Believing Jewes who knew the Law and were well acquainted with the tearmes and phrases of those times seemes very concise in his expressions sparing and couching his words as his maner is that unto them he might not seeme tedious though thereby unto us of these times hee becomes in many poynts obscure But for our further and clearer understanding of the Apostles Negative that a man is not justified by the works of the Law we are to observe that of the Law there is made in Scripture a two fold sense I say not a two fold sense of every part of the Scripture but of that part which is here called the Law whereat we are the lesse to marvell because in a manner there is the like difference of sense in the Lawes that are made by man for the remedy whereof in all well ordered States the Courts of Equity are erected The first sense of Gods Law is the History saying writing or as Paul calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the letter of the Law according to the proper signification and vulgar acception of those words and clauses wherewith the Law was first published spoken or written This sense of the letter was from the very beginning of the Law intelligible unto all the Israelites of ordinary discretion apprehended of all and acknowledged of all throughout all the passages of the Law excepting onely those ambiguities and doubts which fell out afterward in poynt of practice wherein the Priest or the Judge was to pronounce or declare that sense which they conceived For in vaine are those Lawes which carry not with them a literall sense because when that sense is not understood by the people on whom such Lawes are imposed the Lawes themselves can neither bee approved nor obeyed According to this sense of the letter the Promises of the Law were for terrene and temporall blessings consisting of a long and happy life abounding with plenty of all earthly things resting under the peculiar protection of God in peace and safety secured from the violences and injuries either of a Forraigne Enemy or of a Domestick Warre as any man may easily perceive who shall consult Levit. cap. 26. and Deut. cap. 28. and shall thence consider the large Declarations there expressed concerning the Legall Promises Yea the Originall Promises made unto Abraham long before the time of the Law were for the letter of them terrene and carnall namely the donation of the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance to him and his Heires for ever and a legitimate issue of his owne body that should multiply into a Nation to possesse it Contrarily the Judgements Penalties or Curses of the Law were for the letter quite contrary to the former blessings for their ordinary Penalties to bee executed by the Ruler upon Offendors were either a violent and untimely death by hanging burning stoning c. or corporall Corrections by Roddes and Whippes but their extraordinary Judgements inflicted on them by the hand of God when the Rulers hand was corrupt or remisse were all the miserable calamities of a wretched life by Warre Famine Plague and Diseases with divers other distresses which crossed the happynesse of this life as it plainely appeares in the two forecited Chapters The Precepts of the Law for the letter were terrene and carnall commandements proportioned to the nature of the Promises so fitted and suited to the rudenesse and childishnesse of the Nation that they did not much exceed the quality of humane Lawes and therefore afterward in this Epistle cap. 4. vers 3.9 they will bee called beggerly rudiments and elements of the world Their Moralities or morall Precepts of the Decalogue were the least and lowest commandements that are to bee found in the Law of Nature or rather were restraints from acts unnaturall ordained for men not of any good but of a bad and lewd condition for the tables of the Law were either barres from impiety to keepe men from being Atheists Idolaters perjurious and prophane or they were bridles from inhumanity to curbe men from being disobedient to Parents from being Murderers and Adulterers from being Thieves Lyars and Deceivers hence it is sayd 1. Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of Fathers and murderers of Mothers for manslayers for whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankinde for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons c. Yea their generall or capitall Moralities of Loving God with all their heart and of loving their neighbour as themselves which were the great Commandements of their Law are to bee taken in a construction accommodate and agreeable to the speciall Precepts of the Decalogue for those two generalls containe in them no more then all these specialls joyntly together Their Ceremonies were odious Institutes or Statutes positive so numerous chargeable and troublesome that they were like yokes on their necks and burdens on their shoulders and are in Scripture so called for they were all carnall Ordinances or Lawes upon the flesh serving either for carnall distinction to difference them from other Nations or for carnall oblations in sacrificing the flesh and blood of Beasts or for carnall purifications in washing their owne flesh and their cloaths Insomuch that the Priests of the Law though their Function were glorious yet compared to the Ministers of the Gospel whose Function is more glorious seemed but a kinde of Butchers Cookes and Laundresses Lastly the workes of the Law done in duty to the Precepts thereof were for the Letter externall and servile by a kinde of eye-service performed out of feare under the spirit of bondage Yea the best of their workes as their Moralityes were not really workes but properly not-workes as not to have many gods not to worship images not to be forsworne not to worke on the Sabbath not to murther not steale not lye not defraud for all these and the like were meere Innocencies or abstinencies from wickednesse which make but a negative and beggarly holinesse As for any positive holinesse they had little or none for their Priests and Levites who went for the holiest persons amongst them untill afterward the Pharisees by an Hypocriticall holinesse exceeded them in the opinion of the people were acquainted with no workes of kindnes or mercy though they met with a man in extream distresse by thieves stripped wounded and halfe dead as Christ discovers them in the parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10.30 c. And yet their workes how poore soever had a large abatement or allowance not onely of all errours and frailties but of some willfull trespasses for which God in his mercy granted the legall favours of Expiation by certaine sin-Offerings and trespas-Offerings which remitted onely temporall penalties and mitigated besides the rigour of the Law in exacting of those workes The second sense of the Law is the mystery minde meaning or as Paul
because after long disuse it was againe revived by Moses is called by Christ a Law of Moses Joh. 7.23 3. Judgements of divers curses penalties and punishments which in respect of those precepts were to be inflicted on the transgressours of them The word Law therefore is in respect of these three heads variously taken sometime strictly for some one of them singly sometime largely for two of them together sometime amply for all three and sometime extraordinarily eyther for the five Bookes of Moses or for all the Historicall Bookes of the old Testament as they are opposed to the Psalmes and the Prophets But among these varieties which of the senses ought to be taken in this or that place of Scripture must bee collected from the words annexed In this place heer it seemes to signifie strictly for that head which containes the precepts yet with some reflection also upon the promises Another distribution of the Law is into the Tables of the Law contayning the Decalogue or ten Commandements which were kept in the Arke and into the booke of the Law comprising all the residue which was kept by the High Priest Yet this Law in respect of the promises therein conveyed was also the Testament of God partly because those promises were workes of his kindnesse conferred upon the Israelites by way of legacies or blessings but chiefly because according to the nature of a Testament they were a just sentence of Gods will touching what he would have done after death yet not after his owne death because God is necessarily immortall and ever-living but after the death of some other creature who being mortall should die in his stead to confirme and establish his Will because all Testaments are established by death And although among men that establishment be alwayes made by the death of the Testator yet Gods Testament being a divine Will had therefore this prerogative that it might be established by the death of some other in his stead and thereupon it was actually established by the death and bloud of Calves and Goats sprinkled on the Booke of the Law and on the people Compare Exod. 24.5.6.7.8 with Heb. 9.19.20 In which respect the Law hath not only the definition but also the appellation of a Testament for hence 2. Cor. 3.14 it is called the old Testament and Heb. 9.18 the first Testament Againe the Law in respect of the other two heads viz. of the Precepts and the Judgements was also the Covenant of God because unto Gods Will for the observance of those precepts and judgements there was an agreement of the peoples will to observe them for to this purpose they professe their agreement Exod. 19.8 All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe And againe Exod. 24.7 All that the Lord hath sayd will we doe and be obedient And an agreement of Wills upon a just cause makes up the nature of a Covenant Yet the Law hath also the name of Gods Covenant most frequently in Scripture and the Arke which kept the Tables of the Law is commonly called the Arke of the Covenant and the Booke of the Law kept by the Priest is also called the Booke of the Covenant For this old and first Testament and Covenant of the Law was but the crayon or first draught of Gods Will to stand in force awhile untill the time of Reformation by his New and last Testament which for a distinction from the Old is named the Gospel and the Old to distinguish it from the New is called the Law By workes wee are to understand good workes because evill workes are not workes of the Law but against the Law And good workes taken generally and absolutely by themselves are of a larger extent then workes of the Law whereunto workes are heere restrained For before the Law of Moses was inacted those of the Patriarks who walked in a continuall obedience of God doing all those duties which by the light of nature or by divine Revelation they knew would bee acceptable and pleasing to him had good workes as had Abel Enoch and Noah And now since that Law is expired they who neglecting the Ceremonies thereof walke according to the Precepts of the Gospel persevering in the duties thereof have good workes and may bee rich in good workes The workes therefore of the Law doe implye two sorts of workes flowing from two severall Agents which working reciprocally one upon another are both heere excluded from Justifying or making free One sort is all workes or legall acts of man done by man in obedience to the Precepts of the Law The other sort is all workes or legitimate acts of the Law done by the Promises of the Law in recompence of mans obedience to the Precepts For as man hath his workes upon the Law to transgresse or obey it So reciprocally the Law hath her workes and effects upon man to condemne or justifie him because the Law is not onely a rule whereby man workes but is also a kinde of Ruler and Actor to worke upon man according to his workes When therefore the worke of man is sinne a worke contrary to the Precept of the Law then the worke of the Law is to Condemne and punish him for his worke hence saith Paul Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is a worke or effect of the Law to punish the worke of sinne And when the worke of man is uprightnesse a worke according to the Precept of the Law then the work of the Law is to Justifie him conservantly by continuing and maintaining that right of freedome unto him which hee had before hence saith the Law Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. Hee shall thereby continue and prolong his life which hee enjoyed before secure from any violent death to bee inflicted by those Statutes and Judgements and againe Ezech. 18.9 Hee that hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgements to deale truely hee is just hee shall surely live i. e. Hee is thereby upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue maintaine and prolong his life which hee had before on earth But when againe the worke of man is uprightnesse according to the Precepts of Law then for sound Doctrine wee must lay downe this Negative It is not the worke of the Law to justifie man procreantly to create constitute or make unto him any new right which hee had not before to bee acquired initiated and had by title of his uprightnesse or weighing the workes in the other skale let them bee referred unto man and then though the Negative vary in words yet the truth will bee the same It is not the worke or effect of mans legall workes to justifie man procreantly to create unto him the right of divine freedome by the title of his uprightnesse Thus wee have the meaning of the Apostles Negative concerning Justification by the workes of the Law but hee writing to the
indefinite that is not limited to a time certaine And a Law so unlimited is thereupon called perpetuall or according to the phrase of Scripture everlasting to distinguish it from a law temporary whose duration is limited to a time certaine Yet the Perpetuity of a Law doeth never debarre the Law-maker from his power to revoke repeal or alter at his pleasure as cause shall require either the Law it selfe or the duration of it And therefore upon just cause by expunging the clause of limitation hee may advance a Law temporary to become perpetuall or by inserting a clause of limitation hee may reduce a Law perpetuall to bee temporary 2. The duration of it was limited to a time uncertaine the event whereof exceeded humane knowledge For that this kinde of limitation was made it plainly appeares from hence in that the Tabernacle and the services thereto belonging Heb. 9.9 are called a figure for the time present and the rest of the Ceremonies in meats drinkes and washings Heb. 9.10 were imposed untill the time of Reformation Now the period or event of that time present and of the time of Reformation was at the making of the Law so uncertaine that it passed the reach of humane knowledge And that uncertaine time which the duration of the Law was limited was the time of Christ whose time was the time of Reformation For the Law of Moses was but a way leading unto the Gospel of Christ and ended at Christ Rom. 10.4 for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth And as the occasion of the Law was for transgressions so the duration of it was untill the comming of Christ Gal. 3.19 The Law was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made It was a Schoolemaster to initiate the Jew for a time untill the comming of Christ Gal. 3.24 Wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaster unto Christ And it was a tutor or governour to over-rule the childhood or the Jew for a time the fulnesse whereof was fulfilled at the comming of Christ Gal. 4.2 We when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law Because then the duration of the Law was not limited to any time certaine therefore it was perpetuall and everlasting and yet because the duration of it was limited to a time uncertaine therefore it was transitory mutable and ceasable Wherefore during the current of that uncertaine time the Law was all that while mortall and at the expiration of that time it expired and died i. e. it was then of no force but frustrate and voyd For as the Obligation or Bond of the Law while it standeth in force is called the life of the Law for hence it is sayd Rom. 7.1 The Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth i. e. as long as the Law is in force so the cessation of the Law when the force of it is expired is called the death of the Law for hence againe it is sayd Rom. 7.6 But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held i. e. The Law being ceased and dead Wherefore to speak accurately and properly the Law was not abrogated or repealed but of it selfe it expired and ceased because the fulnes of her time was come for that uncertaine terme whereto her duration was limited was by the comming of Christ certainly determined Yet this Expiration or Death of the Law is expressed by severall other words for it is called Abolishing Ephes 2.15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements And Cancelling or blotting out Col. 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us And Disanulling Heb. 7.18 For verily there is a disanulling of the commandement going before for the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof And Antiquating or making old Heb. 8.13 In that he sayth a new Covenant he hath antiquated or made the first old Thus all the Lawes of Moses are as dead as the Lawes of Solon or Lycurgus Yet the death of the Moralityes contained in the Decalogue or elsewhere dispersed must be cautelously understood by distinguishing between the Constitution of a Law whereby it first hath being and the Declaration of a Law whereby that being which it had before is made knowne For according to this distinction we say of Judges that they doe not make Law by constituting it but they onely declare Law by manifesting that to bee Law which was constitute and made before Much more may the Law-maker himselfe in case of ignorance or question declare that to be his Law which hee had constituted for Law before Now the Moralities in the Decalogue had their Constitution at the beginning of the world for they are Lawes of nature which God made at the making of man from whose creation they resulted But they had a declaration in the Decalogue wherein God wrote them and published them to the Israelites that thereby they taking notice of them to bee his Lawes might not make their ignorance an excuse for their transgressions for some Lawes of nature are of themselves obscure and those that are knowne are not to all men equally manifest And they had a new Declaration in the new Covenant for thereby Hebr. 8.10 God hath put them into our mindes and written them in our hearts and lest our owne mindes and hearts should deceive us hee hath sufficiently manifested them by Christ and his Apostles throughout the New Testament The Moralityes then in the Law of Moses are dead as to that declaration which they had there for by vertue thereof they binde no man but they are not dead in respect of two other bonds whereof the one is their new declaration in the New Testament by vertue whereof they binde all Christians and the other their first Constitution as Lawes of nature by vertue whereof they binde all men whatsoever The reason why the Law is dead and why it expired at the death of Christ is because the Gospel published by Christ is the last Will and Testament of God established upon better promises and better Precepts then were in the Law and was confirmed by the death of Christ and therefore the Law which was Gods former Will and Testament is thereby infringed and frustrated For of Persons testable the last and newest Will is alwayes the best and of such validity or force that at the very making of it all former Wills are infringed and at the confirming of it all former are frustrated And Christ who was the Executor of Gods last Will did disanull the first to establish the last Heb. 10.9 Then sayd he Loe I come to doe thy Will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second And Christ at his death by one and the
after the Promise made to Abraham See and compare Gen. 12.2 and Gen. 15.5 6. and Gen. 17.10 and Act. 7.5 6 7 8. and Rom. 4.10 11. and Gal. 3.17 The persons called Jewes who enjoyed these Prerogatives of Rights and Lawes were of two sorts 1. Some were Jewes natively by nature nation or birth who lineally descended from Jacob and of what Tribe soever they were yet from the Tribe of Judah which was the Tribe Royall were called Jewes Thus the Galileans though they were not all of the tribe of Judah but of other tribes were Jewes by nature and Luke 7.3 are called Jewes So Sceva Act. 19.14 who was one of the chiefe Priests and therefore of the tribe of Levi is called a Jew And Paul himselfe Acts 22.3 who was of the tribe of Benjamin and borne at Tarsus in Cilicia calls himselfe a Jew 2. Others were Jewes factively by naturalization denization or ascription who descending from parents that were not Jewes by nature but Gentiles were by favour and grace admitted to bee partakers of the Rights Lawes and Religion of the Jewes as incorporated planted and grafted into the Jewish Nation whereto they were initiated by Circumcision Hence the Jewes by nature are called The naturall branches of the good olive tree whereinto the cions of the wild olive tree i. e. of the Gentiles are grafted contrary to nature Rom. 11.21 24. And these factive or endenized Jewes are commonly called Proselites as Mat. 23.15 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee compasse sea and land to make one proselite i. e. a factive or endenized Jew And Acts 2.10 Strangers of Rome Jewes and proselites i. e. Iewes native and Iewes factive And Acts 13.43 Now when the Congregation was broken up many of the Jewes and religious proselites followed Paul and Barnabas i. e. Iewes native and factive Yet in one place they are called Those under the Law 1. Cor. 9.20 Vnto the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gaine the Jewes to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law i. e. the proselites or Iews factive For the Proselite being initiated by Circumcision became thereby a pertaker of all the Iewish Rights and also a subject to be under all their Lawes Hence sayth the Apostle Gal. 5.3 I testifie againe to every man that is circumcised that he is a debter to doe the whole Law Such a Proselite or Iew factive was Uriah the Hittite and Araunah the Iebusite and Nicholas the Deacon Acts 6.5 who was a Proselite of Antioch for these three and divers others were by Nation and nature Gentiles but by favour and Circumcision Iewes Now Paul in this verse useth the phrase Jewes by nature partly to distinguish them from Proselites who were Iewes by favour and partly to oppose them unto Idolaters who as it followes in the next words were Sinners of the Gentiles And not sinners of the Gentiles The Gentiles in opposition to the Jewes were in like manner of two sorts 1. Some were Worshippers who forsaking the way of Idolatry did worship the God of Israel and thereupon were admitted to sacrifice at the Temple and to assemble at the Synagogues where they heard the Lectures of the Law and the Prophets These were commonly called Strangers within the gates upright in heart fearers of God and devout men Yet because they were not and would not be Circumcised they retained the name of Gentiles and by the Law were accounted uncleane Persons and therefore no Jew would eat or converse with them neither might they come into the inner Court of the Temple but must worship in the outward Court which was therefore called the Court of the Gentiles Such a Worshipper was Naaman the Syrian 2 Kings 5.17 who professed that henceforth hee would offer neither burnt-offerings nor Sacrifice unto other gods but onely unto the Lord. Such the Centurion of Capernaum of whom the Jewes there gave this Testimony Luke 7.5 Hee loveth our Nation and he hath built us a Synagogue Such the Eunuch of Ethiopia Acts 8.27 Who came to Jerusalem for to worship Such Cornelius the Captaine at Cesarea Acts 10.2 Who was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway Such a Gentile was the father of Timothy though his Mother were a Jewesse Acts 16.1 And such was Lydia the Purple-seller who heard Paul Preach in the Oratory of Philippi and Acts 16.14 is called a Worshipper of God Such were those devout men out of every Nation under Heaven Acts 2.5 who during the feast of Pentecost were dwelling or abiding for the present at Jerusalem And those of Antioch in Pisidia who hearing Paul preach in the Synagogue there Acts 13.42 besought that those words might be Preached to them the next Sabboth day And that great multitude of Thessalonica who belonged unto the Synagogue of the Jewes there and Acts 17.4 are called devout Greekes 2. Others of the Gentiles were Idolaters who worshipped Images and served the false Gods of the Nation where they lived and casting off all feare of the true God followed the sway of their fleshly lusts These to distinguish them from the former Gentiles who were Worshippers are here called Sinners of the Gentiles and in some places by way of eminency simply Sinners for so our Saviour calleth them Mat. 26.45 The Sonne of man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners i. e. into the hands of the Idolatrous Gentiles True it is that all the Gentiles of what sort soever are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Lawlesse or those without the Law as 1 Cor. 9.21 To them that are without the Law as without the Law that I might gaine them that are without the Law i. e. the Gentiles who both transgressed opposed the Law Yet the Gentiles were not equally lawlesse or without the Law for the Idolaters who transgressed and opposed the whole Law both the Commandements in the two tables of the Law and the Ceremonies in the Book of the Law were more lawlesse more without the Law then the Worshippers who transgressed opposed only one part of the Law namely the Ceremonies but observed the ten Cōmandements in the two tables of the Law And all the Gentiles are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Sinners as in severall passages of the Evangelists where they are joyned with Publicans See one for all Luke 15.1 Then drew neare unto him all the Publicans and Sinners for to heare him i. e. Publicans and Gentiles Yet all the Gentiles were not equally Sinners for the Idolaters who crucified Christ and transgressed the Commandements and opposed the Ceremonies were more Sinners then the Worshippers who heard Christ and observed the Commandements and opposed only the Ceremonies whereto they would never submit neyther before nor after Christ Such Idolatrous Gentiles were generally all other Nations farre and neer living round about
the Iewes and some living among them as the Samaritans and many townes in Galilee which Mat. 4.15 was therefore called Galilee of the Gentiles All these idolatrous Gentiles were so abominable and odious unto the Iewes that Paul in contempt and disdayne doth heere tacitly call the false teachers of Galatia Sinners of the Gentiles i. e. Idolaters Because although they were now by fayth Christians and by sect Iudaizers yet by birth they were Idolaters for unto Christians they were not converted from being Iewes but from being Gentiles and from that sinfull sort of Gentiles who were not worshippers but Idolaters For in saying Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles he sufficiently insinuates that those Iudaizers were once such sinners and therefore were once men of the basest and lewdest life in the world as persons most distant and remote from the Jewes by nature who by the prerogative of their birth accounted themselves in the highest degree of all those who worshipped God to be a holy Nation and the Saints of the Lord. The sence of the whole verse is q. d. Wee who are Jewes in the best and fullest maner both in respect of our Nation as wee are the seede of Abraham Jewes in respect of our Rights which God hath setled upon us and Jewes in respect of our Lawes which God hath prescribed us for Religion and Justice wee who have these advantages by the best title even by Nature and Birth-right as wee are borne to those Rights and under those Lawes wee who were never sinfull Gentiles borne and bred up in Idolatry as were the Judaizing false Teachers and therefore have better meanes then they to know by what meanes a man is justified Even wee have beene forced to forsake all these advantages even the workes of our Law and the wayes of our Religion to flye unto the faith of Christ for our justification that by faith in him wee may attaine to that Blessednesse which was promised to our Father Abraham No reason is there then that the Gentiles who heeretofore were alwayes aliens and strangers to God and our Lawes but now by Gods grace manifested in the Gospel are admitted unto Christ and endenized into the Kingdome of Heaven being made fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God should thereupon bee constrained to the workes of our Law and to the wayes of our Religion considering that those workes and wayes were unto justification so unavailable and so unprofitable that wee our selves have utterly forsaken them for how can those things advantage them which unto us were no benefit But in the word Sinners there is yet couched a further emphasis whereby the Apostle would prepare and lay a ground for his future Doctrine in the next verse concerning Justification whereof a Sinner is the proper subject and the onely person capable of that blessing That therefore wee may bee the better provided to understand what Justification is and what is the Justification of a Sinner wee must observe that in the Scriptures the word Sinner and his Synonyma's or equivalents beare three severall senses viz. a legall a morall and a jurall sense according to the three generall and notable words Lex Mos Jus. 1. The word sinner signifies legally quoad leges for one who is a transgressour in not doing that right which hee should and ought to doe by the Rules of the Lawes Statutes and Justice For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Law and Justice hee is unrighteous and a person unrighteous is a sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a legall sinner to bee a transgressor is some unlawfull act of his done by him against the Law Such sinners were our first Parents who by transgressing against the Law of Paradise were of mankinde the first sinners by whom sinne entered into the world Such a Sinner was David who in the case of Uriah transgressed the Laws against murder and adultety Such a Sinner was Jeroboam who made Israel to sinne and such was all Israel who did sinne by transgressing the Law against worshipping of Images Such a Sinner was the woman Luk. 7.37 Who washed the feete of Christ with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head and kissed them and anointed them with oyntment For shee was an Adulteresse Such a Sinner was the other woman John 8.3 Who was taken in adultery in the very act and was thereupon brought unto Christ to bee censured And such were the Sinners of the Gentiles mentioned before 2. It signifies Morally quoad mores for one who is Improbous in not doing that right which hee might should and ought to doe by the Rules of Morality Equity Decency Charity and Mercy For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Equity Decency and Mercy hee is unrighteous and the person unrighteous is a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man to become a sinner morally or improbous is not an act of his that is unlawfull in respect of any Law for the act may bee lawfull and yet sinfull enough to denominate him a sinner But it is an act that is not honest and faire in respect of Equity and Decency Such a Sinner was Cham Gen. 9.22 Who seeing his Fathers nakednesse told his two brethren without This act of his was a sinne for it was punished with a heavy curse of perpetuall slavery Yet this was not a sinne legally against any Law or Statute then being in force which forbad that act but it was a sinne morally against the Rule of good Manners Equity and Charity for a sonne to bee so improbous unnaturall and unkinde as to blab of his fathers fault which hee should have concealed Such Sinners were they 1. Sam. 10.27 Who despised Saul and brought him no Presents This act of theirs was a sinne for at the beginning of the verse the offenders are called the children of Belial Yet this was no sinne legally nor an act unlawfull against any Law of Moses but a morall sinne of improbity against the Rule of Morality Equity and Decency for Subjects to despise their King and upon his Election to bring him no Presents Such a Sinner was Nabal 1. Sam. 25.10 Who sayd who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse There bee many servants now a dayes that breake away every man from his Master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee This saying was a sinne for vers 14. one of Nabals owne servants censureth it for railing and afterward vers 17. hee censureth his Master in these words Hee is such a man of Belial that a man cannot speake to him Yet this sinne of Nabal was no legall sinne against any Law of Moses But a morall sinne of improbity against equity and good manners that a man of a great estate
by conforming his owne unto it and whose service hee findes to bee no servitude but perfect freedome is acquitted and discharged from the burdens and penalties of the Law to rest and remaine under the friendship favour grace and love of God to bee inlightned guided moved strengthned and cheered by the holy spirit of God This is a state of grace an high noble divine and blessed condition a condition transcending farre above the proper nature and quality of man a condition honored and inriched with many other Rights Priviledges and Benefits thereto consequent incident and annexed whereof the first concurrent with it is a degree of spirituall freedome viz. a divine alliance to bee the Sonne and Heire of God The state whereto a man is Justified is this condition of spirituall freedome and alliance to bee the freed man and friend of God to bee the Sonne and Heire of God Hence Abraham being justified was called the friend of God Jam. 2.23 Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and hee was called the friend of God i. e. Abrahams faith did justifie him or was imputed unto him for a right of Freedome Amity or Alliance with God to bee made and called Gods friend And Christ tells his Disciples that they were and should bee called his friends John 15.14 Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth But I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you And the Apostle tells all Believers that by being justified they are made the Heirs of God Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his grace wee should bee made Heires according to the hope of eternall life For Justifying is the altering or changing of mans spirituall state or condition whereby hee acquires a new state much different from that wherein hee stood before Yet this change is not made downeward to abate and lessen it into the state of spirituall bondage but upward to advance and raise it unto spirituall Freedome Amity and Alliance with God Hence Justification is quite opposite and contrary to that Condemnation which the Civilians call Capitis diminutio i. e. a lessening of the head by debasing and changing the state or condition of a man from the better to the worse to make him an Alien or a Bondman who before was a Citizen or Freeman for anciently the word head did signifie jurally for the state or condition of a man Because a mans state or condition is the beginning fountaine or head from whence all his other rights are either derived or obstructed And because of this contrariety to Capitis diminutio Justification may be fitly tearmed Capitis exaltatio i. e. a raising or lifting up the head for to that sense the phrase of lifting up the head is used in the Old Testament Gen. 40. vers 20. And it came to passe the third day which was Pharoahs birth-day that hee made a Feast unto all his servants and hee lifted up the head of the chiefe Butler and of the chiefe Baker among his servants i. e. Hee raised their condition by giving them their freedome and releasing them from their former imprisonment And 2. King 25.27 And it came to passe that Evilmerodach King of Babylon in the yeare that hee began to raigne did lift up the head of Jehoiachin King of Judah out of prison i. e. Did give him his freedome from his imprisonment The state from whence a man is justified is the base condition of spirituall bondage and the miseries thereto consequent for that state is the terminus a quo or tearme of recesse from whence Justifying commenceth and from whence a man is thereby delivered and the state of freedome is the terminus ad quem or the tearme of accesse whereto Justifying exalteth and wherin a man is thereby invested and seated And although mans deliverance from bondage doth in order of nature precede his investiture into freedome Yet I first mentioned the last because the last is first in the order of our method and first in order of dignity as being the more worthy and more noble condition Hence it appeares that Justifying doth worke an alteration or change in a man for it changeth his state or condition Yet it appeares also that this change is onely jurall whereby hee is exalted or raised from a low and base condition to rest in a noble and divine state for such a jurall change and no other there is in a person naturalized legitimated infranchised redeemed pardoned and adopted in all which being severall sorts of Justifying there is a change yet that change is onely jurall by a change of condition As for any morall alteration or change upon the affections or manners of man that is not the proper worke of Justification but of Sanctification Yet the grace and blessing of Justification in changeing the state and condition of man doth strongly oblige and binde him to the workes of sanctity or holinesse in making a morall change upon his affections and manners by destroying sinne and the lusts thereof as the Apostle will seriously presse it in this Chapter vers 18. The Priviledges incident and consequent unto this state of divine freedome and alliance are all the residue of the Legacies or precious Promises devised in Gods Testament wherof the most future and most finall are the Remission of sins the Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting with all the glory and joyes thereto annexed all which three are in a maner eyther one and the same blessing or blessings so consequent one to another that the former must necessarily be antecedent to the latter For there can bee no Life everlasting unlesse the Resurrection of the body antecede and the Resurrection cannot be unlesse the Remission of sins antecede But when by the Remission of sins eternall death which is the punishment thereof is extinguished then the Resurrection of the body must needs follow and upon the Resurrection from eternall death Life everlasting must needes follow For the heyres of God dying on earth how shall they enter their heavenly inheritance unlesse they be againe raysed to life and dying for sin how shall they be raysed unlesse the sin be remitted for which they die As therefore the state of Sovereignty draweth unto it the rights and dues of tribute custome feare and honour Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour so the state of supreame alliance doth draw unto it the priviledges and blessings of Forgivenesse of sins the Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting For Abraham Isaac and Jacob have a right interest or clayme unto the Resurrection and consequently unto Life everlasting and their right interest or clayme thereto is by vertue of their state or condition of freedome and alliance unto
but are made so by the Will and Testament of God And wee are adopted by his Will Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will i. e. of his Will and Testament whereto the like saying followeth afterward in the same Chapter vers 13. And wee are begotten by his Will James 1.18 Of his owne Will begat hee us with the word of truth i. e. by his owne Will and Testament Thus having premised the Meaning of the word Justified that it signifies the conveying of a present right to man that the Matter of that Right is a right of state or permanent condition wherein man resteth that the quality of that state is a spirituall franchise or alliance to become the friend son and heyre of God that the priviledges incident to that alliance are the future Remission of his sins the Resurrection of his body and Life everlasting that the degree of his right to these priviledges is a right of Institution or a present right to the future possession of them that the Maner how man hath this state is factively by a testamentary act of God We come now to the Means whereby man hath this state or to that fact of man whereby the fact of God is effected or to the Title whereby man receives and enters this state for on mans part there is required an Act as the Meanes or Title for his reception of this state and concerning this Means or Title was all the controversie between Paul and the false teachers of Galatia against whom hee layes downe this Negative that It is not by the works of the Law as it followeth in the next words Text. Not by the workes of the Law The wrong title to the former state The particle By argues a Cause or Meanes The Nature of a Title exemplified in Lysias and in Paul and of speciall consideration 3. Maine heads of the Law 3. Judgements Two other heads of the Law It was Gods Testament and his Covenant Workes meane good workes Man worketh and the Law worketh in Condemning and Justifying conservantly but not procreantly neither doe mans works so The Law hath two senses 1. The History or letter of it which was well understood and so the Promises were terrene the Precepts were childish as their Moralities and much more their Ceremonies The workes were servile 2. The mystery or spirit of it which was not fully understood And so the Promises were heavenly the Precepts were virile and manly The works to be Cordial Liberall and Perfect No works justifie Procreantly to the heavenly promises nor to the earthly The wrong or false title of man to his spirituall right of franchise and alliance with God that hee hath not that state by the works of the Law For in any right whatsoever whether it be a Right of state of power of honour or of profit a man must have a speciall regard to his Title especially in a Right of this moment which is divine and concernes everlasting blessednesse The particle By doth imply a Meanes and thereby doth intimate unto man that unlesse on his part some Meanes be used or some Act done for his reception of this spirituall and divine state the testamentary acts of God in predestinating or instituting him thereto may become ineffectuall as ineffectuall they must needs become unto all who despise refuse or reject that state as manifest it is that too many have done both of Jewes and Gentiles for all testamentary acts doe leave unto the party instituted a liberty to accept or refuse the Legacy therein devised to him because a Testament carrieth not the force of a Law to constrayne and much lesse of fate to necessitate but passeth in the forme of grace to offer and tender the good will of the Testator And the Meanes heere understood is the meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby a right is first acquired initiated commenced entred and had which meanes or cause is commonly called a Title For a Title is that cause or formality whereby a mans right is declared or proved to be true and just whereby it is assured unto the party that hath it and is defended against any that shall impugne it or lay a clayme to dispossesse the possessor of it For in case another man should make a doubt of my right whatsoever it be or question me whether I have and hold it justly if thereupon I shall alleadge unto him the Meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby I first acquired entred and had that my right as that I had it by my Birth in inheriting it or by my Worke in earning it or by my Money in buying it or by my Acceptance in receiving the gift of it then such meanes or cause being justly approoved is my Title whereby I have that right and whereby I defend my having of it Lysias the Colonell and Governour of the Temple at Jerusalem had a right of freedome to the City of Rome and his title to that state was by his money for saith he Act. 22.28 with a great summe obtayned I this freedome And Paul his prisoner had the same right of freedome to the very same City but Pauls right came not to him by the same title for when Lysias made a doubt of Pauls freedome and questioned him about it Paul in the defence of his right alleadged his title that it was by Birth and sayd I was free borne In mans Justification therefore wee are to consider his title whereby he hath his right of spirituall State in his divine franchise and alliance with God whereby procreantly and acquisitively the reception of that state is initiated commenced or begun in him But that his title is not by Birth was proved before in the Maner how man hath this state namely not natively in being borne in it but factively in being made to have it and that fact on Gods part was Gods testamentary act in Predestinating or devising it unto man It remaineth therefore that mans title on mans part must bee by some act of his owne whereof the Apostle determineth heere that it is not by the works of the Law The Law was the whole body of those orders and rules for life which God by the meanes of Moses inacted in the Wildernesse for the people of Israel contayning three maine heads 1. Promises of divers blessings which God freely conferred upon that Nation as his owne peculiar people 2. Precepts of divers duties which the people on their part were to performe in respect of those promises of which precepts some were Moralities contayning duties naturall whereto the light of nature binds towards God and man as the ten Commandements of the Decalogue and others of their nature others were Ceremonies imposing duties positive which had little ground in nature but only in Gods pleasure of these the principall was Circumcision which though it were long before inacted in the time of Abraham yet
calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the spirit of the Law according to the tacit intent true meaning and purpose of the Law-giver for times and things future above and beyond the common construction which the words and clauses of the Law afford This mysticall sense for the spirit of the Law was not understood at least not plainly and fully by the people of Israel to whom the Law was given neither could it be understood of any unlesse God revealed it from Heaven in a way extraordinary as privately was done in some measure unto some speciall persons but publickly it was never revealed untill it was Preached and published by Christ who was the first that did away the vaile of the Law and brought to light that true sense and minde of the Law whereof the former sense which even unto this day 2. Cor. 3.15 is a vaile upon the heart of the Jew was a figure and a shadow in foreshewing some representment of those things which should have a future existence under the new covenant which is little else but the new and true sense of the old For according to this sense of the spirit the Promises of the Law were to be Celestiall and eternall blessings in the Kingdome of Heaven whereof the principall and finall is a divine holinesse like that of the Angels pure and perfect without any spot or staine of sin and the accessories to that blessed state in Heaven are eternall life eternall rest eternall joy and eternall glory in the eternall company of eternall persons The judgements penalties or curses of the Law for the spirit of it were to be infernall and eternall death with all the losses and miseries thereto incident quite contrary to the former blessings The Precepts of the Law for the spirit of it were to be all Moralities for the legall moralities and all the ceremonies excepting onely those which were especiall figures of Christ were to be refined and exalted into the evangelicall moralities of poorenesse of spirit purenesse of heart mourning meekenesse hunger and thirst after righteousnes mercifulnes peaceablenes and gladnes under persecution for none of all these are Counsels or advises left unto mans choyse to be done or not done but all of them are Precepts or commands injoyned by Christ who thereupon assureth heavenly blessednes Mat. 5.3 And unto all these the generall or capitall morality is the new Commandement of Love refined also and exalted above and beyond the legall love yea above and beyond that love which moves and workes by the Law of nature as to love mine enemies to blesse them that curse me to benefit them that hate me to pray for them that despite me and persecute me to lay downe my life for my Brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father whensoever a just cause shall require it Lastly the workes of the Law for the spirit of it were to be Cordiall wrought inwardly in and upon my heart by Circumcising of my heart by Sacrificing of my heart by Expiating of my heart in cutting killing and cleansing away the lusts motions and affections of sin And the workes were to be Liberall done in the free and noble way of love answerable to that love and kindnes which appeareth in God in condescending to this divine alliance of being my heavenly Father and of promising me an heavenly Inheritance and answerable to that love and duty which is due from me who am made the son of God and his heyre to eternall blessednes And finally the works were to be Perfect so exact and compleat as to performe an universall and perpetuall obedience to every precept not transgressing any one at any time so sinlesse and blamelesse that none of them should need any pardon or forgivenesse so upright and holy in the sight of God as to merit and deserve those divine and heavenly blessings as their proper and due wages The full meaning therefore of the Apostles Negative in this verse is this A man is not justified by any workes whatsoever no not by the spirituall workes of the Law i. e. his Moralities or morall workes by poorenes of spirit meekenes purenes of heart meeknes mercifulnes c. being measured by the spirituall sense of Gods Law are not cordiall liberall and perfect enough to make him a title whereby to acquire and have a true right of divine alliance with God and of the heavenly Inheritance consequent to that state This Negative the Apostle proves in this Chapter by three severall arguments which are not to be here anticipated but shall be specified in their due places in all which he mentions workes with restraint of them to the Law but his arguments hold against works in generall and in his Epistle to the Romans he handles the very same Doctrine of workes in generall without any restraint of them to the Law proving it there by the same arguments alleaged heere yet because there he produceth two arguments which here are omitted I shall therefore mention those two and but onely mention them One is Rom. 3.27 and the same is also alleaged Ephes 2.9 If mans title or cause procreant whereby he acquireth or hath a right of divine alliance and inheritance with God come by his owne workes then all boasting on mans part cannot be excluded for man doth naturally boast of his works particularly of such workes whereby he acquires some great alliance and inheritance especially of such as would make him a divine alliance to be the son and heire of God The other is Rom. 4.4 If mans title c. be by his workes then by the Law of equity heavenly blessednes becomes a debt and is due unto him as his wages which he hath earned by his worke Now these two respects that man should be able either to boast of his blessednes or to earne it are both derogatory to the love grace mercy and kindnes of God for where is Gods grace and his kindnes when either I can boast of my earnings or he is drawne to pay his debt But concerning the literall workes of the Law there may hereupon be inferred these two consequences 1. That the literall workes of the Law are no title whereby a man is justified procreantly or acquisitively to the spirituall promises thereof For if the spirituall workes which are farre more sublime and more pleasing to God make man no title to the spirituall promises as was proved before much lesse can the literall workes doe it which are farre lesse 2. That the literall workes of the Law were no title whereby the Israelites were acquisitively justified to the temporall promises thereof For when God gave them the Land of Canaan to possesse it hee utterly disclaymes their workes and their uprightnes from being any title whereby they acquired their right of possession Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thy heart doest thou goe to possesse their Land but for the wickednesse of these Nations the
Lord thy God doth drive them out before thee and that he may performe the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The right therefore which the Israelites had to enter that Land proceeded not from their workes but descended from that right which was before in their fathers Nay Abraham himselfe to whom God gave the originall right to that Land and by whose right the Israelites possessed it had not his title to that right by vertue of the literall worke of Circumcision for manifest it is he had that right before his Circumcision Rom. 4.11 and he received the signe of Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised i. e. As a seale of the right or title which he had by faith for faith is the right title whereby a man is justified as will appeare in the words following Text. But by the faith The right title to the former state to be understood Exclusively The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith needs not be defined Neither can it be defined Yet it may be designed a wayes 1 An high esteem of God is faith exemplified in the Ninevites and the Devils 2. An acceptance of Gods promise is faith Explicated the Nature of Gods Promise and of his Precept and illustrated 3 wayes 1 From the common definition of it 2 From the ConcurreÌ„ce of it to a Promise 3. From Examples in the Old Testament and in the New Faith is a Passive act of Receiveing and Embracing in an easie and noble maner Yet faith hath mighty effects yet only jurally and of grace and they are chiefly 4. 1 It enters Gods Covenant of grace that why so called and how it differs from that of works 2 It assures Gods promise for the possession of it against all difficulties exemplified in Abraham Amen what it signifies 3 〈◊〉 obligeâ—â—â—oth parties 1. God who bindes himselfe by his Promise and by his Oath 2. The Faithfull who is bound by his Acceptance which makes a Contract and by his Baptisme 4. It justifies the faithfull as his Title exemplified in the Old Testament and in the New The faithful are heires of God The second assertion for the Affirmative touching the doctrine of Justification wherein is declared the true and right title whereby a man is justified i. e. whereby procreantly and acquisitively he is made to have a right of divine alliance to bee the son and heire of God namely that this title is by Faith because faith is the cause efficient procreant or meanes acquisitive whereby the right of this state is first acquired initiated commenced or had for what person soever whatsoever act or whatsoever thing is eyther a cause or a meanes of mans Justifying by such person act or thing a man is sayd to be justified and because faith is that act of man therefore a man is justified by faith And this Affirmative amounts to an Exclusive That a man is justified by faith only to exclude and debarre from Justifying all those acts of man which before were called the workes of the Law unto which faith is heer opposed For although the Schoolmen in their Arguments call Faith a Worke and from thence would inferre that a man justified by faith is consequently justified by workes yet the Apostle in his arguments will not endure that faith should be a worke but makes them as contrary in Divinity though both be acts of man as fire and water are in Philosophy though both bee elements of the world Which God continuing his light unto us shall be further made evident in our following Exposition of this clause The particle But hath in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly a word of excepting and signifies unlesse and thereupon to that sense it is generally rendred by the Romish Translators as if the meaning of the Apostle were that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law unlesse to such workes hee adde his faith in Christ. But this cannot bee the meaning in this place for two reasons 1. Because the Apostle argues against this assertion and produceth severall reasons to overthrow it all which were inconclusive by admitting of that meaning 2. Because such a sense would have made no controversie betweene Paul and the false Teachers of Galatia whom hee heere opposeth but would have beene very pleasing unto them and have sided with their opinion For they maintained not that a man should forsake his faith in Christ but that unto his workes of the Law he should adde his faith in Christ and bee justified by virtue of both together joyntly Wherefore the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not in this place signifie exceptively but adversatively and is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies But as it doth in many other passages of the New Testament and is so translated See Mat. 12.4 and John 5.19 and 1. Cor. 7.17 and Revel 9.4 In all which plaplaces and more the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie and is Englished But. There is no more necessity of defining Faith which unto mans Right of alliance with God is his right title then there was before of defining workes which were the wrong title For mans Justification is commonly in Scripture referred disjunctively to one of these three titles that it is either by Birth or by Workes or by Faith and the Scripture doth cleerely disclaime the two former titles by Birth and Workes to inferre the latter by Faith The title by Birth is disclaimed Rom. 9.6.7.8 For they are not all Israel which are of Israel neither because they are the seede of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seede bee called i. e. They which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seede And the title by Workes is excluded Rom. 3.19.20 Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may bee stopped and all the World may become guilty before God therefore by the deedes of the Law there shall no flesh bee justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And therefore according to that right reasoning which is framed in a disjunction the conclusion must needes inferre the remaining title by faith for so the Apostle concludes Rom. 3.28 Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by faith As therefore there needes no definition to open the nature of Birth and Workes because those things are sufficiently knowne of themselves and therefore all Writers passe them over undefined So there needes no definition to declare the nature of Faith Because Faith is either manifest enough of it selfe or sufficiently poynted out by the contradistinction of it as it stands opposed to Birth and Workes for things contradistinct and opposite are or should bee equally knowne Neither is there possibility
to give an intire and true definition of Faith because Faith is a thing so indefinite and so generall that it hath no genus which will comprehend it and it is a thing so notable so well known that there are not other words more knowne whereby to expresse and teach the nature of it They therefore who define Faith to bee a Confidence in God are peccant against the nature of a definition two wayes 1. Because Confidence is a word more obscure then Faith and therefore cannot teach the knowledge of it for hee that knowes not what Faith is will never bee made to know it by telling him that it is a Confidence because the word Confidence is more unknowne unto him and leaves him more to seeke then the word Faith doth 2. Because Confidence is a word more narrow for all Confidence is Faith but all Faith is not Confidence seeing Confidence is but one kinde of Faith or rather a degree of it the like defect may bee found in the word Affiance Other definitions of faith commonly exhibited by Divines are either so wide that they will not justifie at all or else so narrow that they will justifie onely under the Gospel Yet because divine faith is an act so acceptable to God and so desirable to bee understood I shall sutably to our present purpose declining all definitions and other significations of the word which in divers learned Writers are sufficiently layd out propose two Notions designes or cases thereof one in generall as it magnifies God the other more particular as it justifies man Both which added together may serve as signes and markes to breed a competent and comfortable knowledge thereof 1. The first notion is this An high esteeme of Gods existence greatnesse and goodnesse is Faith in God For Believing is opposed to Dispising as therefore when wee have a base and low esteem of the weakenesse and badnesse of any person wee are sayd to despise him So contrarily when wee have a rich and high esteeme of that greatnesse and goodnesse which wee conceive in any person then wee have faith in him and when God is the person whom wee so esteeme then wee have faith in God But although such a faith bee acceptable and pleasing unto God because it is agreeable to his will and to the truth that hee should bee esteemed as hee is Yet this kinde of faith is not Justifying to acquire any right unto the believer because it is generall and common to persons justified and to some not justified in whom this faith is onely servile to breed in them feare and trembling Such a faith was in the people of Nineveh for at the preaching of Jonah that within forty dayes Nineveh should bee overthrowne the people Jon. 3.5 believed God i. e. They had such an high esteeme of Gods greatnesse and goodnesse of his power and justice therein included that hee could and would execute the judgement threatned against them and this faith bred in them a feare of God and that feare bred a Fast whereby they declared their Repentance And such a faith is in the Divels Jam. 2.19 The Divels also believe and tremble i. e. They have an high esteeme of the greatnesse of Gods Power and the goodnesse of his Justice that hee can and will execute his vengeance upon them for their Rebellion and this their faith is onely servile for it breeds in them feare and makes them to tremble 2. The second notion of faith is this An acceptance of Gods promise is Faith The difference betweene Gods Promise and his Precept will cleerely teach us the nature of faith and workes and consequently the true difference betweene them The right to a thing and the possession thereof are distinct respects that may bee transferred either joyntly both at once at the same time as is done in a Donation or they may bee transferred severally one after another by conveying the right at one time and respiting the delivery of possession till another as is done in a Promise Gods Promise therefore is his declared Will to impute unto thee a present right to the future possession of some blessing For God in his Promise willeth unto thee two distinct things 1. That thy right to the blessing should bee in present 2. That thy possession of that blessing should bee future And then according heereto hee requires from thee two distinct acts of thy will in corresponding and consenting to his 1. Thy Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing 2. An Expectance or trusting to the future possession of it I say God requires thy acceptance because Gods promissory will is not compulsory to will and command thy acceptance by necessitating or binding thee thereto for in so thinking thou destroyest the nature of Gods promise by turning it into a Precept whereof the effect is compulsory and binding But Gods promise is only Invitatory to will and require thy acceptance by calling moving and drawing thee thereto in using all the gratious and proper meanes conducing to that end Yet leaving thee free at thine owne choice either to accept or refuse it A refusall or Rejecting of Gods Promise is Unbeliefe an Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing promised is Faith and an Expectance or trusting to the future possession of the blessing is Hope for Faith and Hope are the acts of mans will answerable and agreeable to the will of Gods promise Contrarily Gods Precept is his declared Will to impose upon thee a present bond to the future observance of some duty And herein Gods Will is that thy bond to this duty should be present and thy observance of the duty should be future from thence forward But Gods Preceptory Will is not Invitatory to will and require thy observance or to leave thee free at thine owne choyse either to observe or transgresse it for in thinking so thou destroyest Gods Precept whose nature it is to will and command thy observance by laying upon thee a necessity thereof yet that necessity is not fatall but legall A transgression of Gods Precept is sin an observance thereof is workes and when the workes are cordiall and liberall done heartily and freely with all the heart and all the soule then the workes are Love For workes and love are acts of mans will answerable to the will of Gods Precept and therefore are different from faith and hope which answer to the will of his promise because his promise and his Precept are Wills different and opposite This last notion of faith may be further illustrated from three grounds 1. From the common definition of Faith That faith is an assent to every revealed word of God which kind of faith is so large and wide that it may aswell condemn as justifie yet it will serve to enlighten our notion For Gods Precepts are his revealed word but these because they proceed from his holines and uprightnes are but hard words and so hard that when they
latter act all promises are finished to have their finall and last effect for the verity or truth of the promiser which is concealed and may bee doubted in the grant of the promise doth cleerly and fully appear in the performance Unlesse therefore there bee a full performance of Gods promise by a future delivery and possession of that inheritance whereto by faith we have now a present right then both God failes of his truth and wee of our right For when a promise is conveyed unto mee in the best and surest manner by being devised or bequeathed unto mee by way of Legacy or Gift in a Will and the Will bee also confirmed Yet if it bee not performed what benefit have I by a promise so devised Now the person who performes the promises of Gods last Will and Testament is Jesus Christ for by and through him all the promises of God have the verity and truth of their performance 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen i. e. are performed and fullfilled by Christ who thereby doth perfect the verity and truth of them Yea Christ was raised from the dead that hee might bee inabled with full power to performe the promises of our Justifying Rom. 4.25 And was raised againe for our Justification i. e. to performe the promises whereto wee are justified for as hee was delivered unto death to Confirme the promises So hee was raised againe to performe them The Reason why Christ doth Performe Gods last Will and Testament and the Promises or Legacies therein contained is because as was before shewed Christ is the Executor thereof It is the office of the Executor to execute or performe the will of the Testator for as it is his office to declare the nature of the will and to Prove the verity of it So his finall office whereto the former are but mediall is to Performe the Legacies of it Otherwise the Faithfull who are the Legataries in Gods Will and Testament and who therein are Co-heires with the Executor have no meanes nor hope to attaine and possesse the precious Legacies therein devised and bequeathed unto them Because although they have their right and claime by the good will and gift of the Testator Yet of themselves they have no ability to take or seize upon their Legacies For what ability have the Dead to raise themselves from the dust of their corruption and rottennesse unto celestiall and glorious bodies whereby to ascend into Heaven and take possession of that Kingdome Or what ability have the Living to transforme or change their bodies earthly and mortall into bodies heavenly and immortall Or suppose that the Legatary hath ability to take his Legacy of himself as in humane wills hee many times hath Yet regularly hee hath no authority to doe it for if hee doe hee doth in many cases forfeit it The course therefore of the Legatary is to addresse himselfe unto the Executor to whom hee must make suit for the Legacy that in due manner hee may receive the possession of it from him who is to deliver it according to the will and minde of the Testator Partly because the Executor being the Mediator or mediall person betweene the Testator and the Legatary must first be possessed of the Testators estate that thereby he may be enabled to deliver the Legacies thence issuing and partly because a Legacy according to the definition and nature of it is a gift left by the Testator to be delivered or performed by the Executor Seeing then Christ is the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament therefore his Office it is to execute and performe it by delivering unto the Faithfull the possession of those blessed Legacies whereto by vertue of Gods Will they are justified Thus Christ is the Beginner of our faith by working in us our acceptance of Gods Promises and he is the Finisher of our faith by performing unto us the Promises which we have accepted for hence he is called Hebr. 12.2 the Athour and Finisher of our faith Text. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ. Reason An Inference from the former assertion Because a man is justified not by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ therefore we who are Jewes by nature or native Jewes knowing the verity and certainty hereof have believed in Jesus Christ for these words are to be referred unto the 15. verse before as was there noted Wee who before the comming of Christ did believe in God for before the comming of Christ we were the peculiar people of God to whom appertained the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises even we have relinquished all these carnall Priviledges and have accounted them but losse that we might gaine the promises and priviledges which come by Christ For because Gods former Will and Testament wherof Moses was the Mediatour is now expired and that God is pleased to declare a new Testament whereof Jesus Christ is the Mediatour therefore now even we have relinquished the former Testament and have adhered to the latter by accepting the promises of it and by receiving Christ for the mediator of it now placing all our faith and hope in God by and through Jesus Christ For it is great reason we should now adhere to that Will and Testament of God which God now appointeth to stand in force Justifying is the effect of faith but not of workes The Reason of it From a testimony of Scripture The Proposition of the Reason the Assumption and the Conclusion much pressed by the Judaizing Christians for 2 Inconveniences That wee might be justified by the faith of Christ. The finall cause end or effect of our beliefe or faith in Christ namely our Justification that we might have a present right to those future blessings which are promised devised and bequeathed unto us in Gods last Will and Testament For if it be true as it is that faith is the Meanes of our Justification then also this truth must needs follow that Justification is the end of our saith seeing we believe to this end that by meanes of our faith we might be justified And because of that Will and Testament wherein we are Justified Christ is the Mediatour by whose meanes wee have our present right to those blessings and by whose meanes we shall enjoy the future possession of them therefore our faith is limitted and restrained unto Christ 1. Because Christ is the Conveyer of our faith by and through whom we believe in God 2. Because Christ is the Authour or Beginner of our Faith by declaring the contents of Gods Will and Testament and by proving the verity of it by his Witnesses his Miracles his Holines his Death and Resurrection 3. Because faith in Christ is the Title or appellation whereby we are instituted or nominated in Gods last Will and Testament which is a Testament ad pias causas
justified i. e. Are declared upright and innocent in the sight and knowledge of God For if in the sight of God a man bee found an offender or peccant against any one Law of God then in that case the effect or worke of the Law upon him is to Condemne him by imputing unto him a present guilt of a future punishment which is an effect quite contrary to that of jurall Justifying which imputes a present right to a future blessing For saith the Apostle Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is an effect or worke of the Law to bring the punishment of death upon every transgressour of it though hee offend but in some one poynt of it as it is expressed Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one poynt hee is guilty of all i. e. Hee that offends against one single Law whereof the penalty is death is in as bad a case as if hee had offended against all for by the breach of that one Law hee is guilty of death and of more punishment hee could not bee guilty if hee had beene guilty of breaking all the rest Because death is a finall punishment beyond which there is no other But to come now to the Assumption though before men at their seats of Judgement in their sight and knowledge of the cause some man may be and hath beene legally justified i. e. declared upright and innocent for in this sence Paul testifies of himselfe Phil. 3.6 that touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law he was blamelesse not that hee was blamelesse in the sight and knowledge of God but in the knowledge of men and of his owne conscience in that neyther himselfe nor any other man could iustly lay any legall blame unto him and in this sense God himselfe testifies of Job Job 1.8 that hee was a perfect and an upright man yet Gods testimony of Job must not be so understood as if Job were perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of God for that sense Job himselfe doth afterward disclaime but God saw and knew Job to be perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of men in that no man could charge him with the breach of any Law and the like sense is to be conceived of Zacharias and Elizabeth of whom it is reported Luk. 1.6 that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Yet before God at his seat of Judgement or upon his sight and knowledge of the cause no man living except Jesus Christ ever was or ever shall be Legally justified i. e. declared and pronounced perfect and upright to be a man sinlesse and blamelesse no way peccant against any Law of God For by the sentence of God delivered in the Scriptures all men living of what Nation or Religion soever are declared sinners against his law and guilty of death For such are the Gentiles declared who had not the law but in doing by nature the things contayned in the law were a law unto themselves and such are the Jewes declared who rested in the law and made their boast of God See Rom. cap. 1. and cap. 2. per totum Yea the Jewes are declared in no wise better then the Gentiles but of both it is proved that they were all under sin Rom. 3.9 And the end of that declaration is to stop all mouths and to find all the world guilty Rom. 3.19 that every mouth might be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God and the reason of that guiltinesse is because all have sinned Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God But the finall or last end of that Declaration is that mans right to the inheritance of Heaven should come by promise and gift and his title to that right should bee by faith of Jesus Christ Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that believe Therefore to adde the Conclusion no man living shall bee jurally justified i. e. Shall have a present right to the future estate of blessednesse by the title of his workes The summe of the Apostles argument is briefely thus If a man have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes then hee must by his workes in the sight of God bee declared upright But no man living can by his workes in the sight of God be declared upright Therefore no man living can have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes This is the debility of mans workes if wee consider them as a title whereby hee acquires and hath that right But if wee consider them as a tenure wherby hee preserves and holds his right then they may and must be of some efficacy as will appear afterward in this Chapter at the 18. verse VERSE 17. Text. But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne God forbid Sense Found sinners i. e. Found continuers in sin Is therefore Christ i. e. Himselfe and his Doctrine The Minister of sinne i. e. One that gives occasion and licence unto sin even unto impiety and wickednesse Reason These words are and well enough may bee translated interrogatively But as I conceive they are rather to bee understood illatively thus But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves are found sinners then it will necessarily follow that therefore Christ is the Minister of sinne An objecti ∣ on Yet whether of these two wayes soever wee take them they containe an objection which would seeme to weaken and crosse the former Doctrine about Justification by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law for against that Doctrine some men did or might argue thus Yee that are Jewes by nature seeke to bee justified i. e. ye seeke a state of divine liberty or freedome whereby yee have a present right to the future possession of heavenly blessednesse whereof one particular is the Pardon of all your sinnes past present and to come And yee seeke this right by the title of your faith in Christ i. e. By your high esteeme of him for the sonne of God and by your acceptance of those promises wherein hee gives this divine state And yee make this faith your sole and onely title excluding all workes of the Law from any concurrence therewith But while yee have this present right to blessednesse and seeke the future possession of it by faith onely whereby yee are certaine and assured of it then hence it will follow that in the meane time yee may continue in sinfullnesse living in all kind of licentiousnesse as the sinners of the Gentiles lived before their accesse unto Christ And it seemes yee make account to live thus because yee speake so much against the Law which would bridle yee
and strengthneth mee to performe the workes duties and services sutable to my faith and worthy of that divine alliance and inheritance whereto God by my faith hath admitted mee For what greater strength more can possibly bee added to my faith then such an infinite engagement and such a powerfull assistance But my true and strong faith wants life and efficacy or rather I want will enough to give it life and efficacy Yet I have will enough to give it life and efficacy passively to Accept those Promises and Legacies of Gods Will and Testament wherto I am justified But I will not give it life and efficacy actively to Performe those Precepts and Conditions of Gods Will and Testament whereto I am sanctified that it may become a faith working by love Heereby it comes to passe that my true and strong faith comes not to be a lively active working and effectuall faith But remaines a dead idle lazie and slothfull faith and this deadnesse idlenesse lazinesse and slothfulnesse of my faith is the unfaithfulnes of it For God promiseth unto mee a present right of divine alliance and inheritance to bee his Sonne and Heire to eternall blessednesse and I by faith Accept this promise and am thereupon actually in that divine state of a Sonne and Heire to God This Acceptance is my passive or taking faith and by this acceptance I doe againe on my part repromise unto God that I will perform the workes duties offices and services of a Sonne and Heire to love honour and obey my heavenly Father This promise I certainely make though really I neither mention it in words nor mentally conceive it in my heart for my act in accepting that right doth naturally and jurally according to the nature and equity of the thing make this promise for mee though my tongue and heart bee never so silent And the state of a Sonne and Heire wherein I stand doth naturally engage and oblige mee not onely to make this promise but also to performe it For hee that accepts of any beneficiary state or condition doth ipso facto thereby promise to performe the workes duties offices and services unto that state appertaining and incident For the nature and equity of his Acceptance doth make this promise for him though it bee neither expressed nor minded and the Law of nature and equity doth oblige him to performe it though there bee no written Law to inforce it Seeing experience teacheth mee that there are promises obligations and engagements as well naturall as civill and as well tacite as expresse Now if my faith be not lively and active to performe that promise of love honour and obedience which I on my part have made to God or if my faith be so dead idle lazy and slothfull that she will not or doth not performe it this non-performance of my promise to God is the unfaithfulnesse of my faith and this unfaithfulnesse is one default by reason wherof I come to make my selfe a transgressor against my Justification 2. The second default is my Unthankfulnesse or rather my Ungraciousnesse which is but the Latinisme of unthankfulnesse saving that in my apprehension of the word it noteth an aggravation and soundeth a high degree of unthankfulnesse Especially if I consider the greatnesse of the Blessing which I have received and the greatnesse of the person from whom I received it for to proove unthankfull to God for his grace what can this be else but extreame ungraciousnesse God hath given mee a state of divine alliance and inheritance to bee his son and heire to eternall blessednesse And this state hee hath given mee most freely out of his meere love and grace without any desert of mine without any desire of mine without any motion by mee made or any act by me done saving my faith to accept it What an infinite blessing is heere improoved and exalted with infinite kindnesse for what greater blessing could God confer upon me and how could he confer this with greater kindnesse Certainly this blessing accompanied with such kindnesse deserveth my thankes and those not only verball to give God good words by acknowledging this blessing and singing praises to his Name but reall thankes by the workes duties offices and services of a son to love and honour my heavenly Father who hath so much loved and honoured me For what lesse thankes then these can I returne Seeing I have nothing else worthy of him nor nothing at all but what was his before and came from him Yea even my workes of loving and honouring him proceed from him for he by loving and honouring me hath begotten those workes in mee and deserved them from mee hee hath obliged me to them and enabled me from them Should an earthly Prince give or but promise me some temporall estate incomparably short of Gods kindnesse what duties offices and services would I deny to such a Prince thereby to expresse my thankfulnesse to him If therefore to the King of Heaven who hath so much loved and honoured me as to make mee his son and heyre I will not or doe not performe the duties offices and services of a son to love honour and obey him with all my heart and all my soule this non-performance is extreame unthankefulnes and this unthankfulnes or rather ungratiousnes is another default whereby I come to make my selfe a transgressor against my Justification Hence there appeare unto mee these 4 following verities 1. My state of Justification is mutable It is in it selfe a state firme stable and permanent and the firmenesse thereof is not onely durable but may and should be perpetuall Yet the firmenesse thereof is casuall and may be not perpetuall for during my naturall life and before I dye it may be defeated and destroyed I say not it must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability thereof is not necessary as is the mortality of my body which God hath created from the dust and hath decreed that unto dust it shall returne But the mutability thereof is possible for manifest it is that it may bee not defeated and not destroyed because God hath given mee the state of a son and heyre by way of perpetuity for ever to continue not onely for my life but after death When I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God for hee acknowledgeth himselfe the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who are long since dead And from the Dead he will rayse mee at the last day to put me in possession of that inheritance whereto I am now an heyre For as Marriages so also Alliances are states not temporary for terme of yeares but of perpetuity for ever Hence in the family the son differs from the servant severall wayes whereof this is one that the servant hath no right of perpetuity there but the son hath for saith Christ John 8.35 The servant abideth not in the house for ever i. e. hath not a right to abide for ever but the son abideth
the Lord our God as he hath commanded us Thus speakes the Law it selfe Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my Judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. By keeping my Lawes you shall continue your right and state of life to prolong the course of it and to secure it from any violent death to be inflicted by the Law Thus the Prophet Ezech. 18.9 He that hath walked in my statutes to deale truly he is just he shall surely live i. e. by his walking in my Lawes hee becomes upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue and prolong his temporall life which hee not transgressing the Law shall not by the Law bee cut off And thus also the Apostle Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. shall continue to bee justified for that by the deeds of the Law they could not begin to be justified hee meanes to prove at large in the following chapters of that Epistle And for default of these workes the ten tribes forfeited their right to that Land for ever and the other two tribes were sequestred for the tearme of 70 yeares under their captivity in Babylon But the tenure whereby under the Gospel I hold my state of alliance with God and continue my right of inheritance to the kingdome of Heaven are not the workes of the Law in the literall sense Not her Ceremonies as her Feasts in observing dayes and months and times and yeares and her Fasts in not touching not tasting not handling and her Capitall Ceremony of Circumcision which in Christ Jesus availeth nothing Not her Moralities as to bee no Idolater no perjurer no Sabbath-breaker no murderer adulterer thiefe lyar nor deceiver For a profession of my selfe to bee no sinner will not continue my Justification nay a confession of my selfe to bee a sinner will rather justifie mee then a justifying of my self to be no sinner for upon this ground as I am taught Luke 18.14 The Publican went downe to his house justified rather then the Pharisee But because that Pharisee was an Hypocrite let us heare another kinde of Pharisee who was no Hypocrite and yet confesseth of his Innocency that it justified him not 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therefore justified I observe the Moralities of the Law because otherwise I should make my selfe a transgressor and thereby destroy my justification for although my innocency in being no Idolater no perjurer no Sabath-breaker c. will neither constitute nor continue my divine alliance and inheritance yet my Transgression in being an idolater a perjurer a murderer or adulterer or the like will discontinue and destroy it The Moralities of the Law therefore I doe and must observe yet I observe them not in duty to the Law because she commands them nor for feare of the Law because she threatens the breach of them For I am not under the Law but am dead to the Law and it is a part of my Justification to bee free from the Law But the workes which continue my Justification are the works of Grace For seeing God hath so highly Graced mee as to make mee his sonne and heyre therefore to shew my gratefulnes and thankefulnes to God for his grace I observe those duties offices and services whatsoever they be whereto not the letter of Gods Law but the spirit of his grace doth move and draw mee those workes which the grace of his Gospel commands and requires from mee for I am under his Grace And the workes which Gods grace causeth in me and requires from me are the acts of Love exercising it selfe in the offices of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse For seeing God hath so loved and graced me as to make me his son and heire what other workes should his love and grace produce in me but the workes of love for what should love beget but love and what duties should the son doe to his father but the duties of love And these workes of Love have two strange properties for 1. They are super-legall i. e. above and beyond the Law of Moses not only fulfilling but transcending and exceeding it As to feed the hungry and cloath the naked to entertaine the stranger to visit the sicke and releeve the prisoner 2. They are super-naturall i. e. above and beyond the law of Nature for as there is a miraculous faith so there is also a miraculous love which in a maner worketh miracles surpassing the common course of naked nature As not to be Angry not to resist or revenge evill to suffer persecution gladly and joyfully to lay down my life for my brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father to love mine enemies who hate revile and persecute me and in some case to hate my friends as my father and mother my wife and children my brothers and sisters Luk. 14.26 These and the like workes of Love are not the commands of the Law for they are not there manifested though some of them be there testified But they are the Commands of Grace for they are manifested in the Gospel which contayning the precepts and rules of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse whereto Gods Grace obligeth and enableth me is therefore called the word of his Grace Hence Christ calls Love a new Commandement John 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his commandement John 15.12 This is my Commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you And these workes offices and services of Love are the tenure to continue and maintaine my state of Justification For sayth Paul Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love i. e. The only thing which availeth to make mee continue and abide in Christ is faith working by love And 1. John 2.10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light i. e. Continueth in his state of light and life And 1. John 4.16 He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him i.e. Hee that continueth in the workes of love continueth in that alliance which is between God and him And when James affirmeth that a man is justified by works he meanes not works of the law but works of love and of such love as is both super-legall and supernaturall according to the two strange properties formerly mentioned For sayth he Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar Did not Abraham continue justified by his worke in offering Isaac Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not a service of love whereby at Gods immediate command he offered unto God his onely sonne in sacrifice Was not his love super-legall above and beyond the Law For did any Law command that a father should sacrifice his son And
was not his love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when his love to God with whom he had alliance only by faith surpassed his love to his only son with whom hee had alliance by nature and in whose behalfe he had received the promises Againe Jam. 2.25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when shee had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Did not Rahab continue justified by her worke in receiving rhe Messengers Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not an office of love or as she called it Jos 2.12 a shewing of kindnesse whereby she entertayned and lodged strangers Was not her love super-legall above and beyond the Law for did any Law command that a woman of the City should entertain Spies who came to prepare the destruction of the City And was not her love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when she shewed kindnesse to her enemies in housing hiding and sending them out another way These Offices of love at least the super-legall are the workes whereby at the day of Judgement my Justification must take effect for my salvation or finall possession of that inheritance whereto I am justified For according to these works the finall sentence of Blessednes is formed and pronounced by Christ for the righteous Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye tooke me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And although to me in my owne person ye did not this yet in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me And for default of these workes my present Justification will then at that day become of no benefit unto mee but will prove frustrate voyd and of no effect For according to the contrary of these workes the contrary sentence of eternall death is framed and pronounced upon the wicked whether they were ever justified or not justified as appeareth in the following part of that Chapter VERSE 19. Text. For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Sense Through the Law i. e. Through the death of the Law which is expired and dead I am dead to the Law i. e. I have left my old carnall life according to the letter and rules of the Law and doe not the workes thereof That I might live unto God viz. In a new spirituall life aceptable and pleasing to God Reason Heere begins a second Argument to prove the Negative of his principall assertion concerning Justification namely that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law and consequently that he himselfe was not so justified for having translated his discourse unto his owne person hee continueth his argument accordingly For because the Law it selfe is expired and dead therefore it can produce no such effect as to justifie mee for a thing that is dead is without effect And because I am dead to the Law not living by her rules nor doing her workes therefore by them I cannot bee justified for no man is justified by an act which hee doth not And his purpose heerein is that this argument should conclude much more for the Gentiles for if the Law bee dead unto Paul who was a Jew by nature and for whom it was enacted much more was it dead unto the Gentiles upon whom it was never in force and therefore much lesse should they bee forced to the workes of it This verse seemes to bee the summe of the first sixe verses in the seventh Chapter to the Romans Comment The Law ordayned as perpetuall Not limited to a time certaine Yet limited to a time uncertaine But is now expired how far and why so and to what effect and sub-effect FOR I through the Law There must heer be made a supply of the word Death or some such like to that sense thus For I through the death expiration or cessation of the Law am dead expired or ceased to the Law The Law of Moses in respect of the duration how long it should continue and remaine in force was ordayned by God to be perpetuall for unto many ordinances thereof there are annexed expresse words of perpetuity So Circumcision which was the soveraigne ordinance and the chiefe Ceremony of the whole Law was enjoyned for an everlasting covenant Gen. 17.13 And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant So the Passover was to be observed as an Ordinance for ever Exod. 12.14 And you shall keepe it a Feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keep it a Fevst by an Ordinance for ever So the Sabbath was to be observed for a perpetual covenant Exod. 31.16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant So the Fast of Expiation was to bee an everlasting statute Levit. 16.34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an attonement for the Children of Israel for all their sinnes once a yeare So the holy Assemblies or Festivals of the Lord mentioned Levit. 23. were to bee statutes for ever throughout their generations in all their dwellings So the Lamps for the Sanctuary Lev. 24.3 must burne before the Lord continually it shall be a statute for ever in your generations And the like is sayd for the Shewbread Levit. 24.8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant Notwithstanding all these severall expressions of Perpetuity yet the Law of Moses was not ordayned to bee so everlasting that it should last as long as the World lasteth and have no end till the Worlds end For this opinion was and is the errour of the unbeleeving Jewes and of the beleeving Judaizers But the Law of Moses though it was ordayned to bee perpetuall and everlasting yet withall it was ordayned also to bee transitory mutable and ceaseable For the understanding whereof wee must observe that the duration of the Law was ordered two wayes 1. The duration of it was not limited to any time certaine or to a set number of yeares And in this respect it was perpetuall or everlasting especially because as the event shewed it lasted for the space of fifteene hundred yeares and according to the phrase of the Scripture any long space of time or any thing lasting long is called everlasting as Psal 24.7 And bee yee lift up yee everlasting doores i. e. Ye doores of Cedar which is a long lasting wood For the Perpetuity or everlastingnesse of a Law implieth not a duration infinite that should never have an end but consisteth in a duration
justified by Christ hee doth highly magnifie the benefit and religion of Christ thereby to manifest unto the Galatians their great rashnes and weakenesse in suffering themselves to be seduced from the Religion of Christ and reduced under the Law of Moses Comment Christian crucifying or mortification the Paterne of it the Ground of it the End or Effect of it Of self-love the Nature of it the Necessity of it the Facility and want of it the work of it the Order of that worke the nessity of it and Neglect of it Mortificatiō is true life and really is Sanctification by altering my life to the life of Christ Sense of the Text. Faith put for Religion To live in the flesh To live in the Faith Naturall actions may become religious and be subject to faith An attribute of Christ why given him heere The Religion of Moses servile But that of Christ is liberall and noble Another Attribute of Christ Delivering put for Dying The authors of Christs death Actions are morallized from their causes The end or purpose of it Christ dyed not in my stead But for my sake or for my good to certifie me of blessednes to justifie me to it to Sanctifie me for it to Exemplifie the way to it to glorifie me with it Christ dyed for me eminently More then any other person can Christs love caused his death not excluding Gods love which also caused it and not his Anger God then was not angry with Christ not with us but with the Jewes he was Christ dyed for Paul and for me by my name appellative of a Believer which kinde of Nomination is Certaine and Valid to the Inheritance of Heaven A Prayer unto Christ I Am Crucified The Crosse was an instrument for criminall executions whereon malefactors were put to death a punishment much practised and well knowne among the Romans Greekes and Jewes And to bee Crucified was to bee nayled hand and foot upon the Crosse to suffer thereby a shamefull paynfull and lingring death Hence by way of metaphor or resemblance the Faithfull when they renounce reject and crosse the motions desires and lusts of their carnall or fleshly appetite are sayd in Scripture to crucifie or mortifie the flesh and thereupon they themselves are sayd to bee crucified or mortified For when the Flesh or carnall appetite which is a kinde of Malefactor is so curbed and crossed that she cannot enjoy her former liberty and usuall motions unto sinne then she resembles a man crucified or nayled to the crosse who thereby loseth first his motion and at last his life The Apostle therefore would say My death unto the Law doth so far remove mee from living in sin that I am dead to sin also because I am as it were crucified For as a man that is crucified or nailed to the crosse doth dye a violent and paynfull death so my old man or that man that I was formerly is so bruised and crossed that it is dead not a naturall and easie but a violent and paynfull death For the denyall of my former selfe by crossing the motions desires and lusts of the flesh is unto my sensuall appetite not onely a simple death but a death with violence and torment because when my appetite is crossed she accounts her selfe vexed and tormented With Christ Not really and locally but putatively and quasively for I am mortified in a maner as hee was crucified and so I am for two reasons 1. Because his Crucifying is the Paterne resemblance or likenesse of mine For as Christ was crucified and dyed to his mortall life that he might rise to a new life and live unto God so I am mortified and dead unto sin that I might turne to a new life and live unto God as a new creature And as Christ was crucified but once dying no more but once for death had dominion over him no more but once so I am mortified and dead to sinne once for all and sinne shall never have dominion over mee more because I will never againe returne under the bondage of it For according to these resemblances the Apostle proposeth Christ unto every Christian as the true paterne of mortification Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne for he that is dead is freed from sinne And againe at the next verse following but one the other resemblance followeth Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him For in that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God Likewise reckon yee also your selves to bee dead indeede unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. Because his Crucifying is the cause ground or reason of mine For as through the death of the Law I am dead to the Law so through the Crucifying of Christ I am crucified with Christ i. e. his Crucifying and dying on the Crosse is the cause ground and bond why I must be mortified and dead unto sinne For seeing Christ by his death upon the Crosse did confirme and establish the last Will and Testament of God to the Legacyes and Promises whereof I by fayth am justified to have the same right in God with Christ or as Christ hath namely a right of alliance and inheritance to be the son and heyre of God as Christ is the son and heyre of God and consequently to be the brother of Christ and a co-heyre with him to eternall blessednes Are not these benefits by the death of Christ a cause ground and bond sufficient to engage and oblige mee to crucifie or mortifie my sin Shall I partake in the alliance and inheritance of Christ to bee a co-ally and a co-heire with him and shall I not partake in his obedience to be a sufferer with him especially in this holy suffering whereby my sin onely suffers death For seeing Christ for my sake layd downe his life shall not I for his sake lay downe my sinne Can I possibly doe lesse for his sake who suffered so much for mine then thus to conforme and plant my selfe into the likenesse of his death And can I possibly doe more for my owne sake when by thus conforming and planting my selfe into the likenes of his death Rom. 6.5 I shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection If Christ dyed for mee then must I dye to sinne because his death bindes mee to it 2 Cor. 5.14 For if one dyed for all then were all dead i. e. then were all to dye or then all ought or must dye to sin for in this place as in divers others the action past is put for the duty to come If Christ have any right in me I must bee thus dead Rom. 8.10 And if Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sinne i. e. the flesh or sensuall appetite is mortified or dead that thereby ye may
first loved mee therefore I must and doe love him 1. John 4.19 Wee love him because he first loved us And it goeth very well and happily with mee if Gods grace have this effect upon mee to bee seconded and followed with my workes of holinesse by way of gratefulnesse for his grace For this effect doth not follow necessarily but onely contingently which may bee or may bee not Seeing too manifest it is that in some men it followeth not Because otherwise Gods grace could not bee frustrated which the Apostle heere supposeth Yet I must constantly note that although my workes of holinesse bee not the cause procreant to produce the existence of Gods grace towards mee Yet they are the cause conservant to maintaine the continuance of it because otherwise his grace will bee frustrated Seeing then Gods grace is on Gods part the cause of my Justification unto this divine alliance and inheritance with him if therefore unto my workes I ascribe that cause which belongs unto his grace doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God by denying it that effect which properly it doth produce Am I not heereby a Rejector and a Despiser of Gods grace as a thing superfluous and needlesse And consequently am I not an ungratefull and an ungracious wretch to magnifie the poorenesse of my workes above the richnesse of his grace Seeing unto workes of holinesse I stood bound before by the Law of nature as I am Gods Creature though hee had conferred upon mee no such grace of alliance as to make me his son and heir For if righteousnesse come by the Law A further confirmation and illustration of this last argument in the former clause of this verse comprising withall a prevention of a tacit objection An Obje ∣ ction For by reason of his former words some man might say why doe you speake of frustrating the grace of God Should you frustrate his grace if your right of inheritance should bee conveyed unto you by Gods Law and not by faith in Christ The An ∣ swer Heereto his Answer is affirmative that thereby he should frustrate Gods grace for saith hee if the right of inheritance come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause and consequently the riches of Gods grace which appeared by the meanes of Christs death should bee made frustrate and void The word Righteousnesse in reference to God doth often signifie that vertue of God which is his Uprightnesse whereby all his actions are just and right according to that holinesse which unto him is naturall Sometime it signifieth his faithfulnesse in keeping and performing that promise which hee hath made But more frequently it signifieth his kindnesse which went before his promise and was the cause why hee made it For why doth God keep his promise The reason is because he is just faithful but why did he first make his promise the reason is because he is kind and gracious Of the word Righteousnesse in this latter sense we spake somewhat largely before in this Chapter verse 16. But heere in this verse the word signifies jurally for that right of alliance and inheritance which on my part is the effect or consequent of Gods kindnesse to mee and whereto his righteousnesse or kindnesse doth justifie mee All which amount in one word unto Justification as if the Apostle had expressed it thus if my Justification or the right whereto Gods kindnesse doth justifie come by the Law For Gods kindnesse his Justfying and my Right thence resulting are in this respect either put for the other Because they are all concurrent unto one and the same purpose for his righteousnesse or kindnesse is the cause whereof my Right is the effect and his Justifying is the act whereby through the meanes of my faith his kindnesse doth convey this Right unto me That therefore wee may heere performe what was before intimated in this Chapter vers 16. Wee are to observe that the Hebrew word Zedakah in the Old Testament and the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New which in our Translations are commonly Englished by the word Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime As Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed in the Lord and hee counted it to him Zedakah for righteousnesse or a Right i. e. God upon Abrahams faith conveyed unto Abraham a right to the blessing which God had promised And Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse or right answer for mee in time to come when it shall come for my hire before thy face q. d. All the yong ones of the flock which shall fall out to bee spotted shall bee my hire for keeping the flock and my Right to these shall answer your question concerning my future wages for if you finde with mee any other then such let it bee theft in mee And Psal 35.27 Let them shout for joy and bee glad that favour Zidki my righteousnesse i. e. my right or as it is there translated my righteous cause And Proverb 16.8 Better is a little Bizdekah with righteousnesse i. e. with right for the words following require that sense then great revenues without right And Esay 5.23 Which justifie the wicked for reward and take away Zedakah Zaddikim the righteousnesse of the righteous from him i. e. the right of the righteous from him for no man can take away the uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse of the righteous from him but his jurall right may be and many times is taken from him Likewise in the New Testament the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth many times signifie a right As Heb. 11.7 And Noah became Heire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse which is by faith i. e. of the right which hee accepted by his faith For the matter whereto a man becomes heire is some right interest or claime and not uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not inheritable or deviseable to bee conveyed from one person to another as Rights and Interests may and doe And Rom. 4.4.5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for righteousnesse i. e. for a Right for it hath reference to the thine former words Reward Grace and Debt which are jurall tearmes concerning matters of Right and plainely teach us this comparison betweene the Laborer and the Believer who agree in this that both have a good right interest or claime the Labourer to his wages and the Believer to his promise But in this they differ that the Labourer by title of his worke hath a right to his wages and his right is of debt But the Believer by title of his faith hath a right to his promise and his right is of grace And in the same Chapter vers 11. And Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale 〈◊〉
have so often and so much offended should ever restore me to life and translate me unto the Joyes of blessednesse The Scripture therefore is very frequent in pressing the point for the Remission of my sins because my gracious heavenly Father would have me to conceive and embrace a firme sure and stedfast hope of their future forgivenes that by virtue of that hope I might utterly forsake them and seriously devoting my life to holinesse I might cherefully walke on in the way to blessednesse Unto the Remission of my sins I have in this life a present right but the possession and benefit of this right is so future that I shall not enjoy it till the Resurrection and then all my sins past unto this day shall be actually forgiven upon my present forsaking of my sins For this futurity must exercise my hope and my hope of their future forgivenesse must engage me to a present forsaking of them Thus it is evident that Christ dyed not without cause seeing of his death there were three immediate causes and divers other remote causes Now let us consider the Apostles Argument and we shall perceive the force of it from these two points following 1. In that these causes are repugnant to Justifying by the Law For betweene these causes of Christs death and that effect of the Law the repugnancy ariseth thus It is the proper effect of every testament to Iustifie for therein the testator doth give a present right to the future possession of gifts Legacies and Inheritances which he predestinateth ordaineth and deviseth unto those persons whom he loveth and favoureth Hence it was an ancient Law of the twelve tables Vti quisque legassit suae rei ita jus esto i. e. as any man deviseth his estate by his Will so let the right passe and hereto agree both the Law of Nations and of nature That Testament therefore wherein no person is justified is more inofficious then that wherein persons to be necessarily justified are wholly preterited It is therefore the effect of both Gods testaments of the Old and the New of the Law and the Gospel to justifie in their kind But these two Testaments are apparently different Because they Justife differently for they justifie different persons the Old justifying workers onely but the New onely Believers they justifie from different sinnes the Old onely from ignorances and infirmities but the New from all sinnes whatsoever And they justifie unto different inheritances the Old onely to terrene and temporal but the New unto caelestiall and eternall as was largely declared before upon vers 16. Hence of the New Testament it is sayd expresly Heb. 8.6 That it is a better Testament which was established upon better Promises But if betweene the Old and the New there be no difference it cannot be truly sayd of the New that it is a better Testament because of two things that have no difference neither can be better then the other This difference then betweene these two Testaments breeds such a repugnancy between them that they cannot both subsist For when one and the same testator maketh different testaments then the subsistence of either is repugnant to the subsistence and force of the other Because one and the same person especially God who here is the testator cannot at one and the same time have two different Wills or testaments in force But the last and newest testament is alwayes the best and of such force that it wholly infringeth the former though the former at the first making of it were valid and good for when a latter testament is made it necessarily argueth that then at that time there is some defect or fault in the former which is amended in the latter If therefore the Old Testament be still in force or if it be an effect of the Old to justifie unto those better promises or if the right thereto come by the Law then there had beene no cause of making the New Testament and therefore no cause why Christ should dye to testifie confirme and execute it For if a mans first testament bee faultlesse there can bee no cause why hee should make a second because the true cause of making a second is to amend something amisse in the first but in a thing faultlesse there can be nothing amisse and therefore such a thing needs no amending Hence sayth the Apostle Hebr. 8.7 If that first Testament had beene faultlesse then should no place have beene sought for the second But if the two testaments of God be in effect all one as some teach they are then is the Apostles argument apparantly fallacious For then they can have no different effects but whatsoever is the effect of either must be also the effect of the other then the first Testament and the last must equally justifie unto the same blessednes then the Right thereto must come by the Law and consequently Christ dyed without cause For what cause could there be why he should dye for the last Testament if the first stood still in force and could effect as much as the last But if no discreet man will make two testaments that shall be both wholly to one and the same effect for there can be no cause of his so doing much lesse may we imagine this to be done of the most wise God 2. In that these causes were consequent and suitable to the love and grace of God When I was a poore miserable creature in the state of a grievous transgressor who had offended against the Law of God in the state of an improbous sinner who was peccant against the rules of naturall equity in the state of a calamitous sinner who was blemished as an alien and stranger to the Kingdome of God distressed and abandoned to all the miseries of this life tainted in the attainder of Adams sin and borne condemned to eternall death was it not an argument of Gods love and grace that he would so far please to cast his eye upon me as to Justifie me by releasing and freeing me from my state of sinne and death and by giving me besides a present right of alliance and inheritance with him to be his Son and Heire to eternall blessednes Was it not an argument of his love and grace to me that he would justifie me upon the condition of holinesse For seeing he justified me to be his Son and Heire was it not reason I should carry my selfe as his Son and Heire in the wayes of holinesse answerable to the holinesse of my heavenly Father For could it stand with the wisedome and holinesse of God to require any lesse condition of me then to walk worthy of his love and grace towards me And was it not an argument of his further love and grace that he would make my Justification to be Testamentary to convey this Right unto me by his last Will and Testament wherein by way of Legacy he predestinated and devised it unto me For can any conveyance of any estate be