of God and Holiness to the love of Carnal Interest and Pleasure and the true state of Spiritual life and Felicity consisteth in the love of God and Holiness and the Souls perfection 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity to God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be 7. Because the Carnal Unregenerate Mind having a predominant inclination to inferiour sensual interests and delights and a privation yea and enmity to things Spiritual and Holy hath thereby an enmity to the Holy Laws and Ways of God and consequently to God as Holy For it is not subject to the Law of God which is quite against their sinful life and inclination nor indeed can be while it so continueth there being a contrariety between their Inclinations and the Law of God 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God 8. So that they that are Unregenerate and Carnal cannot please God while they are such because they cannot through the perverseness of their own Wills do the things that please him what legal restraint soever they be under 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his 9. But you are not in this Carnal state and under the dominion of the flesh if the Spirit of God do not only provoke you towards goodness but also dwell in you and possess you For it is a powerful Spirit and will overcome the Flesh But if any Man have not this indwelling illuminating quickening sanctifying Spirit he is not a true Christian and saved by Christ He may be baptised and deceive the Church and pass for a visible Member of it and so for a Christian among Men but Christ will not own him as a living Member to Justification and Salvation 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness 10. And if Christ by his Spirit and Government be and rule in you the Body which hath still some inordinate sinful inclinations and backwardness to good shall die for sin but your Spirits being quickened by the Spirit of God unto Holiness and Justification are in a state of life begun and shall not die as the Body doth but live with Christ by whom they live 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that by this same Spirit of life and power raised up Christ from the dead as he hath begun to rise you from Spiritual death in sin and sanctifie both Soul and Body to himself will not only glorifie your Souls but also raise and save your Mortal Bodies by that same Almighty Spirit which raised Christ and sanctified you 12. Therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 12 13. By all which you may see that it is not to the Flesh that we owe our chief respect care and obedience nor after the lusts of which we should live For it is this sinful fleshly life that causeth death and tendeth unto future misery But if by the Spirit you mortifie those fleshly lusts and deeds which Carnal Men obey and practise this begining of Spiritual Life will end in future life and happiness 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God 14. For as many as are Principled and Ruled by Gods Spirit and Spiritual Law of Grace are Gods Children And God will not forsake lose or destroy his Spiritual Children 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 15. For the Spirit which you have now received is not that of a Slave which doth no good but for fear of Punishment and the meer Law without Grace could give no better but you have received the Spirit of Adoption which giveth you an inclination of dependance love and trust in God much like that which a Child hath by nature to his Father to the collation of which Child-like love trust and nature the wondrous revelation of Gods love in Christ and the free gifts of his Grace were Spiritually fitted 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God 16. And to have this Spirit of God dwelling in us and sanctifying us is a certain evidence or testimony in and with our own Spirits and Consciences that God doth specially love us and take us for his Children having set his special mark upon us For we could not love him as a Father and he not love us as his Children And this Spirit also helpeth our Consciences to discern and exercise this fealing Grace and to rejoyce therein 17. And if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together 17. And if this Seal of the Spirit prove us Sons it proveth us Heirs of the purchased Kingdom or Heavenly Inheritance for such are all the Sons of God Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Christ but so that there is a further condition of our possession even that we take up the cross and follow him submitting to be conformed to him in his sufferings if God call us to it that so by the same way we may come to be glorified together with him 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 18. For though we must suffer in this life with Christ and for his sake and by Gods Correction for our sins having in my reckoning compared them with the promised effects and end I fully resolve the case that they are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which in the Saints shall be shortly manifested nor should they stop any Man from entertaining the Doctrine of the Cross and pursuing his Celestial hopes 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God 19. For all the frame of Nature strongly tending to its own perfection and God annihillateth not the Natural or Sensitive Creatures though he dissolve the Composition they do as it were wait for their better state and deliverance from the Curse caused by Mans sins till the manifestation of the Glory of the Sons of God with whom and for whom they shall have their restauration as with Man they fell under the Curse 20. For the creature
we could be content to know no more than God doth teach us and to be no wiser than St. Paul was 1. He teacheth us That there are some called according to God's purpose and foreknown by him that is to be such as he will use as is after mentioned He knoweth them to be those whom he purposeth to call and save But Paul was not so presumptuous and profane as to dispute How God foreknoweth them or why he purposeth to call them rather than others 2. And whereas profane Men do foolishly say If God decree and foreknow my Salvation I shall be saved whatever I do and if he do not I shall not St. Paul tells us That those whom God purposeth or decreeth to save he predestinateth to be conformed to the Image of his Son even to the Means as well as to the End So that to say That God doth predestinate Men to Salvation and not to Holiness of Heart and Life is to contradict God's Doctrine of Predestination As God doth decree how long we shall live and withal that we shall live by Meat and Drink so he decreeth that we shall be saved and that by Faith and sincere Obedience And sure they know not what they say who call this Doctrine of Election Licentious Doth it encourage Men to Impenitency or Disobedience to tell them that God doth predestinate Men to repent and obey and be saved Will it tempt Men to live after the Flesh in Worldliness or Sensuality to believe that God hath decreed to make them to live after the Spirit and to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh and to avoid such Sins 3. And Paul tells us That this Chain of Causes is all decreed of God from the first to the last and therefore that it is God's Purpose which secureth the Event of our Glorification And it 's strange that any should think that God should undertake so great a Work as Mans Redemption and not effectually secure the Success by his own Will and Wisdom but leave all to the lubricous Will of Man 4. But the Apostle tells us of no such Decrees of the Causes of Mens Damnation God causeth and giveth Grace and foreknoweth that which he will give But he doth not cause or give Men Sin nor necessitate any to commit it and therefore decreeth not to cause it nor foreknoweth it as his own Work but as Mans. So that Election and Non-election or Reprobation are not of the same kind degree and order VII The sense of the Terms of the 30 Verse Expositors much differ about but there is no great Doctrinal Controversie depending on it 1. It is doubted whether by Calling here be meant only Effectual Calling and Conversion or only General Calling antecedent to its Efficacy But it 's confessed that both these are asserted in the Scripture 2. It is doubted why Sanctification is omitted or where it is included But it 's agreed that it is one Link of the Chain of the Causes of Salvation 3. And so it 's doubted what the Word Justifie doth mean But the thing is agreed on 4. And the greatest doubt is whether every one of these Causes will infer the rest or only the connexion of all the foregoing will infer that which followeth 1. There is small reason to doubt but that by Calling is meant Effectual Calling Else it would neither prove Predestination nor infer Justification 2. Sanctification is a Word which signifieth many Acts. As it signifieth the Gift of our first Faith and Repentance and our Covenant-devotedness to God in Baptism it is the same with Effectual Vocation Regeneration and Conversion But as it signifieth the after-gift of the In-dwelling Spirit to habituate the Soul with fixed Holiness and Love and the Practice of these it followeth Vocation at least in order of Nature 3 Justification sometime signifieth Making us righteous sometime accounting us righteous sometime by Apology maintaining us to be righteous sometime by Judicial Sentence pronounâ—ing us righteous sometime executively using us as righteous usually many of these together all the rest being implied It is certain that God maketh Men righteous before he account or judge them righteous Now to make a Man righteous and justifiable in Judgment all these concur 1. The Merit of Christ's Righteousness as the deserving Matter and Cause 2. The Act of the New Covenant giving him a part in Christ and with him Pardon of Sin and Right to the Spirit of Grace and unto Glory 3. The Gift of Faith and Repentance that Christ and his further Grace may be ours and for continuance the holy Habits and Acts of Sanctiâ—â—cation And seeing all sound Expositors confess with Beza that at least three Texts by Justification mean or include Sanctification we have reason to judge that part of Sanctification is here included in Vocation and part in Justification and some think the Triumphant part in Glorification And certainly this inferreth no unsound Doctrine 4. Augustine thought that the Links of this are separable unless you include the first as the Qualification of all the rest by way of distinction and that the meaning is That God will call all the Predestinate or Elect and will justifie all the Predestinate that are called and will glorifie all the Justified that are predestinate and called but that there are some justified and sanctified that were not predestinate nor shall be glorified but fall away What the sâ—nse of the Ancient Fathers was about Perseverance Ger. Vossius hath so truly opened in his Theses that I may thither refer the Inquisitive My own sense of it I have opened in my Catholick Theologie and it 's too long a Case to be handled here But I think no confirmed Christian doth totally and finally fall away and that the rest of the Doubt should not be thought enough to break the Love and Peace of Christians VIII As to the Doubt Whether the 38 and 39 Verses speak of God's Love to us or ours to him as they are in themselves inseparable so I think that the Context giveth us Reason to think that it is both even the Bond of mutual Love which is here spoken of All the doubt is Whether it be spoken of every true Christian or only of the Elect and Confirmed of which before CHAP. IX 1. I Say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh 1 2 3. I am so far from saying all that I have said in contempt of the Jews or triumph over them in their misery that I protest as a Christian I lie not my Conscience bearing me witness which is illuminated and actuated by the Holy Ghost that in the midst of all my rejoycing in Christ I have great heaviness and continual sorrow of Heart for the sin and misery of the Jews who are
of the remnant of carnalitie that I am not sinless and free from all culpable infirmities God will not impute that to me which I hate and is contrary to the bent of my Heart and Life so much as that which I love and live for 21. I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me 21. I find then in my Carnal part an inclination which is as a contradicting Law which striveth so much against the Law of God that I oft sin contrary to my predominant Will and when I would be sinless and perfect yet I cannot 22 23. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 22 23. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man which is the bent of my Mind and Will But my corrupt sensual inclination is like a contrary Law which warreth against my Judgment and Will and like a Captive I am brought by it under a necessity of sinning so far as that my obedience is imperfect and so unjustifiable by the Law of Works as in the unregenerate sin doth reign 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 24. So far am I then from being justified by this Law that while it calleth for more perfect obedience to its hard and numerous precepts than my sinful Soul can perform and so condemneth me it doth but shew me how bad and miserable I am and make me cry out O wretched Man who shall deliver me from this sinning deadly flesh 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I my self do serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin 25. But as I have told you of my misery by nature under the Law I will tell you of my remedy I rejoice in thankfulness to God that hath abrogated the Law and sanctified my nature by Jesus Christ And so I conclude that my renewed Mind and Will so desireth perfection that I would be sinless and keep all the Law which God shall impose and continue but my fleshly inclination maketh this sinless perfection too hard for my attainment and therefore I cannot be justified by so hard and rigorous a Law ANNOTATIONS THough Expositors are much disagreed whether St. Paul here describe a Man Unregenerate under the meer Law or an Imperfect Man how sincere soever yet no such Doctrinal Controversie dependeth on this Difference as the Ignorant and Contentious do imagine For they that think that he describeth the Case of a carnal Legallist or Jew suppose that he speaketh of their committing against knowledge and uneffectual wishes the reigning Sins called Mortal and live an ungodly Life and that It is not I but sin signifieth onely My superiour Faculties have some uneffectual reluctancy and are convinced that the Law is good And that by Captivity to the law of sin is meant a slavish Life of predominant Sensuality And doubtless such there are of whom all this is true And those that think that he speaketh of himself even in his Regenerate state and so of all Men do think that it is not a Life of Wickedness or Mortal Sin that he describeth nor a Captivity to it but unavoidable Imperfection called Venial Sin to the same sense as St. John saith If we say that we have no sin there is no truth in us And that It is not I but sin signifieth but that a Man shall be accounted and judged by God according to what is predominant in his Mind Will and Life And I most incline to this Exposition 1. Because the other seemeth forced which must not be received without necessity 2. Because the Apostle is not onely proving that the Law will not justifie an unregenerate legal Jew but that it will justifie no Man how good soever 3. And I do not believe that the unregenerate can truly say as he I delight in the law of God and to will is present with me and I my self in mind serve the law of God 4. Many Passages are plainly applicable to Paul in his Christian state CHAP. VIII 1. THere is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1. It is not then the Law that justifieth us But â—ath in Christ and all that are in him are acquit 〈◊〉 the curse and condemnation of the Law and also of the Law of Nature for their sin is pardoned and they are regenerate and live not now after the fleshly inclination or Law but under the Spiritual Law of Grace by a spiritual inclination wrought in them by the Holy Ghost which is given them by Christ 2. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death 2. For the Covenant of Grace which giveth the Spirit and the Spirit so given me by Christ being not a killing but a quickening Law giving me internal and Spiritual Life and Title to Eternal life hath made me free from the Power and Rule of my Carnal Inclination and from the Obligation and Condemnation of Moses's Law 3. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh 3. For when the meer Law could neither justifie nor Regenerate us because our fleshly pravity was uncapable hereof God sending his own Son in flesh like ours which is sinful though without sin as a Sacrifice for sin and example of perfect holiness thereby shewed his enmity to sin and began the holy enterprise of its destruction 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 4. That the true Righteousness which the Law was made to lead Men to might be found in us and the true ends of the Law obtained by us who live now by the Spiritual Principle and Rule and not by the Carnal Principle and Letter 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit 5. For the unregenerate who are under the Dominion of a Carnal Disposition though they may be under the terror of a threatning Law do still savour love and mind nothing so much as fleshly Interest and Pleasure But they whose Souls are renewed by the Holy Spirit and live by Faith on Spiritual Promises do mind love and seek most Spiritual welfare and felicity 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace 6. For the true state of misery called Death in the Soul which is the way to everlasting misery consisteth in its being turned from the love
Christ to be our Leader and Teacher to sin for it it is he that taught us this And dare you charge Christ with Sin 18. For if I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressour 18. For if we that have preached Deliverance from the Law and that it doth not justifie us do now intimate the contrary by our Practice we confess our selves Sinners in teaching such Doctrine heretofore 19. For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God 19. The Law it self hath taught me not to trust it for Justification nor to live in the Bondage of it but to look for Life towards God by Christ 20. I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 20. As Christ was crucified and took away this Wall of Separation and Yoke of Bondage so I am now a Member of his Body the Catholick Church and am dead to the Law and it to me But I have a better Life by which Christ liveth in me both objectively as trusted and loved and efficiently by his Spirit And now it is by Faith in him who loved me and gave himself for me that I live 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain 21. I do not by returning to the Law make void all the Design of Grace in our Redemption Christ is dead in vain if Righteousness must be by our performance of the Law of Moses for what need we then any other Sacrifice for sin or to be Redeemed from its Curse CHAP. III. 1. O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you 1. So great is your folly in inclining to Judaism that you seem in it as men bewitched and deprived of Reason to turn from Grace to the Law so soon when Christ crucified for your deliverance hath been so plainly preached and set forth before you 2. This onely would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 2. Do but answer me from your own Experience Have you not received the Spirit your selves some for Miracles or Tongues and the sincere for Sanctification If not you are none of Christs If yea then by what means did you receive it Was it by the Works of the Law you will not say it or was it by hearing the Gospel of Faith 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh 3. Are you so foolish as having received a Spiritual Doctrine and having received and seen the Gifts of the Spirit by it which are its Seal that you should think it your growth or perfection to turn to the Carnal Ceremonies of the Law which gave you not the Spirit 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain 4. Will you lose all the sufferings which you have undergone If you turn to the Law you lose them all 5. He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 5. Are the Miracles that are wrought among you and the Spirit communicated to your selves given from God by the Ministry of the Law or its Works or by the Preaching of the Gospel Note That here is a strong Evidence for the Matter of Fact That the Gift of the Spirit and the Working of Miracles were then things certainly existent Else when Paul appealed to these seduced Galatians themselves as to Men that had the Spirit and these Miracles among them and that with the provoking Words of foolish and bewitched how easily would they have confuted him and said They knew of no such thing This had been the likeliest way to turn them from Christianity with scorn to make that his Proof which if false must be so known to them all 6. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness 7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham 6 7. As it was by believing and trusting Gods Promise that Abraham was accounted righteous so it followeth that it is Believers that are his Seed as Heirs of the Promise 8. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all nations be blessed 8. And the Scripture foretelling that God would justifie the Heathen as he did Abraham by Faith did in effect preach this Gospel to him then when it 's said In thee shall all Nations be blessed and therefore not the Jewish Nation onely 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 9 So that if the Promise be made to them in Abraham they that have the same Qualification of Faith must needs be they that are blessed in him though they keep not the Law of Moses which Abraham did not nor the Gentile Believers 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them 10. For all that trust for Justification and Life to their own doing the Works of that Law and not to the free Grace of God in Christ must needs be cursed and not justified by it For it saith Cursed is every one that continueth not c. which no man doth 11. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for The just shall live by faith 12. And the law is not of faith but The man that doth them shall live in them 11 12. It 's evident that before God none is justified by the Law For it 's said that The just by faith shall live But the Law considered in it self as distinct from the Promise doth not give Life on condition of Faith receiving it as a free Gift but on condition of doing all that it commandeth Though the Law as subordinate to the Promise be of Faith 13. Christ hath reedeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 13. That Law which curseth us doth not justifie us but so doth Moses's Law and therefore came Christ to redeem us from that Curse suffering as a Sacrifice for us a cursed Death 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith 14. That the Blessing which was pronounced to Abraham as a Believer might come
you have brought all your Churches into danger of defection 10. I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be 10. I trust God will keep the Churches from revolting but those Persons whoever they be that by Seduction trouble and endanger you shall not escape Gods Judgment and our just Rebukes and Censures 11. And I brethren if I yet preach circumcision why do I yet suffer persecution then is the offence of the cross ceased 11. And as for me what need I suffer much if I could conform to the Judaism which these Men would imposâ— And then how are we still bound to take up the Cross and suffer with and for Christ These Conditions imposed by Christ on those that will reign with him are then ceased and the Church is no more a persecuted Society Note That the Jews who took themselves to be not onely Gods peculiar but his only People and thought all others contemptible and profane were yet far greater Persecuters than the Heathens and that as in zeal for God and his Law And so are the Worldly Papal Tyrannical Clergy at this day who appropriate the Name of the Church to themselves 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you 12. The hurt that these Men do who would unsettle and pervert you is so great that I would they were even cut off from the Church if upon personal Admonition they repent not and so left to Gods Judgment who oft maketh Satan his Executioner on such Mens Bodies 13. For brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another 13. Christ hath called you to a State of Freedom from Mosaical Rites and from the Curse Use it therefore thankfully but yet abuse it not to any Sin to despise the weak that yet scruple the forsaking of those Rites or to serve any Carnal Lust or Interest as if you had liberty to sin 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 14. You are still under a Law but it is the Law of Love which in the Duties which you owe to Man is fulfilled if you do but love your Neighbours as your selves supposing that you love your selves with a well-guided Love 15. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another 15. But if Selfishness and Faction conquer Brotherly Love and set you on hurting one another you will stir up those whom you hurt to Self-defence and Revenge and make your selves so many Enemies that you will be consumed each of other Note How sottish or malignant are they that preach down Love and Gentleness and preach to stir up Men to Wrath Hatred and Hurtfulness that they consider not this and lay it not to heart with fear 16. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh 16. If you say That without the Law there will be no restraint of fleshly Sins I say Walk in the Spirit of Christ that is by his Spiritual Law and his Spirits sanctifying Inclinations and then you will overcome your fleshly Lusts without the Carnal Rites and Corporal Penalties of that Law 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would 17. For the Flesh and Spirit are more contrary than the Flesh and Moses's Political and Ritual Law It is the Spirit that the Flesh lusteth against and it is the Spirit that is contrarily inclined and must overcome it These contrary Inclinations keep you in such imperfection that you cannot be as good and blameless as you would be and therefore Grace must pardon you 18. But if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the law 18. But if the sanctifying Spirit of Christ be it that ruleth you then as you are above the childish Rites so you so far are above the need of terrifying Penalties for Love will be your powerful Principle 19 20. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies 21. Envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God 19 20 21. Perhaps you 'll say How shall we know Sin but by the Law To which I say That they being Works of the Flesh against true Reason and the Spirit of God the very Light of Nature and Christs Spirit and Spiritual Word doth make them manifest such as Adultery Fornication c. of which I have told you and yet tell you that such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith 23. Meekness temperance against such there is no law 22 23. But the Fruits of the Spirit of Christ in all true Christians them that are not under the Law of Moses are Love to God and Men Joy in the hope of Salvation and in doing good Peace with Conscience and as much as in us lieth with Men Patience under Sufferings and Wrongs Kindness and Gentleness doing all the good we can Trustiness and trusting God Meekness and tameness of Disposition Temperance and Chastity c. The Spirit of God giveth us a Love to all these so that such need not penal Terrour to force them to it nor doth the Law condemn any of these 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 24. And all true Christians whom Christ will own have by his Spirit crucified the Flesh with its inordinate Affections and Lusts in conformity to the crucified Body of their Lord though he had no Sin And this is more effectual against Sin than all the Curses of Moses's Law 25. If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit 25. If the Spirit be the Principle of our New Life let us do the Works of it 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another envying one another 26. If you be Spiritual shew it by avoiding vain-glorious Boasting of your own Knowledge and Goodness and provoking others by proud Contempt or contentious Opposition See Jam. 3. CHAP. VI. 1. BRethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted 1. If any of you be surprised in Faultiness contrary to the bent of his Heart and Life you that are indeed spiritual and free your selves shew it by that Meekness which is the Fruit of the Spirit in
restoring him by Repentance and use not rough Severity and Contempt considering how uncertain you are what Temptation may dâ— upon your selves 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ 2 Let other Mens Burdens Hurts and Dangers be to you as if they were your own help each other to deliverance and ease and not add to the Load that is upon them And by this you shall fulsul the Law of Christ which is the Law of Love 3. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself 3. Alas Man is a poor nothing unable of himself to stand in trial and the self-confident who roughly handle the Faulty or contemn them and so think themselves to be something do but deceive themselves as the Event will manifest 4. But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another 4. The way of Wisdom is not to lift up your selves as Wise and Good by sharp censuring the Faults of others but closely to try and prove your selves and your own doings that so your own Consciences may speak comfort to you and not to seek Honour by insulting over the Weak that others may exalt you 5. For every man shall bear his own burden 5. For it is not other Mens Goodness or Sins for which Men shall be rewarded or punished but their own And therefore they are most concerned to judge themselves 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things 6. And to your Teachers it is the Hearers Duty to maintain them and communicate according to your own Ability for their Provision and Supply 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap 7. Let not Men deceive themselves by a barren Profession for God will not be deceived All Men shall reap as they sowe and be judged according to their Works 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 8. They that seek first Provision for their own Flesh do live but for a Body that will rot in the Grave and where then is the Fruit of their Life besides the Ruine of their Soul But they that in obedience to the Spirit do live a spiritual Life for spiritual Felicity shall receive everlasting Life as their Reward 9. And let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not 9. And let not us be tired with length of Labour or delay of the Reward Harvest cometh not as soon as we have sown When Gods due season is come we shall certainly reap the blessed Fruit if fainting make us not come short of it 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith 10. Let us therefore according to our several Abilities do all the good to all Men that we can but especially to Christians who are the Houshold or Church of Christ 11 12. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be circumcised onely lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ 11 12. You see how large a Letter your own Danger hath drawn me to write They that would draw you to conformity to the Jews are a Carnal sort of Men that will keep their Wordly Reputation and Safety and because they cannot suffer Persecution from the Jews themselves they would draw you to this Conformity with them that you may seem to justifie them in their Sin and pretend that all others are ignorant of Christian Liberty 13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh 13. For they keep not the Law themselves but would keep up their Reputation by getting you on their side to strengthen their Interest and make you their Defence 14. But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world 14. But my Glorying shall not be in worldly Prosperity and freedom from Sufferings but in following a Crucified Christ in Cross-bearing by whom the World to me is a dead contemned thing as Christ on the Cross seemed to the Men of the World and my Esteem and Love of the World are crucified and dead in me so that I can spare its Ease and Honours 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature 15. For in the Judgment of Christ the Christianity which is accepted to Salvation is neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision though Judaizing Circumcision be now contrary to Grace but it is a New Creature by the Spirit regenerated to God 16. And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God 16. And the Peace and Mercy of God will be on all them that walk as New Creatures by the guidance of his Spirit placing acceptable Religion in this and not in Circumcision or Uncircumcision This Benediction I pronounce on them that are the true Israel of God and will so be accepted by him however judged of by Man 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus 17. Let not those that profess themselves Christians any more trouble me by their Emulations and Calumnies and by seducing the Churches For I carry with me the Marks of my Faithfulness to Christ even the Sufferings which I undergo for him which are a better Evidence of his Acceptance than avoiding Persecution is to my Accusers that would seduce you 18. Brethren the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit Amen 18. My Benediction and Prayer for you is That the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with your Spirit to guide justifie and sanctifie you which will save you when Judaism and trusting to the Works of the Law will fail you Amen The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the EPHESIANS CHAP. I. 1. PAul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus 2. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ 1 2. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ called and sent by his Appearance and Voice to preach his Gospel to which God had chosen me to the Saints and faithful Christians at Ephesus my Benediction and Prayer is That they may have Grace and Peace Holiness and Consolation from God our Father and Christ our Saviour 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
not that the outward act of washing the Body serveth to this Salvation nor must you think that God layeth it on any outward Ceremony save as it is the exercise of our Obedience and Faith But it is the faithful answer to God of a resolved Soul in the Covenant of Baptism who when asked doth profess and promise to believe in and give up it self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to Renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Baptism is but the celebration of this saving Covenant and it is covenanting sincerely that is the Condition of Salvation and Washing is but the sign 22. Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him 22. And well may I say that Christ's Resurrection saveth sincere baptized Covenanters as God by the Ark did Noah c. when Christ thus risen is gone into Heaven advanced to the highest Authority and Honour all Angels and all Authorities and Powers in Heaven or Earth being made subject as his Enemies to their woe and his Servants to their joy shall shortly find so that he is fully able to give and do for us whatever he hath promised and we need CHAP. IV. 1. FOrasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin 2. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 2. Let then the sufferings of Christ have their due effect on you in conforming you to his death that you may as crucified or dead men give over sinning being as dead to fleshly lusts that ye no longer live the rest of your time in the flesh according to the lusts of your selves or any tempting men but wholly live to the will of God as your Rule and End 3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries 3. Alas we did too long live according to Heathen Sensuality and that time cannot be called back even in lasciviousness and lusts either fornication or immodesties that tend thereto and in excess of wine or strong drinks in revellings and banquettings or unnecessary feastings to gratifie fleshly appetite and lusts and in the bacchanals and jovialties of their Idolatry 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you 4. And though it is monstrous against humanity that reasonable men should thus live like brutes yet they stand and wonder at you as if you were the monsters or strange people because you will not be as bad and mad as they and run with them brutishly against God and Faith and Reason into this sensual excess of sports lust and riot 5. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead 5. But the time is near when for all this they must come to Judgment and a sad account they must shortly give to the Righteous Judge of all the World 6. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit 6. But wonder not at their obloquy nor imitate them but look to the Example of the Martyrs and those that are dead in Christ who received and obeyed the Gospel preacht to them that while they were judged and persecuâ—ed in the flesh according to the rage of men they might live in the Spirit unto God and obtain his glory through all such suffering 7. But the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer 7. But the time of their foolish rage and of your patient suffering will be but short The end of all earthly things is near therefore let soberness be to you instead of lusts and revelling and fleshly pleasure and by watching and prayer seek and wait for grace and glory 8. And above all things have fervent charity among your selves for charity shall cover the multitude of sins 8. And above all things be sure that you have and carefully preserve and exercise not only peace and mutual forbearance but a special love yea fervent love to one another even to all Christians and specially in your Societies and Relations For as love covereth and not aggravateth faults towards one another so God who hath said Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy and if ye forgive you shall be forgiven will cover and forgive the many sins of sincere loving Christians Note 1. The two Extreams that in all Ages have torn the Church should have regarded these words of Peter 1. The Papal Church-tearers that persecute all that consent not to their Canons Forms and Shadows should have remembred above all things even above your pretended plea for Obedience to you and Decency and Order have fervent Love 2. And the passive Separatists that can find faults enough in the Orders and Forms and Ceremonies of Churches to separate from the Communion of almost all on Earth should have deeplier received such Texts as this above all your superstitious pretences to more purity of Churches and better Discipline have fervent Charity 3. It is but partiality and jealousie of the Cause of Justification against the Papists which maketh some excellent Expositors distort this Text so as to exclude from its sense God's covering of our sins because they consider not aright 1. That Pardon as continued and as renewed for daily renewed sins hath more for the condition of it required in us than the first Pardon and begun Justification hath The first act of sound Faith serveth for the beginning but the continuance of it with its necessary fruits is necessary to the continuance and renewing of Pardon 2. That the Faith which is required to Justification and Pardon is giving up our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the Baptismal Covenant That is our Christianity which is not put in opposition to that Love or Repentance which is still implied as part of the same Covenant Consent or its necessary fruit but to the Works of the Law of Moses or of Works or any that are set in competition with Christ and Free Grace If prejudice hindred not men the reading of the Angel's words to Cornelius and of Christ's forgive and ye shall be forgiven and the Parable of the pardoned Debtor cast into Prison for not pardoning his Fellow-servant with Jam. 2. and Matth. 25. would end all this controversie 9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging 10. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God 9 10. As God hath
A PARAPHRASE ON THE New Testament With NOTES DOCTRINAL and PRACTICAL By PLAINNESS and BREVITY fitted to the Use of Religious FAMILIES in their daily Reading of the Scriptures and of the younger and poorer sort of Scholars and Ministers who want fuller helps With an Advertisement of Difficulties in the REVELATIONS By RICHARD BAXTER 1. Tim. 3.16 Great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh Justified in the Spirit Seen of Angels Preached to the Gentiles Believed on in the World Recieved up into Glory 1. Joh. 4.16 God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God And God in him Joh. 1.4 In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. Joh. 20.17 Go to my Brethren and say to them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and unto my God and your God 2. Pet. 3.11 Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 13. We according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Luk. 23.43 To day shall thou be with me in Paradise Josh 24.15 Choose you this day whom you will serve But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. LONDON Printed for B. Simmons at the Three Cocks and Tho. Simmons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-street M DC LXXXV An Account of the Reason and Use of this Paraphrase READER THis Paraphrase written for my own use being published for yours in order to that end I owe you this account of it A Friend long urging me to write a Paraphrase on the Epistle to the Romans as being hard to 〈◊〉 understood when I had done that I found so much profit by that Attempt that it drew me to go on till I had finished what I offer you It was like almost all my other publick works done by the unexpected conduct of Gods urgent Providence not only without but contrary to my former purposes God hath blest his Church with many Mens excellent Commentaries on the Scriptures and I never thought my self fit to do it better than they have done But that is best for some persons and uses which is not best to others I long wish'd that some abler Man would furnish vulgar Families with such a brief exposition as might be fitted to the use of their daily course in reading the Scriptures and instructing their Housholds I found that many who have done it better than I can do are too large and costly for this use some like Deâ—date very sound are unsatisfactorily brief some have parcelled their Annotations into so numerous shreds that Readers specially in a Family course will not stay to search and set them together to make up the sense I like Dr. Hammends order best but 1. I differ from him in so much of the matter 2. and took his stile to be too lax 3. and his Criticisms not useful to the vulgar 4. and his Volumn too big and costly And therefore I chose more plainly and yet more briefly and practically by the way of Paraphrase to suit it to my intended end But I must give the Readers notice 1. That where I seem but in few words to vary from the Text those words answer the large Criticisms of divers expositors as the Learned may find by searching them and the Greek-Text though I must not stay to give the reason of them as I go on 2. That tho I have studied plainness yet brevity is unavoidably obscure to unexercised persons who as Learners cannot understand things without many words 3. That where the Evangelists oft repeat the same things to avoid tediousness I repeat not the whole Exposition and yet thought not meet wholly to pass it by 4. That where the Text is plain of it self instead of an Exposition I fill up the space by Doctrinal or Practical Observations seeing Practice is the end of all and to Learners this part is of great necessity 5. That where great Doctrinal Controversies depend on the Exposition of any Text I have handled those more largely than the rest and I hope with Pacificatory and Satisfactory Evidence â—y great desire and care is that â— may hereby pâ—omote Christian Piety in Families To which special end I also wrote my Poor Mans Family-book and The Catechizing of Housholders And had I not done it in many Books so oft already I should here set my self with greatest Earnestness to urge and intreat all Christian Parents to the more faithful Practice of Family Religion especially in the wise and diligent Instruction and Education of their Children Sure no good Christians should come behind the Jews who had far less light and help that we have who yet are twice Commanded by God Deut. 6. and 11. Hear O Israel the Lord God is one Lord. Thou shall Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and shall talk of them when thou fittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy Hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes And thou shalt write them on the Posts of thy House and on thy Gates Yet now many thousand Families called Christians account this much Puritanism and needless preciseness as if the Scripture even the Gospel of Salvation were only for the use of Priests yea some that disown the Papists restraint of the Laity-unlicensed from reading it translated in a known Tongue do worse than Popishly refrain themselves And those that in Baptism vowed to bring up their Children as Christians in the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ persidiously break that solemn vow as they Hypocritically made it and by ungodly negligence betray to Satan the Souls of their Children and themselves which they devoted to God Reader I beg of you as from Christ for his sake for your Souls sake for your Childrens sake for the sake of Church and Kingdom that you will conscionably and seriously set up Family-Religion calling upon God Singing his Praises and instructing your Children and Servants in the Scripture and Catechism and in a wise and diligent Education of Youth Hear me as if I beg'd it of you with tears on my knees Alas what doth the World suffer by the neglect of this It is out of ungodly Families that the World hath ungodly Rulers ungodly Ministers and a swarm of Serpentine Enemies of Holiness and Peace and their own Salvation What Country groaneth not under the Confusions Miseries and horrid Wickedness which are all the Fruits of Family neglects and the careless and ill Education of Youth It is a work of great skill and constant care to instruct and
saw Simon and Andrew c. And he called them to be Teachers to save Souls And that so powerfully as prevailed with them to leave all and follow him 21. And going from thence he saw other two brethren James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets and he called them 22. And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him 21 22. Note His call no doubt did reach the heart what perswasives he before used is not mentioned 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease amongst the people 23. And from that time he went about in that Countrey of Galilee teaching and preaching the joyful tidings that the Messiahs Kingdom was at hand and that his Miracles might confirm his Doctrine he miraculously healed all manner of diseases where he came 24. And his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments and those that were possessed with Devils and those that were Lunaticks and those that had the Palsey and he healed them 25. And there followed him great numbers of people from Galilee and from Decapolis and from Jerusalem and from Judea and from beyond Jordan 24 25. Note 1. Christ began his great Prophetick and miraculous Works among the poorest contemned part and not in Jerusalem among the greatest 2. The multitude of the miraculous cures and that of old diseases such as Palsies Leprosies c. left no place for suspicion of deceit CHAP. V. 1. ANd seeing the multitudes he went up into a Mountain and when he was set his Disciples came to him 2. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying 1. And seeing the multitude that followed him as admirers and learnerâ— not yet made full baptized Christians he went for convenience of hearing into a Mountain and there being set he taught them as followeth N. Phrases follow the custom of Countreys And so he opened his mouth by that custom was no such absurd phrase as it would be now 3. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven 3. Blessed are ye my true Disciples though you be poor in the world if you have Spirits suited to your poverty for you shall have the Kingdom of Heaven for riches N. Poor in Spirit signifieth a mind that is above the love of worldly Riches and the sins that Riches use to breed and feed that is Sodoms sins Pride Fulness and Idleness and unmercifulness to the poor and such as are contented with food and raiment having mortified the lusts of the flesh which thirsts after worldly plenty and delight 4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 4. Though you are under sorrows now you are blessed if you are godly and have godly sorrow for your comfort will be time enough and full enough hereafter N. There are many sorts of sinful sorrow which have none of this promise such as are the common fruits of overloving some creature and distrusting God But it is holy mourning that is here meant that is for our own or other mens sins and Gods dishonour and displeasure and our want of more grace and for the miseries of the wicked and suffering world 5. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth 5. Though lowly meekness and quiet patience seem a depressed miserable state with men indeed those that are such are the most happy sort of men even in this world and their way is the most probable for escaping of outward suffering while the contrary minded vex themselves with their own impatience and pride and provoke others to hurt them and suffer much because they cannot suffer a little and raising Seditions and Wars do ruine themselves by revenge and ruining others and perish by the sword to which they trust 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled 6. Blessed are you though now you hunger for want of bread if you hunger and thirst after righteousness of heart and life towards God and man as those that would fain be perfect in holiness and doing good to all and that not with a sluggish wish but a desire that useth effectual endeavour For you shall have full satisfaction of all such desires and more than you can desire now when the full are sent empty away 7. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy 7. Tho God's grace and mercy be free yet men must be fit receivers and not reject it And it is the merciful that are thus blessed as qualified for saving mercy from God while the cruel and oppressors and persecutors and unmerciful reject mercy by their forfeiture and incapacity and undo themselves by hurting others 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 8. God will not bless impure unholy souls with the light of his Countenance and the comfort of his Love nor dwell with the filthy workers of Iniquity without holiness none shall see God But you whose hearts his grace hath purified from the filth of fleshly worldly lusts and the love of sin are a blessed people for Grace hath fitted you for begun Communion with God here and you shall see him in heavenly glory hereafter He hath not purified your hearts in vain 9. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God 9. Tho peacemakers use to be hated by both extreams and sides of the contentious whom they would reconcile yet they are blessed that do it sincerely from the predominant love of God and Man and Peace for as Children are like the Father so are they to the God of Love and peace who hath reconciled his Enemies to him by Christ 10. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven 10. Tho men think them miserable that are opprest and ruined in the World they are blessed if they are persecuted for righteousness sake For its Gods cause who will reward them with the Kingdom of Heaven and never let any be a loser by his obedience to him 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake 11. Think not that I come to advance you to worldly honour but look to be reviled and persecuted not only by Heathens but by Jews and to have all manner of evil charged on you and reported of you falsly for my sake because you believe me and obey me But in all this you are blessed while your false accusers and persecutors are miserable 12. Rejoyce ye and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets who were before you 12. Though such usage would break the hearts of worldly men and Hypocrites do
us we perish 23 24 25. N. The Ship is safe where Christ is tho he seem asleep 2. Yet dangers cast weak believers into fear 26. And he saith to them Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm 26. Great fears are the ordinary effects of sinful distrust and the symptomes of but little Faith 2. Get Christ on our side and he can command all the world to be for us or not to hurt us 27. But the men marvelled saying what manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him 27. Note 1. Christs works proved that he was a Saviour fully to be trusted 2. Do but obey Christ and he will make all creatures obey him for your good and safety 28. And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesenes there met him two possessed with devils coming out of the tombs exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way 28. That is two that were mad and possessed and acted by devils in their madness 29. And behold they cried out saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God Art thou come hither to torment us before the time 29. And the Devils in them by the mens voice cried out saying Meddle not with us Jesus thou Son of God Increase not our torments before the appointed time of their increase 30. And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding 31. So the devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the herd of swine 30 31. And many Gentiles dwelling there who kept Swine and perhaps some Jews to sell tho they eat not Swines flesh there was a great herd of Swine and the Devils being a base sort of Spirits and bent to all mischief craved leave if they must be cast out to go into the Swine partly to mischief them and partly to discontent their owners 32. And he said to them Go And when they were come out they went into the herd of swine and behold the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters 32. That is They were mad and in madness ran into the sea and were drowned 33. And they that kept them fled and went their ways into the city and told every thing and what was befaln the possessed of the devils 34. And behold the whole city came out to meet Jesus And when they saw him they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts 33 34. When they heard all this the whole City was moved with a desire to see so strange a man But the loss of their Swine made them intreat him to be gone and leave their coasts CHAP. IX 1. ANd he entred into a ship and passed over and came into his own city 2. And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsie lying on a bed And Jesus seeing their faith said to the sick of the palsie Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee 1 2 That is this disease which is the punishment of thy sin is remitted and thou shalt be healed 3. And behold certain of the Scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth 4. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts 5. For whether is it easier to say Thy sins are forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk 3 4 5. That is What is Forgiving the sin but forgiving the punishment of it And is one any harder than the other when it is the same thing 6. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins Then saith he to the sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and go unto thy house 7. And he arose and departed to his house 6 7. But your own senses shall tell you that I can forgive sin that is the punishment of sin on Earth Arise c. so he was healed before them and took up his bed and went home 8. And when the multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God which had given such power unto men 8. It made them wonder and glorifie God that had sent a man with so great power into the world 9. And as Jesus passed forth from thence he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custome and he saith to him Follow me And he arose and followed him 9. Matthew that wrote this a Toll-gatherer and at Christs call he immediately left all and followed him 10. And it came to pass as Jesus sate at meat in the house behold many publicans and sinners came and sate down with him and his Disciples 11. And when the Pharisees saw it they said to his Disciples Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners 10 11. N. The Pharisees pretended greater strictness than Christ in flying from other men as sinners But theâ— were not so strict in reforming themselves nor zealous of love and doing good 12. But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick 12. My work is to save Souls and who but Sinners have need of a Saviour 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance 13. O ye that take on you to be the Teachers of the ignorant what great need have you to be taught and to study what that saying meaneth I will have mercy and not Sacrifice Mercy is a far greater and more pleasing work than Sacrifice Ceremonies or outward Rites And the greatest good is still to be preferred N. O how little do the Roman persecuting Clergy regard this 14. Then came to him the disciples of John saying Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft but thy disciples fast not 14. We and the Pharisees are stricter than thy Disciples We fast oft and ye do not 15. And Jesus said to them Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them and hâ—â— shall they fast 15. The Messiah is the messâ—â—ger of the greatest joy It is a most joyful Marriage feast that I call them to and that is not the season of â—â—â—ng and mourning But when I am taken from them then fasting and patience in a malicious world will be more seasonable 16. No man putteth a piece of new cloath into an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse 17. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles else the bottles break and the wine runneth out and the bottles perish but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved 16 17. As a piece
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Note 1. Peter had a priority though no Government over the rest 2. Lebbeus is Judas that wrote the Epistle extant 3. Simon is not called a Canaanite as to Nation but his name signifieth the Zealot Luk. 6.15 Act. 1 13. 4. Christ chose twelve in respect to the twelve Tribes of Israel to whose service they were first confined But when the Jews rejected him and the Gentiles were to be called he added Paul to shew that he confined not the Gospel to the Jews but the Church now must be Catholick 5. By the Samaritans is meant those that were not of Abrahams Seed but were sent thither at the translation in King Hosea's time And by the Israelites is meant all Abraham's seed that were chiefly in Judea but scattered also where the twelve Tribes had lived 7. And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of heaven is at hand 7. As ye go Proclaim to them that the Kingdom of the Messiah whom God promised to send from Heaven is now at hand You may see the Christ so long expected 8. Heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out devils freely ye have received freely give 8. I give you power to heal c. Doing good is your work Do it freely as freely I give it you 9. Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses 10. nor scrip for your journey nor two coats neither shoes nor yet staves for the workman is worthy of his meat 9. You go not on your own work but mine Provide neither Money nor victuals for your Journey nor cloathing as for long time to come nor a defensive weapon or staff But look for your maintenance for your work 11. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter enquire who in it is worthy and there abide till ye go thence 12. And when ye come into any house salute it 13. And if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it But if it be not worthy let your peace return to you 11 c. Enquire who is a godly person willingest to entertain the Gospel And when you come to any house say Peace be to this house that is Gods blessing be here And if the persons be godly and truly qualified for his blessing it shall come upon them else not but you shall be clear Note 1. There is a worthiness consistent with free grace 2. And a worthiness before their receiving of the Gospel This had two degrees 1. The highest degree was true saith and godliness suited to that knowledge that the faithfull had before Christs incarnation who were in a state of Salvation but yet had not the knowledge of the Gospel fully so called and that Jesus was the Christ Such was Zachary and Elizabeth and Nathanael and the Centurion Act. 10 c. 2. And those that had but preparatory grace or a teachable tractable willing disposition were more worthy or less unworthy than the refractory 2. Ministers being not heart-searchers must pronounce Gods blessing on men on uncertainties and meer probability of the event 3. This benediction hath ever a condition implyed if the person be worthy or capable of it 4. If that person be unworthy and unblest the Minister is blameless if he went according to probable profession The fault was his own 5. No Ministerial blessing Baptizing the Lords Supper Absolution c. will save an unworthy person that is one not qualified for Salvation according to Gods promise 14. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet 14. And seeing you come not for any gain of your own but to bring them the joyfull tidings of Salvation so heinous is the sin of unthankful churlish refusal that you shall shake off the dust of your feet as signifying the labour you used in vain for their Salvation as a witness against them in time to come 15. Verily I say to you that it shall be more tollerable for the land of Sodom and of Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city 15. Note 1. There are different degrees of punishment hereafter some are more tollerable than others 2. Sodomes punishment shall be less than the refusers of the Gospel because they sinned against less means light and mercies False Christians then will have a heavy doom 16. Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves 16. It is not a life or ease and worldly preferment or man-pleasing that I send you on but as sheep in the midst of many Wolves such enmity against the Gospel and godliness is in the corrupt nature and interest of man and specially of the obdurate that instead of thankful entertaining you and your message they will tear and devour you if God do not restrain them Therefore be wise to carry your selves inoffensively and cautelously preserving your selves by lawful means but be ye harmless and innocent that they may have no just accusation against you and use no unlawfull means Sheep and Doves are no good fighters against Wolves and Hawks 17. But beware of men for they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you in their Synagogues 18. And ye shall be brought before governours and kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles 17 18. But keep out of their hands as I do by just means For the Jews will deliver you up to their Councils of Priest and Elders and they will scourge you as malefactors in their Synagogues and if they can make your crimes seem capital they will deliver you up to the Roman power that both Jews and Gentiles while you are accused may hear from you what the Gospelis and be unexcutable in their sin 19. But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak 20. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you 19 20. And let not your own slowness of Speech put you on anxiety as it did Moses and Isaiah For Gods Spirit in you will help you and teach you what and how to speak in season 21. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall rise up against the parents and cause them to be put to death 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake 21 22. So great is the enmity of the Flesh against the Spirit and against Faith and Holiness that it will overcome even natural affection of brethren and parents and children so that they shall bring their nearest relations to Martyrdom and other sufferings And the world will hate you for my sake But he that endureth to the end shall be saved 22.
house 18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes 15.16.17.18 When ye see the desolating Heathen Army come to use their force and violence against the Sacred Place of the Jews answering that which Daniel saith of others then stay not but be gon and be glad if by Flight you can save your Lives but stay not to save your Goods or Cloathes 19. And wo unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days 19. And they that are made slow by impediments of children c. are like to lose their Lives 20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter neither on the sabbath day 20. It will increase the calamity of your Flight if it should fall out in the Winter when the Weather will delay you or on a Sabbath day when the Jews scruple Journeying or a Sabbath Year when the Land Untilled beareth not Fruit. 21. For there shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall be 22. And except those days should be shortned there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those days shall be shortned 21.22 N. This was most dreadfully fulfilled as Josephus who was then among them hath fully written 1100000 Killed and 97000 Captives 22. If these Slaughters by the Romans should continue long no Jews would be left alive But God will so far preserve the Believers that their Armies shall stay but a little while 23. Then if any man shall say to you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect 25. Behold I have told you before 23.24.25 In this Desolation it will add to their misery that False Christs and Prophets shall rise and promise to deliver them and lead them further into snares And they shall do such Signes and Wonders as if God did not preserve them would deceive the very chosâ—â— of God the true Believers But whatever same you hear of such believe it not I have fore-warned you 26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desert go not forth Behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not 26. Go not after any such Deceiver where ever they say he is though he promise deliverance 27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west so shall the coming of the Son of man be 27. For as you must look for no other Saviour so my coming will not be such an appearance in Flesh but by Heavenly Light shining forth from the East unto the Westerne Parts of the World by my Word and Spirit turning men from Darkness to Light in preparation to my coming to Judgment in which I will suddenly appear from Heaven in Glory to all the World as Lightning doth in a moment in the Skies Note Some Expositors rather think it speaketh of his sudden Destroying Jerusalem 28. For wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together 28. And as for these forlorne Jews whose deserved Destruction is decreed of God they are as a carcase to the Eagles the Roman Messengers of Gods Wrath will find them out Note Others expound it where the Gospel is Preached thither will the People flock 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkned and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken 29 N. Some Expound this Metaphorically of the overthrow of all the Jewish State Power Policie Others of the Roman Wars and concussions Others properly of dreadful Prodigies that shall appear before Christs coming to Judgment Joel 2.31 and 3.15 30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory 30. As some Then the Jews shall be convinced that their destruction was Christs Revenge for his Death and Rejection and all the Tribes of their Land shall Mourn as if they had seen Christ coming himself against them in the clouds with Power and Glory As others The sign of the Cross shall appear to Constantine in the Skie and all the Heathen Nations shall Mourn and be cast down and they shall see Christ setting up his Kingdom by imperial Armes with Power and Glory As others Then shall Christ suddenly appear from Heaven to Judge the World and come in the clouds with Power and Glory to the grief and terrour of all the Wicked Supposing that Christ passed from the Destruction of Jerusalem to speak of his last coming 31. And he shall send his angels with a â—reat sound of a trumpet and they shall gaâ—her together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other 31. As some He shall gather the Believers in all Judâ—a whom he saveth from this Destruction As others He shall send forth his Apostles with the Gospel as a Trumpet to call his chosen out of the World into his Church As others By Constantine and Christian Powers he shall through all the Empire set Christians in Honour and Power over the Heathens As others Literally He shall at his appearing and Judgment send his Angels and gather all his Elect to himself 32. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree When her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that summer is nigh 33. So likewise ye when ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the doors 32.33 By the similitude of the Fig-tree I tell you that there must be time for these Changes but when ye see the beginning of these Signes Know that the accomplishment is not far off 34. Verily I say unto you This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled 35. Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away 34.35 As some Some yet alive shall see all fulfilled that I have hitherto spoken that is Onely of the Destruction of Jerusalem As others That part that I have spoken of the Destruction of Jerusalem some alive shall see for it was but 38 years after As others some yet alive shall see the beginning of the performance of all that I have said and the rest will follow and a Thousand years with the Lord is but as one Day When Heaven and Earth passeth away you shall see that my Word is all Fulfilled They shall see the Catholick Church 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the angels of heaven but my Father onely 36. The day and hour of the Jews Destruction say some Of the End of the World say others none knows but God
free pardon and life to all true believing accepters 29. But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine till that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom 29. Two difficulties here arise 1. Did not Christ drink with them after his resurrection Ans 1. Some say He drank no wine but water which was their Ordinary drink 2. Others answer The Kingdom of his Father began at his Resurrection 3. Others say it meaneth Shortly I shall leave you and drink no more with you 4. Others probably think he meant I shall no more keep a Passover or Sacrament with you 2. The other difficulty is How he will drink of it in the Kingdom of his Father 1. Some say Literally after the Resurrection on Earth 2. Some say that a thousand years before the end of the World all things shall be restored to the primitive Paradise state and Christ raigning on Earth shall drink of the fruit of the Vine new or renewed 3. Others say This will be after the Resurrection in the New Earth 4. But the usual and safest Exposition is that the Metaphor signifieth onely mutual Joy in Heaven 30. And when they had sung an hymn they went out into the mount of Olives 30. N. Whether this Hymn was that used by the Jews which were all the 113.114.115.116.117.118 Psalmes or one made for that use by Christ is uncertain But they all joyned and tell us how suitable Thanksgiving and singing Psalmes or Hymns at Sacraments and Feasts is 31. Then saith Jesus to them All ye shall be offended because of me this night For it is written I will smite the shepheard and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad 31. You will all be troubled at my Apprehension and be affrighted away from me as it is written c. 32. But after I am risen again I will go before you into Galilee 32. N. Christ oft fore-telling his Resurrection proveth his Truth why he would not appear in Jerusalem and to all but in Galilee and to few he gave us not the reason of it But he fore-knew the Jews rejection and would not force belief in them by fight 33. Peter answered and said to him Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended 33. Nothing shall affright me from thee N. His resolution was good But his self-confidence was bad 34. Jesus said to him Verily I say to thee that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice 34. Before the time called Cocks crowing be past c. Note Christ knoweth before what mans free will will do 35. Peter said to him Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said all the disciples 35. N. When men are resolved they are oft too insensible of their weakness and mutability 36. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and â—aâ—th to the disciples Sit ye here while I go and pray yoâ—der 37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy 36.37 Q. Why did not Christ use to pray with his Disciples but by himself Answ 1. We know not whether he used it or not 2. He sang a Hymn with them at the Passover But his Case so differed from all other mens that except in Thanksgivings and Generals the same Prayer would not suit him and them 38. Then saith he to them My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death tarry ye here and watch with me 38. N. Christ took our Nature though not our Sin And Nature is averse to Death and sensible of its hurt And the sence of Gods Enmity to Sin though not to him was the chief part of his Suffering 39. And he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed saying O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt 39. Note 1. Prostration was a humbling Posture but this Example binds us not to the same gesture 2. The first act of Mans Will is simple complacence in good and averseness to evil as such According to this as Christ was a Man he was averse to Death and Suffering as Man is else it would be no penalty And this is it that he expresseth First in his Prayer But the Second Act of Mans Will is about Ends and Means that stand in Competition and is called Choosing or Refusing when two things inconsistent stand in competition the better is to be chosen And according to this Christ formeth the Second Part of his Prayer Not as I will q. d. Thou hast given me a Nature which doth and must desire good and not evil which desireth that I may not Suffer But it is thy Will and my Consent to Suffer Therefore thy Will and not my simple Volition be done 40.41 And he cometh to the Disciples and findeth them asleep and saith unto Peter What could ye not watch with me one hour Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak 40. 41. Note Christ was to have no support from man in his Sufferings 2. Sleeping when we should Watch and Pray is a fault but such a one as may stand with Grace 3. Watching and Praying is Gods means appointed to save men from and in Temptation 4. The spirit of the Faithful is willing to do more good than they are able 5. The Flesh in Faithful Men may prevail against the Spirit in sins of natural infirmity for a time though not in gross Sins in the design and bent of heart and life 6. Christ tenderly excuseth his Servants infirmities 42. He went again the second time and prayed saying O my father if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it thy will be done 42. I resign my will to submit to thine and I desire to fullfil it for which I came in Flesh 43.44 And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy And he left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words 43.44 Ost speaking the same things in Prayer is meet for them that have the same causes and wants 45.46.47 Then cometh he to his disciples and saith to them Sleep on now and take your rest behold the hour is at hand and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners Rise let us be going behold he is at hand that doth betray me And while he yet spake lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and slaves from the chief priests and elders of the people 45.46.47 Note To be hunted to death by the Chief Priests and Rulers to have a Multitude ready to serve them in it with armed Violence to be betrayed by One of his Disciples and forsaken by the rest was the case of Christ
us 16. And his disciples went forth and came into the city and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the passover 16. Note Christ knew what was future and unseen even voluntary acts 17. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve 18. And as they sat and did eat Jesus said Verily I say to you one of you which eateth with me shall betray me 19. And they began to be sorrowful and to say unto him one by one Is it I And another said is it I 20. And he answered and said unto them It is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish 19. Note They feared themselves and his suspicion and were troubled at the Prognostick 2. Christs giving Judas the Sop is here past by 21. The Son of man indeed goeth as it is written of him but wo to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed good were it or that man if he had never been born 21. Note 1. Gods foreknowledge or decrees excuse nâ—â—â—â—â—ans sin 2. By Good is meant A less evil 22. And as they did eat Jesus took bread and blessed and brake it and gave to them and said Take eat this is my body 22. Note Here it is called at once Bread and his Body Bread Naturally and His Body Sacramentally that is Representatively and Significantly For It is the Relative and Bread is the Antecedent What did Christ Take Bread What did he Bless Iâ— What did he Break It. What is It but that before-named Bread Yet by so doing he made it his Body How As the King maketh a piece of Wax to become his Great Seal by which he conveyeth Land Liberty and Life Or a piece of Silver to be Money 23. And he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and and they all drank of it 24. And he said unto them this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many 23. By the Cup is meant the Wine Note It is strange that men who find that Christ throughout the Gospel still taught by Parables or Similitudes saying This is such a thing and That is such a thing as the Seed is the Word the Field is the World the Reapers are the Angels c. should force themselves to believe that there is no similitude used here The Lord deliver his Church from those who burn men that believe not that Bread is no Bread but made Christ himself while themselves believe not that Christ himself is Christ indeed but are Infidels 25. Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God 16. And when they had sung an hymn they went out into the mount of Olives 25. See Matth. 24. It 's more than probable that this Hymn was a form 27. And Jesus saith unto them All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written for I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered 27. Your Faith shall stagger and you shall forsake me and fly in fear 28. But after that I am risen I will go before you into Galilee 28. See Job 21.1 2 3. 29. But Peter said unto him Although all shall be offended yet will not I. 30. And Jesus saith unto him Verily I say unto thee that this day even in this night before the cock crow twice thou shall deny me thrice 30. Note This is not contraay to other Evangelists that say Before the Cock crow For 1. They mean before Cocks crowing time be past or before the second Cocks crowing 2. The Writers spake the sense of Christs words and not always the precise words themselves 31. But he spake the more vehemently if I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise Likewise also said they all 31. Note If the Apostles so little know themselves what wonder if most Christians know not how bad they are 32. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemani and he saith unto his disciples Sit ye here while I shall pray 33. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy 34. And saith to them my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death tarry ye here and watch 35. And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him 36. And he said Abba Father All things are possible to thee take away this cup from me not what I will but what thou wilt 34. Note It is an error that Christs God-head was instead of a human Soul For his Soul was sorrowful and suffered but so could not his Godhead 2. His nature in the first instant had a sinless aversness to suffering as such but his Reason and Will submit to it in the second instant because it is according to Gods Will for greater benefit 37. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping and saith to Peter Simon sleepest thou couldest thou not watch one hour 38. Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptation The Spirit truly is ready but the flesh is weak 37. Hast thou strength to die with me who canst not watch one hour with me Watching and Praying is the means to avoid temptation and consequently sinning and suffering for sin The Mind and Will sanctified by Gods Spirit is inclined to duty but it hath not an absolute Despotical power over the fleshly weakness and backwardness but a political only 39. And again he went away and prayed and said the same words 40. And when he returned he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy neither wist they what to answer him 41. And he cometh the third time and saith unto them Sleep on now and take your rest it is enough the hour is come behold the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners 40. They were ashamed 41. Now I have no more use for your watching with me Take your own course or rest My apprehenders are at hand 42. Rise up let us go lo he that betrayeth me is at hand 43. And immediately while he yet spake cometh Judas one of the twelve and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders 44. And he that betrayed him had given them a token saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he take him and lead him away 45. And as soon as he was come he goeth straitway way unto him and saith Master master and kissed him 44. Note Thus Satans servants that wear Christs Livery both Priests and Magistrates betray Christ by his own Titles and by pretence of Love and Honour 46. And they laid their hands on him and took him 47. And one of them that stood by drew a sword and smote a servant of the high priests and cut off his ear 47. Note Had buâ—
well stricken in years 8. And it came to pass that while he executed the priests office before God in the order of his course 9. According to the custom of the priests office his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense 7 8 9 10. Note The Priest went into the sanctuary to offer and the people that while prayed without the Sanctuary not without the Temple In imitation of which our Temples usually are built in three parts The Chancel for the Clergy the body of the Church for the Laity and all below the Font for the Catechumens and suspended who are no communicants as the outward Court was for Gentiles 11. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense 12. And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him 13. But the angel said unto him Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shall call his name John 14. And thou shall have joy and gladness and many shall rejoyce at his birth 11 12 13 14. He was born to an austere life and and to martyrdom yet his birth was joyful though to such a painful life and death for the Churches service 15. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb 15. Note 1. The best men and most useful are greatest in Gods sight 2. Extraordinary denying the flesh agreeth well with the extraordinary gift of the Spirit 3. Infants may have the Holy-Ghost before it appeareth 16. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn the Lord their God 6. Note To turn many by repentance to God was the effect of the Holy-Ghost and of Johns extraordinary worth and work 17. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 17. He shall be possessed with such fulness of Spirit and Power to prepare the way for Christ as Elias had as is propheci'd in Mal. 4.6 Note By turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children some think is meant turning the tyrannical oppression of Rulers to fatherly love and lenity to inferiours But Dr. H. more probably translateth it with the Children That is he shall turn Fathers and Children old and young Others say it is but to turn mens minds to the Love of one another and those that disobey God to the true wisdom of just men who obey and trust him 18. And Zacharias said unto the angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years 19. And the angel answering said unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20. And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak untill the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season 18 19 20. I am one of the many Angels that stand before God and am sent to tell thee this And to reprove thy unbelief And to convince thee for a sign thou shalt be dumb c. 21. And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple 22. And when he came out he could not speak unto them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple for he beckned unto them and remained speechless 21 22. Sanctuary 22. Some Revelation 23. And it came to pass that assoon as the days of his ministration were accomplished he departed to his own house 23. That Ceremonious service might be done by a dumb man but so cannot the Gospel Ministration 24. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid her self five months saying 25. Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men 24 25. She retired from Peoples observation and discourse saying the Lord hath shewed me mercy in taking away my reproach 26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth 27. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the the virgins name was Mary 26 27. Not married but betrothed 28. And the angel came in unto her and said Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women 28. Rejoice for thou art highly favoured of the Lord who maketh thee blessed above all women 29. And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be 30. And the angel said unto her Fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God 31. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus 32. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David 29 30 31 32. She understood it not That Glorious Kingdom meant in the promise to Davids seed of which his Kingdom was but a type 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end 33. His Kingdom over the Faithful Israel of God begun in grace shall be Everlasting in Glory 34. Then said Mary unto the angel How shall this be seeing I know not a man 35. And the angel answered and said unto her The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 34 35. This shall be done without Man by the Holy Ghost and the overshaddowing power of God and therefore he shall be properly called the Son of God N. 1. Though this give us the most known reason why Christ is called the Son of God in Scripture it is not said to be the only reason excluding his eternal Generation 2. Yet Christ oft calleth himself the Son of Man which signifieth no more but that he was truly a Man and born of a woman 36. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth she hath also conceived a son in her old age and this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren 37. For with God nothing shall be unpossible 36 37. Note 1. Though Elizabeth was of the Tribe of Aaron and Mary of the Tribe of Judah they were a kin by Elizabeths Mother marrying a Levite 2. Nothing should seem difficult to
only way that will self-love and reason should soon resolve us what to do and what to trust to 2. The way to be resolved on is that which will help us when all others fail 5. So he called every one of his lords debtors unto him and said unto the first How much owest thou unto my lord 6. And he said An hundred measures of oyl And he said unto him Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty 7. Then said he to another And how much owest thou And he said An hundred measures of wheat And he said to him Take thy bill and write fourscore 5 6 7. Note They were ready for their commodity to joyn in the fraud 8. And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light 8. Note His Lord that hated his falshood yet commended his wit 2. O that we had as much wit and care and diligence for our Souls everlasting welfare as false worldly men have for this vain World 9. And I say unto you Make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations 9. It is counsel of great importance to you so to use your time and estates which worldly men abuse to sin that when you must shortly and certainly die and leave all your wealth behind you ye may be received into the everlasting heavenly Mansions Note 1. The wealth that by the wicked is abused to damnation may by Believers be used to salvation 2. All this World will fail and forsake us 3. It is not those that we do good to but yet it is God for the good we do them that will receive us into Heaven 4. This is a Testimony of the Soul's Immortality and of the Life to come When we leave this World we are received into everlasting habitations 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much 10. God will much judge men according to their use of the little things of this World and will judge them meet for the great things of Glory that have used these well But he will judge them unmeet for heavenly felicity that could not use well the small things of this transitory life 11. If therefore ye have not been faithfull in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches 11. Do you think God will judge you meet for Heaven that were false in your use of earthly things 12. And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own 12. And if ye have proved false and untrusty in your Stewardship and use of God's entrusted Mercies in this life of Tryal where you had no assurance to stay an hour do you think God will place such as Proprietors in the Everlasting Kingdom 13. No servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and mammon 13. A divided heart between God and the World is false to God and to it self Ye cannot be true Christians and worldlings too 14. And the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him 14. Note The love of Riches rises up against holy and mortifying Doctrine with hatred and scorn 15. And he said unto them Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God 15. You applaud one another and keep up a worldly Reputation but God seeth all the evil of your hearts and he abhorreth the covetous whom you bless and all proud and prosperous worldlings when they are highest in mens esteem 16. The law and the prophets were until John since that time the kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it 16 Till John's days the Law and the Prophets that darkly foretold the Kingdom of God as afar off were the chief Teachers of the Church but since John's preaching that this Kingdom is at hand multitudes gladly receive that Tydings and croud or press into it with earnestness 17. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail 17. The Law is God's true Word and shall never prove false The natural-moral part shall continue the Ceremonious part the Types and Prophecies pass not away unfulfilled They all pointed unto Christ who fulfilleth them though he abrogate them 18. Whosoever putteth away his wife and marrieth another committeth adultery and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery 18. See Matth. 5 32. 19. There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day 19. Note This is the description of a Sensualist that liveth after the flesh to be clothed in Purple and Silk â—nd to have every day a costly Table of delightful meat â—nd drink Sensual flesh-pleasing is the common damnâ—ng sin and Riches are the fuel of fleshly desires 20. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores 20 21. Note 1. It is like he had some relief there else he would not have layn there 2. The worst men are not usually most afflicted in this life 3. Rich fleshly men make too great a difference between themselves and the Poor and think their superfluities and sumptuous delicious fare must be preferred before the necessities of their poor Brethren 4. Dogs help him whom the rich Sensualist would not help in any competent degree 22. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom the rich man also died and was buried 22. Note Though this be a Parable Christ would not by it insinuate false Doctrine Therefore it sheweth that the Soul doth not die with the Body but goeth to Joy or Misery Abraham is there alive and Lazarus in his bosom before the final Resurrection 2. Death quickly levelleth Rich and Poor the voluptuous and the afflicted 3. Angels that guard the Just in life refuse not at death to serve their Souls as their Convoy unto Happiness 4. To be buried in a Grave and rot to dust is the best that the pampered flesh of the wicked can expect 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom 23. Note 1. Such notice as Spirits have is called seeing 2. The Souls of the wicked pass to Hell torments 3. Joyful felicity is called Abraham's bosom to a Jew Some think
which in the sincere is saving which is required to be professed in Baptism for admittance into the visible Church 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit 6. Men generate Men but God maketh Saints by a spiritual generation Nature begets but nature but Gods Spirit giveth a holy and heavenly Nature or Inclination 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit 7 8. Count not this an incredible thing Thou hearest the sound of the wind and knowest certainly by the effects that such a thing as wind there is and that it causeth those effects which thy sense perceiveth but thou knowest not fully the nature of this wind nor whence it cometh nor whither it goeth and so thou mayest know that Gods Spirit doth this sanctifying work on Souls though thou canst not comprehend the nature of the Spirit nor the way of its operation nor why it worketh on one Soul and not on another that seemeth equal to it 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him How can these things be 9. N. The reason of Man not yet illuminated is apt to be so confident in its ignorance as to take those spiritual things for incredible which it comprehendeth not It lifts up it self against Christ's teaching with a How can these things be 10 Jesus answered and said unto him Art thoâ— a master of Israel and knowest not these things 11 Verily verily I say unto thee we speak that we do know and testifie that we have seen and ye receive not our witness 10 11. It is a shame to thee that art a Master of Israel to be ignorant of these things without which all thy knowledge is but shells and shadows I tell thee we spake that which we certainly know by intuition and experience on holy Souls and yet you carnal Jews believe us not not knowing what your own shadows do import 12 If I have told you earthly things and and ye believe not how shall ye beleve if I tell you of heavenly things 12. When I tell you but what God doth here on Earth on all that he will save and illustrate it to you by a similitude which your senses do perceive and it is a thing that your Ceremonies signifie how shall you believe if I tell you the unseen things of Heaven if you believe not things so evident as these 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven 13. And if you will not believe me what satisfying notice can you have of the state of things in Heaven for no Man hath ascended up into Heaven and can tell you by sure notice what is there but I that came down from Heaven and so came down by assuming flesh as that yet I am now in Heaven in my Godhead 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life 14 15. And the way of Salvation which God by me revealeth to you is this that as Moses in the Wilderness set up a brazen Serpent that all that were stung with Serpents might be cured if they did look up to this So I must be lift up on the Cross as a Sacrifice for sin that whoever truly believeth in me and trusteth me as the Redeemer and Saviour shall not perish but have everlasting life 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 16. For God who is Love it self so far loved lapsed and lost mankind as that he gave his only begotten Son to be incarnate and to be their Redeemer by his meritorious life and death and Resurrection and to make them this promise covenant and offer that whoever truly believeth in him should have his sin forgiven and should not perish but have everlasting blessed life 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved 17. For if the World be condemned they shall never have cause to lay the blame on Christ For it was not to condemn them that God sent him into the World but to be the Saviour of the World which his Doctrine Life and Sufferings shew 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God 18. He that believeth on him is thereupon by him delivered from the Condemnation that he was under and shall be saved but he that believeth not is not delivered from his Guilt and Condemnation but is under the Guilt of a severer punishment the Law of Grace it self Condemning him because he hath rejected the Son of God sent from Heaven with his Doctrine his Grace and offered Mercy so that both the Law of Nature and of Grace condemn the Neglecters of so great Salvation 19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil 19. For the true cause of Mens Condemnation is not that they have no Saviour or Ransom being left as Devils to remidiless despair but that a Saviour as Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light and so reject him and his truth and grace because they love and live in that sin which cannot endure the light 20 For every 〈◊〉 that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved 20. For it is the part of â—ight to detect and shame Mens evill deeds and thereâ—ore Malefactors hate and avoid the Light lest it reprove them and condemn them 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 21. But Light is the honour of well doing which is not afraid to be known and therefore he that doth that which is truly good loveth the Light and cometh to it that his deeds may appear to be as they are the work commanded and approved by God And therefore they will receive me that am the Light of the World 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea and there he tarried with them and baptized 22. He by his Disciples baptized those that believed and repented 23 And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized 24 For John was not yet cast into prison 23 24. John ceased not baptizing even when Christ baptized nor till he
and said to them murmur not among your selves 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day 43. The objections which you murmur on do indeed require Divine Grace to overcome them and therefore none can sincerely believe and come to me as a Christian except the Father who sent me to save men convince and draw them to me to be saved and all those I will raise to life everlasting 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me 45. As the Prophets speak of a Divine teaching so it is those that are thus taught of God that come to me 46. Not that any Man hath seen the Father save he which is of God he hath seen the Father 46. Not by a Teaching by seeing him For it is I only that come from him that have seen him 47. Verily verily I say to you he that believeth in me hath everlasting life 48. I am the bread of life 49. Your Fathers did eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead 50. This is the bread that came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die 51. I am the living bread which cometh down from Heaven If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I shall give him is my flesh which I will give for the life of the World 47. I tell you he that believeth on me hath that everlasting Life which Manna gave not for they are dead that did eat it I am the Bread that come indeed from Heaven and give Life not temporary but everlasting not to a few but to the World or universal Church My sacrificed flesh shall purchase this 52. The Jews therefore drove among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat 53. Then Jesus said to them verily verily I say to you except ye eat the flesh of the Sâ—n of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you 54. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day 55. For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed 52. This seemed to them a saying not to be digested and Christ at that time would no further explain it to them than by saying I tell you unless that you live by virtue of my Flesh and Blood received by Faith as food is by your mouth ye have no spiritual saving life It is all they that thus by Faith partake of my Sacrificed Flesh and Blood that have the Title and beginning of Eternal Life and I will at last raise them up to the full fruition of it For my sacrificed Flesh and Blood are truly enlivening and saving 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him 56. He that by true Faith trusteth in my sacrificed Flesh and Blood professeth thereby to be united to me as digested food is to the body whereby I also dwell in him and I will give him the Spirit of Life and he shall live by influence from me 57. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me he shall live by me 57. As the Father is Essential Self-life and I live by Communication from him so he that is intimately united to me and I to him as food is to the body by digestion by a covenanting lively Faith shall live by me a life of Grace and Glory 58. This is the bread which came down from Heaven Not as your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever 58. I am the true Bread from Heaven who give everlasting Life when your Fathers who did eat Manna died and were not by that made immortal 59. These things said he in the Synagogue as he taught in Capernaum 59. N. Remember it was not those only that had followed him that he spake this to and the following sharp passages but to his auditors at Capernaum 60. Many therefore of his Disciples when they had heard this said this is an hard saying who can hear it 60. N. Christ would not forbear this mysterious doctrine though the hearers could not digest it but would make an ill use of it to depart from him 61. When Jesus knew in himself that his Disciples murmured at it he saith to them doth this offend you 62. What if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before 61. I will e're long ascend up visibly to Heaven And will not that prove that I came from Heaven 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth The Flesh profiteth nothing The words that I speak to you they are Spirit and they are Life 63. And as to your offence at my words of the eating of my Flesh you know that Flesh of it self would be a dead and sensless thing were it not for the Soul that is it's life And so it is not my meer dead flesh that I say shall give you life but my Flesh as it is in dignity the Body of the Son of God purchasing life for the World and as it is accompanied with the operation of the Holy Ghost which animaterh them spiritually who by Faith are united to me And thus not only my flesh but the words that I speak to you are by my Spirit made the means of communicating to you Spirit and Life 64. But there are some of you that believe not For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him 64. But there are some of you that follow me that are not true believers and therefore have not this quickening Spirit For he knew their hearts and knew who would after betray him N. Though Christ knew Judas and other Hypocrites he did not expel them but sent out Judas to Preach with the rest to tell us how the visible Church will be constituted and must be ordered 65. And he said therefore I say to you that no man can come to me except it were given to him of my Father 65. N. That the word Can speaketh not of Physical power but partly moral indisposition and partly an hypothetical impossibility of event 2. That though Gods grace be the cause of faith no man is deprived of that Grace but by his own wilful sin which maketh him unexcusable 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him 66. By forsaking him they shewed that they were never sound believers 67. Then said Jesus to the twelve will ye also go away 68. Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the living God 67. N. 1. Christ puts
is his is mine and the Spirit is sent by the Father and by me 16. A little while and ye shall not see me and aâ—ain a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father 16. As it is but a little while till I that am now with you shall depart from your sight so it will be but a short time till I shall return from Heaven to which I am Ascending or as some Expound it I shall be a little while dead and a little while with you after my Resurrection 17. Then said some of his Disciples among themselves What is this that he saith unto us A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me and Because I go to the Father 18. They said therefore What is this that he saith A little while we cannot tell what he saith 19. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them Do ye enquire among your selves of that I said A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me 17 18 19. Jesus perceived that they understood him not 20. Verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce and ye shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy 21. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you 20. You shall have a time of suffering Sorrow while bad Men are triumphing over you and rejoycing but your Sorrow shall be turned into Joy in the sense of my Resurrection and the Comforts of the Holy Ghost and the success of your labours and your own Salvation As a Woman delivered hath joy in her Birth instead of the sorrows of her Travail I my self will again see you when I am Risen and finally glorifie you And then you shall have a Joy which none can deceive you of or diminish 23. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you 24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full 23 24. You shall not then learn by asking me questions as now But you shall Petition the Father in my Name and he will give you what you need both for your own Instruction and for your Ministry You have not hitherto understood and used my Intercession so fully as you must do hereafter and have nor used to ask in my Name so explicitely as you must do But heâ—erâ—after you must ask in my Name to be heard for my Merits and sake as your Intercessor As thus by fervent Prayer and fuller answers and gifts shall cause your fuller Joy 25. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father 25. I have hitherto spoken to you in Parables letting in the Light by such degrees as you were fit to bear But when I send you the Holy Ghost you shall know more plainly the Mysteries of God 26. At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you 27. For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God 26 27. You shall then put up all your Prayers in my Name which I would not have you so to understand as if the Father himself did not Love you but must be moved to it by me I say more than that I will Pray for you even that the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed in me c. Note First I say not that I will Pray is but Christs ordinary use of a Positive phrase for a Comparative it is I say not this only but more Secondly Our Love to Christ as well as our Faith is called the cause why God loveth us Thirdly But this Because signifieth no efficient cause of any thing in God but a Moral Qualification of the receiver called a Material dispositive receptive Cause 28. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father 28. Note I have before shewed that this coming from the Father signifieth not any local removal of of the Deity but its Conjunctive Operation on the humane Nature and its miraculous Conception or Production 29. His Disciples said unto him Lo now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proverb 30. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee by this we believe that thou camest forth from God 29 30. We now perceive that thou knowest the secrets of our hearts and what thoughts and doubts they were that troubled us which thou hast now plainly resolved Therefore we believe thou comest from God 31. Jesus answered them Do ye now believe 32. Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me 31 32. As confidently as you speak I tell you the hour is now at hand in which you shall every man be afraid to own me and shall shift for your selves and fly to your Houses and shall leave me forsaken of you all alone But I will not call it alone for the Father will not forsake me 33. These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world 33. I have told you what is to befal you hereafter that though you will be grieved at my departure you may fetch your Peace and Joy from the Assurance of what I will do for you after my Resurrection You shall have Tribulation to the flesh in the World But let not that dismay you but take comfort in me who have overcome the World even its flattering Tempations and its malicious Prosecutions And my Victory is virtually yours who shall overcome by my Intercession Spirit and Graces CHAP. XVII THese words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee 1. This Prayer Christ made to his Father lifting up his Eyes to Heaven to teach us to look thither as the place whence God appeareth in Glory Father the hour of my death undertaken for Mans Redemption is at hand Glorifie thy Son by thy Attestation and his Resurrection
Policy was not utterly demolished till near fourty years after Christs Resurrection Therefore till then the Jews there were to be Preacht to and the twelve Apostles suited to the twelve Tribes though after the number was changed by Pauls Conversion when the Gospel was to be principally sent unto the Gentiles 23. And they appointed two Joseph called Barsabas who was surnamed Justus and Matthias 24. And they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosed 25. That he may take part of this Ministery and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place 23 24 25. Note 1. The Apostleship was not only the qualification of Eye Witnesses of Christs works but a special preeminent office of some of those many who saw his works All that saw them were not Apostles Therefore Christ did set diversity and disparity of Ministerial Offices in his Church 2. Peters speech was to all the Disciples ver 15 16. It s therefore to be supposed that the two were chosen by all the Company but by the Conduct of the Apostles And God by Lot chose one of the two it being his Prerogative to make Apostles And I know no reason why the chief Pastors of the Church at least in cases of doubt should not now be so chosen 26. And they gave forth their lots and the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbred with the eleven apostles 26. Note How casual soever it seemed God was the undoubted determiner of it But solemnly to appeal to his determination in ludricrous toys or things already determined by his word is but prophanely to take his name in vain CHAP. II. ANd when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place 1. It is by most Expositors taken to be on the Lords day though some few contradict it 2. Christ chose the time to send the Spirit when they were unanimously assembled for his worship 2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting 3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them 2 3. Note It is likely it was only on the Apostle 4. And they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance 4. They that were unlearned men were all suddenly filled with the Holy Ghost who inspiring their minds with Sacred Light of Knowledge and fervor of affection caused them to utter these in various Languages which they had never learnt in the Praises of God and his works Note As Baptism entereth Men into the state of Christianity this effusion of the Spirit solemnly invested the Apostles in the full state and power of their Offices 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalam Jews devout men out of every Nation under heaven 5. Then were at Pentecost Jews out of many Nations where they were dispersed that came up to the Feast 6. Now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language 7. And they were all amazed and marvelled saying one to another Behold are not all these which speak Galileans And how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born 9. Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea and Cappadocia in Pontus and Asia 10. Phrygia and Pamphylia in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Jews and proselytes 11. Cretes and Arabians we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God 6 7 c. The word as of Christ and of his Gospel was that which they speak in the Tongues of all these Countries 12. And they were all amazed and were in doubt saying one to another What meaneth this 13. Others mocking said These men are full of new wine 12 13. Some derided them as Drunken 14. But Peter standing up with the eleven lift up his voice and said unto them Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem be this known unto you and hearken unto my words 15. For these are not drunken as ye suppose seeing it is but the third hour of the day 14 c. It is but nine a Clock at which time Men use to pray fasting and Drunkeness will not enable a Man to speak various Languages 16. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams 18. And on my servants and on my hand-maidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall prophesie 16 c. This is the fulfilling of what Joel Prophecied of the times of the Messsiah c 19. And I will shew wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath bloud and fire and vapour of smoke 20. The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lord come 21. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved 19 20 21 Many Prodigies in Heaven and Earth as if the frame of Nature did shake or were altered shall go before the destruction of the Temple and Nation of the Jews But faithful praying Christians shall be saved 22. Ye men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves also know 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain 24. Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it 22 23 24. You deny not the fact of those Miracles done by Jesus which are the infallible works of Gods attestation Gods determinate Counsel having appointed him to die as a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World and he foreknowing all that your wicked hearts do in it hereto accordingly with wicked hands you have murdered him not at all excusable by the said decree or fore knowledge of God But God raised him from the dead having loosed the bonds of Death it being impossible they should be held and conquered by it Note The word translated Pains of death may be also translated bonds But if it must be read Pains Death as a separation of Soul and Body is by privation a Penal state though not dolorous by positive evil yet some think that the Article of Descent into Hell signifieth some
abusive injury to others no doubt they would have punished him And verily many Preachers whose Doctrine is tolerable are so abusive in false reviling Application that we may say some Orthodox Churches have need of Church Justices to keep the peace The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the ROMANS The INTRODUCTION FOr the understanding of Paul's Epistle to the Romans it is necessary I. To understand his main Design and Subject II. To that end to know what Parties he had to do with III. And what their several Errours were or their Temptations to Errour IV. And by what Arguments he opposeth them and what he granteth them I. Paul's great Design is to establish the Roman Christians in the Faith of the Gospel and in Holiness of Life and in mutual Love and Concord against all the Temptations which then assaulted them II. The Adversaries of their Stability and his Design whom he noteth are 1. The Roman Heathens especially the Learned sort 2. Especially the Jews and the Judaizing Christians 3. Some Erroneous Heretical Christians who were inclined both to Libertinism and to Divisions III. The Errours opposed by him were I. The Heathens who while they scorned the Faith of a Crucified Christ shewed how little they were to be regarded by their Sins against the Light of Nature II. The Jews had all these following Errours 1. Because God had made them a peculiar People by special Privileges and Promises they were over-proud of it as if they had been the onely Servants that God had in World and that none but Jews and their Proselytes were saved 2. And so that their Law was to be received by all the World 3. That this Law given to and by Moses for their Government as a peculiar Republick was so excellent because thus Divine that the keeping of it was the sufficient and onely way of Salvation 4. Herein they overlook'd the Promise which was before the Law and presupposed in the Law as its Foundation and its very Life both the Common Promise made to lapsed Mankind in Adam and Noah and the spiritual part of the Special Promise made to Abraham 2. And they overlook'd the signification of their Types and Ceremonies and look'd at the Law meerly as a Law of Works rewarding or punishing for the doing or not doing it 5. Therefore they mistook the promised Messiah to be a King of David's Line who was to restore their Commonwealth and subdue the Nations to it and rule them in earthly Glory by that Law and so made him subservient to Moses's Law as to be restored by him 6. And so they thought that this Law must endure for ever and that to talk of its abrogation was Blasphemy against God III. The Judaizing Christians conjoyned Christianity and the Law and thought that though Christ's Miracles Resurrection and Spirit proved him to be the Messiah who died for their Sins yet he came not to change their Law but to establish it And first they were long before they could be convinced that it was not necessary to the Gentiles to be Proselytes to it And when they were forced to grant that they still held that it was necessary to all the Jews And therefore they kept up their Ceremonies and separated too far from the Gentile Christians And the Gentile Christians too much despised these IV. Besides these there were some that Heretically took it to be a part of their extraordinary Knowledge to hold That Christianity delivered Men not onely from the Jews Law but from subjection to Men and from necessary strictness in outward Actions And they made a Party for these Opinions V. The Apostle I. dealeth but briefly with the Heathens and argueth against them from their own Errours and Crimes 1. Telling them of the Light of Nature and then of their odious Sins against it that the Christians might not be moved by the scorns and opposition of such a blinded uncapable sort of Adversaries II. But the chief Work of his Epistle is to confute the Jews and Judaizers and to establish the Gentile Christians against their Errours and Opposition To which end he proveth all these things 1. That the Gentiles are not bound to receive the Law of Moses and become Jews 2. That they may be justified and saved by the Faith of Christ as well as the Jews 3. That God foretold their Calling by the Prophets and the Promise to Abraham extended to them as the Spiritual Believing Seed or Children 4. That if this were not true none could be justified or saved because by the Deeds of the Law as such no man can be justified The Jews themselves must be justified by Faith or not at all 5. That the Law of Moses as such came long after the Promise and the Justification of Abraham by Faith and therefore could not null that Promise or way of Life 6. That the Law required such a degree of Works or strict Obedience as no man kept and therefore none could be justified by it 7. That the Law was given but to the Jews and God is not onely the God and Governour of the Jews but of the Gentiles also 8. That the Law forbiddeth Sin and curseth the Sinner and condemneth him and therefore doth not justifie him 9. That the Law as such giveth not Grace and Strength to keep it but supposeth Ability But the Grace and Spirit of Christ enableth 10. That the Law by accident irritateth Lust and increaseth it and doth not mortifie and overcome it 11. That the Law was given to another end than to justifie the Sinner by its bare Works even to convince Men of Sin and the need of Grace and as a Schoolmaster to lead them to Christ who is the End of the Law 12. That Pardon Justification and Salvation must needs be God's free Gift to the Guilty and Condemned and not the Reward of Meritorious Works of the Law nor can any pretend the Title of Innocency or Debt 13. That Christ is designed to gather a more large and excellent Church than the Jewish Nation even a Catholick Church through all the World and that more spiritual and holy into which the Jews if they will believe shall be all graffed which will be to them a higher Privilege than to live under the Mosaick Politie 14. That the Jewish Law was so operous shadowy burdensom and terrible that it is part of the Office of a Saviour to deliver men from it and to bring them under a far better Law and Covenant of Grace By many such Arguments he confuteth the Jews and Judaizing Christians III. How he confuteth the Censorious Dividers who agreed in the Essentials of Christianity but differed about some Jewish Rites and also the Erroneous that enclined to Licentiousness and unjust Separation from the Orthodox will be sufficiently shewn in the particular Expositions IV. But the Apostle denieth none of these following Truths but implieth some and expresly asserteth others of them as Concessions 1. According to the Promise made to Abraham the
those that Paul disputed against had in conceit separated the Law as such from the Promise or Covenant of Free Grace and thought to be justified by the Merit of their Obedience to it III. Perverse Engagement against one anothers Opinions as dangerous hath made Paul's Doctrine of Faith and Justification seem much more difficult than it is 1. It is certain That by Faith he meaneth no one single Act onely as is The believing that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us as if we were not justified by believing in God the Father or the Holy Ghost or trusting the Promise of Glory or believing that Christ died for our Sins rose ascended intercedeth reigneth and will judge us and glorifie us or by consenting to his Covenant of Grace accepting offered Mercy c. Faith is a Moral act containing many Physical acts of Understanding and Will like a Covenant-consent to a King a Husband a Physician c. It is all that is essentially required in Baptism to the Collation of the Grace there given It is Christianity in consent 2. This Faith is commanded by God and Grace and Glory promised to them that by believing obey this Command which maketh it the Condition or Moral receptive Qualification for this Gift And though God's Grace cause Men to believe yet the Command and Conditional Promise are the Means by which God worketh this Effect And that the Promise be Conditional joyned with threatning to Disobedience is no more needless than the Command or Preaching is 3. Hence Men may claim Pardon upon believing but none can claim Faith by vertue of any absolute Promise of God before he have it 4. Though no Creature can merit of God in Commutative Justice as giving him a Benefit yet they may merit of him as in Governing Justice or Distributive But this is various as the Governing Law is According to the Law of Innocency no man meriteth nor Justification according to the Law of Moses save Christ alone Christ's Merit was in the fulfilling the undertaken Mediatorship which was fulfilling the Law of Innocency which he onely was capable of and Moses's Law and the peculiar Acts of a Mediator This Merit of Christ is the valuable procuring meritorious Cause of all our Deliverance Pardon Justification Adoption c. of which our own Habits or Acts are no Parts nor are at all to be judged to be in stead of any part of the Office of Christ 5. But we are not Lawless but under a Pardoning and Justifying Law or Covenant of Grace which giveth Grace and Glory as is said to them that believe and repent that is pardoneth them and giveth them the in-dwelling Spirit of Love and right to Life if they sincerely trust Christ's Mediation and Promise for it and give up themselves for that end to God their reconciled Father to Christ as their Saviour and his Spirit as their Sanctifier And because God will not give us the free Gift of Christ and Life with him but as first qualified by this Condition of Faith therefore Faith is said to be imputed to us for Righteousness that is This Acceptance of his free Gift in Christ is all that the Law of Grace by which we shall be judged requireth of us that we may be accounted Righteous without Innocency or the Works of Moses's Law or any that make not the gift of Pardon and Life to be of free Grace To have Righteousness imputed is to be accounted Righteous 6. To call Faith a Justifying Instrument is an unapt Speech of Mans vain invention but may be tolerated if they mean but A Moral receptive Disposition unfitly called A receptive Instrument But not in proper sense 7. But though Christ is our Surety and Vicarius poenae in some sense and properly a Sacrifice for our Sin and merited all that we have by his Righteousness yet it subverteth the Gospel and Christianity to teach as some do That Christ did so properly personate every one of the Elect that in the sense of God and the Law though not Physically they all perfectly fulfilled the Law of Innocency in and by him and so are justified by that Law as imputatively being sinless As if that Law had said Thou or thy Surety shall die if thou sin and we are justified by the same Law that condemned us and no Death or Suffering or permitted Sin were any Penalties on us And as if we were at once reputed sinless from Birth to Death and yet must have a Christ to die for our Sin and must daily beg forgiveness of it CHAP. I. 1. PAul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an Apostle separated unto the Gospel of God 1. â—y an immediate appearance of Christ from Heaven by Voice and Inspiration sâ—â—t to publish the glad tidings of Redemption and Salvation by Christ 2. Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scripture 3. Concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh 4. And declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead 3. Having his Humane Nature from his Mother of David's line 4. But the Power of God which owned him by the Spirit of Holiness and his Resurrection from the dead did demonstrate that he was not a meer Man but Gods own Son sent from Heaven and miraculously incarnate 5. By whom we have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name 5. By whose own heavenly mission I received this favour and honour to be his special Messenger sent to call all Nations to believe and obey the Gospel and proclaim the Glory of his Name 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ 6. Of whom God hath vouchsafed you to be a part being the called followers of Jesus Christ 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be saints Grace be to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ 7. To all in Rome that are the beloved of God called out of the World into the Holy Christian state I salute you by this Benediction and Prayer that the Grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and that true Peace and Welfare which is its special Fruit may be yet more upon you 8. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the world 8. And first I thank my God through Jesus Christ that as you dwell in that City which is most eminent in the World which is an advantage to the lustre and communication of your Faith so your profession of that Faith is so illustrious as to be famous throughout the World 9. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers 10. Making request if by any means now at length I might
and that it is you that by that Law must be the Lights and Guides of the Dark and Ignorant to whom all others as Children should come to School because you have the only True Knowledge by the means of your Law 21 22 23. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that saist a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit sacrilege Thou that makest thy boast in the law through breaking the law dishonourest thou God 21 22 23. Will the Law justifie thee that condemnest thy self by breaking it while thou boastest of it Will teaching others justifie thee who teachest not thy self Will it justifie a Thief to Preach against Stealing or an Adulterer to Preach against Adultery or the Sacrilegious to abhor Idols 24. For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written 24. For as the Prophets truly told your fore-fathers I may tell you that you are so far from keeping your Law to Justification that the scandal of your Sin occasioneth the Gentiles to speak evil of your Law and blaspheme God that made it 25. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law but if thou be a breaker of the law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision 25. Indeed God made not the Law in vain To keep it is required of the Jews as the matter of their Obedience And if you keep it as the Covenant of Circumcision obligeth you you shall not lose the promised Reward But if you are breakers of the Law you will be no more justified than the Uncircumcised but more condemned for violating your Duty and Covenant with God 26 27. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfil the law judge thee who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law 26 27. Therefore it being Performance which the Law requireth if Uncircumcised Persons do that good which the Law requireth it is them that the Law will so far justifie and such obedient Uncircumcised Persons that by obeying the Law of Nature perform the Matter of your Laws shall condemn those that have the Letter of the Law and are by Circumcision engaged to keep it and yet transgress it 28 29. For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew that is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 28 29. But the Jew that God will accept and justifie as the Seed of Believing Abraham and that answereth the end of the Law is not he that is only visibly one in the outward Ceremony nor is that the acceptable Circumcision which is only outward in the Flesh But he is the accepted Person with God as his peculiar who is such at the Heart as the Law required Jews to be and that is the acceptable Circumcision which cleanseth and sanctifieth the Heart in Spirituality and not only in outward Letter Form and Ceremony which is approved of the most Holy Heart-searching God and not that which is but approved of Men. CHAP. III. 1. WHat advantage then hath the Jew and what profit is there of circumcision 2. Much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God 1 2. You will say If this be so what advantage hath the Jew above the Gentile or what profit doth Circumcision afford them I answer Much every way As first That God committed his Oracles of supernatural Revelation principally to them and from them it is that others have received them 3. For what if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect 3. It 's true that the most of the present Jews do not believe in Christ nor yield to the perswasions of the Gospel But still Gods Word is sure and true and his Fidelity will perform all his Promises 4. God forbid Yea let God be true and every man a liar as it is written That thou maist be justified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art judged 4. Far be it from us to think that God is untrusty or can lie All Men are untrusty and may deceive by lies but God's Fidelity is his Perfection which cannot fall As David saith His Word shall be justified and all be silenced that dare accuse him of untrustiness or lying 5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God what shall we say Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speak as a man 5. But if all our Sin do but occasion the manifestation of Gods Righteousness and so his Honour and End is secured is it not unjust for God to punish and destroy Men for unbelief and sin I object as a Man 6. God forbid for then how shall God judge the world 6. Far be it from us so to think For sure the Judge of all the World is Righteous and will righteously judge 7. For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory why also am I yet judged a sinner 8. And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just 7 8. But say they If my falshood and sin do occasion the glorifying of God and his Truth why should I be judged a Sinner against God who is glorified by all that I do and not rather conclude as some falsely say we do that we should never fear sinning seeing the effect is always good But just is the damnation of such that pretend Gods Glory to embolden them in Sin 9. What then Are we better than they No in no wise For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin 9. What shall we then conclude from this unbelief and punishment of the Jews Is it that we who are Christians Jews and Gentiles were so much better antecedently than the unbelieving part that God therefore gave us his Grace for our better deserts No in no wise For we have before proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under the guilt and reign of Sin till Grace recover them 10. As it is written there is none righteous no not one 11. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God 12. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of asps is under their lips 14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways 17. And the way
was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope 20. For so much of the world as was made for Man and marr'd or cursed for mans sake so was made subject to this Curse and Mutation not for its own sin nor by its own choice but by the sin of Man even by that God who subjected its condition to the free will and state of Man and so to suffer with and for him but with a purpose to restore it with him unto its integrity 21. Because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondege of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God 21. Because the Natural and Sensitive parts of the World that were subjected to the use of Man and fell under a Curse by Man shall be delivered with Man from that Curse and Bondage and Corruptibility into a state of liberty and useful perfection suitable to the Glory of the Children of God for whom they were made 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now 22. For it is evident that the whole Natural and Subjective World which was thus subjected to Man and cursed for him is like a Woman in the pangs or expectation of Child-birth and groaneth till it be delivered with us at that time of restoration 23. And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body 23. And if this be their case much more do we who have the Spirit of God which is the Pledge Earnest and First-fruit of Glory feeling our selves burdened with sin temptations and sufferings in the World and yet short of our expected Glory feel our selves as a Woman in Travel groaning for deliverance and longing for the blessed inheritance yea even the Resurrection of the Body it self to which we were Adopted 24. For we are saved by hope But hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for 24. For our present state of Salvation is not in sight and full possession but in the hope of unseen things that are promis'd and this hope will bring us to possession But if we had sight and possession of it we could not be said to live by the hopes of it for why should we be said to hope for that which we see and possess 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it 25. But hoping for that which we never saw or possessed we do with patience under all delays and sufferings wait for the desired attainment and possession 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered 26. And the Spirit which God hath given us helpeth us against our Infirmities of Hope and Prayer and under our sufferings and distresses for we are unmeet judges of our own necessities and condition and the flesh is too prone to desire its own ease and safety But the Spirit of Christ in us teacheth and inclineth us to go to God as to a merciful alsufficient Father and to pour out our Souls complaints before him at least with groans when we cannot utter them with Words and to cry Abba Father and to refer our selves unto his Wisdom and cast our case in trust on him 27. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God 27. And God that searcheth the Heart knoweth the meaning of those very groans excited by his Spirit which we want words to express For he knoweth what his own Spirit moveth us to ask and what desires come from himself for as Christ is in Heaven our Intercessor with the Father so the Holy Spirit sent down into our Hearts is our Intercessor with the Father and the Son for as he is Christs Agent and Witness in us to communicate Spiritual Life Light and Love to us so he is a Spirit of Supplication and Adoption in us and the spring of all our holy desires and motions Godward and that only which is of him is accepted of God for he moveth us to ask what pleaseth God and to submit to his Will and returneth us the answer of our Prayers in inward strength and consolation 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose 28. For we know that all the course of Gods providence and particularly all our sufferings for him do by Gods over-ruling ordination work together for our good even to carry on them that love him to Salvation who are called hereto according to the gracious benevolent purpose of his own Will 29. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethren 29. For those whom he fore-knew and purposed to glorifie he also predestinated as the way to their Glory to be conformed to the Image of his Son in holiness and patient suffering that his Church as Brethren might be like their Head and eldest Brother 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified 30. And those whom God thus predestinateth to be conformed to Christ them in time he effectually called to repent and believe in Christ and those whom he thus called and made true Christians he justified both making them just by pardoning their sin and giving them his Indwelling Spirit of love and Holiness and accounting them just for the merits of Christ and those whom he thus justifieth he will glorifie with Christ 31. What shall we then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us 31. What then shall we say when we consider all this but with joyful thankfulness conclude that God is for his Saints their Father and Protector and therefore they have no cause to fear any that are against them how great or many or strong soever that is not fear their power so be it we take heed that they draw us not to sin 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 32. He that spared not his own Son not thinking him too precious a gist but delivered him up to suffer as a Sacrifice to procure the pardon of sin and salvation to be given to all by a Conditional Covenant of faith and acceptance and actually to pardon and save all true Believers that accept him how can it be that he should think any thing else which we need too good for
therefore will not be subject to Humane Government but resisteth True Authority resisteth a needful Ordinance of God and deserveth Punishment from God and Man 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same 3. For as God is the Ordainer of Government in general so he hath specified their Office as to the universally necessary part and bound them as his Officers to see to the Execution of his Universal Laws as the King binds Justices to execute his Laws And therefore their Office and Authority received from God is not to be Persecutors or a Terror to Good Works but to punish the Evil For God giveth no Authority against himself or his Laws If therefore thou fear this Power given of God do that which is good and it will further thy Encouragement and Praise Even Heathens by seeing to the Execution of the Law of Nature will promote Natural Virtue and suppress and punish Vice 4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain For he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil 4. And let not bad Mens abuse of Government make thee think evil of the Office For they are but God's Servants or Officers not authorised to destroy and to do mischief but to do good even to see to the Execution of God's Laws by their own and to take care of the Common Welfare But if thou do evil fear them for God hath not entrusted them with the Sword in vain much less for mischief For they are God's Officers Revengers of Sin to execute God's Wrath and Man 's on Sinners And so to resist them is to resist the Officers of God and to honour and obey them is to honour and obey God that hath authorised them 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake 5. Wherefore you ought to be subject even when you may not obey not onely for fear of Punishment from Man but in Conscience of your Duty to God who ordaineth them 6. For for this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods ministers attending continually upon this very thing 6. Therefore honourable Maintenance and Tribute is their due For they are God's Servants whose very Oâ—â—â—ce and daily Care and Labour is to do his Service for the Common Good 7. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour 7. I am not perswading you to own Usurpation or to give Men that which is not their due not yet do I determine among several Claimers which is the Supreme But that you give all their proper due Tribute Custom Fear and Honour to every one to whom they are due And let not Covetousness or Disobedience hinder you 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law 8. Discharge your Debts and give all Men the due which you owe them else you are unjust and rob them Only Love we shall still owe to one another and shall thus owe it even while we pay it And to pay this Debt of sincere Love is to fulfil all the Law to Man 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet And if there be any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 9. For all our Duty to Man is virtually comprehended in Loving them as our selves For a Man will not wrong the Life the Estate the Marriage right the Honour of himself nor falsely accuse or prosecute himself or covet from himself or those that he loveth as himself Bring Men once to this unfeigned Love and Hurtfulness Covetousness Fraud False Accusation Persecution and all Injustice will cease 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the law 10. As we are not apt to hurt our selves so true Love would not hurt others in their Lives Liberties Estates or Good Names much less study to destroy them Therefore Love is the virtual fulfilling of all our Duty to them 11. And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed 11. And we should increase in this careful discharge of our Duty of Love and Justice though in the State of Infidelity we lived in such Sins For by this time we should be better acquainted with our Duties and awaked to all conscionable performance of them we being neerer our Reward and Salvation than when we were first converted to the Faith and God expecteth now more from us 12. The night is far spent the day is at hand Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness let us put on the armour of light 12. We are now got further from our former State of Darkness We are now come to the Day-light of Illuminating Grace and under the Increase thereof The Church is growing to a more Honourable State by its Increase Let us therefore more resolvedly cast off all the Works of Heathenish Darkness and as Christ's Soldiers put on our Sacred Armour and use it as in the Day-light of Grace 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying 13. Seeing we are in the Light let us walk modestly and decently as becometh our Condition not as the Heathens in rioting and drunkenness not in lasciviousness and uncleanness and fleshly lusts not in proud selfish or covetous strife and envy 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil lusts thereof 14. But let Christ his Spirit and Love his Doctrine and Example his Interest and Kingdom take you up and be to you as the Cloathing which you daily wear And do not as Carnal Men whose fleshly Pleasure and Prosperity is their choice and best that live to the said fleshly Pleasure and make provision to satisfie the Carnal Will and Lust in stead of preferring the Heavenly Treasure ANNOTATIONS Qu. I. WHat is meant here by Powers Ans Not meer Strength but Authority or Right to Govern It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Usurpers Strength may be resisted but Rightful Power or Authority may not Qu. II. Doth St. Paul determine here either of the Species or Individually who it is that hath the Highest Power Ans Not at all In those Ages and long after sometime the Senate claimed the Supremacy wholly and sometime a part of it sometime they pretended to make
than with punishing Power to delivet any offenders to Satan as Gods Executioner on their bodies CHAP. V. 1. IT is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers wife 1. It is not a doubtful Fame but a credible Report that there is such Fornication among you as Civil Heathens do abhor that one should have his Fathers Wife 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed may be taken away from among you 2. And you have made light of it and not as sensible of the Sin and Shame bewailed it that he that is impenitent in this Sin may be cut off from your Society 3. For I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed 4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ 5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 3 4 5. For though I be absent in Body yet present in Spirit I have by the Power given me by Christ determined already when you are assembled and my Spirit with you to deliver this Man to Satan by casting him out of the Church and leaving him to Gods Executioner to inflict destructive Punishment on his Body to bring him to Repentance for the saving of his Soul Note 1. That Paul himself was the Judge 2. Yet he would do it when they were assembled for Order to shew them what they should have done 3. That it was in a Church-assembly of Men present for holy Communion and not in a Lay-Court or a Consistory of the Pastors of other Assemblies who knew not the Man nor had any special Over-sight of him 4. That Satan is Gods Executioner on the Bodies even of Christians specially of Sins to Death The Church having then no Christian Magistrates was put to appeal to God to punish Capital Crimes miraculously 5. That yet this is to save the Sinner by Repentance as well as to be a Warning to others 6. Your glorying is not good Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 6. You do not well to bear up such a Man in his Sin and to make light of it The whole Church so far as it 's guilty of such a Conniving or Consent is thus defiled with Guilt and may be tempted to the like Sin 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us 7. As the Jews when they kept the Passover were to cast all Leavened Bread out of their Houses so we assemble to commemorate the Sacrifice of Christ our Paschal Lamb. Purge out of your Assemblies the old Leaven of scandalous Sins that you may approve your selves a Society acceptable to God through Christ Note 1. That as Dr. Hammond observes out of Chrysostom and Theodoret there was a Tradition that this Offender was a Bishop 2. And the Assembly was to purge the Church of such a one whoever he was by forsaking him 8. Therefore let us keep the feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 8. Therefore let our Christian Assemblies be kept as holy Feasts before God not with the Vices of our old Natural or Heathen State nor with the odious Leaven of Naughtiness and Wickedness but with the Unleavened Bread of Purity Sincerity and Truth 9. I wrote to you in an epistle not to company with fornicators 10. Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with Idolaters for then must ye needs go out of the world 9 10. I did indeed write to you before in this or some other Epistle to avoid Familiarity with Fornicators Covetous Extortioners Idolaters c. I meant that you shew your abhorrence of this Sin and shame the Sinner by shunning his Company when it is unnecessary and it is in your power so to do But I meant not that you should have no Company or Converse at all with any that are such for you live among Unbelievers and cannot go out of the World 11. But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one no not to eat 11. But my Meaning and your Duty is That you shun all Company which may signifie owning or Brotherly Familiarity with any called Christians who are such scandalous Sinners that the Church and Religion may not be thought to favour them and that Shame may humble them And though it belong not to every Christian but to the Church to cast such out of Publick Societies nor to separate from the Church because such are there yet as the Church ought to purge out such so every private Man should avoid that Familiarity which is in their power even that which lieth in Friendly Eating or the like 12. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without Do not ye judge them that are within 12. For we are not authorised to call those without the Church before us to try and judge their Cases who never submitted to our Authority and are not a Scandal to the Christian Profession It is them that have consented to our Power and Discipline that you judge 13. But them that are without God judgeth Therefore put away from among your selves that wicked person 13. Those that are without the Church we must leave to the Judgment of God they are not under our Government But that wicked Person who is as one of you disown and put away from your Communion CHAP. VI. 1. DAre any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unjust and not before the saints 1. Another Scandal I hear of among you is That you go to Law against one another before Heathen Judges when you might decide your Differences among your selves How dare you do this when Heathens are unjust and will deride you 2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world And if the world shall be judged by you are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters 2. Know ye not that Christ will commit that Honour to his Saints with him to judge the World of the Ungodly And you should be all Saints your selves And if the World shall be judged by you are you not meet to decide your own little Differences 3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels How much more things that pertain to this life 3. And as Christ is the Judge of the
Evil Angels we shall be honoured to join with him in that Judgment also when all his Enemies shall be put under his Feet and ours How much more are we meet to decide these Worldly Strifes 4. If then you have judgment of things pertaining to this life set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church 4. If then it be a thing belonging to you though you are no Magistrates to arbitrate your own Differences if you have no Wise Mâ—n and Elders among you whom you will trust chuse the weakest for the lowest of you should be fitter than unjust Heathens 5. I speak to your shame Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren 5. I speak Ironically to your shame Are you the Men that boast of Wisdom and is there not one Man among you wise enough to judge of the Differences of Christians 6. But brother goeth to law with brother and that before the unbelievers 6. But you must take the contentious and chargeable way of Publick Judicatures and that before Infidels that are unjust and will deride you 7. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you because ye go to law one with another why do ye not rather take wrong Why do ye not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded 7. Why have you not learnt of Christ to put up Injuries and let go your Right rather than violate the Laws of Love and Peace It is your Sin to be uncharitable and contentious Seekers of your own Right Is patience and Forbearing anâ— Forgiving a strange thing to you Is it not your certain Duty 8. Nay you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren 8. Nay you that are bound to forgive Wrongs do wrong others even your Christian Brethren 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God 9 10. Think not you can be saved either by the Righteousness of Christ or by a dead Belief or Profession of Christianity without a Personal Righteousness consisting in sincere Obedience to God and you are not such if you live in such Sins as these here named Let no Deceivers persuade you otherwise You may by neglect of Discipline be in the Church Visible but you are while such uncapable of Salvation 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God 11. Though some of you were such in your Heathen State you have since been baptised unto Christ and the Holy Spirit and renouncing these Sins have been Sacramentally washed from them and dedicated as holy to God and numbred with the Just and if you are sincere Believers you are such indeed as well as Sacramentally by the Merits of Christ and the Spirits Sanctification 12. All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any 12. As to them that say That there is no Law against the pleasing of our Appetites or simple Fornication they take notice onely of Political Laws with Humane Executions I confess that Moses's Law as such being Political lest some Excesses and Fornications as Polygamy c. unpunished or but lightly punished and the Roman Laws neglect them and Moses's Law as such is abrogated and so I am under no Political Law which punisheth these But I am a Servant of Christ whose Law of Grace forbiddeth all things that are inexpedient and contrary to the Purity and Hopes of Christianity or to the Law of Love And if you plead Christian Liberty I answer 1. As to Meats and other things indifferent though they are in themselves lawful yet it is not indifferent how we use them whether we do hurt or not when they are inexpedient and hurtful 2. And I wlll not be so enslaved to my fleshly appetite as to obey it to my own or others hurt 13. Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them Now the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body 13.2 And I further answer That you do ill to joyn Fornication with things Indifferent Meats indeed are to feed Flesh and Appetite and the Belly and Appetite are for them but both must be used as perishing things but our Bodies are not made for Fornication but to serve the Lord who also will take care of them as his Redeemed 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 14. And accordingly God that raised up the Body of Christ will also raise us by his Power 15. Know ye 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 15. It is so far from being lawful that it hath this odious aggravation to make those Bodies the united Members of an Harlot which are united and related to Christ as his Members that is of the holy Society of which he is the Head 16. What know ye not that he which is joyned to an harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one flesh 16 Fornication is a sort of Union with a Harlot for to Gâ—neretion they are as one flesh 17. But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit 17. But those that by a true Faith are joyned to Christ are quiâ—kned and acted in holiness by the very Spirit of Christ and so are one Spirit with him by a Union which destroyeth not their personal individuation nor maketh them Christ but maketh them more blessedly one with him than we can now comprehend Even Plants live by the Sun-beams and yet are not the Sun 18. Flee fornication Every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body 18. Hate and avoid Fornication also on this account Most other sins in their outward acts are but the abâ—se of things without you as your Money Lands Houses Friends Enemies Power c. But Fornication is the abusive polluting and debasing your own Bodies 19. What know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God 19. When God giveth his Spirit to Believers to sanctifie them to himself he thereby maketh them as Temples Holy for his holy Spirit to dwell in and actuate 19 20. And ye are not your own for ye are bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 19 20. And seeing you are not at all your own you may not
whether the Soul take not with it some of the Igneous Spirits by which it here operated as such a Body as Seminal Vertue in Inferior things is lodged in them and whether at the Resurrection God use that Composition of Igneous Matter or Ethereal and Spiritual Form for the aggregation of so much more such Matter as shall be needful to make up the Glorious Spiritual Incorruptible Body But all this and how much of the Flesh we lived in God will raise is to us unknown VIII Ver. 50. That Flesh and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God is grosly perverted by them that say That it 's only Sinful Flesh that is meant or them that say That Flesh and Blood shall enter but incorruptible It is proper formal Flesh and Blood that the Apostle mentioneth Flesh is the Blood and other nutritive Juyce coagulated into that Fibrous Substance so called and is the Matter of Food digested and assimilated unto this It is made of Earth Water and Air and so is Blood Define them and nothing that is in Heaven will agree with that Definition If such Earth shall be placed in Heaven it will cease by transmutation to be Earth To call a Spiritual Incorruptible Glorious Body Earth and Water or Flesh and Blood and place these with the Blessed Spirits is but to equivocate and not to use the Words univocally The two General Councils Nice second and Constance before it differing in other things agree That Christs true Body is in Heaven but that there it is not Flesh and Blood And yet the Papists feign that he hath still real Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament Doubtless by a Spiritual Body is meant one that is so near the Nature of a Spirit as is fittest for spiritual and glorious Work which made many of the Fathers say That it will be an Ethereal or Igneous or Luminous Body But Gods Knowledge must be implicitly rested in when we have no explicit Knowledge CHAP. XVI 1. NOw concerning the collection for the saints as I have given order to the churches of Galatia even so do ye 1. I come next to your Order for Collections for the poor Christians in the present Famine at Jerusalem In which I would have you as most convenient to observe this Order which I gave to the Churches of Galatia 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come 2. The Lords-day being separated for sacred Works of which holy Charity is a great part let every one willingly lay by as devoted to God for this Service according to the proportion of his Increase that I may find it ready and not stay when I come for your Collections 3. And when I come whomsoever you shall approve by your Letters them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem 3. And then that you may be satisfied of the faithful delivery you shall chuse the Messenger your selves 4. And if it be meet that I go also they shall go with me 4. And if I find cause to go my self your own Trustees shall go with me 5. Now I will come unto you when I shall pass through Macedonia for I do pass through Macedonia 6. And it may be that I will abide yea and winter with you that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go 7. For I will not see you now by the way but I trust to tarry a while with you if the Lord permit 5 6 7. Note That a wise Fore-contrivance of our own Course of Labour is lawful but onely with submission to Gods Will. 8 9. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost For a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries 8 9. Hope of great Success and the opposition of many Adversaries persuade me to stay at Ephesus Note That great Success of the Gospel oft consisteth with many Adversaries 10. Now if Timotheus come see that he may be with you without fear for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do 10. See that Timothy when he cometh be not discouraged by distrust or abuse for he is my faithful Helper in the same Work of the Lord in which I serve him 11. Let no man therefore despise him but conduct him forth in peace that he may come unto me for I look for him with the brethren 11. Despise him not but give credit to his Message and respectfully conduct him at his return to us 12. As touching our brother Apollos I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren but his will was not at all to come at this time but he will come when he shall have convenient time 12. Note That Paul left him to his choice and did not suspend or silence him for disobeying an Apostle 13. Watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong 13. Finally Your Case is so weighty and Trial so great as require your constant watch your resolved steadfastness in the Faith a Manlike Strength Endeavour and Defence 14. Let all your things be done with charity 14. The sum and chiefest Rule that I give you is Do all that you do in Love or Endearedness to one another and this will cast out Selfishness Pride Envy and Division and keep you from rash censuring separating despising or abusing one another 15 16. I beseech you brethren ye know the house of Stephanas that it is the first-fruits of Achaia and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints That ye submit your selves unto such and to every one that helpeth with us and laboureth 15 16. The House of Stephanas being the first converted in Achaia and addicted to further Christians with their Estates and Labour and he being now my Fellow-labourer submit your selves to him and to all such 17. I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied 18. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours therefore acknowledge ye them that are such 17 18. For they have performed such respectful Offices as you were wanting in Therefore let such be respected by you 19. The churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house 20. All the brethren greet you Greet ye one another with an holy kiss 21. The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand 19 20 21. The Christians of their Family or the Assembly that used to meet there for Church Communion 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maran-atha 22. Those that love the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and Hope will stick to him and confess him in Temptation and Sufferings And if any Man love him not let him as accursed be delivered to Satan and cut off from God 23 24. The grace of our Lord
and violently persecute good Christians that do but avoid as sinful some Circumstances or Forms which their Canons impose as things Indifferent or made Necessary meerly by themselves Yet is it not the Name of a Christian Church that will make it lawful for us to communicate in Idolatry or to commit any Sin for their Communion or to own such Worship as we know God rejecteth But as he pardoneth the faulty Imperfections of other Mens and Churches Worship and of our own so must we bear with our own and the Churches tollerable Failings so far as we cannot cure them II. They are mistaken that think it is unequal marrying with Infidels which the Apostle here only or chiefly meaneth The Word translated Yoaked signifieth here rather Inclined towards them as the Ballance is by Weight And that whâ—ch Paul chiefly pleads against all along is that Rev. 2. 3. called the Doctrine of Jezebel and the Nicolaitans which God hateth which taught the Lawfulness of Fornication and eating things offered to Idols and this on pretence of greater Wisdom and Revelation than Paul had CHAP. VII 1. HAving therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 1. Having these Promises That God will be your God and own you and dwell in you on this Condition that you keep your selves pure to him from Fleshly Vice and Idol-Communion let us avoid all Defilement of the Flesh by Fornication or outward symbolizing with Idolaters and of the Spirit by entertaining the Doctrines of Seducers or suffering our Hearts to depart from God 2. Receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man 2. And let not seducing Teachers turn you from receiving the Ministry of us by whom you were converted We have not done by you as they do we have wronged none corrupted none nor covetously over-reach'd or defrauded any 3. I speak not this to condemn you for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die and live with you 3. It is not censoriously or for your reproach that I say this for you are dear unto me 4. Great is my boldness of speech toward you great is my glorying of you I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation 4. It is my Love that makes me use so much freedom of Speech to you and maketh me boast of you I am full of Comfort and Joy to think of your continuance in the Faith 5. For when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest but we were troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears 5. And our Condition needed such Consolation for in Macedonia our Flesh had no rest from Labour and Trouble we had Persecution and Opposition without and Fears within 6. Nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us by the coming of Titus 6. But God who comforteth them that are humbled made the coming of Titus a Comfort to me 7. And not by his coming onely but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you when he told us your earnest desire your mourning your fervent mind toward me so that I rejoyced the more 7. Not so much for his Company and Welfare as for the glad Tidings which he brought of you even of your earnest desire of me your sorrow for the Sin which I reproved and your Zeal in my just Vindication against Accusers which were my Joy for you 8. For though I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent for I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry though it were but for a season 8. For though till I heard of the Success I was troubled my self that I must trouble you yet now I repent not of it for I perceive that the Sorrow which it caused in you was but short till the reproved Sinner did repent 9. Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner that ye might receive damage by us in nothing 9. And now I rejoice not in your Grief as such for Sorrow is but to prepare for Joy by Reformation but that your Sorrow was godly and wrought Repentance which is so necessary to Forgiveness and Salvation that I am satisfied my plain dealing with you was not to your damage but to your gain 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death 10. For godly Sorrow as it is commanded of God for your own good so it worketh Repentance and recovery from Sin and so the saving of the Sinner But the Sorrow for Losses and Crosses which proceedeth from the over much love of the World is sinful and as it doth but hurt the Soul so doth it the Body and hasteneth Death 11. For behold the self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge in all things we have approved your selves to be clear in this matter 11. Of this you have now experience in your selves for your godly Sorrow for the Scandals that rose among you hath wrought great carefulness to search out the Case and to reform it great care to clear your selves from partaking in the guilt great indignation against the Sin great fear of God lest he should avenge it great desire after a Reformation great Zeal against any Church-pollution in the things of God yea and just Revenge on the Offenders by way of Penitence and on your selves for any degree of guilt so that you have by all means shewed that you are clear from the guilt 12. Wherefore though I wrote unto you I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong nor for his cause that suffered wrong but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you 12. And my sharp writing to you was not meerly to right one Man against the Injuries of another as an Act of Justice between Man and Man but it was in love to you and care of your Souls that you might not be found guilty before God 13. Therefore we were comforted in your comfort yea and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus because his spirit was refreshed by you all 13. Therefore in these fruits which tend to your own comfort I also an comforted to which much is added by the Comfort that Titus had amomg you 14. For it I have boasted any thing to him of you I am not ashamed but as we spake all things to you in truth even so our boasting which I made before Titus is found a truth 14. For you have confirmed to him all the good which I boastingly spake of you so that I have
Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children 25. For Hagar signifieth Mount Sinai in Arabia and prefigureth the present State of Jerusalem which is outwardly in bondage to the Romans and inwardly to their Law 26. But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all 26. But the Jerusalem above in Heaven of which true Christians on Earth are Heirs and to which they belong by Promise Initiation and relative Union with Christ which is the Mother of us all that are Children of Promise the Gospel and Spirit coming from Heaven and our Inheritance being there is fully freed from all Bondage and so are we all initially in our Gospel-Liberty 27. For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travailest not for the desolate hath moe children than she which hath an husband 27. For it 's written c. The Christian Church which before Christs coming was but in obscure Rudiments and after was but as a Grain of Mustardseed a little Flock shall become Catholick and be incomparably greater than was the Jewish Church Note That whereas many Expositors take Jerusalem which is above or Supernal to mean only the Church on Earth because it is caused by Grace and Revelation from Heaven and tendeth to it they causelesly give away a plain Text which proveth the Immortality of the Soul and its Felicity presently upon our Death As if Jerusalem above were but Jerusalem on Earth caused from above and so was Moses's Law and the old Jerusalem The Heavenly Society containeth the Spirits of the Just made perfect with the innumerable Company of Angels c. Heb. 12. To this we are joined in the Relation of Heirs When it is said That this shall come down with Christ at Judgment it implieth that it was with Christ in Heaven before and he hath promised that where he is there his Servants shall be also Joh. 12.26 And that some Expressions here signifie the Church on Earth is not against this for the Church on Earth is but the lower part of that in Heaven 28. Now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise 28. We are Children by Adoption and free Gift and of a freely-given Inheritance 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now 29. As Ishmael persecuted Isaac so now the Jews and Carnal Seed do persecute Christians the Spiritual Seed 30. Nevertheless what saith the scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman 30. But as the Scripture saith Cast out c. so the unbelieving Jews that trust to the Works of the Law for Life shall not inherit the saving Privileges of the Christian Church 31. So then brethren we are not children of the bond-woman but of the free 31. So then we that are the Children of Promise saved by Faith are not under the Bondage of the Law but delivered from Sin and Curse by Christ CHAP. V. 1. STand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage 1. It is not a vain thing which Christ hath purchased for us undervalue not this Freedom and cast it not away but hold it fast and do not causelesly return to the Yoak of Jewish Bondage Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debter to do the whole law 2 3. I Paul tell you That if you be crcumcised as these Men tell you must be Acts 15. that is as it binds you to Moses's Law as the Condition of Salvation you renounce the Deliverance purchased by Christ and so he will be no Saviour to you For to be so circumcised is to bind your selves under that whole Law and Covenant of Works Note That as Baptism Physically taken is but Washing and is not Baptism in the Moral sense which is a Sacramental Covenanting with Christ by that Figure just so the Physical Act of Circumcising is not Circumcision in the proper Moral sense but using it as a Covenanting Sign And as Abraham used it as a Seal of the Promise to him as a Believer it is in specie morali another thing from that used by the Carnal Jews as signing another Covenant For they used it as a Covenanting Sign that they would keep Moses's Law as the Condition of Life whereas they ought to have used it as a Seal of the Promise made to Abraham and his Seed and also to bind them sincerely to keep that Law as the Matter of their Obedience trusting to the Promise for Grace and Pardon So that Paul doth not say that the Abassines that are circumcised for other Ends or Timothy or such believing Jews as were circumcised only to win the Jews had no profit by Christ but only such as believed those that taught them Except you be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses you cannot be saved 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace 4. What use is Christ of to you If you trust to your fulfilling the Law for Justification you renounce Justification by Grace and so are fallen from Christianity and the Covenant of Grace 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith 5. For the Spirit of Christ which is poured out on the Faithful causeth them to wait in hope of that Blessedness of which we are made Heirs by the Righteousness of Faith 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love 6. For in our State of Christianity as Subjects of Christs Kingdom a Man shall not be accepted and justified as circumcised or as uncircumcised though Circumcision as binding him to the Law of Works may undo him But the Qualification necessary to â—alvation is Faith working by Love that is such an effectual Belief of the future Heavenly Blessedness purchased and promised by Christ as causeth us to place our Trust and Hope on Gods Love and Christs Merits and Promise to attain it and in the sense hereof to love God and that Glory above all thiâ— World and our Neighbours sincerely as our selves 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth 7. You began your Race of Christianity well who hath stopped and perverted you from the Belief and Obedience of the Truth of the Gospel which you then received 8 9. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 8 9. This Judaizing was never taught you by me that first preached to you or by God But a few corrupted Men among
fellow-souldier but your messenger and he that ministred to my wants 25. But I thought good to send you back Epaphroditus who is my Brother and Fellow-labourer and Messenger who from you supplied my wants 26. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness because that ye had heard that he had been sick 26. He longed to be with you and comfort you by the sight of his health hearing that his sickness made you sad 27. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death but God had mercy on him and not on him onely but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow 27. He was nigâ— to death but God in mercy to him and me recovered him not adding his death to my affliction 28. I sent him therefore the more carefully that when ye see him again ye may rejoyce and that I may be the less sorrowful 28. Note That Mercys restored after Danger affect us more than those continued in Prosperity 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation 30. Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me 29 30. Receive him gladly as returned to you by God and account such honourable for it was for the work of Christ that he willingly hazarded his Life by his Travels and labour to be serviceable to me as your Messenger in your stead CHAP. III. 1. FInally my brethren rejoyce in the Lord. To write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe 1. Finally Brethren serve God with joyful hearts That I write to you the same things which I have formerly taught you and warned you of is not through sloth of cowardise in me but for your own safety as fittest for you 2. Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision 2. To wit that you take heed of the worrying hurtful sort of Men who live in wickedness and calling themselves the Circumcision are indeed the Concision that cut and rend the Churches 3. For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 3. For we are the Children of Circumcised Abraham who worship God in Spirit and Truth and have no confidence in Fleshly Priviledges or Carnal Ceremonious Jewish Worship 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more 4. Though if Judaism were matter of trust or boasting I have more such cause than any of them 5. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law a Pharisee 6. Concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless 5 6. I was Circumcised as the Law required I was an Israelite a Benjamite an Hebrew a Pharisee the strictest Sect in Religion not cold in Religion but a zealous persecutor of the Church which I thought had been against it And as to the outward observance of the Law of Moses I seemed to Men so just and harmless that none accused me 7. But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ 7. But I willingly disclaim all confidence in these and reject all as loss that would keep me from Christ 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ 8 9. Yea I reject all as loss and hurtful to me which stand against the excellency of the knowledge of Christ for whom I have readily suffered the loss of all things and count them but as Dung in order to my part in Christ and that I may be found in him 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith 9. Not having and trusting not in that Righteousness which consisteth in keeping the Law of Moses which is of my own Works and I accounted formerly to be my justifying Righteousness but that which is of Faith in Christ even the Righteousness which is of Gods free Gift by believing acceptance of his purchased and offered Grace 10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death 10. By which I shall gain the knowledge of Christ and of the great Mystery of Salvation by him and the powerful work of his Grace and quickening Spirit and preserving Providence answering in his Members that power that raised him from the Dead and a Communion with him in sufferings by which I shall be made conformable to him as Crucified for our sins and thus in all be made as a Member suitable to him that is my Head 11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead 11. In hope that by all these means and methods which I account not too dear I may at last attain that blessed perfection in which I shall be also like him as he is now risen from the Dead and glorified in the state of Immortality 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus 12. Not that I have already attained this Conformity to my Glorified Lord or were already perfect by reaching all that I pursue But I run as for this Prize and earnestly strive that at last I may lay hold on and attain the state of Glory to bring me to which Jesus Christ did elect redeem and call me to himself 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 prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus 13 14. I know I have not yet attained the end that I ran for even glorious Perfection But this I do not minding the things of the World which I have forsaken but neglecting and forgetting them and with all my might and diligence striving towards the things which are before I press or hasten towards the Mark for that glorious Crown and Prize for obtaining whereof the high Calling of God by Jesus Christ hath encouraged me to seek and hope 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you 15. And let all that are sound and sincere Christians holding these things that are necessary to Salvation be thus minded and with joint endeavour confessing our Defects
the Tenders of Free Mercy and Salvation to Jews and Gentiles nor keep his Elect and Faithful Flock from that Heavenly Glory where Angels and Saints shall be One Blessed Society united in Love to God and each other 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled 21. And you who were not onely as all others originally guilty as the Seed of Adam but also of the Race and Society of Gentiles by your wicked Works estranged from God and out of the way of his saving Grace and Enemies to it and him yet now hath he reconciled by Christ and taken you for his Children 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight 22. By giving up his Body of Flesh to death as a Propitiatory Sacrifice and by justifying and sanctifying you to present you holy and blameless and justified at last before him 23. If ye continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof I Paul am made a minister 23. I say you shall be thus perfected at last if you prove sound confirmed Christians continuing in the Faith grounded and setled and by no Temptation be ever turned from the Hope which Christ hath given you in his Gospel which by Christs Commission we preach to all Men in this lower World which is already happily begun the Church being no more confined to Jews but gathered out of all the Earth to which Work Christ hath Commissioned me who am labouring therein Note That how true soever it be that sound Believers shall be finally justified in Judgment and glorified the Promise giveth them Right to it but on Condition of Perseverance and God useth Conditional Promises to engage us rationally to our Duty and as a Means to accomplish his Absolute Decrees 24. Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the church 24. And I rejoyce that God honoureth me to suffer for his Church in so excellent a Work For it is by the Cross or Suffering that God will bring the Church to Glory And as Christ hath perfectly done his own part as the onely Propitiating Sacrifice so I with the rest of his Members must undergo and make up the rest even for the same Churches sake for which he died though not as a Mediator to reconcile God and Man as he was 25. Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God 25. Of which Church I am made a Servant by Gods appointment and commission given me for you as well as for others that I may fully divulge the Word of God 26. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints 26. The great Mystery of Redemption God manifested in the Flesh as the Head and Saviour of the Church which though not wholly yet comparatively hath been hid from Jews under dark Types as well as more from Gentiles by greater Darkness in all fore-going Ages But now is plainlier made known to Gods Saints 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory 27. To whom God of his good Pleasure would specially make known the Riches and Glory of this Mystery of Calling the whole World of Gentiles The Sum of it is Christ among you and in you purchasing giving and assuring to you the Heavenly Glory for which he hath commanded you joyfully to hope Christ the Way Glory the End 28. Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus 28. To preach this Christ is the Work of our Office warning and teaching every Man as we have opportunity neglecting none of any Rank in all the saving Wisdom of the Gospel that we may present as many as possible perfect to Salvation 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily 29. In this Labour I am employed in which with diligence I strive according to the Grace of him that called me which wrought in me or worketh by me in Power confirming my Ministry by Miracles and Success as well as qualifying me for it CHAP. II. 1. FOr I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh 1. Conflict by Prayer and Care and Study to do them good Note Good Men long for the Good of them whom they never saw 2. That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ 2. That they may grow up to a State of Joy by holy Union and Communion in Love and to be yet richer and happier in the full and assured understanding and acknowledgment of the Mystery of God's Love and of Christs Grace in the Promises Prefigurations and Performance of our Redemption 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 3. Though it be not discerned by carnal Men who search more after other Knowledge in the World the depth excellency and benefit of all true Wisdom and Knowledge are comprised in the Knowledge of God manifested in Christ This is the true Philosophy in comparison of which all other is Vanity and Folly 4. And this I say lest any man should beguile you with enticing words 4. I tell you this lest any delude you by the specious ostentation of any other sort of Knowledge called Philosophy or Oracular or Enthusiastical or Pharisaical Tradition as if it were somewhat more excellent than the Knowledge of Christ 5. For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ 5. For though I see you not I am in the Spirit as if I was present with you affected with Joy to hear of your Order and stedfastness of Faith but yet I know where your danger lieth 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him 6. Let it then be your care to hold fast and practise the Gospel of Christ as you have already received him and his Word and turn not to any other way 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving 7. As growing downwards in the Roots is necessary to Trees for stedfastness and
Fruit and as the House must be built up when the Foundation is laid so must you now be more and more rooted and built up and stablished in the same Faith which you were taught at first and must abound with joyful Thanks to God in the increased Knowledge Love and Practise of that in stead of hearkning to Novelties or Errours 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosphy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ 8. The danger which I advise you to beware is lest any by pretending that the Heathen Philosophy is a higher sort of Wisdom and Learning more methodical accurate extensive than the Gospel of Christ should deceive you and draw you from the true Wisdom of Christianity or Hereticks draw you by Philosophical Pretences to their Heresies and they should set up the Tradition Books or Opinions of any Sect of Philosophers against the Heavenly Doctrine of Christ Note That as Moses's Law was very useful in subordination to the Covenant of Grace and to Christ but pernicious to them that set it in opposition to Christ or in separation from him so is true Philosophy which is the Knowledge of the knowable part of Gods Works useful in subordination to Christ But the Heathen Sect of Philosophers were the most dangerous Adversaries to Christianity by deriding its Simplicity and pretending to far greater Learning and despising Christians as ignorant and credulous and using against them their Logical Art and Sophistry and the Reputation of all their Sciences 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily 9. For as the Divine Nature it self hath united it self to and so dwelleth in his Humane Nature so in the Person Doctrine and Works of Christ Incarnate God hath treasured up and by that In-dwelling placed the fullest Manifestation of himself to Mankind that ever he will give them in this Life on Earth 10. And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power 10. You need not seek after Wisdom in the Oracles or Knowledge of Demons or Angels for in Christ you have compleat Wisdom if you truly receive him and learn of him who is not onely above all Philosophers and Rabbies but above the highest Angels or Celestial Powers and is the chief Revealer of God to Man 11. In whom also ye are circumcised by the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ 11. Nor need you go to Judaism for Circumcision For you have the true saving Circumcision in Christ even that of the Heart made without Plands by the Spirit of Christ cutting off and casting away the Body of Sin or Fleshly Lusts 12. Buried with him in baptism wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead 12. And it 's more than a Circumcision of your Lusts that you have in Christ they are dead and buried with him For so your Baptism signifieth in which you are put under the Water to signifie and profess that your Old Man or Fleshly Lust is dead and buried with him and you rise thence to signifie and profess that you risâ— to Newness of Life and Heavenly Hopes through the Belief of Gods Works that raised Christ from the dead 13. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses 13. And you that were as dead in the Guilt and Power of your Sins your Hearts and Lusts as your Flesh being uncircumcised hath God made spiritually alive as Christ was quickned and raised and hath absolved you by pardon of all Sin from the Obligation to Everlasting Death which you had contracted 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross 14. Cancelling the Legal Imposition of Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies even to us Jews which might have been produced against us Breakers of the Law to our condemnation and as it were nailed it to his Cross while by dying he disabled it So that you need not think that Judaizing is necessary to your Salvation 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 15. And when his Crucifiers triumphed over him on the Cross as if they had utterly overcome him it was but his Conquest and Spoils of all Principalities and Powers of Devils or Men that were Adversaries to his Grace and Kingdom and his open Ostentation of his Victory and Triumph over them in that his Crucifixion 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new-moon or of the sabbath days 6. Seeing then that Christ hath abrogated the Mosaical Law none ought to censure you as Sinners for not keeping the Ceremonies of the Law about Meat or Drink or in the Point of Festivals called Holydays or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath-days 17. Which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ 17. For these were but Shadows of the things to come even Christ and Christianity which are the Substance shadowed Note That Sabbaths are abolished with the rest of Moses's Law As to the Lords-days consider these things distinctly 1. That all Moses's Law as such bound onely the Jews to whom it was promulgate and is now abolished even saith Paul that written in Stone 2. That all the Law of Christ in Nature and Revelation still bindeth us 3. That the Word Sabbath in Scripture properly signifieth a Day of Ceremonial Rest in which the Bodily Rest was a Duty directly in it self as Sacrificing and other Ceremonies were 4. That the Lords-day is never called a Sabbath in Scripture however some mistake a Text or two 5. That the Lords-day is separated by Divine Appointment to the holy Commemoration of Christs Resurrection and our Redemption especially in Sacred Assemblies for Church-worship 6. That it is of greater dignity than the Sabbaths were as being for more substantial spiritual excellent Work 7. That on it Rest is not a Ceremonial Due as it was on Sabbaths for it self but onely a subordinate Duty that Soul and Body even of Servants may be vacant and free for Spiritual Worship and no Breach of Rest is now a Sin but 1. That which hindreth this Spiritual Work 2. Or is scandalous encouraging others to Sin 8. That therefore the Seventh-day Sabbath is abolished 1. Because Moses's Law is abolished 2. And all proper Sabbaths are abolished 9. That yet with the ancient Churches we may well call the Lords day the Sâ—bbath when it tendeth not to Errour But onely by allusion or metaphorically as they then called the Table an Altar the Minsters Priests and the Sacrament and Alms and Thankâ—giving Sacrifices This
forwardness to backbite and speak evil falsely as Accusers of those that distaste them â—ot sober and careful of their Business not trusty in all things 12. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife ruling their children and their own houses well 12. The Deacons must not be such as have more Wives than one or that have injuriously put away one and married another The good government of their own Children and Houses also must shew that they are fit to serve in the Church 13. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus 13. For though the Deacons be as Servants to the Pastors they that have used that Office well are in a degree above the Vulgar and have matter of confident Boldness and Freedom in the management and defence of the Affairs of Christianity 14. These things write I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly 15. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth 14 15. I hope to come to thee shortly but lest I should be delayed I write these things to thee that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to converse in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God as in it a Pillar and firm Buttress or Basis of the Truth Note Though it be true that the Truth of God is most safely preserved in his Church yet I with Gataker marvel that so many apply these Words to the Church which are spoken of Timothy That it is he that is called here a Pillar and Buttress of the Truth seemeth to me evident 1. In that in the Allegory it is not like that Paul would in the very next Words call the Church a Pillar and Buttress in the House when he calleth it The House it self He plainly dâ—fferenceth a Part from the Whole The Church is the Whole a Pillar is a Part. 2. It is the very Sum of Paul's Exhortation to Timothy that according to his Office he should be a Pillar and Buttress of Truth in the Church 3. The Preposition in the House agreeth to him and the Word Pillar c. which is in the House 4. The omission of the Article before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimate that it should rather be translated a Pillar c. than the Pillar which it's like would have been put in had it been the Churches peculiar Privilege that had been meant 5. The Apostle useth the same Word of James Cephas and John Gal. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accounted Pillars which Timothy was And the very same Phrase as here is used Rev. 3.12 He that overcometh I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Rev. 10.1 the Angels Feet c But the Church is never called a Pillar that 's in the Church 6. As to them that feign it would be false Construction because the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the Nominative Case this hath no pretence from the Text So that I doubt not but the plain sense is as it is Paraphrased and all the Fabrick is built on a meer Mistake which the Papists raise upon this Text Though were it otherwise it would not serve their turn 16. And without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 16. And confessedly the Mystery of Godliness which requireth such great Abilities in thee as to make thee a Pillar and Buttress of it in the Church is exceeding great and high 1. God himself appeared to Man in the Flesh of our Redeemer to manifest his Love and Will for our Salvation 2. The Spirit was Christs Witness which by its unimitable holy Impressions Miracles his Ressurection and Communication to his Followers did justifie Christ to be truly what he did profess to be and sealed his Doctrine to the World 3. Angels beheld proclaimed and obeyed him 4. The Wall of Separation being broken down he was preached by his Commissioned Apostles to the Gentile World 5. The World that knew him not or despised him is by a few poor unlearned Men brought to believe in him and submit to him as Lord and Saviour Philosophy submitteth and Wit is silenced and Policy and Power stoop to him in part and more will do 6. He was taken up into Heaven in Glory Angels attending him his Apostles looking on These Six Articles are that great Mystery which requireth the ablest Preacher and the soundest Faith And he that firmly believeth these doth see into a more excellent Mystery than Philosophy and will be a stable Pillar in the Church CHAP. IV. 1. NOw the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils 1. The Spirit of Prophecy plainly foretelleth us that in the latter times some who profest themselves Christians shall depart from either the Whole or some Essential Parts of the Christian Faith turning Apostates or Hereticks and this by giving heed to false Revelations of seducing Spirits in themselves or others and to Doctrines of Devils Note Whether it mean effectively Doctrines taught by Devils or as Mr. Mede largely maintaineth objectively Doctrines concerning Demons or the Nature Order and Minds of the Spirits like the Valentinians Aioâ—es c. I leave to the Judgment of others 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience feared with a hot iron 2. Covering their Lies or False Doctrine by Hypocritical Pretences of Piety or Divine Revelation or some great Excellency having Consciences feared and branded as the Perfidious use to be by their flagitious Lives 3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth 3. Note I think it far more probable that Paul here speaketh of those Hereticks which made up a Religion of Judaism and Pythagorean Fancies who taught That Marriage was of the Devil to propagate sinful miserable Men and that Flesh was not to be eaten especially the unclean Beasts than of those erroneous Christians who onely forbid Marriage to the Clergy and Flesh on certain Days of Abstinence or that affect the total avoiding Marriage and eating Flesh as a State of special Strictness not required of most For Paul seemeth plainly to speak of a Doctrine taught to all and he describeth Christian Knowledge herein to be That God hath made such Meat in kind to be received with Thanksgiving and not that All men or any at all times must use such Meats 4. For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving 5.
for us which thence he will bestow 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 13. If these be by Divine Institution effectual against corporal Legal uncleanness by a ceremonial Sanctification the figure of the spiritual 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God 14. Most certainly then shall the Blood of Christ who by the Eternal Spirit offered himself Soul and Body a spotless Sacrifice to God the Soveraign Righteous Judge to cleanse Soul and Conscience from the power and guilt of dead works which signifie a death in sin and tend to death for sin to serve the Living God who will accept us to an Everlasting Life Note By the Eternal Spirit by which Christ offered himself some Expositors understand Christ's Immortal Soul voluntarily resigning his Life 2. Others understand the Holy Ghost the Third Person in the Trinity by whom Christ is said to be conceived and to do his Miracles 3. Others understand his own Divine Nature as the Second Person It 's hard to be sure which is meant but it is of no great moment seeing it is certain that indeed he did it by all these three There is a fourth Opinion of some that understand it of a prime superangelical Nature of Christ which they think by Eternal Emanation cometh from the Deity united to it which they make a middle Third Nature in Christ and in which they suppose it is that as a Creature he is advanced above all Angels because they take Angels and Men to to be specie distinct and that if Humane Nature must be set above Angels in it self it must thereby change its species and be no more humane But to be wise to sobriety in such Mysteries is safe and not to presume 15. And for this cause he is the mediatour of the new testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance 15. And for this cause Christ became Mediator between God and Man to procure seal and promulgate the New Covenant or Law of Grace that his death doing that which no other Sacrifice could do in expiation of the Jews sins committed under the Mosaical Covenant as well as of the rest of the World they which are by his call made sound Believers might by promise be secured of the Eternal Inheritance and possessed of it in due time 16. For where a testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testatour 17. For a testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the testatour liveth 16 17. And Christ being by his Sponsion to be a Sacrifice his Donation doth presuppose his Purchase and thence his Covenant hath also the nature of a Testament which supposeth the death of the Testator and is not of efficacy till then to give full right to what he bequeatheth Note That the eminent Evangelical Kingdom of the Mediator in its last full Edition called the Kingdom of Christ and of Heaven distinct from the obscure state of Promise before Christ's Incarnation began at Christ's Resurrection Ascension and sending of the eminent Gift of the Holy Ghost and was but as an Embrio before 18. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without bloud 18. Therefore the first as figurative of the second was consecrated and sealed in blood 19. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law he took the bloud of calves and of goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the Book and all the people 20. Saying This is the bloud of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you 21. Moreover he sprinkled with bloud both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry 22. And almost all things are by the law purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission 19 20 21 22. Note 1. God purposely instituted all these bloody Purifications to prefigure Christ 2. The Custom of sacrificing from the Fall must arise from Divine Institution and not without it from natural Invention as some now affirm And no doubt but it is propagated among all Idolaters through the World 1. By Tradition from Adam 2. Corrupted by Devils who would be worshipped as God and to that end promote the imitation of God 3. The Papists sprinkling of Holy Water is such another corrupt imitation setting up their Ceremony instead of Gods which Christ abolished 23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns in things in the heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices than these 23. These Ceremonies being ordained to prefigure and notifie things that are in Heaven and belong to Heaven it was meet that such blood should be the purifying Ceremony But the heavenly things themselves must be purchased and the Souls fitted for it purified and the Covenant consecrated by a more precious Sacrifice even the blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 24. For it was not to officiate in a Tabernacle made by man that Christ became our High Priest but though his Sacrifice was offered on Earth it was to officiate by continued Intercession for us in the Heavens in the presence of God's Glory of which the other was but a Type 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest entreth into the holy place every year with blood of others 26. For then must he 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 25 26. Note 1. Christ's once offering was sufficient It may oft be commemorated but only once done 2. It is unspeakable joy to Believers that Christ is for us as our High Priest entred into Heaven For he hath promised that we shall be with him where he is And where else now should we desire to be 3. The days of Christ here were the declining latter part of the World called the end as fifty or sixty years old is the end that is the latter part of man's Life How near then is it now to an end 1684 after 27 28. And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the Judgment So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation 27 28. And as it is with the common state of
to lay down your lives rather than wilfully to sin 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him 5. Have ye forgotten the Lord's gentle words as of a Father to his Children My Son c. Prov. 3.11 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth 7. If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not 8. But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons 6 7 8. Note 1. Chastisement is one sort of punishment distinguished from destructive punishment in that it is not only for a warning to others but also for the amendment of the Offender No man correcteth another but for a fault and that maketh it punishment 2. It is not any derogation from the perfection of Christâ—s Satisfaction that we are punished for he never intended to make us lawless or that our sins should not be punished at all His Law of Grace hath penalties annexed A Father hath fatherly justice and punishment for his Children and Christ is not a King without such Justice 3. Even the Sufferings of Martyrs are of a mixt naâ—ure partly for sin even Adam's and their own God not on Earth taking off all the first curse but making a Medicine of it for good and partly for the tryal and reward of Faith 4. Pardon of sin is not perfect in this life else no chastising penalty would remain 9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live 9. We reverently submitted to the Correction of our Parents whose Authority was less and they were liable to do it amiss And shall we not much more submit to God who is the Infinite Spirit and Father of Spirits as well as of our flesh and is of infallible Wisdom and never doth amiss and will fit our Spirits by suffering for a better Life 10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness 10. For they chastened us as fallible and passionate men as they thought good though sometimes in causeless anger but God doth all in Wisdom and Mercy for our good to make us more holy which is to be more happy as liker to himself 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby 11. Indeed Suffering as such is grievous as a hurt to Nature and a Fruit of Sin to be chastised It is not to be expected that Pain should be pleasant but it is the Fruit of it which is good which is Peaceable Rigâ—teousness making us more righteous and holy which is Peace to the Soul as Health is to the Body This is the Fruit when we have been tryed and exercised by it 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees 13. And make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed 12 13. Therefore seeing Nature is weak and young unsettled Christians are apt to discouragement and fear and fainting labour to strengthen and encourage your selves and one anotheâ— and avoid tempting Seducers and keep under the â—elps in publick and private which God hath appointed for you and avoid all Scandals which may turn the Weak out of the way who already go but lamely in it but rather labour to heal such weakness 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 14. Let Peace with all men as much as in you lyeth be not only your desire but your study care and diligent pursuit and holiness and purity of heart and life without which none are capable of the blessed sight of God's pleased Face either here by faith or hereafter in glorious fruition Mat. 5.8 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled 15. Make it your diligent care that none of you fail of sound believing obeying and enjoying that Grace which is offered you by Christ in the Gospel and you have professed to accept lest any ill and dangerous Doctrine or fleshly Lust or Practice spring up among you and cast you into trouble and danger and the Churches be defiled by them while the Weak and Unstedfast are carried away and catch the Infection 16. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright 16. Lest Seducers and fleshly Lust draw any to Fornication or any be so prophane and set so light by Christ and Grace and Glory as to lose them all for the base things of the World and to prefer Wealth and sensual delights before them Like Esau that set so light by his Birthright as to sell it for one Dish of Meat Note What a base price all ungodly men do set on Christ and their own Salvation What hath the Fornicator the Drunkard the Glutton the Worldling the Ambitious Proud and Oppressors for all but the base portion of a Beast 17. For ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears 17. For the Text tells you that after when he would fain have had that Blessing of Primogeniture which he sold and sought it of Isaac with tears Isaac rejected him and would not retract what he had said of Jacob. Note This intimateth a warning of the danger of the contempt of Grace lest God withdraw the Offers or leave men to the power of Temptation as deserted But 1. It determineth not any thing about the damnation of Esau 2. Nor that he truly repented of his sin against God but only of his loss of the priviledge of the elder Brother and yet could not be forgiven but that this loss could not be recalled 3. Nor that any one that truly repenteth and is converted shall not be forgiven For the contrary is a great part of the Doctrine of the Gospel 18. For ye are not come into the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest 19. And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more 18 19. For ye are not in the Infant and Wilderness-state of Israel when they must hear from God out of a Mountain on Earth which was touchable but must not be touched and which terrified them with
c. Seeing you love life and would live in peace and quietness the likeliest means to attain this is 1. To keep your Tongues from speaking evil of any man and from all other evil 2. And from falshood deceit and dissimulation for it is mens own unbridled Tongues which bring most of their troubles on them and false words that hide faults at last detected expose men more 3. Avoid all real evil and then your Righteousness will appear through the Vâ—il of malicious slanders and falshood will be detected and not long hide your Innocency 4. And do all the good you can to all men as well as your immediate Duty to God And Nature having a love to such as do us good and a reverence of God such good works and well doing will powerfully justifie you in the Consciences of most men 5. And stand not contentiously on your right but whatever men are or do seek peace with all and be not soon weary but follow after it still in hope 12. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers but the face of the Lord it against them that do evil 12. And this is not meer policy to please men but whatever they be it is God that your lives and peace depend on and he that commandeth this is pleased with it and his Eyes watch over you for good to save you from unreasonable men and he heareth their prayers in all distress while evil speakers and doers God himself is more against than men 13. And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good 13. If your Zeal in Religion be a Zeal of good works to set your selves earnestly as to obey God so to do good to all men he must be a very impious and diabolical man that will for this sett against you It is the likeliest way to your quietness 14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled 14. But I confess such blinded unreasonable malignant Slaves and Executioners Satan hath that will persecute you even for Righteousness sake But this is the way to and prognostick of your reward and happiness And therefore let not mens threats rage or cruelty terrifie or trouble you seeing you shall be unspeakably gainers by it 15. But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 15. But let God always be in your hearts with the highest respect obedience and honour and be still furnished with those Reasons of your Faith and Hope that you may be ready to profess them and to give a good account of them to any that demandeth it and this with meekness and due reverence to Superiors and not with passionate upbraiding them or with disdain 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ 16. Keeping your Consciences clear from guilt that they may justifie you when men accuse you and whereas men slander you as bad men and seditious and unpeaceable your good conversation according to Christ's Law and Example may shame their false accusations a better defence than bare words and disputing with them 17. For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil doing 17. For if God will have you suffer it 's far better that it be for well doing than for ill doing Better for you though worse for your Persecutors For now the body only suffereth while the soul is free which else would suffer far worse than persecution 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 18. For Christ himself had greater sufferings in the body than we but he suffered not in the conscience of any guilt of his own but was just and suffered for the unjust to reconcile and bring us to God 18 19 20. Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water 18 19 20. Being put to death indeed as to the flesh but made alive as to the Spirit or by the Spirit in which or by which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison which heretofore in the days of Noah were refractory and hardned in sin and disobedience while the long suffering of God endured them and waited for their Repentance while the Ark was making and preparing and Noah preaching to them yet so impenitent were they to the last that only eight were saved by the Ark. Note It 's no wonder that Expositors of this Text differ Some think that by the Spirit should rather be in the Spirit or as to it put in direct distinction from the Body and that it 's an Argument for the immortality of the Soul by quickned being meant only that his Soul was alive while his Body was dead and that in that Soul he went then and preach't to imprisoned sinners that were drowned in the Flood say some to shew them his Triumph and what Salvation they lost and say they This is it that is called his Descending to Hell say others to offer them mercy once again say others to bring some penitents from their long imprisonment But others think that by Spirit is meant the Power of God or the Divine Nature of Christ or the Holy Ghost not Christ's Soul again enâ—â—ing into his Body and that the preaching meant was by Christ's Spirit in Noah before the Flood and not after his Death To name other Expositions or the Reasons given for each would but perplex the Reader unless I were able so clearly to assert one of the Expositions as to confute all the rest They that think Christ's Soul and Godhead preacht to Spirits while his Body lay in the Grave suppose that those Spirits knew it whom it concerned But if it had been necessary for us to know not only Christ's preaching to our selves but to them he would surely have more clearly fold it us 21. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 21. And that Salvation from the Deluge by the Ark prefigureth our Salvation in the Church from God's wrath by Baptism and that through the power of Christ's Resurrection to which we begin our Conformity when we are raised to Holiness by his Spirit as we rise out of the Water in Baptism But by Baptism I mean
Mat. 24. and received his Notice from none but Christ and that Christ's own words are the surest Notification who is the Antichrist For it is mentioned here not as a thing known only by special Inspiration to them or the Apostles but as a received former Prophecy As you have heard that Antichrist shall come And which way did they hear it but by the Apostles as from Christ whose words the Evangelists have not omitted Now Christ's words were Many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Here he doth not fix the name on any one more than on others And it is certain that Christ was not mistaken but what he fore-told did come to pass though we read not of any that was expresly called Christ and commonly so believed that was not because none attempted so to deceive men but because their success was small and soon stifled and not like Mahomet's Biza on the Text Mat. 24. saith In my Name is They shall usurp the Name of the Messiah or Christ Such was that Dositheus whom Theophilact speaketh of and Simon and Theudas and after these Manes who also chose his twelve Apostles And in our Memory the Munster Anabaptists attempted the same and after them David George the Prince of the Libertines So James Nailor lately the Quaker whose Tongue the Parliament bored through whip'd him and imprison'd him till he dyed for solemnly personating Christ riding into Bâ—istol But there were others that promised to deliver the Jews till they drew them into Rebellion to their destruction and so took on them to redeem Israel though they called not themselves the Christ Almost all Expositors agree that these were the Antichrists meant by Christ Mat. 24. But though these were then shortly to arise it followeth not but that more such might arise after them and such was Mahomet above all others notorious by his Alcoron Kingdom and Success And as Ebion Cerintâ—us and some other Hereticks were against Christ in some degree so more notably is the Pope in that degree as he arrogateth Christ's Prerogative and maketh himself a Vicarious Head of the whole Church on Earth So that these grant that such Popes are one sort of those Antichrists that should after arise but that the Pope is not he that is meant by Christ in Matth. 24. nor here by John And whereas 2 Thes 2. is objected for One Man of Sin c. they say that it is not Antichrist properly that is there mentioned but the Anti-God the Roman Idolatrous Emperor that should cause Jerusalem's Desolation and set up there the Idol of Abomination There is the like mention of Antichrist again Ch. 4.3 Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And this is the spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now a ready is in the world So Ch. 2.20 He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son And 2. Joh. For many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh This is a deceiver and one Antichrist And say they when no other Text in Scripture hath the name Antichrist and these four all thus expound it of such as deny Christ's Incarnation and directly oppose him and such as were then in being and of many such Heresies and not of one Man or Order alone and when all this concurreth with Christ's own words of many false Christs that should deceive the Jews to their destruction whence can we expect a surer Exposition of Antichristianity whether we take the name for an Adversary to Christ or for a false Christ When Grotius singleth out Barchochebas as the chief Antichrist who called himself the Messiah and seduced thousands and even the Sanedrim of Rulers inâ—o his Error to their destruction it is answered by some That this was all done before this Epistle was written To which some reply 1. That this is utterly uncertain because that Epiphanius saith John was first banished under Claudius and because the contrary Tradition hath no good Evidence and because the Apocalyps is the best Expositor whose very Style implyeth that at least much of it was written before the Destruction of Jerusalem and so may this Epistle 2. Were it certain John maketh no one to be the only or grand Antichrist and therefore Christ's words might be first fulfilled in Barchochebas and such others and yet more after may succeed them The two other Opinions 1. That it is only Simon Magus 2. Or Vespasian I think not worthy the confuting In these difficulties I only advise the Reader that he never forsake great and certain Truths or Duties for any thing uncertain And that Humane Faith overthrow not Divine Faith And no man's Opinion draw him to depose Christ by denying all his Visible Church and making it all in any Age much less in its best state to be Idolatrous and Antichristian Or to bâ— frightned from Christian Love Unity and Peace or from any lawful thing by the meer name of Antichrist But to judge of Doctrines by Scripture and of Persons by their Doctrines Practices and Personal Qualification and to hate sin impartially wherever he findeth it and to accuse rashly and unjustly neither Persons Parties or Societies 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 19. These Deceivers the Nicolaitans Ebion Cerinthus c. were indeed in our Communion and went out from us but they were never sincerely of the same Faith and Spirit with us else they would have stayed with us But they went out and separated and set up their Heresies that they might shew that they were never sound in the Faith 20. But ye have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things 20. But the most holy God and Saviour hath anointed you with his holy Spirit which will lead you from pernicious Errour into all necessary Truth if you obey him 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it and that no lie is of the truth 21. It is not as supposing you ignorant of the Truth that I write to you but because you know the necessary Truth and therefore may the easier reject all inconsistent Falshoods 22. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ he is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son 23. Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also 22 23. And who is the dangerous Lyer but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ and consequently denyeth the Father Note The scantness of History leaveth it uncertain what sort of Seducers John meaneth whether some that fell to flat Infidelity directly renouncing Christianity
Schismaticks Fanaticks Puritans Rebels against the Pope or Church that they may justifie their hating murdering imprisoning silencing and ruining them As the Scribes were loth to know who was their Neighbour so are these loth to know who is a Brother But God will know his Children though men call them by reproachful names Alas for the murderous Generation that preach write and strive to destroy the Upright and say they killed them or ruined them in Love that is they hated them in Love Woe to them when God shall judge them 3. Every degree of unjust Hurt or Hatred is a Breach of the Sixth Commandment But the meaning is not every degree or mistaking wrong is as bad as actual Murder or as sure a sign of Death Alas how few else would live 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 16. As God hath manifested his Love to us by laying down for us the Life of our Redeemer so if we be God's Children we must learn of him as to love our Enemies so if God should call us to it as needful to better ends than our lives to lay down our lives for Christian Brethren 17. But whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 17. And if Love must make us die for others surely those have no true Love to God and to the Brethren as God requireth who cannot lay down part of their abundance perhaps superfluity for them but while they are well able yet cannot find in their hearts to relieve them but shut up the bowels of their compassion from them Note O the dreadful account that many of the Rich must give that feast all the year while their poor Neighbours hunger and spend forty times more in needless house-keeping as they call their Luxury than on the Poor 18. My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 18. Let not your Love be hypocritical which will bring forth no better fruit than good wishes and fair words but shew the truth of it by your cost and real helps 19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him 19. It is by such efficacy and real fruit that we must know that we are true Christians and not Hypocrites and must have assurance that our hearts are true to God 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 21. Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 20 21. For if our Consciences tell us that our Love is barren and fruitless and so condemn us of Hypocrisie God is greater and more acquainted with our Hypocrisie than our Consciences But if our Conscience truly witness the sincerity of our Love by the fruits of it then this assurance of our Sincerity giveth us boldness towards God 22. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 22. And if we do God's Will sincerely in obeying his Commands and the things that please him he will hear our Prayers and grant our just desires and give us that which is good for us whereas if we love iniquity and live therein God will not hear our Prayers Note They that deny that holy sincere Obedience is any condition of God's hearing our Prayers because Faith hath the promise contradict the scope of Scripture 23. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment 23. And the sum of all this acceptable duty is but this To believe truly in Jesus Christ our Redeemer our Teacher King and Intercessor and to obey his great Command of Loving one another with all such God is pleased and heareth them 24. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 24. And if we keep Christ's Commands of fruitful Love in Faith there is a near Communion between Christ and us we dwell in Christ as his Members and he dwelleth in us and his dwelling in us is by the Spirit of Love and Holiness the Seal of his Promise which he hath given us He that keepeth Christ's Commandments specially of Love hath his Spirit And Christ dwells where his Spirit dwells CHAP. IV. 1. BEloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world 1. There be many false Teachers who pretend to Revelation as Prophets who teach you the Doctrines of Sensuality Worldliness and Malice contrary to the Doctrine of Holiness and Love which I have taught you Therefore believe not that every man speaketh by God's Spirit who pretendeth to it nor that every strong suggestion in your selves is from God's Spirit which seemeth such before you try it But try all pretences of the Spirit whether they come indeed from the Spirit of God or rather from Satan or mens own imagination corrupted by pride Qu. How shall we justly try Spirits or spiritual pretences Ans By somewhat that is more easily known and no otherwise And that is two things 1. The common certain notices of the Light and Law of Nature 2. By the Infallible words of the Spirit in Christ and his Apostles and Prophets For both these are the sure Word of God who doth not contradict himself Our gifts of the Spirit are lower than the Apostles and must be tryed by theirs which were given them to record a Rule for us 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world 2 3. By this you shall know whether these Pretenders speak from the Spirit of God For the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ sent by him to be his Advocate and plead his Cause and do his Work in the World and therefore beareth witness of him If therefore these Teachers truly and openly in the face of danger do own profess and preach Christ Jesus as the Incarnate Word and Son of God sent from Heaven to redeem teach rule and save us this Doctrine is of the Spirit of God But if they deny the Godhead or Manhood of Christ or that he is indeed the true Incarnate Saviour Prophet Priest and King or will not own him in hazards or sufferings but deny him to save the flesh and teach men so to do
this Doctrine and Spirit is not of God But this is the Spirit of Antichrist which you have been foretold should come and is already in the World Note By the Spirit of Antichrist is not here meant the Spirit sent by Antichrist but the same Doctrine that Antichrist will vend and therefore from the sâ—me Spirit that acteth Antichrist which is a Spirit of opposition to Christ And in those times Ebion Cerinthus and many other Hereticks did some deny Christ's Manhood some his Godhead some his Death and some his Resurrection and each part of his Office was denyed That among all there Simon Magus only should be the Antichrist I see no reason to believe of which more before and after 4. Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world 4. But your Faith in Christ is of the Spirit of God who dwelleth and worketh in you and you have overcome the worldly seducing Spirit its Doctrines Baits and Temptations for God's Spirit which is in you is more powerful than the Spirit which deludeth the World 5. They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them 5. These Seducers are men of a worldly interest and mind and therefore they preach a wordly Doctrine fitted to a worldly Interest and Ear and therefore worldly men believe them 6. We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour 6. We are of God and can prove our Mission by his attestation to our Doctrine as being from God And therefore all that truly know God will receive and own our Doctrine as God's and us as his Apostles but he that is not of God having not the same Spirit receiveth not the same holy Doctrine nor us Thus differ the Spirit of God and of Errour 7. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love 7 8. And as true Faith in Christ and open confessing him is one sign so true Christian LOVE is another to know that our Doctrine and Spirit is of God Therefore be sure that you unfeignedly love one another Most certainly LOVE is of God common Love is his common gift and holy Love is his special grace and every one that Loveth Saints as Saints as well as Men as Men sincerely for the Love of God and goodness in them is so far like God who as the God of Nature loveth Nature and as the God of Grace loveth Holiness and therefore is a regenerate Child of God and hath true Faith and Knowledge of God or else he could not love him in his Saints And whatever they pretend they have no true effectual Love of the most Holy God or of his Will who love not his Holiness in his Children and are not dear to one another For LOVE is not a meer quality in God but his very Essence GOD IS LOVE Note I know no sentence more worthy to be written in Letters of Gold or rather written on all our hearts But the other two prime Attributes written in this Epistle must be conjoyned GOD is LIFE LIGHT and LOVE And LOVE is complacency and includeth Infinite JOY or PLEASURE 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God lent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him 9. And God's Essential LOVE doth tend to communication he is good and doth good He loveth us not with a barren Love as Hypocrites do but he chose this most woderful glorifying way of publick manifesting his Love to us even by sending his Son into the World that we might live through him 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins 10. And the Glory of God's Love to us is not only that he consequently loved us for loving him but that he antecedently loved us that we might love him and while we were in sin and enmity freely sâ—nâ— his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins 11. Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 11. And Gods great works and glorious manifestations of himself to us are purposely to be as the Seal to the Wax to make us like him in our degree And he therefore chose this astonishing way of revealing his LOVE to us that by it we might be brought to love him and one another for him 12. No man hath seen God at any time If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us 12. It is God himself that his Love â—bligâ—th us to LOVE But as we see him but in the Glass or Image of his Nature and Holiness in Man so we must Love him 〈◊〉 we see him here even in the Natuâ—e and Holiness of Man And if â—e thus holily love one another as Godâ—â— Image God by his Spirit dwelleth in us for it is his Spirit of Love that maketh us thus Love And his Love to us attaineth its end which was to make us like him in Love O that Christians would study this well 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 13. By this sure evidence we know that God and we do as it were dwell in each other and have blessed communion because he hath given us this Spirit of holy Love 14. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world 14. And we are the Preachers of Faith and Love as we have seen so we testifie that God the Father glorified his Love by sending his Son to be the Saviour of the sinful World 15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 15. It cannot be that any man can soundly believe such astonishing Love that God was manifested in flesh or that the Father sent his Son into flesh by his Doctrine Example Suffering Merits Resurrection and Intercession to save us and shall confess this whatever suffering it cost him but that man must needs be possessed by God's Spirit of holy Love and so God dwelleth in that man by his Spirit and that man in God as the great Object of his Faith and Love For with the heart man believeth to righteousness and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Rom. 10. 16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 16. And knowing and by Faith believing the Love that God hath to us and hath declared in Christ we again conclude that GOD IS LOVE and he that
which say they are apostles and are not and hast found them liars 2. Thy good works and great labour in the Gospel and thy patience in suffering for it are not unknown or disregarded by me And it is thy praise that thou dost not countenance nor tolerate among you the seducing Hereticks and wicked men and that those that have pretended Inspiration as sent of God thou hast tryed and rejected them as proved liars and false Apostles 3. And hast born and hast patience and for my names sake hast laboured and hast not fainted 3. Note Chrisâ— loveth and praiseth that which is good in the Churches while he reproveth them for that which is evil 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love 4. But for this I reprove thee that you have not that hearty servent Love to me and to one another which you had at the first and that you grow colder when you should grow better Note Even good people may fall into a more cold declining state by negligence 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent 5. Look back on thy first Love and Works and think whether it was not then better with thee and whether thou hadst any cause to decline Return to thy first works or el se I will shortly visit thee with the heavy punishment of taking the Ministry and Gospel from thee Note 1. Declinings from former Love and Duty are displeasing to God and tend to worse 2. It is a grievous punishment to have the Gospel and Ministry taken away either by Wars Devastations Persecutions Silencing and worst by wilful Expulsion 6. But this thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate 6. It is commendable in thee that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans for I hate them Note It is lawful to distinguish such Hereticks as are not to be tolerated in Church-Communion by the names of their Leaders But this should not be done against tolerable differences as tending to divide those that should all unite in the Christian name 2. God hateth licentious Doctrines and Deeds and so must we 3. Whence these Nicolaitans had their name is not known certainly but doubtful Tradition in History tells us that Nicholas the Deacon Act. 6. had a beautiful Wife and he was blamed as jealous of her and that thereupon he brought her forth and bid who would take her to shew that he was above all fleshly lust and that some people misunderstanding him thence took occasion to plead for the lawfulness of Fornication The Heresie of these hateful Nicolaitans lay 1. In making light of Fornication 2. And in despising the Heathens Government as if Christian Liberty lay in being from under its power 3. And in teaching that to avoid suffering men might deny Christ with the mouth while the heart denyed him not 4. And that they might eat things offered to Idols so they despised the Idol in their hearts Paul Act. 20. had before told these Ephesians that grievous Wolves should enter and devour and that of their own selves men should arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them And it seems thus warned they hated the Heresies And St. John himself lived in Asia and is said to die at Ephâ—sus who no doubt would warn them and was as above Timothy 7. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God 7. Let all that hear or read these words of the Spirit to the Churches set their hearts to them with regard as of great and common importance To him that in the day of Tryal and Temptation doth overcome by being true to Christ and keeping his Innocency I will give a part in everlasting Happiness signified by the Tree of Life in Paradise Note 1. Striving without overcoming in Temptation so far as to keep our uprightness and faithfulness will not save men much less lazy wishes 2. Though Faith put us at first in a state of Righteousness and Life to those that survive Perseverance and Victory are conditions of Salvation 3. It seems that the sense of the Tree of Life in Paradise Gen. 3. Is here expounded to be Everlasting Life of Blessedness with God and so in the New Jerusalem after ch 21.22 8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write These things saith the First and the Last which was dead and is alive 8. Note Christ is not barely named but described by Divine Properties to awe the Church with reverence to him and to resolve them to Trust him who can deliver and reward them 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan 9. I know with approbation and praise thy labour and sufferings and worldly poverty but thou art rich in grace And I know that blasphemous Sect that tempt and reproach thee who by obtruding Moses's Law on the Churches or at least seem Jews to avoid their malice do trouble the Churches against Purity Unity and Peace and are Satans Synagogue as thus doing his work 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life 10. Fear not though thou must suffer and I foretel thee what thy sufferings will be But I will fully reward thee Note 1. Certainty of suffering may consist with the Conquest of cowardly fear 2. It is the Devil that imprisoneth and persecuteth Christ's Servants when his wicked Servants do it by his Temptation 3. Prisons and Persecutions are for the Tryal of the Faithful Our care therefore must be that we fall not in the Tryal 4. Ten days is a short time yet seemeth long to the flesh 5. The Crown of Life Everlasting is the sure reward of true Martyrdom and Perseverance in Tryal 11. He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death 11. These Warnings of the Spirit to the Chruches are recorded as of great Concernment for all It is they that overcome the Love of this Life and World even unto death if God call them to Martyrdom that shall escape that sorer second Death that after this Life will befall the Ungodly 12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges 12. To the Pastors and People of the Church of Pergamos noted by the word Angel
the Grace of sincere Righteousness and Holiness that thou bear not the shame of Hypocrisie and halting between Heresie or Infidelity and saving Truth and for the Illumination of my Spirit to know the danger of Heresie and Hypocrisie 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent 19. If I forsake you not but shew my love to you it will be by chastening you to revive your Care and Zeal If therefore you love not Chastening prevent it by Zeal and Reformation 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me 20. I have my time of offering Mercy and desiring you to entertain it And if any man hear and obey this Call I will come in by my Spirit and take habitual Possession of him and have spiritual Communion with him and he with me Note Though it be not without the Grace of Christ that we open to him when he knocks and receive his offered special Grace yet in this he layeth so much on Man as to make our Opening that is our Accepting-Faith the Condition of his Entring for a fixed Habitation by habitual Love and Holiness On which account Divines use to say that Faith and Repentance wrought first in Conversion are the Conditions or Qualifications for consequent Justification and Sanctification 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne 21. To him that overcometh all the Temptations of this Life so far as to keep his sincere Faith Love and Obedience to the End I will give a Participation in my Kingdom Power and Glory even as I obtained my Glory by overcoming Satan and the World Note This expoundeth what is meant before by Ruling the Nations with a Rod of Iron c. 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches 22. Note Let every man that hath an Ear and Heart lay close to heart these Reproofs Warnings and Promises of Christ to these seven Churches for it concerneth them all Again note that notwithstanding all Christ's Reproofs and Threatnings to many of these Churches he biddeth no one separate from them CHAP. IV. 1. AFter this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter 1. After this the Vision that I further saw was as if a Door had been opened into Heaven c. Note 1. Not that Heaven hath a Door but the Vision was to be suited to the Capacity of a Soul in Flesh 2. The Notices which advance Man's Understanding on Earth come all from Heaven 2. And thither must we look and seek if we will know the things of God 2. And immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne 2. And immediately I was in an Extasie the Spirit acting me as above the Body And God revealing things according to my Capacity I thought I saw a Throne the Seat of Royal Glorious Majesty and a Royal Person sat on the Throne 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone and there was a rain-bow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald 3. And the Power and Glory of him that sat on the Throne was represented to me as by the similitude of precious Stones a Jasper and a Sardine And his Glory and faithful keeping of his Covenant was represented to me by the Appearance of a Rain bow like an Emerald in colour round about the Throne 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold 4. Note The Apparition being made to him that was a Jew was a Representation of the Jewish Camp in â—he Wilderness with the Tabernacle in the midst â—â—cording to which also the Temple-Worship was â—â—â—med to bear some similitude And the Christian-Assemblies had some resemblance to that Some think it relateth to the Church at Jerusalem which had say they twenty four Elders say some twelve Apostles and twelve Elders others that it is to the Bishop of Jerusalem and four and twenty City-Bishops of Judea who use to sit in Council with him who yet saith Dr. H. were then but the sole Pastors of single Assemblies without any other Elders under them but were after to have such Others think it intimateth that all Churches should unite in such Synods as consist of twelve Teaching Elders and twelve Ruling Elders that are not Teachers Rather all Churches and Pastors are signified by twenty four But all these are but mens unproved thoughts save only that in general the Vision appeared in resemblance of such an Assembly as is here described And it clearly intimateth 1. That the Elders have a proper Dignity and Honour and Power signified by their Seals and White Rayment and Crowns of Gold I would not have ignorant proud Lads that can but get a Lay-Patron to present them to a Benefice where they may live in the guilt of betraying Souls to call themselves these Elders nor to feign in White Rayment that they have Crowns of Gold 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God 5. Note 1. The Glory and Terrour of the heavenly Apparition is thus expressed From the similitude of the Temple-Worship and more fully of the Church-Worship and Sacred Assemblies whence must proceed the Light of Doctrine the Thunder of Reproof and just Censures and the Voices of common Consent and Praises to God Whether it signifie the scorching Lightnings and Thunderingâ— Excommunications of Lay-Chancellors Officials Surrogates Commissaries c. that use an absent Bishop's name over not one Parish only but many score or hundred Parish-Churches I leave to the Arguments of the Affirmers 2. The seven Lamps are expounded of the seven Spirits of God relating as some suppose to the Lamps which were continually to burn before the Tabernacle Exod. 17.20 and after before the Temple And as others think to the seven Deacons at Jerusalem Others think it is the seven Guardian Angels of the Asian Churches to whom John specially directeth all this Book though for the use of all others But of this and other such passages the great doubt is whether really there be not in the Spiritual World which John saw such things as he describeth and the Institutions about Tabernacle Temple and Church-Assembles be not formed to some resemblance of these Or whether all be spoken only of the things below of