one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Another comparison is of Christ and Adam tending to shew that the righteousness of Christ is no less effectual to save those that are justified by Faith than the sin of Adam was of force to destroy those that are not justified There are six parts of the Comparison The first As by one man viz. Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men that are the sons of Adam by nature in as much as in him as in a common parent all have sinned so by one man Christ Jesus the second Adam Righteousness entred into the world and Life by Righteousness and so life was communicated to all men which are the sons of Christ by grace such as all are which are justified by Faith in as much as in him as in a common parent surety and advocate all are justified This Antithesis remains to bee collected from what follows and especially from the end of ver 14. where Christ is made the Anti-type of Adam because hee is the Gate and Fountain of Righteousness and Life as Adam was the Gate and Fountain of sin and death Vers. 13. For until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed when there is no Law 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression who is the figure of him that was to come Hee proves that sin entred into the world by one man Adam and was propagated to his posterity For from Adam to the Law written by Moses sin was in the world and imputed and that could not bee unless there had been some Law at least unwritten and innate for had there been no Law neither written nor innate sin could not bee imputed ver 13. but it was imputed because the punishment was inflicted If so bee the wages of sin is death it reigned from Adam to Moses not only over those that were of riper years but also over infants which sinned originally in him seeing all men were in Adam one man though not actually or after the similitude of Adams actual transgression ver 14. The sum of all is there was death the wages of sin therefore there was sin therefore a Law and sin from one passed unto all Hee calls Adam a type of him that was to come viz. of the second Adam Christ that wee might understand how Christ ought to answer in his saving effects to those destructive effects of Adam and that by the purpose of God who would represent Christ the Saviour of men in the lost original of mankind that Christ might bee no less acknowledged the Fountain Head and Root of Righteousness and Life to bee derived to those that are his as Adam was the Fountain Head and Root of propagating sin and death to his Vers. 15. But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence â—f one many be dead much more the grace of God and â—he gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many The second member of the Comparison wherein they disagree which is first briefly propounded afterward more largely explained The offence is not like the gift of God for that good which proceeds from God is of Divine efficacy and virtue therefore infinitely surpasses the evil which is from man Wherefore if the offence of one man i. e. Adam could bring forth death to many that were naturally propagated from him much more the infinite grace of God and the free gift of one mâ—n Jesus Christ who also is God shall abundantly convey life to them which are spiritually born of Christ. The sum of all is Hee would have us know that the grace of Christ is more potent to save than the sin of Adam to destroy and the gifts which are bestowed through the grace of God are more excellent than those which Adam lost Vers. 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so was the gift for the judgement was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto Iustification The third branch of the Comparison shewing the dissimilitude between the evil that entred only by Adam sinning and the gift which is by Jesus Christ because the just judgement of God from one sin of Adam proceeded to the just condemnation of himself and of all that by the Law of Nature were comprehended in his loyns But grace or the free gift of God not only frees us from that one Original sin but from a multitude of actual sins committed by every one to a full justification from all sin The sum of all is condemnation is from one offence but the gift of grace is an acquittal from all offences Vers. 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Iesus Christ. The fourth branch of the Comparison with a confirmation of the former after this manner If by one only sin of Adam death entring as a King subdued mankind to it much more being justified by Faith receiving that abundant grace of God and the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ By how much the more excellent therefore the Kingdome of Life is which makes its Subjects Kings and companions with Christ in Life Eternal than the Kingdome of death which destroyes all its subjects by so much the gift of Christ in respect to its efficacy excells the offence of Adam Vers. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so ly the righteousnâ—ss of one the free gift came upon all men unto â—ustification of Life The fifth branch of the Comparison As by the fall of Adam only the guilt came upon all that sprang of Adam by a natural propagation to their condemnation so by the obedience of Christ only wherein hee was obedient to his Father unto the death the satisfaction came to justification of all men which spring of Christ by a spiritual regeneration Vers. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous The sixth branch of the Comparison illustrating and â—onfirming the former after this manner As by the disobedience of Adam only it comes to pass that many are accounted and dealt with in the judgement of God as sinners because they are derived from him according to the flesh so by the obedience of Christ only many shall bee made righteous that is shall bee accounted as righteous to wit all they that are in Christ by Faith born of him after the Spirit For equal it is that the poyson of sin should not pierce deeper or the sin of Adam spread further upon his Off-spring than the virtue
the Commandment exacted strict obedience but affords no strength to assist in our obedience but you are under Grace or the Covenant of Grace wherein the Grace of God with the Command confers life to Believers and strength to obey therefore certain of the victory against sin yee ought to endeavour after Holiness Vers. 15. What then shall wee sin because wee are not under the Law but under grace God forbid Hee repeats and rejects the absurd objection of Libertines who take occasion from the grace of God to sin more freely when the contrary follows viz. because wee are under grace therefore wee ought not to indulge to our selves a liberty of sinning Vers. 16. Know you not that to whom you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Argum. 6. Serving by the way to confute the objection seeing there is a necessity that you bee servants to him whom you obey and that you receive a reward proportionable to your work whether you obey sin or the Divine Commands unless you will bee accounted the servants of sin and will receive the reward of eternal death it behoves you to beware that you indulge not your selves in sin and if you will bee accounted the Servants of God that you may bee pronounced Righteous and Heirs of Life of necessity you must labour after Holiness Vers. 17. But God bee thanked that yee were the servants of sin but yee have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you Argum. 7. By the grace of God the time of your bondage is past in which you were servants to sin before your regeneration and now converted you have begun to yeeld sincere obedience to the Gospel the impression whereof you have received as from a print Therefore to return to the service of sin or to depart from the sound Doctrine is unworthy but it behoves you to persevere in your obedience to the Doctrine into which you were delivered Vers. 18. Being then made free from sin yee became the servants of righteousness Argum. 8. Being now freed from sin by the Omnipotent Arm of God yee are servants of righteousness to holiness Therefore by the Law of servitude being servants to righteousness yee are bound to become servants also unto holiness Vers. 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as yee have yeelded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yeeld your members servants to righteousness unto holiness After his excuse of his homely similitude which in many things holds no proportion with these spiritual things yet notwithstanding the Holy Ghost is pleased to use because of the infirmity of the Romans for the sake of those that were carnal which could not so easily apprehend an higher or more spiritual way of speaking Hee repeats the exhortation and addeth Argum. 9. You have sometimes yeelded your members unto uncleanness and have been altogether servants to unrighteousness therefore now 't is fitting that with equal industry at least you yeeld your members servants unto righteousness and to holiness not to bee less studious of doing well than heretofore you have been of sinning and doing ill Vers. 20. For when yee were the servants of sin yee were free from righteousness Argum. 10. Confirming the former When you were servants of sin yee were free from righteousness for you were not at all servants unto righteousness Therefore now 't is equal seeing you are the servants of righteousness that you should bee free from sin and not at all servants unto it Vers. 21. What fruit had you then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Argum. 11. You have gained no other fruit for your former sinful course of life but shame which is now upon you nor could you expect any other fruit for the future but eternal death which is the end of sin Therefore it behoves you to beware that you serve sin no longer Vers. 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God yee have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Arg. 12. After you gained your liberty from the bondage of sin you became servants unto God and have your fruit unto holiness encreasing and abounding daily therein at length you shall obtain eternal life therefore ought you diligently to follow after holiness Vers. 23. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Arg. 13. Confirming those which went before after this manner Whatsoever hath hitherto been spoken in this Argument is sufficient and firm for it is decreed by a Divine Sentence to render a reward to sinners according to their deserts which is eternal death and to bestow life eternal with Justification and Sanctification which are chained to eternal life not of debt but freely of his grace and that no way but in our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore ought wee not to continue in sin lest wee perish but with Faith in Christ wee must joyn the practice of holiness which holiness with eternal life God will freely give to those that believe in Christ and follow after holiness as it is largely proved before CHAP. VII IN the former Chap. hee exhorts those that are justified by Faith to Holiness and because they who most follow after Holiness are most sensible and lament the power of sin dwelling in them not yet extinguished Therefore for the sake of these ariseth the fourth Confirmation of the Doctrine of Free Iustification by Faith in Christ in that it yeelds consolation to the afflicted consciences of the Saints by reason of their imperfect obedience to the Law and the reliques of sin that dwell in them There are three parts of the Chapter in the first that they who are justified should take comfort against their imperfâ—ct obedience to the Law hee handles the freedome of justified persons from the Covenant of Works and their interest in the Covenant of Grace which is the first place of Consolation to ver 7. The second contains an Apology for the Holiness of the Law two objections against the Law being answered to verse 14. In the third is contained the second place of Consolation wherein from the Doctrine of Iustification by Faitâ— in Christ the Apostle propounds the wrestling which hee had with the remnants of sin and the victory which hee gained that by his example and experience troubled consciences might take comfort The first Part. Vers. 1. Know yee not Brethren for I speak to them that know the Law how that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth 2. For the Woman which hath an Husband is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as hee liveth but if the Husband bee dead shee is loosed from the Law of her Husband 3. So then if while
sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in mee all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin was dead Reason 2. Because the sin that dwells in us or the habitual pravity of our nature is the cause of actual sins but the Law is not the cause but the occasion to sin not given but taken For sin that dwells in us saith hee or the evil of nature taking occasion from the Law forbidding lust so much the more is inflamed and excited And indeavouring after what was forbidden begat in mee all manner of concupiscence and evil motions against the Law For without the Law Which hee confirms by a sign Because the Law not being known sin lies hid and is as dead but when the Law comes it is stirred up and appears as filthiness is not seen in the absence of the Sun but that arising it appears and stinks not by the Suns fault but by its own Therefore the Law is holy Vers. 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I died By his own experience hee further explains the matter shewing that formerly when hee was a Pharisee and unregenerate in his own opinion hee was alive that is very just and in no wise guilty of eternal death but when his eies were opened by the grace of God the true sense of the Law was unfolded then hee understood the force of sin and that hee was guilty of eternal death Vers. 10. And the Commandement which was ordained to life I found to bee unto death From this experience hee saith that hee learned two things First That the end of the command and the effect was good in it self because the command is good in it self and by it self ordained to life if men obeyed it The other that the effect of the Law by accident was death so farre as it threatned death to the sinner and urges him from justice with the sentence of death Vers. 11. For sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived mee and by it slew mee 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good The third Reason in defence of the Law The sin that dwells in us is the cause of death onely taking occasion from the Law or the command as hee had learned by experience for sin while hee thought of what was forbidden in the Law invited and inticed him to forbidden things and polluted him and so by the Command made him more and more obnoxious to death Therefore the Law is altogether holy and particularly that which forbids Concupiscence is holy just and good because it is given by an holy God according to equity and for our profit Vers. 13. Was that then which is good made death unâ—o mee God forbid But sin that it might appear sin working death in mee by that which is good that sin by the Commandement might become exceeding sinful The second Objection Some might say Therefore hath that which is good been the cause of death Hee answers by rejecting the reproach for the occasion is to bee distinguished from the cause and the use of a thing from the abuse of it Hee therefore acquits the Law and casts all the blame upon the sin that dwells in us Truly saith hee it is not the Law but sin that dwells in mee which is the cause of death and discovers it self to bee sin so farre forth as it is stirred up in mee and kindled by the good Law of God it enkindles rebellious motions to the Law of God and so much the more upon this account doth it cause death that so sin in mee by the Command might appear above measure sinful Which is spoken most seasonably to stop the mouths of all who otherwise would deny inborn concupiscence now natural to all to be sin was it not found to bee the cause of actual sins and death and this defence hee makes for the Law The third Part. Vers. 14. For wee know that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin The third part of the Chapter wherein is set down the second head of comfort to those who bewail the imperfection of their obedience to the Law from the Apostles example wrastling with the same evil and getting the victory by the favour and benefit of free justification as appears from vers the last This is the force of the Argument I bewailing in my self the power of sin wrastle against it taking comfort from justification by faith in Christ Therefore you holy Champions take comfort in your wrastling and conflict In the conflict of the Apostle appears a threefold difficulty and a threefold victory in the retreat in all which are mixed some Arguments of comfort drawn from the Apostles experience The first difficulty arises from a threefold contention The first is of the Law and himself I saith hee with the rest of beleevers acknowledge the Law to bee spiritual which wholly favourâ— the holiness of the Spirit of God and is wholly referred to a spiritual course of life But when I look upon my self and compare the imperfection of my obedience with the spiritualness of the Law I am compelled in respect to the Old Man in mee not yet mortified to acknowledge my self carnal and as a slave sold to subjection under sin out of whose bonds I cannot deliver my self but I am carryed away whither I would not Vers. 15. For that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that I do Hee proves what hee hath said and shews the second contest betwixt his actions and his judgement renewed That which I do I do not approve viz. when I examine my actions to the perfect Rule of the Law I am forced not to approve but condemn many things in my actions The third disagreement hee shews to bee betwixt his actions and his will renewed I do not that good which I would saith hee hindered by the body of death in mee and that evil which I hate that I do failing of the Rule where I would not for I would perform perfect obedience to the Law of God but I fall short and in many things I offend Vers. 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good The first difficulty you have seen the victory follows and three Arguments of Consolation whereby the Apostle comforts himself and the rest of his fellow-combatants Argum. 1. I my self am in the number of those who bewail their imperfect holiness and finde the same conflict in my self as they do from the imperfection of my obedience Therefore they have Consolation that mourn over the imperfection of their holiness seeing they suffer nothing different from other Saints nay not from the Apostles themselves I consent Argum. 2. Of Consolation Because from this conâ—â—ict it appears that sanctification is begun in him that wrastles and a consent to the Law of God that it is holy and good
for if I do what I woâ—ld not then I assent to the Law of God that it is good and the same sign of their sanctification have all those that bewail the imperfection of their obedience Vers. 7. Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in mee Argum. 3. Of Comfort Because to him that laments his imperfection and disallows it that evil shall not bee imputâ—d which is also to bee understood of all the other holy Combatants but to sin dwelling in him Because God esteems those that weep over the evil of their nature from their better part viz. that which is renewed which doth and shall prevail in the mortification and abolition of sin that dwells in us from which renewed part hee is called the Christian Champion It is no more I saith hee but sin that dwells in mee Vers. 18. For I know that in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mee but how to perform that which is good I finde not The other difficulty or sharp contest consisting in a threefold conflict First Betwixt himself and the Old Man or that part which was not yet renewed and himself the New Man or the renewed part and here hee himself renewed condemns himself unrenewed as void of any good and a fit receptacle for all evil I know saith hee that there doth not dwell in mee that is in my flesh or corrupt and unrenewed nature which I receive from my carnal Generation any spiritual good thing whereby I may please God Hee proves what hee said and propounds the second conflict betwixt his will renewed and the weakness of his flesh or his perverse nature hindring that the holy motions stirred up by the Spirit were not brought into act and performed Vers. 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do The third conflict betwixt the regenerated Will and the Flesh or the Old Man not onely hindring the execution of the Will renewed but also producing evil effects contrary to the renewed Will Some may wonder what hee means when hee speaks of the commission of evil seeing wee all know from the Scriptures how holily and unblameably our Apostle behaved himself in all things after his conversion But it will bee no wonder when wee consider that by reason of the abundant measure of holiness which was bestowed upon him hee could not behold those rebellious motions of his nature but hee would accuse himself of the omission of good and the commission of evil for hee took notice of those motions either hindring him from performing all the parts of his duty towards God and men which hee strictly desired to do or polluting some way or other all his actions in the sight of God What wonder therefore if after this manner hee set out himself as a great sinner Vers. 20. Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in mee The Conquest follows after this sharp conflict repeating the consolations of himself and the rest of the Saints That the sin committed would not bee imputed to him bewailing this his imperfection but to the corruption of his nature or his habitual corruption indwelling designed to destruction and abolition And because hee conflicted with sin therefore is hee denominated from the better and renewed part as above vers 17. and not from the worser part Verse 21. I finde then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with mee The third sharp Conflict follows consisting of a three-fold contention The first is betwixt himself regenerated endeavouring after holiness and an evil inclination cleaving unto him and impelling him with a kind of necessity and as it were by a Law inciting and provoking to evil Vers. 22. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing mee into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members The second Contention is betwixt the inner spiritual man renewed with his affections and the Law of God on the one part and the outward or Old Man not renewed furnished with his instruments and faculties with his rebellious motions on the other side Against the Law of God and the Law or inclination of his renewed mind fighting and sometimes prevailing and making him captive to the evil disposition of his nature This is the fight whereof hee speaks Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary that you cannot do the things which you would Which wrastling onely they understand that feel it within them and the force of sin some way or other polluting their most holy actions all their life long Vers. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death The third Contention is betwixt evil Concupiscence and the holy servant of God lying prostrate under the oppression of the conquering perverseness of his nature or this body of death groaning lamenting and crying out to God for deliverance Vers. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. After this feirce combate follows the victory and Comfort by faith in Christ justifying together with his thanksgiving to God his deliverer who hath provided comfort in his Son not for those that continue in sin but which bewail their sins and imperfections Vers. 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin At length with a composed mind after his being affected with sorrow for sin dwelling in him and with joy because of his hoped-for liberty by Christ the Apostle at length propounds himself a fellow-souldier with other Saints in this holy war against the remainder of sin After this manner I therefore an Apostle that for comfort to those who bewail their sins I may briefly recollect what I have spoken of my self I profess that I have not attained to that measure of Sanctity after which I aspire But together with the rest of the Saints mourning and conflicting under the hope of freedome I go forward and as if I was divided from my self the spirit and the flesh wrastling in me with my mind or my spiritual part delightfully I serve the Law of God but with my flesh or my unregenerate part I am as a Captive to the Law of sin or the prevalency of corrupt nature CHAP. VIII THe fift Confirmation of Justification by Faith is this That this way of Iustifying affords solid consolation not only against all evil to bee dreaded after this life but also against all troubles and afflictions to which the children of God are lyable in this life There are three parts of the Chapter The first is to comfort those that are Iustified against the fear of Condemnation which might trouble those that bewail the imperfection
hence arose the unlike disposition of Ishmael and Isaac so great a discord that Ishmael persecuted Isaac and the dissimilitude of both their conditions in the upshot Ishmael is cast out of the family but Isaac obtains the Inheritance by which type God did figure out the divers conditions of the visible Church sprung from divers principles and causes For 1. As there are two wives Hagar and Sarah so there are two Covenants of God with men the Covenant of works or legal the Covenant of grace or the Evangelical 2. Both the wives had off-spring so both the Covenants had their worshippers and professors as born of the Covenant 3. As Hagar a young woman according to nature and the flesh brought forth but Sarah barren and an old woman according to the power of the divine promise So the Law or Covenant of works hath the ordinary strength of nature or the powers of free will for its foundation But the Gospel or Covenant of grace hath for its foundation the special grace of God 4. As Ishmael was of a servile and malicious disposition that hee would persecute his brother but Isaac indued with an ingenuous and godly disposition patiently indured persecution so how many justiciaries so ever seeking righteousness by works are of a servile and perverse disposition and they do vexe the true faithful of God But the truly faithful and Sons of the promise worship God with an ingenuous piety and do suffer persecutions as it behoves them Vers. 24. Which things are an allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from the Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar In the third place the Apostle expounds the signification of the type as much as belongs to the present purpose and first hee shews that the two Wives are figures of the two Covenants whereof one is the Covenant of Works represented by Hagar The other is the Covenant Grace or faith represented by Sarah As to Hagar and the Covenant of Works the Apostle teacheth First That Covenant had its rise from Mount Sinai because in that mountain the Law was given and this Covenant was established betwixt God and his people Secondly hee teaches that this Covenant generated an off-spring to bondage or did render the Disciples and professours of it onely servants i. e. Mercenary worshippers of God who do nothing but the external work and brought to that either by fear or hope of a reward and they heing ignorant that this was the end of the Law that being sensible of our sins we might flye to Christ do abuse the Law being meer hypocrites seeking by it righteousness which they never obtain but being not freed remain in their sins Vers. 25. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children Hee shews the convenience of the exposition 1. From this because Mount Sinai situated in Arabia and far removed from the promised Land was called by the Arabians and Caldeans Hagar by the special providence of God 2. That it had affinity with the earthly Ierusalem as it was in the Apostles time or with the Jewish Synagogue which is said to bee in bondage with her children because shee was tenacious of the Covenant of works and continued with her Disciples in a servile condition strangers to the Redeemer and free deliverance by him Vers. 26. But Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Hee expounds what is figured by Sarah the free-woman viz. The Covenant of Faith or Grace whereof the Church of the truly faithful is very tenacious which is the heavenly Ierusalem that is above created by God and studious of heavenly things the mother of all the faithful called both of Iews and Gentiles Vers. 27. For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more Children than she which hath an husband In the fourth place The Apostle proves the Exposition giveâ— out of Isaiah 54.1 where the Church of the faithful the upper Ierusalem our Mother is represented by Sarah barren as if shee had been a Widow And the Synagogue of the Jews unfaithful and tenacious of the Covenant of Works is represented by fruitful Hagar dwelling with her Husband But the Church of the faithful before the comming of Christ was compared as it were to a barren Widow because her Husband the Covenant of Grace was unknown almost to all except a few who dispersed hither and thither did not make a company neither did Grace appear but lay hid like an Husband absent or dead under the covers of Ceremonies The Synagogue of unbeleeving Justiciaries is compared to a fruitful Wife dwelling with her Husband viz. the Covenant of Works conspicuous in the external dispensation of the Law And it is fore-told by the Prophet that it should come to pass that the Church of the faithful made fruitful by the Promises of God shall bring forth more children under the Gospel than the Synagogue hath brought Servants under the Law and therefore is commanded to rejoyce and praise God Vers. 28. Now wee Brethren as Isaac was are the children of Promise In the last place hee applies this typical history and partly admonishes the truly faithful Christians and partly comforts them by four Arguments Argum. 1. That wee are redeemed children justified by Faith and truly free born and regenerated by virtue of Evangelical Promises to the similitude of Isaac who is elder than those other Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem that were after him Vers. 29. But as then hee hat was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit Argum. 2. Of consolation That suffering persecution by false Brethren Patrons of free will and Righteousness by Works were finde nothing unlike to Isaacs condition For when in Abrahams Family hee who is onely begotten by the ordinary strength of nature persecuted him who is begotten by a divine and spiritual way what wonder then if the same now bee usual amongst us Vers. 30. Nevertheless what saith the Scripture cast out the bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the bond-woman shall not bee heir with the Son of the free-woman Argum. 3. That the persecutors of the faithful and Patrons of Righteousness by Works seeing they are not set at liberty by the Son are to bee cast out of the society of the Saints and the inheritance of life eternal as it was figured by the sentence of God concerning the casting Ishmael with his Mother out of the family and excluding him from the inheritance that was to bee enjoyed with Isaac Vers. 31. So then Brethren wee are not children of the bond-woman but of the free Argum. 4. From the comparing of this verse with the former that seeing wee are not children of the bond-woman but of the free certainly wee shall obtain an inheritance of life eternal which Argument with the former as it
given him about restraining certain perverse Zelots of the Law and admonishing them that they teach no Doctrine diverse from that which is Apostolical In prescribing of which the Apostle chuses to use words of beseeching and intreating rather than to speak imperiously that hee might supply the stead of Timothy who could scarcely bee loosed from the most sweet society of Paul not for a time even by the intreaties of the Apostle Vers. 4. Neither give heâ—d to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in Faith so do For example Hee commands that Fables and Jewish Genealogies bee avoided i. e. newly devised opinions or traditions besides the holy Scriptures and curious speculations about unnecessary things such are very many Talmudical and Cabaliâ—tical such also are to bee found amongst the School-men Endless The Reasons of his admonition are six Reas. 1. Because those vain speculations are idle and endless whereof there is no use Which rather Reas. 2. Because they beget curious and contentious questions nor do they promote the knowledge of piety which lead unto God for edification proceeds not from probable and dubious questions but by the solid beleeving of the Word of God Vers. 5. Now the end of the Commandement is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of Faith unfeigned Reas. 3. Because those Teachers that are wholly exercised in discussing of smaller matters which may bee fetched from the Law though they seem to bee carried with a Zeal to the Law of Moses yet they refer not the Law to its true end or to the proper scope of the whole Scripture which is that men by the Law being led to the knowledge of sin and deserved misery may seriously betake themselves to Christ by Faith unfeigned Charity This Faith hee describes from a three-fold effect 1 That true Faith in the propitiaâ—ory blood of Christ renders the conscience good or peaceable and quiet 2 That the conscience being now pacified Faith will not suffer that the heart bee any longer delighted in evil but rather endeavours after purity and that it may bee purged from all evil affections 3 That true Faith is not idle in that which is good but stirs up a man diligently to labour in the obedience of every Precept by love to God and men Vers. 6. From which some having swâ—rved have turned aside unto vain jangling Reas. 4. Confirming the former Because it is approved by the experience of some that unless Teachers abstain from their vain curiosities and intend more earnestly the edification of mâ—n in Faith and Charity they cannot but bee drawn away from the simplicity of Doctrine into vain babling for where there is vanity there verity is not Vers. 7. Desiring to bee Teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm Reas. 5. Because it is also known by experience that those ambitious Teachers while they affect a new kind of teaching and seek after applause from their knowledge of the Law betrayed their ignorance whilst they understood not the questions whereof nor the Arguments from which they disputed Therefore avoiding idle speculations Timothy was to take care that in the Apostolick Doctrine or the manner of teaching it no innovation was made by any one Vers. 8. But wee know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully Hee answers an Objection Therefore are thou against the divine Law who so earnestly rebukest the Teacherâ— of it The Apostle answers that hee did not at all detract from the Law reproving those that abuse it but rather commends and teaches the right use of the Law Vers. 9. Knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of Fathers and murderers of Mothers for man-slayers 10. For Whore-mongers for them that defile themselves with man-â—ind for men-stealers for lyars for perjurâ—â— persons and if there â—ee any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine 11. According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust Hee confirms the Answer with three Reasons The first is from the end of the Law or the Legal Covenant so far as it is opposed to the Gospel the Law is established not that the faithful justified by Faith in Christ should bee justified by the Law as the perverse Teachers of the Law intended but that the unrighteous and unbeleevers as are all wicked and prophane persons condemned by the Law might acknowledge their unrighteousness and deserved condemnation repent and flye unto Christ Therefore the Apostles Doctrine detracts nothing from the Law According Reas. 2. All sins which are forbidden by the Law are also prohibited by the sound Doctrine of the glorious Gospel and all the duties which are commanded by the Law are earnestly urged and taught in the Gospel so much as concerns the performance of our obedience unto God the demonstration of our thankfulness and the proof of the sincerity of Faith in the fruits of holiness Therefore the Doctrine of the Gospel detracts nothing from the Law Committed Reas. 3. I an Apostle to whom the Gospel of God in himself most blessed and the Author of all blessings towards us is committed do no less urge this wholesome doctrine of Sanctification and all good works which in the Law are commanded than any Zelot of the Law although not to the same end Therefore the Apostolical Doctrine nothing at all detracts from the Law The Second Part. Vers. 12. And I thank Iesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled â—ee for that hee counâ—ed mee faithful putting mee into the Ministery The second part of the Chapter follows which contains the vindication of the authority of his Apostleship against those that denied it or in consideration of his fore-acted life did lessen it and that with thanksgiving for the Grace that was bestowed upon him Seven Reasons are laid down of his thanksgiving All which prove that his Apostleship is in no wise to bee disparaged Reas. 1. Christ by the grace of his Spirit hath strengthened mee an infirm man and heretofore a slave to sin the Devil and the world appointed an Apostle by him that as a leader I should with an invincible courage stand up for the defence of the Gospel against all the insulâ—â—tions of the world the flesh â—nd the Devil Therefore thanks are to bee given for my confirmation in the Apostleship so little reason is there that any thing should bee detracted Accounted mee faithful Reas. 2. Christ hath endued mee being appointed an Apostle with the gifts of his Spirit and hath so far honoured mee that hee made and accounted mee his faithful friend who would commit to mee the Gospel to bee dispensed to the souls of his Elect Therefore my authority is not to bee disparaged Hath appointed Reas. 3. Christ the Lord hath placed mee in the Ministâ—ry i. e. in
first Tabernacle to be removed the true light was at hand 4. That none should receive the clear light of the way to Heaven but such as should renounce the Ordinances of the first Tabernacle And so the Apostle by the authority of the Holy Ghost enforceth these Hebrews either to renounce the Levitical Ordinances or to be deprived of the true light of the way to Heaven now revealed 5. While he calleth this typical Tabernacle the first Tabernacle he importeth 1. That Christs Body was the next Tabernacle 2. That the Temple is comprehended under the name of the Tabernacle in this dispute Vers. 9. Which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience He sheweth the use of the Tabernacle and the imperfection of the service thereof saying The Tabernacle was a figure for the time then present Whereby he giveth us to understand 1. That the Tabernacle was a type and figure of Christ. 2. That it was not appointed for all time to come but for that present time of the Churches Non-age 3. That howsoever it was an obscure Figure yet having some resemblance of the thing signified it was fit for those of that time 2. Next hee sheweth the weakness of the offerings offered in the Tabernacle that they could not make the man that did the service perfect as concerning the conscience That is they could not perfectly satisfie the conscience that sin was forgiven and life granted for any worthiness of those offerings they could not furnish the conscience with a good answer towards God for saving of them who did that service 1 Pet. 3.21 Because the conscience could not have â—ound ground of satisfaction how Gods justice would be made quiet by those offerings And that which doth not satisfie Gods justice cannot satisfie the conscience because the conscience is Gods Deputy and will not be quiet if it bee well informed till it see God pacified Then It followeth from this ground seeing those offerings could not perfect a man in his conscience 1. That Christs Sacrifice signified by them must perfectly satisfie Gods Justice and the conscience also and purge the filthiness of it and heal its wounds 2. That as many as were justified before God and in their consciences truly quieted under the Law behoved of necessity to see through these offerings and flee in to the offering of the Sacrifice represented by them as Psal. 51.7 For otherwise the Apostle testifieth here the outward offerings could not perfect them in the conscience 3. That when Remission of sin and Attonement is promised in the Law upon the offering of these gifts as Levit. 14.9 and 17.11 the form of speech is Sacramental joyning the virtue of the Sacrifice of Christ signified by the offering of the figurative Sacrifices unto the Beleever 4. That true Beleevers notwithstanding the many imperfections of their life may be perfected as concerning their conscience by flying to the Mediation and Sacrifice of Christ which washeth the conscience throughly Vers. 10. Which stood onely in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them 〈◊〉 the time of Reformation Hee giveth a reason why those Ceremonies should not perfect the conscience Because they stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal Ordinances To wit if they be considered by themselves separate from their signification as many of the Iews took them Then There is a two-fold consideration to be had of the Levitical Ceremonies One as they are joyned with the significations and so promises were made of Attonement by them in the Law Another as they were looked upon by themselves separate from their signification as the carnal Jews took them and rested on them and so they could not perfect the conscience 2. Hee sheweth their endurance saying They were imposed on them until the time of Reformation That is Till the time of the Gospel that Christ came with clear light to perfect matters Then 1. These Ceremonies were by God imposed upon no people but them That is the Jews onely 2. Neither were they imposed on the Jews for ever but for a time onely until the time of Reformation 3. Seeing the time of Reformation by Christ is come these Ceremonies are expired and abolished 3. Seeing the time of the Gospel is the time of Reformation or Correction Then 1. The Shadows are fulfilled and the Substance is come 2. The darkness of teaching is removed and the time of clearness is come 3. The price of Redemption promised to be laid down is now paid 4. The difficulty and impossibility of bearing the yoak of Gods external worship is removed and Christs easie yoak in place thereof is come In a word whatsoever was then wanting under the Law of the measure of the Spirit or the means to get the Spirit and fruits thereof is now helped in the frame of the Gospel Vers. 11. But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building To shew the accomplishment of these things in Christs Priesthood hee opposeth his Excellency to the imperfection of the Levitical High Priests service thus 1. The Levitical Priest was Priest of the Shadows of good things but Christ Priest of the good things themselves keeping the dispensation of them proper to his own person such as are Reconciliation Redemption Righteousness and Life c. 2. The Levitical High Priest had a Tabernacle builded with hands wherein hee served but Christ served in a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands That is in the precious Tabernacle of his own Body wherein hee dwelt amongst us Joh. 1.14 represented by the material Tabernacle 3. Hee expoundeth how the Tabernacle of Christs Body is not made with hands by this that it is not of this building First because it was not formed by the art of any Bezaleel or Aholiab but by the Holy Ghost 2. Albeit the Tabernacle of his Body was like ours in substance yet for the manner of his holy Conception hee is of another building than ours For our Tabernacles are builded by natural generation of man and woman with propagation of original sin But Christs Body in a singular manner even by the special operation of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin And so without original sin Vers. 12. Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood hee entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us The opposition goeth on 1. The Levitical High Priest entred into the typical holy place But Christ entred into the holy place properly so called that is into Heaven 2. The Levitical Priest entred often into the holy place Christ entred but once into Heaven Hereby the Levitical Priests entry was declared to be imperfect because it behoved to be
of the Exhortation to vers 11. In the second hee adjoyns another Exhortation to the love of the Brethren to the end Vers. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that wee should bee called the Sons of God Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not Argum. 2. God hath out of his meer and free love adorned you that beleeve with the honour of Adoption amongst his Sons Therefore yee are bound to requite your Father with following after Righteousness Knew not Argum. 3. By answering an Objection That the worlds not acknowledging you for the Sons of God should bee no hinderance to you in the following after Righteousness seeing that this contempt is common to you with God your Father whom also the world contemns but it ought rather to stir you up to union and conformity with God in the following after Righteousness Therefore c. Vers. 2. Beloved now are wee the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appear wee shall bee like him For wee shall see him as hee is Argum. 4. By preventing another Objection That your glory doth not as yet appear ought not to bee any hinderance to you in the following after Righteousness it is enough that wee know that the right of the Sons of God is already given to us and that wee shall come into the possession when Christ shall bee manifested and wee shall bee like him in glory and happiness and wee shall enjoy the beatifical vision of him for ever Therefore yee ought to endeavour after Righteousness Vers. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as hee is pure Argum. 5. Whosoever hath a lively hope of conformity with Christ in glory purifies himself that hee may be made conformable unto Christ in this life in his endeavours after purity and righteousness Therefore yee ought to follow after righteousness Vers. 4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law Argum. 6. Whosoever doth not follow after Righteousness but gives himself to sin hee also transgresseth the Law because sin is nothing else but the transgression of the Law which if any one doth hee proclaims war with God Therefore yee ought â—o follow after Righteousness Vers. 5. And yee know that hee was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin Argum. 7. For this end Christ was manifested that hee might purge and take away the guilt of sin from his which hee confirms from this that Christ had no sin in himself for which hee could satisfie whence it comes to pass that hee which gives himself to sin in that hee sets himself contrary to Christ and doth vilifie the price of Redemption Therefore unless yee would appear contrary to Christ yee ought to follow after Righteousness Vers. 6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Argum. 8. It is the property of every Beleever or every one that abideth in Christ not to follow after sin but to endeavour after Righteousness Therefore yee ought to follow after Righteousness Whosoever Argum. 9. Whosoever either applies himself to or indulges any sin pretends falsely to the Faith or knowledge of Christ which cannot bee without indeavours after newness of lâ—fe Therefore yee ought to follow after Righteousness Vers. 7. Little Children Let no man deceive you hee that doth Righteousness is righteous even as hee is righteous Argum. 10. Whosoever doth not so follow after Righteousness that in his works and actions hee â—estifies his endeavours after newness of life deceives himself or suffers himself to bee deceived For men perswade themselves in vain that they have Righteousness in their hearts whilst open iniquity possesses their feet hands tongue and eyes Therefore yee ought to follow after Righteousness Hee that doth Hee confirms this Argument by describing him that is righteous or justified by Faith from his inseparable propriety viz. his practise of Righteousness and conformity with God which the justified person indeavours after that hee may manifest his Righteousness by his works No man is justified who doth not endeavour to bee conformable to the righteous God or doth not paractise Righteousness in work Therefore whosoever thinks otherwise deceives himself Vers. 8. Hee that committeth sin is of the Devil For the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that hee might destroy the works of the Devil Argum. 11. Whosoever gives up himself to sin is a childe of the Devil in his practises resembling his Father Hee confirms this from the antiquity of the Devil in sinning who sinned presently after the creation and from that time hath been the author of sinning to men Therefore follow after Righteousness unless you would bee accounted the children of the Devil For this Argum. 12. For this end Christ is manifested that hee might destroy the works of the Devil i. e. destroy the dominion of sin in his and abolish the indwelling of sin by degrees through sanctification From hence it comes to pass that hee who gives himself to sin builds up that which Christ was manifested to destroy Therefore yee ought to follow after c. Vers. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sin because hee is born of God Argum. 13. Although hee that is regenerate may bee overtaken by sin yet hee cannot give up himself to sin because of the nature of Regeneration or because of the seed of God remaining in him that is because Gods Word and the Spirit or lively Grace of God in Regeneration is communicated in the number of those gifts of which God doth not repent by virtue whereof the regenerate is continually withdrawn from sin and is carried on to follow after Righteousness neither can hee sin or indulge himself in sin Therefore yee ought to follow after Righteousness if you would prove your selves born of God Hee cannot Argum. 14. Hee that is regenerate cannot sin because hee is born of God who will not forsake him that is born of him but so governs and moves the heart of him that is born of him that hee stedfastly wars against sin following the guidance of the Spirit Therefore ought yee to follow after Righteousness if you will prove your selves born of God Vers. 10. In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither hee that loveth not his Brother Argum. 14. In this the regenerate and the unregenerate the Sons of God and the Sons of the Devil differ that those who are of God follow after Righteousness but those who do not follow after Righteousness and namely the love of the Brethren are not of God but of the Devil Therefore yee ought to follow after Righteousness and especially brotherly love The Second
of his prayers Therefore for this cause yee ought to beleeve in Christ. Vers. 16. If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death hee shall ask and hee shall give him life for them that sin not unto death There is a siâ— unto death I do not say that hee shall pray for it Argum. 13. Hee that beleeves in Christ not onely praying for himself but also out of love for his sinning brethren shall bee heard to whom through the merit of sin declining to destruction and perdition God will if hee bee but asked by a faithful man restore him to life Therefore c. Not unto death Hee excepts in case of the sin of the Holy Ghost When a Professor of the Faith or a Brother as to the external communion of the Church falls into open Apostacy from the Faith of Christ and maintains cruel haâ—red against the Gospel and those that are faithful against the light of conscience illuminated once by the Holy Ghost hee commands not to pray for him that commits this sin when it may bee discerned It is called a sin unto death because eternal death follows that sin and hee that falls into it remains in it without repentance until hee is thrust down into Hell Vers. 17. All unrighteousness is sin and there is a sin not unto death Hee explains what hee had said that although all transgression of the Law is sin wherefore it deserves the wages of death yet death follows not all sin because all kind of sin is remitted except this sin which is called blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which was never remitted to any nor never shall Vers. 18. Wee know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but hee that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Argum. 14. Hee that is regenerate or truly beleeves in the Son of God is kept that hee sin not this sin yea nor doth hee lye alwaies intangled in any sin but by the grace of God and virtue of Gods seed remaining in him keepeth himself lest the Devil touch him to death with his sin Therefore yee must beleeve in Christ. Vers. 19. And wee know that wee are of God and the whole world lyeth in wickedness Hee applies this Argument by way of assumption from the proposition to their comfort and the comfort of the faithful to which hee writes and confirms it by five Reasons viz. that the faithful whereunto hee writes are kept together with himsâ—lf and shall be preserved in Faith and Obedience of the Gospel Wee know Reas. 1. Wee are certainly perswaded of our regeneration Therefore wee are perswaded that wee shall not sin that unpardonable sin neither shall bee in bondage to it but shall bee freed from the Devil fully through Christ. The World Reas. 2. Those that are of the world are onely in the power of that malicious Devil that hee may throw them headlong out of one wickedness into another Therefore wee who are translated out of the world into the Kingdome of God are not in the power of that malicious one but shall bee preserved as the free-men of God Vers. 20. And wee know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that wee may know him that is true and wee are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life Reas. 3. Wee are certain of the coming of Christ our Redeemer into the world who hath enlightened our minds with his grace and hath given us true Faith in God Therefore wee shall not sin unto death but shall bee preserved And wee Reas. 4. Wee have communion with God and Christ wherein wee are and dwell by Faith Therefore wee shall bee untouched by that sin This is Reas. 5. Christ is the very true God and Life eternal who in himself is Life and the fountain of life to be communicated to the faithful and also the Procurer Giver and Preserver of it Therefore wee are certainly perswaded of our perseverance and eternal salvation Vers. 21. Little children keep your selves from Idols Amen For the conclusion of the Epistle hee proposes a short admonition that they have a care and keep themselves from Idols in the plural number and that from all sorts of Idols which after any manner might thrust themselves into the place of truth or of the true God to draw them from beleeving of the true Doctrine or from the true worship or obedience of God under any pretence whatsoever and that so much the more because these Idols may bee obtruded upon the faithful by the Devil and his Ministers and by all possible cunning Therefore hee the more diligently commands them to watch and to keep themselves from them lest they should bee in any wise polluted by them but by name that they beware of Images wherein Antichrist will glory and by these deceive the world The second Epistle of IOHN Analytically expounded The Contents AS Luke writ the Book of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to a certain noble Theophilus for the use of all the faithful So John wrote this familiar Epistle to one Noble and Holy Matrone and her children not onely that hee might appropriate the Doctrine which hee had commended in his former Epistle to the universal Church of the faithful to this private family but also that hee might teach the Pastors how they ought to teach publickly and from house to house from the Apostles example Act. 20 20. The parts of the Epistle are three the Preface containing the direction of the Epistle and Salutation to vers 4. An Exhortation to perseverance in the obedience of the Gospel or a constant exercise of Faith working by love to vers 12. The third is the conclusion Vers. 1. THe Elder unto the Elect Lady and her Children whom I love in the Truth and not I onely but also all they that have known the Truth The direction of the Epistle shews who to whom and with what minde hee wrote this Epistle The writer is Iohn the Apostle who makes no doubt of his authority in this family content with the title of the ordinary and common ministery hee calls himself an Elder by which name hee being now very antient hee also notes his age to the end that his admonition who could not live long by reason of his age might bee the more deeply fixed in them The person whereunto it is chiefly writ is the Elect Lady To signifie civil and due honour hee calls her Lady acknowledging her more happy spiritual condition in the Lord. Hee calls her Elect because in that this Matron had from the sincerity of her Faith declared her self to bee elect a farre more excellent commendation than that shee was accounted a Lady in a civil condition by men Her children are adjoyned because they were partakers with their Mother of the Grace of God in the knowledge of Christ. As for the mind of the
endeavour after holiness Vers. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sin Argum. 6. From that judicial union which wee have with Christ crucified The force of which Argument that it may bee seen four things are to bee maintained 1. That Christ hanging upon the Cross as our Surety sustained our persons before Gods Tribunal 2. That hee under-went the punishment due to our corrupt nature or the old man so called because the evil of nature in those that are regenerated waxeth old and hastens to destruction 3. That hee took upon him to slay the old man in us 4. In that hee took upon him to represent our persons wee are thereby obliged to labour after mortification of sin by his Spirit that after Justification wee should no longer serve sin From hence the Argument wee know or believe that our old man is crucified judicially with Christ to this end that in us who are justified by Faith might bee weakned the body of death so that filthiness of habitual corruption compacted as it were into one monstrous body prepared with all its members to actual sinning that wee should no more after wee are justified serve sin Therefore wee ought to endeavour the mortification of sin unless wee will cast away the Faith of our judicial union with Christ hanging upon the Cross. Vers. 7. For hee that is dead is freed from sin Argum. 7. From the fruit of this union with Christ dying on the Cross whosoever is dead to his old Lord sin is justified and freed from the yoke and dominion of sin that hee might not serve it any longer nor obey the commands of it You may assume But wee are justified by Faith in Christ dying for sin upon the Cross wee are dead to â—our old Master Sin therefore wee are justified and freed from the yoke and dominion of sin that wee should not any longer obey its commands for what service can sin further exact from us whom Christ in his death upon the Cross hath slain as it were Vers. 8. Now if wee bee dead with Christ wee believe that wee shall also live with him Argum. 8. If wee die with Christ i. e. are united to him dying in his power endeavouring to mortifie sin wee need not doubt but wee shall live a spiritual new and heavenly life with him therefore it behoves us to endeavour the mortifying of sin Vers. 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Argum. 9. Confirming the former Wee believe that Christ rose to an immortal life neither is hee for ever hereafter lyable unto death but alwayes living hee both will and is able to perpetuate in us a new life that death may no more have dominion over us Therefore as wee do not believe in vain that by his power wee shall live a new and eternal life so ought wee to labour that the new life to which wee have risen with Christ may bee continued not to suffer sin should any more prevail or have dominion over us Vers. 10. For in that hee died hee died unto sin once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God 11. Likewise reckon yee also your selves to bee dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Argum. 10. As Christ died but once to wash away and abolish sin and rising from the dead hee lives for ever to the glory of God so you that are justified by arguments of Faith gather and reckon your selves in the death of Christ to bee once dead nor to bee obliged to dye for sin any more that yee were once dead by the dethroneing of sin neither are yee bound to serve sin any longer that yee were once dead to the destroying of sin nor can yee bee destitute of the strength of Christ to mortifie sin but in his resurrection yee are bound to live unto God or the glory of God and that yee might so live yee have strength and help enough by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore the Doctrine of free Justification by Faith is so far from opening a door of liberty to sin that on the contrary nothing is more effectual and conducible to the promoting of Sanctity and Holiness Second Part. Vers. 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof The second part of the Chapter follows wherein the Apostle infers out of what went before an exhortation to all that are justified by Faith that they follow after Holiness The Proposition to bee proved is the same with the former viz. They that are justified ought not to continue in sin but labour after Holiness Hee produceth thirteen Arguments whereof the three former are included in the following Exhortation The branches of this Exhortation are three and the Arguments as many couched in the Exhortation to the confirming of the Proposition The first branch of the Exhortation is that they would not obey sin by indulging the sinful lusts of the body Argum. 1. The first Argument is this To obey the sinful lusts of the body is to suffer in your mortal body the reign of sin or of the Devil from whence yee are freed which they that are justified should tremble at Therefore being now justified you ought not to follow after sin but holiness Vers. 13. Neither yeeld you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yeeld your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God The second branch of the Exhortation is that they would not fight for this Tyrant viz. sin making use of the faculties of their souls or bodies as servants to contend for it wherein is the second Argument To serve sin is to yeeld the faculties of the Soul and members of the body as weapons of iniquity to fight for sin and the Devil against God and our own Salvation which all that are justified ought to abhor Therefore they that are justified ought not to serve sin Yeeld The third member of the Exhortation that they would yeeld themselves Souldiers and Servants unto God who hath freed them from death wherein is the third Argument God hath called you back from death in sin and Eternal Perdition unto Life that you might bee Servants unto righteousness and might contend for God against his enemies therefore ought you to labour after Holiness Vers. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for yee arae not under the Law but under Grace Argum. 4. If you contend and fight against sin the Tyrant shall not recover his dominion over you which hee hath lost neither shall sin reign over you but you shall become Conquerours through Christ therefore ought you to labour after Holiness For you are not Argum. 5. Confirming the former you are not under the Law under the Covenant of works wherein
defiled with fornication Vers. 15. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid Argum. 3. The Faithful which are members of Christ are not by fornication to bee made the members of an Harlot which argument hee sharpens with an Interrogation Therefore c. Vers. 16. What Know yee not that hee that is joyned to an Harlot is one body For two saith hee shall bee one flesh That hee may confirm this argument hee proves from the Analogy of Marriage that fornication with an harlot makes the fornicators one flesh and by consequence the fornicator is made the member of an harlot Therefore fornication is unlawful Vers. 17. But hee that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit Further hee proves that Believers are members of Christ because joyned by Faith and are one Mystical Body with Christ one Spiritual Body or one Spirit Vers. 18. Flee fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but hee that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body Hee turns the Position into a Dehortation and adds the fourth Argum by way of comparison with other sins other sins abuse the object without chiefly and principally but fornication abuses its own body and more dishonors the body than any other sin Therefore it is unlawful Vers. 19. What know yee not that your own body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which yee have of God and you are not your own 20. For yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Argum. 5. Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in us given us of God Therefore they are not to bee polluted with fornication Neither are yee Argum. 6. The Faithful are not their own but purchased with the Blood of Christ Therefore they ought to take heed that they defile not themselves with fornication but rather endeavour by an holy conversation both of body and soul to glorifie God their Redeemer whose they are CHAP. VII THE FIFTH ARTICLE OF CASES TOUCHING MARRIAGE THe Apostle being enquired of by the Corinthians concerning Marriage-Cases in this Chapter hee answers five of their demands Vers. 1. Now concerning the things whereof yee wrote unto me it is good for a man not to touch a woman 2. Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband The first enquiry is of men unmarried who lived a single life whether it were best for them to marry The reasons of this demand were two the fear of troubles and the fear of defilement in Marriage That which belongs to the first reason wee are to remember that the Corinthians had been a long time in danger of persecution although now they lived prosperously and the most part feared nothing The Apostle answers those that are in such a case if no necessity lyes upon them to marry it is good and profitable not to marry but where there is danger of sinning by incontinence wee are rather to eschew fornication and sin than the danger of troubles in Marriage Vers. 3. Let the husband render to the wife due benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband That which concerns the scruple leâ—t any one should think his conscience by Matrimonial Society defiled hee declares not only the conjugal bed to bee undefiled but also the right of the Marriage-bed ought to bee granted to him that seeks a wife whereto hee subjoyns four reasons Due Reason 1. Because that benevolence is due by the Law of Marriage Vers. 4. The wife hath not power of her own body but the husband and likewise also the husband hath no power of his own body but the wife Reason 2. Because by conjugal agreement the husband hath power over the wives body and the wife over the husbands chiefly to avoid fornication Vers. 5. Defraud you not one another except it bee with consent for a time that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency Reason 3. Because otherwise there would fall out an unjust defrauding of each others part if commerce should bee denied without reason That you may give your selves Hee limits what hee had said with a special exception unless it bee agreed by consent on both parts that for a time they might give themselves to fasting and prayer Leâ—t Satan tempt Reason 4. Because after the set time if benevolence desired bee denied it is dangerous lest Satan tempts the party defrauded for his incontinency to commit adultery Vers. 6. But I speak this by permission and not of commandment 7. For I would that all men were even as I my self but every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner another after that Hee explains this his opinion touching contracting Marriage and using conjugal society that it is not an universal precept as if here commanded Marriage to all but that the granting or permission is universal only in case of incontinency for plainly if by the will of God it might bee the Apostle could with the Corinthians who moved the question both continence and the advantages of single life which God had bestowed upon him but because the gift of Continence is not given to every one hee saith that hee spake this by permission which hee hath granted Vers. 8. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows it is good for them if they abide even as I. 9. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn From hence hee gathers up the sum of what hee had said that hee might plainly answer those who lived unmarried or Widows it was convenient that they should abide in that state if they could contain if not that they marry For it is better Hee gives a reason because it behoved them rather to beware of burning lusts which defile the conscience with sin than of the troubles of Marriage even those troubles which accompany a married state in times of persecution Vers. 10. And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord let not the wife depart from her husband The second thing they enquire of is concerning Divorce the parts whereof are two The first is concerning both being Believers whether it is lawful for married Christians to make a Divorce unless the case bee for adultery Hee answers that it is not lawful which answer that hee may confirm hee denies that hee commanded any thing new or from special revelation but that hee repeats an old command by the authority of the Lord who in the Institution of Marriage established that the married should bee one flesh whereupon that separation and divorce is unlawful Vers. 11. But if shee depart let her remain unmarried or bee reconciled to her husband and let not the husband
that by the necessity of his office and the Command as also the fear of Gods displeasure Vers. 17. For if I do this thing willingly I have a reward but if against my will a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto mee My Preaching saith hee if it bee voluntary it shall have a reward but if against my will yet I must discharge it because of the dispensation committed unto mee by the Command of God and that would bee without the glory of my voluntary Preaching If I should unwillingly preach the Gospel as they do who exercise their Ministery not out of any love to God and desire of converting Souls but for filthy lucres sake or out of vain-glory Vers. 18. What is my reward then Verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel Now hee saith that hee hath matter whereof to boast against his Reproachers as a reward of his not receiving any stipend from them in as much as hee Preached the Gospel to the Corinthians without charge unto them whereunto hee sub-joyns another reason That if hee had exacted a maintenance there where his Reproachers endeavoured to bring an evil report upon him then hee had abused his liberty Vers. 19. For though I bee free from all men yet have I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more Hee extends the moderating of his liberty to all sorts of things indifferent wherein hee served not himself but others that hee might gain them Vers. 20. And unto the Jews I became a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law That hee explains particularly in three things First that hee did conform himself to the Jew bound as they thought under the Ceremonial Law observing the Mosaical Ceremonies for time and place as the matter required as if hee had been under the yoke of Ceremonies and that hee did by the opinion of the Council at Ierusalem which left to the Jews born under that yoke whereof the Apostle was a free use of Ceremonies for a time but in no wise to the Gentiles Act. 21. 21 25. Vers. 21. To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law The second is That conforming himself to the Gentiles which were without Law hee laid aside the use of Ceremonies as one that was without Law but in the mean time hee intimates that hee did not understand the Moral or the law of love which is the perpetual Law of God and Christ from which hee could not bee freed but the Ceremonial Law from which indeed hee was freed that hee might freely for the advantage of the Gospel use Ceremonies or might abstain from using them Vers. 22. To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some The third That hee conformed himself to those that doubted of their liberty abstaining from things lawful as they did finally hee accommodates himself in all things indifferent to all men for three causes First That hee might gain as many as possible or at leastwise some Vers. 23. And this I do for the Gospels sake that I might bee partaker thereof with you The second cause That the Doctrine of the Gospel might bee better esteemed of amongst all by his moderate carriage The third cause That serving the advantages of the Gospel hee might bee saved being made partaker of the Gospel with other Believers Vers. 24. Know you not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that you may obtain Hitherto hee hath insisted upon his own example as the Antecedent of the Argument the force of this example follows or the hortatory conclusion viz. That the Corinthians would labour after temperance and not so mind their meat as to eat with offence that which was offered unto Idols To this end hee shews them that they must run in their Christian Race in which all not one only as it was usual in their sports that run according to the Laws of God were to bee crowned Vers. 25. And every man that striveth for the Mastery is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown but wee an incorruptible And how that comes to pass hee shews viz. If after the example of those that contended in those Noble Games whether running or combating usually celebrated neer unto Corinth they should not indulge themselves in gluttony and pleasures but temperate in all things bearing all things whereby the conquering Crown might bee won In their Isthmian or Corinthian Games the Runners and Wrestlers inured themselves to a most temperate diet by way of Preparation for the Race as now horses are fitted for running The Conquerours in these Games were crowned with Lawrel or Ivy or were honoured with some such like reward After the same manner the Apostle would have Christians most moderate in their using the things of this world and abstinent from whatsoever may stop their course or hinder them in their warfare and that they might obtain an incorruptible that is an Eternal Crown laid up in heaven for all those who strive lawfully and finish their course Hee adds three Hortatory Arguments Argum. 1. Because you Christian Wrestlers may expect a more noble Crown than that corruptible one of those that sport in those Gymnastick Games Vers. 26. I therefore run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the ayr 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should bee a cast-away Argum. 2. From his own example running and acting the part of a Champion and smiting his adversary certainly and seriously I earnestly keep down the body of sin and the old man and the lusts of the flesh that they may bee slain and I compel my body properly so called by virtue of Spiritual Discipline to bee subject to my Spirit Therefore do you the same thing For so the Apostle nurtured his body that in labours and watchfulness and fastings it might hold out in its duty that it might not wax wanton against the Spirit and the body of sin as much as lay in him bee destroyed Lest by any means Argum. 3. From the end of it I keep under the body of sin or the old man lest if I should live otherwise than I advise others to live I should bee a cast-away or as an hypocrite should bee blotred out of the number of the Saints Therefore do you the same thing that I do and to the same end The Apostle here does not oppose Reprobate to one that is Elect but to one that is Approved for as the
with Christ by Faith follows our judicial union with Christ from this union imputation is made of the obedience and righteousness of Christ to us and at length the application of all his gifts even to perfect felicity which being considered what can bee said more efficaciously to stir all of us up that our enmities being acknowledged and our necessities wee may imbrace reconciliation offered in Christ. The sum therefore of these three verses is That the Apostle when hee had weighed the dispensation of mans Redemption and the reason of bringing the Elect to Reconciliation and Salvation hee could not but imploy himself strongly and faithfully in his Ministery For when hee knew by the Covenant concerning the Redemption of the Elect between God and his Son the second person of the Trinity invested with the office of a Mediator and a Surety God being so abundantly satisfied hee now becomes gracious to the world of the redeemed or Elect concurring with Christ the Mediator for the applying of Reconciliation obtained for all the Redeemed and hee importunes them by Christ and by the Servants of Christ the Ministers of the Gospel no less seriously than the Redeemer himself and prayes them that now hee himself being reconciled they would bee reconciled When I say the Apostle knew these things and that there was a charge committed to him that hee should promote this reconciliation what wonder then if hee earnestly strived that men might be turned to God And when hee knew that by Covenant Christ had took upon himself all the sins of all the Redeemed and was made a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the expiating of their sins imputed to him under this condition that the Redeemed such all the faithful shew themselves to bee clothed with the Righteousness of God or the Righteousness of Christ should bee accounted most righteous in the mind of God and at length should bee fully renewed by the Holy Spirit what wonder then if hee confidently and constantly prosecuted the business of reconciliation and shewed himself faithful in executing his Ministery CHAP. VI. THat as yet further hee may commend the exercise of his Ministery more fully to the consciences of the Corinthians putting before their eyes a Minister faithful in work and example hee draws a three-fold exhortation from the premises that they may bring forth the fruit of his Ministery There are three parts of the Chapter of which the first is an exhortation seriously to receive the grace offered by him to vers 11. The second is an exhortation to receive him for the Apostle of Christ to vers 14. And the third is an exhortation to shun the contagion of Idolatry to the end Vers. 1. Wee then as workers together with him beseech you also that yee receive not the Grace of God in vain The first Exhortation is that they would receive the Grace of Reconciliation more seriously and with fruit and suffer not the Grace of God offered in the Gospel by their fault to want its full fruit in them that they may obtain Righteousness Peace Life and all things which Christ hath obtained for them The Proposition hee urges is this Yee ought not to receive the Grace of God in vain i. e. in outward profession onely without its internal virtue this hee proves by three Arguments Argum. 1. Wee Ministers of God being co-workers that his work may bee promoted in you granted from him to you by free gift promising our endeavour for the promoting of your salvation earnestly desired that of you Therefore yee ought not to receive the Grace of God in vain Vers. 2. For hee saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Argum. 2. In a Parenthesis Because now the time is acceptable in which by the intercession of Christ the Grace of God is efficacious to the producing of fruit in all those that receive the Gospel with serious affection of heart and desire to bring forth fruit which hee proves out of Isa. 49.8 where the Father speaketh to the Mediatour interceding for them and by his Spirit breathing in them Therefore you must beware lest this opportunity of Grace bee in vain offered to you Vers. 3. Giving no offence in any thing that the Ministery bee not blamed Argum. 3. Ioyned with the first verse Wee Ministers which exhort you and I by name Paul wee are approved by all manner of waies and wee are found faithful in the Ministery of the Gospel not hindering you but that you may profit by our Ministery that so yee may pretend nothing but that yee may persevere in the Grace of the Gospel Therefore yee ought not to receive the Grace of the Gospel in vain but to contend for the receiving of and expressing the virtue of the Gospel Hee confirms the Antecedent by an induction of the virtues which prove Ministers faithful with which hee was first of all by the Grace of God adorned There are five parts of the induction In the first part hee removes from himself those vices whereby idle Teachers were wont to create offences to the Gospel demolishing more by their manners in the edifice of God than by their Doctrine they edifie and yeelding occasion to the wicked of speaking ill of his Ministery or of the office of Ministers Vers. 4. But in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses 5. In stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings In the second part hee recites divers kinds of virtues with which his Ministery is adorned but namely hee mentions his patience exercised in nine kinds of evils in all which without murmuring hee patiently executed the offices of his Ministery for hee strongly endured the troubles of his journies with want and dangers the snares of his persecutors prison and â—umults stirred up against him and in preaching his labour watchings fastings neither did hee wax faint in the work of the Lord. Vers. 6. By pureness by knowledge by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned In the third part hee adds other six virtues of his patience of which the first is his freedome from the pollutions of the world whilst hee conversed amongst those of the world 2 His discretion in handling his auditors 3 His forbearance in provocations 4 His gentleness in his commerce with more difficult things 5. His spiritual disposition in all things 6. His sincere love towards all Vers. 7. By the word of truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left In the fourth part hee reckons the virtues which did belong to the discharge of his duty 1. Hee preached nothing besides the truth of God 2. Hee demonstrated the power of the Spirit in his speech 3. Hee contended against all his enemies with spiritual weapons i. e. with lawful
into Paradise or into that blessed seat of the Glory of God wherupon hee repeats the second time I knâ—w a man and there heard ineffable words which is not lawful for a man to utter i. e. of whom something could not bee expressed other things it was not lawful for him to utter which otherwise had hee not been prohibited might have been uttered for those things which were revealed hee is certain did belong to his private confirmation and preparations for those conflicts hee was about to undergo Vers. 5. Of such an one will I glory yet of my self I will not glory but in my infirmities Argum. 7. That indeed hee was ready to boast to the glory of God of such a man i. e. of himself as the servant of God exalted after this manner But not concerning himself considered in himself for that hee had nothing in himself in which hee might glory except his infirmities Vers. 6. For though I would desire to glory I shall not bee a fool For I will say the truth But now I forbear lest any man should think of mee above that which hee seeth mee to bee or that hee heareth of mee Argum. 8. That although hee had sufficient matter of glorying offered upon this revelation that truly and solidly without vanity hee might much more glory but hee determined as yet sparingly to speak of this matter lest hee should stirre up too much esteem of himself Vers. 7. And lest I should bee exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to mee a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet mee lest I should bee exalted above measure Argum. 9. That the excellence of the Revelation was so great as that hee might beware of pride the Angel of Satan was sent for the Apostles humiliation A Thorn Hee describes the reason of his humbling so that hee intimates three Reasons of it Reason 1. That the matter of his humiliation was something of the reliques of sin in his flesh or his corrupt nature as yet not quite abolished viz. some motion of concupiscence tending to his further sinning which motion hee compares to a Thorn left in lopped wood because it was no less troublesome to him than a Thorn was wont to bee fastened in the foot of a travellour The Messenger Reason 2. Of his humiliation that this motion carried along with it a special temptation opening a way to the Devil making way to sin To buffet Reason 3. This Temptation sent from the Devil doth so much the more violently solicit him to sin that hee was compelled to implore divine assistance lest hee should bee overcome with the Temptation which exercise as it is not to bee wondred at by him that reads Chap. 7. Rom. So it is to bee acknowledged the most efficacious means for the humbling of the Apostle for hee that was wont to bear all troubles and fights both with his bodily and spiritual enemies couragiously hee is heard to howl and cry out in his combate with the flesh O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee c. Vers. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from mee The humiliation of the Apostle it self follows of which hee brings four Signs Sign 1. That hee had very often prayed unto God that hee would deliver him from the Tempter Vers. 9. And hee said unto mee My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon mee Sign 2. That hee rested in the answer of God in which hee certified him partly of the sufficiency of his Grace for the sustaining of his combating servant lest hee should bee overcome by the Tempter and for the washing away of all pollution which hee had contracted in his combate Partly concerning the end of his purpose in the exercise of his servants which is that by how much any servant of God is found more weak in any combate by so much the strength of God sustaining him might more clearly and perfectly demonstrate it self Most gladly Sign 3. That a more constant frame of humility would ensue upon this combate of his wherein hee determined to acknowledge his infirmities and weaknesses in all things to this very end that hee might experience the power of Christ dwelling in him and so much the more apparently manifested Vers. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then I am strong Sign 4. That hee had now learnt not onely to bear all afflictions couragiously for the Gospel which might make him more humble but out of them to take much pleasure Because when hee perceived himself most weak flying to Christ hee had experience of his more powerful presence for the sustaining and comforting him and likewise making him victorious The second Part. Vers. 11. I am become a fool in glorying yee have compelled mee for I ought to have been commended of you for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles though I bee nothing The second part of the Chapter contains his glorying in the manifestation of his Apostleship powerfully and sincerely administred amongst the Corinthians Hee clears this glorying from that folly which some might object laying the fault upon the Corinthians from whose neglect the necessity of the Apostles glorying did arise For they ought to assert his dignity against the false Apostles Hee saies I ought to bee commended by you or it was your part to defend mee hee brings nine Reasons of this Proposition and also of his glorying For in nothing Reason 1. Because although the Apostle was nothing in himself yet by the Grace of God hee was not inferiour to the chief Apostles the Corinthians being his witnesses Therefore hee ought to bee defended and commended by them Vers. 12. Truly the Signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds Reason 2. Confirming the former Because amongst you the signs of my Apostleship appear partly in my patient enduring of labours troubles and injuries partly in the effects and signs of my Apostleship in miracles and powerful works Therefore I ought to bee commended by you Vers. 13. For what is it wherein yee were inferiour to other Churches except it bee that I my self was not burdensome to you forgive mee this wrong Reason 3. Because the Corinthian Church is endowed with such illustrious gifts of the Holy Ghost by my Ministery as any other Church founded either by other Apostles or by my self Therefore my Ministery ought to bee defended by you Except it bee that Reason 4. Because his zeal in propagating the Gospel amongst them was so great that hee preached the Gospel to the Corinthians freely wherein if there was any wrong by a civil Irony hee asks pardon intimating the benefit which was
do The Second Part. Vers. 12. Not as though I had already attaianed either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus The second part of the Chapter follows wherein the Apostle exhorts them that imitating himself and other faithful Ministers they would make proficiency in holiness to which end hee useth seven Arguments And in this place hee proposeth himself for an example to them by removing an objection Some one might say O blessed Paul who hath renounced all things that hee might know Christ and gain him and who is now made so conformable to Christ that there is nothing wanting to him but the reward of immortality Hee answers that this is not the meaning of his words as if hee should have said I do not speak this as if I had attained the perfection of Holiness or were already perfected but I follow after the prize of perfection Whence Argum. 1. I am not absolute or compleat in happiness but I follow after perfection Therefore yee that are likewise imperfect should do the same thing that I do That I may apprehend Argum. 2. I am apprehended by Christ in effectual vocation to this very end that being converted I may profit in Faith and Holiness until I bee compleated and to this end I follow after this mark that I may apprehend it Therefore you also should do as I do Vers. 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before 14. I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus 15. Let us therefore as many as bee perfect bee thus minded and if in any thing yee bee otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Argum. 3. Out of a sense of my imperfection in holiness I do not regard or call to mind the progress which I have already made but with as much eagerness as I can I run the race which is set before mee that I may at length attain the prize in the end of this life and the reward of life eternal to which God from above hath called mee in Christ All yee therefore even who are full grown and who have hitherto made or think that yee have made the greatest proficiencies whether with others or your selves do yee think and indeavour the same thing that I do that is having forsaken all carnal confidence glorying in Christs Righteousness alone by virtue of him seek after proficiency in holiness that yee may at length come unto the blessed resurrection And if in any Argum. 4. If yee being seduced by false Apostles think otherwise of Christian perfection I hope God who converted you unto the Faith of the Gospel will also reveal this truth unto you and either will cause that yee may bee of my opinion touching the Righteousness of Christ and his virtue for your encrease in Holiness or else will manifest unto you how dangerous and evil it is for you to take up another opinion different from my Doctrine Therefore you c. Vers 16. Nevertheless whereto wee have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Hee limits his hope touching the saving revelation of the truth whereupon hee speaks unto those that are desirous of truth and peace inciting them by a special exhortation to constancy and agreement in that truth wherein they did already agree touching grace and salvation by Christ according to the Rule of Scripture not daring to hope well of any but such as followed that Rule as if hee had said Let us who are lovers of Truth and Peace and who embrace the Scripture as the onely rule of saving Truth persevere in that which by Gods goodness wee have attained unto and walking according to this Rule let us bee of the same mind but let us leave the rest to God and his Discipline which is set down in Scripture Vers. 17. Brethren bee yee followers together of mee and mark them which walk so as yee have us for an ensample Argum. 5. Besides mee you have other servants of God which tread the same way that I do in the matter of doctrine and conversation who teach nothing but Faith in Christ and holiness to bee obtained by him Therefore follow yee those examples Vers. 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ Argum. 6. There are many Teachers false Apostles and false Brethren who are enemies to the Cross of Christ that is who teach that sins may bee expiated and men saved otherwise than by the Cross of Christ alone and who will not profess the truth of Christ where there is any danger of the Cross or of persecution Therefore do yee the more diligently observe and imitate the manner of my doctrine and life and of other such Pastors like mee Told you often Hee confirms this Argument touching their shunning of Impostors who did draw men from the Righteousness and Holiness which is by the Cross of Christ with seven Reasons Reas. 1. Because this is not the first time But I have often formerly fore-warned you of the comming of these vile fellows Weeping Reas. 2. Because now weeping I advise you to beware of them seriously grieving that such men have crept into the Church and are received by some for true Teachers Enemies Reas. 3. Because they are Christs enemies in this very thing that they are enemies to the virtue of Christs sufferings and who will not bear the Cross of Christ for the defence of the Truth Vers. 19. Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Whose end Reas. 4. Because those Impostors shall perish and as many as follow their waies Therefore shun them Belly Reas. 5. Because they are servants and lovers of their own belly that is they care neither for God nor the salvation of men but onely their own gluttony and pleasures Glory Reas. 6. Because that glory which they seek among men by their riches prosperity and carnal prerogatives shall bee their disgrace Earthly things Reas. 7. Because they onely savour earthly things as riches honours friends gluttony pleasures and such like Therefore yee that desire a spiritual and heavenly life must shun them Vers. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also wee look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ Argum. 7. Our condition is very heavenly who trusting onely in the grace and virtue of Christ strive for proficiency in holiness Wee are true Inhabitants of Heaven and therein wee are conversant in mind and affection where wee shall sometime bee glorified Therefore follow our example But the happiness of true Beleevers is declared in these four things 1 That wee have right unto the heavenly
before I never used flattering words amongst you of which thing I call you to witness Nor Sign 6. I never did any thing for the sake of covetousness under the cloak of piety as the false Apostles were wont of which thing hee calls God to witness Vers. 6. Not of men sought wee glory neither of you nor yet of others when wee might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ. Neither Sign 7. I was so far from ambition and also covetousness that I never required the honour due to mee or an honourable stipend either of you or of others when as an Apostle of Christ I could have lawfully been burdensome unto you Vers. 7. But wee were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her children Sign 8. Whilst I was conversant amongst you I did carry my self gently as one of you yea as one equal to the lowest of you laying aside all haughtiness morosity and imperiousness and all respect either to the Nobility of my Kindred or the excellency of my office and gifts vouchsafed to mee and all other priviledges the consideration whereof uses to bee accounted of in civil conversation Vers. 8. So being affectionately desirous of you wee were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God onely but also our own souls because yee were dear unto us Sign 9. As a mother cherisheth her children warmeth them with her breath nourisheth them with her milk and if shee could is ready to communicate her soul to them So I affectionately taking care of all the concernments of the Church with the greatest satisfaction together with the preaching of the Gospel I was willing to impart unto you as it were my soul because of my vehement love towards you Vers. 9. For yee remember Brethren our laâ—our and travel for labouring night and day because wee would not bee chargeable unto any of you wee preached unto you the Gospel of God Sign 10. Explaining and confirming the former the whole time which remains to mee from the preaching the Gospel I did bestow labouring with my hands lest any one of you bee burthened by allowing mee maintenance as an Apostle Vers. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably wee behaved our selves among you that beleeve Sign 11. I carried my self amongst you in all things justly holily and unblameably whereof I call you to witness as to external things and I call God to witness of my more inward sincere love to you in all things Vers. 11. As you know how wee exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his children Sig. 12. As yee may remember I did exhort and comfort privately every one of you no otherwise than as a Father is wont to exhort and comfort his children Vers. 12. That yee would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdome and Glory Sig. 13. I left nothing undone that might shew greatest faithfulness and diligence that yee might lead an holy life and that yee might please God in all things who hath called you by his grace to a participation of his Kingdome and celestial Glory These are the Signes of Pauls celestial Ambassage and of his Apostolical Office faithfully administred by him amongst the Thessalonians The Second Part of the Chapter Vers. 13. For this cause also thank wee God without ceasing because when yee received the Word of God which yee heard of us yee received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve The Second part of the Chapter in which are contained manifest Signes of the Divine grace towards the Thessalonians in their conversion which afterwards hee publishes with Thanksgiving and confirms them against the scandal of the Cross and persecution which they suffered from the enemies of the Gospel which were of the same Tribe The Signes of the Divine grace towards the Thessalonians in their conversion are three Sign 1. That you have attentively heard sayes hee the word of the Gospel preached by mee not as the word of man but as the word of God and yee have received it with a true faith Which also Sign 2. That the word of God received by faith efficaciously works in you and testifies it self to bee Divine by its efficacy no less in you than it hath manifested it self in other beleevers Vers. 14. For yee brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus for yee also have suffered like things of your own Country-men even as they have of the Iews Sign 3. Confirming what was said before That hitherto yee have been constant in bearing persecutions from your friends kinsfolks those of the same Tribe for the Gospels sake and have shewn your selves like to the Christian Churches in Iudea who did constantly suffer persecutions from the other unbeleeving Jews of whom some are spiteful to you Vers. 15. Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men That hee may remove the scandal of persecution whereby the Christian Churches were vexed by the unbeleeving Jews who called themselves the people of God hee takes off the vizard from those perverse enemies of the Gospel setting out their sins with a most severe accusation whereof there are seven branches 1 The unbeleeving Jews killed Christ himself 2 They have not spared their own Prophets being their Country-men 3 They persecute us Apostles which say that the Thessalonians should receive consolation from the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings of his servants 4 They are adversaries unto God and then they think that they please God most when they persecute his servants 5 That as publick enemies of man-kinde they hinder as much as they can the common salvation of men Vers. 16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might bee saved to fill up their sins alway For the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost 6 They are enemies to the Gentiles to their utmost forbidding the Apostles to preach the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles lest they should bee saved so far as it lyes in them 7 By doing these and many other things they daily more and more fill up the measure of their sins Having recited their faults hee annexes the judgement and wrath of God which now had come upon them even to the utmost The Third Part of the Chapter Vers. 17. But wee brethren being taken from you for a short time in presence not in heart endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire The third part of the Chapter wherein lest they should think that they were neglected by the Apostle in their afflictions because hee did not come to them in the midst of such afflictions hee confirms his love and affection towards them in six Arguments Arg. 1. My absence from you
the word and doctrine because they are wholly set apart to the word and prayer Therefore it is fitting that they should bee liberally maintained Hee calls the stipend given them by the name of Honour because of such moment is their work that it cannot bee valued at any rate And because the stipend which is allowed them is to bee given not upon the account of wages but an Honorary or an honourable reward Vers. 18. For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the corn and the labourer is worthy of his reward Hee layes down two Reasons of the Precept 1 From Deut. 25.4 Where from the Allegory of an Oxe treading out the corn with his feet God commands that the Pastors of the Church should bee maintained reasoning from the greater to the less Worthy 2. From Levit. 9. or Luke 18.7 Where from the Precept of giving a due reward to the labourer it is gathered from the less to the greater Honour is much more to bee repayed to him who is not an hireling but a Father and a laborious Pastor Vers. 19. Against an Elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses Precept 2. That an accusation against an Elder bee not received or taken for true unless upon the testimony of three witnesses or at the least two worthy of credit it bee affirmed And that which is here spoken to Timothy alone is spoken to all that sit in the Presbytery because other where judgement is committed to the whole Presbytery yea what is spoken here to Timothy is spoken to the whole Presbytery at Ephesus touching the administration of the whole Discipline of the Church Act. 20.28 Timothy the Evangelist in the mean time might exercise extraordinary power as hee was an Evangelist and the Apostles Legate Vers. 20. Them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear Precept 3. Of avoiding scandals If the Elders or any other in the Church should offend openly that they bee publickly reproved The reason is That the rest may bee afraid being admonished by their example and may take heed to themselves that they do not offend Vers. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality Precept 4. In which by way of Epiphonema hee most gravely charges Timothy and in him all Ecclesiastical Judges that nothing bee done in Church affairs or censures with paâ—tiality or that nothing in these Precepts bee altered upon the accepting of any mans person Vers. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither bee partakers of other mens sins Keep thy self pure Precept 5. That hee do not rashly receive any one into the sacred Ministry without mature deliberation and examination preceding hee do not lay hands which was the sign of Ordination upon any one Hee gives two Reasons of it Neither Reas. 1. Lest if hee should ordain one unfitting in this very thing hee should communicate with him in his sins and by consequence in his punishments Thy self Reas. 2. Because thou oughtest to keep thy self pure from defilements and therefore from the ordaining of an unworthy man If happily the rest of the Presbytery at any time shall determine to admit an unfit man to the Ministry or one that is not approved keep thy self pure neither consent thou but labour by all means so to preserve purity and holiness that thou keep off from all affinity with sin as much as in thee lyes Hee explains the parts of this Precept in the two next following verses the meaning of the latter part of being himself pure vers 23. and shews the meaning of the former part vers 24. Vers. 23. Drinke no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities As to the latter part of the Precept of keeping himself pure because the Apostle knew that Timothy by reason of his earnest endeavours after purity and chastity had been injurious to his own health therefore by the way hee adviseth him that hee do not so understand the Precept of keeping himself pure as to neglect his health and render himself unfit for the works of his Calling but use an holy prudence and in subduing his body by drinking of water to use a little wine as it were physically and for the necessity of health lest if hee should proceed in not favouring his weak stomach and his body labouring under often infirmities immediately the tabernacle of his body should fall to decay and the Church should bee deprived of so profitable an instrument Vers. 24. Some mens sins are open before hand going before to judgement And some men they follow after As to what concerns the meaning of the former part of the Precept Lest hee should partake of other mens sins hee shews that hee spake of open sins which may bee known and avoided not of private which fall not under observation and that hee beware lest hee partake of other mens sins and in laying hands rashly on no man hee shews in this that using examination and tryal the open sins of any one that is unworthy may bee known as also the open virtues of men meet to bee admitted to the Ministery of the Gospel For the sins of some Candidates of the Ministery are so manifest that they prevent the examination and judgement of the Church that they may easily bee rejected For before the judgement of the Church can determine about them there is matter in readiness in their open sins for their condemnation or rejection from the Ministery by the opinion of the Ecclesiastical Senate And the sins of otherâ— upon examination premised and the judgement of the Church concerning them being given are brought forth into the light Vers. 25. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest before-hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid In like manner the virtue of some that are Candidates to the Ministery and their good works are so manifestly known that it is easie for the Church to judge them fit to bee admitted But the works of those that are otherwise or upon examination had and inquisition made are not manifest or so secret that they cannot bee known of men they are to bee left to God nor can they long bee hid but in their own time will bee brought to light that if the Church cannot prevent but those hypocrites are admitted to the Ministery yet care may bee had where they are already made manifest that they bee dealt with according to the Discipline of the Church CHAP. VI. IN this Chapter hee gives seven Precepts to Timothy whereby he may be instrusted in the Doctrine concerning the duties of private persons and the duties of Ministers and how hee ought to behave himself towards the people and towards the Elders Vers. 1. Let as many servants as are under the yoak count their own Masters worthy of all honour that the name of
death that is the Devil Argum. 10. Christ out of his love to the Elect the Children of God would partake of the same humane Nature with them that hee might by his death satisfie for them and so abolish the power of the Devil which hee as an exeâ—utioner hath by the Law against all sinners Therefore the reputation of Christ is not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Argum. 11. Amongst the fruits and ends of Christs death this is one that hee might deliver his from the fear of death both temporal and eternal under which fear all sinners are held all their life long till they see themselves freed from sin and death upon the merit of Christ dying for them Therefore c. Vers. 16. For verily hee took not on him the nature of Angels but hee took on him the seed of Abraham Argum. 12. Christ by assuming the seed of Abraham or humane nature into the unity of his person wherein from eternity hee subsisted heâ— advanced the humane nature in respect to priviledges dignity and honour above the Nature of Angels which hee took not Therefore the reputation of Christ is noâ— to bee lessened because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his Brethren that hee might bee a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Argum. 13. Christ ought to bee made like his Brethren the Elect in Nature Properties Affections and all infirmities except sin that his Brethren might bee the more certain and assured of his faithfulness and mercy in the exercise of his Priestly Office and perpetual intercession with God for them Therefore the excellency of Christ ought not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 18. For in that hee himself hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted Argum. 14. Confirming the former Christ by his suffering afflictions and temptations in the humane Nature was fitted by his experience of sufferings in whom wee may trust to bee able and willing to succour us under the like trials Therefore his reputation is not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh And thus as in the former Chapter it was demonstrated that Christ is the true Son of God so in this Chapter hee hath demonstrated him to bee the son of man The one true God-man and hath removed the scandal of infirmities and sufferings of Christ in the flesh which all the beleeving Hebrews did dash against CHAP. III. THe excellency of the Prophetical Office and person of Christ being vindicated in the fore-going discourse even under all his sufferings in the flesh Hee exhorts them now to a consideration of this excellency that they may hold fast the profession of the Christian Faith and not apostatize from it to this end producing fifteen Arguments Vers. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus The Proposition concerning the holding fast their Profession of the Faith is contained in an Exhortation to a serious consideration of Christ the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Argum. 1. Yee are sanctified and by Faith made partakers of an effectual calling to heavenly things Therefore you ought to hold fast the Profession of this Faith Apostle Argum. 2. Yee have Jesus Christ the Son of God the Apostle or Teacher of your Faith sent from God and our High Priest who hath expiated our sins by his blood You have him I say the Author of this Profession Therefore it is to bee held fast Vers. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house Argum. 3. Christ in the administration of his Apostleship and Priesthood committed to him is not less faithful than Moses who obtained testimony from God that hee was faithful in all his house Therefore ought yee to hold fast your Christian Profession Because the Hebrews ascribed too much to Moses and could hardly bee drawn away from Mosaical Ceremonies that they might bee brought to Christ Therefore here on set purpose hee compares Christ with Moses Vers. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as hee who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house Argum. 4. Christ is so much more excellent than Moses and the whole Church also by how much the builder of the house is more excellent than the house it self or any part of it Moses also is but a member of that Church and a part onely of that house Therefore the Profession of your Faith is to bee held fast Vers. 4. For every house is builded by some man but hee that built all things is God Argum. 5. Confirming the former under the same comparison As no house not part of an house is built by it self but by another man so neither the Church nor Moses who is a member of the Church is built by himself but owes his building to some higher Architect But Christ who is proved God is the builder of the Church and of every member of it and also of all things Therefore hee is more excellent than Moses and the Faith and Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast Vers. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to bee spoken after 6. But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are wee if wee hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Argum. 6. Moses was faithful as a servant in anothers family to testifie and that indeed darkly which afterwards more fully and openly was to bee spoken of Christ and his dominion But Christ is faithful as Son and Heir who is over his house and speaks from his own authority Therefore Christ is more excellent than Moses and the Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast Whose house Argum. 7. If wee firmly hold fast the confidence and hope of eternal life procured for us by Christ and to bee communicated in which hope wee now make our boast wee shall declare our selves to bee his house or his true Church in which the Lord will dwell Therefore the Profession of our Faith is to bee held fast Vers. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith Today if yee will hear his voice 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted mee proved mee and saw my works forty years Argum. 8. From Psal. 95.8 9 c. unless you hold fast the Faith of Christ you will disobey the Holy Ghost who in the Scripture forbids you to harden your hearts when you hear the Word of God
pleasures of sin for a season 26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for hee had respect unto the recompence of reward The second Example is of Moses the many acts of whose Faith are reckoned up which carry the force of many Examples and Arguments The first act of Faith in Moses is that being come to years and the use of Reason and discretion by Faith hee refused the royal relation and had rather be called an Hebrew than Pharaohs Nephew which hee did not onely in word but really when leaving the Kings Palace hee went forth to visit his Hebrew Brethren in affliction nor returned hee again to the delights of the Court vers 24. The Apostle commends this act upon a threefold account First That hee chose rather all afflictions in banishment and to endure hard bondage that hee might by any means be assistant to the people of God rather than be wanting to his duty and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season with the neglect of his duty vers 25. Secondly That hee accounted it greater riches to bee despised with the people of God for their Faith in Christ that was to come and so to bear his Cross or the reproaches of Christ upon whom those injuries which are done to his members fall as upon the head than to beâ— possessed of the treasures of Egypt in Pharaohs Court Thirdly That hee supported himself with the hope of delivering the people of God and expectation of the free reward which God hath promised to give unto his servants whence it appears that what hee hath spoken of Moses was the effect of his Faith vers 26. Hence Argum. 16. By Faith Honour and Riches and other worldly allurements wherewith unwary men are catched to their perdition become vile and afflictions borne for the name of Christ and communion with the Saints and Christ himself and an expectation of the reward promised to the afflicted servants of God is glorious as it clearly appears in the example of Moses Therefore c. Vers. 27. By Faith hee forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for hee endured as seeing him who is invisible The second act of Moses Faith is that trusting in the Promise of God hee fore-shewed to Pharaoh that against his will hee should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and deliver them from that bondage both himself and all the people to whom in their departing hee was Leader and Captain This act is commended upon a twofold account First That hee feared not the wrath of the King who might had not God with-held him having gathered together and armed his forces either have slain or reduced a fearful and unwarlike people upon their departure into more grievous bondage Secondly That by Faith hee saw the power and faithfulness of the invisible God and with this supported himself in all his straights whence hee proves this act to be an effect of Faith Hence Argum. 17. By Faith wee beleeve the promised liberty of the children of God from the Kingdome of darkness and wee conquer all fear which the wrath and armed force of tyrants can bring upon those who press after the heavenly inheritance having our eyes alwaies fastened upon the promised assistance of the invisible God as appears in the example of Moses Therefore c. Vers. 28. Through Faith hee kept the Passeover and the sprinkling of blood lest hee that destroyed the first-born should touch them The third act of Moses Faith is that being certainly perswaded of the Promise of God he celebrated the Passeover Feast in Egypt and with the blood of the Paschal Lamb took care that the doors of all the Israelites should be sprinkled Promising in the name of God that they should be all delivered from the destroying Angel which was that night to slay all the first-born of the Egyptians whose houses soever were marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb. Hence Argum. 18. By Faith wee solemnize the Sacraments in the Church and the publick worship of God in witness of our hope of deliverance from destruction wherein the unbeleeving world shall bee involved as appears in the example of Moses Therefore c. Vers. 29. By Faith they passed through the Red-Sea as by dry land which the Aegyptians assaying to do were drowned The third example is of the believing Israelites together with Moses their Captain who by Faith as they durst enter into the open jaws of the waters divided and take a long journey through the shadow of death so they passed safe over the Red Sea as upon dry ground But the Aegyptians without the Promise of God assaying to follow them were drowned Hence Argum. 19. By Faith wee undertake matters impossible to humane reason and pass through dangers in which unbelievers perish as appears in the peoples passage through the Red Sea Therefore c. Vers. 30. By Faith the walls of Jerico fell down after they were compassed about seven daies The fourth example is of Ioshua and the believing Israelites who by Faith expecting the fall of the walls of Ierico compassed them seven dayes with the Ark of the Covenant and Rams horns nor were they frustrated in their hope Hence Argum. 20. By Faith Believers by their prayers without all humane help cast down the fenced Cities and Towers of their enemies and overcome them as was proved in the example of the Israelites entering into the promised Land Therefore c. Vers. 31. By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when shee had received the Spies with peace The fifth example is of the Faith of Rahab the Harlot and Alien in whom God looks at her endeavour to preserve the Spies as an effect of Faith and passes by the lye which she told out of humane infirmity but doeth not approve it for they who have Faith do not do all things of Faith This Woman by Faith in the God of Israel peaceably received and privily sent away the Israelitish Spies and was saved from perishing with her unbelieving Fellow-Citizens of Ierico Hence Argum. 21. No precedent sins can hinder but that they who fly unto God and the fellowship of the true Church by Faith are saved and perish noâ— with Infidels as appears by the example of Rahab the Harlot converted to the Faith Therefore c. Vers. 32. And what shall I more say for the time would fail mee to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Sampson and of Jephthae of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets 33. Who through Faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions 34. Quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to â—light the Armies of the Aliens 35. Women received their dead raised to life again The fourth Rank or Classis of examples follows viz. of the faith of those who lived the remaining time after
Vers. 8. Yet it is begun in Christs personal Exaltation And for his short humiliation under the estate of Angels by suffering wee must not stumble For it is both glorious to himself and profitable for us Vers. 9. For Gods glory required that our salvation should be wrought by sufferings of the Mediatour Ves. 10. And to this end hee behoved to be partaker of our Nature as was foretold Vers. 11 12 13. That hee might take on our due punishment that is Death Vers. 14. And deliver his own from the fear thereof Vers. 15. And herein wee have a priviledge above the Angels in that hee took on our Nature and not theirs Vers. 16. And by his sufferings a ground of so much greater comfort in him Vers. 17 18. The Doctrine of Chap. II. Vers. 1. Therefore wee ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which wee have heard lest at any time wee should let them slip 1. THerefore Wee ought to give heed c. From the Excellency of Christs Person bee urgeth the Belief of his Doctrine Then 1. CHRIST must be esteemed of as becommeth the Excellency of his Person 2. The way how CHRIST will be respected of us is by respecting his Doctrine And the Excellency of his Person should procure our reverend receiving of his Word and stedfast holding of it 2. Hee will have us to take heed lest wee should let it slip The word is borrowed from rent and leaking Vessels or sandy ground Then 1. The Gospel is a precious liquor worthy to be well kept And wee of our selves are as rent Vessels ready to let it slip when wee have heard it or like sandy ground which keepeth not the rain 3. For this wee ought to give the more earnest heed Then The Conscience of the worth of CHRIST and his Gospel and of our own unfitness to retain it should sharpen our vigilancy and attendance to keep it else wee will doubtless let it slip 4. Hee saith not lest shortly but lest at any time Then It is not sufficient to beleeve the Word for a while and for a while to remember it but wee must gripe it so as never to quit it by mis-regard or misbeleef For Faith and love of the Truth is the good memory that specially hee requireth here Vers. 2. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward 1. Hee reasoneth from the Law spoken by Angels Then The Angels were employed in giving of the Law they did blow the Trumpet they from GOD uttered the word to Moses 2. The word spoken by them was stedfast Then What God delivereth by the Ministery of Messengers is authorized and ratified by GOD. 3. Every transgression was punished Then The punishment of transgressors or his Law is a proof of GODS authorizing the Doctrine 4. Hee calleth the punishment a just Recompence Then There is no evil befalleth sinners more than they do deserve None hath cause to complain of injustice Vers. 3. How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at the first began to bee spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him 1. How shall wee escape The Apostle joyneth himself with them in the Threatning Then So should Preachers threaten their people as willing to undergo the same punishment except they flee the sin for which they threaten others 2. Hee reasoneth for the punishment of the Law-breaking to prove the punishment of misbelieving the Gospel Then 1. The not-embracing of the Gospel is a greater sin than the breach of the Law The despising of forgiveness is much worse than the making of the fault 2. Examples of Judgement upon Transgressors of the Law are evidences of greater Judgements to come on the misregarders of the Gospel 3. Hee calleth the Gospel so great a Salvation because of the free Offer of Remission of sins and eternal Life in it Then The greatness of the benefit to bee gotten by the Gospel aggravateth the sin of the misregarders of it 4. Hee sayeth not If wee reject deny or persecute the Gospel but if wee neglect Then The neglect of the Doctrine of the Gospel the careless receiving of it the not studying to know it is sufficient to draw down heavier judgements than ever fell on the breakers of the Law albeit a man bee not an Under-miner or open Enemy to the Gospel 5. Hee describeth the Gospel to bee that Doctrine which Christ himself preached and his Apostles from him Then wee are not bound to believe any more for Gospel than that which is made clear unto us by his Apostles word And the misregarding of other Doctrine which is not conveyed so from him falleth under the threatning 6. Hee marketh the Apostles certainty of what they have delivered unto us in that they were ear-witnesses of his Doctrine Then The more certainty the Apostles had from Christ of their Doctrine the surer is the ground-work of our belief and the greater is the contempt done to Christ in their Message by unbelief Vers. 4. God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will 1. Hee saith God bare witness to the Apostles Doctrine by signs and wonders Then 1. What the Apostles have spoken from Christ they spake not alone but God with them witnessed with them 2. The proper use of Miracles and extraordinary Gifts powred out in the Apostolick times was to testifie that the Apostles Doctrine was Divine Truth Those then must bee lying wonders which are alledged for confirming any Doctrine beside theirs 2. The distribution of the gifts of the Holy Ghost was according to his own will not as possibly the Apostles would have carved either to themselves or others in the nature of the gift or measure of it Then The Apostles were so employed in the working of Miracles as it was evident even then that not they but God was the worker of them while hee was seen to follow his own will therein and not mans carving in distributing his gifts And the more Gods over-ruling Will was seen in the miracles then the more confirmation have wee of that Doctrine now Vers. 5. For unto the Angels hath hee not put in subjection the World to come whereof wee speak 1. Hee calleth the World under the Kingdome of the Messias The World to come first to put a difference betwixt the estate of the World considered as under Sin and under the Messias For as it is under sin it is said of it Old things are past away 2 Cor. 5.17 Esa. 43.19 The creature is waxing old and running to ruine But under the Messias it is said of it Behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 The creature is lifting up its head and waiting for the day of liberation from â—anity and the manifestation of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 Then The Kingdome of the Messias maketh
As Beleef draweth us to an Union with God so misbeleef maketh a Separation 2. Mis-beleef is a special part of the hearts wickedness bewraying the enmity which naturally wee have against God as much as any ill For Mis-beleef denyeth to God the Honour of Truth Mercy and Goodness and importeth Blasphemies in the contrary 3. Mis-beleef is an ill in the heart making the heart yet worse and worse where it is and barring forth all the Remedies which might come by Faith to cure the heart 2. Hee warneth to take heed lest there be such an heart in any of them at any time Then 1. Mis-beleef is a subtil and deceitful sin having colours and pretences a number to hide it and must bee watched over lest it deceive and getting strength overcome 2. The Watch must bee constant at all occasions lest this ill get advantage when wee are careless and unattentive at any time 3. Watch must bee kept as over our selves so also over others lest any others mis-beleef not being marked draw us in the same snare with them 3. Hee describeth Apostacy by Mis-beleef and departing from the Living God Then 1. Beleeving is a drawing near to the Living God and staying with him 2. The loss that Mis-beleef bringeth should scare us from so fearful a sin 3. Departing from the true Christian Religion is a departing from the Living God whatsoever the Apostate or his Followers do conceive for God is not where Truth is not Vers. 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called To day lest any of you bee hardened through the deceitfulness of sin 1. Hee prescribeth a Remedy to prevent this ill to wit That they exhort one another daily while it is called To day That is Beside the publick Exhortation from their Preachers that every one of them mutually confer and stir up one another by speeches that make for decyphring the deceitfulness of Sin or preventing hardness of heart or confirming one another in the Truth of Religion and constant profession thereof Then 1. Private Christians not onely may but should keep Christian communion amongst themselves and mutually exhort and stir up one another 2. This is a necessary mean of preserving people from Defection 3. And a duty daily to bee discharged while it is to day that is as oft and as long as God giveth present occasion and opportunity for it lest a scattering come 2. The inconvenience that may follow if this be neglected is Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Then 1. There is none even the strongest of the Flock but they have need of this mutual help of other private Christians 2. Neither is there any so base or contemptible but the care of their standing in the Faith and of their safety belongeth to all 3. Sin hath many waies and colours whereby it may beguile a man and therefore wee have need of more Eyes than our own and more Observers 4. If it be not timeously discovered it will draw on hardness of heart so as a man will grow senseless of it confirmed in the habit of it and loath to quit it 3. In the former verse hee warneth them to beware of Apostasie in Religion and in this verse That they take course that they be not hardened in any sin in their conversation Then The ready way to draw on Defection in Religion is Defection from a godly Conversation And the way to prevent Defection in Religion is to study to Holiness of Conversation Vers. 14. For wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the end To stir them up to Perseverance hee layeth a necessity of holding fast gripe of the Principles of Christian Religion whereby they were perswaded to become Christians because onely so fellowship with Christ is gotten The Truth wherby they were begotten to Christian Religion hee calleth The beginning of our Confidence yea and of our Spiritual Subsistence as the word in the Original importeth Then 1. The Gospel is the beginning of our Confidence yea and of our Spiritual Subsistence of our new being that wee have as Spiritual Men in the State of Grace 2. The Man that renounceth the Grounds of the Gospel and persevereth not was never partaker of Christ. 3. Christian Religion is not a thing that a man may say and unsay keep or quit as Prosperity or Adversity Threatnings or Allurements do offer But such as must in all Estates upon all Hazzard be avowed Vers. 15. Whilest it is said To day if yee will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the Provocation 16. For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses Now the Apostle draweth Collections from the words of the Prophet in the Psalm repeating the words of the Textâ— which speaâ— of the Provocation of the Fathers vers 25. Whereupon hee inferreth that there were some at least hearers of the Word which provoked God â—lbeit not all For whose cause David had reason to give Advertisement to their Posterity to beware of the like and the writer of the Epistle reason to apply the same unto them vers 16. Then 1. From the Apostles handling of the Text which hee hath in hand all must Learn not lightly to pass Scripture but to consider both what is said expresly in it and what is imported by consequence 2. Preachers practice is justified when they consider the circumstances of a Text and do urge duties upon their people or teach them Doctrine from the Text. Vers. 17. But with whom was Hee grieved forty years Was it not with that had sinned whose carcasses fell in the Wilderness Hee observeth another thing in his Text upon the persons with whom God was grieved that first they are marked to have sinned and afterwards punished Leaving to them to Gather That where Sin went before the Anger of God would follow upon the Sin and after the grieving of God Judgement light upon the Sinner Vers. 18. And to whom sware Hee that they should not enter into His Rest but to them that beleeved not 19. So wee see that they could not enter in because of unbeleef Hee hath yet another Observation upon the nature of the Sin whereby God was provoked to swear their damnation that sinned that is it was unbeleef vers 8. And formally deduceth his Doctrine by consequence That Misbeleef did stop the Sinners Entry into the Rest and made the Sinner to lye under an impossibility of entring vers 19. The use of which Doctrine hee presseth in the next Chapter Then 1. The Apostle leaveth us to gatheâ— That above all other Sins Mis-beleef provoketh God to indignation most 2. That as long as this Sin lyeth on and getteth way it is impossible for a man to enter into Gods Rest. This Sin alone is able to seclude him The Summe of Chap. IV. HEE presseth the use of the former Doctrine saying in substance Therefore be feared to be debarred
To come boldly to God in prayer for every thing whereof wee stand in need Then the Apostle alloweth unto the beleever 1. Certain perswasion of the acceptation of his person hee biddeth him Come boldly 2. Hee alloweth certain perswasions of the granting of his prayers in the matter namely of Grace and Mercy which includeth the remission of sins 2 The Throne of Grace or the Mercy-Seat was above the Ark within the Sanctuary and represented God in Christ reconciled to his people gracious and merciful unto them To this hee alludeth and by this means teacheth us 1. That the substance of that typical Mercy Seat is to bee found in Christ under the Gospel In him God is ever to bee found on his Throne of Grace 2. That the Veil of the Ceremonial Sanctuary is rent in Christs suffering and an open door made unto the holiest unto every Beleever and not for the Highest alone to enter in 3. That God layeth aside his terrour and rigour of justice when his own come to him in Christ and offereth access unto the Throne of Grace unto them 3. Hee will have us comming with boldness to obtain mercy including himself with the faithful and joyning the meanest of the faithful to whom hee writeth in the same priviledge with himself Then 1. Free liberty to expound all our mind to God as the word importeth without employing the mediation of Saint or Angel or any beside Christ is one of the priviledges of Christian Religion 2. This priviledge is common to the meanest of the faithful with the chiefest Apostles 3. There is mercy to bee had for such as come for removing of every sin and remedy of every misery 4. Hee setteth before them the hope of Grace to help in time of need Importing hereby 1. That albeit for the present possibly wee bee not touched with the sense of wants straights and difficulties yet wee are to expect that time of need will come 2. That it is good to foresee this and make provision in the time of grace in this acceptable day while God is on his Throne of Grace 3. That our prayers if they get not an answer presently yet shall they get an answer in the time of need When our need commeth then shall our help come also The Summe of Chap. V. I Have called Jesus the Son of God a great High-Priest because the Levitical Priests are but a resemblance of him and that in their imperfect measure For look what office they had vers 1. What properties were required in them vers 2 3. How they were called to their office vers 4. A fairer calling hath Christ and to an higher Priesthood vers 5 6. I called him a compassionate High Priest because hee took on our frail nature and had experience of such troubles as ours both outward and inward vers 7. For the measure of the Mediators obedience albeit Hee was the Son required actual and experimental suffering else the price had not actually been paid for us vers 8. And now being throughly fitted for his office by suffering hee is become the cause of the salvation of all that follow him vers 9. Authorized for that end of God after the order of Melchisedec which order is more perfect than Aarons vers 10. Of which mystery I must speak with greater difficulty for your incapacity vers 11. For yee have need yet more to bee catechised in the rudiments of Religion as babes vers 12. For such are they to whom easie Doctrine must bee propounded vers 13. But harder Doctrines are for riper Christians vers 14. The Doctrines of Chap. V. Vers. 1. For every High-Priest taken from amongst men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that hee may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins 1. HEE setteth down the properties of the High-Priest that hee might shew the truth of them in Christ. First the peoples comfort did require that the High-Priest should bee a man So is Christ a Man chosen out from amongst men The Flower of all the Flock Therefore wee may come the more homely to Him 2. The High-Priest was ordained for men that is was appointed to imploy all his Office for mens good So doth Christ therefore may wee expect that hee will do for us as Mediatour what hee can and that is all that wee need 3. The High-Priests Office reached to all things pertaining to God to communicate Gods will unto the people and to lay before God the peoples Necessities So doth Christs Office to all the business betwixt God and us for working in us Repentance and Amendment and making our persons and service acceptable to God and therefore in nothing may wee pass by Him 4. In special the Priest behoved to offer Gifts and Sacrifices for sin for removing of wrath and obtaining of Favour So hath Christ done and fulfilled the type in this point also therefore by Him must wee obtain the good which wee crave and have the evil removed which wee fear Vers. 2. Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that Hee Himself also is compassed with infirmity 1. Hee goeth on in the Comparison The typical High-Priest behoved to be compassionate on the Sinner So in truth is Christ even as the misery requireth proportionally as the word importeth 2. Hee maketh two sorts of Sinners Ignorants and Transgressours Then Though there bee difference of sinners yet no sinner that seeketh to Christ is secluded from His Compassion 3. Followeth a difference serving to advance Christ above the typical Priest The High-Priest typical was compassed with infirmities not onely sinless infirmities but sinful also and so behoved to pitty others Christ though not compassed with sinful infirmities but sinless onely yet doth pitty Sinners of all sorts Then Look what compassion one sinner might expect of another as much may wee expect of our sinless Saviour Vers. 3. And by reason hereof hee ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins Another difference The typical Priest had need of Remission of his own sins and the benefit of the true Sacrifice But Christ because without sin offered Sacrifice onely for our sins and not for His own Then All the Benefit of Christs Sacrifice commeth unto us Vers. 4. And no man taketh this honour unto himself but hee that is called of God as was Aaron Hee proceedeth in the Comparison The typical Priest entred by authority to his Calling and was honoured by his Calling So entred Christ. No man saith hee taketh this honour unto himself but Hee that is called as was Aaron Then 1. It is an honour to bee called to an Office in the House of God 2. The Calling is null if it have not God for the Author and Caller 3. If a man take an office not appointed of God or intrude himself into an Office without a lawful Calling it is no kind of honour unto him Vers. 5. So also Christ glorified not
repeated But Christs entry into Heaven to be perfect because but once not to be repeated 3. The Levitical Priests entred by the blood of Goats and Calves But Christ entred by his own blood 1. And if Christ entred but once into Heaven after his Suffering Then Wee must not think that his Body is any where else but in Heaven onely wherein it is once onely entred 2. If the blood whereby Christ entred into Heaven was his own blood Then 1. Verily Christs Body was like ours in substance having blood in it as ours and wee must not conceive otherwise of his body than to be of the same substance and substantial properties with ours 2. The blood belonged to the same person to whom the properties of God belongeth so often in this Epistle attributed unto Christ. His Blood was the blood of God Act. 20.28 That is the same Jesus was God and man with flesh and blood in one person 3. The Fruit of Christs bloody Sacrifice hee maketh The Eternal Redemption of those for whom hee offered it And to the typical Sacrifice hee ascribeth no redemption at all in the comparison Thereby giving us to understand 1. That from the worlds beginning to the end thereof salvation of sinners is by way of Christs Redemption That is by his loosing them through payment of a price 2. That the Redemption was manifested to have force when after his bloody Sacrifice hee entred into Heaven 3. That such as are once redeemed by Christ are Eternally Redeemed not for a time to fall away again but eternally to be saved most certainly Vers. 13. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh Vers. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God To prove that eternal Redemption is the fruit of Christs Sacrifice he reasoneth thus If the Typical Sacrifices and Rites of old were able to work that for which they were ordained that is external Sanctification Much more shall Christs true Sacrifice be able to work that for which it was appointed that is Eternal Remission of sins and inward Sanctification unto eternal life Then there are two sorts of Sanctification One external of the flesh which maketh a man holy to the Church whatsoever he be within Another internal of the conscience and inner man which maketh a man holy before God 2. The purifying of the flesh he maketh to be by the exercise of such and such Ordinances of Divine Service for the time Then External or Church-holiness of the outward man is procured by such and such exercises of Divine Ordinances in the Church as serve to make a man to be reputed and holden for clean before men and so to be received for a member of the Church as is to be seen Numb 19. 3. From his form of reasoning we learn That whatsoever liberty and access of coming to the Church was made to the Jew of old by these ceremonies of the Law as much and more liberty is made to the Christian to come in to God by the blood of Christ. 4. In describing Christs Sacrifice he saith Christ through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Then 1. Christ is both the Sacrifice and the Priest in one person He offered himself as man through the Eternal Spirit that is by the vertue and power of his own Godhead by which he preached before his Incarnation to sinners 1 Pet. 3.19 2. His sacrifice was without spot He was that spotless Lamb in whom was no sin nor imperfection nor defect of any thing that the sacrifice required 3. The vertue of the sacrifice which made it to purchase Eternal Redemption unto us floweth from the infinite worth of his Eternal Godhead 4. Albeit Christs two natures have their distinct respects in the actions of his Office yet Christ is one and undivided in the execution of his Office 5. The fruit and force of the sacrifice is set down in this that this Blood shall purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God That is shall both absolve a man from his foregon sin and also enable him to serve God for time to come Then 1. Sins are but dead works flowing from nature dead in sin and not onely deserving but also drawing on death upon the sinner 2. The conscience lieth polluted with the filthiness of dead works till the vertue of the blood of Jesus applied bring intimation of absolution 3. Christs blood doth not purge the Conscience from dead works that a man should go wallow in them again but that he may serve the living God more acceptably 4. The purging vertue of Christs blood is joyned with the sanctifying and renewing of the absolved sinner and what God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder Vers. 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions which were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Now lest any man should stumble at Christs death he sheweth a necessity thereof in respect of his office of Mediation and the purchase to be made by his Redemption The force of the reason is this Remission of sins could not have been given under the Law except the Mediator had been to pay the price of the same under the Gospel Nor could the faithful and called ones either then or now obtain eternal life for an inheritance otherwise than by the Mediators death Therefore it behoved the true Mediator by means of death to pay the promised price of the purchase of remission of sins and eternal life Then 1. The remission of transgressions and the inheritance of eternal life are both fruits of Christs Passion 2. The fruits of his Passion extended themselves unto them who were under the Old Testament as well as unto us under the New 3. The way of purchase of these benefits was by Redemption that is to say by lawful purchase such as might satisfie justice 4. The way in special was by means of the Mediators death His life was laid down to redeem ours His one life as good as all ours 5. For this cause Christ took the office of a Mediator unto himself that he might have right and interest by death to make this purchase 6. And therefore except he had really died the purchase could not have been lawfully made Vers. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator Another reason to prove the necessity of Christs death from the force of the word Covenant which signifieth also a Testament The force of the reason is this Christ Jer. 31.31 promised to make a New Covenant and therefore also a New Testament iâ— to make a New Testament then also he promised
the Law entred The comparison goeth thus 1. The Levitical High Priest entred into the material and artificial Sanctuary and a Typical sacrifice became him But Christ entred not into that Typical Sanctuary Therefore a Typical Sacrifice became not him 2. The Levitical High Priest entered bodily into the figurative Sanctuary But Christ did enter bodily into the true Sanctuary in Heaven it self 3. The High Priest entered in behalf of the people with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast and shoulders But Christ is entered in in behalf of us all his People to appear for us bearing the particular memory of every Saint in his Memory The High Priest entered in to appear for a short time and stayed not within the Sanctuary But Christ is entred in to appear now all the time from his Ascension unto this day and constantly still while it is called Now. Vers. 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High Priest entereth into the Holy Place every year with blood of others He proveth that he had offered a better Sacrifice than the Levitical because he behoved to offer an Offering not to be repeated as the Levitical and so a more perfect Offering The comparison goeth in dissimilitudes 1. The High Priest entered in with the blood of others But Christ entered in with his own blood 2. The High Priest made an Offering of other things than himself But Christ did offer himself Then the Offering of Christ is the personal action of Christ himself None can nor may offer him but himself For the Priest must be either better than the Sacrifice or as good at least as the Sacrifice But none can be so good as Christ nor be more excellent or better therefore none can offer Christ but himself 3. The High Priest offered his Sacrifice oftner But Christ offered not himself oftner than once Then to imagine an Offering of Christ often is both to give the lye to this Text and to make Christs Offering by repeating of it imperfect and like to the Levitical For if once offering of Christ be sufficient often offering is superfluous And if often offering be needful then that once offering was not sufficient and so was not perfect which were blasphemy to say 2. If any man pretend to offer Christ often it is not Christ that giveth him warrant so to do For here it is declared That he hath no hand in offering himself often Vers. 26. For then must be often have suffered since the foundation of the world But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself He proveth That Christ cannot be often offered Because then saith he must he often have suffered Then 1. No Offering of Christ without the suffering of Christ His Passion and Death is inseparable from his Sacrifice If Christ were often offered he behoved to be often slain and put to death But that cannot be that he should suffer and be slain oftner therefore he cannot be offered up in a sacrifice oftener And they who will take upon them to offer Christ again and again take upon them to slay him and put him to new suffering again again 2. The offering of Christ in an unbloody sacrifice is a a vain imagination which the Apostle acknowledgeth not For if that were possible then were the Apostles words here false and his reasoning ridiculous which were blasphemy to say 2. Hee saith He behoved to have suffered often since the beginning of the World Because as often as new sins were committed and new Remission was to be bestowed as often behoved hee to have suffered to expiate these sins and to purchase the new Remission since the beginning of the World But this is impossible Therefore his Offering often is impossible Then 1. They who make it needful to offer Christ often make it needful also that Hee should have taken on flesh sooner than Hee did and been slain sooner than Hee was and slain as often as new sins were to be expiated and forgiven from the beginning of the world And so by this vain conceit they do ranverse all the wisdome of God about Christ and set to Him an Order and Course of their own making themselves wiser than God 2. It is by the Apostles estimation as vain a conceit and as impossible to offer Christ oftner than once now in the end of the world as to have offered Him before Hee came in the flesh since the beginning of the world 3. But now saith hee once in the end of the world hee hath appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Then 1. No Sacrifice of Christ doth the Apostle acknowledge but such as is joyned with His bodily appearance in the world for that end Once hath Hee appeared and once onely hath Hee sacrificed Himself saith the Apostle 2. The Apostle understood no Offering of Christ but onely one and once to be offered for time fore-gone or time to come from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof 3. This one Offering once offered was sufficient to expiate the sins of the saved before it was offered and therefore must have force also to expiate the sins of the saved without repetition now after it is once offered 4. Whose sins Christ doth take away for those Hee appeared for those Hee made a Sacrifice of Himself And whose sins Hee doth not put away for those Hee appeared not Hee sacrificed not 4. In calling the time of Christs Suffering The end of the world hee giveth us to understand That there cannot be so much time betwixt Christs First and Second Comming as was betwixt the worlds beginning and his First Comming But a great deal of less time need force else were not that time the end of the world Vers. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Iudgement Another Reason to prove That Christ neither could nor should offer oftener than once from the Common Law laid upon man of Once dying Which Law Christ having once satisfied by dying when he offered up himself there is no reason he should offer himself again and so dye again 1. It is appointed saith hee for men once to dye Then 1. It is come by Gods just appointment that men should dye since His Law is broken by men 2. The Common Law of Nature appointeth but one death once to be suffered And though God by singularity of Miracles make some Exceptions yet the Common Law standeth for a rule beyond which no reason Christ should be tyed since his once dying is sufficient 3. Every man must take Deaâ—h to him and prepare himself to obey the Appointment 2. Hee saith After Death commeth Judgement Then 1. Every mans particular Judgement Day followeth his departure out of this life and general judgement abideth all at length 2 The time of Grace and mercy getting is onely in this life nothing but Justice remaineth either to absolve the
Reconciled or to condemn the unreconciled sinner Mens Devises for the Relief of the Dead are but Delusions of the Living Vers. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for Him shall Hee appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Hee applyeth the Common Law of dying once to Christ saying Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Then 1. It is as unreasonable that Christ should offer Himself oftner than once as it is to exact of Him the laying down of His life oftner than once for that is to exact more than the severity of Gods Justice requireth of Him 2. Christs Death was not for any sin in Him but for our sins 3. Hee took not away the sins of every man in particular for many dye in their sins and bear their own judgement but the sins of many the sins of his own Elect People Mat. 1.21 Hee shall save his people from their sins 2. Hee saith That unto them that look for him hee shall appear the second time Then 1. After that once offering of Christ and ascending to Heaven Hee is not to be corporally present on earth again till the Day of Judgement The Apostle acknowledgeth corporal presence no oftner 2. To look for Christs corporal presence upon earth then and not till then is the property of true Beleevers 3. Corporal presence is joyned with Appearance the one is put here for the other 3. Hee will appear the second time without sin Then In his first comming hee was not without our sin yet lying upon him by imputation as his baseness and misery declared But the glorious manner of his second comming shall make evident That hee is without sin that is Fully exonored by that one Offering of the debt thereof which hee took upon him 4. In stead of saying That those who look for him shall be without sin hee saith That Christ shall appear without sin To teach us 1. That the defraying the Debt of the sins of such for whom Christ hath undertaken lyeth upon Christ and not upon the Beleevers for whom hee undertook 2. And that if his once sacrificing himself for them did not expiate their sins sufficiently then Sin should cleave unto Christ until His second comming 3. That Christs freedome from Sin shall evidence our freedome from Sin for whom hee became Surety 5. Hee will appear unto them who look for Him unto salvation Then 1. The full accomplishment of the salvation of the Beleevers shall not be until Christs second comming Though their souls be blessed before yet the full blessedness of soul and body is deferred till then 2. As Christs Glory shall testifie then that His once offering freed Him of the Suretiship for our sins So our salvation shall testifie that His Offering was sufficient to exonor us 3. They that love not his comming cannot look for salvation The Summe of Chap. X. THis once offering of Christ putteth the main difference betwixt this Sacrifice and those offerings of the Law which because they were repeated could never perfect the worshiper vers 1. For if they could have perfected the worshiper they should have ceased to be repeated vers 2. Now cease they did not but were repeated vers 3. Because they could not take away sin vers 4. Wherefore as the Scripture doth witness Psal. 40. Sacrifices of the Law were to bee abolished and Christ His Sacrifice to come in their room vers 5 6 7 8 9. By which Sacrifice once offered wee are for ever sanctified vers 10. And as their Sacrifice was imperfect so was their Priesthood also ever repeating the same Sacrifices which could not because they were repeated abolish sin vers 11. But Christ hath ended His Sacrificing in His once offering and entred to His Glory to subdue His Enemies vers 12 13. Having by that once offering done all to his Followers that was needful to perfect them vers 14. As the word of the New Covenant Ier. 31. proverb vers 15 16 17 18. Having spoken then of Christs Divine Excellency and of the Priviledges which the Faithful have in Him I exhort you to make use of it in special seeing wee have by Chrisâ—â— blood access unto Heaven vers 19. By so perfect a Way as is Christs Fellowship of our Nature vers 20. And so great Moyen by Christ before us there vers 21. Let us strengthen our Faith for the better holding of our Justification and Sanctification through him vers 22. And let us avow our Religion constantly vers 23. And help forwards one another vers 24. Neglecting no means publick nor private for that end as some Apostates have done vers 25. For if wee make wilful Apostacy from his known Truth no Mercy to be looked for vers 26. But certain Damnation of us as of his Enemies vers 27. For if the Despisers of the Law were damned to death without mercy vers 28. What Judgement abideth those who so abuse Jesus his Grace and Spirit as wilful Apostates do vers 29. For Gods threatning in the Law is not in vain vers 30. And it is a fearful thing to fall as a Foe in Gods Hand vers 31. But rather prepare you for such sufferings as you began to feel at your Conversion vers 32. Partly in your own persons and partly by your fellowship with Sufferers vers 33. Which you did joyfully bear in hope of a Reward vers 34. Therefore retain your Confidence vers 35. And be patient vers 36. God will come and help shortly vers 37. And till hee come you must live by Faith and not by sense But if you will not you shall bee rejected vers 38. But I and you are not of that sort that shall make Apostasie but of the number of true Beleevers who shall persevere and be saved vers 39. The Doctrine of Chap. X. THat hee may yet further show the impossibility of offering Christ oftner hee giveth the often repetition of Levitical Sacrifices year by year for a reason of their imperfection and inability to perfect the worshiper and therefore of necessity Christs Sacrifice could not be repeated except wee should make it imperfect like the Levitical and unable to perfect the worshiper as the Legal Sacrifice was The force of his reasoning is this The most solemn Sacrifice offered by the High-Priest himself Levit. 16. and lest subject to repetition of all the Sacrifices being offered not so often as each month or each week or each day as some Sacrifices were but once a year onely yet because they were repeated year by year they were declared by this means unable ever to make the commers thereunto perfect Therefore Christs Sacrifice could not be often offered lest for that same reason it should be found imperfect also And this is his drift in vers 1. Hee proveth his reason to be good thus If they could have perfected the commer then they should not have been repeated but ceased from being offered because
they should have delivered the worshiper perfectly from sin and having done that the repetition was to no purpose vers 2. But they did not free the worshiper from sin for still after offering hee professed himself guilty for any thing these Sacrifices could do by offering of a new offering vers 3. And no wonder because such Sacrifices were not worthy to expiate sin and so unable to take away sin and so also unable to quiet the conscience Vers. 1. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the commers thereunto perfect THE Old Covenant is called the Law because it was drawn up in a Legal form upon conditions of obedience to the Law and Grace and Life in Iesus Christ to come were set before them in shadows not in a clear manner as in the Gospel Then 1. In the Old Covenant the Law was expresly urged and Grace in the Messias covered and hid under Veils 2. Christ and his Grace and the good things which come by him were not so hid but they might have been seen albeit but darkly being as by their shadows represented 3. The revealing of Christ and his benefits under the Gospel and under the Law differ as far in measure of light as the shadow of a thing and the lively image thereof drawn with all the lineaments For they saw Christ and Righteousness and Eternal Life through him as those which are in the house see the shadow of a man comming before hee enter within the doors but wee with open face behold in the Gospel as in a Mirrour Christs Glory shining Christ in the preaching of his word crucified before our Eyes as it were and bringing with him life and immortality to light 2. Hee maketh the repeating of the Sacrifices a reason of their inability to perfect the commers thereunto That is perfectly to satisfie for those who came to the Sacrifice and to sanctifie and save them in whose name it was offered Then 1. A Sacrifice that perfectly satisfieth Gods Justice for sin cannot be repeated and a Sacrifice which hath need to be repeated hath not perfectly satisfied Gods Justice for the sinner nor perfected the sinner for whom it is offered by doing all that Justice required to purchase Justification Sanctification and Salvation to him 2. Whosoever will have Christ offered up in a Sacrifice oftner than once whether by himself or by another denieth the perfection of that Sacrifice on the Cross denieth that by that one Sacrifice purchase is made of all that is required to perfect sinners which is fearful blasphemy Vers. 2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin By way of question hee asketh Would not those Sacrifices have ceased to be offered if they could have made the commers thereunto perfect Then The Apostle esteemeth this Reason so clear that any man of sound judgement being asked the question must of necessity grant it For Natures light doth teach thus much That if a Sacrifice do all that is to be done for the sinner it standeth there because there is no more to do If it pay the full price of the sinners expiation at once offering what need can there be to offer it over again And therefore if Christs one Sacrifice once offered perfect the commers thereunto must it not cease to be offered any more by this reasoning of the Apostle For if he have made a perfect purchase of whatsoever is required to perfect us by once offering Wisdome and Justice will not suffer the price of the purchase to be offered again And if hee must be offered again hee hath not perfected the purchase for us by any Offering going before 2. The Apostle his Reason why a Sacrifice which perfecteth the worshiper must cease to be offered is Because that the worshiper once purged should have no more conscience of sins By which hee meaneth not that the purged worshiper may do hereafter what hee listeth and make no conscience to sin nor yet that after hee is purged and falleth into a new sin hee should not take with his guiltiness and repent and run again to the benefit of that Sacrifice But this hee meaneth That the purging of his conscience by virtue of a perfect Sacrifice is such that hee is freed from the just challenge and condemnatory Sentence of the conscience for that sin wherefrom hee is purged Quest. How is it then will you say that many of Gods Children are often times troubled with the guiltiness of their Conscience for those same sins which they have repented and sought pardon for through Christs sacrifice and found remission intimated and peace granted I answer Not for any imperfection of the sacrifice or of their remission but for the weakness of their holding of the ever-flowing Vertue of that once offered sacrifice and the remission granted there-through Then 1. He that is purged by vertue of the sacrifice of Christ hath Gods Warrant to have a quiet and peaceable conscience 2. And if he have a challenge after he is fled to this sacrifice he may by Gods approbation stop the same by opposing the vertue of that perfect sacrifice to the challenge 3. The comers unto the sacrifice to have benefit thereby vers 1. are here called Worshippers vers 2. Then the Lord reckoneth it a part of Divine service and worship done unto him to come and seek the benefit of that sacrifice whereby he is pacified and we ransomed 4. To make the worshipper perfect v. 1. is expounded by purging them delivering them from the conscience of sin v. 2. Then that sacrifice which purgeth the conscience from sin doth also perfect the man Neither needeth he any thing unto salvation which such a sacrifice doth not purchase And such is that once offered sacrifice of Christ. Verse 3. But in those sacrâ—â—â—ces there is a remembrance again made of sins every year He proveth That the Levitical sacrifices took not away the conscience of sin because there was a yearly commemoration made of the same sins not onely of that year but also of former yea beside the commemoration expresly done by the Priest even in these repeated sacrifices saith he there was in effect a real taking up again of those sins for which sacrifice had been offered before because the offering of sacrifice a new did plainly import That by no preceding sacrifice was the ransome of the sinner payed And so in effect the Sacrificers did profess That for any thing which the former sacrifice could merit their sins remained unexpiated Quest. But you will ask Were not Believers under the Law purged from their sins and made clean and white as snow Psal. 51.7 I answer Yes indeed but not by vertue of those Typical sacrifices but by vertue of the sacrifice signified by them to wit the sacrifice
of the true Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World And therefore when Attonement and expiation of sin is attributed to the Levitical sacrifices as Lev. 17.11 the form of speech is Sacramentall the property of the thing signified being ascribed to the sign as was marked before Quest. But do not we Christians make a commemoration of our sins year by year yea daily remembring even the sins of our youth deprecating the wrath which they deserve I answer It is true we do but not by way of offering a sacrifice as they for of them it is said here In those sacrifices there is a remembrance of sin Quest. What is the difference betwixt commemoration of sin without renewd sacrifice and commemoration of sin with renewed sacrifices betwixt the Jews commemoration of sins year by year spoken of in this place and the commemoration which true Christians do make I answer The Iew in his solemn Commemoration of sin by renewed sacrifice did really profess two things One That no sacrifice formerly offered was sufficient to expiate his sin or cleanse his conscience Another That he had not sufficiently holden by Faith that signified sacrifice which was to come but had need through the Spectacles and Transparent of these typical sacrifices enjoyned for his help to take a new view of that true sacrifice which was to come of both which the repeated sacrifice did bear witness But we by commemoration of our sins and not sacrificing profess That by Christs sacrifice already past Gods justice is so well satisfied as there is no need of new sacrifice nor ofâ—ner offering of that one And therefore that we desire no other ransome but Christs which is payed already on the Cross but onely crave to have by Faith a better hold of Christ who hath payed the ransome for us that we may finde the vertue of his ransome yet more and more in our selves Quest. But what if with the commemoration of sins year by year and day by day we should pretend to joyn a Sacrifice that new expiation might be made by offering of Christ over again as is pretended to be done now adays I answer By so doing we should take away the Difference which the Apostle here putteth betwixt the Levitical sacrifices and Christ and make Christs no better than theirs We should avow That Christs sacrifice on the Cross done by himself was not a full ransome for our sins but that a mans offering were able to do that which Christs sacrifice on the Cross had not done Finally with the Iew we should avow that the true and satisfactory sacrifice were not as yet come nothing heretofore being done which were able to pacifie God or purge the Worshippers from the Conscience of sin For if a man think that the price of expiation of sin be already payed he doth but mock Gods justice and disgrace the Price payed if he presume to pay the Price over again Vers. 4. For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins He giveth a Reason why these Sacrifices could not pacifie the conscience even because it is not possible that they should take away sin Then 1. The conscience can never be purged except it see sin taken away by a perfect sacrifice and a ransome so worthy as justice may be satisfied 2. It is impossible that Attonement was properly made by the Levitical sacrifice but onely figuratively because here it is said It was impossible they could take away sins 3. Sin is not wiped away by any unworthy mean for sin being the breach of the Law of nature and of the written Law Gods Majestie so glorious his Justice so exact his Truth in threatning death to the offender so constant no less worthy sacrifice can expiate sin than that which is of value to answer all these Vers. 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me 6. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure He proveth by testimony of the 40 Psalm vers 6 7 c. That these sacrifices did never by themselves pacifie God and therefore were not to endure longer than Christ should come to fulfil what they did signifie and so abolish them Then of necessity the Old Church was not altogether ignorant of the imperfection of their Legal service for removing of their sins and that the true expiation of their sins signified by these sacrifices was to be sought in the Messias 2. Christ is brought in by the Prophet coming into the world that is taking on our nature and manifesting himself in the flesh because by the Word he is set before the Church of that time as incarnate removing the Levitical Sacrifices and offering himself in their place Then the Word of God bringeth all Divine Truth to a present being unto Faith and so by prophecie made Christ incarnate present unto the Faith of the Fathers under the Law 3. Christs words unto the Father are Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me Which is in substance the same with Mine ear hast thou opened or bored unto me in the Hebrew Psal. 40.6 For if the Father open the ear of his son by making him a wise servant for the work of Redemption If he bore his ear by making him a willing and obedient Servant then must he also prepare a Body unto him and bring him into the world by incarnation that he may accomplish that service as became Then 1. Christs Body is of Gods preparation and fitting made of God so holy and harmless so free of sin as it should be fit to be joyned with the God-head of the Son and fit to be an expiatory Sacrifice for sin 2. The Sacrifice of Christs Body and the obedience done to God in it by him is the Accomplishment and Substance of these Sacrifices 3. God was never pleased nor pacified by these Sacrifices in themselves but by Christs Sacrifice signified by them 4. God prepared a Satisfaction to himself for us when wee could not Vers. 7. Then said I Loe I come in the Volume of Thy Book it is written of Mee to do Thy Will O God Then said Christ Lo I come to do Thy Will O God That is When the Legal Sacrifices are found and declared unable to pacifie God Christ Then findeth it the fit time to come into the world and to do that which the Sacrifices did fore-signifie but could not effectuate Then 1. Christ did not think it the due time for himself to come into the world till it should be found that without him neither God could be satisfied nor man saved by any other mean but by his obedience 2. Christ assumed our nature and offered himself in our room to the Father willingly ready to perform what the Fathers Will could exact of us yea earnestly desired he to discharge that service for us Blessed
be His Name for that willingness even for evermore 3. Speaking as in our nature now incarnate hee calleth the Father his God So Christ as Man hath our God for his God 2. One of the Reasons of his Offer-making is In the Volume of Thy Book it is written of Mee That is So is it decreed and fore-prophesied in the Scripture of Mee That I should satisfie Thee O Father and do Thy Will for Man Then 1. Christ hath a great respect to the Scripture to have all things fulfilled which are there spoken though it should cost him his life hee will have it done 2. Hee desireth that before wee look upon his manner of redeeming us wee should look to the prophecies which went before of him in the Scripture 3. The sum of Gods Decree and of his Scripture which revealeth his Decree is That God will save Man by Christ or That the Son shall be incarnate and do the Fathers will for redemption of Man that the Seed of the Woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent is amongst the first Oracles of Gods Good-Will to Man Vers. 8. Above when Hee said Sacrifice and Offering and Burnt-offerings and Offering for sin Thou wouldest not neither hadst thou pleasure therein which are offered by the Law 9. Then said Hee Lo I come to do Thy Will O God Hee taketh away the first that Hee may establish the second Now the Apostle gathereth from the words of the Psalm set down vers 5 6. that the Levitical Sacrifices are abolished and taken away because they could not please God and from the words of the Psalm set down vers 7. declareth That Christs Sacrifice is that onely which pleaseth God now come in the room of the Levitical Then 1. Clear Consequences drawn from the Scripture are sound Doctrine 2. Collation of places doth yeeld both ground of good consequences and ground of clearness 3. The abolishing of Levitical Sacrifices is necessary that Christs Sacrifice may have the full place and room for pleasing of God and saving of us Vers. 10. By the which Will wee are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Iesus Christ once for all The Apostle sheweth what this Will was and how it is accepted by the Father The Will is That Christ should offer up his own Body in a Sacrifice once for all If but once Then 1. It is not the Fathers Will that Christs Body should be offered oftner than once 2. If but once for All Then These All for whom hee offered were condescended upon betwixt the Father and the Mediatour God knew those whom hee gave to the Son to be ransomed and Christ knew those whom hee bought 3. If but once for those All Then That once made a perfect Purchase for all those The Father craved no more for their Ransome Another offering for them is needless For if it had been needful to offer again once offering had not satisfied Gods Will for their Ransome 2. For the Fathers Acceptation and Fruit of it he saith By this Will to wit being obeyed wee are sanctified that is I and you and the rest of our society Elect are separated from the perishing world and consecrated as devoted souls unto Gods use as holy Vessels of Honour reconciled in due time regenerate and by degrees at length throughly made free of sin and endued with Gods Image in holiness Then 1. Those onely who are of the Apostles society set apart for Gods use by Election before time and Regeneration in time those sanctified Ones are those All for whom Christ offered himself 2. All those for whom Christ did offer himself are sanctified in Gods Decree and in due time by virtue of Christs Offering 3. Those who are never sanctified the Body of Christ was never offered for them Vers. 11. And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering oftentimes the same Sacrifices which can never take away sins 12. But this Man after Hee had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the Right Hand of God That hee may end the Comparison of Aarons Priesthood and Christs hee heapeth together a number of the imperfections of the Levitical Priesthood to shew the Reasons why it must be abolished vers 11. And in the verses following unto the 15. hee layeth open the perfection of Christs Priesthood which is to endure for ever Let the words of the Text be observed 1. In the Levitical Priesthood there is a plurality of Priests every Priest importing many But in Christs Priesthood not a Priest but himself alone This Man vers 12. is opposed to their every Priest vers 11. Then To make more Priests under Christs Priesthood by special office to offer up Christ is to make the Priesthood of Christ imperfect like that of Levi. 2. In the Levitical Priesthood every Priest standeth as a servant moveable in his office But Christ sate down vers 12. established with Dignity in his Priesthood as Master and Lord. 3. In the Levitical Priesthood every Priest standeth daily offering oftentimes But Christ vers 12. offered but one Sacrifice for ever Then Christs Sacrifice never was offered nor shall be for ever offered but once say the contrary who will 4. In the Levitical Priesthood they offered the same Sacrifice oftentimes That is Multitudes of Sacrifices of the same kind But Christ offered one Sacrifice for ever vers 12. That is A Sacrifice one in number and one in offering one individual Offering one time onely offered Hee Then no sort of plurality doth Christs Sacrifice admit seeing it is one onely and onely once offered The Apostle leaveth no room for an unbloody Sacrifice beside the bloody nor another offerer but himself onely nor another time but that ONCE on the Cross. 5. In the Levitical Priesthood many Priests many Sacrifices oftentimes offered could never take away sin But Christ our Priest offered one offering to wit his own Body once and not oftener and this sufficeth for sin for ever vers 12 14. Then that Sacrifice which taketh away sins must do it at once and for ever and that Sacrifice which doth not take away sins at once and at one offering shall never be able to take away sins by repetition how often soever it be offered 6. From the Apostles Artifice we learn 1. To gather together in our minde in a heap the evils and imperfections of every thing which is like to draw or divert us from Christ and on the other hand the Properties and excellencies of Christ that we may be tied fast unto him 2. In special when any Mean or Instruments appointed of God to bring us to Christ is like to come in more estimation than becometh we are taught to ride Marches betwixt the same and Christ that the Mean may have the Means room and Christ may have Gods room Vers. 13. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his Foot-stool What is Christ doing now then seeing he hath no sacrifice to offer He is sitting at the right
hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool that is his Manhead being no more on earth now subject unto suffering is entred into the Fellowship and Fruition of the glory of his Godhead to exercise his power and authority for the good of his Church and overthrow of his Enemies Then 1. Albeit all Christs personal sufferings are ended yet the warfare of the subjects of his Kingdom endureth still against enemies such as are Satan and the wicked of the World and Sin and Death 2. That battel is CHRISTS he is adversary to all the foes of his Kingdom They are his Enemies 3. He is not alone in the battel the Father is joyned with him and set on work to subdue his Enemies as it is said Psal. 110. vers 1 2. whereunto this place hath reference His enemies shall be made his footstool 4. Albeit this victory be not compleated for a time yet it is in working and shall surely be brought to pass 5. As our Lord expecteth and waiteth on patiently till it be done so must we his subjects do also 6. At length the highest of his enemies shall be made lower than the basest of Christs Members They shall be made his footstool subdued under him and trampled upon Vers. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He giveth a reason why Christ now hath no more offering to make nor no more suffering to endure but onely to behold the fruit of his sufferings brought about by the Father and to concur with the Father on his Throne for that end Because by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified that is by that one offering on the Cross done and ended before he sate down on the right hand of God he hath paid the full price for ever of the purchase of remission of sins and salvation to those that are consecrated to GOD in holiness Then 1. Whosoever will have any more offering up of Christ than that one once offered before his Ascension denieth that Christ by once offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. Howsoever you take the word Sanctified whether for those that are separated from the world and dedicated unto God in Christ in Gods purpose and decree comprehending all those whom the Father hath given unto Christ out of the world that is the elect or whether you take it for the renewed and sanctified in time the offering of Christ is not but for the sanctified that is for such as are consecrated and separated out of the world and dedicated to be vessels of honor unto God 2. They for whom Christ hath made that offering once those saith he he hath perfected for ever Then 1. He hath not made purchase of a possibility of their salvation onely But he hath perfected them in making purchase of all that they need to have even to their full perfection 2. He hath not purchased unto them the remission of some sins and left the satisfaction to be paid by themselves for other some but hath perfected them perfectly satisfied for them and perfectly expiated all their sins 3. He hath not made purchase of some graces unto them onely for a certain time so as he will let them be taken out of his hand afterwards and perish but he hath perfected them for ever 4. He hath not appointed any offering for them to be made by any other after him but hath made one offering Himself for them which satisfieth for ever so as the Father craveth no more offering for expiating their sin for ever For God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 that is God maketh it manifest by his Gospel that he is pacified in Christ towards them that believe in his blood that believe in him crucified Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us For after that he had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more He proveth that it is needless there should be any repetition of a sacrifice for sin in the New Testament because remission of sins purchased by Christs death who is the Testator is still in force continually in Christs Kingdom there being an Article of the Covenant for remission of sins to be consecrated And if remission of sins be no oblation for sin can be vers 8. 1. He saith that the Holy Ghost is witness unto us of this truth That Christ cannot be offered again Then 1. We who do teach this doctrine and deny any more offering of Christ as a sacrifice have the holy Ghost testifying for us 2. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scripture and doth speak unto us thereby 2. He declareth the New Covenant to be of the Holy Ghosts making and calleth him THE LORD Wherein he teacheth us 1. That the Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead bearing witness by himself to the Church of the Truth 2. And one in essence with the Father and the Son even the LORD JEHOVAH author of the New Covenant with the Father and the Son Vers. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin From this Article of remission of sins in the New Covenant he concludeth No more offering for sin but once under this Covenant because sin is expiated Quest. How then could there be remission of sin under the Law where there was daily offering for sin Or if there was remission how could there be offering for sin I answer There is a remission granted upon surety given for satisfaction to be made for the party remitted and there is a remission granted for satisfaction already made for the party remitted The remission that the Fathers under the Law had was of the first sort upon promise of the Mediator to come and to satisfie And with remission of this sort a typical sacrifice might stand for signifying that the true expiatory Sacrifice was not yet paid but was coming to be paid But the remission that we get under the Gospel is upon Satisfaction already made by the true Expiatory and Satisfactory Sacrifice of Jesus Christ done and ended with the personal suffering And this sort of remission is it whereof the Apostle here speaketh and it admitteth no manner of offering for sin neither typical offering because Christ is come and hath fulfilled what the typical sacrifice did signifie neither the repeating of true Expiatory Sacrifice of Christs Body because then Christ behoved to suffer daily and dye daily after that he hath made satisfaction And besides these two sorts of offering the Iewish bloody sacrifices typical and the true Expiatory bloody Sacrifice of Christs Body on the Cross the Scripture acknowledgeth none So the meaning of the Apostle
in these words must be this Where remission of sins is already purchased by offering of the true Expiatory Sacrifice as now it is under the New Covenant there no more offering can be for sin any more Then 1. The Apostle acknowledgeth no use for any sacrifice under the New Testament after Christs Ascension else his reason should not hold 2. The sacrifice which is offered to wit the body of JESUS hath already suffered for sin so that now the remission of those that is of sin and iniquity all sorts of the Elects sinnes is obtained thereby already 3. Not onely No Sacrifice is any more to be offered for sin under the New Covenant but also No Offering saith hee bloody or unbloody is to be offered 4. That Church which pretendeth to offer any Offering for sins of quick or dead now under the Gospel professeth That no remission of sin is to be had in such a Church Because where there is remission of sin there is no more offering for sin saith the Apostle expresly Vers. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Iesus From the by-past Doctrine of Christs Excellency and Riches of Grace which commeth unto us through him hee draweth Exhortations for use-making of this Doctrine in soundness of Faith and the fruits thereof unto the end of the Epistle And first hee exhorteth to seek unto communion with God in Heaven through Christ using the terms of the Ceremonial Law but mixed with words touching the excellency of the thing signified above those Ceremonies to shew the Hebrews that those Ceremonies had nothing in themselves but did serve to represent Christ and his Benefits And so to draw them from those shadows unto the truth of that which once being signified by them is now manifested in Christ. To make the Exhortation to be the better received hee setteth down sundry Priviledges of the Faithful vers 19 20 21. From which hee inferreth his Exhortation vers 22. For the first Priviledge hee saith Wee have liberty to enter into the Holiest That is into Heaven 1. In that hee maketh this Priviledge proper to the Society of Christians himself and others hee teacheth us 1. That so long as men are without Christ they are debarred out of Heaven no Door nor Way open but the flaming sword of Gods justice to keep out every one that shall press to enter before Christ bring them But such as come to Christ by Faith Heaven is opened unto them and the Door cast up for them to enter in who were exiled before 2. Next Hee commendeth this Priviledge by calling the place The Holiest the place where Gods Holiness dwelleth represented by the Sanctuary where nothing can enter but that which is holy Teaching us thereby That the faithful are so washed from their sins through Faith in Christ that God will admit them into the place of his dwelling into his heavenly Sanctuary by Faith now and fruition hereafter 3. Hee commenâ—eth this Priviledge by calling it a Liberty The word properly signifieth Liberty to speak all our mind as hath been marked before Whereby hee teacheth us 1. How wee do enter into the Holiest to wit by prayer sending up our Supplications to Heaven And again 2. That in our prayers to God wee may use freedome of speech telling him all our mind all our griefs all our fears all our desires and even poure out our hearts before him at all times 4. Hee commendeth this Priviledge by the Price of the Purchase thereof even the blood of Iesus Whereby he teacheth us 1. To have this Priviledge in high estimation 2. To make good use of it 3. To be confident of the standing of it and all because it is so dearly bought 5. Lastly Hee commendeth this Priviledge by the Common Right which all Beleevers have unto it the Apostle and these Hebrews as his Brethren and all other of that Society Whereby bee teacheth That albeit there be great difference in the measure of Faith and other Graces betwixt Christians some being stronger some weaker some as Apostles some as these weak Hebrews c. yet all are the children of one Father all are Brethren and all are admitted by prayer to come and enter into Heaven freely to poure out their souls at all times unto God Vers. 20. By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us though the Veil that is to say his flesh This is one Priviledge That wee have liberty to enter into Heaven followeth another There is a way made to lead us on thereunto which is Christs flesh compared to the veil of the Sanctuary which hid those things which were within the Sanctuary and yet yeelded an entry through it self unto the Sanctuary So is Christs Flesh the Veil of his God-head which did hide the glory of his Deity from the carnal beholders who stumbled at his baseness and yet opened a door for the spiritual man to look in upon him that was invisible while as hee observed the brightness of the glory of God breaking through the Doctrine and works of the man Christ. 1. Hee maketh the way to be Christs Flesh or Christ as incarnate or Christ considered according to his humanity Because Christs taking on our nature is the onely mean of reconciling us unto God No man ever came to the Father but by him No other Name whereby men are saved but the Name of Jesus Christ. And therefore as in the way a man must enter and hold on still till hee come to the end to the place where hee would be Even so must every man who would be at Heaven begin at Christ and hold on making progress in him still from Faith to Faith from Grace to Grace till hee come to his rest 2. This way of Christs own making hee hath devised it and consecrated it Hee who is the Fathers wisdome hath thought it the best way to bring man to GOD that GOD should become Man that the Word should be made flesh The best way to bring men to Heaven that God should come down to the earth to take on mans nature upon him that hee might make man partaker of the Divine Nature 3. Hee hath consecrated and dedicated his flesh his humane Nature set apart and sanctified himself to this same end that men might make their means with God by him as Man and by the Bands of Nature with him be helped up to the Bands of Grace with GOD by comming to the man Christ might finde God in Christ. 4. Hee calleth it a New Way 1. Because of the clear manifesting of the way to Heaven under the Gospel in comparison of the time of the Law 2. Because a ready plain and safe way without stumbling blocks pits or snares dangers or inconveniences to such as keep themselves therein such as new-made waies use to be 3. Because it waxeth never old is now established and never to be altered or abolished 5. It is a Living Way 1. Because Christ liveth
6. They who are united in the Faith of the Truth preached by us shall also be united with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ by virtue of the Holy Ghost Therefore c. Vers. 4. And these things write wee unto you that your joy may be full Reas. 7. The summe of our preaching which is written to you hath this end that yee being made certain of your election and glorification may have a true and spiritual joy and that your joy may remain and be perfected Therefore it is deservedly to be accounted the most excellent Vers. 5. This then is the message which wee have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all Reas. 8. The summe of our preaching is that God is light or a most present and perfect remedy against the evils of ignorance errours falshood vices and miseries which are in us and that God in himself is most free from these evils so that it is impossible for those that come unto him to be deceived not to be illuminated and directed not to be delivered from sins and misery and not to obtain eternal life Therefore it is necessary that my preaching and the rest of the Apostles should be excellent Vers. 6. If wee say that wee have fellowship with him and walk in darkness wee lye and do not the Truth The other part of the Chapter follows wherein hee propounds partly negatively and partly affirmatively the notes or signs of him that is a true Beleever who shall be partaker of the good things promised in the Gospel And the Notes are five Note 1. Is negatively propounded with his confirmation Hee that is a true beleever doth not walk in darkness is not given ever to sin leading his life according to the lusts of the flesh Because if any one profess himself to have communion with God who is light and holiness and in 〈◊〉 mean time walketh in the darkness of his sins hee is an hypocrite and a lyar seeing that hee doth not that which is right but that which hee professes with his mouth hee denies in his works Vers. 7. But if wee walk in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Note 2. Is propounded affirmatively Hee that walks in the light or hee that follows after holiness that hee may be conformable to God who is light and perfect holiness hee is a true beleever having communion truly with God and the Saints to whom the fruit also of Christs death to the remission of sins doth wholly belong Vers. 8. If wee say that wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Note 3. Is negative Hee that is a true Beleever is not so just in his own eies that hee denies that hee cannot sin either in word or deed or that hee hath not sinned after Justification or that hee as if hee could not want the daily intercession of Christ and the daily applying of his merit for the delivering of his conscience from new guilt is not touched with the sense of sin so that hee must forthwith flye unto Christ as his Redeemer For whosoever either in word or deed doth really so deny that hee hath sin in him for the present deceives himself and is an hypocrite in whom there is no sincerity Vers. 9. If we confess our sins hee is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Note 4. Hee that is a true Beleever is so affected with the sense of his sins that hee acknowledgeth them before God and doth confess from his soul that hee deserves eternal death and that his guilt can no otherwise be expiated but by the merit of the blood of the Son of God and that hee cannot be sanctified but by the divine virtue of the Spirit of Christ or be free from the pollution of sin Faithful The Apostle promiseth to him that doth so confess his sins that upon the faithfulness and righteousness of God hee shall be absolved and purged from the guilt of sin or sanctified from the stain of it For God is faithful who hath promised these things and God is just who hath taken satisfaction from Christ the Surety hee doth not exact the debt from him for whom Christ hath satisfied but on the other side hee bestowes all the good things upon him that beleeves which Christ hath purchased for his salvation Vers. 10. If wee say that wee have not sinned wee make him a lyar and his word is not in us Note 5. Is negative Hee that is a true Beleever doth neither deny nor extenuate his sins past as if either with that Pharisee hee had performed all the commands of God from his youth or as if there was no original sin or as if it was not at all worthy of death Neither is hee impenitent as if the sins which hee had committed were light and venial which need not the expiation of the blood of Christ or as if there were not so much corruption in his nature but that by his free will hee might confide in his own strength to dispose himself for grace and merit it or at leastwise bee able to obtain it For hee that either so or by any other means directly or indirectly denies that hee hath not sinned and consequently denies that hee is not nor hath not been so guilty of death that hee needed such an expiation as the death of the Son of God is hee is a blasphemer against God accusing him of a lye who hath in his word condemned all as sinners and guilty of death and hath affirmed that there is no remission of sins but by the blood of his Son neither is the Word of God received by Faith at any time in his heart i. e. neither hath hee beleeved the Doctrine of the Law not yet of the Gospel CHAP. II. THe rest of the whole Epistle enforceth the use of the former Doctrine to which end five Exhortations are propounded The first to vers 9. The second to vers 15. The third to vers 18. The fourth to vers 29. The fifth to verse the last Vers. 1. My little Children these things write I unto you that yee sin not And if any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous The first Exhortation is to the following after holiness that they sin not The Reasons of the Exhortation besides a friendly compellation are eleven Reas. 1. Because this is the end and use of the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Apostles writing These things write I unto you that yee sin not saith hee Therefore follow yee holiness And if Reas. 2. If yee follow after holiness the sins which perhaps yee shall fall into shall bee taken away through the intercession of Christ Jesus our Advocate and Lord Therefore endeavour after holiness When hee names one