having exhorted them to union he dehorteth from doing any thing through strife 2. The lust of vain-glory whereby a man pursueth more after applause from men to himself Joh. 12. ver 43. and to be esteemed of above others Joh. ver 9. than the honour of God or to be approven of him is the mother of contention and strife and a great unfriend to union and peace it being a lust which carryeth alongs with it a spirit which will not cede to truth Joh. 5. v. 44. together with an evident contempt of all others being compared with the man himself who is tainted with this evill 2 Chron 18. ver 23. Hence he forbids acting from a principle of vainglory as they would eschew strife and so entertain union and peace let nothing be done through vain-glory 3. So ordinary is it for God to plague self-seeking spirits with disappointment Luke 14. ver 11. so unconstant and unchangeable is popular applause Joh. 12. ver 13. compared with chap. 19. v. 15. and so little is there in any man to be puffed up with 1 Cor. 4. ver 7. that all glory of this kinde is but vain glory or but emptie glory as the word in the original doth bear 4. The grace of humility doth not consist in an affected strain of words and gestures Matth. 6. ver 16. but being seated in the heart it maketh a man think meanly of himself or of any thing that is his thus the word signifieth and is here rendered lowliness of mind 5. Where this grace of humility is it contributeth much for unity and peace and is inconsistent with a carrying on of our point from a principle of vain glory or through strife for he prescribeth humility as an antidote against those evils and a soveraign mean for attaining unto and entertaining of union and peace but through lowlinesse of mind c. 6. So conscious should we be of our own infirmities 1 Tim. 1. ver 15. so modest in the esteem of our own graces and vertues Rom. 12. ver 3. so far from prying into or aggreaging the infirmities of others Prov. 10. ver 12. so much should we esteem of their known graces and vertues Act. 15. ver 8. and so prone in charity to beleeve there may be much more good in them then what appeareth 1 Cor. 13. ver 7. that we ought to esteem any other for what we know of him to be better then our selves for let each esteem others better then themselves saith he 7. Where Christians are of the forementioned temper it speaketh true humility and contributeth much for union and peace for the Apostle having injoyned lowlinesse of minde in order to unity injoyneth the practice thereof in these tearms let each esteem others better then themselves Vers. 4. Look not every man on his own thing but every man also on the things of others He dehorteth from a third vice destructive also of union and peace to wit self-love whereby we regard only our own honour and profit wholly neglecting the concernments of others He exhorteth also to the contrary vertue Doct. 1. Self-love or respect to our own things only being joyned with contempt and mis-regard of the interest of others is a great enemy to union and peace for while he presseth unity he dehorteth from self-love looking not every man to his own things 2. The procuring maintaining and advancing of our neighbours good estate in his profit honor fame and all spirituall blessings should be aimed at and endeavoured by us with the same accuracie and diligence which we use in reference to our selves and where Christians are of this temper it contributeth much for union and peace for these are the things of others which he exhorteth every man also to look unto or accuratly aim at as one shooting at a mark for so the word beareth 3. A Christian is so to look upon the concernments of others as not to neglect these things which concern himself for he commandeth look also on the things of others also or joyntly with your own things Vers. 5. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus The Apostle presseth all the before-mentioned vertues from Christ's example which he propoundeth here in generall for their imitation Doct. 1. Christ's example in these things which concern our duty is a most excellent Matth. 1â— 29. unerring 1 Cor. 11. 1. and effectuall patern 2 Cor. 3. â—8 to be imitated by those who professe themselves to be his Let the same minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus 2. This should commend a grace or vertue unto us and make it lovely that â—esus Christ by his practice hath given to us a patern of it for the Apostle presseth these vertues because they were eminently to be seen in Christ Let tâ—e same minde be in you c. 3. Exemplary humility tender respect to the concernments of believers with a most earnest desire after the Churches peace both with God and amongst believers themselves were eminently to be seen in Christ for he saith this minde to wit that humble loving uniting and modest minde whereof he spake in the preceding verses was also in Christ. Vers. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God 7. But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men 8. And being found in fashion as a man be humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse He in largeth and explicateth the example proposed to this sense That Jesus Christ before his incarnation being true God cloathed with divine Majestie and so in all things equall with God the Father ver 6. did neverthelesse hide his glory assuming to himself the nature of man with all the sinlesse infirmities thereof so that sin only excepted he was in all things like unto other men v. 7. and being thus incarnate and found by all who conversed with him to have all the true properties of a reall man he voluntarily submitted himself to under-go whatsoever was injoyned him by the Father as necessary for the Redemption of mankinde in which obedience to the Father he persevered even to the death and in end did crown it by under-going the cursed death of the crosse v. 8. Now Christ did under-go all this for our good and the making up of our peace with God and one with another in God So here is in Christ great humility and condescension and such respect unto the good of others that in some sense he did prefer them unto himself together with a most earnest desire after the Church's peace which are the vertues pressed from Christ's example by the Apostle upon these Philippians Doct. 1. Jesus Christ had a being or subsistence before his Incarnation who being or subsisting which is spoken of him before his Incarnation 2. That being and subsistence which he then had was truly divine He was from
all eternity true God adorned with divine glory splendour and majesty see Prov. 8. 22 23. c. Who being in the form of God by which of necessity must be understood the substantiall form or very divine Essence as cloathed with divine glory and majesty there being no accidents in God 3. Jesus Christ is God equall with the Father having the same divine Essence for the divine Names divine Properties Works and Worship are ascribed unto him See 1 Joh. 5. 20. Joh. 2. 24. Joh. 6. 40. and Joh. 5. 23. Thus he is said to be equall with God 4 The divine Essence glory and majesty which Scripture doth ascribe unto Christ do justly and naturally belong unto him and is not usurped by him for it is no robbery for him to be equall with God 5. The Father and the Son are one only God it being impossible there should be two Gods or any thing equall with God which is not God himself now Christ is equall with God 6. Jesus Christ though having still the same divine Essence with the Father yet was alwayes a distinct Person from him even the second Person of the blessed Trinity See 1 Joh. 5. 7. for equality is only in these things which in some respect are distinct and he is equal with God 7. Then is ones abasement a vertue and worthy to be imitated when it is voluntarily under-taken for the glory of God and the good of others and not when it is constrained or only imposed upon us as a just punishment for our self-exalting or any other sin Christ's humility propounded here for our imitation was such as is imported in the sense and scope of these words he thought it no robbery to be equall with God The drift whereof is to shew that Christ knowing himself to be the true God and not to have usurped that divine honour did willingly under-go that low condition and was not constrained to it as a punishment for usurping upon that which was not his own by right as the Devils were thrown down from Heaven because as is commonly conceived they would by robbery have usurped divine honour or to be equall with God 8. Jesus Christ the Eternall Son of God in the fulnesse of time became man and was incarnate for so is meant by his becoming of no reputation and taking on him the form of a servant 9. It was Jesus Christ the second Person in the Godhead who did take on him the nature of man and was incarnate and not the Father or the Holy Spirit for it is Jesus Christ here spoken of who took on him the form of a servant See Rom. 1. 3. 10. Jesus Christ by his Incarnation and assuming the nature of man did empty himself of that divine glory splendour and majesty which before he had not by ceasing to be what he was but by assuming something to himself which before he was not to wit the humane nature in which respect as being now God-Man-Mediator he is lesse than the Father Joh. 14. 28. under the infirmity of which nature he did hide for a time his divine glory so that very little of it did appear and to some few only Isa. 53. 2. he became of no reputation In the Greek it is he emptied himself 11. Such was the love of Christ unto lost sinners Joh. 15. 13. and to the glory of his own and his Fathers mercy to be manifested in their salvation Joh. 17. 4. that willingly and of his own accord without any constraint except that of love he laid aside his glory and became low and empty for their good for he made himself of no reputation 12. Jesus Christ the second Person of the Godhead did assume to himself the true and reall nature of man having the same essentiall properties with the natures of other men for he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men which likenesse denoteth not onely a similitude in outward shew and appearance but in the very essential parts See Gen. 5. 3. 13. Christ assumed to himself the humane nature not as it shall be in glory perfectly glorified but as cloathed with sinlesse infirmities even such as are in us the punishment of sin and did dimit himself to be one of the lowest condition of men for he took upon him the form of a servant and not of a glorified Saint 14. Though Jesus Christ did take upon him the whole nature of a man consisting of a true body Heb. 2. 14. and a reasonable soul Matth. 26. 38. Yet he did not assume the person of a man so as to be two Persons one as God another as Man he is one Person still the humane nature subsisting in the second Person of the Godhead so he took to himself not a servant but the form or nature of a servant and he remaineth the same he or person after incarnation which he was before be took to himself See Luk. 1. 35. 15. Though there be but one Person in Christ yet there are two distinct Natures the Divine and Humane without confusion or mixture every one reserving their own distinct properties so he took on him the form of a servant but did not change the form or nature of a servant to the nature of God See Luk. 2. 52. Joh. 2. 24. 25. 16. The truth and reality of Christ's humane nature was evidently known unto those who did converse with him by the fashion and proportion of his body and the whole strain of his carriage and actions they being such as are in and use to be gone about by other men for so much is meant by his being found in fashion as a man 17. Jesus Christ though God equall with the Father and so above all Law given unto men yet being incarnate did take upon him the yoke of obedience unto the Father's will revealed in the Law that by the obedience of one many might be made righteous see Rom. 5. 19. And became obedient unto death where his death is spoken of as the tearm of his obedience or as but one part of it at most the rest consisting in his performance of what the Law both Morall and Ceremoniall did require and is commonly called his Active Obedience see Matth. 3. 15. 18. So great is the guilt of sin Deut. 27. 26. so strict is that obligation to under-go eternall wrath which lyeth upon us for sin Matth. 5. 18. that no lesse could pay our ransom and satisfie provoked justice than the shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Son of God for in order to our Redemption he behoved to be obedient unto death even the death of the crosse 19. Such was the love both of the Father Job 3 16. and of the Son Joh. 15. 13. to man's salvation that for bringing it about the Father appointeth the Son to die and the Son willingly became obedient to the Father â—â—en to death Vers. 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name
which is above every name 10. That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father The Apostle prosecutes this argument taken from Christs example shewing That seeing Christ did humble himself so low God hath exalted him highly to wit in his resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 4. ascension Mark 16. 19. and plâ—cing the man Christ at his right hand Ephes. 1. 20. and hath made that divine glory of his which was hid in the dayes of his humiliation shine forth by making it manifest That whole crucified Christ God and man in one person is the only begotten son of God this is the Name above every name ver 9. The ends of bestowing of this high honour upon Christ were first That all reasonable creatures in heaven earth or hell might adore and worship him as true God to wit some willingly as the Elect others by constraint as the Reprobate shall do when made to stand at the Tribunal of Christ the Judge to receive their doom ver 10. The second end is That all these creatures may not only subject themselves unto him but also be made openly to professe this crucified Jesus to be that which he is even JEHOVAH Lord of all things the only begotten Son of God all which glory to be bestowed on the Son should detract nothing from the glory of the Father but adde unto it ver 11. Doct. 1. Whosoever is willing for the glory of God and good of others to part with his own credit when he is called to it may expect from the Lord to have his losse and suffering in that richly recompenced So was it with Christ he humbled himself and was obedient and therefore God highly exalted him And it is the very scope of the Apostle hereby to excite the Philippians to humility and self-abasing for the good of others because as Christ after his humiliation was exalted so might they expect to be exalted also in their own kind 2. The Lord Christ having abased himself to the lowest degree of misery which he engaged to undergo for our Redemption was afterwards and that by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption see Isa. 53. 10. exalted by the Father to the highest pitch of divine glory so he maketh his exaltation depend upon his humiliation the one as the necessary consequence of the other wherefore God also highly exalted him 3. Through vertue of the personal union betwixt the divine and humane nature in Christ those things which are proper only to the one nature are ascribed unto and spoken of the whole person So here though somwhat of this high honour bestowed on Christ in his exaltation be verified only in the divine nature to wit in so far as this exaltation speaketh the manifestation of divine glory and majesty which was before hid and though somwhat of it be verified only in the human nature in so far as it includeth his resurrection and ascension yet the whole of it is ascribed unto the whole person for he exalted him to wit the person God-man and hath given him a name So that divine glory and majesty though it be not in the humane nature yet is and doth shine forth in that person which is man and though not the Godhead yet the person who is God did rise from the death and ascend from earth to heaven 4. As the giving unto Christ a name which is above every name doth prove him to be true God enjoying honour and majesty truly divine for what else can be meant by a Name above every name So the bowing of every knee unto him as of right belonging unto him doth evince the same truth for hereby is intended that divine honour due to God only should be given unto him as appears from Isa. 45. 23. compared with Rom. 14. 10 11. 5. This Name which is above every name or the Divine Nature Divine Properties Majestie and Splendor truly divine is said to be given unto Christ not as if in the dayes of his humiliation he had not been God or as if the humane nature after the resurrection had been indued with the divine properties but because his divine majestie before hid was now manifested and the humane nature so highly honoured that though it be not changed into the divine yet that person who is man is true God and was to be acknowledged as such 6. The worship and honour due to God though it consisteth mainly in the inward affections of faith love fear and joy Joh. 4. 24. yet it doth not exclude the manifestation of these affections by the outward gestures of the body such as bowing of the knee and confessing with the mouth 7. Externals in worship are no infallible discriminating evidences of these who have true grace from those who have it not for here at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow both of Elect Reprobate and every tongue shall confess 8. The disgrace contempt and reproach which Jesus Christ did meet with when he was here upon earth do contribute much for making his glory illustrious now therefore he saith not at that Name which is above every name but at the Name of Jesus which before his resurrection was contemptible and almost execrable every knee shall bow 9. However a small part of the world onely doth acknowledge Christ to be God and Lord being compared with those who acknowledge him not yet his glory shall be still upon the growing hand untill all reasonable creatures in Heaven Earth or Hell subject themselves unto him and acknowledge him to be the only begotten Son of God for to him every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess whether of things in heaven as Angels and the Souls of them who sleep in the Lord or things on earth as Men yet alive or things under the earth as Devils and damned souls For though Angels and Spirits have neither corporal knees nor fleshly tongues yet they have some means whereby they are bound and shall whether they will or not expresse and testifie their subjection to our Lord and Saviour All which shall have its full accomplishment at the last day when Devils and damned men shall be made to stand at the Tribunal of Christ to receive their doom see Rom. 14. 11. 10. To bow the knee and uncover the head at the pronunciation of the syllables of the name Jesus is but a superstitious custom and will-worship having no warrant from this Scripture for by the name of â—ESUS is not to be understood the naked syllables sound and letters of that word but the glory and majesty of the Lord Christ who notwithstanding of that reproach which he did meet with in the dayes of his flesh shall one day be acknowledged by all otherwise if the letter of the words be precisely stuck to how shall Angels and Spirits bow the
freeing of him from it so far is he from rescuing himself by any power preserved in his own free-will after the fall of Adam He must deliver us by main force or pluck us away as the word signifieth from the power of darkness 4. Though God doth not constrain the will of man by force yet he imployeth omnipotent power to remove his unwillingnesse and to make him willing to obey his call Eph. 1. 19. Who hath delivered us 5. There is no middle state betwixt the power of darknes and the state of grace all who breathe are either in the one or the other the Apostle mentioneth no other state but the Power of darknesse and the Kingdom of his dear Son 6. The state of grace and Gods favour is called a Kingdom because by grace the hearts of men are subdued to God as King whose Laws are full of equity and moderation Psa. 19. 7. and who moveth the wills of men sweetly as being willing subjects in the day of his power Psal. 110. 3. and doth not drive them on by tyranny or force 7. The state of grace is the Kingdom of his dear Son who is appointed of the Father to be head of the Church by whom all do enter that do come to the Kingdom Joh. 14. 6. and all grace is derived from God the fountain through him yea he dispenseth grace and glory as he thinketh fit Act. 5. 31. even he whom the Father loveth dearly and through whom all the subjects of this Kingdom are dearly beloved also Mic. 5. 5. The Kingdom of his dear Son Vers. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins He explaineth further how we are meet for Heaven and delivered from the power of darknesse to wit by our Redemption in Christ from sin Satan and wrath by vertue of a price paid by the Mediator to the Fathers justice even his blood which Redemption he explaineth from its principal part remission of sins in justification for Redemption is not here taken for the laying down of the price by Christ as Luke 2. 38. but for the fruits flowing from it not for that compleat redemption and freedom from sin and misery which the godly shall enjoy at the last day Rom. 8 23. Eph. 4 30. but for that measure of freedom which Believers do enjoy here by faith so that remission of sins is a principal part of it Doct. 1. As all men by nature are in a state of bondage to sin Satan and wrath so there is no freedom from this state except Redemption go before the word Redemption supponeth both these 2. No way of Redemption could be accepted but that which is by giving of a ransom and recompence for the wrong done by sin unto Divine Justice there is no redemption but through blood 3. None was fit to give this ransom but Jesus Christ God and Man In whom to wit Christ we have redemption 4 Nothing performed by Christ could be a sufficient ransom for this end except he had crowned all his other actions and sufferings by laying down his life and undergoing a bloody and violent death for we have redemption through his blood not as excluding his former obedience but as being the complement and crowning of it Rom. 5. 18 19. 5. Though Jesus Christ did pay this ransom unto God Eph. 5. 2. and not to Satan whose slaves we are by nature yet by vertue of the ransom paid we are delivered from Satans slavery and sins dominion for the Apostle clearing what he had said ver 13. of our being delivered from the power of darknesse he giveth this as a reason In whom we have redemption through his blood When God the just Judge was satisfied Satan the Jaylor and unjust Tyrant did lose his right to keep us longer in bonds so that Christ doth justly deliver the Redeemed Ones from him by force Heb. 2. 14. Matth. 12. 29. 6. Though Christ by his obedience and suffering did pay unto the Fathers Justice a sufficient ransom for our Redemption yet we do not actually partake of that freedom until we be in him and by faith united to him In whom we have redemption 7. Sin is the fountain-cause of our slavery and bondage so that it must be removed before our bondage cease thus speaking of our Redemption he instanceth it in the remission of sin 8. Because sin is a debt obliging us either to pay an infinite price or to undertake eternal wrath Gen. 2. 17. therefore that sin might be removed the Son of God behooved to shed his blood for our ransom We must have redemption through his blood otherwise there is no remission of sin 9. When this ransom is laid hold upon by faith and we thereby ingrafted in him the guilt of sin is freely remitted and we compleatly pardoned so being in him we have forgiveness of sins Vers. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature The Apostle having mentioned our Redemption doth here fall upon a description of the Redeemer and this both that in his worth the worthlesnesse of all other things whether of Angels or dead Ceremonies upon which the false Apostles did place equal honour with Christ chap. 2. v. 8. might be seen as also that the sufficiency of his blood in order to the redemption of sinners might the better appear as being the blood of such an one who is here described First From his internal relation to God He is the image of the invisible God as well in respect of his eternal generation being the expresse image of the Father Heb. 1. 3. as also that being made man God the Father did in him and by him as a lively image set forth unto us his glorious attributes of wisdom mercy righteousnesse and power John 14. 9. Secondly From his eternal relation to all things created He is the first-born of every creature as being from all eternity begotten of the Father before any thing was created and Lord and Heir of all the creatures as the first-born was among the Brethren Gen. 27. 37. Doct. 1. The knowledge of Christs worth doth contribute much to confirm and illustrate the doctrine of mans Redemption the excellency and fulnesse of Christ being that strong Basis and corner-stone to uphold and the great mean to carry on and throughly to effectuate that admirable work 1 Cor. 3. 11. Hence speaking of man's Redemption he inserteth in this verse and the three following this excellent description of Christ Who is the image c. 2. As the Divine Nature considered in it self is invisible it being impossible with bodily eyes to behold him at any time yea and also with the eyes of the mind except indirectly while we' are in this life 1 Cor. 13. 12. so the first person of the Godhead is conceived to be in a special manner invisible because he did never at least very seldom appear in any visible shape to men as the Son did frequently to the
comfort was shaken the truth of the Gospel being by those Masters of error questioned 2. It is only the doctrine of the Gospel which setleth a disconsolate and afflicted spirit most and to have that doctrine confirmed when erring spirits would call it in question and to know also that others dear to God sympathize with us in our strait contributeth much to our establishment and comfort so the Apostle's care and pa 〈…〉 s to have them established in the truth of the Gospel which was then questioned and the manifestation thereof to them did contribute for their comfort That their hearts might be comforted 2. Unity of heart and affections in the Church is so necessary that the want of it doth obstruct much that solid comfort which might other wayes be reaped by the Gospel for he suspendeth their comfort upon their being knit together in love as a piece of timber joyned by a Carpenter for so the word signifieth 4. Unity of heart and affections dependeth much upon union of judgments and constancy in Truth where there is discord in the understanding about main and substantial Truths there can be no through and lasting concord of the will and affections for he makes their being knit together in love one fruit of their constancy in Truth for procuring whereof his conflict was 5. Christians are not to rest contented with the knowledge of common and easie principles of Christianity Heb. 6. 1. but are to grow in the knowledge of other more difficult truths such as relate to various cases and the defence of Truth against Adversaries and growth in these doth follow upon perseverance in Truth for such a growth is meant by the riches of understanding here spoken of as another fruit of constancy in Truth 6. Neither are they to rest upon a fluctuating doubting knowledge but to endeavour a full perswasion and assurance both of the truth of the Gospel in general and of their own particular interest in the promises thereof and this also is attained by stability in the Truth for it is the full assurance of understanding here spoken of as another fruit of constancy 7. Neither are they to rest upon simple knowledge of Gospel-truths Matth. 7. 21. but are to know them with affection and love to them they are to take a proof of the truth which is in them and so from experience to know them this much is imported in the word rendered acknowledge signifying to know again and with knowledge above ordinary 8. As God is the author of the Gospel his eternal wisdome having found it out Eph. 3. 10. and as Christ was the Fathers Ambassador to preach and reveal it Matth. 12. 18. So God and the Father and Christ are the prime object of the Gospel the unity of the Godhead and distinction and order of the persons the incarnation of Christ his person natures and offices his saving benefits and love to sinners which are all in themselves dark and mysterious being plainly revealed therein hence the Gospel is called the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ. Vers. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge The words are read by some as relating to the Gospel in which is contained the knowledge of all things necessary to salvation both of those which are only to be known and believed and of those which are also to be practised but they are taken more commonly as relating to Christ in whom as in a house of store is laid up all saving knowledge to be imparted unto those who labour to know him Both senses come to one Christ being the main object of the Gospel and both tend to the same scope which is to hold forth a sufficiency in Christ and the Gospel in order to the salvation of sinners without the help of Angels or vain traditions the necessity of whose help was urged by the false Apostles Doct. 1. There is in Christ and the Gospel sufficiency of knowledge in all things necessary to salvation Christ being the very way to life Joh. 14. 6. and the Gospel that doctrine which holdeth forth this way compleatly Joh. 20. 31. Christ having also received the habits of all created knowledge as of all other graces without measure that therby he might be fitted as Mediator to bestow the grace of saving knowledge upon all the Elect in a competent measure Joh. 1. 16. In whom are all the treasures 2. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is a thing most precious and most inriching of those who have it hence is it called treasures 3. Notwithstanding of all that is revealed of Jesus Christ yet his worth is unsearchable the most able of created understandings cannot reach the depth thereof so in whom are hid all the treasures 4. This fulnesse of knowledge ascribed to Christ maketh nothing for the Ubiquitarian error as if Divine omniscience were inherent in the humane nature for though it should be granted that by these treasures were meant Divine omniscience yet he saith not in which humane nature but in whom that is in his person to wit according to the Divine Nature are hid all the treasures Vers. 4. And this I say lest any man should beguile you with entising words He gives a further reason of his so great care to establish them in the Truth or of his mentioning that fulnesse of knowledge which is in Christ and the Gospel that hereby they might be guarded against all Seducers who intended to draw them from Christ and the simplicity of the Gospel whether by false arguments or insuaring perswasions Doct. 1. As Satan doth endeavour to sow the seed of Error where-ever the Gospel is preached so Ministers should guard people as well against error in opinion as against prophanity of life the one being damnable as the other 2 Pet. 2. 1. Thus doth Paul here This I say lest any man beguile you 2. Ministers should labour to instruct their people well in the positive grounds of Christian Truths especially in the knowledge of Christ and that fulnesse of sufficiency which is in him as a most soveraign antidote against all those Errors which tend to draw the mindes of people from him And whosoever would meddle with the study of controverted truths without hazard and to any good purpose ought first to drink in the knowledg of those positive grounds for the Apostle proceedeth in this method first instructing them in those and next dehorting them from contrary errors and this I say lest any man should beguile you 3. As Satan laboureth to engage ablest wits in the way of errors so when such are engaged they spare no pains for seducing of others abusing their parts and gifts otherwise profitable for that end to wit that they may blind the understandings of people by sophistical arguments which conclude not what they seem to hold forth and lead captive their affections by deceitfull and insinuating perswasions so those Seducers against whom the Apostle doth here guard were men endued
Christ by a second Metaphor taken from edifices strongly founded built up in him 4. There is an innovating humour in people flowing from itching ears 2 Tim. 4. 3. whereby they weary of old truths and hanker after new-fangled errors arising from little conscience made to practise according to those truths Joh. 7. 17. This the Apostle guardeth against by exhorting them so often to continue in the doctrine already received as ye have been taught saith he 5. As there should be stability so there would be growth in faith even to abounding therein Faith groweth in bredth by extending our knowledge and assent to moe divine truths Heb. 6. 1. it groweth in hight when one degree of faith is made a step unto a further as faith of dependance unto assurance 2 Pet. 1. 10. it groweth in length when its acts are not interrupted but constant Job 13. 15. and it groweth in depth when it groweth more rooted and solid whereof before chap. 1. v. 23. And as this growth even to abounding in faith is necessary to make a man constant in the faith so it is prescribed for this end abounding therein 6. Thanksgiving for what we have received of faith already is an effectuall mean to make us constant grow and abound therein which holdeth also in all other graces abounding 〈◊〉 with thanksgiving Vers. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. Having ended the Preface he stateth the controversie reducing those Impostors whereof he would have them to beware lest they should be made a prey of by them unto three heads First Abused philosophy whereby under pretence of reason which was indeed but deceiving several things and particularly as it appeareth from ver 18. the worshipping of Angels was pressed upon them contrary unto the Word all which doctrine he rejecteth as vain and deceiving Secondly Superstitious and foolish rites obtruded as parts of divine worship having no other warrant but custom antiquity and the authority of men Thirdly Levitical rites and Mosaical ceremonies which were earthly and carnal rudiments or beginnings fitted for the infancie of the Church under the old Testament all which he rejecteth upon this general reason they were not according to the doctrine of Christ and did draw away Christians from him Doct. 1. Christians are Christ's flock and the doctrine of the Gospel a sheep-fold wherein so long as they remain they are safe and when they depart from it they fall in the hands of seducing Hereticks who make a prey of their souls thirsting after and rejoycing as much in the drawing of people away from Truth as Robbers Thieves do when they carry away the spoil of another mans goods lest any man spoil you It is a metaphor taken from notorious thieves who carry away the straying cattel 2. Though Philosophy as it speaketh the knowledge of truth found out by Natures light and an accurate way for finding out the same be not to be rejected it being in all the parts of it a very usefull help for attaining to the more exact knowledge of religious truths revealed in Scripture and this same Apostle frequently making use of it in his accurate method insinuating proems accurat and syllogistick argumentations and that often from common philosophick principles Act. 17. 28. yet if Philosophy be taken for the errors of Philosophers and if those be obtruded for truths or if it presume to reject all religious truths such as the greatest mysteries of christian Religion which are not conclusions grounded upon and flowing from Natures light or generally when it is not kept as subservient to Scripture but presumeth to lord it over them Philosophy so taken and in those cases is a very dangerous deceiver in the things of God and so would be eschewed for the Apostle doth not simply condemn Philosophy but the abuse of it even that which is deceiving and vain through Philosophy and vain deceit 3. The traditions of men whereby external rites without the authority of the written Word are obtruded as worship to God upon the Church having no other warrant but antiquity custom and humane authority is the most vain and uselesse doctrine which ever was taught and no wayes to be submitted unto so this vain deceit is after the traditions of men 4. The Mosaical Rites and Legal Ceremonies as they were prescribed by God unto the ancient Church to be the first A. B. C and easie Rudiments of Religion fitted for the then infant-state of the Church so the binding power of them all Christ the substance being come and suffered doth cease yea the practising of them now the light of the Gospel having clearly shined forth is sinfull and to be eschewed as speaking really and by vertue of their first institution that Christ is not yet come in the flesh Gal. 5. 2. for by these Rudiments or Elements of the world of which he would have them to beware is meant those Legal Ceremonies see Gal. 4. v. 3 9. After the Rudiments of the world 5. The way of Christ and of men's own natural wisdom will not weld together so as to make up a perfect mixture if it be their way he will not own it for his for those false Teachers did not quit Christ wholly but would have joyned other things with him and yet the Spirit of God calleth their way a deserting of him And not after Christ saith he Vers. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily He refuteth all those Impostors first joyntly because Christ alone is most perfect and by consequence his doctrine also as having God fully in his Essence and Attributes inseperably residing in his Person and this bodily or personally the Divine Nature having assumed the humane unto the unity of his Person for the word Body is often taken for the Person as 2 Cor. 5. 10. so that it were folly and impiety to seek salvation in any thing but in Christ and in the doctrine taught by him Doct. 1. There is nothing more effectual for making us adhere to Christ and Truth than the consideration of that worth and fulnesse which is in him for the Apostle holdeth out the fulnesse of the Godhead in Christ that they may not be drawn away from him for in him dwelleth c. 2. The more a man doth exercise himself in speaking or thinking of Christ his heart and mouth will be the more enlarged upon that subject for this being the third time which the Apostle hath spoken of this fulnesse first chap. 1. v. 19. next chap. 2. v. 3. and now here we find his speech riseth still higher 2. We learn hence several things of the Person and Natures of Christ as first that he is true man for the Godhead dwelleth in his humane Nature as in his Temple Secondly he is also true God and so the same God with the Father for the fulness of the Godhead