the ceremoniall Law Doct. 5. So long as the ceremoniall Law did stand in force and vigour the Jews and Gentiles could not be united into one Church for seing by that Law the chief parts of Gods worship were astricted to the Temple at Jerusalem therefore though scattered proselytes of the neighbouring Nations did joyn themselves to the Church of the Jews and in some measure observed the way of Worship then enjoyned Act. 8. 27. yet there was a physicall impossibility for the generality of many Nations far remote from Jerusalem to have served God according to the prescript of Worship which then was besides there was such an habituate and as it were an naturall antipathy transmitted from one generation unto another among the Gentiles against the ceremoniall worship that there was little lesse than a morall impossibility of bringing up the body of the Gentiles unto a cordiall joyning with the Jews in it for the Apostle sheweth the ceremoniall Law behoved to be abrogated in order to an union betwixt these two while he saith Who hath made both one and broken down the middle-wall of partition between us 6. Whoever would make peace betwixt God and himself or betwixt himself and others he ought seriously to think upon those things which stand in the way of peace and set about the removall of them if it be in his power and chiefly those evils in himself of pride vain-glory self-seeking and a contentious disposition which are great obstructions in the way of peace Phil. 2. 3 4. else what ever be his pretences for peace he is no real follower of it for Christ intending to make peace betwixt Jew and Gentile did take away whatever might have impeded it He even broke down the middle wall of partition between them From ver 15 Learn 1. As Gods people in covenant with Him ought to be highly incensed against and averse from any voluntary intire fellowship with those who neglect and contemn the Ordinances of Worship prescribed by God in His Word So those who are without the Church yea and all unregenerate men do look upon the ordinances of Gods Worship as base ridiculous and contemptible and carry a kind of hatred and disdain to all such as make conscience of them for so the ancient Worship prescribed in the ceremoniall Law was the occasion of hatred and enmity betwixt the Gentile who contemned it and the Jew who made conscience of it And therefore is here called the enmity having abolished the enmity 2. As the morall Law contained in the Ten Commandments was no part of that mid-wall of partition between Jew and Gentile seing some of the draughts and lineaments of that Law are upon the hearts of all by nature Rom. 2. 15. So there was no necessity to abrogate this Law at Christs death in order to the uniting of Jew and Gentile neither was it at all abolished for the Law abolished was the Law not simply but the Law of Commandments and these not all but such Commandments as were contained in Ordinances to wit the ceremoniall Law as we shew in the Exposition Even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances saith he 3. As God only hath power and liberty to prescribe what manner of Worship He will be served by So He did once give a most observable evidence of this His power and liberty by changing that externall way of worship which was prescribed by Himself under the Old Testament unto another under the New although the internals of His Worship to wit the graces of faith love hope joy in God do remain the same in both Matth. 22. 37 39. for He did abolish the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances even all the ancient Worship consisting in rites and ceremonies sensible and fleshly observations which God did then prescribe not as simply delighted in them but as accomodating Himself to the childish condition of the Church in those times and hath now appointed a more spirituall way of Worship as more suitable to the grown age of the Church Joh. 4. 21. 23. See further the reasons why the ceremoniall-Law was abolished and concerning that state of indifferency wherein the practice of it was left for a time upon Gal. 2. ver 3. Doct. 2. and ver 4. Doct. 1. 4. It was Christs sufferings and death which put an end to the Law of ceremonies and made the binding power thereof to cease for seing His sufferings were the body and substance of all those shadows they neither did nor could evanish untill Christ had suffered but then they did it being impossible that a shadow and the body whereof it is a shadow can consist in one and the same place Having abolished in His flesh the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances Vers. -15. For to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slain the enmity thereby THe Apostle thirdly for further clearing of what he spoke ver 13. that the Gentiles were made nigh to God and His Church in the bloud of Christ holdeth forth two ends which Christ proposed to be brought about in His abolishing the ceremoniall Law First that He might by a manner of new creation make of those two Nations of Jew and Gentile being firmly united to Himself as to their head one people and Church here called one new man to shew the intimacy of that union as also the way how they were united not by bringing any one of them to the fashions and customes of the other for so they should have been made one old man but by bringing both off that way of worship whereon they were the Gentile both from the substance and external manner of their worship as having been wholly idolatrous Gal. 4. 8. The Jew only from the external manner of their worship consisting in fleshly and sensible rites and observations whereby He made them one new Church with new Ordinances of divine worship even such as the Church now enjoyeth under the Gospel and so he concludeth the vers by shewing that Christ did hereby accomplish what he had spoken of Him ver 13 and 14 Even that He had made peace betwixt the two Nations and consequently the Gentiles nigh to the Church by His own bloud this is ver -15. The second end why Christ did abolish the ceremonial Law was that He might reconcile both Jew and Gentile being so united among themselves in one body unto a provoked God which He did by the sacrifice of His own soul and body upon the crosse by the means whereof he did destroy that enmity which was betwixt God and man aswell the sin of the Elect both in its guilt Rom. 8. 1. and power Rom. 6. 6. which was the ground and cause of that enmity Isa. 59. 2. as the ceremoniall Law which was an evidence of it See upon ver 15 This is the sum of ver 16. From Vers. -15. Learn 1. Union in the
take liberty of practice to himself in those things which he doth condemn in others and the contrary of which he doth either by his Doctrine or example at other times constrain them to as appeareth from the question here propounded If thou livest not as do the Jews why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews as if he had said Thou can neither answer to God nor man for it 7. It is no small sin for Superiours to bind where the Lord hath left free by urging upon their Inferiours the observing of a thing in its own nature indifferent as necessary except it be in these cases wherein the Lord by those circumstances which do accompany it doth point it out as necessary such are the cases of scandal Act. 15. 28 29. and contempt 1 Cor. 14. 40. for hereby mainly is Peter's sin aggreged that he did compel the Gentiles to the necessary observation of the Ceremonial Law though the use of it was at that time indifferent Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews 8. In the primitive times of the Christian Church the People of God did wonderfully subject themselves to the Ministry of the Word in the hand of His Servants and much more than People now do for if the actions of the Apostles compelled men to do this or that as Peter's action did compel the Gentiles what then did their Doctrine and heavenly Exhortations Why compellest thou the Gentiles c. Vers. 15. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified SOme Interpreters do conceive that Paul's speech to Peter doth yet continue in these two Verses Yea and some think that it is extended to the end of the Chapter but others conceive that Paul having closed the narration of what passed betwixt him and Peter ver 14. doth here return to speak to the Galatians and though those last do seem to have most of reason for them yet which of these opinions do stand it is all one to the main purpose for it is clear that the Apostle doth here state and fall upon one of the main questions which were betwixt him and his adversaries to wit That we are justified or accepted of and declared righteous in God's sight by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law And for the better understanding of the threed method of the Apostles dispute together with the state of the present question and the sense and force of those arguments which he maketh use of to confirm the Truth in controversie We shall premit three things in general First the Apostle's adversaries erred in two things mainly 1. they urged the rigid observation of the Ceremonial Law as necessary by vertue of a divine Precept standing yet in force as may be gathered from the Apostle's reasoning chap. 3. 19 25. and chap. 4. 3 4 5. 2. As Seducers wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. so they went higher and urged the observation of these Ceremonies as that whereby joyntly at least with Christ sinners are justified before God as appeareth from chap. 2. 16 21. and 3. 11. Now the Apostle addresseth himself to the refutation of both those Errors and because the latter Error to wit That sinners are justified by their obedience to the Law is most dangerous therefore he doth refute it first and apart to ver 19. chap. 3. And next he refuteth that first Error joyntly with the other proving there was no necessity at all of observing the Ceremonial Law or any part of that Mosaical Pedagogie now under the New Testament and that it ought not now to be observed the date prefixed by God for the observation of it being already expired to ver 13. chap. 5. Secondly while the Apostle all-along this dispute denyeth we are justified or that righteousnesse and the inheritance do come by the Law he understandeth by the Law not the whole Doctrine delivered by Moses upon Mount Sinai for the Law being so taken was a Covenant of Grace as appeareth from the Preface and Promises of the Decalogue and from the Ceremonial Law which shadowed forth Christ and remission of sins through Him Heb. 10. 4 8 9. so that Believers under the Old Testament may be said to have been justified and to have had righteousnesse by the Law in this sense for it implyeth no further than that they were justified according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace as it was wrapped-up in that ancient legal dispensation The Apostle therefore takes the Law more strictly and in the sense of his adversaries for the mere precepts and threatnings of the Law as it requires perfect obedience and curseth those who have it not abstracting from Christ and Grace which were held forth though but obscurely in it for in that sense his adversaries maintained justification by the Law and therefore the Apostle while he refuteth justification by the Law must be understood to speak of the Law in the same sense also which sometimes he clearly expresseth while he explaineth his meaning by denying we are justified by the works of the Law vers 16. and chap. 3. 5 10. Thirdly that the Apostle may strike at the root of this their most dangerous Error of Justification by Works he excludeth all Works in general not only those of the Ceremonial Law but the Works also of the Moral Law Yea and all Works of ours whatsoever from having influence upon Justification for as shall be observed in the Dispute it self the Arguments used by the Apostle to prove that we are not justified by Works are applicable to the Moral Law equally if not more than to the Ceremonial Law Yea and do exclude the Works of the Regenerate as well as of the Unregenerate Besides it is sure that none professing the Name of Christ as the Apostle's adversaries did would have urged the naked external performance of those Ceremonies as having influence upon Justification except as it was conjoyned with internal love to God and our neighbour commanded by the Moral Law and signified expressed and some one way or other advanced by those outward performances Neither is it conceivable how they maintaining a necessity of Faith in Christ could imagine that any Works whatsoever whether done in obedience to the Ceremonial Law or to the Moral being such Works only as are done by the power of Nature and strength of Free-will without the Grace of Christ should have justified a sinner and made him righteous before God So that if Paul in this Dispute had excluded from Justification only the external Works of the Ceremonial Law and not the Works of the Moral Law also or only all Works whatsoever flowing
and spoken of the whole Person for to be made of a woman which agreeth only to the humane nature is ascribed to the Person of the Son God sent forth His Son made of a woman 11. Jesus Christ being thus incarnate was in respect of His humane nature while in the state of humiliation truly subjected to the Law and accordingly conformed Himself unto it whatsoever Law it was whether general or moral which all men are obliged unto Luke 2. 5â— or more special positive and ceremoniall which the Jews and children of Abraham were bound to obey Mat. 3. 15. or yet more particular of a Redeemer and Saviour which He Himself only was obliged unto even to die for us Psal. 40. 6 7 8. for saith the Apostle He was made under the Law 12. Though Christ as He was a creature whose will cannot be the supream Law was thus bound to subject Himself to the Law yet it doth not follow hence that therefore He did not fulfill the Law for us but for Himself only because this obligation did flow from His taking-on the humane nature which He did freely and for our good for upon His being made of a woman He was also made under the Law otherwayes He was free from the Law From Vers. 5. besides what is marked upon chap. 3. ver 13. Learn 1. Not only Christ's death and sufferings which commonly go under the name of His passive obedience but also His active obedience to the Law in all those things and those things only wherein we were obliged is imputed unto us as our righteousness price whereby we are redeemed from the Law 's curse for He was made under the Law that He might redeem them that were under the Law So that the price of our Redemption and His subjection to the Law are of equal extent 2. As all men by nature are under the curse Eph. 2. 3. and irritating power of the Law Rom. 7. 5. and the Jewish Church were under that ancient rigid dispensation of the Law binding them chiefly to the observation of many costly and burdensom ceremonies See ver 3. so no lesse was required in order to a Redemption whether from the one or the other than the incarnation of the Son of God and His obedience both by doing and suffering to the whole Law of God only with this difference the Elect were redeemed under the Old Testament from the curse and irritating power of the Law by vertue of Christ's obedience while it was yet to be actually performed for though it be otherwise in natural causes yet a moral cause not present in being but only supposed as future may have its effect but the Redemption of the Jewish Church from that rigid dispensation of the Law was not effectuate before Christ was actually incarnate and did give real obedience to the Law God having so ordered that those legal shadows should not evanish until Christ the substance of them did come for it is with relation to this as a main part of his present scope that the Apostle saith God sent forth His Son to redeem them that were under the Law 3. The outward administration of the Covenant of Grace under the Old Testament had some inflâ—ence upon the ancient Church even as to the inward state of particular Believers in so far that though the Godly then did partake of the same spiritual blessings whereof we partake now yea and some particular persons were endued with greater gifts of the Spirit than many now are Yet greater plenty and abundance of Grace is bestowed upon the Church in the time of the Gospel if we respect the body of the Church and Faithfull in general than was bestowed before Christ came for the Apostle putting a difference betwixt those two times speaketh of receiving the adoption of sons as a thing proper to the dayes of the Gospel not as if the Spirit of Adoption had been altogether withholden from the ancient Church but because it was then tempered with the spirit of servitude the way to Heaven not as yet clearly manifested Heb. 9. 8. and is now bestowed in a more ample clear and plentifull measure for it is not unusual in Scripture that this should be affirmed of one and as it were tacitly denyed of another which is more illustrious in one than in another though it be common to both Mat. 15. 24. according to which rule the following sixth verse must be expounded Vers. 6. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying Abba Father HE giveth an evidence of their having received the adoption of sons in a more clear and plentifull measure under the New Testament to wit God's sending forth the holy Spirit the third Person in the blessed Trinity and making Him manifest His presence by His special and supernatural gifts in the hearts of Believers whereby they were enabled like little children to own and incall upon God as their Father and this without any distinction of Jew or Gentile which seemeth to be hinted at by the two epithets given to God both signifying the same thing the one Abba a Syriack word which language was then commonly spoken among the Jews the other a Greek word rendred Father which was most commonly used among the Gentiles Now this of God's sending forth His Spirit under the New Testament is not to be so understood as if He had not been sent forth into the hearts of Believers under the Old Testament but that He is now poured-out in a greater measure Joel 2. 28. Doct. 1. There are three Persons in the blessed Trinity the Father the Son and the Spirit all spoken of here God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son 2. The Spirit here spoken of is not a naked quality or operation and work only but a person subsisting of Himself as appeareth from this that He is said to be sent forth which agreeth only to persons God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son 3. He is a divine Person and no meer creature for He dwelleth in the hearts of all Believers which can be said of no person but God God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts 4. The holy Spirit proceedeth both from the Father and the Son for He is sent by the Father and is the Spirit of His Son and is so called here because the Apostle is to evidence their sonship by the operation of this Spirit which sonship of theirs is grounded upon Christ Rom. 8. 17. Doct. 5. Whoever have this high dignity of Adoption conferred upon them must also have the Spirit of God given to reside not in their brain only to fill them with the gifts of knowledge as He may be in Hypocrites Mat. 7. 22. but in their hearts also by making a gracious change there Eph. 4. 23. to be diffused from thence as from the first principle of life Prov. 4. 23. through all the faculties of the soul and members
it is called the middle wall of partition or of a hedge and stone-wall for the Original signifieth both with an eye questionlesse to to the wall which was in Solomons Temple between the court of the People and of the Gentiles which hindered all manner of passage sight or communication betwixt them Ezek. 42. 20. So the meaning is that in order to this union He did abolish the legall ceremonies whereby the Jews were distinguished from the Gentiles as two houses by a mid-wall going betwixt them or as an inclosed Garden is separated from an out-field by an hedge or dyke of rough stones ver 14. Secondly He did abolish the enmity by which enmity is meaned the same ceremoniall Law and that chiefly because it was the occasion of a perpetuall standing strife betwixt Jew and Gentile while the Jew reproached the Gentile with uncircumcision and neglect of Gods worship Act. 10. 28. the Gentile again reproached the Jew with circumcision and the rest of these Legall rites which they judged unreasonable irreligious and absurd Esth. 3. 8. although those ceremoniall rites may be also called enmity with relation to God in so far as the practising of them by the Jews was a real testimony and confession of their own guilt and the enmity which was betwixt them and God See Collos. 2. 14. And His withholding them from the Gentiles was an evidence of His displeasure and enmity against them Ps. 147. 20. and here the Apostle expresseth the way how Christ did abolish that enmity or these ceremoniall rites to wit in His own flesh that is by His death which He suffered in His flesh or humane nature 1 Pet. 3. 18 Thirdly he expoundeth what he meant by the mid-wall and the enmity which Christ abolished even the Law of Commandments in ordinances The first of which words is more general to wit the Law as comprehending according to the custom of the Hebrew language all Doctrine revealed to the Church Psal. 19. 7. and this is astricted by the second word which is more speciall to wit Commandments signifying that Doctrine only which commandeth what should be done and forbiddeth what should not be done and both those are astricted by the third which is yet more special to wit Ordinances whereby are meaned those Commandments only which did relate to Gods externall worship and were prescribed by God as so many types and shadows of Christ to come and of those good things which were purchased by Him Heb. 9. 9 10. So that the Law and Commandments were only abolished as to that part of them which was contained in those Ordinances ver 15 From ver 14. Learn 1. Every man by nature in himself and without Christ is at war and enmity with God with His Church and chiefly those in the Church who are truely regenerate he cannot be subject unto the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. And as therefore he hateth the Law-giver and those who yeeld obedience to His Laws So he is under the Law-givers curse Gal. 3. 10. for while the Apostle speaketh of making those Ephesians nigh to God and His Church by Christ he saith Christ was their peace which implyeth that their distance from those consisted in hatred of and enimity against them for he is our peace saith he 2. This enmity chiefly which is between God and fallen man was irreconciliable and impossible to be removed except Jesus Christ that great high Priest and Prince of Peace had shed His bloud and suffered death by the merit whereof as He hath given satisfaction to a provoked God Eph. 5. 2. So by the efficacy and vertue thereof He subdueth that rebellious disposition against God which naturally is in us Rom. 6. 6. and maketh us accept the offer of friendship and reconciliation with God and yeeld our selves servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse Acts 5. 31. and so upon both hands He maketh peace for saith he He is our peace to wit by His bloud spoken of in the preceeding verse 3. The uniting of both Jew and Gentile in one Church is a branch of that peace which Christ hath purchased with His bloud And that not only because their actuall union was according as God in His wise counsel had decreed to follow upon Christs death and not to go before it See upon Gal. 3. vers 14. Doct. 4. but also in order to this union the Law of ceremonies behoved to be abolished See Doct. 5. and this called for Christs death See vers 15. Doct. 4. for the Apostle having asserted that Christ was their peace by His bloud he giveth this as an instance or effect of His so being Who hath made both one 4. From the Apostles designing the ceremoniall Law by a metaphor taken from houses divided by a mid-wall or from an orchard garden or inclosure separated from the out-field by a dyke or wall of rough stones We learn several things relating to the nature use and duration of the ceremoniall Law which are the grounds of the similitude And first as a wall is builded by the owner of the inclosure So the ceremonial Law was of Gods own appointment who only had power to choose what part of the world He thought fit to be an inclosure for Himself Deut. 32. 8. and to appoint these means and ordinances whereby He would have them inclosed and separated from others Exod. 25. 40. Secondly as a rough wall is made up of so many hard unpolished stones not covered over with lime or plaister So the ceremoniall Law consisted of many Ordinances Heb. 9. 10. and those very difficult to be obeyed and an untolerable yoke Act. 15. 10. Thirdly as a wall or hedge incloseth a peece of ground for the owners special use which therefore is more painfully manured and separateth that inclosure from the out-field which lyeth about it So the ceremoniall Law did serve to inclose the people of Israel as the Lords own garden and vineyard for bringing forth fruit unto Himself Isa. 5. 7. and to separate them from all the world besides Deut. 4. 7 8. as being a worship wholly different from and contrary unto the superstitious rites and worship used among the Gentiles Deut. 12. 2. and containing strict injunctions unto the Jews to avoid all conformity with the Gentiles in their garments Num. 15. 38. cutting of their hair Lev. 19 27. and such like Fourthly as a rough wall is but weak and ruinous as not being built with cement or morter to make it strong and therefore but to endure for a season untill the owner think fit to enlarge his inclosure and take-in more of the open field So the ceremoniall Law was not to last for ever but only for a time untill Christ should come in the flesh and take in the Gentiles within the inclosure of His Church who were before an open field not possessed nor manured by Him after which there was no further use of the mid-wall And hath broken down the mid-wall of partition between us saith he meaning
otherwise orderly called are competently furnished with gifts and enduements and are accompanied with the influence of Gods blessing upon the exercise of their parts it is a speaking evidence and confirmation of their calling from God not only unto themselves but also unto others who would otherwise possibly doubt of it for Paul doth not only magnifie his office but also make it evident that he was called to it from these two while he saith I am made a Minister according to the gift bestowed on me and by or as it is in the Original according to the effectual working of His power 4. As it is required to make a man a Minister that he be endued with competent abilities and gifts for that imployment So it is no lesse requisit that God do concur with him otherwise he cannot exercise his gift and make use of it for the good of others 2 Cor. 3. 5. or though he exercise it yet all his utmost endeavours will be fruitlesse and without successe among the people 1 Cor. 3. 6. for Paul sheweth besides the gift which he received of grace God did also concur with him According to the gift of the grace of God by the effectuall working of His power 5. Though the Lord give competency of gifts unto all whom He calleth yet He giveth not unto all one and the same gift or in the same measure but to some a greater to others a lesser as He hath more or lesse to do with them for as Paul was singularly imployed so he had a singular gift and therefore he saith the gift of the grace given to me thereby implying there was somewhat singular in his gift 6. So great and many are those difficulties which Ministers have often to wrestle with what from without and what from within before they can attain to freedom and boldnesse in exercising their ministerial gift Gal. 4. 13 14. So difficult is it also to gain ground upon hearts by the ministry of the Word 2 Cor. 10. -4 5. that no lesse is required either for the one or the other than the power of God His working power and working effectually with a kind of pith and energie for Paul's necessity called for no lesse even the effectual working of His power 7. As it is no small grace and favour from God for any to be imployin the ministerial Calling and competently furnished with gifts and parts for that imployment and to have their labours blessed with successe in gaining many souls to God So a gracious Minister will be ready at all occasions to acknowledge grace in all these ascribing all to Gods favour and His powerfull working in him and by him and not to his own dignity diligence or parts for so doth Paul here Whereof I was made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God Vers. 8. Unto me who am lesse than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. THe Apostle doth extoll and magnifie his Office thirdly from the consideration of his own unworthinesse which was so great by reason especially of his enmity to Christ and the Christian Church while he was unconverted 1 Tim. 1. 13. that to his own apprehension and for what he knew of himself and others he was more unworthy and lesse to be esteemed of than the meanest of Gods children and Saints and yet the Apostolick office called here grace because it did flow from Gods favour and grace was bestowed upon him And fourthly from the excellency of the subject matter which he was engaged by vertue of his Office to preach and set forth unto the Gentiles even the unsearchable riches of Christ under which is comprehended the whole Doctrine of the Gospel wherein are contained such things relating to Christ in His Person Natures and Offices and to the benefits of Justification Adoption Sanctification of grace here and of glory hereafter purchased by Him and bestowed upon the Elect and such things also relating to His manifold wisdom manifested in His various dispensation to His Church in severall ages as are not only hid to naturall men but also above the reach of all created understanding even though renewed by grace to comprehend them fully in this life untill we see as we are seen 1 Cor. 13. 12. All which things are here called riches not only because of that unsearchable abundance and worth which are in the things themselves but also because they make the Elect to whom they are offered and upon whom they are bestowed truly rich Rev. 3. 18 and possessors of all things even though they have nothing 2 Cor. 6. -10. Doct. 1. Though whensoever a sinner doth turn to God all his sins are freely pardoned and in that respect forgotten and past over by God as if they had never been Ezek. 18. 21 22. yet the pardoned sinner himself should not forget but so far keep them in memory as he may be thereby keeped humble and little in his own eyes so long as he liveth for Paul did so much remember his bypast and pardoned blasphemies as that he accounteth himself lesse than the least of all Saints 2. Growth in grace and increase in humility and in low esteem of a mans self do usually go together so that most eminent Christians considering what they have been before conversion 1 Cor. 15. 9. and what they yet are because of the remnan 〈…〉 of sin dwelling in them Rom. 7. 18. should and will judge themselves the least of all Saints according to that deep insight and sense which they have of their own sins being compared with the remote view which they take of the sins of others Rom. 14. 10. for so doth Paul judge of himself from those grounds unto me who a 〈…〉 lesse than the least of all Saints 3. Sense of sin and of self-unworthinesse ought so to abase and humble the childe of God as not to make him question far lesse deny that God hath any saving work in him this latter not being true humility but sinfull ingratitude which frequently hath its rise from an unmortified root of crushed pride though it pretend to great humility for Paul abaseth himself and yet insinuateth that he is a Saint while he saith I am lesse than the least of all Saints 4. As all Saints are not of one standing and size but some greater some lesser and some lesse than the least except themselves So it is no small honour and dignity to be among the least of Saints and to have a work of saving grace though but in the meanest degree seing even the meanest of Saints have a choise room in Gods heart Psal. 40. 17. for while he saith I am the least of all Saints he declareth he thought it an honour to have any room among them 5. Deep sense of sin and of self-unworthinesse in a childe of God do well consist with a confident pleading for and avowing of an interest in yea with
here spoken of as their chief adversary and the name here given unto him doth in the Original signifie a calumniator and slanderer That ye may stand against the wiles of the devil 6. As Satan is most witty and subtile so he imployeth all his skill and subtilty for carrying on this battell against the Saints while he most cunningly contriveth and with no lesse subtilty conveyeth such ensnaring tentations as he knoweth all things being considered will be most taking with the person tempted for here he speaketh of Satans wiles the word signifieth methodick witty stratagems 7. However Satan doth sometimes transform himself into an angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 14. and covereth his foul designs with most plausible pretences to zeal for God Luke 9. 54 55. to pity and natural affection Mat. 16. 22. or generally to something which is in it self commendable yet his great design in all his tentations even when he speaketh fairest is to drive the party tempted from his station either by making him turn the back as a coward Neh. 6. 10 11. or driving him beyond the bounds of his calling Matth. 26. 51. or presently to render up his arms and become captive to some one prevalent lust or other Gen. 39. 12. for while he saith that ye may able to stand against his wiles he implyeth that Satans aim is to drive us from our station 8. The great work of a Christian in relation to those wiles of Satan is not to imitate him by bending our wits to ensnare others to a sinfull course as he doth Matth. 16. 22 23. nor yet so much to know his wiles to lay open the subtilty and deceit that is in them for the use of others Matth. 7. 22. as to guard against them and to keep our station notwithstanding of them even when we are assaulted by them for saith Paul that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil 9. It is by the alone vertue of this armour of God that is the saving graces of God's Spirit and the carefull exercise of those graces that Christians are enabled to stand out against Satans wit and wiles A piece of natural courage and fixt resolutions together with the deep engagement of credit and interest may do much to make a man stand out against his avowed force and violence put forth by cruell persecuters but there is no sence in flesh and bloud against his wiles for he biddeth put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil Vers. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse in high places THe Apostle having thus propounded the duty doth next enforce it from the nature of this warfare as being a wrestling which is a close combate betwixt two hand to hand each exerting their whole force strength against one another And from the terror and greatness of those adversaries whom we are to fight against described 1. negatively or comparatively that they were not flesh and bloud that is any bodily or humane power to wit only or principally for the Believer doth fight against those also Joh. 16. 33. only they are but Satans auxiliary forces whom he stirreth up and imployeth Next positively the devils and damned angels described first from their magnifick titles principalities powers rulers of the darkness of this world whereby is set forth their great naturall power and strength together with their prince-like authority and government which by Gods permission they exerce in the world and upon wicked men in it by reason of their profanity and ignorance here called darknesse as chap. 5. ver 8. Secondly from their nature as being for their essence spiritual immaterial and without a body and for quality most wicked and here called wickednesse it self in the abstract thereby to aggreage their wickednesse as being wholly destitute of all moral goodnesse Thirdly from the place of their abode the high air whereof Satan is prince chap. 2. 2. Or rather by this particle in high places as many Interpreters conceive he setteth forth somewhat more of the nature of this warfare to wit the main matter about which the quarrel is even high and heavenly things which tend to the honour of God and the eternal good of our souls for the word in the original is in the heavenly without the substantive places and it may be as well supplied heavenly things as it is Heb. 8. 5. and 9. 23. and so it readeth well in or because of heavenly things for this particle rendered in is sometimes causall and rendered because See Matth. 26. 31. Hence Learn 1. The Lord doth deal ingenuously with all whom He calleth to fight this spiritual conflict by letting them know the power strength and subtilty of the enemy and the height of those difficulties which ly in their way to heaven before they engage So that none may have occasion to say they were deceived and made to meet with harder work than they were told of at the first for he setteth forth the nature of this warfare and terror of the adversary to the utmost of what could be said by any We wrestle against principalities and powers c. 2. So apt are men to dream of the way to heaven as easie and to trouble themselves but little for attaining to it Matth. 7. 21. that nothing lesse is required to make us shake off security and minde the work of walking to heaven in earnest than to set before us all those dreadfull dangers insuperable difficulties and terrible opposition which of necessity we are to meet with in our way to it for that they may be excited to shake off lazinesse and be serious in this work he seeth it necessary to set before them what dreadfull enemies they had to fight against as appeareth from the causal particle for which coupleth this verse with the former Put on the whole armour of God for we wrestle against principalities and powers 3. The malice of Satan our spiritual adversarie is bent not only against the Saints in general but also against every one in particular each of whom he setteth upon with so much fury force and eagernesse as if he had none to deal with but one alone for the Christians conflict with Satan is here called a wrestling which is a close combat betwixt two hand to hand and the original word signifieth such a strife as maketh the body shake again We wrestle saith he 4. Every Saint and real Believer is this one whom Satan so assaulteth he forbeareth none but setteth upon all the strongest are not a terrour to him nor yet the meanest are so far undervalued by him as not to think them worthy of his wrath and therefore all must fight and wrestle for the Apostle of purpose changeth the pronoun ye in the former verse into we in this to shew that neither he