. 5. Because in the day of judgement God will bring forth the secrets of the heart and according to this my doctrine in the Gospel will pronounce the condemnation of sinners to bee just whether Jews or Gentiles Therefore they cannot bee excused who sin but perish by their own just desert Vers. 17. Behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God 18. And knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law 19. And art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknâ—ss 20. An instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes which hath the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law The third Objection But something must bee allowed to the priviledges of the Jews that they come not into the like condemnation with the Gentiles And here hee seems to conflict with some principal teacher of the Law and Patron of Righteousness by works and brings forth seven props of his vain confidence by way of concession granting all 1 The first that hee grants is the external honour of a worshiper of God Thou art called a Jew which was a name not of Nation only but of a confessor of the true Religion 2 A submission of mind to the doctrine of the Law Thou restest in the Law and thou applaudest thy self in this as an eminent benefit 3 Thou makest thy boast in God viz. that thou art of that people chosen above all other Nations in Covenant with God vers 17. 4 The knowledge of Gods will taken out of the Law 5 The discerning of good and evil and of things that differ and controversies by the benefit of the same Law verse 18. 6 The confidence of such abundant knowledge and certainty that they could teach others 7 That they had a systeme and collection of that knowledge which was here and there contained in the Law and that all the rest besides this our Rabbi are infants and foolish verse 19 20. Vers. 21. Thou therefore that teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest idols doest thou commit sacriledge 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God The Apostle answers the Objection and all these being granted hee shews them insufficient to righteousness by two Reasons Reas. 1. Because thou doest not teach thy self i. e. thou dost not shew forth thy doctrine by thy deeds but either pollutest thy self with those vices or the like which thou forbiddest in others Therefore those things suffice not to free thee from condemnation Vers. 24. For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Reas. 2. Confirming the former Because through your fault the Gentiles speak evil of God as if hee had or could bear prophane worshipers Therefore the forecited priviledges make nothing to Righteousness This reason hee confirmes by the testimony of Ezekiel 36.22 who complains of the Hypocrites of his time boasting in the same priviledges Vers. 25. For Circumcision verily profiteth â—f thou keep the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy Circumcision is made uncircumcision The fourth Objection But because of the Covenant of God the sign whereof is Circumcision I shall not perish who am circumcised saith the Jew confiding in the outward Ceremony The Apostle answers and proves that Circumcision does not exempt us from condemnation or death by four Reasons Reas. 1. Because Circumcision if it bee joyned with perfect obedience to all the rest of the commandements if it could bee it would profit as a part of that obedience to justification by works for which the Jew did contend but if the transgression of the Law bee found in him that is circumcised as touching justification by works circumcision and uncircumcision will bee the same Therefore circumcision exempts not from condemnation Vers. 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision Reas. 2. Because the Gentiles uncircumcision joyned with perfect obedience to the Law if it could bee shall bee of the same account with the Jews circumcision If so bee God require to justification by works nothing but a perfect observation of the Moral Law Therefore circumcision frees not from condemnation Vers. 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfil the Law judge thee who â—y the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law Reas. 3. Because the Gentile being by nature uncircumcised if it was possible that hee could keep the Moral Law compared with thee who are outwardly circumcised and yet transgressest the Law by thy own judgement hee shall argue thee worthy of condemnation Therefore circumcision doth not free from condemnation Vers. 28. But he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh 29. But hee is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and noâ— in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Reas. 4. Because neither the outward profession of the true Religion long ago erected among the Jewes by God himself is to be accounted for a true profession of the true Religion nor outward Circumcision of the flesh is to bee reckoned for true Circumcision ver 28. But hee is a true Professor of the true Religion who is such an one in the Spirit and that is true Circumcision which is of the heart spiritual in the inward soul and not that which is outwardly in the body or the letter which is commonly called Circumcision He that is a Jew indeed and that which is true and spiritual Circumcision hath commendation and praise not only among men who only see things that are open and manifest but with God who looks into the heart Therefore outward Circumcision perfects not our righteousness nor frees any man from condemnation ver 29. CHAP. III. THere are two parts of this Chapter in the FIRST he answers five objections against the foresaid Doctrine to ver 9. In the SECOND part he proceeds to prove the POSITION touching JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS BVT BY FAITH Ver. 1. What advantage then hath the Iew or what profit is there of
of Christs obedience upon his And it is meer that as one sin of Adam was imputed to his children to condemnation and death so the intire obedience of Christ only should bee imputed to his sons to Justification and the obtaining of Eternal Life Vers. 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Hee illustrates and concludes this whole comparison by shewing the abundance of sin in those that are justified renders the grace of Christ more illustrious and this hee does by answering an objection concerning the end and use of the published Law It may bee questioned if death reigned by the Law of Nature not written before Moses what need was there of any written Law and seeing righteousness comes not by the Law as is said before to what end was the Law Hee answers by shewing a three-fold end of giving the Law First The Law entred that the offence might abound i. e. The Law forbidding sin and enjoyning righteousness in that space of time betwixt Adam and Christ came in that sin which was daily committed and yet because of ignorance not acknowledged might bee known to bee sin and that the natural wickedness of men might appear which occasions that by how much the more the Law requires righteousness by so much the more concupiscence is stirred up agaâ—nst the Law and that by this the sin which lyes hid in men might bee manifested and known to abound But where The second end that from the abundance of sin in those that were to bee justified the exceeding abundant grace of Christ towards those that are justified might appear seeing that where sin abounds in the conviction of men that are to bee justified there the grace of Christ justifying is found to super-abound Even as The third end that the power of sin as a King by the Law might more clearly appear shewing forth its condemning power the power of the righteousness of Christ as a Superiour King held forth in the Gospel might bee more â—minent prevailing not only to the abolishing of the Kingdome of sin but also to the conferring of Eternal Life upon those that are justified Therefore by how much the more the force of sin reigning over men not justified crowding them to the prison of Eternal death might more clearly appear by so much the more the virtue power and excellency of the grace of Christ overcoming and subduing sin leading men powerfully unto Eternal Life might more manifestly bee declared CHAP. VI. THe third proof of the Doctrine of Iustification freely by Faith in Christ in that it conduceth very much to the promoting of Sanctity and Holiness There are two PARTS of the Chapter In the first hee shews that by Faith in Christ or the Doctrine concerning the free ground of Iustification several wayes promotes endeavours after Sanctification to verse 12. In the other part hee exhorts those that are justified to follow after holiness to the end Vers. 1. What shall wee say then Shall wee continue in sin that grace may abound 2. God forbid how shall wee that are dead to sin live any longer therein By answering an objection which seems to arise from this Doctrine hee sets down a confirmation of the Proposition That this Doctrine of Grace or of Free Justification makes for the promoting of holiness Some may say Shall wee persevere in our sins wee that are justified by Faith that the grace of God may appear more abundant as this Doctrine of Free Justification by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ seems to intimate Hee answers by denying and rejecting Far from us bee such a thought As if hee had said They that are justified by Faith ought not to indulge themselves in any sin but to endeavour after holiness And this Proposition hee confirms by ten Arguments Argum. 1. Wee are dead unto sin in as much as when wee gave up our names unto Christ that wee might bee justified and sanctified by him wee renounced sin that wee might not have any more to do with it than the dead have with the living Therefore wee that are justified ought not any longer to live in sin Vers. 3. Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Iesus Christ were baptized into his death Argum. 2. Wee as you know which are freely justified by Faith in Christ are also taken into the fellowship of his Death by Baptism by which Sacrament wee have bound our selves to die unto sin and Christ hath bound himself unto us to communicate the power of his Death that wee might die unto sin Therefore wee ought not to undulge our selves in our sins but endeavour after holiness Vers. 4. Therefore wee are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so wee also should walk in newness of life Argum. 3. Our communion with Christ in his Death is sealed to us in our Baptism for the abolishing of the old Man of Sin i. e. Not only that wee might bee bound to mortifie the old man but also that wee might bee made certain concerning the mortifying and subduing of sin by virtue of Christs Death Therefore wee ought not to indulge our selves in sin but endeavour the mortifying of it Argum. 4. As our communion with Christ in his Death is sealed to us in our Baptism so also in his Resurrection that as Christ was raised from the dead to a blessed and immortal life by the glory of the Father who powerfully raised him so should wee endeavour by Faith applying the virtue of Christ to arise from sin and to walk in newness of life to the glory of the Father powerfully renewing us Therefore ought wee not to continue in sin but follow after holiness Vers. 5. For if wee have been planted together in the likeness of his death wee shall bee also in the likeness of his resurrection Argum. 5. Drawn from our spiritual and neerest union with Christ by Faith which union is the ground of the communication of that virtue which flows from the Death and Resurrection of Christ for by Faith wee are planted into Christ as the Branch into the Vine and this ingrafting brings us into that conformity with the Death and Resurrection of Christ that wee dying unto sin Christ dying and following after newness of life Christ rising again may bee clearly seen in a certain likeness to himself Hence hee confirms his former Argument when wee are planted together with Christ by Faith wee are so neerly united to him that there follows of necessity a conformity with him in his death to the mortification of sin and in his resurrection to newness of life Therefore unless wee will acknowledge no union with him and implanting into him wee must renounce all sin and
nothing remains but the subduing of enemies and the application of the benefits procured by that Oblation for the good of the Elect. Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us for after that hee had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember us more Argum. 11. The New Covenant founded on the Sacrifice of Christ absolutely without any condition promises to all the Elect full Sanctification I will put my Law c. and remission of sins I will remember them no more as the Holy Ghost testifies Ier. 31.31 c. Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ c. Vers. 18 Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin Argum. 12. That one Sacrifice of Christ obtains from God full pardon of sins to the faithful under the New Covenant that hee neither leaves any place for the repetition of it nor to any other offering for sin Therefore the Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical The Second Part of the Chapter Vers. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Iesus The second paâ—â— follows wherein hee brings the precedent Doctrine into use by way of exhortation consisting of divers branches That with confidence in God to ver 23. promoting the work of Holiness in themselves particularly and in all the members of the Church in general to ver 26. they patiently and confidently persevere in the Faith unto the end And briefly this whole exhortation may bee gathered into this Proposition Yee ought with confidence patiently to persevere in your endeavours after holiness The Arguments of this exhortation which prove and inforce this Proposition are nineteen whereof some alluding to types so hee lays them down that withall hee may raise the minds of the Hebrews to the excellency of the thing signified Having Argum. 1. Yee have together with us boldness by Faith in your prayers in this life of entring into Heaven and full possession after this life by approaching unto God himself Therefore ought yee with boldness to persevere in the Faith By the blood Argum. 2. By the blood or death of Jesus Christ as by a full price of our Redemption and Reconciliation this priviledge is procured for you that in all your necessities yee may freely open your minds to God Therefore ought yee boldly to persevere Vers. 20. By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Argum. 3. Christ being made man and uniting himself with us in our common nature hath dedicated his flesh or his humanity to this use that yee with us being advantaged with this communion of nature by his Mediation as by a new way plain safe and living which quickens those that walk in it and refreshes the weary yee may come unto God as the Levitical High Priest entred by the veil into the Sanctuary Therefore ought yee to persevere with confidence in God Vers. 21. And having an High Priest over the house of God Argum. 4. Wee have Christ our High Priest who goes before us in the way bearing the iniquity of the inferiour Priests lest the things which are done amiss by us in our imperfect services might hinder our access to God Therefore c. Over the Argum. 5. Wee have Christ very tender towards us over the house of God who hath power to admit into Heaven whom hee will and of assigning a place to them that are entered as he please and out of the treasury of his grace to bestow upon them as much as can be desired Therefore c. Vers. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for hee is faithful that promised Argum. 6. The priviledge of a new and sincere heart is given to Beleevers to a full assurance of Faith and a peaceable conscience in Christ and to holiness of life which were signified by the Legal washings yee therefore by Faith apprehending your priviledge with us and applying to your selves the virtue of Christs blood by Faith being assured yee ought together with us in Sanctification of life to approach nearer unto God and to cleave unto him that yee may the more boldly persevere Faithful Arg. 7. God who hath promised all grace to them that hope in him that they may perseveâ—e to salvation is faithful Therefore c. Vers. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as yee see the day approaching Argum. 8. Unless yee diligently take heed that by all waies and means which make for your particular or the Churches perseverance in general viz. by considering one another and exciting one another to love and to good works by attending publick meetings and preserving the unity of the Church c. there is danger leâ—t a separation or Schism follow and at length Apostacy from the Faith as experience testifies in the persons of some Therefore c. So much the more Argum. 9. The day of judgement approacheth wherein to those that persevere in and apostatize from the Faith a reward shall bee given according to their works Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins Argum. 10. Unless yee persevere in the Faith or if after the acknowledgement of the truth of the Gospel wilfully or on set purpose yee fall back from the Gospel which is to sin against the Holy Ghost there remains no more Sacrifice for sin nor by consequence remission of sin if so be yee rejecting Christ and his Sacrifice maliciously there is no more Sacrifice for sin left Therefore lest yee fall into this abysse yee ought carefully to persevere Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Argum. 11. There abides for Apostates who knowingly and willfully reject Christ and maliciously betake themselves to the adversaries side a fear of the dreadful judgement of God and of eternal fire which shall devoure all the enemies of Christ and chiefly Apostates Therefore ought yee to persevere in the Faith Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace
AN EXPOSITION OF ALL St. PAULS EPISTLES TOGETHER With an Explanation of those other Epistles of the Apostles St. James Peter John Jude Wherein the sense of every Chapter and Verse is Analytically unfolded and the Text enlightened By DAVID DICKSON Professor of Divinity in the University of Glascoe Published for the Benefit of such as desire clearly to understand and rightly to improve the Scriptures JOHN 15.4 Abide in mee and I in you As the Branch cannot bring forth fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine No more can yee except you abide in mee LONDON Printed by R. I. for Francis Eglesfield and are to bee sold at the Marygold in St. Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS MARQUESSE Earl of Kintar Lord Cambel Lord of Lorn c. AND To the most Noble Lord the Lord Archibald Cambell Lord of Lorn his Eldest Son and Heir c. David Dickson wisheth all happiness THe name of Wisdome and Happiness most Illustrious Marquess hath alwaies and every where been very eminent and all men have justly commended him that hath been studious of both But few they are who well understand the things themselves For they that place their Happiness in any thing besides the enjoyment of God in the matter of true Wisdome are much mistaken That indeed is the true Wisdome by which wee are directly and infallibly led to solid and eternal Happiness It is a most sad spectacle and to wise observers not unprofitable to behold the misery of mankind joyned with madness Man is banished from Heaven and as a Vagabond wanders upon Earth tossed up and down with the stings of misery and a certain blinde desire of Happiness inquires after his Remedy But the Felicity hee should seek after above hee looks for among terrene trash and so misseth of it every where For the chiefest Good hee embraceth the meanest things and the deceitful shadows of Vanity By the frequent frustration of his conceived hopes hee is minded of his errour and urged with the perpetual agitation of a restless spirit to seek after the heavenly Country and his Fathers house But hee goes astray from the womb and his errour is endless encreasing and multiplying the miseries that hee flies from The contemplation of Divine Goodness conflicting with mans obstinacy and stubbornness heightens the sadness of this spectacle The fountain of happiness descends from Heaven cloathed with Majesty and Light as with a garment manifesting to those that are in the dark his invisibility to wit his eternal power and God-head shining forth in the works of Creation that hee might invite rebels into favour with him But they either look not towards God or looking to him they acknowledge him not or knowing him in some measure they glorifie him not as God but become vain in their imaginations and bowed downward they cry out Who will shew us any good None seriously pray Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us God comes neerer in the works of his providence and leaves himself not without witness but communicates his good things to men unworthy gives Rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling the hearts of his most ingrateful enemies with food and gladness that they might feel after the Lord and finde him whom they had lost so by the riches of his goodness and forbearance they might be reduced to repentance But they receive these benefits and sacrifice them to gluttony and intemperance And even with these things which Divine bounty vouchsafed arming themselves with the weapons of iniquity they rebel against God But here the Man-kindness of God doth not end but hee comes close to us reacheth forth his hand knocks at every mans breast produceth the Law written legibly upon every mans heart shakes their consciences stirs up their thoughts to summon those fugitive enemies to the Tribunal of Justice to accuse the guilty and convince them of their odious ingratitude takes away all excuse from those that are convicted and all this that men might repent and sue out for pardon But they convinced of their iniquity contumaciously lift up themselves against God fall out with conscience and lay violent hands upon it to bee silent they invade that truth of God written upon their hearts which once suppressed they imprison and with-hold in unrighteousness It s no wonder if God suffer such desperately stubborn and self-condemned creatures to walk in their own waies and leaves them to Satan giving them up to their own corrupt affections Alas Alas millions are lost and will bee so By how much the more this spectacle is lamentable by so much the goodness of God is more lovely which will not endure that Divine Grace should suffer a repulse by those which the good pleasure of God will have to be his own to come to themselves and be saved You will easily affirm that to be a joyful sight which for ever will bless the beholders and make them happy The Eternal Wisdome the Beloved of the Father the Delight of Angels the Light of the World the Life of Men the Son of Righteousness under whose wings is healing and salvation Our Lord Jesus Christ came down from the bosome of his Father Who having discharged the price of our Redemption conquered our enemies gets up into his triumphant Chariot passes through all places where his redeemed ones abide for their sakes hee sets up the banner of his love hee sends forth the voice of saving wisdome in the Gospel of Peace By the Ministery whereof hee opens the fountain of mans misery wider reproves of sin creates in them a sorrow after God holds forth wrath to come and terrifies demonstrates to them their folly unworthiness and impotency to deliver themselves from those evils and humbles them to an abnegation of their own wisdome and strength Hee offers himself a Mediatour for the restoring of amity betwixt God and man provokes in us a thirst after Life and Righteousness holds forth to us freedome from the Law of works as also the ratification of the New and Free Covenant of Grace to which hee causeth them to consent perswades them to embrace Christ that great gift of God and wholly resign themselves up to him Hee exhibits also to them Remission of sins and causes them to lay hold upon it to Justification Hee wills those that are justified to mortifie the old man and enkindles in them no less desire after holiness than after Heaven and Happiness it self Hee requires the fruits of Faith in obedience to the Divine Law and causes them to suck vital juice from the vine which they send forth in fruits worthy of the Gospel Hee commands that every one take up his own Cross which lies in his way to Heaven causing them to observe his commands and after the Lord of Glory bearing reproach for him through prosperity and adversity to pass on unto eternal life This is that saving Wisdome which deceives no man but justifies and blesseth all her Children and in like
one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Another comparison is of Christ and Adam tending to shew that the righteousness of Christ is no less effectual to save those that are justified by Faith than the sin of Adam was of force to destroy those that are not justified There are six parts of the Comparison The first As by one man viz. Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men that are the sons of Adam by nature in as much as in him as in a common parent all have sinned so by one man Christ Jesus the second Adam Righteousness entred into the world and Life by Righteousness and so life was communicated to all men which are the sons of Christ by grace such as all are which are justified by Faith in as much as in him as in a common parent surety and advocate all are justified This Antithesis remains to bee collected from what follows and especially from the end of ver 14. where Christ is made the Anti-type of Adam because hee is the Gate and Fountain of Righteousness and Life as Adam was the Gate and Fountain of sin and death Vers. 13. For until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed when there is no Law 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that was to come Hee proves that sin entred into the world by one man Adam and was propagated to his posterity For from Adam to the Law written by Moses sin was in the world and imputed and that could not bee unless there had been some Law at least unwritten and innate for had there been no Law neither written nor innate sin could not bee imputed ver 13. but it was imputed because the punishment was inflicted If so bee the wages of sin is death it reigned from Adam to Moses not only over those that were of riper years but also over infants which sinned originally in him seeing all men were in Adam one man though not actually or after the similitude of Adams actual transgression ver 14. The sum of all is there was death the wages of sin therefore there was sin therefore a Law and sin from one passed unto all Hee calls Adam a type of him that was to come viz. of the second Adam Christ that wee might understand how Christ ought to answer in his saving effects to those destructive effects of Adam and that by the purpose of God who would represent Christ the Saviour of men in the lost original of mankind that Christ might bee no less acknowledged the Fountain Head and Root of Righteousness and Life to bee derived to those that are his as Adam was the Fountain Head and Root of propagating sin and death to his Vers. 15. But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence â—f one many be dead much more the grace of God and â—he gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many The second member of the Comparison wherein they disagree which is first briefly propounded afterward more largely explained The offence is not like the gift of God for that good which proceeds from God is of Divine efficacy and virtue therefore infinitely surpasses the evil which is from man Wherefore if the offence of one man i. e. Adam could bring forth death to many that were naturally propagated from him much more the infinite grace of God and the free gift of one mâ—n Jesus Christ who also is God shall abundantly convey life to them which are spiritually born of Christ. The sum of all is Hee would have us know that the grace of Christ is more potent to save than the sin of Adam to destroy and the gifts which are bestowed through the grace of God are more excellent than those which Adam lost Vers. 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so was the gift for the judgement was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto Iustification The third branch of the Comparison shewing the dissimilitude between the evil that entred only by Adam sinning and the gift which is by Jesus Christ because the just judgement of God from one sin of Adam proceeded to the just condemnation of himself and of all that by the Law of Nature were comprehended in his loyns But grace or the free gift of God not only frees us from that one Original sin but from a multitude of actual sins committed by every one to a full justification from all sin The sum of all is condemnation is from one offence but the gift of grace is an acquittal from all offences Vers. 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ. The fourth branch of the Comparison with a confirmation of the former after this manner If by one only sin of Adam death entring as a King subdued mankind to it much more being justified by Faith receiving that abundant grace of God and the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ By how much the more excellent therefore the Kingdome of Life is which makes its Subjects Kings and companions with Christ in Life Eternal than the Kingdome of death which destroyes all its subjects by so much the gift of Christ in respect to its efficacy excells the offence of Adam Vers. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so ly the righteousnâ—ss of one the free gift came upon all men unto â—ustification of Life The fifth branch of the Comparison As by the fall of Adam only the guilt came upon all that sprang of Adam by a natural propagation to their condemnation so by the obedience of Christ only wherein hee was obedient to his Father unto the death the satisfaction came to justification of all men which spring of Christ by a spiritual regeneration Vers. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous The sixth branch of the Comparison illustrating and â—onfirming the former after this manner As by the disobedience of Adam only it comes to pass that many are accounted and dealt with in the judgement of God as sinners because they are derived from him according to the flesh so by the obedience of Christ only many shall bee made righteous that is shall bee accounted as righteous to wit all they that are in Christ by Faith born of him after the Spirit For equal it is that the poyson of sin should not pierce deeper or the sin of Adam spread further upon his Off-spring than the virtue
it bee of Works then is it no more Grace otherwise Work is no more Work From hence the Apostle inferres two Conclusions the first answering the design of this Epistle viz. That the Election seeing it is of Grace not of any Works foreseen because in the matter of Election Grace and Works as causes mutually destroy each other For if Grace bee the cause of Election Works are not And on the contrary But Grace is the cause as hath been said Therefore Works fore-seen are not the cause Vers. 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which hee seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded The second Conclusion shewing what was said before Chap. 9. vers 31. of the Israelites who sought for Righteousness by the Law and did not attain it is to bee understood onely of the Reprobate For the Elect Israelites obtained Righteousness which they sought for by Grace in the Messiah but the rest that is the Reprobate were hardened Vers. 8. According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day That the Reprobate were hardened hee proves by a twofold Testimony The first is of Isaiah 29.16 and 6.9 where God is said in his Righteous judgement to have smitten this perverse people with the punishment of blindness and stupidity or for the contempt of his Word to have given up to a reprobate sense that they might not discern the Grace of God offered in the Gospel which judgement lay upon the multitude till the time of the preaching of the Gospel Vers. 9. And David saith Let their Table bee made a snare and a trap and a stumbling-block and a recompence unto them 10. Let their eyes bee darkened that they may not see and bow down their back alwaies Another Testimony is from David Psal. 69.23 24. who as a type of Christ praies against his enemies that all the benefits of God and the Gospel also tendered to them might bee to them an occasion of ruine that afterwards they might savour nothing but earthly things who being so often warned of God would not relish heavenly things and that in just revenge of their unthankfulness Vers. 11. I say then have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Hee repeats the first Argument to prove that the Jews were not to bee despised and hee adds a second The Jews are not cast off that all and every one of them should perish that are of this Nation but that salvation through Christ refused by the Jews might come to the Gentiles that the Gentiles being converted unto God might provoke the Jews to jealousie and by consequence to Repentance Therefore the Jews are not to bee despised The Jews are provoked to jealousie when they see themselves shut out from God and scattered that they might not bee a Church But the Gentiles in their room to bee taken of God into his bosome wherein before the Church of the Jews had been cherished Vers. 12. Now if the fall of them bee the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulness Argum. 3. As the ruine of the Jews turned to the good of the Gentiles so also and much more the restitution of the Jews shall prove an advantage to the world and the Gentiles Therefore so far should it bee from us to despise the Jews as wholly cast away that on the other side their Conversion is to bee wished and hoped for Vers. 13. For I speak to you Gentiles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I magnifie mine office 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them Argum. 4. I my self am an Apostle of the Gentiles so much the more earnestly do I bestow my Ministery in converting as many as I can and magnifie my office to this end that I might provoke the Jews my Kinsmen not to suffer you only to enjoy the priviledge of the Sons of God but that they would joyn themselves unto you and so might bee saved Therefore it is your duty not to despise them as altogether cast off but to labour with mee that they may bee saved Vers. 15. For if the casting away of them bee the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them bee but life from the dead Argum. 5. If the casting off the Jews is through the goodness of God turned to an occasion of reconciling the Gentiles from the conversion of the Jews is not such a change for the better to bee expected amongst the Gentiles as if it was a kind of Resurrection from the dead Therefore the Jews are not to bee despised as altogether cast off but their conversion is to bee desired and hoped for For when God shall again resume his antient people what wonder if hee shall powre out upon all the Churches a greater plenty of his Spirit What wonder if hee take away those destructive Heresies and Schismes wherewith the Christian Churches amongst the Gentiles was almost oppressed even to death and unite them more firmly among themselves and with the Church of the Jews That this hereafter shall bee the happy condition of the Churches about the time of the Jews conversion the Apostle would not have us despair who propounds to us as it were a Resurrection from the dead to bee hoped for by us in the change of the Churches condition Vers. 16. For if the first fruit bee holy the lump is also holy and if the root bee holy so are the branches Argum. 6. The Nation of the Jews by virtue of the Covenant with their Fathers is consecrated unto God and is honored with the dignity of Federal Holiness descending from their Fathers that were in Covenant As the lump and harvest is sanctified in the first fruits and the branches in the consecrating of the root Therefore the Jews are not to bee contemned as wholly cast away Vers. 17. And if some of the branches bee broken off and thou being a wild Olive-tree wert graffed in amongst them and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive-tree Some unbelieving Jews as branches are broken off from the Olive-tree from the Church of the holy Patriarchs and thou a Gentile being as a wild Olive far from the Covenant of God art implanted in their stead and so made partaker of the priviledges of that Church and holy Covenant as of the fatness of the Olive-tree Therefore thou oughtest not to despise the Jews Vers. 18. Boast not against the branches But if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the root thee Argum. 8. If thou shalt boast against the Jews as more worthy than they thou behavest thy self no less foolishly than the branches born by the root
ordinary infirmities in those that differ from us and that wee do not proudly lift up our selves against or above others but that wee condescend to men of low degree so farre as the truth shall give way alwaies bewaring that wee bee not puffed up with an opinion of our own wisdome Vers. 17. Recompence to no man evil for evil provide things honest in the sight of all men Precept 11. That wee do not recompence injuries with injuries and because the flesh is ready to make exceptions hee saith Requite no man evil for evil Providing Precept 12. That following after honesty and innocency of life wee cut off all occasion as well from our-selves of doing evil as from our adversaries of â—urting us or reviling us Vers. 18. If it bee possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Precept 13. That wee follow peace with all men Whereunto is added a limitation if it bee possible and as much as lies in us that wee use all means of peace and if any thing falls out to the contrary let it be by anothers fault not by ours Vers. 19. Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. Precept 14. Forbidding in particular more than before requiring like for like because wee are more prone to revenge Therefore hee friendly forbids private revenge and commands that wee let our anger and the anger of our adversary to cool exciting neither by words or deeds adding a grave Argument because it belongs to God either immediately by himself or else by the Magistrate to revenge all injuries offered unto us What is to bee done in case of unblameable defence is to bee inquired amongst common places Vers. 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if hee thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head Precept 15. Of doing good to our enemies when opportunity and their necessity requires it And this Reason is subjoyned because by this wee heap coals upon them that they may either bee softened as metal is melted in the fire if there bee any ingenuity in them or that their conviction and condemnation might bee made so much the more heavy and that not by ours but their own fault Vers. 21. Bee not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Precept 16. Tending to the same purpose but more generally That in contending with our enemies wee judge rightly of the victory which is not that wee requite or overcome evil with evil for then wee are rather overcome of evil than overcome but this is the only victory that by doing well we overcome evil and this is the victory which here hee exhorts us to seek after CHAP. XIII HEe proceeds to exhort them that they bring forth fruits worthy of their profession towards the Magistrate and men of all conditions There are two parts of the Chapter The first of Civil Subjection to vers 8. The other of Love as it respects the second Table of the Law Vers. 1. Let every soul bee subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that bee are ordained of God The Exhortation is propounded in the first words That every soul or every man bee subject or subordinate to the higher Powers i. e. To the Civil Magistrate The Arguments of the Exhortation are ten For there is no Argument 1. Because the Magistrate of what kind or order soever is from Gods institution and ordination Vers. 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation The Ordinance Argum. 2. Because hee that is not subject but resists and opposes the Magistrate sets himself against the Ordinance of God Damnation Argum. 3. Because hee that resists brings upon himself revenge and punishment as well from God as the Magistrate Vers. 3. For Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil Wilt thou then not bee afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Argum. 4. Because the office of the Magistrate is ordained of God that it may restrain the evil and punish evil deeds but not what is good Therefore wee ought to bee subject unto him Praise Argum 5. Because the Magistrate confers rewards and praise upon those that do well and observe the Law Vers. 4. For hee is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil bee afraid for hee beareth not the Sword in vain for hee is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Argum. 6. Because the Magistrate is the Minister of God for our good for by the Magistrate God enjoyns us things honest and profitable and takes away those that are evil which is very advantagious to us For hee bears not the sword Argum. 7. Because hee is armed with the sword to punish them that are evil by that authority which is divinely given him Therefore it behoves them that are guilty of evil even in danger of life to fear and to bee subject Vers. 5. Wherefore yee must needs bee subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Argum. 8. Because it is necessary to bee subject not only for avoiding the anger of the Prince and civil punishments but also for the sake of a good conscience in respect to the command of God commanding subjection Vers. 6. For for this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Argum. 9. Because wee owe tribute to Magistrates as to the Ministers of God who are imployed in the defence of the publique and solely attend that Therefore ought you to bee subject unto them Vers. 7. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Argum. 10. Brought in by way of conclusion Because as it is just to give every one his due so also to the Magistrate tribute fear honor is to bee paid Even as all or some of these belong to the Supreme or inferiour Magistrate and their Ministers The second Part. Vers. 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another for hee that loveth another fulfilleth the Law The second part of the Chapter follows wherein hee handles holiness of life and love as in respect to duties of the Second Table There are six Arguments of this exhortation Except this Argum. 1. Because love is a perpetual debt Therefore alwayes to bee paid Fulfilled Argum. 2. Because love to our neighbour is the fulfilling of the Law Therefore alwayes to bee endeavoured Vers. 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet And if there bee any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in
lies that he should perish Therefore c. Vers. 13. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend Reason 4. Because it is better to bee deprived for ever of our liberty of eating flesh than to eat with offence which the Apostle shews in the instance of his own vow Therefore c. CHAP. IX HEE proceeds to treat concerning things offered to Idols hee propounded his own example in the former Chapter In this Chapter hee exhorts them further by his own example that they would moderate the use of their liberty chiefly in those things which appertained to gluttony And by name in the eating of things offered to Idols The sum of the Argument is this I being an Apostle and no less free than any other do not only abstain from things lawful and profitable but also I conform my self to the infirmities of all yea I keep under my self by continence for the good of the Gospel therefore in like manner do yee also The Antecedent is carried on to ver 23. The Consequence is an Exhortation to the end Vers. 1. Am I not an Apostle Am I not free Have I not seen Iesus Christ our Lord Are not yee my work in the Lord 2. If I bee noâ— an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are yee in the Lord. 3. Mine answer to them that do examine mee is this The Antecedent hee prosecutes by parts and proves by three reasons that the first not the last place was due to him in Christian liberty 1. Because hee was an Apostle 2. Because hee was honoured with the â—ight of his Lord and immediately called 3. Because hee had the testimony of his Apostleship in the conversion of the Corinthians ver 1. Which fruit as a seal confirmed his Apostleship at least among the Corinthians ver 2. and afforded a defence to the Apostle against them who called his Apostleship into question at least amongst the Corinthians Vers. 4. Have wee not power to eat and to drink 5. Have wee not power to lead about a Sister a Wife as well as other Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas 6. Or I only and Barnabas Have not wee power to forbear working Afterwards hee applyes this his liberty first to things that are to bee eaten and drunk which hee if any one might lawfully make use of ver 4. Secondly to Marriage and wee ought to use that benefit which hee proves from the example of other Apostles ver 5. Thirdly to forbear working with his hands and by consequence to require maintenance from the Churches which hee proves that hee might lawfully do by seven Arguments The first Argum. From the example of other Apostles and Ministers it is lawful for other Apostles Therefore it is lawful both for mee and Barnabas Vers. 7. Who goeth a warfare at his own charges Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Argum. 2. From the Law of Nations propounded in a threefold example of Souldiers of Vine-dressers and Shepherds Souldiers Vine-dressers and Shepherds are nourished by the fruit of their labours every one in his calling Therefore also wee Ministers ought to bee maintained by the fruit of our labours in the Gospel Vers. 8. Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also 9. For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn doth God take care for Oxen 10. Or saith hee it for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written That hee that ploweth should plow in hope and that hee that thresheth in hope should bee partaker of his hope Argum. 3. From the testimony of the Law of giving food to the Oxe that treads out the corn which shews that it was spoken for the sake of those that labour for the use of others especially in the Ministery The Oxe is fed with the corn which hee did beat out with his feet therefore all labourers plowers threshers and by consequence the Labourers in the Gospel ought to bee maintained with the fruit of their own labours For if hee that plows and threshes in the hope of reward is partaker of his hoped-for reward Why should nor they also that labour in the Gospel bee partakers of the fruit of their own labours Vers. 11. If wee have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if wee shall reap carnal things Argum. 4. From the rule of Justice If wee have administred spiritual things to you will not you let us instead thereof reap your carnal things Vers. 12. If others bee partakers of this power over you are not wee rather Nevertheless wee have not used this power but suffer all things lest wee should hinder the Gospel of Christ. Argum. 5. From the like example of the Teachers who preached at Corinth whose example hee alledges in point of lawfulness but denies that hee would follow them in the doing of any such thing that hee might promote the Gospel Your Teachers are maintained at your charges Therefore it is fitting that wee also should bee maintained although wee are resolved not to use our right Vers. 13. Do not you know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar Argum. 6. From the example of the Levites to whom maintenance and part of the Sacrifices was given for their Ministery The Levites lived of the Altar Therefore wee that are the Ministers of the Gospel ought to live of the Gospel Vers. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Argum. 7. Christ hath given a Command for maintaining the Ministers of the Gospel Therefore they ought to live of the Gospel Vers. 15. But I have used none of these things neither have I written these things that it should bee so done unto mee for it were better for mee to die than that any man should make my glorying void Hitherto hee hath asserted his own right Now hee shews his moderation in the use of his foresaid liberty First in the business about maintenance hee shews his resolution for the future to forbear from which his resolution hee will not bee removed with hindrance to the Gospel chusing rather to die by famine the reason whereof hee gives from the end that hee might glory against those that spake evil of him who perhaps might say that the Apostle Preached for hire Vers. 16. For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon mee yea â—o is unto mee if I preach not the Gospel Hee explains himself that this boasting was not meerly in the Preaching of the Gospel because hee was obliged to
edifying of the church 13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that hee may interpret Hee infers an exhortation to what was fore-spoken that they might bee zealous of the gift of Prophecie for the good of the Church and to that end that hee which hath the gift of an unknown tongue might pray that hee might have also the gift of interpreting that tongue Vers. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful Reason 7. If any one speak unto God praying publikely in an unknown tongue hee doth ill because though hee that prayes understands yet the understanding of him that prays shall bee unfruitful to those that hear and do not understand and hee doth ill much more who speaks publikely to men in a tongue not understood Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to that of Prophecie Vers. 15. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Hence hee draws forth his exhortation because amongst those who had the gift of strange tongues some had the faculty miraculously to reason in divine mysteries some had the faculty of praying others did sing in those strange tongues and others gave thanks these gifts were divers and for divers uses hee commands them so to use them all that they may bee understood by the hearers for if any one pray by the Spirit or from the gift of the Spirit what profit shall it bee to the Church unless hee pray also with understanding i. e. so that the hearers may understand him Vers. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall hee that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing hee understandeth not what thou sayest This hee confirms and adds the eighth Reason from the unprofitableness of it because when any one shall bless by the gift of the Spirit those that occupy the room of private men in the Church i. e. the rest of the hearers in the Assembly cannot joyn their prayers with him or say Amen unless hee speaks in a known tongue The matter is otherwise in Prophecying where all things are uttered in a known tongue Therefore c. Vers. 17. For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified Hee gives a reason because the hearers in the Church neither understand nor are edified although that which is spoken is most excellent Vers. 18. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all 19. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Reason 9. From his own example who was most inabled in the gift of Tongues and yet hee had rather speak a few words which might bee understood by the hearers than many in a tongue unknown to the people Therefore the gift of Prophecie excels that of Tongues Vers. 20. Brethren bee not children in understanding howbeit in malice bee yee children but in understanding bee men Reas. 10. Backed with a Precept because this abuse of the gift of strange Tongues being no way profitable to the hearers is a childish and foolish ostentation whereas it became them to bee children indeed in respect to innocency but not in respect to knowledge Vers. 21. In the Law it is written With men of other Tongues and other Lips will I speak unto this people and yet for all that will they not hear mee saith the Lord. 22. Wherefore Tongues are for a sign not to them that beleeve but to them that beleeve not but prophesying serveth not for them that beleeve not but for them which beleeve Reason 11. Out of Isa. 28.11 and Ier. 5.15 because to speak with Tongues not understood in the Church is set down of God as a threatning for a punishment of unbelief But Prophecie serves for the edification of Beleevers Therefore let unknown Tongues bee rejected out of the Church and let Prophecie bee preferred Vers. 23. If therefore the whole Church bee come together into one place and all speak with Tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbeleevers will they not say that yee are mad Reason 12. Taken from the avoiding of Scandal Unbeleevers or Professors of a private condition will bee estranged from the Faith and they will say that both the Preacher and the People are mad if the time appointed for publick worship bee spent in the hearing of an unknown Tongue Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to the gift of Prophesying Vers. 24. But if all prophesie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned hee is convinced of all hee is judged of all 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face hee will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Reason 13. From the special fruit which would ensue If laying aside the use of strange Tongues all the Prophets for hee denies that all the faithful in the Church were Prophets Chap. 12.29 should prophesie i. e. should propose the Oracles of the Prophets and their Doctrine to the edification of the Church For in this case if any unbeleever should come in or a private Christian one of their hearers should hear them prophesying hee is convinced of sin and condemned according to the sentence of the Law by all that prophesie and the secret sins of his heart are manifest unto him which when the hearer sees and observes the Grace of God laid open by the Prophets in the Gospel hee falls upon his face adores God and seriously gives testimony of Gods presence with the Prophets in the Church Therefore Prophecie is more excellent than the gift of Tongues The second Part. Vers. 26. How is it then Brethren when yee come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation let all things bee done unto edifying The other part of the Chapter in which hee gives seven Precepts concerning good order The first is that if the Spirit shall suggest to any one of the Prophets any godly Psalm to the praise of God or any Doctrine or expression of a strange Tongue for the use of the Church or revelation of a thing to come or of a mystery not observed before or the interpretation of a strange Tongue or of the Scripture Hee commands that the exercise of all these bee fitted to the edification of the Church that all may go out of the Assembly better than they came Vers. 27. If any man speak in an unknown Tongue let it bee by two or at the most by three and that by course and let one interpret Vers. 28. But if there bee no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church and let him speak to himself
hee could not any where rest also that great hope of promoting the Gospel being offered as in Troas until hee had known of Titus whom hee had sent to Corinth concerning their affairs for the cause of meeting him hee went into Macedonia that by him hee might bee made more certain concerning the affairs of the Corinthians and that hee might learn whether as yet it was a convenient time to come to the Corinthianâ— All which signs of his ready mind towards the Corinthians being considered the Apostle perswadeth himself that the suspicion that his mind was alienated from them was removed The second Part. Vers. 14. Now thanks bee unto God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The second part of the Chapter follows in which hee defendeth his Ministery and proveth it to bee commendable by five Arguments intimating by the way that hee whilst hee was absent from them was not idle but was busied in the work of the Lord with success Argum. 1. Because Christ in his Ministery and hee himself in Christ did triumph concerning his enemies by snatching many out of the power of Satan and by bringing them to the Faith of the Gospel The savour Argum. 2. Because by his Ministery whatsoever the success were the sweetness of the Gospel and its efficacy was manifested in every place whilst the knowledge of Christ did breathe a quickening life by which sinners are quickened and converted unto God Vers. 15. For wee are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 16. To the one wee are the savour of death unto death and to the other a savour of life unto life and who is sufficient for these things By preventing an Objection that the Apostles and their preaching would give an ill savour to many Hee answereth and adds Argum. 3. That notwithstanding the Apostles themselves with their Ministery were acceptable unto God and through Christ brought an acceptable savour to God no less in the conviction and perdition of the Reprobates to which the Gospel by accident was a savour of death than in the faith and salvation of those that beleeve and are saved to whom the Gospel both in its own nature and proper effect was a quickening savour to life and salvation Who is sufficient Argum. 4. Because seeing that few were fit and sufficient Ministers as the interrogation shews whose Ministery God might prosper and accept that hee was in the number of those that are made fit for these things which are spoken of secretly checking the false Apostles which were not fit Ministers for the conversion of sinners although they did prefer themselves before the Apostles Vers. 17. For wee are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak wee in Christ. Hee confirms the next Argument more openly noting his enemies and those that envy him and also adds Argum. 5. From the unlikeness betwixt himself and many Preachers if they did not mix false doctrine yet they did mingle their own passions with true Doctrine serving their ambition and covetousness and bending the Doctrine to the favour of men But the Apostle 1 In Sincerity i. e. neither mixing false doctrine nor corrupt affections 2 Of God i. e. with confidence and authority knowing from whence it came 3 In the sight of God i. e. calling God to witness and looking at his glory 4 In Christ i. e. hee did speak in the virtue of Christ and acknowledgement of his strength From which it follows that his Ministery was commendable and not to bee contemned in any wise CHAP. III. HEE proceeds to defend his Ministery against slanderers There are two parts of this Chapter In the first hee proveth his Ministery to bee commendable by five Arguments to vers 6. In the second hee illustrateth and confirmeth the last Argument by comparing the Legal Ministery or the Covenant of Works with the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace Vers. 1. Do wee begin again to commend our selves or need wee as some others Epistles of commendation to you or Letters of commendation from you Argum. 1. Of the commendation of his Ministery containing also his clearing himself from the desire of vain-glory The efficacy of my Ministery is so apparent to all the Churches that I need not any commendatory Letters from any particular person or from you or from others neither do I say these things because I care for vain-glory but that I may defend my Ministery against my enemies for your good Therefore my Ministery is commendable Vers. 2. Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men Argum. 2. Because your conversion O Corinthians to the profession of the Faith by my Ministery sufficeth in my conscience and yours for a commendatory Epistle which is understood and acknowledged amongst all Vers. 3. Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshy Tables of the heart Argum. 3. by confirmation of the former Because my Ministery was effectual not onely in bringing you to the profession of the Faith but also to your saving regeneration by the speciall operation of Christs Spirit this is that which hee saith that they were the Epistle which Christ himself by his Ministery hath written by writing his will in their hearts by the Holy Ghost after a more excellent manner than any thing was wont to bee writ with Ink upon Paper or Tables of Stone Vers. 4. And such trust have wee through Christ to God-ward 5. Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Argum. 4. Because hee himself as it becomes a faithful servant doth not ascribe the whole confidence of glorying to himself but to his Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God Which Argument hee illustrates partly by confessing his natural impotency to think that which is good or to the least beginnings of a good work much less to the converting the Corinthians partly by acknowledging the Grace of God as the fountain of his sufficiency in that hee is fitted to communicate so much Grace to others Vers. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth lâ—fe Argum. 5. Because his Ministery is the Ministery of the New Covenant not of the Law and Covenant of Works Hee confirms this Argument with a seven-fold Comparison of the Ministery of both Covenants The second Part. Not of the Letter Compar 1. The Ministery of the Law or the Covenant of Works is onely the Letter written or spoken without efficacy without all spiritual virtue to perform that which it commands But the Ministery of
the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace through Christ is the Ministring of the Spirit because according to and by that the Holy Ghost is administred whereby the hearer is quickened and strengthened to embrace that which is propounded Killeth Compar 2. Confirming the former The Ministery of the Law of Works or the written Letter onely convinceth of sin and killeth the sinner by pronouncing to him the sentence of death But the Ministery of the Gospel or grace in the New Covenant sheweth liberty from sin absolves the sinner and so brings him life Vers. 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven on stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to bee done away 8. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit rather bee glorious In Stones Compar 3. The Law of Works which onely administers death for according to this Covenant no man doth obtain righteousness or life was engraven in stones to signifie that the heart by it cannot bee mollified nor renewed but remaineth dead But the Gospel of Grace is writ in the fleshy Tables of the heart i. e. in hearts by the power of the holy Ghost quickened and mollified it is so imprinted that the virtue of divine Grace may bee discerned in all the expressions of the heart Glorious Compar 4. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works which is the Ministery of death to all that have sinned was truly glorious as it appeared in Moses for justice is glorious in punishing of sin But the Ministery of the New Covenant which is the Ministery of the Spirit quickening is more glorious for as in Moses pronouncing the curse of the Law against sinners his bodily glory did shine but O how much spiritual glory doth shine in the face of Christ setting sinners at liberty by his Grace Vers. 9. For if the ministration of condemnation bee glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory Compar 4. The Ministery of the Law or the Old Covenant of Works is a Ministery of condemnation for sin therefore indeed glorious But the Ministry of the Gospel or the New Covenant is the Ministery of the Righteousness of Christ and absolution from sin and therefore so much the more glorious by how much absolution and justification do excel condemnation and sin Because by the Covenant of Works wee are all accused of sin wee are all condemned and made obnoxious to death Therefore its Ministery is called the Ministery of sin condemnation and death Vers. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glery that excelleth Compar 5. The Ministery of the Law although it was glorious was exceedingly excelled by the glory of the Ministery of the Gospel or of Grace that it not deserves to bee called glorious but let it vanish rather in comparison as the glory of the Stars when the Sun appears is obscured But the Ministery of the Gospel is simply and by way of excellency glorious Vers. 11. For if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious Compar 6. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works in respect to the annexed ceremonies hath onely the glory of temporal dispensation because so long it was to endure whilst men in the infancy of the Church convicted of sins and of their own impotency to deliver themselves were taught to fly unto Christ and as it were by the hand of a School-master might bee led to him which manner of instructing the Church being now at its full growth and continuing under the brightneâ—s of the revealed Gospel is abolished as unprofitable But the Ministery of the New Covenant hath permanent glory until the glorious coming of Christ. Vers. 12. Seeing then that wee have such hope wee use great plainness of speech 13. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that thâ— children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Compar 7. The Ministery of the New Covenant is plain and perspicuous so that the Ministers thereof can plainly and confidently preach the way of Salvation having Christ now revealed who in times past being to come was hoped for But the Ministery of the Law as it did appear in the type of the Mosaical ministration was obscure and wrapped up in types Put Hee follows this comparison to the end of the Chapter illustrating the latter part thereof to the last verse in this sense Moses the Minister of the Law turned from the Tabernacle from the Altar from the Ark and the Propitiatory speaking with his face veiled signified to the people and typically related the nature of the legal Covenant of Works and of its Ministery divided from Christ and did also figure out the blindness of the people under the legal Covenant because they did not perceive Christ to bee the end of the Law and temporal ceremonies now abolished Vers. 14. But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which veil is done away in Christ. 15. But even unto this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their heart The Apostle observes that now blindness also may bee perceived in the Iews who while they read the Old Testament they see nothing besides the veil of ceremonies because the veil of ignorance and infidelity remaineth upon their minds which veil represented by the type of the external veil covering Moses his face by Christ is taken away from all the Faithful for righteousness life virtue and lastly all grace and glory is published and communicated to the Faithful in Christ But hitherto this veil doth remain upon the hearts of the unbelieving Iews Vers. 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the veil shall bee taken away Hee hath hope of the Iews Conversion when by the Grace of God the heart of the Israelites or the Doctrine of Moses now veiled should bee turned by them to God i. e. should bee brought according to this typical signification to Christ who is the end of the Law Then the veil of ignorance and of the darkness of ceremonies should bee taken from them as the veil was taken from the face of Moses when hee entred in unto God sitting betwixt the Cherubins chiefly that they might see God their Lord and their Saviour Christ and might acknowledge him to bee the true end of the whole Law Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The reason of this is given Because 1. Christ is the Spirit or the Soul of all ceremonies that a spiritual thing is signified by them 2. Christ is also the Spirit or the Soul of the Moral Law because hee fulfilled the Law in whom alone the perfect righteousness of the Law is to bee found 3. Christ
of Faith the same are the children of Abraham Argum. 6. Those alone who are justified by Faith or seek to bee justified by Faith and not by Works are the Sons of Abraham Therefore the onely cause of Justification is by Faith Vers. 8. And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations bee blessed Argum. 7. The Spirit which is the Author of the Scriptures hath known this to bee the Counsel of God that the Gentiles should bee justified by Faith and foreseeing that this would come to pass hee preached the Doctrine to Abraham concerning the blessing of the Gentiles in him as in the Father the example and type of the faithful in him in whom the blessed seed Christ was included as being in his loyns as it is said of Levi Heb. 7.10 Therefore necessarily this way alone of Justification is firm Vers. 9. So then they which bee of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham Argum. 8. The faithful alone or they which by Faith seek Righteousness do obtain a blessing with faithful Abraham Therefore this way of Righteousness by Faith is onely solid Vers. 10. For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Argum. 9. How many soever are justified by the Law or seek justification by the works of the Law are under a curse because they adhere to the Covenant of Works yet perform not the condition of this Covenant that is perfect obedience to the Law Therefore justification is not of Works but of Faith It is written Hee confirms the antecedent because out of the Scripture Deut. 27.26 Cursed is every one that fulfilleth not the whole Law For they that seek justification by works do not fulfill the whole Law Therefore they are cursed Vers. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith Argum. 10. The Scripture Hab. 2.4 pronounces that the just one shall live by faith therefore no man by the Law or by Works shall be justified in the sight of God Hee adds in the sight of God because hee doth not deny but that wee are justified by Works in the sight of men For justification before men is nothing else but the acknowledgement and declaration of justification already made by faith in the sight of God by reason of the fruits of faith that are manifested Vers. 12. And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Argum. 11. Proving the consequence of the former Argument The Law or the cause of justifying by Works doth not consist with faith or with justification by faith because the legal promise is of giving life to him that doth and performeth the Law or to him who hath perfect inherent righteousness For faith bringeth righteousness imputed to them that beleeve in him who justifies the ungodly or bringeth righteousness to him who is destitute of Righteousness from himself Therefore if any righteousness bee given it is given by Faith and not by the Law and consequently righteousness of faith is alone to bee acknowledged Vers. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Argum. 12. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us upon the Cross undergoing a cursed death upon the Cross for us as it is manifest from Scripture which declares that kinde of death which Christ by the Counsel of God was to undergo to wit the hanging on a tree cursed Therefore justification is not by the Law but by faith in Christ who freed us from the curse of the Law Vers. 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Argum. 13. For this end Christ was made a curse that in Christ apprehended by faith the blessing of Abraham i. e. Righteousness and life eternal in the blessed seed might appear to the Gentiles who are destitute of works to which they may pretend to trust Therefore justification is by faith and not by works That wee might receive Hee changes the person and joynes himself and the other beleeving Jews to the beleeving Gentiles adding Arg. 14. Christ for this end is made a curse that all wee beleevers being Jews and Gentiles becoming one seed of Abraham might receive the promised Spirit of adoption by faith Therefore the justification of all us Gentiles and Jews is by faith unless wee affirm that Christ was frustrated of his end Vers. 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it bee but a mans Covenant yet if it bee confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made Hee saith not And to thy seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. 17. And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of Christ the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect In these three verses is Argum. 15. confirming the former Covenants and Agreements justly performed even amongst men cannot bee made void or bee changed by superaddition vers 15. But a Covenant is duely made betwixt God and Abraham for the uniting all the faithful both Jews and Gentiles into one seed Christ an incorporation being made of Christ the head and all his members into one Christ mystical by faith vers 16. Therefore this Covenant cannot bee made void nor by the superaddition of the Law bee changed and so justification by faith shall stand That this Argument might bee understood vers 15. The Apostle prevents an Objection some might say That the way of justifying is changed neither is there the same reason of justifying Abraham before the Law and his posterity with whom the Law was made For latter things use to derogate from former He answers that in a ratified Covenant and now confirmed by Will and Testament nothing even amongst men can bee made void or changed much lesse in the divine Covenant now established after the manner of a Will Furthermore vers 16. hee assumes that so God covenanted with Abraham concerning a blessing freely to be given to those that beleeve in Christ that hee might take into one body his seed which consists both of Gentiles and Jews by the words of the Covenant This hee proves from the words of the promise because God said not to Seeds as if there should bee more seeds to wit Gentiles asunder and Jews asunder but hee said to thy Seed as of one viz. meaning Christ in whom the faithful both of Jews
times past you have allowed the causes of my afflictions neither have yee contemned mee whilst I was exercised with temptations in my flesh but yee have received mee as an Angel as bearing the person of Christ Therefore now do both the same thing and return unto the same mind Vers. 15. Where is then the blessedness you speak of for I bear you record that if it had been possible yee would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to mee Argum. 6. In times past you did account your selves blessed in my Ministery Therefore if you would bee blessed it behoveth you to adhere constantly to my Doctrine Hee minds them the more earnestly of this blessedness by an interrogation because they seemed to have forgotten it Record Argum. 7. In time past that you might every way gratifie mee yee spared not your most dear injoyments Therefore return yee and by my example cast off the Legal yoak If you will do that which is acceptable unto mee Vers. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the Truth Argum. 8. So far as yee are offended by this sharper reprehension yee ought to esteem mee an enemy whom therefore you would not imitate that on the otherside because I speak the Truth for your good yee are bound to make more of mee and my Exhortation Vers. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them Argum. 9. From his unlikeness to the seducers The false Apostles saith hee who earnestly contend that you may bee brought under and submit to the Legal yoak they little regard you and with a preposterous zeal are carried out towards you and in very deed they go about to destroy you desiring to exclude you from mee and my Doctrine and consequently from the society of Christ that yee might follow them and become their Disciples Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 18. But it is good alwaies to bee zealously affected in a good thing and not onely when I am present with you Argum. 10. My zeal for you is good and in a good thing and constant when I am absent as well as present The zealousie of my Emulators concerning you is perverse and counterfeit Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 19. My little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ bee formed in you Argum. 11. The Image of Christ consisting in the Knowledge and true Faith concerning Christ is deformed in you by your falling to the yoak of the Law and Justification by Works Therefore return yee to my Doctrine I travel in birth I am no less seriously anxious concerning your repentance nor less solicitously do I labour concerning the reparation of your Faith and the Image of Christ in you than one labouring in birth for the bringing forth of a child or than I myself did labour for the conversion of you to the Faith Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 20. I desire to bee present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you Hee confirms this perplext anxiety of minde by a sign to wit from his desire of seeing their faces and instructing them and accommodating himself to their necessity Lastly from the cause of this anxiety to wit that hee was uncertain and dubious about them whether gently or severely or what course hee should take with them For how deeply this errour was rooted in them how many infected how every one was affected in his business unless hee had been present it could not easily bee known to him The Third Part. Vers. 21. Tell mee yee that desire to bee under the Law do yee not bear the Law The Third Part of the Chapter follows in which hee confirms and illustrates the whole disputation from the history of the condition of Abrahams family in which by a typical Allegory God hath prefigured the whole matter now disputed The summe of which is this God in times past prefigured that they who seek justification by Works or a Covenant of works are in a servile miserable and cursed condition and at length shall bee cast from the face of God and society of the Saints they that seek justification by grace through faith in Christ are free Sons of the family of God and blessed and at length shall certainly come to an inheritance of life eternal why therefore are you so foolish O Galatians that yee willingly affect this servile miserable and cursed way of justification sought by the works of the Law For this end the Apostle in this last part of the Chapter First of all provokes them to the Law or to the books of Moses that the whole question may bee decided vers 21. Furthermore he propounds a typical history of the condition of Abrahams family ver 22 23. Thirdly he propounds the type and opens the mystery vers 24 25 26. Fourthly hee confirms the exposition out of Isaiah vers 27. Fifthly hee applies the allegory or type to the truly faithfull Christians and hee comforts himself and the rest against the persecution of the false brethren strangers to the grace of God vers 28 29 30 31. Tell That which appertaines to the first hee reproves the Galatians of a double errour The first errour is that willingly they had affected to bee under the Law i. e. under the legal Covenant or the Covenant of works whose condition is this that thou binde thy self to the perfect fulfilling the Law and God deals with thee according to the Covenant of the Law that is hee saves thee if thou offend in nothing but doth curse and destroy thee if thou become guilty in the least tittle of that which is written in the book of the Law or art found in the least to turn aside from the Rule For otherwise all the faithful are under the Law as a rule and direction of life and they are to endeavour obedience to it sincerely in all things through grace administred by Christ. The second errour is That they were very ignorant both of the sense and scope of the Law or of books that were written by Moses Vers. 22. For it is written that Abraham had two Sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman 23. But hee who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh but hee of the free-woman was by promise In the second place hee propounds from Gen. 16. 21. the typical history of Abrahams family wherein there were two wives that were mothers Hagar and Sarah The conditions of the mothers twofold Hagar was a servant Sarah free-born Two Sons Ishmael a servant of his mother a servant Isaac free of his mother free-born a twofold principle of their Nativity viz. The power of nature according to the flesh eminent in the nativity of Ishmael of a young woman and the vertue of the promise or divine supernatural vertue in the nativity of Isaac of Sarah an old woman and conspicuously barren From
changeableness and the changing of the Levitical Priest-hood hath drawn along with it the mutability and change of the Levitical Law or Legal Covenant joyned with it that another Priesthood might succeed and another Law or another unchangeable Covenant Therefore the changeable Levitical Priesthood is not so excellent as that of Melchisedec or the immutable Priesthood of Christ. Vers. 13. For hee of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Argum. 4. Proving withall the Levitical Law was to bee changed with the Priesthood Christâ— concerning whom these things are said in Psalm 110. belongs to another Tribe and that the Principal and most worthy viz. Iudah from whence it appears that our Lord sprang whereof none attends at the Altar none hath any command from Mosesâ—o â—o exercise the Levitical Priesthood Therefore Christs Priesthood being introduced the Levitical is to bee done away with the Levitical Ceremonial Law and by consequence the Priesthood of Christ which sprang of the Principal Tribe is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 15. And it is yet far more evident For that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest Arg. 5. From the words of Psalm 110. proving the same that before Christ is another Priest from the Levitical between whom and Melchisedec his type there is a similitude Therefore is follows that the Priesthood of Christ doth not hang upon the Levitical Law and also because it is Melchisedeâ—ian it is far more excellent than the Levitical Priesthood Vers. 16. Who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandement but after the power of an endless life Argum. 6. Christ is made a Priest not according to the Law which gave weak and carnal commandements concerning bodily Ceremonies as the Levitical Priests but after the power and virtue of an immortal or indissoluble life whereby Christ himself lives for ever and can as the author of life effectually bestow eternal life Therefore Christs Priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 17. For hee testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Hee confirms this Argument from Psalm 110. wherein the Father declares his Son a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec and by consequence declares the virtue of Christs Priesthood to bee sufficient unto eternal life Vers. 18. For there is verily a disanulling of the Commandement going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof Argum. 7. Taken from the foresaid Psalm The Law or Legal Covenant with the Ceremonial Precepts and the whole Levitical Priesthood joyned to that Covenant by reason of the weakness and unprofitableness of it in it self for the expiation of sins and the justification of men and the bestowing of eternal life is abolished by the introduction of an eternal Priesthood viz. of Christ Therefore the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 19. For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which wee draw nigh unto God Argum. 8. Confirming the former The Law or Legal Covenant under the Levitical Priesthood although it was a School-master unto Christ yet in it self it made nothing perfect it justified sanctified saved none But the Priesthood of Christ that better hope or Gospel that good prefigured and hoped for by the faithful under the Law being now introduced in the room of the Levitical Priesthood or Legal Covenant This I say brings perfection to the people of God and puts them into good hopes of life Therefore the Priesthood of Christ c. By the which Argum. 9. By the Priesthood of Christ or by that hope better than the Law or Levitical Priesthood wee that are at a great distance from God by nature all of us come near unto God to the Throne of his Grace which was the priviledge of the Priests onely or rather of the Chief Priest under the Legal types Therefore the Priesthood of Christ c. Vers. 20. And in as much as not without an oath hee was made Priest 21. For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said unto him the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Argum. 10. The Levitical Priests without an oath by a Law changeable at the pleasure of God the Law-giver were made Priests But Christ as appears from Psal. 110. is declared a Priest for ever by the oath of God the Father Therefore the Priesthood of Christ c. Vers. 22. By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament Argum. 11. Christ in his Priesthood is the Surety of a Covenant so much the more excellent by how much the Priesthood confirmed with an oath is more excellent than that which is mutable and commanded for a time Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent For where there is a Priest there is a Covenant the Surety whereof is a Priest the Covenant being legal and vanishing had for its Surety a typical Priest which prefigured the true Priest Christ that was to come But the Covenant of Grace hath Christ the true Priest for its Surety who first of all bound himself to give satisfaction to Divine Justice for our debt furthermore that as the friends of God in the Covenant of Grace wee should walk to life eternal There are other offices of a Surety but these suffice for the opening of the present Argument Vers. 23. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death 24. But this man because hee continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Argum. 12. The Levitical Priests were many at one time and successively followed one another for one alone could not undergo all things belonging to the office and death did hinder that any one should abide long in his office But Christ alone executes his Priestly Office for ever having no Partner or Successor nor wanting any to substitute in his stead Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 25. Wherefore hee is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them Argum. 13. Following upon the former Christ our Priest living for ever and in the perpetual odour of his Sacrifice interceding for his is able to save and perfect to the utmost or every way to accomplish the sanctification and salvation of all the faithful or of all that come in to him But the Levitical Priests could not do that Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 26. For such aâ— High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the Heavens Argum. 14. Christ as a Priest as it became our onely Redeemer hath more excellent
qualities of his person and a more excellent condition than any of the Levitical Priests Therefore his Priesthood is more excellent than theirs As for the qualities of his person 1 Hee is holy both in his nature and in his desire wholly devoted to the glory of God the Father 2 Hee is harmless who doth injury to no man nor creature 3 Hee is undefiled first hee is free from the pollution or blot of all sin both of his own and others 4 Hee is separated from sinners i. e. No waies obnoxious to sin or so far from sin that hee cannot bee a sinner As to the state or condition of his person his is higher than the Heavens and all creatures therein for hee is raised above the Visible Heavens in his body exalted to a fellowship with the Father in his Throne Vers. 27. Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Argum. 15. Following upon the former Christ is not necessitated to offer Sacrifice for his own sins who had none or to offer Sacrifice often for the sins of the people it was sufficient to offer himself once But it was necessary for the Levitical Priests daily to offer both for their own and the peoples sins Therefore his priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Offered up himself Argum. 16. The Sacrifice of Christ was not of any cattel or brute beasts but hee offered up himself and to the offering of this Sacrifice there could not bee any fitting and worthy Priest besides himself hee alone offered up himself but the Levitical Priests offered cartel which men could perform Therefore Christs Priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 28. For the Law maketh men High-Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore Argum. 16. Is taken from a six-fold difference betwixâ— the Levitical or Legal Priesthood and the Evangelical Priesthood of Christ. 1 The constitution of the Levitical Priesthood proceeds from the Law which may bee changed but the constitution of the Evangelical Priesthood or of Christ flows from the word of the Oath which cannot bee changed because the Oath of God is unchangeable 2 The Levitical Law admitteth many to the Priesthood the Gospel only one that is Christ. 3 The Law admitteth one man to succeed another the Gospel admitteth one only without a Successor viz. Christ the Son of God 4 The Levitical Law admits men to bee Priests that labour with infirmities i. e. obnoxious to sin who cannot make their Sacrifice effectual to appease God or the blessing which they pronounce they cannot really confer upon those whom they bless but the Evangelical Word hath ordained Christ the Omnipotent Son of God who is able in all things to make his Priesthood effectual 5 The Law appoints temporary Priests who are consecrated only for the short time of their life but the Gospel hath the only Son who is consecrated for ever 6 The Levitical Law went before nor was the Law Gods ultimate determination touching Priests but the Gospel or the word of the Oath succeeded after the Law as Gods ultimate determination Therefore the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical All tends to this that the believing Hebrews seeing the weakness and abolition of the Levitical Priesthood and the excellency of Christs might renounce their Legal Rites and more firmly cleave unto Christ. CHAP. VIII HEE prosecutes the same Argument There are two parts of the Chapter In the first he proves the excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Levitical in four Arguments to vers 7. In the second hee proves the New Covenant to excel the Old Concerning the whole Chapter he prefaceth that in it is contained the summe of the whole comparison betwixt the Priesthood of Christ and the Levitical Vers. 1. Now of the things which wee have spoken this is the summe wee have such an High-priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens Arg. 1. Christ our High-priest is such and of so great dignity that hee sits King at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty of God the Father in the heavens equal to the Father in power and glory Hee leaves us the other part of the Comparison as sufficiently clear concerning the Levitical Priest that hee is not such an one Therefore the Priest-hood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical Vers. 2. A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man Arg. 2. Christ is the Minister of that Sanctuary in the heavens where hee sits King in his Throne and all holy things which appertain to the worship of God and the salvation of man not faintly but effectually acting the part of a Priest in Heaven although hee is a Royal Priest as to the dignity of his Person and the manner of his Administration yet as a Minister as pertaining to his Mediatory Office Such are not the Levitical Priests on earth but onely Ministers Therefore the Priest-hood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical Of the true Tabernacle Arg. 3. Christ is in heaven the Minister of that true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man viz. of his body which Christ himself compared to a Tabernacle and is figured by the typical Tabernacle which true Tabernacle of his body the Holy Ghost miraculously formed and prepared for him in the womb of the Virgin And Christ now ministring in Heaven represents that body to the Father and his Humanity wherein hee suffered and offers to him continually interceding for us in the same body But the Levitical Priests are onely Ministers of the typical Tabernacle which man hath built Therefore c. Vers. 3. For every High-priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer Hee proves that Christ doth constantly offer up the true Tabernacle of his body to God the Father by three Reasons Reas. 1. Because seeing that every Priest is ordained to offer up gifts and sacrifices it is necessary that Christ have somewhat to offer But besides his intercession and the presenting of his sacrificed body to the Father Christ hath nothing in Heaven which may reconcile God Therefore the true Tabernacle of his body is that onely which Christ offers to God in the Celestial Sanctuary Vers. 4. For if hee were on earth hee should not bee a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Reas. 2. Because if hee was on earth hee could not bee a Priest by the Law to offer to wit those things which the Law prescribes to the Priests viz. Gifts and typical Sacrifices Therefore that true Tabernacle of his body onely remains which Christ offers in his heavenly Sanctuary Vers. 5.
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when hee was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith hee that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Reas. 3. Confirming the former because Priests according to the Law serve on earth onely unto the example and shadow of heavenly things for their Ministry was bound to the Tabernacle or the Temple of Ierusalem and is imployed in the administration of figures and typical Ceremonies as it appears by the Levitical Law Therefore Christ seeing hee cannot offer up any typical Sacrifices by the Law and if hee was upon earth neither could hee bee a Priest by the Law and seeing now hee is in heaven and therein exercises his Priest-hood it is necessary that hee administer about those heavenly things figured by those Legal shadows to wit the body and substance of all Ceremonies which hee also doth representing constantly the true Tabernacle of his body unto God and dispensing unto us spiritual benefits procured for us by the offering of his body The testimony proving the former is Exod. 25.40 from whence under the name of a Tabernacle God will not onely have the Tabernacle but all things appertaining to the Levitical Priest-hood to bee representations of heavenly things viz. Of Christs Priest-hood and his benefits Vers. 6. But now hath hee obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also hee is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises Arg. 4. To prove the excellency of Christs Priest-hood above the Levitical from the excellency of the New Covenant above the Old Because Christ hath obtained so much the more excellent Ministry above the Levitical by how much the Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator is more excellent and established upon better promises than the Covenant was under the Levitical Priest-hood For the Covenant under the Levitical Priesthood as to its external form was a Covenant of Works established upon Conditional promises of external things but the Covenant under Christs Priest-hood is the Covenant of Grace freely promising Christ with all his benefits to Believers or the parties in Covenant And it is the Office of the Priest to intercede betwixt God and men and to confirm the Covenants between them by the offering of Sacrifice as also to endeavour that men may enjoy the Divine Promises Wherefore how much better the Covenants have been by so much the Priest-hood it self is to be esteemed more excellent and worthy The Second Part. Vers. 7. For if that First Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the Second The second part of the Chapter follows wherein hee confirms this Argument in the parts of it First hee proves that the New Covenant of the Gospel is more excellent than the old legal Covenant which is abolished by six Reasons For if Reas. 1. Grounded upon the Proposition connexed The former Covenant under the Levitical Priest-hood was imperfect wherein something was wanting and something might bee taxed not indeed in respect to it self but in respect to its efficacy and virtue and that not from any fault in the Covenant but because of the weakness of those that were under that Covenant Therefore the former Covenant was less excellent than this that is New Then should no place Reas. 2. Confirming the former Because the former Covenant was to bee done away and the New brought into its place which had not been had it not been imperfect Therefore that former is more imperfect and this New one more excellent Vers. 8. For finding fault with them hee saith Behold the daies come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah Reas. 3. Confirming the former Reasons Because the former Covenant by reason of the weakness of the parties in Covenant to perform the Law which was the condition of the Covenant could not make the Covenanters faultless or free them from the accusation of God but a better Covenant and more efficacious was found out by God for Justification Sanctification and Salvation Therefore the former Covenant is less excellent than the New one Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. Reas. 4. Because the New Covenant bears no similitude with that Covenant which God made with the people in Mount Sinai when hee brought them out of Egypt whereof Ier. 31.31 For that though it wanted not some obscurity in its signification of Grace which was to bee obtained in Christ represented by the Sacrifices yet it had the external form of a Legal Covenant and an express condition of full Obedience to bee performed to all Gods commandements as appears by the form of it Exodus Chap. 19. and 20. Ier. 17.23 31 32 c. But the New Covenant as will by and by appear is free from the condition of works both in respect to him that is to enter into covenant as also in respect to him who made the covenant Because they Reas. 5. The Covenanters according to the Old Covenant may fall away and have done so and may frustrate that covenant and have done so But the New Covenant as shall appear is of perpetual Grace according to which the true covenanters or beleevers have never fallen away nor can they fall away because of Gods Grace nor can they frustrate the New Covenant because of the fear which God puts into their hearts that they may not depart from him Ier. 32.40 Therefore the New Covenant is more excellent I regarded Reas. 6. The Covenanters according to the Old Covenant abusing the conjugal goodness of God and committing adultery with other Gods in their Idolatry according to the conjugal power and dominion which God had over them might justly bee despised rejected and condemned by God It is not thus with those that are under the New Covenant Therefore the New Covenant is more excellent whereof Christ is the Mediatour and Surety Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will bee to them a God and they shall bee to mee a People Now hee proceeds to the proof of the other part of the Argument viz. That the New Covenant is established upon better promises and that by reciting four absolute Promises made to the Elect or Beleevers I will put The first promise is of Regeneration which is nothing else but the inscription of the Law of God first upon the mind consisting in the renovation of the mind to the Image of God after Righteousness and true Holiness And I will bee their God The second promise is of
of the New Testament is with an oath and so cannot be changed Then To make a Priest in the Gospel who is not consecrated by an oath to abide for evermore in the office but may be changed and another come in in his place is contrary to the institution of the Evangelical Priesthood The next difference hee maketh this The Law admitteth men in the plural number a plurality of Priests but the Gospel admitteth no plurality of Priests but the Son onely to be Priest Melchisedec's order in the type hath no Priest but one in it without a Suffragane or substituted Priest Therefore Christ the true Melchisedec is alone in his Priesthood without partner or Deputy or Suffragane Then To make plurality of Priests in the Gospel is to alter the order of Melchesedes sworn with an oath and to renounce the March set betwixt the Law and the Gospel 3. The third Difference The Law maketh men Priests but the Evangelical Oath maketh the Son of God Priest for the Gospel Then To make a man Priest now is to mar the Son of Gods priviledge to whom the priviledge onely belongeth 4. The fourth Difference The Law maketh such Priests as have infirmity that is sinful men who cannot make the Sacrifice which they offer effectual to pacifie nor the blessing which they pronounce to come nor the instruction which they give forcible to open the eyes But the Evangelical Oath maketh the Son who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him Then To make a sinful and weak man a Priest now is to weaken the Priesthood of the Gospel and make it like the Law 5. The fift Difference The Law maketh men Priests which have infirmities over whom death had power that they could not be consecrated but for their short life time But the Evangelical Oath maketh the Son whom the sorrows of death could not hold and hath consecrated him for evermore Then As long as Christs Consecration lasteth none must meddle with his office 6. The last Difference The Law instituting Priests was not Gods last will but might suffer addition But the Evangelical Oath is since the Law and Gods last and unchangeable Will Therefore To adde unto it and bring in as many Priests now as did serve in the Temple of old is to provoke God to adde as many plagues as are written in Gods Book upon themselves and their Priests also The Summe of Chap. VIII THis is the Sum of all that I have spoken We have no Priest now but Christ who is equal in glory to his Father in Heaven vers 1. The offerer of his own body signified by the Tabernacle vers 2. For every Priest must offer something Therefore so must Christ vers 3. But the typical Sacrifice hee could not offer by the Law albeit hee were on earth vers 4. Because hee is not of the Tribe of Levi whose proper office was to meddle with the shadows Therefore hee must be the offerer of the Substance that is of his own Body signified by the shadows vers 5. And so now hee hath taken the office over the Levites head and hath an office more excellent than they and is Mediatour of a better Covenant than the Covenant which was in their time vers 6. For if that Covenant had been perfect another had been needless vers 7. But another Covenant was needful and God promised to make a new one vers 8. A better Covenant than that old which the people brake vers 9. For in this Covenant God undertaketh to make us keep our part of it vers 10.11 And to pardon where wee fail vers 12. Now when God promised a New Covenant hee declared the other to be old and to be abolished when the new came vers 13. The Doctrine of Chap. VIII Vers. 1. Now of the things which wee have spoken this is the Summe Wee have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens 1. THe Apostle accommodating himself to help the capacity and memory of the Hebrews and urging the special point of his discourse is worthy of imitation 2. In saying Wee have such an High Priest who is set down on the right hand c. Hee setteth forth the glory of Christs person that hee may commend his Priesthood Then 1. The glory of Christs office is not seen till the glory of his person be seen 2. The glory of his person is not seen till his glorious Soveraignty and Government of the world be seen 3. Yea the glory of Christ is not rightly seen till his equality with the Father in glory be seen and acknowledged 3. In saying that Christ as High-Priest is set down on the right hand of the Throne hee giveth us to understand That Christ as in his Divine Nature hee is undivided from the Father in Glory and Dominion So in his humane Nature hee is exalted to the fellowship of Divine Glory with the Father Because of the union of the humane Nature with the Divine in one person of the Mediatour The two natures still remaining distinguished but not divided nor separated the one from the other 4. Hee noteth the place of this Glory to be in the Heavens wherein hee preferreth Christ above the Levitical Priests for their Priesthood is onely exercised on Earth But Christs in Heaven And therefore when wee will employ our High-Priest wee have no earthly City to seek him in but in the Heaven the onely place and palace of his residence Vers. 2. A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man 1. For all this glory yet Christ is still called here a Minister to shew us That his high honour hindreth him not to do his office for our good 2. Hee is called A Minister of the Sanctuary or of the holy things for the word will agree with both and both tend to one purpose for the holy things were all tyed to the Sanctuary and hee that was Minister of the Sanctuary was Minister of the holy things also and that in name of the Saints Now the Sanctuary or the holy things which here is spoken of is the thing signified by the Sanctuary and by the holy things And so taking all the significations of the word together we are taught That Christ in his glory is not idle but as a faithful Agent in the heavenly Sanctuary taking the care of all the holy things which his Saints and people are commanded to present procuring and giving forth all holy and spiritual things from Heaven to his Saints which their estate requireth 3. He is called a Minister of the true Tabernacle which God pitched and not man That is the Ministers of his own Body miraculously formed by God not after the ordinary manner of other men signified and represented by the Typical Tabernacle Then the Tabernacle and Temple under the Law was but the shadow and Christs Body was the true Tabernacle
Types is more excellent than all their offerings 2. This Ministery is proper unto Christ onely in his own person 2. From this hee preferreth the Mediatorship of Christ to the typical The Promises and the Covenant now to the Covenant then His reasoning is As the Ministery is so is the Mediatour The Ministery is more excellent in offering up himself than the shadows Therefore the Mediatour is more excellent now than the typical of old Then The offering of Christs Body which is the more excellent Ministery is still annexed to the Person of the Mediatour onely And whosoever intrudeth himself in that excellent Ministery of offering up Christs Body intrudeth himself also into the Office of the Mediatour 3. In comparing the Covenant then and now hee maketh this the better Because the Promises are better Whence wee learn 1. That there was a Covenant betwixt God and his Church of old under the Law And so Reconciliation to be had with God then 2. That howsoever in substance of Grace both the Covenants agreed yet the form of this Covenant under the Gospel is better Because the express conditions are better the Promises are more spiritual and more free of straight conditions Vers. 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second To clear the abolishing of the Old Covenant hee proveth it not to be faultless Because a New Covenant was promised in place thereof Not that any thing was wrong in that Covenant but because it was imperfect and all things needful not expressed in it clearly Whence wee learn 1. That the Lords proceeding with his Church hath ever been from the less perfect to the more perfect till Christ came 2. That where-ever God addeth or altereth what hee once did institute by so doing hee sheweth that before his Addition hee had not expressed all his Mind as in the time of the Old Testament 3. When once hee hath perfected his course taken with his Church as now hee hath done under the New Testament hee altereth the matter no more Vers. 8. For finding fault with them hee saith Behold the daies come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah 1. Hee proveth That there was an imperfection in the Old Covenant Because God found fault with the people under it Then The imperfection of the Covenant of Old was especially in default of the parties with whom it was made who by their inability to fulfil it or behold the drift of it made it unable to save themselves 2. In the words of Jeremiah 31.31 the Lord promiseth to make a Covenant afterwards with the House of Israel and Judah Then 1. The party in the New Covenant is not all Mankind but the Church of the New Testament the spiritual Israel and Iudah 2. This Covenant was not brought to light of old but had its own time of manifestation 3. Even then the Church was made wise of the imperfection of the Old Covenant that they might learn to look through the outward form of it to a better 4. The Hope and Too-look which they had towards the New Covenant held up their heart that they without us and our Priviledges should not be perfected Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. 1. The Prophet distinguisheth the Old Covenant from the New by describing the Old what it was how broken and how punished For the first the ten Commandements and the rest of the Law delivered unto them when they came out of Aegypt was the Covenant of Old wherein God promised To be their God upon condition That they did all that hee commanded them and they accepted the condition So albeit there was Grace here in sundry Articles covenanted yet the form of the Covenant was like the Covenant of Works Compare Ier. 17.23 with Ier. 31.31 32 33 c. 2. For the next They continued not in it through leaning to their own strength and seeking to establish their own Righteousness being ignorant of the Righteousness of God They dealt deceitfully in the Covenant and fell to open Idolatry from time to time So By the Covenant of Works no man will be found stedfast 3. For the punishment of it I regarded them not In the Hebrew it is as much as I Lorded it over them That is used My Husbandly and Lordly Authority over them and so mis-regarded them Whereof wee have to learn 1. That as Gods Lordship and Husbandship is an Obligation of doing well to the Covenant-keeper So is it a Declaration of his just Freedome and Authority to punish the Covenant-breaker 2. That when God is pleased to exercise his Dominion and Authority over Covenant-breakers the transgressour falleth in mis-regard with God that is As little account is made of his life as of one without the Covenant 3. That to be mis-regarded of God is the sum of all judgement 4. That the impotency of the people to keep the Old Covenant did not exempt them from the punishment due to the breaking of it 4. The Lord maketh their instability in the Old Covenant the Reason of his making of a New one Wherein the Lords bounty is very remarkable Who out of our evil taketh occasion to do us so much more good And because of mens instability in the Old Covenant maketh another Covenant whereby hee maketh us to persevere in obedience Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put My Laws into their mind and write Them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to Mee a People This is the better Cevenant containing better Promises whereof Christ is Mediatour and Surety unto all them that beleeve in Him Wherein consider 1. That all the Articles are Promises and so do require in the party that will joyn in the Covenant Faith to embrace the Promises that the Covenant may be agreed unto on both sides God promising and the needy Sinner heartily accepting 2. That what is required in the Old Covenant as a Condition is here turned into a Promise by God in the New In the Old Covenant hee required obedience to his commandements and here hee promiseth to write his Laws in our hearts God undertaketh to do our part in us if wee will beleeve in Him 3. That the sense of Wants and the feeling of our Imperfections yea of our hearts wickedness and carefulness both of heart and mind yea the feeling of the inlacks or defects of Repentance and Faith are not just hinderances to make a soul that gladly would be reconciled with God in Christ stand back from embracing this Covenant But by the contrary the feeling of
sinfulness in mind and heart are Preparations to fit us and set us on to joyn in this Covenant wherein God undertaketh to help and remedy all these felt evils through His Christ by putting His Laws in our Mind and writing them in our Hearts For what is this else but tâ— illuminate our Mind more and more with the understanding of his will and to frame our hearts and affections to the obedience of the same 4. That by the Covenant comfort is provided for sinners who are humbled in the sense of their sins and no door opened for presumption nor room given to prophane persons to go on their ways blessing themselves For the maker of the New Covenant presupposeth two things First that his party renounce his own righteousness which he might seem able to have by the Old Covenant Next that he flee for relief to God in Christ to have the benefits promised in this New Covenant Which if he do it is impossible that he can either lean to his own merits or live in the love of his sinful lusts 5. That by this Covenant such an union is made betwixt God and the Believer that the Believer is the Lords adopted childe and the Lord is the Believers God all-sufficient for ever promising to be all to the Believer which to be our God may import and to make the Believer all that one of his people should be Verse 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 1. While he saith They shall not teach every man his neighbour he doth not mean that his Word and Ordinances and Ministry appointed by him or brotherly communion for mutual edification shall be mis-regarded or not made use of But by the contrary That he will himself be their Teacher in these his own means First giving his children a greater measure of the Spirit and a more neer communion with himself than of old 2. Making his children so wise unto salvation as they shall not hang their Faith upon mans authority but search by all means till they understand the minde of God the infallible Teacher as he hath revealed himself in his Word 3. So clearing the Truth which is outwardly taught unto them by his own Instruments after so sure and perswasive a manner by his Spirit inwardly that the outward Teaching shall be no Teaching in comparison of the inward concurrence according as we hear those Samaritans were taught who believed indeed the womans report that they might go to Christ But when they were come to him got so great satisfaction from himself that they said unto her Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed that Christ John 4.42 So will the Lord inwardly make his Truth powerful unto Salvation to his own that they may say to those that are his Instruments Now we believe not because of your saying but because we have heard him our selves Then 1. It is not Gods will that other mens belief should be the Rule of our belief but that we all search to understand the Scriptures and Gods will revealed therein 2. It is easie from this ground to answer that famous question How know you such and such grounds of Salvation We answer It is an Article of the New Covenant They shall be all taught of God 2. He saith They shall all know me from the least to the greatest Then 1. The New Covenant admitteth all Ranks and Degrees of persons and excludeth none high nor low that love to embrace it 2. It may be in sundry points of truth some of them be ignorant and mistaken more than other some But of the saving knowledge of God in Christ they shall all have light in a saving measure 3. The greatest as well as the meanest in whatsoever respect of Place or Gifts must be Gods Disciples in the study of saving Knowledge and hearty obedience Vers. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more 1. To make us believe the former Promises he addeth to a New Article of the Remission of sins because from the Conscience of those ordinarily do arise our doubts and difficulty of drawing near to God Then 1. The conscience of sin must not drive us away from God but rather force us to run unto God more humbly because onely to such as come unto him in his Christ is remission of sin promised 2. Whatsoever sort of sins they be unrighteousness or sin or inquity they shall not hinder God to be gracious to the penitent fleeing to this Covenant for refuge 2. In saying For I will be merciful 1. He maketh his mercy pardoning sin the reason of his bestowing the former good things His giving of one grace the reason of giving another even grace for grace 2. He maketh his mercy the ground of all this favour and nothing in the mans person or works or worthiness of his faith 3. The word Merciful is in the Original Pacified and doth import both Gods respect to the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ which pacifieth him towards us and also our duty in looking towards it as the price of our reconciliation 3. In that the Lord joyneth the promise of putting his Law in the minde and writing it in our heart with the promise of remission of sins he teacheth us That he will have every confederate soul that seeketh the benefit of this Covenant to joyn all these benefits together in their claim with remission of sin seeking to joyn the illumination of their minde renovation of their heart and life at least in their desires and endeavours and not to sever one of them from another but study in uprightness to have them all 4. While he saith He will remember their sins no more he teacheth 1. That he will never forgive sin nor forget it but set it ever in his sight till a man enter into this Covenant with him through Christ. 2. That when he hath forgiven sin he forgeteth sin also whatsoever he remitteth he removeth from his remembrance Vers. 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 From the name that the Lord giveth this Covenant in calling it New he draweth two consequences The first that the former Covenant by this word was declared old Next that as it was declared old it was so declared shortly after to be abolished Then 1. The least word that proceedeth out of Gods mouth is weighty and worthy of consideration 2. Whatsoever Gods word doth import by due consequence must be taken for Gods truth and Gods minde as if it were expressed 3. Seeing Christ is come and the time is now of this New Covenant we know that by Gods authority the Levitical ordinances and whole form of the Legal
they should have delivered the worshiper perfectly from sin and having done that the repetition was to no purpose vers 2. But they did not free the worshiper from sin for still after offering hee professed himself guilty for any thing these Sacrifices could do by offering of a new offering vers 3. And no wonder because such Sacrifices were not worthy to expiate sin and so unable to take away sin and so also unable to quiet the conscience Vers. 1. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the commers thereunto perfect THE Old Covenant is called the Law because it was drawn up in a Legal form upon conditions of obedience to the Law and Grace and Life in Iesus Christ to come were set before them in shadows not in a clear manner as in the Gospel Then 1. In the Old Covenant the Law was expresly urged and Grace in the Messias covered and hid under Veils 2. Christ and his Grace and the good things which come by him were not so hid but they might have been seen albeit but darkly being as by their shadows represented 3. The revealing of Christ and his benefits under the Gospel and under the Law differ as far in measure of light as the shadow of a thing and the lively image thereof drawn with all the lineaments For they saw Christ and Righteousness and Eternal Life through him as those which are in the house see the shadow of a man comming before hee enter within the doors but wee with open face behold in the Gospel as in a Mirrour Christs Glory shining Christ in the preaching of his word crucified before our Eyes as it were and bringing with him life and immortality to light 2. Hee maketh the repeating of the Sacrifices a reason of their inability to perfect the commers thereunto That is perfectly to satisfie for those who came to the Sacrifice and to sanctifie and save them in whose name it was offered Then 1. A Sacrifice that perfectly satisfieth Gods Justice for sin cannot be repeated and a Sacrifice which hath need to be repeated hath not perfectly satisfied Gods Justice for the sinner nor perfected the sinner for whom it is offered by doing all that Justice required to purchase Justification Sanctification and Salvation to him 2. Whosoever will have Christ offered up in a Sacrifice oftner than once whether by himself or by another denieth the perfection of that Sacrifice on the Cross denieth that by that one Sacrifice purchase is made of all that is required to perfect sinners which is fearful blasphemy Vers. 2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin By way of question hee asketh Would not those Sacrifices have ceased to be offered if they could have made the commers thereunto perfect Then The Apostle esteemeth this Reason so clear that any man of sound judgement being asked the question must of necessity grant it For Natures light doth teach thus much That if a Sacrifice do all that is to be done for the sinner it standeth there because there is no more to do If it pay the full price of the sinners expiation at once offering what need can there be to offer it over again And therefore if Christs one Sacrifice once offered perfect the commers thereunto must it not cease to be offered any more by this reasoning of the Apostle For if he have made a perfect purchase of whatsoever is required to perfect us by once offering Wisdome and Justice will not suffer the price of the purchase to be offered again And if hee must be offered again hee hath not perfected the purchase for us by any Offering going before 2. The Apostle his Reason why a Sacrifice which perfecteth the worshiper must cease to be offered is Because that the worshiper once purged should have no more conscience of sins By which hee meaneth not that the purged worshiper may do hereafter what hee listeth and make no conscience to sin nor yet that after hee is purged and falleth into a new sin hee should not take with his guiltiness and repent and run again to the benefit of that Sacrifice But this hee meaneth That the purging of his conscience by virtue of a perfect Sacrifice is such that hee is freed from the just challenge and condemnatory Sentence of the conscience for that sin wherefrom hee is purged Quest. How is it then will you say that many of Gods Children are often times troubled with the guiltiness of their Conscience for those same sins which they have repented and sought pardon for through Christs sacrifice and found remission intimated and peace granted I answer Not for any imperfection of the sacrifice or of their remission but for the weakness of their holding of the ever-flowing Vertue of that once offered sacrifice and the remission granted there-through Then 1. He that is purged by vertue of the sacrifice of Christ hath Gods Warrant to have a quiet and peaceable conscience 2. And if he have a challenge after he is fled to this sacrifice he may by Gods approbation stop the same by opposing the vertue of that perfect sacrifice to the challenge 3. The comers unto the sacrifice to have benefit thereby vers 1. are here called Worshippers vers 2. Then the Lord reckoneth it a part of Divine service and worship done unto him to come and seek the benefit of that sacrifice whereby he is pacified and we ransomed 4. To make the worshipper perfect v. 1. is expounded by purging them delivering them from the conscience of sin v. 2. Then that sacrifice which purgeth the conscience from sin doth also perfect the man Neither needeth he any thing unto salvation which such a sacrifice doth not purchase And such is that once offered sacrifice of Christ. Verse 3. But in those sacrâ—â—â—ces there is a remembrance again made of sins every year He proveth That the Levitical sacrifices took not away the conscience of sin because there was a yearly commemoration made of the same sins not onely of that year but also of former yea beside the commemoration expresly done by the Priest even in these repeated sacrifices saith he there was in effect a real taking up again of those sins for which sacrifice had been offered before because the offering of sacrifice a new did plainly import That by no preceding sacrifice was the ransome of the sinner payed And so in effect the Sacrificers did profess That for any thing which the former sacrifice could merit their sins remained unexpiated Quest. But you will ask Were not Believers under the Law purged from their sins and made clean and white as snow Psal. 51.7 I answer Yes indeed but not by vertue of those Typical sacrifices but by vertue of the sacrifice signified by them to wit the sacrifice
hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool that is his Manhead being no more on earth now subject unto suffering is entred into the Fellowship and Fruition of the glory of his Godhead to exercise his power and authority for the good of his Church and overthrow of his Enemies Then 1. Albeit all Christs personal sufferings are ended yet the warfare of the subjects of his Kingdom endureth still against enemies such as are Satan and the wicked of the World and Sin and Death 2. That battel is CHRISTS he is adversary to all the foes of his Kingdom They are his Enemies 3. He is not alone in the battel the Father is joyned with him and set on work to subdue his Enemies as it is said Psal. 110. vers 1 2. whereunto this place hath reference His enemies shall be made his footstool 4. Albeit this victory be not compleated for a time yet it is in working and shall surely be brought to pass 5. As our Lord expecteth and waiteth on patiently till it be done so must we his subjects do also 6. At length the highest of his enemies shall be made lower than the basest of Christs Members They shall be made his footstool subdued under him and trampled upon Vers. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He giveth a reason why Christ now hath no more offering to make nor no more suffering to endure but onely to behold the fruit of his sufferings brought about by the Father and to concur with the Father on his Throne for that end Because by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified that is by that one offering on the Cross done and ended before he sate down on the right hand of God he hath paid the full price for ever of the purchase of remission of sins and salvation to those that are consecrated to GOD in holiness Then 1. Whosoever will have any more offering up of Christ than that one once offered before his Ascension denieth that Christ by once offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. Howsoever you take the word Sanctified whether for those that are separated from the world and dedicated unto God in Christ in Gods purpose and decree comprehending all those whom the Father hath given unto Christ out of the world that is the elect or whether you take it for the renewed and sanctified in time the offering of Christ is not but for the sanctified that is for such as are consecrated and separated out of the world and dedicated to be vessels of honor unto God 2. They for whom Christ hath made that offering once those saith he he hath perfected for ever Then 1. He hath not made purchase of a possibility of their salvation onely But he hath perfected them in making purchase of all that they need to have even to their full perfection 2. He hath not purchased unto them the remission of some sins and left the satisfaction to be paid by themselves for other some but hath perfected them perfectly satisfied for them and perfectly expiated all their sins 3. He hath not made purchase of some graces unto them onely for a certain time so as he will let them be taken out of his hand afterwards and perish but he hath perfected them for ever 4. He hath not appointed any offering for them to be made by any other after him but hath made one offering Himself for them which satisfieth for ever so as the Father craveth no more offering for expiating their sin for ever For God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 that is God maketh it manifest by his Gospel that he is pacified in Christ towards them that believe in his blood that believe in him crucified Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us For after that he had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more He proveth that it is needless there should be any repetition of a sacrifice for sin in the New Testament because remission of sins purchased by Christs death who is the Testator is still in force continually in Christs Kingdom there being an Article of the Covenant for remission of sins to be consecrated And if remission of sins be no oblation for sin can be vers 8. 1. He saith that the Holy Ghost is witness unto us of this truth That Christ cannot be offered again Then 1. We who do teach this doctrine and deny any more offering of Christ as a sacrifice have the holy Ghost testifying for us 2. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scripture and doth speak unto us thereby 2. He declareth the New Covenant to be of the Holy Ghosts making and calleth him THE LORD Wherein he teacheth us 1. That the Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead bearing witness by himself to the Church of the Truth 2. And one in essence with the Father and the Son even the LORD JEHOVAH author of the New Covenant with the Father and the Son Vers. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin From this Article of remission of sins in the New Covenant he concludeth No more offering for sin but once under this Covenant because sin is expiated Quest. How then could there be remission of sin under the Law where there was daily offering for sin Or if there was remission how could there be offering for sin I answer There is a remission granted upon surety given for satisfaction to be made for the party remitted and there is a remission granted for satisfaction already made for the party remitted The remission that the Fathers under the Law had was of the first sort upon promise of the Mediator to come and to satisfie And with remission of this sort a typical sacrifice might stand for signifying that the true expiatory Sacrifice was not yet paid but was coming to be paid But the remission that we get under the Gospel is upon Satisfaction already made by the true Expiatory and Satisfactory Sacrifice of Jesus Christ done and ended with the personal suffering And this sort of remission is it whereof the Apostle here speaketh and it admitteth no manner of offering for sin neither typical offering because Christ is come and hath fulfilled what the typical sacrifice did signifie neither the repeating of true Expiatory Sacrifice of Christs Body because then Christ behoved to suffer daily and dye daily after that he hath made satisfaction And besides these two sorts of offering the Iewish bloody sacrifices typical and the true Expiatory bloody Sacrifice of Christs Body on the Cross the Scripture acknowledgeth none So the meaning of the Apostle
maintain the Truth against all fear of men Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins Another Motive to constancy in the Truth of Religion taken from the fearful case of wilful Apostates who sinning the sin against the Holy Ghost are secluded for ever from Mercy I say the sin against the Holy Ghost because wee shall finde the sin here described not to be any particular sin against the Law but against the Gospel Not a sin against some point of Truth but against Christs whole Doctrine Not of infirmity but wilfulness Not of rashness but of deliberation wittingly and willingly Not of ignorance but after Illumination and Profession Such as Iews turned Christians revolting from Christianity back again to their former hostility against Christ did commit It is true many who commit lesser sins get never grace to repent and many who make defection in some point of their profession may be secluded from mercy thereafter but this sin here described is a wilful rejecting of Christ and the Benefit of his Sacrifice after Illumination and Profession of the Faith of Christ. Then 1. As Apostacy from the true Religion lyeth nearest unto this sin so they who desire to be freed of this sin must be the more careful to be constant in the profession of every point of the Truth of the Gospel 2. If a man reject the Benefit of that once offered Sacrifice of Christ there is no other Sacrifice for sin after that nor any other mean to help him But if a man seek unto Jesus Christ and will not quit Him whatsoever hee may think of the hainousness of his own sins the Sacrifice which Jesus offered for sins remaineth whereby hee may be saved Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Having secluded the Apostate from Mercy hee goeth on in these words to shew his miserable estate Whereof wee gather 1. That the wilful Apostate from the Faith of Christ is also a wilful Adversary to Christ of the highest sort Partaker of Satans sin and Satans Profession 2. That every Apostate of this sort is destitute of Gods Peace self-condemned desperate of salvation hopeless of Relief without all purpose of Repentance or using means of help stricken with the fore-sight of the Wrath coming upon him and made to expect it although hee should dissemble it never so much 3. The Apostates fear shall come upon him judgement answerable to his sin the indignation and wrath of God yea fiery indignation the most terrible that can be thought upon which hee shall not escape but it shall devoute him swallow him up and feed upon his body and soul even for ever 2. In that hee maketh this the judgement of Christs Adversaries Wee learn That the soul which loveth Christ and cannot quiâ— Him cannot endure to think of a separation will not quit the true Religion nor any known point of Christs Truth and is using the means to get Gods Peace albeit it might seem to it self because of the present sense of wrath to be in the self-same estate that is here described yet it is â—ree as yet of the sin against the Holy Ghost and not to be reckoned amongst adversaries but amongst the friends and lovers of Christ how vehemently soever Satans suggestions bear in the contrary 3. In that by setting before them the fearful estate of Apostates from the known Truth of the true Religion hee Laboureth to strengthen them against the fear of persecution Whence wee learn That if Apostates before they make Apostasie from the true Religion did fore-see their own danger as after Apostasie they are made to fore-see their own condemnation all the terrour of all the torment which man could put them unto and all the allurements which this world could give them would not move them to quit the least point of the Truth of true Religion Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace 1. Hee proveth the equity of their judgement by the proportion of their punishment who despised the Law of Moses Then As sins are greater so must the punishment be greater and the conscience being posed as here cannot but subscribe to the proportion 2. To make the sin appear the better hee pointeth out some particular sins involved within this great sin For clearing whereof it may be asked How can the Apostates tread the Blood of the Son of God under foot c. I answer They cannot indeed by physical action but by doing the equivalent sin they are accounted of God to do it by judicial interpretation Their Apostasie importeth their agreeing to do Christ as much indignity as if they did offer Him this personal violence Their deeds shew that they have this base estimation of Christ and His Blood and no better For what saith the Apostate of Christ by his deed but That Hee is not worthy to be professed or avowed or followed And what is this in effect but to tread Him under all these base things which the Apostate preferreth before Him And so is to be understood of the Blood of Christ and His Spirit Quest. But how can the Reprobate be said to be sanctified by the Blood of the Covenant I answer There is a sanctification to the purifying of the flesh and a sanctification to the purifying of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. The sanctification external to the purifying of the flesh consisteth in the mans separation from the world and dedication unto Gods service by Calling and Covenant common to all the members of the visible Church and it is forcible thus far as to bring a man into credit estimation as a Saint before men and unto the common Priviledges of the Church whereupon as Men so God also speaketh unto him and of him as one of His People and dealeth with him in his external dispensation as with one of His own People In this sense all the Congregation of Israel and every one of them is called holy yea Core also and his followers Num. 16.3 The Sanctification internal by renovation consisteth in a mans separation from the state of Nature to the state of grace from his old conditions to be a new creature indeed By this latter sort a Reprobate cannot be called Sanctified but by the former hee may be called Sanctified and that by virtue of the Blood of the Covenant albeit hee should not get any further good thereby For as the Blood of CHRIST hath virtue to cleanse the conscience and renew the soul which commeth unto it truly and spiritually so it
will come to pass that the Devil the Captain of lusts will be put to flight and so the lusts fighting under him will be scattered Therefore fleshly lusts are to be restrained by us This is another remedy Vers. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to yâ—â— Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Argum. 9. Propounded by way of Exhortation If ye have repented and come unto God as it becometh believers imploring his help God will draw nigh to you and will help you in this fight against your lusts and in all other necessities Therefore ye ought to use this remedy against Carnal lusts which is the third remedy Purifie He prosecutes this Argument especially by exhorting them to acknowledge themselves sinners and to endeavour after the purity of their hands or actions and acknowledging themselves to be hypocrites by nature may endeavour after purity of heart Vers. 9. Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness He further prosecuâ—es more especially the Exhortation to repentance by prescribing the external exercises of repentance fasting weeping and the rest which may demonstrate unfeigned repentance and really mortifie fleshly lusts Vers. 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Lastly That they rest not in external exercises he inâ—ulcates the Exhortation to humility adding the promise of a gracious Exaltation wherein they shall have victory over all their enemies and moreover glory and triumph The second Part. Vers. 11. Speak not evil one of another brethren he that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the law but if thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a judge The special Exhortation touching restraining the lust of detracting from the reputation of the brethren follows There are five arguments of the Dehortation Speaketh ill Argum. 1. Whoso defames his brother judges him and condemns him because he doth it as if he was a Judge Therefore ye ought not to detract from the fame of your brethren Condemneth Argum. 2. He which detracts from the reputation of his brother and judgeth or condemneth him he also detracts from the Law and judges or condemneth the Law The reason is because the Law forbids and condemneth rash judging and evil reports but the backbiter on the contrary in the very act whilest he diminishes the fame of other men he allows that practice as if it were good and so speaketh and so doth contrary to the Law and pronounces the Law neither good nor worthy to be obeyed by any A doer Argum. 3. Because he that slanders his brother is not an obedient doer of the Law but a violator and condemnor of the Law as it appears before Therefore ye ought not to defame your brother Vers. 12. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another Argum. 4. It belongs to God alone to exercise the parts of a Judge Therefore what man is he that invades the office of God the Judge One Argum. 5. God alone as he is able to save if the slanderer shall repent so also he is able to destroy unless by repenting of this and other sins he obey the Admonitions of God Therefore ye ought not to indulge this sin The third part Vers. 13. Go to now ye that say To day or tomorrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain The third Admonition especially to buyers touching the correcting of their sloathful neglect of Divine Providence in undertaking businesses He convinces them of this sin from the words mimically propounded The Arguments of the Exhortation are six Argum. 1. It is contained in form of citation to Gods Tribunal Go to c. As if he should say this prophane and wicked manner of deliberation which doth not acknowledge the Providence of God can neither bear the tryal of God nor men judging aright For as if you were Lords of your lives and of your strength and success of your labours so ye speak ye dare not defend this carriage before God Therefore ye are held guilty of prophaneness for these forms of speaking used by you Vers. 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanishes away Argum. 2. Ye foolishly determine touching the time to come when we are all ignorant what will be to morrow Therefore here you are accused of prophaneness For what Argum. 3. Ye forget your mortality and the frailty of your life which is like a vapour appearing for a little time by and by cast down by the wind it vanisheth away Therefore here ye are deservedly accused of prophaneness Vers. 15. For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Argum. 4. Ye consider not that ye ought to depend upon the Divine will which is the fountain rule and measure of all things In which argument he prescribes also the remedy against this evil viz. that we do not always seriously acknowledge onely the commanding or revealed will of God which prescribes to us what and how we ought to act But also the secret will of God governing and efficaciously working in us and by us what and how much and as long as it seems good to him To which will we ought to submit our actions and the success of them and our life it self always considering in our hearts that we can do nothing without the efficacious will of God and that we accustom our selves to such like forms If God will If life and other things necessary to action be vouchsafed as to the glory of God it is sufficient For the Apostle doth not intend the Religion of outward words as if forms might never be omitted but requires continual acknowledgement of Divine Providence in the heart and such an outward profession in words which may distinguish us from prophane men Vers. 16. But now ye rejoyce in your boastings all such rejoycing is evil Argum. 5. Ye that are admonished defend this prophane manner of speaking as if ye rejoyced in your vain boasting by which ye openly publish the wicked stupidity of the heart Vers. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Argum. 6. By preventing an objection If ye know that all your businesses is committed to Divine Providence and yet do not onely contrary but do not acknowledge Gods Providence in the holy forms of speaking as to outward expression do not ye by how much the more ye know your duty bring upon your selves so much the more heavy guilt and punishment CHAP. V. THis Chapter contains five Admonitions The first is directed to rich men touching the wrath of God that hangs over them to
Advocate hee excludes all others for otherwise Christ was not simply our Advocate but one of our Advocates The Righteous Reas. 3. Confirming the former Christ our Advocate is righteous i. e. not onely meet to intercede for sinners by reason of the Righteousness of his person but also righteous in his office who requires nothing of the Father in our behalf but what is justly due to him interceding for us from the covenant and merit of his death Also hee is Righteous that hee might cover us with his imputed Righteousness And lastly hee is righteous who upon the Covenant of Redemption promotes us in the following after Righteousness and raises us up again when wee fall and at length perfectly makes us righteous or holy Therefore beleevers ought both to endeavour after holiness and if at any time they fall into sin to hope for the virtue of Christs intercession Vers. 2. And hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Reas. 4. Confirming the second reason The death and expiatory Sacrifice of Christ was offered not onely for us viz. elected out of the Jews and converted to the Faith of Christ but also for the sins of all the elect or redeemed in the world Therefore yee ought to beware of the evil of sin which cannot bee expiated unless by the death of Christ but if yee sin yee may confidently expect the virtue both of the rich expiation and intercession of Christ. Vers. 3. And hereby wee know that wee know him if wee keep his commandements Reas. 5. By endeavouring sincerely to keep the commandements of God as by a sure sign yee may know the truth of your Faith or that yee truly beleeve in God and love him sincerely Therefore follow yee after holiness or sin not Vers. 4. Hee that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him Reas. 6. Hee that professes that hee knows God i. e. that hee beleeves in him and loves him and doth not follow after holiness for according to the stile of the Gospel to endeavour sincerely after holiness is to keep the commandements is an hypocrite in whom there is no sincerity or truth of Faith Therefore endeavour after holiness Vers. 5. But who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know wee that wee are in him Reas. 7. Hee that endeavours after holiness proves the sincerity of his love towards God which love is perfected or manifested to bee sincere from an endeavour of keeping the word of God and obeying it Therefore yee ought to endeavour after holiness Hereby Reas. 8. Hee that endeavours after holiness or not to sin or to keep the word of God hath an evidence of his communion with God and knows that hee dwells in Christ by Faith Therefore c. Vers. 6. Hee that saith hee abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as hee walked Reas. 9. Confirming the former whosoever professes that hee hath communion with Christ ought to endeavour after holiness or to imitate Christ in his life and conversation Therefore yee ought to endeavour after holiness Vers. 7. Brethren I write no new commandement unto you but an old commandement which yee had from the beginning the old commandement is the word which yee have heard from the beginning Reas. 10. I require no new duty from you when I urge you to follow after holiness or the observance of Gods commandements but I repeat an old commandement which yee have not onely heard from the beginning from Christ and his Ministers but yee have had it also commended to you out of the Law and Prophets Therefore endeavour after holiness Vers. 8. Again a new Commandement I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth Reas. 11. This Commandement is not old in the oldness of the letter as in times past it was so long as you lived irregenerate under the Covenant of works when the Law did command and conferred no strength to perform but it is now in the newness of Spirit To the performing whereof Christ will administer new grace to you Therefore yee ought to follow after holiness Which What the New Covenant is hee expounds in the next words affirming that the command is new both in respect of Christ who quickens the Commandement and in respect of themselves who were now by regeneration made new Creatures i. e. to whom grace was administred and was furthermore to bee administred to obedience Because the darkness The reason is given to this sense Because yee are not under the Law but under Grace yee are not in a state of irregeneration but are renewed For the darkness of the Legal Covenant and the state of irregeneration are passed away and now Christ who brings life and grace with him and is the true light is risen as the Sun of Righteousness upon you that beleeve and hath both communicated the light and also the heat of life to you Therefore the commandement is new to you that yee ought to bee encouraged to follow after holiness with more alacrity Vers. 9. Hee that saith hee is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now The second Exhortation drawing the former to the love of the Brethren The Arguments of the Exhortation are ten besides those two which are next recited and may also bee referred hither Argum. 1. Whosoever professeth himself to bee in the light or regenerate and hateth his Brother hee lies yet unregenerated in the darkness of ignorance and sin Therefore yee ought to endeavour after brotherly love Vers. 10. Hee that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him Argum. 2. He that loves his Brother remains in the light and perseveres in the way of truth in part possessing the lot and condition of the Saints Therefore yee ought to follow after c. And none occasion of stumbling Argum. 3. Hee that loveth his Brother doth neither stumble himself in the way of holiness alwaies seeing whither hee goes viz. to God by Faith in the way of obedience nor is hee an occasion of stumbling to others whereby they may either be drawn into sin or hardened in it Therefore yee ought to endeavour after brotherly love Vers. 11. But hee that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither hee goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes Argum. 4. Hee that hateth his Brother hee wholly lyes and perseveres in sin and swarving from the right way which leads to salvation hee is carried to a precepice not knowing whither hee goes because his mind is darkened with sin Therefore yee must follow after brotherly love Vers. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake Argum. 5. O faithful
Hunt in 8. The use of the Quadrant fitted for daily practice by Samuel Foster late Professor of Astronomy in 4. The Art of Dialling by Sam. Foster Formulae Oratoriae in usum scholarum concinâ—atae cum praâ—i usu earundem in Epistolis Thâ—matibus Declamationibus conterendis accessit dâ—x poâ—ticus cum suis alâ—quoâ— poâ—matiolis Edit Novissima Authoris lima expolitis per Ioh. Clark in 12. Select and choice phrases Latin and English at first briefly collected for the use and benefit of young scholars by Iohn Clark and since recognized and made more useful by William Du Gard Master of Merchant-Tailors School in London in 12. Also Phrasologiae Puerills sive Sermones or select Latin and English Phrases methodically digested by way of common place and alphabetically for the more easie 〈…〉 is desired very useful for young Latinists to prevent Barbarism and bald Latin making and to initiate them in speaking and writing elegantly in both languages The third Edition very much inlarged by the same Author Iohn Clark B. D. and sometimes Master of a Free-school in Lincoln in 8. C. Salustii Crispi Catilina seu Bellum Catilinarium in 24. Lucii Annaei Flori rerum Romanorum libri quatuor Ex museo Io. Isaci Poniani in 24. The Map of England with the pictures of all the Kings since the Conquest cut in a Copper plate it being the most exactest Map that hath been done by William Holler The Needles Excellency a most excellent Book for Ladies and Gentlewomen to draw all sort of works by cut in brass Plates in 4. Iohannes Possellii Syntaxis Graeca utilissimis exemplis Illustrata una cum regulis ejusdem de accentibus Varenâ—ii de iisdem tractatu in 80. Esopes Fables in verse illustrated with Emblems or Pictures and also grammatically translated into prose with apt Morals and printed according to the order of the Latin Copy together with the History of his life from the best Greek Copies very useful for all but especially for young Scholars in 12. Rhetoricae Compendium Ang. Lat. per Thom. Horâ— Master of Eaten Colledge in 8. School Probation in 8. Rhetorices Elementa in 8. Vestibulum Linguae Latinae rerum â—inguarum fundamenta exhibens The Rudiments of the Latin Tongue all four by Willian Du Guard Master of Merchant-Taylors School in London in 8. 〈◊〉 Lexicon in 8. 〈…〉 translated into English in 4. Symbâ—la 〈◊〉 in tribus Classibus Authore Nicbo Reusâ—ero â—â—orino I.C. Plat. Caes. in 12. The Scâ—â—s design discovered relating their dangerous attempts lately practised against England with the sad consequences of the same by a noble person in 4. Speculations on the excrements of Urin with the distinctions causes colours and contents thereof with other symptomes observed in Nature by Henry Hamand in 8. The whole Trial of Lieutenant Collonel Io. Lilbourn by an extraordinary Commission of Oyer and Terminer at the Guild-Hall of London truly set forth with his manner of pleading in a brass plate in 4. The Common-wealths friend shewing an exact and speedy way to Justice and Right for the preventing and determining tedious Law-sutes by Iohn March of Grayes Inne in 8. The duty of Constables Overseers for the poor and Surveyers of High-waies by Iohn Layer Counsellor at Law in 8. A faithful Register of the transactions in Parliament in the third and fourth years of the Reign of King Charles containing several Speeches Cases Arguments of Law and the grand Mysteries of the Kingdome then in agitation by Thomas Fuller in folio A Collection of Speeches in Parliament by Sir Edward Dearing in 4. A discourse of proper Sacrifice by Sir Ed. Dearing in 4. Monuments in the Saxon Tongue written seven hundred years since proving that the Old and New Testament Lords Prayer and the Creed were then used in the Mother tongue in 4. History of Heliodorus translated into English in 4. History of Bees shewing their admirable Nature and Properties their Generation and Colonies their Government Loyalty Art Industry Enemies Wars Magnanimity c. By Charâ—es 〈◊〉 of Magdalen Colledge in 4. King Iames Proverbs in 16. A Manuel of Controversies by Osiander in 8. The height of Eloquence translated out of the Greek by Iohn Hall Esquire Herocles on the golden Verses of Pythagoras teaching a virtuous and godly life by Iohn Hall Esquire in 8. Letters of Mounsieur de Balzac the first second third and fourth parts translated into English by Sir Richard Baker Knight and others collected into one Volume in 8. Theatre of Complements and Art of Eloquence stored with variety of Love-songs Sonnets Letters and Amorous Dialogues in 12. Choice Poems relating Songs Sonnets Epigrams Carrols Posies Dialogues with variety of other Mirth together with his noble Numbers or his pious peeces by Robert Herick Esquire All the works of Iohn Taylor the famous Water-Poet collected in one Vol. in fol. Also Wit and Mirth by Iohn Taylor in 8. Arcadia Plaies in 4. Antiquary Plaies in 4. Antigony Plaies in 4. Challenge for Beauty Plaies in 4. Coronation Plaies in 4. Chabot Plaies in 4. Discontented Collonel Plaies in 4. Humerous Courtier Plaies in 4. Hide Park Plaies in 4. Lady of Pleasure Plaies in 4. Mad world my Masterâ— Plaies in 4. Noble Stranger Plaies in 4. Phoenix Plaies in 4. Richard the third Plaies in 4. Seven Champions Plaies in 4. Wollastin Plaies in 4. Woman will have her Will Plaies in 4.
Hee confirms this Argument with six Reasons Reas. 1. Because the contemner of Moses Law legally convicted was adjudged to capital punishment without mercy Therefore much more is the Apostate to be destroyed Trodden under foot Reas. 2. Because the Apostate is no less injurious to Christ as much as lyes in him than if hee should draw him from his Throne and trample him under his feet Blood Reas. 3. Because they esteem the most Holy blood of Christ whereby once as to the outward man or the outward Ecclesiastical Sanctification they are separated from the world and in Baptism consecrated unto God as the blood of some common man Spirit Reas. 4. Because they offer despite to the Holy Spirit as if hee was a lyar who convinceth them of the Deity and Divine power of Christ. Vers. 30. For wee know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto mee I will recompence saith the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people Reas. 5. Because God professeth himself the revenger of all sin and of injuries done to his people Deut. 32.35 36. and much more of so horrible a sin against his Son and also against the whole Church Vers. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Reas. 6. Because Apostates have not to do with miserable mortals but with the Living God i. e. him that is omnipotent and alwaies in readiness to revenge into whose hands as into the hands of an angry Judge it is a fearful thing to fall Therefore Apostates must expect nothing but the fearful judgement of God Withall hee propounds Argum. 12. To perseverance in the Faith Wilful Apostacy from the Faith is joyned with so many hainous Reproaches against Christ and the Holy Spirit Therefore take yee heed of Apostacy and persevere yee constantly in the Faith Vers. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after yee were illuminated yee endured a great fight of afflictions 33. Partly whilst yee were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst yee became companions of them that were so used 34. For yee had compassion of mee in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that yee have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Argum. 13. By suffering persecution for the Gospel yee have long since given a famous proof of your constancy in the Faith hoping for that reward which is laid up for you in Heaven Therefore ought yee hereafter to persevere constantly in the Faith Hee opens this Argument by minding them how presently upon their receiving the Faith of Christ being illuminated by the word and Spirit of God they entred into a fight of grievous afflictions as it were vers 32. Partly whilst they themselves were openly reproached by the enemies of the Gospel and oppressed with all kind of injustice and violence Partly also whilst they out of Christian sympathy joyned themselves as companions to those that were afflicted and oppressed for the Gospels sake vers 33. which hee makes apparent by experience because whilst the Apostle was in bonds for the Gospel the faithful Hebrews sympathized and took the spoiling of their goods joyfully not respecting earthly riches in comparison to the heavenly and eternal inheritance laid up for them in Heaven vers 34. Vers. 35. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Argum. 14. Constant perseverance in the Faith hath a great recompence of reward Therefore the Profession of your Faith is not to be cast away but constantly to be held fast by you Vers. 36. For yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of God yee might receive the Promise Argum. 15. If yee patiently persevere yee shall receive eternal life which is promised unto you otherwise not Therefore yee ought constantly and patiently to persevere in the Faith Vers. 37. For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Argum. 16. Yee shall shortly have an end of your labours and yet want but little of the victory yet a little while and God will set you at liberty from all trouble as the Prophet Habak 2.4 gives us notice Therefore ought yee constantly to persevere Vers. 38. Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Argum. 17. The Just shall live by Faith not by the present possession of his hope laying hold upon Life and Righteousness no other waies but by Faith Therefore yee ought to persevere in the Faith that yee may obtain Righteousness and Life If any Argum. 18. Hee that casts away his Faith and is puffed up with carnal confidence of his own strength or rests upon the power of any creature is hateful to God and his Saints Therefore ought yee to persevere in the Faith Vers. 39. But wee are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul. Argum. 19. I am perswaded that wee who truly beleeve are not of those reprobate Hypocrites who in the day of temptation fall away to their own perdition but of those that are elected whereof every one perseveres to the saving of his soul Therefore ought yee boldly to persevere in the Faith CHAP. XI HEE proceeds to confirm his former exhortation to perseverance in the Faith with divers Arguments drawn from the properties and effects of Faith Illustrated from the manifold experience of the Saints The Arguments of his Exhortation are twenty four All which prove that Faith is to bee promoted or that wee ought to persevere in the Faith or live by it in the midst of afflictions Vers. 1. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Argum. 1. Faith embracing the promise concerning things hoped for makes the things as it were present and gives them a kind of subsistence so far as it applies to us the truth and power of God promising in whose power the things promised are contained and makes us as certain of the event as if the things promised were actually performed Therefore wee ought to live by Faith and persevere in it And the Argum. 2. Faith laying hold upon the Word of God is a convincing demonstration of the truth of things past present and to come which are not seen or appear and are justly esteemed by us most certain because of the undoubted truth of the word of God Therefore c. Vers. 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good report Argum. 3. By Faith Beleevers are commended justified and proclaimed blessed by the Testimony of God as it appears by ancient examples in the Scripture Therefore wee ought to live by Faith and persevere in it in the midst of afflictions Vers. 3. Through Faith wee understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear