is this Commonly men liue as it were without the lawe and thinke it sufficient if they doe not grossely offend not considering that the lawe of God is a lawe to our thoughtes and affections and all the circumstances of our actions That we may hereafter make good proceedings in our religion we must remember 3. caueats One that we must indeuour to see and feele in our selues the smalenes of our faith repentance feare of God c. And the great masse of corruptions that is in vs. Thus with the beggar we shall be alwaies peecing and mending our garment The second that as trauellers we must forget things past and goe on to doe more good Psal 3. 14. The third that we must set before vs the crowne of eternall glorie seeke to apprehend it 1. Tim. 6. 11. thus did Moses Heb. 11. In Pauls profiting two things must be considered the measure and the thing in which he profited The measure in that he profited aboue many others Hence we learne that in matters of religion there should be an holy Emulation and contention among vs and our fault is that we contend who shall haue the most riches and honour or goe in the finest apparell and striue not to goe one beyond another in good things Againe Pauls modestie must here be obserued He doth not say that he profited more then all but more then many and he saith not more then his superiors but more then his equalls for time and he saith not more then all the world but more then they of his owne nation This modestie of his must be learned of vs for it is the ornament of our faith and therefore must be ioyned with our faith The matter or the thing in which Paul profited is that he was aboundantly zealous for the traditions of the fathers Here I consider three points I. What zeale is Answ. It is a certen feruencie of spirit arising of a mixture of loue and anger causing men earnestly to maintaine the worship of God and all things pertaining thereto and moouing them to griefe and anger when God is any way dishonoured II. For what is Paul zealous Answer For the outward obseruation of the law and withall for Pharisicall vnwritten Traditions which therefore he cals the Traditions of his fathers III. What is the fault of his zeale for he condemnes it in himselfe Answer He had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For his zeale was against the word in that it tended to maintaine vnwritten Traditions and iustification by the workes of the lawe out of Christ Rom. 10. 2. Hence we learne sundrie things For that which Paul did in his religion are we to doe in the profession of the Gospell First we are to addict and set our selues earnestly to maintaine the trueth and the practise of the Gospel Christ was euen consumed with the zeale of Gods house Ioh. 2. The angell of the Church of Laodicea is blamed because he is neither hotte nor cold Rev. 3. He is accursed of God that doeth the worke of God negligently Ierem. 48. Secondly we are to be angrie in our selues and grieued when God is dishonoured and his word disobeyed When the Israelites worshipped the golden calfe Moses in holy anger brust the tables of stone Dauid wept and Paul was humbled for the sinnes of other men Psal. 119. 136. 2. Cor. 12. 21. Thirdly we are here taught not to giue libertie to the best of our naturall affections as to zeale but to mortifie them and to rule them by the word Numb 15. 39. otherwise they will cause vs to runne out of order like wild beasts as here we see in Paul Lastly let it be obserued that Paul here condemnes zeale for the maintenance of vnwritten Traditions And let the Papists consider this 15. But when it pleased God which had seperated me from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace 16. To reueale his sonne in me or to me that I should preach him among the Gentiles immediately I communicated not with flesh and blood 17. Neither came I to Hierusalem to them which were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia and turned againe to Damascus Paul before prooued that he learned not the Gospell of any man before his conuersion here he further prooues that he learned it of no man after his conuersion And the substance of his reason is this because immediately vpon his conuersion he conferred with no man but went and preached in Arabia and Damascus In the words I consider foure things First the causes of Pauls conuersion And here he sets down three degrees of causes depending one vpon another The first is the good pleasure of God whereby he doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen earth in these words when it pleased The second is his seperation from the wombe which is an acte of Gods counsell whereby he sets men apart to be members of Christ and to be his seruants in this or that office This separation is said to be from the wombe not because it began then for it was appointed by God before all times euen from eternitie as all his counsels are But the H. Ghost hereby signifies that all our goodnesse and all our dexteritie to this or that office is meerely from God because we are sanctified dedicated and set apart in the Counsell of God from all eternitie and therefore from the wombe or from our first conception and beginning The third cause is vocation by grace the accomplishment of both the former in the time which God hath appointed The second thing is the manner of forme of Pauls vocation in these words to reueale his sonne to me The third is the end of his vocation to preach Christ among the Gentiles The last is his obedience to the calling of God in the 16. and 17. verses To begin with the efficient causes of Pauls conuersion here we see the order and dependance of causes in the conuersion and saluation of euery sinner The beginning of our saluation is in the good pleasure of God then followes separation or election to eternall life then vocation by the word and spirit then obedience to the calling of god after obedience euerlasting life This order Paul here sets down and the consideratiō of it is of great vse Hence it appeares to be a doctrine erronious which beginnes our saluation in the preuision of mans faith and good workes For in Paul order workes haue the last place And it must be Gods pleasure that man shall doe a good worke before he can doe it And if seperation to eternall life should be according to faith or workes then we should make seperation of our selues as well as God And vocation is not for workes but that we might doe good workes Eph. 1. 4. Secondly by this order it appeares that the saluation of them that beleeue is more sure then the whole frame of heauen and earth because it is founded in the vocation of God which is
see the fidelitie of Paul if he had sought himselfe his honour profit or pleasure he would not haue taught any doctrine that should haue caused persecution The like minde must be in all teachers nay in all beleeuers who are to receiue the Gospel for it selfe without respect to honour profit or pleasure Paul addes further in way of defence that the scandall of the crosse was not abolished Hence it followes that the Gospel must be preached though all men be offended God must not be displeased though all men be displeased Act. 5. 29. Indeede Christ pronounceth 〈◊〉 woe against them by whome offences come but that is meant of offences giuen and not of offences taken of which Christ hath an other rule Matth. 15. 14. Let them alone they are the blind leaders of the blind Againe by the offence of the Iewes we see the mind of men who cannot be content with the death and passion of Christ vnlesse they may adde workes or something els of their owne for their iustification and saluation Thus doe the Papists at this day and the like doe many of the ignorant people among vs that will be saued by their good dealing and their good seruing of God Touching the imprecation in the 12. verse three questions are to be propounded The first is whether Paul did well thus to curse his enemies I answer yea for first we must put a difference betweene the priuate cause of man and the cause of God Now Paul accurseth the false Apostles not in respect of his owne cause but in respect of the cause of God and not as his owne enemies but as the enemies of God Secondly we must distinguish the persons of euill men Some are curable and some againe are incurable of whose saluation there is no hope Now Paul directs his imprecation against persons incurable And he knew them to be incurable by some extraordinarie inspiration or instinct as the Prophets and the rest of the Apostles did in sundrie cases and hereupon he curseth sometime euen particular persons as Alexander the copper-smith 2. Tim. 4. 14. Thirdly we must distinguish the affections of men Some are carnall as rash anger hatred desire of reuenge c. some againe are more spirituall and diuine as a zeale of Gods glorie and of the sâ—â—tie of Gods church Now Paul in pronouncing the curse is not carried with a carnall affection but with a pure zeale of Gods glorie and with the same spirit by which he penned this Epistle The second question is whether we may not curse our enemies as Paul did Ans. No for we haue not the like spirit to discerne the persons of men what they are and our zeale of Gods glorie is mixed with many corrupt affections and therefore to be suspected We in our ordinary dealings haue an other rule to follow Matth. 5. blesse and curse not If we dare goe beyond the limitts of this rule we must heare the speach of Christ ye know not of what spirit ye are Luc. 9. 55. The third question is how we should vse the imprecations that are in the psalmes of Dauid as Psal. 109. and in other places of scripture Ans. they are to be directed generally against the kingdome of the deuill and they are further to be vsed as Prophecies of the holy ghost comforting his Church and procuring a finall sentence vpon the enemies of God The word which is translated disquiet is to be considered for it signifies to put men out of their estate and to driue them out of house and home as enemies doe when they sacke and spoile a towne By this we se that the doctrine of iustification by workes or by the law is a doctrine full of danger and peril because it puts men out of their estate in Christ and berâ—aues them of their saluation in heauen Therefore let all men flie from the religion of the Papist as if they would flie from an armie of Spaniards or Turkes Contrariwise they that would prouide well for themselues and their posteritie and plant themselues in a good estate must take this course They must coÌ„sider that there is a citie of God in heauen the gates and suburbes whereof be vpon earth in the assemblies of the Church that this citie hath many roomes and habitations many liberties that the law wherby this citie is ruled is the whole word of God specially the doctrine of the Gospell In this citie is all happines and out of it there is nothing but woe and misery Enter therfore into the suburbes of this citie of God as ye professe the Gospell so subiect your mindes and consciences and all your affections to it and be doers of it in the exercise of faith repentance new obedience Thus shall you haue a good estate in Christ ioyfull habitation in heauen 13. For brethren ye haue bin called to libertie only vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another The first part of the Epistle touching the faith of the Galatians is ended and here beginnes the second part touching good life and it continues from this verse to the 11. verse of the sixt chapter In it Paul doth 2. things first he propounds the summe of his doctrine then after makes a particular declaration of it The summe of all is propounded in this 13. v. in which Paul first setts downe the ground of all good duties and then 2. maine rules of good life The ground is in these wordes brethren ye haue bin called to libertie And it must be noted that as these wordes are the foundation of that which followes so are they also the reason of that which goes before and therefore Paul saith for brethren c. The 2. rules are in the words following One in these vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh the other in these doe seruice one to another by loue In the ground of all good duties namely the calling to libertie 4. things are to be considered 1. who calls 2. who are called 3. what is the calling of God 4. why it is here mentioned by Paul To the first who calles I answer God the father in Christ by the spirit for he is absolute Lord of all his creatures therfore he may call out of the kingdome of darknes into his owne kingdome whome he will And it is God alone that calleth the things that are not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. The second is who are called Ans. All they that any waie answer the calling of God for Paul saith indifferently of all the Galatians that they were called Now men answer the calling of God some in profession some in heart some in both And all these are said to be called yet with some difference The calling of God is directed first of all and principally to the Elect and then in the second place it pertaines to them which are not Elect because they are mixed in societie with the Elect. And hence
temple And thus hoping that these respects may entreate for a friendly acceptance at thy hands and that thou wilt afforde mee thy good word for my good will and a fauorable construction for my paines I commend it to the blessing of the Almightie and thee to his gratious protection vnfainedly wishing to thee as to my selfe the mercie of God in Christ Iesus August 10. Thine in the Lord Iesus R. C. Faults escaped in some copies are thus to be corrected Pag. lin Fault correct 25 30 building binding 70 28 degree decree 86 27 Christin Christian ibidem  refuse refused 105 4 Prov. 14. 24. 136 3 seach search 153 4 7 47 164 25 begunne beginne 176 24 happily haply 241 5 reuealed conceiued 360 33 it is 402 1 come came 440 16 maginations imaginatioÌ„s 461 29 foole foote 469 23 notes motes 472 38 Recidauation RecidiuatioÌ„ 473 7 the thiefe thiefe 478 30 Quaerenda Quâ—rendo 480 17 Supposes Supposals 482 25 perfunctorie defunctorie 482 37 thâ— the 490 38 heard hard 505 36 thought though 556 23 equall equall 559 26 our an 585 8 see seeing 612 3 Peter Peters 647 14 o other In the Epistle to the Reader for hath read haue CHAP. 1 THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE GALATIANS The Argument TWo things are generally to be considered the occasion of this Epistle and the Scope The occasion that mooued Paul to write this Epistle was because certen false-Apostles slaundered him both in respect of his calling as also in respect of his doctrine teaching that he was no Apostle and that his doctrine was false And by this means they seduced the Churches of Galatia perswading them that iustification and saluation was partly by Christ and partly by the Lawe The Scope of the Epistle is in three things First the Apostle defends his calling in the first and second chapters Secondly he defends the truth of his doctrine teaching iustification by Christ alone And vpon this occasion he handles the greatest question in the world Namely what is that Justice whereby a sinner stands righteous before God in the 3. and 4. and in the beginning of the fift Thirdly he prescribes rules of good life in the fift and sixt chapters 1. Paul an Apostle not of men nor by man but by Iesus Christ and God the father who raised him from the dead THe Epistle hath 3. parts a Preface an Instruction and the Conclusion The preface is in the fiue first verses and it hath two parts an inscription and a Salutation The inscription sets downe the persons that write the Epistle and the persons to whome it is sent The persons that write are two Paul the Brethren Paul is mentioned in the first verse In which in comely and decent manner he commende himselfe to the Galatians by his office and function as Apostle that is one called to be a planter and founder of the Church of the newe Testament among the nations And because the title of an Apostle in generall signification may agree to all teachers therefore he goes further and sets downe the cause of his Apostleship And first he remooues the false causes in these words not of men that is not called by men as by Authors of my calling or not called by the authoritie of men And in this Paul opposeth himselse to the false-apostles who were called notby God but by men Againe he saith not by man that is not called of God in and by the ministerie of any meere man And in this Paul opposeth himselfe to all ordinarie ministers of the Gospell whatsoeuer who are called of God by man This done he propounds the true cause and author of his Apostleshippe of whome he was called immediately Against this it may be obiected that Paul was ordained to be an Apostle by the imposition of haÌ„ds of the Church of Antioch I answer that this imposition was rather a confirmation then a calling Secondly they of Antioch had not imposed hands on Paul but that they were commanded by the spirit of God Further Paul addes that he was called by Christ and God the father for three causes The first was to signifie the consent of will in the father and Christ. The second was to teach vs howe we are to conceiue of God namely that he is the Father and Iesus Christ and the Holy Ghost for the Godhead may not be conceiued out of the trinitie of persons The third is because the father is the fountaine of all good things that come to vs by Christ. Lastly he sets downe the effect or action of the Father who raised him from the dead and that for two causes One was to prooue Christ to be the naturall sonne of God for he professed himselfe to be so and that was one cause why he was crucified and put to death Nowe when he was dead if he had not bin the sonne of God indeede he had neuer risen againe but had perished in death And in that the father raised him againe to life he gaue testimonie that he was his own naturall sonne And therefore Paul saith that Christ was declared to be the sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead and he applies the words of the Psalme thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee to the time of Christs resurrection Againe Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ to note the time of his owne calling for though the rest of the Apostley were called when Christ was in the estate of humiliation yet Paul was called afterwards when Christ was entred into his kingdome and sate at the right hand of his father The vse First whereas Paul in the very fore front of his Epistle beginnes with his owne calling I gather that euery minister of the Gospell ought to haue a good and lawefull calling A man cannot preach vnlesse he be sent Christ tooke not vnto him the office of a Mediatour till he was called and sent of the Father Therefore the opinion of the Anabaptist is foolish and phantasticall who thinke that euery man may preach that will without any speciall calling They alleadge that the house of Stephanas ordaine themselues to the Ministerie of the Saints Answer the meaning of the place is not that they called themselues but that they set themselues apart to the ministerie of the Saints in the purpose and resolution of their owne hearts Againe they alleadge that all Christians in the newe Testament are Kings and Priests and the office of the priest is to teach I answer all are priests in that they are to offer themselues in sacrifice to God and to teach priuately within their places and callings as the master his seruants the father his children c and to make a confession of their faith when they are called so to doe Thirdly they alleadge that the power of the keies is giuen to the Church I answer it is indeed yet so as the vse and administration thereof belongs to the Ministers alone in the
dispēsation of the word Secondly whereas Paul saith not of men but of Christ I gather that euery lawefull calling is of God and not of men as authors thereof and that the Right to call belongs to God The father thrusts forth labourers into the vineyard the sonne giues Pastors and teachers the Holy Ghost makes ouerseers It may be alleadged that the Church hath authoritie to call and ordaine ministers I answer that the Churches authoritie is no more but a ministerie or seruice whereby it doeth testifie declare and approoue whome God hath called Thirdly whereas Paul thus proclaimes his calling Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ I gather that the callings of the Ministers of the Gospell must be manifest to their owne consciences and the consciences of their hearers And that for diuers weightie causes First they are imbassadours instruments and the mouth of God and for this cause they are to speake in the name of God and this they cannot doe vnlesse they knowe themselues to be called Secondly that the calling of the Ministerie may tend to edification there is required the assistance of Gods spirit in the teacher the protection of him and his ministerie the effectuall operation of the spirit in the hearts of the hearers And he that wants the assurance of his calling cannot pray to God in faith for these things neither can he apply the promises of God to himselfe Thirdly the knowledge of our callings breeds conscience of our duties diligence and the feare of god Lastly knowledge of our callings in the consciences of the hearers breeds a reuerence in their hearts and obedience to the ministerie of the word Vpon this some may demaund howe they may knowe that they are called of God to the ministerie of the word Answer they may knowe it if they finde three things in themselues the first is the testimonie of their consciences that they entred not for praise honour lucre but in the feare of god with a desire to glorifie him and to edifie the Church The second is a facultie to doe that to which they haue a desire and will In this facultie are two things knowledge of God and his waies and aptnesse to deliuer that which they knowe The third is the Ordination of the Church which approoues and giues testimonie of their will and abilitie He that hath these things is certainely called of God Nowe put the case a man wants the first of these three because he entred with euill conscience beeing carried with ambitious and couetous desires then I answer that his calling still in respect of the Churh is good and lawefull and when he repents of his bad conscience it is also accepted of God The fourth point to be obserued is that Paul makes three kinds of callings in the Church One is when men are called by men and not by God and thus are all false teachers called The second is when men are called of God by the ministerie of men thus are all ordinarie ministers of the word called The third is when men are called not by men but by Christ immediately And Paul here signifieth that he himselfe and the rest of the Apostles were called according to this third way And in this respect he puts a difference betweene the Apostles and all the Ministers of the newe Testament For in that they were called immediately they were also taught by immediate inspiration and also aided by the infallible assistance of Gods spirit And of all this they had promises Math. 10. 19. 20. Luc. 10. 16. Hence we may gather the certenty of our religion The essentiall note of the Church is faith faith stands in relation to the word of God and the word of God is no word vnto vs vnlesse we knowe it to be so and we knowe it to be so because it was written by the Apostles who in preaching and writing could not erre Secondly hence I gather that the doctrine of the Apostles it the immediate word of God because it was giuen by inspiration both for matter and words whereas the doctrine of the Church in sermons and the decrees of councels is both the word of God and the word of man The word of God as it agrees with the writings of the Apostles Prophets the word of man as it is defectiue and as it is propounded in tearmes deuised by man It may be obiected that Paul spake some things of himselfe and not from the Lord 1. Cor. 7. 12. Not the Lord but I. Answer the meaning is not the Lord by any expresse commaundement but I by collection and interpretation of Scripture and that by the assistance of Gods spirit v. 40. Seeing then the writings of the Apostles are the immediate and meere word of God they must be obeyed as if they had beene written without man by the finger of God Lastly seeing it is the propertie of an Apostle to be called immediatly by Iesus Christ hence it follows that the authority office and function of Apostles ceased with them and did not passe by succession to any other Therefore it is a falshood that the Pope of Rome succeedes Peter in Apostolicall authoritie and in the infallible assistance of the spirit when he is in his consistorie And where paul saith he was called by Iesus Christ and not by man that is meere man he giues a pregnant testimonie that Christ is both God and man And whereas Paul was called by Christ raised from the dead hence I gather the dignitie of the Apostle Paul aboue all other Apostles in that he was called after the resurrection of Christ when he was entred into his kingdome The Text. 2. And all the brethren that are with me to the Churches of Galatia The Exposition By brethren we are to vnderstand such as seperated themselues from the Pagans and receiued the faith of Christ 1. Cor. 5. 11. And here more specially such as taught and professed the faith that is both pastors and people whether of Antioche as some thinke or of Rome as others And Paul writes his Epistle as well in their names as in his owne and with their consent for two causes One was that he might not be thought to deliuer any priuate doctrine deuised of his owne head And this care he had alwaies and therefore taught nothing but that which was in the writings of Moses and the Prophets Act. 26. 22. And this was the care of Christ who saith My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me Joh. 7. 16. And at this daie this must be the care of the Ministers of the Gospell to deliuer nothing of their owne First therefore their doctrines must be founded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and secondly that they may be sure of this they must haue the consent of the true Church specially of such as haue beene the Restorers of the gospell in this last age This rule Paul giues Timothie to continue in the things which he had learned of Paul and the rest
for grace and peace The reason true happinesse which all men desire consists in peace and is founded in grace they are said to be happie blessed that mourne suffer persecution for iustice sake Mat. 5. because in the middest of their sorrows miseries they haue the fauour of God the peace of good conscience Thirdly in that grace peace are ioyned we learn that peace without grace is no peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my god Isai. 57. last They which make a couenāt with hel death are soonest destroyed Isai. 28. 18. Laughter saith Salomon is madnes namely when it is seuered from grace and peace When men say peace peace then comes destruction 1. Thess. 5. The prosperitie of the men of this world ends in perdition read Ps. 73. Paul saith not simply that Grace and peace comes frō God but from God the father and from Iesus Christ that he may teach vs rightly to acknowledge and worship God For God is to be acknowledged and worshipped in the father in Christ in the holy spirit It was the fault of the Pagans and it is the fault of sundrie Christians to worship an absolute God without the father and without Christ. This fault must be amended for it turnes God to an Idol Againe when Paul saith that grace proceeds first from the father and secondly from Iesus Christ he sets downe the Order which God obserueth in the communication of grace peace The father is the fountaine of grace and giues it from none but from himselfe Christ againe is as it were a conduit or pipe to conuaie grace from the father to vs. Of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1. In him we are complete Col. 2. Election Iustification Saluation and all is done in and by Christ. 2. Tim. 1. 9. The vse I. Let them that trauell vnder the burden of a bad conscience and a bad life come to Christ by turning from their sinnes and by beleeuing in him and they shall obtaine grace finde rest to their soules II. In our miseries our hearts may not be troubled ouermuch but we must alwaies moderate our sorrowes For if we beleeue in Christ we shall alwaies haue grace and peace Read Ioh. 14. 27. III. We must moderate our cares for this life For if we trusting in Christ haue grace and peace we shall want nothing read Psal. 4. v. 6. 7. Iesus Christ that giues grace and peace is called Our Lord for two causes One is to teach vs to acknowledge Christ aright and that is as well to acknowledge him to be our Lord as wel as our Sauiour He is a Priest to procure life a prophet to teach the way of life a Lord to command them to walke in the way of life The fault of our times All men professe Christ yet many allowe of no Christ but of their owne deuising namely a Christ that must be a Sauiour to deliuer them from hell but not a Lord to commaund them that they cannot brooke The second cause why Christ is called our Lord is to signifie the persons to whome grace and peace belong and they are such as acknowledge Christ for their Lord and yeild subiection to him in heart and life They finde rest to their soules that take vp the yoke of Christ in newe obedience and the patient bearing of the Crosse Math. 11. v. 29. 4. Who gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs out of this present euill world according to the will of God our father 5. To whome be glorie for euer and euer Amen In these words the second argument is propounded whereby Christ is described namely the effect of Christ which is that he gaue himselfe And he is said to giue himselfe for two causes First because he presented himselfe as a price and sacrifice for sinne to God the Father Math. 20. 28. Eph. 5. 2. 1. Tim. 2. 6. The second because he did publikely propound and set forth himselfe to the world as a sacrifice and price of redemption Rom. 3. 25. Ioh. 3. 14. and Act. 4. 12. In this giuing there are fiue things to be cōsidered The first the giuer Christ the second the thing giuen and that is Christ himselfe The third is the ende of his giuing for sinne that is that he might make satisfaction for our sinnes The fourth is another end of his giuing that he might deliuer vs out of this present euil world Here the present world signifies the corrupt estate of mē that liue according to the lusts of their own hearts 1. Ioh. 2. 16. And men are here said to be deliuered takē out of the world when they are seuered from the condition of sinnfull men by sanctification and newnes of life and by diuine protection whereby they are preserued from euill after they are sanctified Tit. 2. 14. and Ioh. 17. 15. And this deliuerance is not in this life in respect of place but in respect of qualitie The fifth thing is the cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe and that is the will of God In the 5. verse there is set downe a corollarie or conclusion which containes the praise of God The vse followes Whereas Christ is the giuer of himselfe hence it followes that his death and sacrifice was voluntarie And this he shewed in two things When he was to be attached he fledde not but went to a garden in the mount as his custome was which was knowne to Iudas Ioh. 18. 2. And in the very separation of bodie and soule he cried with a loud and strong voice which argued that he was Lord of death died because his will was to die This must be remembred For otherwise his death had not beene a satisfaction for sinne In that Christ gaue himselfe to be a sacrifice we learne many things First that the worke of redemption exceedes the worke of creation For in the creation Christ gaue the creatures to man in the redemption he gaue himselfe and that as a sacrifice Secondly in that he gaue himselfe it appeares that he gaue neither angel nor meere man nor any thing out of himselfe and that all merits of life and satisfactions for sinne are to be reduced to the person of Christ and consequently that there be no humane satisfactions for sinne nor meritorious workes done by vs because they pertaine not to the person of Christ but to our persons and they were neuer offered of Christ vnto God as merits and satisfactions because he gaue nothing but himselfe and the things which appertained vnto his owne person Thirdly in that Christ giues himselfe we must take and receiue him with hungering hearts Nay he is to suffer violence of vs and the violent are to take him to themselues Lastly in that he giues himselfe to vs we againe must giue our bodies and soules vnto him in way of thankefulnes and dedicate all that we haue or can doe to the good of men The creatures at our tables
teach otherwise then I haue taught you neither I nor they must be beleeued but be accursed Againe put the case that an angell from heauen should come and preach otherwise then Paul preached to the Galatians who must be beleeued Paul or the Angel the answer is not the Angell but Paul and the angel must be accursed And the reason is because Paul in preaching and writing did represent the authoritie of God and God puts his owne authoritie into the word which he vttered and he was assisted by the extraordinarie immediate and infallible assistance of Gods spirit From this supposition sundrie things may be learned The first that the word preached and written by Paul is as certen as if it had bin written by God himselfe immediately It may be obiected that Paul saith 1. Cor. 7. 12. To the remnant I speake not the Lord. I answer Paul saith I not the Lord not because he was deceiued in his aduise for he spake by the spirit of God c. 7. v. 40. but because he gaue counsell in a case of marriage whereof the Lord had made no expresse lawe The meaning then is this I speake by collection from the lawe of God and not the Lord by any particular and expresse lawe Secondly it appeares hence that the articles of faith or the doctrine of the Gospell is in excellencie and authoritie aboue all men and angeis And hence it followes that the Church and Councels cannot authorize the word of God in the minde conscience of any man For the inferiour and dependent authoritie addes nothing to that which is the principall and superior authoritie Therefore the opinion of the Papist is false that we cannot knowe the scripture to be the word of God but by the testimony of the Church as though the letter of a Prince could not be knowne to be so without the testimonie of the subiects The principall authoritie is sufficient in it selfe to authorize it selfe without externall testimonie Thirdly since the daies of the Apostles sundrie doctrines haue bin receiued and beleeued touching intercession of Saints praier to the dead and for the dead Purgatorie and such like and these doctrines haue bin confirmed by sundrie revelations And here we learne what to iudge both of the doctrines and of the reuelations namely that they are accursed because the doctrines are beside the written word and the reuelations tend to ratifie and confirme them Lastly hence we learne what to thinke of the writings of Papists and Schoolemen whereof some are called Seraphicall cherubicall or Angelicall doctors They broch and maintaine sundrie things beside that which the Apostles preached wrote as iustification by workes and a mixture of the lawe and the Gospell they giue too little to grace and too much to mans will In this regard Paul hath giuen the sentence that they are accursed For this cause students of diuinitie are warily to read them with praier that they be not led into temptation and they are to vse them onely in the last place And they are greatly to be blamed that preferre them almost aboue all writers they shewe that they haue little loue of the Gospell in their hearts 9 As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach vnto you otherwise then ye haue receiued let him be accursed In these words Paul repeates againe that which he said before and the repetition is not in vaine but for three weightie causes the first is to signifie that he had spoken not rashly but aduisedly whatsoeuer he had said before the second is that the point deliuered is an infallible truth of God the third is to put the Galatians and vs in minde that we are to obserue and remember that which he hath said as the foundation of our religion namely that the doctrine of the Apostles is the onely infallible truth of God against which we may not listen to Fathers Councels or to the very Angels of God If this had bin remembred and obserued the Gospel had continued in his puritie after the daies of the Apostles In this verse one thing is to be obserued Before Paul saide they are accursed which teach otherwise then he had taught here he saith they are accursed which teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued Whereby it appeares that as Paul preached the Gospel of Christ so the Galatians receiued it And they receiued it first in that they had care to know it secondly in that they gaue the assent of faith vnto it as to a truth against which the very Angels could take no exception And for this also are the Thessalonians commended that the Gospel was to them in power and much assurance The great fault of our times is that where as the Gospel is preached it is not accordingly receiued Many haue no care to know it and they which know it giue not vnto it the assent of faith but onely hold it in opinion And this is the cause that there is so small fruit of the Gospel This sinne will at length haue his punishment The places that are not seasoned by the waters of the Sanctuarie are turned to saltpits Ezech. 47. v. 11. 10 For now whether preach I men or God or seeke I to please men for if I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ. The interrogations in this place doe I preach and doe I please are in stead of earnest negations I doe not preach I doe not please And when he saith doe I now preach men or God his meaning is this Heretofore I haue preached the Traditions of men but now beeing an Apostle I preach not the doctrine of men but of God And when he saith doe I seeke to please men his meaning is this I doe not make this the scope of my mini sterie to frame and temper my doctrine so as it may be sutable and pleasing to the affections of men For otherwise we are to please men in that which is good and for their good 1. Cor. 10. 33. Rom. 15. 2. This verse containes a double reason of his former speach and of the repitition thereof The first is this Though heretofore I taught the Traditions of men yet now I teach the word not of men but of God and therefore I accurse them that teach otherwise The second is framed thus If I should yet please men I were not the seruant of God but I am the seruant of God therefore I seeke not to please men but if neede shal be I will denounce curses against them Here first we see the proper matter of the Ministerie which is not the word or doctrine of man but of God By this the Ministers of the Gospel are taught to handle their doctrine with modestie and humilitie without ostentation with reuerence and with a consideration of the maiestie of God whose the doctrine is which they vtter that God may be glorified 1. Pet. 4. 11. Secondly the hearers in hearing are to know that they haue to
deale with God and that they are to receiue the doctrine taught not as the word of man but as the very word of God as the Thessalonians did 1. Thess. 2. 13. The want of this consideration is the cause that some contemne the ministerie of the word and others are not touched and mooued in hearing Againe here is set downe the right manner of dispensing the word which must not be for the pleasing of men but of God Hence it appeares that Ministers of the Gospel must not be men-plea 〈…〉 nor applie and fashion their doctrine to the affections humours and dispositions of men but keepe a good conscience and doe their office The Lord tells Ieremie he must not turne to the people but the people must turne to him Ierem. 15. 19. Thus God shal be with them and they shal bring forth much fruit And the people must know it to be a good thing for them not to be pleased alwaies by their Ministers The ministerie of the word must be as a sacrificing knife to kill and mortifie the old Adam in vs that we may liue vnto God A sicke man must not alwaies haue his minde but he must often be crossed and restrained of his desire and so must we that are sicke in our soules in respect of our sinnes It is a fault therefore of men that desire to be pleased to haue matters smoothed ouer of their teachers This is Dauids balme which he wisheth may neuer be wanting to his head Psal. 141. 5. The ende of this verse sets downe a memorable sentence That if we seeke to please men we cannot be the seruants of God Hence I gather that our nature is full of rebellion and enmitie against God because they which please men cannot please God Againe here is set downe what is the hurt that comes by pride and ambition It keepes men that they cannot be the seruants of Christ. Ye beleeue not saith Christ because ye seeke glorie one of another Ioh. 5. 44. Ambition so fills the minde with vanitie and the heart with worldly desires that it cannot thinke or desire to please God Wherefore he that would be a faithfull Minister of the Gospel must denie the pride of his heart and be emptied of ambition and set himselfe wholly to seeke the glorie of God in his calling And generally he that would be a faithfull seruant of Christ must set God before him as a Iudge and consider that he hath to deale with God and he must turne his minde and senses from the world and all things therein to God and seeke aboue all things to approoue his thoughts desires affections and all his doings vnto him Lastly the profession of the seruant of God is here to be obserued in the example of Paul who saith Doe I now preach men and doe I yet please men as if he had said I haue done thus and thus I haue preached the Traditions of man heretofore and I haue pleased man in persequnting the Church of God but I doe not so still neither will I. And he that can say the like with good conscience I haue sinned thus and thus heretofore but now I doe not neither will I sinne as I haue done is indeede the seruant of God v. 11. Now I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me was not after man The meaning is this that it may the better appeare that I haue iustly accursed them which teach any other Gospel and iustly reprooued you for receiuing it I giue you to vnderstand that the Gospel which I preached was not after man that is not deuised by man or preached of me by mans authoritie but it was from God and preached by the authoritie of God And this sense appeares by v. 10 and 12. In these words is laid downe the reason of the conclusion or the assumption of the principall argument which was on this manner If I be called to teach and that immediatly of God and my doctrine be true then ye ought not to haue reuolted from the Gospel which I preached but I was called to teach immediatly of God and my doctrine is true The first part of this assumption is here set downe and handled to the ende of the second chapter and the conclusion as we haue heard was set downe in the premises Hence two maine points of doctrine that are of great consequent may be gathered The first is this It is a thing most necessarie that men should be assured and certified that the doctrine of the Gospel and the Scripture is not of man but of God This is the first thing which Paul stands vpon in this Epistle It may be demanded how this assurance may be obtained I answer thus For the setling of our consciences that Scripture is the word of God there be two testimonies One is the Euidence of Gods spirit imprinted and expressed in the Scriptures and this is an excellencie of the word of God aboue all words and writings of men and Angels and containes 13. points The first is the puritie of the law of Moses whereas the lawes of men haue their imperfections The second i◠that the Scripture setteth downe the true cause of all miserie namely sinne and the perfect remedie namely the death of Christ. The third is the Antiquitie of Scripture in that it fets downe an historie from the beginning of the world The 4. is prophecies of things in sundrie bookes of Scripture which none could possibly foretell but God The 5. is the confirmation of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles by miracles that is works done aboue and contrarie to the strength of nature which none can doe but God The 6. is the consent of all the scripture with themselues whereas the writings of men are often at iarre with themselues The 7. is the confession of enemies as namely of heretickes who in oppugning of scriptures alleadge scriptures and thereby confesse the trueth thereof The 8. is an vnspeakable detestation that Sathan and all wicked men beare to the doctrine of scripture The 9. is the protection and preseruation of it from the beginning to this houre by a speciall prouidence of God The 10. is the constant confession of Martyrs that haue shedde their blood for the Gospell of Christ. The 11. is that fearefull punishments and iudgements haue befallen them that haue oppugned the word of God The 12. is holinesse of them that professe the Gospell The last is the effect and operation of the word for it is an instrument of God in the right vse whereof we receiue the testimonie of the spirit of our adoption and are conuerted vnto God And yet neuerthelesse the word which conuerteth is contrarie to the wicked nature of man The second testimonie is from the Prophets and Apostles who were Embassadours of God extraordinarily to represent his authoritie vnto his Church and the pen-men of the holy Ghost to set downe the true and proper word of God And the Apostles aboue
are first to be taught and that by men where reuelation is wanting This kind of teaching is the foundation of the schoole of the Prophets and it hath bin from the beginning The Patriarkes till Moses were Prophets in their families they taught not onely their families in generall but also their first borne that they might succeede as Prophets after them There were 48. cities of the Leuites dispersed through all the tribes where not onely the people were taught but also schooles erected that they might be taught which were to be Priests and Leuites Num. 37. One citie among the rest is called Cireath sephar Iosu. 15. 15. that is the citie of bookes or as we say the Vniversitie Samuel a yong man was sent to the Tabernacle in Shilo to be taught and trained vp of Eli the Priest Samuel when he was iudge of Israel erected Colledges of Prophets and ruled them himselfe 1. Sam. 10. In the decaied estate of the ten tribes Elias and Elizeus set vp schooles of the Prophets in Bethel Carmel c. and the yong students were called the sonnes of the Prophets 2. king 2. 3. Christ himselfe beside the sermons made to the people trained vp and taught himselfe his 12. Apostles and his 70. disciples Paul commaunds Timothie to teach that which he had learned to such as shal be fit to teach others 2. Tim. 2. 2. Furthermore this teaching is of great vse For it serues to maintaine the true interpretation of scripture the puritie of doctrine and it is a meanes to continue the ministerie to the ende of the world The meanest arte or trade that is is not learned without great teaching then much more teaching is required in diuinitie which is the arte of all arts The true interpretation of scripture and the right cutting of the word is a matter of great difficultie and a matter whatsoeuer men think of the greatest learning in the world Therefore it is necessarie that teachers should first be taught and learne aright the Gospel of Christ. Eleauen hundred yeares after Christ men began to lay aside Moses and the Prophets and the writings of the new Testament and to expound the writings of men as the Sentences of Peter Lumbard Hence ignorance superstition idolatrie come headlong into the world Seeing then the teaching of them that are to be teachers is of such antiquitie and vse all men are to be exhorted to put to their helping hands that this thing may goe forward Princes are to maintaine it by their bountifulnesse and authoritie as they haue done and doe still and that which they doe they must doe it more Parents must dedicate the fittest of their children to the seruice of God in the ministerie and not to vse it in the last place for a shift as they doe For commonly the eldest must be the heire the next the lawyer the youngest the diuine Students must loue and affect this calling aboue all other 1. Cor. 14. 1. Lastly all men must make praier that God would prosper and blesse all Schooles of learning where this kind of teaching is in vse Here againe it appeares that Christ is God and more then a meere man because he is opposed to man and that Paul receiued authoritie and the keies of the kingdome of heauen immediately of Christ as well as Peter 13. For ye haue heard of my conuersation in time past howe that I persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it 14. And profitted in the Iewish religion aboue many of my companions of mine owne nation and was much more zealous of the Traditions of my fathers In the former verse the Apostle set downe that he learned the Gospel not of man but of Iesus Christ immediately This in the next place he goes about to prooue at large His reason is framed thus If I learned the Gospell of any man I learned it either before or after my conuersion but I learned it neither before nor after my conuersion of any man The first part of his reason is here confirmed thus before my calling and conuersion I professed Iudaisme and I liued accordingly persecuting the Church and suppressing the Gospel of Christ and profiting in my religion aboue many others therefore I was not then fit to heare and learne the Gospell of Christ of any man This argument he further confirmes by the testimonie of the Galatians thus That this was my conuersation in Iudaisme ye are witnesses for ye haue heretofore heard as much In the example of Paul two points are generally to be considered The first that the distinction of man and man ariseth not of the will or naturall disposition of man but of the grace and mercie of God For Paul an Elect vessell for nature and disposition before his conuersion is as wicked as any other And he saith Rom. 9. 11. that the difference betweene man and man before God is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie Therefore it is a Pelagian errour to thinke that men doing that which they can doe by nature occasion God to giue them supernatural grace The second point is that Paul here makes an open and ingenious confession of his wicked life past And hence I gather that this Apostle and consequently the rest writ the scriptures of the new Testament by the instinct of Gods spirit and not by humane pollicie which no doubt would haue mooued them to haue couered and concealed their owne faults and not to haue blazed their owne shame to the world And therefore the bookes of scripture are not bookes of pollicie as Atheists suppose to keepe men in awe but they are the very word of God Againe the end of this plaine confessiō is that Paul might thereby cōfirme and iustifie his owne calling to the office of an Apostle This serues to giue a checke to such persons as vse to sit and rehearse their wicked liues past in boasting and reioycing manner In Pauls example there be two things to be considered his profession before his calling and his conuersation His profession was Iudaisme and this hindred him from imbracing the gospell It may here be demanded what Iudaisme or the Iewish religion is Answer In the daies of Christ and the Apostles there were three speciall sects among the Apostles Esseis Sadduceis and Pharises And the Pharises were the principall and their doctrine was commonly imbraced of the Iewes And therefore by Iudaisme as I take it Phariseisme is here meant Nowe the principall doctrines of the Pharises were these I. They held that there was one God and that this God was the father without any distinction of persons for when Christ mentioned the distinction of the father and the sonne they would not acknowledge it Iohn 8. 19. II. They acknowledged in the Messias but one nature for when it was asked thē howe Christ beeing the sonne of Dauid should neuerthelesse be his Lord they could not answer Math. 22. III. They held that the
where it is said that he ministred to the Saints at Ierusalem and withall that he gaue himselfe no rest in this dutie till he had sealed this fruit vnto them that is till he saw it done according to his desire His example must be followed of vs. It is not enough for vs to giue good words and to wish well but we must in our places and callings doe our endeauour that releefe may euen be sealed to our poore And there be many reasons to mooue vs. First let vs consider that the charge was very great to maintaine the altar of the Lord in the old Testament with sheepe and oxen and offerings of all kinds and now in the new Testament the poore come in the roome of the Altar Secondly the poore represent the person of Christ and in them he comes vnto vs and saith J am hungrie I am sicke I am naked I am harbourlesse therfore looke what we would doe to Christ the same must we doe to them Thirdly the poore haue title and interest to part of our goods for God is the Lord of them and we are but stewards to dispose and vse them according to his appointment And his will is that part of our goods be giuen for the releefe of the poore If this be not done we are theeues in respect of the goods we possesse Lastly mercie or the bowels of compassion in vs is a pledge or an impression of the mercie that is in God towards vs and by it we may knowe or feele in our selues that mercie belongs vnto vs. Thus we see what is our dutie nowe let vs consider what is our fault Not to blame any person or persons it is our common fault that we are backeward and slacke in this dutie And the cause is that we doe not heartily giue our selues to Christ and this makes vs to be so slacke in giuing our goods to the poore 2. Cor. 9. 5. Againe we commonly liue as it were without a law We doe not with Dauid set the laws of God before vs Psal. 119. v. 168. Neither doe we apply our hearts to his statutes v. 112. For then would we with Dauid make haste to keepe the commandements of God v. 60. Specially this great commandement of releefe and the rather because the obseruing of it is the inriching of vs all Lastly let vs marke that Paul beeing warned of the Apostles was diligent to doe that whereof he was warned The like must we doe It is not sufficient to heare but beside this there must be in vs a care and diligence to doe and practise that which we heare For this is to build vpon the rocke And it is a common fault to heare much and doe little Ezech. 33. 24. v. 11. And when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to his face for he was to be blamed In these words Paul propounds the second answer which he makes to the obiection mentioned in the beginning of the chap. to this effect Though the church glorifie God for thee yet wil not the Apostles do it because thou art contrary to thē Here Paul answers that there was indeed a dissention between him and Peter when he withstood Peter to his face at Antioch but the fault was not his but Peters who was wholly to be blamed For the better vnderstanding of these words three points are to be handled The first is who was resisted The answer is Peter the Apostle For the intent of this chapter is to shewe what agreement there was betweene Paul and the rest of the Apostles And there was no Apostle of this name but one Therefore they among the Auncient are greatly deceiued who thinke that the Apostle Peter was not reprooued but some other of that name The second point is who resisted Answer Paul and that not for shewe and fashion but in truth and good earnest And this appeares because in the words following he sets downe a waightie and vrgent cause of his reproofe Therefore Ierom and others are deceiued who thinke that Paul reprooued Peter in shewe and appearance and not in good earnest The third point is what was Pauls minde and meaning in resisting of Peter Answer To doe his office The kingdom of God and all things pertaining thereto must haue free passage without resistance The second petition is Thy kingdome come Iohn the baptist preached thus Prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight Mar. 1. Saint Paul saith Praie that the word of God may haue free passage and be glorified 2. Thess. 3. 1. Contrariwise such things as hinder the kingdom of God must be withstood Therefore Peter saith Resist your aduersarie the deuill strong in faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. And thus men that are instruments of euill are to be withstood And here Paul by an holy reproofe withstands Peter for his bad example In Paul here first we may behold an example of true vertue in that he resists euill to the vttermost of his power following his owne rule Abhorre that which is euill and cleaue vnto that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather reprooue them Eph. 5. 11. In like manner must euery one of vs resist euill first in himselfe and then in them that appertaine to him Therefore Paul saith to all Put on the armour of God that ye may resist Eph. 6. 13. Here 2 things may be demāded first what must we resist Paul answers again Principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses that is the deuill and all his angels It may be said we haue no dealing with them for they vse not to appeare vnto vs. Ans. That the deuill comes not vnto vs visibly but in the persons of euill men and in the badde examples of all men This made Christ say to Peter Math. 16. 23. Come behind me Satan for thou art an offence vnto me when Peter would haue disswaded him from going to Ierusalem Again it may be said In what things must we resist them Paul answereth In heauenly things v. 12. that is in things which pertaine to Gods kingdome and concerne either the saluation of our soules or the worship of God For the deuill seeketh by all manner of euils to hinder these good things Moreouer this dutie of resisting euill is so necessarie that we must resist sinne if neede be to the very shedding of our blood Heb. 12. 4. Againe we haue in Paul an example of bouldnes and libertie in reproouing of sinne This was a thing commanded to the Prophets and Apostles Isai 58. 1. Crie and spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgression Ierem. 1. 17. Trusse vp thy loines arise and speake vnto them all that I commaund thee be not afraid of their faces left I destroy thee before them Like libertie may the ministers of the word vse obseruing Pauls rule 2. Tim. 1. 7. God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare but of power and
any occasion were offeâ—ed it is to be feared that many of vs would be easily mooued to returne to our old prophanenesse and to the superstition of poperie But for the staying and the better establishing of our mindes let vs alwaies remember that they shall perish who withdraw themselues from their faith profession and obedience which they owe vnto God Heb. 10. 38. Psal. 73. 27. Againe here it must be obserued that Paul in describing the sinne expresseth two actions his eating with the Gentiles and his seperation from them the first good and the latter euill The beginning of his action was good but the end of it was naught The reason is this the man regenerate is partly flesh and partly spirit and hereupon it is that when we will that which is good we cannot accomplish it and euill is present with vs. The child of God is like a lame man that goes the right way but yet halts at euery step AbrahaÌ„ Sara desire ishue that is from the spirit but they desire ishue by Agar their handmaid that is from the flesh Rebecca seekes the blessing for Iacob that is a worke of the spirit but shee seekes it by lying that is from the flesh Peter eates with the Gentiles that is from Christian libertie he after seperates himselfe that is from corruption Thus we see that the best workes are imperfect mixed with corruption and that for the best workes we must humble our selues and seeke pardon not in respect of the goodnesse of the worke but in respect of the defect thereof It may be demanded how the acte of Peter should be a sin considering he did onely abstaine from certaine meates that he might auoide the offence of certen Iewes Answer The fact of Peter considered by it selfe is not a sinne for Paul did the like in playing the Iewe but the circumstances make it a sinne For first of all Peter doth not onely abstaine from meates forbidden by the ceremoniall lawe but also he withdrawes himselfe from the companie of the Gentiles and keepes company apart with the Iewes Secondly he abstaines not among the Iewes at Ierusalem but at â—nâ—â—â—ch among the Gentiles where a little before he had openly done the contrarie in vsing his Christian libertie Thirdly he vsed this abstinence when certen Iewes câ—m from Ierusalem to search out the libertie of the Gentiles Fourthly while Peter seekes to auoid the small offence of some Iewes he incurres a greater offence of all the Gentiles Lastly this acte of Peter did tend to the ouerthrowing of Pauls Ministerie and the suppressing of the truth of the Gospel Thus then the act of Peter becomes vnlawfull that was otherwise lawefull beeing simply considered by it selfe Here it may be demanded what Peter should haue done Ans. He shoul haue openly withstood the Iewes that came from Ierusalem as Paul withstood them that vrged the circumcision of Titus Or againe before he had plaid the Iew he should haue aduertised the Gentiles that for a time he was to yeeld to the infirmitie of some Iewes In Peters example we are taught that we must not offend God though all the world be offended Lesse offences must giue place when the great offence is at hand that is when god is dishonoured and the very least part of his trueth is suppressed The third point to be conâ—idered is the cause of the sinne of Peter and that was the feare of the offence of the Iewes Here two questions are to be handled The first how Peters feare should be a sinne Ans. There is a naturall feare created by God and placed in the heart of man This feare of it selfe is good Neuerthelesse by the corruption of nature it becomes euill And it is made euill two waies One is when men feare without cause as when the disciples feare Christ walking vpon the sea and feare drowning when Christ was in the ship with theÌ„ The other is wheÌ„ there is no measure in feare As wheÌ„ men so feare the creature that they neglect their dutie to God This was Peters feare and it was a sinne in him For God is to be feared simply because he is Lord of bodie and soule and can destroy both and he is to be feared for himselfe whereas euery creature is to be feared in part onely and for God Rom. 13. 3. 4. By this we are taught daily to inure our selues in our hearts to feare God aboue all things The second question is how Peter could haue the feare of God considering he feared men more then God at the least in this one action Ans. There are three kinds of feare One is without all sinne this was in Adam and in Christ. The second is altogether sinnefull in the wicked and vngodly because it is seuered from faith and obedience as when there is a feare of men without the feare of God The third is a mixed feare in them that are regenerate in whome the feare of God is ioyned with the corrupt feare of man And in this mixture otherwhiles the one preuailes otherwhiles the other And this feare was in Peter in whome at this time the carnall feare of man preuailed against the true feare of God Paul notes feare to be the cause of Peters sinne that he may thereby signifie vnto vs what kind of sinne it was namely a sinne not of malice but of infirmitie A sinne of infirmitie is when there is a purpose in the heart not to sinne and yet for all this the sinne is committed by reason the will is ouercarried by temptation or by violence of affection as by feare anger lust Thus Peter sinned And let it be remembred that to sinne of infirmitie iâ— properly incident to such as be regenerate as Peter was Euery wicked man makes his sinne his infirmitie fornication is the infirmitie of the â—ornicatour drunkennes the infirmitie of the drunkard c. but it is false which they say For they sinne with all their hearts when they sinne The fourth and last point is the Effect of Peters sinne in drawing the Iewes and Barnabas to the like dissimulation Here we see the contagion of euill example And hence we learne that Minisâ—ers of the word must of necessitie ioyne with good doctrine the Example of good life For first of all it is the expâ—esâ—e commandement of God 1. Pet. 5. 3. Be patternes of the flocke 1. Tim. 4. 12. Be an ensample in word conuersion loue spirit faith puritie Phil. 4. 8. What ye haue seene in me that doe Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works SecoÌ„dly practise in the Minister is a part of his teaching For the multitude doe not maâ—ke so much what men say as what men doe Herod did many things not because Iohn the Baptist was a good Minister but because he was a good man Mark 6. 20. Thirdly Ministers haue not the presence protection of God vnlesse their liues be vertuous and godly If thou turne thou shalt
principall that the Messias his Redeemer should descend of his loines And this was the thing which his faith in the promise of God specially aimed at I answer againe that Abraham beleeued not onely the power of God Rom. 4. 21. but also his will which he had reuealed in the promise In thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed Secondly it is alleadged that Christ in the curing of certaine blind men required no more but that they should beleeue his power Math. 9. 28. I answer that the ende of the miracles of Christ was to confirme the certentie of doctrine specially touching his natures and offices And therefore a generall faith touching the diuine power or Godhead of Christ was sufficient for the obtaining of a miraculous cure Thirdly they obiect that saluation is promised to generall faith Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued That Peters faith was generall Math. 16. 10. Thou art Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God That the Eunuchs faith was of the same kind Act. 8. 37. I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God Ans. It is a common rule in scripture that words signifying knowledge signifie also the motions and good affections of the heart Psal. 1. The Lord knowes the way of the righteous that is knowes and approoues it 2. Tim. 2. 19. The Lord knowes who are his that is he knoweth and chooseth them Ioh. 17. 2. This is eternall life to know thee the onely God that is to know and acknowledge thee for our God If this be true in wordes of knowledge then much more wordes of beleeuing signifie the good motions and the affiance of the heart Thus to beleeue Christ to be the sonne of God in the places before named is to beleeue that he is God and withall to fixe our affiance on him otherwise the deuills beleeue thus much When Thomas had put his finger in the side of Christ he saide My Lord and my God Ioh. 20. 28. And to this speech of his Christ faith Thou hast seene and beleeued This then is true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is God but also that he is our God Iustifying faith in true manner is defined thus It is a gift whereby we apprehend Christ and his benefits Ioh. 1. 12. to beleeue in Christ and to receiue Christ are put both for one Ioh. 6. faith is the mouth of the soule whereby we eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood Ioh. 17. 8. To receiue the word of Christ to acknowledge it and to beleeue it are put all for one Paul saith that the Gentiles did apprehend the iustice which is by faith Rom. 9. 30. Againe that we receiue the promise of the spirit by faith Gel. 3. 14. This apprehension stands in two things The first is to know Christ as he propounds himselfe in the word and sacraments The second is To applie him and his benefits vnto our selues This application is made by a supernaturall act of the vnderstanding when we beleeue that Christ with his benefits is really ours It may be obiected that faith is a certen confidence whereby we beleeue in Christ and so it is described euen in this text Ans. I. Faith and confidence properly are distinct gifts of God and confidence is the effect or fruit of faith For Paul saith that we haue entrance to God with confidence by faith Eph. 3. 12. And reason declares as much for a man can not put his confidence in Christ till he be assured that Christ with his benefits are his We doe not rest on his goodnes of whose loue we doubt Secondly I answer that confidence beeing a most notable effect of faith is often in scripture put for faith and faith is described by it as it is in this place and yet for nature they are not one but must be distinguished Furthermore the grounds of apprehension must be considered For speciall faith must haue a speciall and infallible ground The grounds are three The first is this In the Gospel God hath propounded generall promises of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ and withall he hath giuen a commandement to apply the said promises to our selues 1. Ioh. 3. 23. This is the commandement of God that ye beleeue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and we cannot beleeue in Christ till we beleeue Christ to be our Christ. Now then a generall promise with a commandement to applie the same to our selues is in effect as much as a speciall promise The second ground is this Rom. 8. 16. The spirit of God testifieth together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God In this testimonie foure things must be obserued The first that it is sufficient to certifie and assure vs of our saluation For if the testimonie of two or three witnesses establish a truth among men then much more the testimonie of God The second is that this testimonie may be certenly knowne els it is no testimonie vnto vs. The third is that this testimonie is found and perceiued in the vse of the word praier sacraments The last 〈◊〉 that it is especially giuen and felt in the time of great danger and affliction For when by reason of miserie and trouble we know not to pray as we ought then the spirit makes request for vs with groanes that cannot be vttered Rom. 8. 26. And in afflictions Paul saith the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts Now then if God giue to them that turne vnto him a testimonie that they are the children of God they for their parts are by speciall faith to beleeue it The third ground is this A speciall faith may be gathered partly vpon things generally reuealed in the word of God and partly vpon sense obseruation and experience the same things beeing reuealed generally in the word and particularly by experience Vpon this ground may we truly conclude the forgiuenes of our sinnes the saluation of our soules on this manner He which beleeueth hath the forgiuenes of his sinnes but I beleeue in Christ saith he which beleeueth therefore my sinnes are forgiuen me The maior or first part is expressed in the Word the minor or second part is found true by experience and by the testimonie of the conscience which is a certen Testimonie For Paul saith This is my reioycing the testimonie of my conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. And the conclusion is the conclusion of speciall faith If this be not a good and sufficient ground there is almost no speciall faith in the world Lastly we are to consider the degrees of Apprehension and they are two there is a weake apprehension and there is a strong apprehension is there is a weake and a strong faith The weake faith and apprehension is when we endeauour to apprehend This endeauour is when we bewaile our vnbeleefe striue against our manifold doubtings
but included The second is that here the Spirit signifies the spirit of adoption Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 16. The third is that to receiue the spirit is not barely to receiue the gifts of the spirit as we are said to haue the sunne in the house when we receiue the beames of the bodie of the sunne beeing in heauen but in this receiuing there are two things One is that the spirit is present in vs the other that the same spirit testifieth his presence by his speciall opera tion and gifts of grace Paul saith Eph. 4. 30. Greeue not the spirit Which is not meant of gifts but of the very person of the spirit And it must be remembred that the effects and gifts of the spirit presuppose the presence of the spirit By workes of the Law we are to vnderstand the doctrine of iustification by the workes of the law By the hearing of faith is meant the doctrine of the Gospel hearing beeing put for the thing heard namely preaching and faith for the doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ crucified For faith signifies not onely the gift whereby we beleeue but also that which is beleeued In the third verse spirit signifies the operation of the spirit whereby the inward man is renewed and made like to God or againe the Exercises of the inward man and flesh signifies outward things or actions that properly pertaine to the outward man as circumcision and such like Thus 2. Cor. 5. 17. flesh and the new creature are opposed And Paul saith Rom. 9. 29. He is a Iew that is a lew within in the spirit hauing the circumcision of the heart To begunne in the spirit is to beginne in godlines and religion inwardly in the exercises of the renewed heart The Resolution In these words is contained the first argu ment whereby Paul prooues the truth of his doctrine It is framed thus If ye receiued the spirit by my doctrine my doctrine is true and ye foolish that adde vnto it iustification by the workes of the law but ye receiued the spirit by my doctrine therefore it is true and ye deale foolishly that haue added to it iustification by workes The maior or first proposition is not expressed but the proofe thereof in the third verse thus it is a point of extreame follie when ye haue begun in the spirit to end in the flesh therfore it is folly in you hauing receiued the spirit by my doctrine to adde any thing vnto it of your owne The vse When Paul saith Let me learne one thing of you he notes the fault of the Galatians and of sundrie others who when they haue attained to a certaine measure of knowledge in Gods word are presently puffed vp with pride and often thinke themselues wiser then their teachers This was the fault of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 8. 10. and of sundrie in our daies who separate wholly from all our congregations presuming to know that which they neuer learned of their teachers That this ouerweening pride may not take place we must ioyne the knowledge of our selues with the knowledge of Gods word and mixe our knowledge with loue For loue edesies and bare knowledge swells the heart Againe here when it is said Receiued ye the spirit that is ye did not receiue the spirit by the workes of the law but by the hearing of faith Here I say we see the difference betweene the law and the Gospel The law doth not minister the spirit vnto vs for it onely shewes our disease and giues vs no remedie The Gospel ministreth the spirit For it shewes what we are to doe and withall the spirit is giuen to make vs doe that which we are inioyned in the Gospel Here also we learne that the preaching of the Gospel is necessarie for all men because it is the Instrument of God to conferre the spirit Whole Peter was yet speaking the spirit of God fell vpon the Gentiles Act. 10. 44. Paul saith his ministerie is the ministerie of the spirit 2. Cor. 4. 5. sauing the ministers and others 1. Tim. 4. 16. And the most learned haue neede of this ordinance of God For suppose they haue knowledge sufficient yet haue they neede of the spirit of God to guide and gouerne them Further let it be obserued what is the scope of all our hearing and teaching namely that we may receiue the spirit of God without which spirit we can doe nothing Moreouer Paul here sets downe an infallible argument whereby we may be assured that the Scripture is the word of God For the scriptures in their right vse which is in reading hearing meditation haue the diuine and supernaturall operation of the spirit ioyned with them to comfort in all distresses and in the very pang of death and to conuert the heart of man making him in respect of righteousnes and holines like vnto God This priuiledge haue the Scriptures Isa. 59. 21. and no word els Lastly let vs here obserue the certen marke of true religion and that is that the preaching thereof conferres the spirit of adoption This doth not the pretended catholike Religion of the Papists it doth not conferre vnto men the spirit to assure them that they are the children of God because it teacheth that we are to be in suspence of our saluation Againe by teaching humane satisfactions merits it ministreth the spirit of pride and presumption as also the spirit of crueltie not of meekenes for they of that religion commonly delight in blood and there haue bin no warres or seditions or rebellions in Europe for many ages but they of the Romish religion haue bin at one ende of them When Paul saith v. 3. Beganne ye in the spirit c. he teacheth a diuine instruction that true godlines and Religion stands in the spirit that is the grace of the heart or in the exercises of the inner man whether we respect the beginning the middle or the accomplishment thereof The kings daughter is all glorious within Psal. 45. 13. True worshippers worship God in the spirit Ioh. 4. 25. Rom. 1. 12. He is a Iew that is a Iew not without but within in the spirit in the circumcision of the heart Rom. 2. 29. Gods seruice and kingdome stands in iustice peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. He that is in Christ must not know him in any carnall respects but be a new creature 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 17. Baptisme is not the washing of the spots of the flesh but the promise that a good conscience makes to God By this doctrine we see the fault of the world which for the most part placeth religion in ceremoniall performance of some outward duties The Iewe vsed to come to God with sacrifices and to draw neere to him with his lippe his heart beeing farre from God The Papist hath turned the Apostolike and Catholike religion into a masse of ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the Gentiles And
the multitude among vs place their religion in comming to the Church in outward hearing in receiuing the sacrament in some kind of formall praying These things may not be condemned but the power and life of religion lies not in these things Wherefore we must not stand vpon outward painted shewes but looke what thou art betweene God and thy selfe that onely art thou in religion Thou praiest in the church but thou maist deceiue the world in this Tell me dost thou pray at home dost thou pray in thine owne heart vnto God by the spirit of praier then thou praiest indeede If thou canst approoue thy heart vnto God for any act of religion then is it done indeede els not Remember this Furthermore Paul here teacheth that our after proceedings in religion must be answerable to our first beginnings in the spirit And hence we may be aduertised of many things First here we must take notice of the follie of Popish religion For it beginnes in Gods mercie and the merit of Christ and it ends in our merits and satisfactions Secondly we must take notice of the common sinne of our times For in the practise of our religion we are deceiued We are not now that which we haue bin twentie or thirtie yeares agoe For now we see the world abounds with Atheists Epicures libertines worldlings newters that are of no religion and sundrie that haue heretofore shewed some forwardnes beginne to faulter and stagger and to looke an other way This is not to begin and ende in the spirit but to end in the flesh We are betime to amend this fault least if our former zeale be turned to present lukewarmes God in in his anger spue vs out Yong men must here be aduertised as they grow in yeares and stature so to grow vp in good things that both the first beginning and the after proceedings may be in the spirit Thus did Christ increase in grace as he increased in stature Lastly aged persons that haue begunne in the spirit must looke that they grow vp in the graces of the spirit more then others that they may end in the spirit It is said of the angel of Thiatira that his loue seruice and workes were moe at the last then at the first Reu. 2. 19. the same should be saide of all aged persons They which are planted in the house of God bring forth fruit in their old age Psal. 91. 16. It is the commendation of the old man that by reason of his manifold experience he knowes the father more then others 1. Ioh. 2. 14. It is the praise of Anna that shee continually serued God in fasting and praier beeing 80. yeares old When the outward man decaies the inward man should be renewed I speake all this the rather because aged persons are much wanting in this dutie For none commonly are so ignorant in the things of God as they they begin in the spirit but the affections of their hearts vsually end in the loue of this present world But they must be warned that as they goe before others in age so must they also exceede in the graces of the spirit We vse to say of children God make them good old men and it is well said An old man is to be regarded but specially a Good old man who is more to be respected then twentie of younger yeares Now aged persons when they grow in age and not in the spirit they loose their honour for age is a crowne of glorie when it is found in the way of righteousnes Prov. 16. 31. Let them therefore pray with Dauid Forsake me not O Lord in mine old age Psal. 71. 9. 4. Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine if so be it be euen in vaine The interrogation haue ye is as much as ye haue Because the question in this place counteruailes a speech affirmatiue And the wordes carrie this sense Ye haue professed the Gospel and ye haue suffered many afflictions for the same but now haue ye reuolted from the Gospel and therefore all your former sufferings are void or in vaine The words if they be in vaine are a limitation or qualification of that which was saide before and they carrie this sense Whereas I haue said that your sufferings are in vaine I speake it not simply but with some hope of your repentance which if it be then that which would be in vaine shall not be in vaine In this verse Paul sets downe a second reason to prooue the proposition of his first argument on this manner If ye receiued the spirit by my doctrine then is my doctrine true and ye fooles in reuolting from it For by this meanes the things which you suffered well ye now suffer in vaine The vse When Paul saith Haue ye suffered c. he signifies vnto vs the estate and condition of all beleeuers in this life that they must be bearers and sufferers The reason To this are we called 1. Pet. 2. 21. for we are called to resigne all reuenge to God and therefore of our selues to be bearers and sufferers Math. 5. 39. Resist not euill And we are called to imitate the passion of Christ who suffered beeing innocent and beeing reuiled reuiled not againe Moreouer it is for our good that we should beare and suffer 1. Pet. 1. 6. and Psal. 119. 71. It may be demanded What if my cause be good must I then suffer Ans. Yea. The better thy cause is the better are thy sufferings they are blessed that suffer for righteousnes Paul commends himselfe by the multitude of his sufferings 2. Cor. 11. 13. Againe it may be demanded how long we must suffer Ans. Euen to the shedding of our blood if it be for the resisting of sinne Heb. 12. 4. Lastly it may be saide how shall we be able to doe this Ans. God is faithfull and will not lay on vs more then we shall be able to beare 1. Cor. 10. 3. By this we are admonished not to make a reckoning in this world of pleasure and delight as though the Gospel were a Gospel of ease and as we vse to say a gospel made of veluet but euery one of vs must take vp his owne crosse Luk. 9. 23. If thou wilt be my disciple denie thy selfe take vp thy crosse that is the particular affliction and miserie which God laies on thee Againe if in this world we must be sufferers by condition then in dissentions and differences we may neither giue nor take the chalenge but must be content to beare and put vp wrongs and abuses Lastly in these daies of our peace we must looke for daies of triall and affliction For as yet we haue suffered little for the name of Christ. The haruest of the Lord hath bin among vs more then fourtie yeares therefore no doubt the time of threshing fanning and grinding comes on that as the Martyr said we may be good bread to the Lord. And that we may be able to suffer for the name of God we must
pray for this gift at Gods hand For power to suffer is the gift of God Phil. 1. 29. and we must obserue the commandement of God not to feare the terrours of men Reu. 2. 10. 1. Pet. 3. 14. And for this cause we must as Peter saith sanctifie God in our hearts beeing assured by our faith of the presence protection and prouidence of God When Paul saith Haue ye suffered so many things he shewes that we must endure manifold miseries in this life Iacob said to Pharao his daies were few and euill Many are the afflictions of the righteous Psal. 34. 20. Christ saith Take vp thy crosse euery day Luk. 9. 23. and thereby he signifies that euery new day that comes ouer our heads we must looke for a new crosse And for this cause it is not enough to be patient for a fit but we must shew all patience and long suffering and that with ioyfulnes Col. 1. 11. When Paul saith Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine he signifies that our sufferings are of great vse vnlesse our sinnes be the hindrance It may then be demanded what is the vse of our sufferings The Papists answer that in our baptisme or first conuersion Christ sufferings doe all abolish the whole fault and punishment but if we sinne after our conuersion then they say Christs sufferings abolish the fault and the eternall punishment and our owne sufferings abolish the temporall punishment But this doctrine leslens and obscures the mercie of God and it must be obserued that Paul holds all their sufferings to be in vaine that seeke remission of sinnes or iustification in any thing out of Christ. Now we for our parts make fiue other vses of our sufferings First they serue for triall of men that it may appeare what is hidden in their hearts Deut. 8. 2. Secondly they serue for the correction of things amisse in vs. 1. Cor. 11. 23. Thirdly they serue as documents and warnings to others specially in publike persons thus Dauid suffers many things after repentance for his murther and adulterie Fourthly they are markes of adoption if we be content to obey God in them Heb. 12. 7. Lastly they are the troaden and beaten way to the kingdom of heauen Act. 14. 23. When Paul saith If they be in vaine we are to obserue his moderation He reprooues and terrifies the Galatians yet so as he is carefull to preserue the hope of mercie in them and the hope of their amendment in himselfe The like hath bin the practise of the Prophets Ionas preacheth yet fourtie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied but withall he addes It may be the Lord will repent and turne from his fierce wrath Ion. 3. 9. Peter saith to Simon Magus Thou art in the gall of bitternes but withall he addes Pray God that the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee Act. 8. 21. See the like Ioel 2. 14. and Amos 5. 15. And thus are Ministers of the Gospel to delay and qualifie their reproofes and censures 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 These words are a repetition of the second verse whence the exposition must be fetched The words and worketh miracles among you are added and they carrie this meaning That God gaue to the Galatians not onely the spirit of adoption but also other extraordinarie gifts of the spirit as to speake with strange tongues to cure diseases and such like Repetitions in Scripture are not idle but of great vse and signifie vnto vs the necessitie of the thing repeated and the infallible certentie of it The substance therefore of this verse must carefully be remembred and that is this Ye receiued the spirit by my doctrine therefore it is true and of God The argument is of great vse For by it we come to an infallible assurance of the Certentie of the Scriptures and of true religion deriued thence The Galatians are now reuolted from Pauls doctrine and they erre in the foundation and yet Paul saith in the time present He that ministreth the spirit vnto you Hence it appeares that falls of infirmitie in the child of God doe not vtterly extinguish the spirit but onely grieue or make sadde the spirit Againe Paul here teacheth that God is the onely and proper author of miracles For he that ministreth the spirit worketh miracles namely God A miracle is a worke aboue the strength of natureâ— therefore it can be effected of none but the author of nature It may be obiected the Apostles Prophets and others had a gift to worke miracles Iosua commanded the sunne to stand Ios. 10. 12. and Elias commanded fire to come downe from heauen 2. king 1. Ans. God neuer gaue to any man power to worke and effect a miracle either mediately or immediately The gift was the faith of miracles The faith was grounded vpon reuelation and the reuelation was that God himselfe would worke such or such a miracle when they praied commanded or imposed hands Men therefore properly are but the mouth of God and messengers to signifie what he will doe Againe it may be obiected that the deuill can worke miracles Ans. He can worke a wonder or things extraordinarie in respect of the ordinarie course of nature Thus he caused fire to fall from heauen and he caused vlcers to arise in the bodie of Iob and that true vlcers And this he did by the force of nature better knowne to him then all the world But as for a true miracle that exceedes the strength of nature he cannot possibly doe it no not Christ himselfe as man though he be exalted aboue all men and angels By this we see that they are deceiued who thinke that the deuill can make raine thunder and lightning Indeede when the matter of raine and thunder is prepared by God he can hasten it and make it more terrible but raine and thunder he cannot make for that is indeede as much as any miracle Againe it is a falsehood to thinke that Alchimists are able to turne baser mettals into gold For it is a worke of creation to turne a creature of one kind into a creature of an other kind It is also as foolish to imagine that witches by the power of the deuill are able to turne themselues into catts and other creatures None can doe this but God that made the creature Here againe we see the vse of miracles that is to confirme doctrine in the Apostolike Churches That their vse is further to confirme doctrine euen at this day it cannot be prooued Lastly here in the Galatians we see what an easie thing it is to fall from God from our faith and allegiance to him They were taught by Paul they had receiued the spirit of adoption they were enabled to worke miracles and yet for all this they fall away to an other Gospel They must be a looking glasse to vs. In peace we
seemes there was more time betweene the promise and the law Ans. The meaning of Moses in this place is thus much that the dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelt as pilgrims was for the space of 430 yeares and that in â—art of this time they dwelt in Egypt as strangers The words may thus be translated The dwelling or Peregrination of the children of Israel in which they dwelt in Egrpt was 430 yeares And this peregrination beginnes in the calling of Abraham and endes at the giuing of the law In Pauls example we see what it is to search the Scriptures not onely to consider the scope of whole bookes and the parts thereof but to ponder and waigh euery sentence and euery part of euery sentence and euery circumstance of time place person This is the right forme of the studie of diuinitie to be vsed of the sonnes of the Prophets The second reason vsed by Paul is in the 18. v. it may be framed thus If the law abolish the promise then the inheritance must come by the law but that cannot be He prooues it thus If the inheritance of life eternall be by the law it is no more by the promise but it is by the promise because God gaue it vnto Abraham freely by promise therefore it comes not by the law The opposition betweene the law and the promise shewes that Paul in this Epistle speakes not onely of the ceremoniall but also of the morall For the greatest opposition is betweene the morall law and the free promise of God Let vs againe marke here the difference betweene the law and the Gospel The law promiseth life but to the worker for his works or vpon condition of obedience The Gospel called by Paul the promise offers and giues life freely without the condition of any worke and requires nothing but the receiuing of that which is offered It may be obiected that the Gospel promiseth life vpon the condition of our faith Ans. The Gospel hath in it no morall condition of any thing to be done of vs. Indeede faith is mentioned after the forme and manner of a condition but in truth it is the free gift of God as well as life eternall and it is to be considered not as a worke done of vs but as an instrument to receiue things promised This difference of the law and the Gospel must be kept as a treasure for it is the ground of many worthie conclusions in true religion And the ignorance of this point in the Church of Rome hath bin the decay of religion specially in the article of Iustification Thirdly we must here obserue the opposition betweene the Law and the free promise of God in iustification of a sinner For if life come by the law it comes not by the promise saith Paul And Rom. 4. 14. If they which are of the law are heires the promise is of none effect By this we see the Church of Rome ouerturnes and abrogates the free promise of God For they of that Church teach that the first iustification is by meere mercie and that the second is by the workes of the law But the law and the promise cannot be mixed together more then fire and water the law ioyned with the free promise disanulls the said promise Lastly in that Paul saith God gaue and freely bestowed the inheritance by the promise it must be considered that this Giuing is no priuate but a publike donation For Abraham must be considered as a publike person and that which was giuen to him was in him giuen to all that should beleeue as he did Art thou then a true beleeuer doest thou truly turne vnto God here is thy comfort the inheritance of eternall life is as surely thine as it was Abrahams when he beleeued For thou art partaker of the same promise with him and when God gaue him life he gaue thee also life in him Againe persons backward and carelesse must be stirred vp with all diligence to vse all good meanes that they may beleeue truly in Christ and truly turne to God For so soone as they beginne to beleeue and to turne vnto God they are entred into the condition of Abraham and if they continue they shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen and after this life they shall rest in the bosome of Abraham For that which was done to Abraham shall be done to all that walke in his steppes 19 Wherefore then serues the law it was added because of transgressions vntill the seede was come to which the promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour 20 Now a Mediatour is not of one but God is one Paul hath prooued before that the law doth not abolish the promise his last reason was because then the inheritance should be by the law which cannot be Against this reason in the 19 and 20 verses there is an obiection made and answered The obiection is this If life and iustice come not by the law the law then is in vaine And this obiection is expressed by way of interrogation Wherefore then serues the law The answer is in the next words It is added for transgressions that is for the reuealing of sinne and the punishment thereof and for the conuincing of men touching their sinnes Rom. 3. 19 20. Moreouer Paul sets downe the time or continuance of this vse of the law when he saith till the seede came to which the promise was made that is till Christ come and accomplish the worke of mans redemption Here two questions may be demanded The first is whether the law serue to reueale sinne after the coÌ„ming of Christ For Paul saith it is added for transgressions till Christ. Ans. The law serues to reueale sinne euen to the end of the world yet in respect of the legall or Mosaicall manner of reuealing sinne it is added but till Christ. For the law before Christ did conuince men of sinne not onely by precepts and threatnings but also by Rites and Ceremonies For Iewish washings and sacrifices were reall confessions of sinne And they were an handwriting against vs as Paul saith And this manner of reuealing sinne ended in the death of Christ. Col. 2. 14. Againe the Ministerie of condemnation which was in force till Christ at his comming is turned into the Ministerie of the spirit and of grace 2. Cor. 3. 11. For vnder the law there was pleÌ„tifull reuelation of sinne with darke and small reuelation of grace but at the comming of Christ men saw heauen opened and there was a plentifull reuelation of sinne with a more pleÌ„tifull reuelation of grace and mercie And in this respect also the law is said to be till Christ. The second question is whether the seede of Abraham were before Christ or no Ans. All that followed the steppes of Abrahams faith before Christ were his seede Yet were they not that seede that is the principall seede who is Christ who is the seede
blessed in himselfe and giuing blessednes to all other And the beleeuers that were before Christ or after him are the â—eede of Abraham in respect they are set into Christ who is principally the seede mentioned in this text When Paul saith ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour he makes a declaration of that which he had saide before by an Euident signe on this manner That the law serues to discouer transgressions it appeares by this that the Iewes could not abide to receiue the law immediatly from God but it was deliuered by Angels and receiued by the hand of a Mediatour and this argues mans guiltines and his disagreement with God because a Mediatour is of two at the least and of two beeing at difference betweene themselues The law is said to be ordained or disposed by Angels because they were attendants on God in the Mount when the law was deliuered Secondly they were witnesses and approouers of the deliuerie Thirdly it may be the voice of God whereby the law was published in the hearing of all the Israelites was vttered and pronounced by the ministerie of Angels for the holy Ghost saith the word spoken by Angels was stedfast Hebr. 2. 2. that is the law It may be said all this prooues not that Angels ordained the law Ans. Often in Scripture the worke or action of the principall Agent is ascribed to the instrument or minister The Saints are saide to iudge the world 1. Cor. 6. whereas indeede they are no more but witnesses and approouers of this iudgement In the same manner Timothie is said to saue himselfe and others 1. Tim. 4. 16. The last trumpet is sounded by Angels Matth. 24. 31. and it is called the voice of an Archangel and the trumpe of God 1. Thess. 4. Moreouer Paul saith the law was deliuered by the hand of a Mediatour that is of Christ as some thinke but that cannot be for the hand of a Mediatour signifies the ministerie and seruice of a Mediatour and this seruice is inferiour to the seruice of Angels because the law was deliuered by Angels and receiued of them by a Mediatour Therefore the Mediatour here mentioned is Moses who stood betweene the people and God in the deliuerie of the law Deut. 5. 5. It may be obiected that there is but one Mediatour Christ 1. Tim. 2. 8. Ans. Mediatour of reconciliation is onely one and that is Christ and Moses is a Mediatour onely in the relating and reporting the law from God to the Israelites Paul addes that a Mediatour is not of one that is that euery Mediatour is of two at the least and of two at variance and disagreement And he saith further that God is one that is alwaies the same and like himselfe without change And the reason of the speach is this Paul hath taught that the law was giuen by a Mediatour and that this declared a difference betweene God and man Now it might be said where is the fault in this difference and who is the cause of it Paul saith not God but man because God is alwaies one and the same The vse In that the law is for transgressions we are taught to examine and search our hearts and liues by the law of God Zephan 2. 1. Fanne you O nation not worthie to be loued Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search our hearts and turne againe to the Lord. That we may the better examine our selues foure rules must be obserued The first when any one sinne is forbidden in any commandement of the law vnder it all sinnes of the same kind are forbidden all causes of them and all occasions The second a commandement negatiue includes the affirmatiue and binds vs not onely to abstaine from euill but also to doe the contrarie good The third is that euery commandement must be vnderstood with a curse annexed to it though the curse be not expressed The fourth is that we must especially examine our selues by the first and last commandements For the first forbids the first motions of our hearts against God and the last forbiddes the first motions of our hearts against our neighbour though there be no consent to doe the euill which we thinke Paul saith of himselfe that the commandement Thou shalt not lust was it that especially humbled him Rom. 7. According to these and other rules which now I omit we must with speciall care examine our selues The want of this dutie causeth men to rot away in their sinnes without remorse or true repentance and it is the cause that so many men profit so little in hearing the word preached because they know not what sinne meanes neither can they search aright their consciences and liues Moreouer after we haue begunne to practise this dutie we must often as occasion shall be giuen renue it to the end Consider Dauids example Psal. 119. 59. Where Paul saith that the law is added till Christ we see that the Legall ministerie of death is abolished now and that we are vnder the Ministerie of the spirit and life And for this cause we in these last daies that are Ministers of the word must preach the doctrine of saluation plainly to the very consciences of men 2. Cor. 4. 1. Againe the people of these daies ought to abound in knowledge and their obedience should be answerable to the measure of their knowledge And if after much preaching in these daies of light the Gospel be hid as it is to very many who remaine still in ignorance and disobedience it is a fearefull signe vnto them of their condemnation 2. Cor. 4. 4. In that the law of God was ordained or deliuered by Angels we are put in minde to reuerence it and to esteeme it as a treasure Secondly we are to feare to breake the least commandement of the law because the angels that were ordainers of the law doe no doubt obserue the keepers and the breakers of it and are readie prest to be witnesses and reuengers against them that offend Steuen vpbraids the Iewes that the law was giuen by the dispensation of Angels and yet they brake it Act. 7. 53. Thirdly if thou offend and breake the law repent with speede for that is the desire and ioy of Angels They that deliuered the law reioice to see the keeping of it Lastly if thou sinne and repent not looke for shame and confusion before God and his angels Because Moses was a mediatour to the Iewes Papists gather that therefore Angels and Saints may be mediatours Ans. It sollowes not Moses was ordained a mediatour so are not they Moses was present with the Iewes and had fellowship with them whose mediatour he was Saints are absent in heauen and Angels though they be about vs haue no fellowship with vs. Moses was mediatour but once and that onely in one thing Saints are made continuall mediatours Lastly Moses was mediatour in relating reporting the law from God to the people Saints and Angels are made mediatours to relate and report our praiers and
the secrets of our hearts to God Whereas Paul saith that a Mediatour is not of one but a third betweene two at the least it may be demaunded how Christ can be mediatour betweene man and God considering he is God Ans. Though Father Sonne and holy Spirit be one and the same in respect of Godhead yet are they distinct in respect of person or in respect of the manner of subsisting so as the Father is the father not the Sonne or holy Ghost the Sonne the sonne and not the Father or the H. Ghost the holy Ghost the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The sonne then and the father beeing persons really distinct the sonne may be and is Mediatour first of all in respect of order to the father and in him to the sonne and the holy Ghost For the three persons beeing of one nature and will when the father is appeased in him also the sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased Thus Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father It may be said that Christ cannot be Mediatour to himselfe Ans. In Christ consider his nature and his Office By nature he is the sonne of God by office he is Mediatour and thus he is God-man or Man-god and as Mediatour by voluntarie dispensation he is inferiour to himselfe as he is the essentiall sonne of God And in the same manner Christ as God-man is Mediatour to himselfe as he is the sonne of God For as he is the sonne of God he is the partie offended as he is Mediatour God-man he is the partie that makes reconciliation Lastly the propertie of God must be obserued that he is vnchangeable Iam. 1. 17. Mal. 3. 16. It may be obiected that God is saide in Scripture to repent Ans. God is said to repent not because he changeth either nature or will but because he changeth his actions of mercie and loue into effects of anger after the manner of men Againe it may be obiected that God changed the law and abolished ceremonies Ans. This God did by an vnchangeable decree before all worlds and so the change is in the law and not in God For God can decree to change this or that without change The vse Gods vnchangeablenes is the foundation of our comfort Saint Paul saith If we loue God we are knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. 3. Now the first we may certenly finde in our selues namely the loue of God and Christ and for the second God is vnchangeable For they which are once knowne of God are euer knowne of him and that euen then when they feele nothing but Gods anger Againe we are put in minde to be vnchangeable in good things as in faith hope loue good counsells honest promises and such like specially in the maintenance of true religion For we ought to be like vnto God It is the poesie of our grations Queene Semper eadem Alwaies one and the same no doubt in good things specially in the religion established among vs. The same must be the minde of all good subiects and all good people 1. Cor. 15. 58. 21 Is the law then against the promise of God God forbid for if there had beene a law giuen which could haue giuen life surely righteousnesse should haue beene by the law 22 But the Scripture hath included all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue In these words Paul propounds and answers an other obiection in number the fourth The occasion of the obiection is taken out of the former words in which Paul saith the law is for transgressions It may be framed on this manner If the law serue to conuince and condemne vs of sinne it serues not to giue life but to kill and so it is contrarie to the promise which giuethlife The answer is made negatiuely God forbid And a double reason is rendered of the deniall The first is this If the law could giue life it should also giue iustice or iustifie and so it should be contrarie to the promise because then there should be two contrarie waies of iustification one by faith alone the other by faith with workes Therefore in that it kills and condemnes it is not contrarie to the promise The second reason is in the 22. verse Things subordinate whereof one serues for the other are not contrarie the law and the promise are subordinate for the law prepares the way for the accomplishing of the promise in that it shuts all vnder sinne that the promise may be giuen to them that beleeue in Christ. The vse In that Paul reiects the blasphemous obiection with God forbid we are taught to auoid things said or done to the dishonour of God with loathing and detestation When it was related to Ahab and Iezabel that Naboth had blasphemed God they beeing idolaters solemnise a fast pretending danger by the sinne 1. King 21. 12. Caiphas supposing that Christ had blasphemed rent his garments Math. 26. When Iob did but suspect his children of blaspheming God he called them and sanctified them Iob 1. 5. It is the fault of our daies that many blaspheme by cursing swearing c. without feare and many doe it as many dissolute souldiers in a brauerie and hearers thereof for the most part are nothing mooued thereat so ordinarie is the offence This shewes the wickednes of our times In the first reason Paul deliuers a notable conclusion namely that the thing which is the meanes to procure life vnto vs is also the meanes of our iustice or iustification before God And good reason For iustice causeth life and that which giueth life first of all giueth iustice Hence it followes that workes cannot meritoriously deserue eternall life For if life be by the workes of the law then iustice also but that cannot be for we must first of all be iustified before we can doe a good worke Let the Papists consider this Againe they which teach that faith is alone in iustification and that both faith and workes concurre as causes of saluation are deceiued For by the former conclusion of Paul if workes be causes of saluation then must they also haue a stroake in our iustification which they haue not And therefore they are the way of our saluation but not any cause at all Lastly here we see that many among vs doe not hold Christ or beleeue in him aright for their iustification because they hold him without change of heart and life For by Pauls conclusion whome Christ quickneth them he iustifieth and whome he doth not quicken them he doth not iustifie Examine thy selfe then if Christ haue sanctified and renewed thy heart thou art iustified if thy heart be yet vnsanctified and thy life vnreformed deceiue not thy selfe with fond imaginations thou art not yet iustified The 22. verse followeth containing the second reason And first let vs consider the meaning of the words The Scripture the words are in the Originall thus That
which there is a sorrow for vnbeleefe a will and defire to beleeue in Christ with care to vse good meanes and to increase in faith Strong faith is that which preuailes against doubting and it is a full perswasion or resolution of the loue and mercie of God in Christ. This second degree of faith follows iustification vpon the obseruation and experience of the prouidence and goodnes of God but the first degree of speciall faith before named for order goes before iustification and for time is together with it The second question is when faith beginnes first to breede in the heart Ans. When a man beginnes to be touched in his conscience for his sinnes and vpon feeling of his owne spirituall pouertie earnestly hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes aboue all things in the world Christ saith I will giue to him that thirsteth of the well of the water of life freely Reuel 21. 6. This promise declares that in thirsting there is a measure of faith To eate and drinke Christ the bread and water of life is to beleeue in him and to hunger and thirst hauing as it were a spirituall appetite to Christ is the next steppe to this eating and drinking Therefore this must be remembred that professours of the Gospel yea teachers of the same that want this sense of their vnworthines and this thirsting are farre wide what gifts soeuer they haue For they are not yet come to the first steppe of true faith The third question is how faith in Christ is reuealed in the heart Ans. It is not faith to conceiue in minde a bare perswasion that Christ is my Sauiour and thereupon to thinke to be saued But faith in Christ is conceiued in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance When I see mine owne sinnes and Gods anger against me for them by the law when I see mine owne guiltines I draw my selfe into the presence of God making confession of mine offences and praier for the pardon of them and in this praier I striue against mine vnbeleefe I will desire and endeauour to assent to the promise of God touching forgiuenes and withall I purpose with my selfe to sinne no more This is my daily practise and thus is faith truly conceiued and confirmed Againe faith is conceiued in the vse of holy meanes namely the Preaching of the word and Sacraments For in hearing receiuing the Lords Supper to meditate vpon the promise of mercie and in meditation to applie the said promise to my selfe is the right way to conceiue true faith Therefore it must be remembred that faith conceiued without the exercises of inuocation and repentance or conceiued without the vse of the word and Sacraments as commonly it is is not true faith but an Imagination or fiction of the braine which will faile in the ende The third point to be considered is the signe or the outward meanes of Adoption and that is Baptisme It may be demanded how Baptisme can be a marke or signe of the child of God considering all sorts of men are partakers of it Ans. Baptisme alone is no marke of Gods child but baptisme ioyned with faith for so must the text be conceiued All ye Galatians that beleeue are baptised into Christ. For Paul had said immediatly before Ye are the sounes of God by faith Againe the Scripture speaking of baptisme comprehends both the outward and the inward baptisme which is the inward baptisme of the spirit Math. 3. 11. and 1. Pet. 3. 21. And thus is baptisme alwaies an infallible marke of the child of God It may further be demanded what are the markes of the inward baptisme Ans. The new birth whereby a man is washed and cleansed by the spirit of God hath three speciall markes The first is the spirit of grace and supplications Zach. 12. 10. that is the spirit of regeneration causing men to turne to God and withall to make instant praier and supplication for mercie and forgiuenes of sins past The second is to heare obay the voice of god in all things Ioh. 8. 47. 10. 27. The third is not to sin that is not to liue in in the practise of any sinne after this new birth is begunne 1. Ioh. 3. He that is borne of God doth not commit sinne He may faile in this or that speach and doe amisse in this or that action but after his calling and conuersion the tenour and course of his life shall be according to the commandements of God And this is a speciall marke to discerne the inward baptisme Some alleadged that hauing long agoe beene baptised with water yet they feele not the inward baptisme and therefore they feare that they are not the children of God Ans. If there be in thee a sorrow for thy corruptions and sinnes past if thou hast a purpose to sinne no more if thou auoidest the occasions of sinne and fearest to offend if hauing sinned thou liest not in thy sinne but recouerest thy selfe by new repentance thou art verily borne of God and baptised with the baptisme of the holy Ghost Others alleadge that although they haue bin baptised yet they feare they haue no faith and therefore they thinke they are not the children of God Ans. If there be in thee a sorrow for thine vnbeleefe a will and desire to beleeue and a care to increase in faith by the vse of good meanes there is a measure of true faith in thee and by it thou maist assure thy selfe that thou art the child of God Others againe alleadge that they haue long made praier vnto God and that according to his will and yet their praiers haue not bin heard and therefore they often doubt they are not Gods children Ans. If thou canst pray though thy praier be not heard according to thy desire content thy selfe For the praier of the heart is the marke of the spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 16. 26. And by it thou maist know that thou art the child of God Thus then we see what is the infallible marke of the child of God namely baptisme ioyned with true faith in Christ or the outward baptisme ioyned with the inward baptisme of the spirit The vse Many auouch the present Church of Rome to be the true Church of God and that because they say in it there is true baptisme which is a marke of the church of God But they are deceiued for baptisme in the church of Rome is seuered from true faith or from the Apostolike doctrine and the outward baptisme is seuered from the inward baptisme For they of that Church ouerturne iustification by the meere mercie of God which is the principall part of the inward baptisme Againe the ten Tribes retained circumcision after their Apostasie yet for all that condemned to be no people of God Ose. 1. 9. The light in the lanthorne pertaines not to the lanthorne but to the passengers in the streete euen so the Confession of faith in the Symboll of the Apostles and
righteousnes and iudgement and then he will bring vpon them all that he hath spoken Gen. 18. 19. to the Israelites he saith that they must turne and obay and then he will make all his promises and couenants good Deut. 30. 1. 6. and Isa. 1. 16 17 19. To the Iewes Peter saith Repent first and then they shall be baptized for the remission of sinnes Act. 2. 38. 42. And Philip saide to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart thou maist be baptized Act. 8. 37. The vse By this order we see that the commandement to beleeue and to repent is more large and generall then the promise of mercie in Christ. For the commandement is giuen to all hearers to turne and beleeue and the promise is made onely to such hearers as doe indeede turne and beleeue therefore it is a falshood to imagine that the promise of saluation belongs generally to all mankind Againe by this order it appeares that Repentance belongs to baptisme and it is one of the first things that are required and therefore it is follie to make Repentance a distinct meanes of saluation and a distinct sacrament from baptisme Thirdly if it be demanded why so many persons that haue bin baptized liue for all this as if they had not bin baptized in the common sinnes of the world like prophane Esaus and yet doe comfort themselues in their baptisme Ans. They doe not know and consider the Order which God vsed in couenanting with them in baptisme but they deale preposterously ouerslipping the commandement of repenting and beleeuing and in the first place lay hold of Gods promise made to them in baptisme This is the cause of so much prophanesse in the world Againe there be many persons that haue bin baptized who neuertheles cannot abide to heare and read the word of God and the reason is because they obserue not the order of their baptisme first of all to become disciples and then to lay hold of the promises of God They likewise are to be blamed that bring vp their youth in ignorance For they are baptized vpon condition that they shall become disciples of Christ when they come to yeares of discretion And they are by this meanes barred from all the mercies of God for we must as good disciples obay the commandement that biddes vs turne and beleeue before we can haue any benefit or profit by any of the promises of God Lastly we are here taught in the working of our saluation to keepe the Order of God which he hath set downe vnto vs in baptisme which is first of all to turne vnto God according to all his lawes and secondly vpon our conuersion to lay hold of the promises of God and the confirmation thereof by the sacraments Thus shall we find comfort in the promises of God and haue true fellowship with God if we beginne where he beginnes in making of his couenant with vs and end where he ends And this we must doe not onely in the time of our first conuersion but also afterward in the time of distresse and affliction and at such times as by frailtie we fall and offend God In a word if for practise we alwaies keepe our selues to this order we shall find true comfort in life and death It followes Baptizing them into the name or in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost These words signifie first to bap tize by the commandement and authoritie of the Father Son and holy Ghost secondly to baptize by and with the inuocation of the name of the true God Whatsoeuer ye doe in ward or deede doe it in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that is by the in vocation of the name of Christ. Col. 3. 17. Thirdly to baptize in the name c. signifies to wash with water in token that the partie baptized hath the name of God named vpon him and that he is receiued into the houshold or familie of God as a child of God a member of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost Thus Iacob faith in the adoption of Ephraim and Manasses Let them be mine and let my name be called vpon them Gen. 48. 5. 16. And Paul saith that the Corinthians might not be named and distinguished by Paul Cephas Apollos because they were not baptized into their names but into the name of Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 13. And this I take to be the full sense of the phrase Here we see what is done in baptisme the Couenant of grace is solemnised betweene God and the partie baptised And in this couenant some actions belong to God and some to the parties baptised Gods actions are two The first is the making of promise of reconciliation that is of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to them that are baptised and beleeue The second is the obsignation or sealing of this promise and that is twofold outward or inward The outward seale is the washing by water and this washing serues not to seale by nature but by the institution of God in these words baptize them c. and therefore Paul saith cleansing the Church by the washing of water in the word Eph. 5. 26. The inward sealing is by the earnest of Gods spirit Eph. 1. 13. The action of the partie baptized is a certaine stipulation or obligation whereby he binds himselfe to giue homage to the Father Son and holy Ghost This Homage stands in faith whereby all the promises of God are beleeued and in Obedience to all his cōmandements The signe of this obligation is that the partie baptized willingly yeelds himselfe to be washed with water It is not saide in the name of God but in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to teach vs the right way to know and to acknowledge the true God This Knowledge stands in sixe points all here expressed The first is that there is one God and no more For though there be three that are named yet there is but one name that is one in authoritie will and worship of all three And elswhere men are said to be baptized into the name of the Lord. Act. 10. 48. The second is that this one true God is the Father Sonne and holy Ghost A mysterie vnsearchable The third that these three are really distinct so as the Father is first in order the Sonne the second and the holy Ghost not the first or second but the third The fourth is that they are all one in operation Ioh. 5. 19. and specially in the act of reconciliation or couenant making For the father sends the sonne to be our Redeemer the sonne workes in his owne person the worke of redemption and the holy Ghost applies the same by his efficacie The fift is that they are all one in worship for the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are ioyntly to be worshipped together and God in them The last is that we are to know God not as he is in himselfe but as he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in
of baptisme And first of all our baptisme must put vs in minde that we are admitted and receiued into the family of God and consequently that we must carrie our selues as the seruants of God And that we may doe so indeede we must deuide our liues into two parts the life past and life to come Touching the life that is past we must performe three things The first is Examination whereby we must call our selues to an account for all our sinnes euen from the cradle the second is Confession whereby we must with sorrowfull hearts bewaile and acknowledge the same sinnes in the prefence of God accusing and condemning our selues for them The third is Deprecation whereby we are to intreat the Lord in the name of Christ and that most instantly from day to day till we receiue a comfortable answer in the peace of conscience and ioy of the H Ghost And for the life to come there must be two things in vs the first is the Purpose of not sinning and it must be a liuely and distinct purpose daily renewed in vs euen as we renewe our daies so as we may say if we sinne it is against our purpose and resolution The second is an indeauour to performe new obedience according to all the commandements of God These things if we doe we shall shewe our selues to be the seruants of God And of all these things baptisme must be as it were a daily sermon vnto vs and so oft to thinke on them as oft as we thinke or speake of our names giuen vs in baptisme This is the doctrine of Paul who teacheth vs that we must be conformable to the death and resurrection of Christ because we haue beene baptized Rom. 6. 3 4. Againe our baptisme into the name of the father c. must teach vs that we must learne to know and acknowledge God aright that is to acknowledge him to be our God and father in Christ to acknowledge his presence and therefore to walke before him to acknowledge his prouidence and therefore to cast our care on him to acknowledge his goodnesse and mercie in the pardon and free forgiuenesse of our sinnes Thirdly Our baptisme must be vnto vs a storehouse of all comfort in the time of our need If thou be tempted by the deuil oppose against him thy baptisme in which God hath promised and sealâ—d vnto thee the pardon of thy sinnes and life euerlasting If thou be troubled with doubtings and weaknes of faith consider that God hath giuen thee an earnest and pledge of his louing kindnes to thee We vse often to look vpon the wills of our fathers and grand-fathers that we may be resolued in matters of doubt and so often looke vpon the will of thy heauenly father sealed and deliuered to thee in thy baptisme and thou shalt the better be resolued in the middest of all thy doubts If thou lie vnder any crosse or calamitie haue recourse to thy baptisme in which God promised to be thy God and of this promise he will not faile thee Lastly if a man would be a student in diuinitie let him learne practise his baptisme Commentaries are needefull to the studie of the scriptures and the best commentarie to a mans owne selfe is his owne baptisme For if a man haue learned to know ought and to practise his owne baptisme he shall the better be able to vnderstand the whole and without this helpe the scriptures themselues shall be as a riddle vnto vs. The 4. point whereby the gift of adoption is described is the ground thereof in these words ye haue put on Christ and all are one in Christ. The phrase which Paul vseth is borrowed from the custome of them that were baptised in the Apostes daies who put off their garments when they were to be baptised and put on new garments after baptisme To put on a garment is to apply it to the bodie and to vse or weare it And to put on Christ is to be ioyned neerely to Christ and to haue spirituall fellowship with him Here then the foundation of our adoption is in two things our vnion with Christ our communion with him Of which we are somewhat to be aduertised for the better vnderstanding of the text The vnion with Christ is a worke of God whereby all beleeuers are made one with Christ. Here two questions are to be demanded The first in what respect or for what cause are they said to be one with Christ Ans. They are not one with him in conceit or imagination for this coniunction is in truth a reall coniunction Iohn 17. 22. Christ prooues that all beleeuers may be one with him as he is one with the father Secondly they are not one barely by consent of heart and affection for thus all families and friends are one and they of Ierusalem are said thus to be of one heart and mind Act. 4. 32. Thirdly they are not one in substance for so many beleeuers as there are so many distinct persons are there euery one of them distinct from the person of Christ And the substance of the godhead of Christ is incommunicable and the flesh of Christ is in heauen and shall there abide till the last iudgement whereupon it cannot be mixed or compounded with our substances Lastly beleeuers are not one with Christ by transfusion of the properties and qualities of the godhead or manhood vnto vs. It may be said how then are they one with him I answer by one and the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all the members of Christ. 1. Cor. 6. 17. he that cleaueth to the Lord is one spirit Paul saith in this sense Eph. 2. 14. that Christ maketh the two distinct nations of Iewes and Gentiles one new man S. Iohn saith that Christ dwells in vs and we in him by the spirit 1. Iohn 3. 23. For the better conceiuing of this suppose a man whose head lies in Italie his armes in Germanie and Spaine his feete in England suppose further that one and the same soule extends it selfe to all the foresaid parts and quickens them all they are all now become one in respect of one and the same soule and all concurre as members to one and the same bodie euen so all the Saints in heauen and all beleeuers vpon earth hauing one and the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them are all one in Christ. The second question is how are all beleeuers made one with Christ Ans. By a donation on Gods part whereby Christ is giuen vnto vs and by a receiuing on our part The donation is whereby Christ is made ours for right so as a man may say truly Christ is mine with all his benefits Of this donation 4. things are to be obserued The first is that Christ himselfe and whole Christ is giuen to vs. For heere we are said to put on Christ. Here a distinction must be obserued the Godhead of Christ is giuen to vs not in respect of substance which
is whence springs our adoption The answer is plaine in the words from the obedience of the sonne whereby he stood in subiection to the law Here the question of all questions is answered namely what is that thing by which and for which a sinner is iustified before God and saued Ans. The Obedience of the sonne of God made man and made vnder the law for vs. For this is it that frees vs from vnder the law and giues vs the Adoption of sonnes And this alone is it whereby we stand before the Tribunall seat of God which also we are to oppose to the iudgement of God to hell death and condemnation Therefore our common people erre that looke to be saued by their good deedes that is by their good meaning and dealing They thus tread the blood of Christ vnder their owne feete and become Iesuses or Sauiours to themselues Secondly they erre that teach iustification by the essentiall iustice of the Godhead of the sonne for that it is incommunicable and they which are iustified by it are also deified Thirdly the Papist erreth which teacheth iustification partly by remission of sinnes and partly by that which we call inward sanctification which is imperfect and mixed in this life with our corruption and therefore vnfit to absolue and acquit vs before God It may be said what must we doe that we may be iustified and saued by this Obedience of the Mediatour Answ. In the old Testament when a man had sinned he brought a sheepe or an oxe to the doore of the Tabernacle and when the Priest cut the throat of it the partie laid his hand vpon the head of it Exod. 29. 10. And hereby he signified that the beast had done no hurt and that he as a guiltie malefactour had deserued death Now all this was done in figure And it teacheth vs that we miserable sinners must come to God that we must bring our sacrifice with vs namely the lambe of God which is the sonne of God made man made vnder the law that we must present this lambe and the oblation thereof to the father for vs laying our hands on the head of it that is confessing ourguiltinesse and that we haue iustly deserued death and perdition from the presence of God In the last place we must intreat the Lord to accept the blood of the lamb for vs and the whole obedience of the Mediatour Thus shall we be iustified and saued Thou wilt say I will therefore doe this when I am dying I say againe let it be thy daily exercise to the very death Thou wast seauen yeares in learning of thy trade thinke not therfore in an houre or two to worke thy reconciliation with God If thou art many yeares in learning such things as are done by the strength of nature thinke not to attaine to things aboue nature when and howe thou wilt It is a rule receiued of all men that they must blesse themselues now the right way to blesse thy selfe is to plead-guiltie before God and to intreat him to accept the obedience of the Mediatour for thee Uers. 6. Sonnes that is such as inioy the libertie of sonnes Sent forth a speach borrowed from Embassadours which are sent forth with instructiōs what they shal say or do it signifies that the spirit reueales nothing but that which is the will of the father sonne Ioh. 16. 14. Crying making vs to crie Rom. 8. 26. For if the words be taken properly the spirit must pray to it selfe Abba the next word is the exposition Father The sense The father hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne vnto you this spirit sent forth dwels in your hearts dwelling in your hearts it makes you pray to God as to a father◠and all this it doth because you are indeed sonnes of God The scope The question is whether beleeuers of the newe Testament be seruants to the law or children Paul answers no and he giues two reasons The first was in the former verses the second in this And it is drawne from the signe thus Yee haue receiued the spirit crying Abba father therefore ye are sonnes indeede In the words I consider fiue things the person sent forth the spirit of the sonne the person sending God the manner of sending the place whither the spirit is sent your hearts the office of the spirit Crying Abba Of the first the spirit of the sonne it is who is sent forth He is so called first because he proceeds by communication of substance or godhead not onely from the father but also from the sonne Secondly because in his manhood he is annointed and filled with the Holy Ghost aboue measure thirdly because by his death he hath merited the giuing and sending of the Holy Ghost vnto vs. Moreouer the spirit of the sonne is here described First he is a person subsisting of himselfe in that he is said to be sent forth secondly he is a diuine person and no creature because he dwels in the hearts of all beleeuers thirdly he proceeds from the father and the sonne from the father because he is sent of him from the sonne because he is the spirit of the sonne The vse By this we learne that the Intercession of Christ is of force with God For he praied for the sending of the spirit and it is accomplished Read Ioh. 14. 16. And it is a superfluous doctrine to teach the Reall presence of the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament For Christ is departed from vs in respect of his manhood because the spirit is sent Ioh. 16. 7. Thirdly that which the spirit inwardly teacheth is the same with that which the sonne hath reuealed by the Ministerie of the Prophets and Apostles because the spirit is the spirit of the sonne Read Ioh. 16. 14. Doctrines then concerning saluation that are beside or contrarie to the Scriptures as a great part of the Romish religion is are not reuealed by the spirit of God but are the fictions of the deuill The person sending is God that is the father in these words God sent forth the spirit of his sonne Where marke the distinction of the persons in Trinitie There is the father the sonne the spirit of the sonne And here remember that this action of sending forth argues not superioritie in the person sending nor inferioritie in the person sent for equals may send each other by common consent but it argues Order and a distinction of persons in respect of their beginning For the father is of none the sonne is of the father and the Holy Ghost is of both and hence it is that he is sent of both The manner of this sending forth was on this sort We may not imagine that in this sending there was any change of place for the Holy Ghost is euery where But he is said to be sent forth when he manifests his presence by his diuine operation or by speciall supernaturall gifts in the hearts of beleeuers as by the
because they are not ioyned with a change and conuersion of heart and life Thirdly our desires are to be directed vnto God with importunitie and instancie For the spirit makes vs crie Abba Father that is My father and thy father God requires this importunitie of vs. Luk. 18. 1. It is practised by Dauid Psal. 69. 4. by the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. We must doe as Iacob did wrastle with God and giue him no rest till he fulfil the desires of our hearts and giue vs the blessing And our constant desires and groanes to heauen for mercie shall neuer be in vaine For if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs indeede 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Verse 7. These words are the conclusion of the former doctrine of Paul The time of our libertie is come in that your libertie is procured and purchased by Christ and ye haue receiued the spirit of sonnes crying Abba therefore ye are not seruants to the lawe but sonnes of God And from this conclusion Paul deriues a second which is the summe and substance of the whole disputation from the beginning of the third chapter to this place namely that they which are sonnes are also heires not by the lawe and the works thereof but by Christ. This verse is a repetition of the 26. 29. verses of the third chapter therfore I will not stand any lōger in the hādling of it One thing is to be obserued namely the change of the number Paul said before ye are sonnes here he saith thou art a sonne And this he doth to teach vs that they which turne to God beleeue in Christ must be assured that they are the sonnes and heires of God Paul hath set downe immediately before the infallible signe whereby a man may knowe himselfe to be the childe of God therefore in the next words he saith therefore thou art the sonne of God Saint Iohn saith these things we write vnto you that beleeue that ye may know that ye haue life euer lasting 1. Ioh. 5. 13. Thus must euery beleeuer apply the Gospell and the benefits thereof to himselfe The meditation of this point serues greatly to sweeten all crosses vnto vs for if we know that we be Gods children that is comfort enough and we may then assure our selues that in euery crosse God comes vnto vs as a father Again this meditation works a contentation in euery losse For if thou be the childe of god thou canst haue no great losse For all things are thine thou Christs and Christ Gods 1. Cor. 3. 22. Lastly this meditation must stirre vp in vs a care to lead a heauenly and spirituall life 1. Ioh. 3. 3. that we may be like our eldest brother Christ Iesus v. 8. But euen then when yee knew not God ye did seruice vnto them which by nature are not Gods v. 9. But nowe seeing ye know God or rather are known of God how turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggarly rudiments whereunto as from the beginning ye will be in bondage againe v. 10. Yee obserue daies and moneths and times and yeares v. 11. I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed labour on you in vaine Here Paul returnes againe to the principall conclusion of the whole Epistle which is on this manner If I Paul be called to teach and my doctrine be true ye haue done euill to reuolt from it to another Gospel but I am called to teach and my doctrine is true this Paul prooued in the first second and third chapters Therefore ye haue done euill to reuolt from my doctrine This conclusion he propounded before and here againe he repeates it and withall amplifies it two waies First by setting downe the particular matter of the reuolt and Apostacie of the Galatians v. 9 10. ye returne to impotent rudiments ye obserue daies and times Secondly he sets downe the greatnesse of their reuolt first by comparison thus Once ye serued false gods but there is some excuse of that offence because ye did not know God but that ye haue returned to the Rudiments of the world there is no excuse of it for ye then knewe god or rather were known of god Againe he sets forth the greatnesse of their reuolt by the effect v. 11. It makes me feare least I haue lost my labour among you Here Paul sets downe a threefold estate of the Galatians their estate in Gentilisme before their conuersion their estate in their conuersion and their estate in the Apostasie Their estate in Gentilisme stands in two things Ignorance of God then ye knew not God Idolatrie or superstition ye serued them which are not Gods by nature Touching their ignorance of God it may be demaunded how they can be said not to know God whereas Paul saith that which may be known of God is made manifest vnto the Gentiles Rom. 1. 20. and that God did not leaue himselfe without witnesse Act. 14. 17. Answ. Knowledge of God is twofold Naturall or reuealed knowledge Naturall is that which all men haue in their minds by the light of nature which also they may gather by the view and obseruation of the creatures This knowledge hath two properties The first it is imperfect because by it we know some fewe and generall things of God as namely that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped c. In this respect this knowledge is like the ruines of a princely pallace Againe it is weake because it serues onely to cut off excuse and it is not sufficient to direct vs in the worship of God Nay when by it we beginne to set downe the worship of God we then runne headlong into superstition and vanitie Reuealed knowledge is that which is set downe in the written word whereby we may knowe what God is in himselfe and what he is to vs namely a father in Christ giuing pardon of sinne and life euerlasting This knowledge the Gentiles altogether want nay by reason of the blindenes and impotencie of their minds they iudge it foolishnesse Thus then in effect though the Gentiles by nature know some things of God yet doe they not knowe God as he will be known of vs. Againe it may be demaunded whether this ignorance be a sinne in the Galatians Answ. Yea. For all men are bound to know God by the first commandement And this ignorance is a want of the image of God in the minde Col. 3. 10. And euery defect of the image of God is a branch of originali sinne And vengeance is the punishment of this sinne 2. Thess. 1. 8. It may be obiected that Paul here excuseth the Galatians by their ignorance Answ. It excuseth à tanto non à toto that is the degree and measure of the sinne and not the sinne it selfe Luk. 12. 48. Againe it may be said that this their ignorance is inuincible because as the Gentiles doe not know God so they cannot know him Ans. That they cannot know him it is not Gods
Gods Church or kingdome in which first comes the husbandman and sowes good seede and then after comes the deuill with his tares Matth. 13. 24. and all this is euident in the Church of Galatia first planted by Paul and then seduced by false teachers The third thing is that Paul preached bearing about him the triall of God This triall is a worke of God whereby he discouers vnto vs and to the world either the grace or the corruption of our hearts Thus God tried Abraham Hebr. 11. 17. the Israelites Deut. 6. 1. and Ezechias 2. Chron. 32. 31. and Paulin this place The vse We must not thinke it strange when we are afflicted any way Nay we must looke for trialls and be content when they come 1. Pet. 4. 12. Iam. 1. 2. We are either gold in deede or gold in shew if in deede we must be cast into the furnace that we may be purged if we be gold in appearance we must againe into the furnace that we may be knowne what we are The best vine in the vinyard must be lopped and cut with the pruning knife that it may beare the more fruit Ioh. 15. Againe we must take heede least there be any hidden corruptions raigning in our hearts and we must labour to be indeede that which we appeare to be For we must be tried by God and then that which now lies hidde shall be discouered to our shame Lastly we must looke to it that there be soundnes of grace in vs that we may be able to beare the trialls of God and shew forth some measure of faith potience obedience The first signe of Reuerence in the Galatians is that they did not despise Paul in his base condition This is a matter of commendation in them and it is to be followed of vs. And he is a blessed man that is not offended at Christ Math. 11. 6. The second signe of reuerence is that they receiued Paul as an angel of God or as Christ Iesus Here first we must distinguish betweene Pauls person and his doctrine or ministerie And he is said to be receiued as an angel or as Christ because his doctrine was receiued euen as if an angel or Christ had deliuered it Secondly we must put a difference betweene an Apostle and all ordinarie pastours and teachers And to be receiued as an angel or as Christ properly and simply concerns Paul and the rest of the Apostles For to them it was said it is not you that speake but the spirit of the father in you Math. 10. 20. Againe he that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10. 16. The Apostles were called of God immediately taught and inspired immediately and immediately gouerned by the spirit both in preaching and writing so as they could not erre in the things which they deliuered to the Church and therefore they were to be heard euen as Christ himselfe As for other ordinarie teachers they are in part and in the second place to be heard as angels and as Christ so farre forth as they follow the doctrine of the Apostles Thus are they also called the angels of the couenant Math. 2. 7. And Embassadours in the stead of Christ 2. Cor. 5. 21. Here Paul notably expresseth the Authoritie and honour of an Apostle which is to be heard euen as Christ himselfe because in preaching he is the mouth and in writing the hand of God This authoritie is to be maintained and the consideration of it is of great vse The Papists say we know the scripture to be the word of God by the testimonie of the Church but indeede the principall meanes whereby we are assured touching the truth of Scripture is that the books of scripture were penned by men whose writings and sayings we are to receiue euen as from Christ himselfe because they had either Propheticall or Apostolicall authoritie and were immediately taught and inspired in writing and all this may be discerned by the matter for me and circumstances of the foresaid books Secondly they are to be blamed that call the Pope the spouse of the Church and Christ by annointment as Bernard did for thus is he more then an Apostle Thirdly here we see the goodnesse of God that doth not speake to vs in his maiestie but appoints men in his stead who are his embassadours to beseech vs to be reconciled to him Fourthly there must be fidelitie in teachers because they stand in teaching in the stead of Christ and therefore must onely deliuer that which they knowe to be the will of Christ. Fiftly They must haue a speciall care of holinesse of life because they speake in the name and roome of God Read Leuit. 10. 2. Sixtly the people are to heare their teachers with all reuerence euen as if they would heare the very angels of God or Christ himselfe Seauenthly the comfort of the Ministerie is as sure and certen as if an angel came downe from heauen or Christ himselfe to comfort vs so be it we doe indeed truely turne to God and repent Vers. 15. What was your felicitie that is you esteemed it to be your felicitie that you receiued me and my doctrine Ye would haue plucked out your eies and haue giuen them to me a prouerbiall speech signifying the speciall loue of the Galatians to Paul so as nothing which they had could be to deare for him If it had bin possible this he saith because no mā can pluck out his eie to doe another man good or thus no man can possibly giue his eie and the sight thereof to another In these words Paul sets downe the third signe of the loue and reuerence which the Galatians shewed to him and that is that they thought themselues happie by reason of Pauls Ministerie and would haue parted with their owne eies for his good Hence we learne that there is a felicitie after the time of this life and that is to receiue and imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell So saith Christ else where Luk. 8. 21. and 11. 18. Math. 7. 26. True happinesse stands in our reconciliation with God in Christ. And this reconciliation is offered and giuen vs on gods part by his word and promise and it is receiued of vs when we turne to God and by faith rest on the said promise To be in Gods kingdome is happinesse and this is the kingdome of God when we resigne our selues in subiection to his will and word The preaching of the word is the key of this kingdome Matth. 16. 19. and when it is receiued into our hearts by faith heauen is set open vnto vs euen in this life Ioh. 1. 51. The Philosophers therefore haue erred that place our happinesse in honours riches pleasures or in ciuill vertue Secondly our common people are deceiued who thinke because they deale truely and iustly before men that they are in as good a case as they that heare all the sermons in the world as though true happinesse stood in ciuill conuersation
Thirdly this doctrine serues to beate downe a point of naturall Atheisme in the heart of man which makes many thinke it a vaine thing to serue God and to heare his word Iob. 21. 15. Mala. 3. 14. Dauid was troubled with this corruption Psal. 73. 15. Many of them which professe the name of Christ will not be brought to keep the Sabbath daie and in their dealings they vse fraud and lying as other men doe and all is because they thinke they cannot liue by their religion Fourthly the onely way to establish a kingdome or common wealth is to plant the Gospell there for this makes an happie people And this is the maine cause of our happinesse and successe in this church and land And the obedience of the Gospel is it that makes euery man in his trade office and calling whatsoeuer it be to prosper Read Psal. 1. 3. 5. On the contrarie they are wretched and miserable that liue without the Gospell Prou. 29. 18. 2. Cor. 4. 3. 2. Tim. 3. 7. 6. To receiue the doctrine of the Apostles is an vnfallible marke of the Church of God For this is it that makes a people blessed and happie 7. We may not despise the preaching of the word 1. Thes. 5. 20. If we doe we despise our owne happinesse If it be said Preachers sometime are deceiued Answ. Marke the addition of Paul Prooue all things hold that which is good 2. Thess. 5. Touching the speciall loue of the Galatians to Paul First it may be demanded what was the cause of it Answ. The very Ministerie of the Apostle whose office it was to make Disciples Math. 28. 19. and so to plant the Church of the new Testament And for this cause he had a priuiledge to preach the truth so as he could not erre in things which he deliuered to the church 2. He preached with authority as hauing power to correct rebellious offenders 2. Cor. 106. and 1. Cor. 4. 3. he preached with vnspeakeablle diligence Read Act. 20. 31. 4. He had a prerogatiue as the rest of the Apostles had after he had made disciples by imposition of hands to giue vnto them the extraordinary giftes of the Holy Ghost Act. 8. 17. And these are the meanes whereby this speciall loue was procured Secondly it may be demanded whether the Galatians did not more then keepe the law when they would haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to Paul for thus they loue him more then their owne selues Ans. The commandement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doth not prescribe that we must in the first place loue our selues and then in the second loue our neighbour but it setts downe the right manner of louing our neighbour and that is to loue him as hartely and vnfainedly as our owne selues The measure of loue is expressed when Christ saith we must loue on another as Christ loued vs. Ioh. 13. 34. There is a certen case in which we must consider our neighbour not only as a neighbour but also as a speciall instrument of God and thus are we in some respectes to loue and to preferre him before our selues Thus a subiect is more to loue the life of his prince then his own life Thus Paul was content to be accursed for the Israelites Rom. 9. 1. And the Galatians would haue giuen their eies to Paul that was so worthy an instrument of the grace of God In their example we are taught to be willing to forsake the dearest things in the world for the Gospell of Christ euen our eies hands feete yea and our life Vers. 16. Because I tell you the trueth We must after Pauls example speake the truth to all men Eph. 4. 25. Am I therefore your enemie the conclusion of the Apostles argument Here we see a corruption of nature which makes vs that we cannot abide to heare the truth in things that are against vs. We hate them that speake the truth selfe loue makes vs conceiue the best things of our selues Here then learne 1. To search thy heart and life that thou maiest know the very worst by thy selfe If thou wilt not know it now thou shalt know it to thy shame in the day of iudgement 2. Be vile and base in thine owne opinion Iob. 34. last 17. They are iealous ouer you amisse yea they would exclude you that ye should altogether loue them 18 But it is good to loue earnestly alwaies in a good cause and not onely when I am present with you The word zeale hath many significations here it is fittely translated ielousie Ye are ielous hereby much is signified that there is a spirituall marriage betweene Christ and his Church that the Church is the Bride Christ the bridegroome or husband the Gospel an instrument drawne touching the marriage the sacraments as seales the graces of the spirit as loue-tokens the Ministers of Christ as friends of the bridegroome and suters for him In this respect they put on the affection of Christ and are zealous for him This Ielousie is twofold pretended ielousie and true ielousie Pretended ielousie is when men falsely pretend the loue of the Church for Christs sake Thus Paul saith They are ielous that is they pretend a loue vnto you for Christs sake but indeede they doe it amisse And the reason follows They would exclude you namely from louing of me Others read the wordes thus they would exclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs the difference in the Original is onely in one letter and the sense is the same that the false Apostles would exclude Paul from the loue of the Galatians that they onely might be honoured and loued Jt is good These words may be vnderstood either of the Galatians or of Paul I rather choose to applie them to Paul that for ielousie he may make an opposition betweene himselfe and the false teachers The sense is this that ielousie is a good thing if it be in a good cause that is if it be indeede for Christs sake and be alwaies the same And Paul addes further that this kind of ielousie is in himselfe because he is ielous ouer the Galatians not onely when he is present with them but also when he is absent and this he further confirmes in the two next verses The scope In these wordes Paul meetes with a conceit of the Galatians for they might happely say that their new Teachers loued them exceedingly and were zealous for their saluation Paul therefore answers by a comparison thus they are ielous ouer you but it is amisse nay ielousie for you is good The first part of the comparison is in the 17. verse the second in the 18. The vse When Paul saith that the false Apostles were ielous ouer the Galatians amisse he sets out the fashion of men in the world which is to doe things which are good in their kind but to doe them for wrong ends It is an excellent office to preach the word but some doe it of enuie and
not the Papist which addes tradition to the scripture And for affection we suffer our selues to be limited by the doctrine of repentance and new obedience Secondly I answer that the church of Rome vseth false meanes of Limitation For it teacheth that for opinion we must captiuate our senses to the determination of the church by beleeuing as the church beleeueth though it be not knowne what the church beleeueth And it limits affection by auricular confession and by canonicall satisfactions meere inuentions of men The fourth motiue The Romane religion drawes the multitude Ans. It drawes them indeede because it is a naturall religion but it doth not turne them from darknes to light from death to life Secōdly I answer that Antichrist in his comming shall draw the multitude 2. Thess. 2. 9. The fift motiue There were neuer but two alterations of religion One in the daies of Elias the other in the daies of Iohn the Baptist. Ans. I will shew a third Paul saith that before the ende there shall be a departure 2. Thess. 2. and this departure is generall in all nations Reuel 13. 16. and after a thousand yeares there shall be the first resurrection Reuel 20. 5. and this resurrection is the reuiuing and the restoring of the Gospel after long ignorance and superstition The sixt motiue The church of Rome hath a Iudge to ende controuersies we haue none Ans. Christ is our Iudge and the scripture is the voice of this iudge determining all things pertaining to saluation fully and plainly to the contentation of any conscience The seauenth motiue The Romane religion is sutable to ancient Tradition Ans. It is contrarie For it abolisheth the second commandement touching Images and the tenth touching lust And it ouerturneth sundrie Articles of faith For it abolisheth one of the natures of Christ by the reall presence and his three offices by ioyning partners and associates with him To these seauen I adde three other The eight motiue then is this Our Ministers they say tooke vnto themselues new callings and consequently that we are but schismatikes Ans. The offices of the first restorers of the Gospel were ordinarie and their vocation to the said offices was ordinary for they were all either Priests or Schoole doctors It may be saide that they departed from their callings I answer they departed onely from the common abuse of their callings which they restored to their right vse The ninth motiue The church of Rome hath true baptisme and therefore it is a true church Ans. Baptisme in the Papacie pertaines not to it but to another hidden church in the middest of the Papacie as the light in the lanthorne pertaines not to it but to the passenger Secondly though the church of Rome hold the outward baptisme yet doth it ouerturne the inward which stands in the iustification of a sinner by imputation of the obedience of Christ. Thirdly baptisme seuered from the preaching of the Gospel is no marke of a church Circumcision was vsed in Samaria and yet they were no people of God Hos. 1. 9. The tenth motiue The church of Rome hath antiquitie and succession from the Apostles Ans. They are no markes of the church vnlesse they be ioyned with propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine The kingdome of darknes hath also antiquitie succession vniuersalitie and vnitie Now then we are to hold the church of Rome as a stepmother nay as a professed harlot shee is no mother of ours For the Lord saith Come out of her my people Reuel 18. Let vs therefore come to the true answer The catholike Church our Mother is to be sought for and to be found in the true visible churches the certen markes whereof are three The preaching of the word of God out of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles with obedience Ioh. 10. 28. Eph. 2. 20. True inuocation of God the father in the onely name of Christ by the assistance of the spirit Act. 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. the right vse of the sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper Math 28. 18. And by these shall we finde the true Church of God in England Ireland Scotland Germanie France c. Againe in that the Church is called our Mother the Papist gathereth that her commandements must be obaied Prov. 1. 8. and therefore in their Catechismes beside the commandements of God they propound the commandements of the Church But I answer that the precepts of the father and the mother must be one and then the mother must be obaied The Church is called the mother of vs all that is of all true beleeuers Hence it follows that wicked men are not members of the catholike Church as Popish doctors erroniously teach for then the church shall be a mother not onely to the children of God but also to the children of the deuill Lastly in that the church is our Mother we are taught that we must despise our first birth and seeke to be borne againe vnto God and sucke the brest of our mother feeding on the milke of the word Psal. 45. 11. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Thus to be borne a member of the new Ierusalem is a great priuiledge Psal. 87. 5. Reuel 3. 12. 27 For it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest no childrē breake forth and crie thou that trauelest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee which hath an husband These words are the testimonie of the Prophet Isa c. 54. 1. and they are brought to prooue that which Paul said in the former verse that the Catholike Church is the Mother of vs all that is not onely of the Iewes but also of all beleeuing Gentiles In the words I consider the preface to the Testimonie and the testimonie it selfe The preface It is written where two points are to be considered The first is who saith Jt is written Ans. The Apostle Paul whose authoritie was diuine and infallible because he was led into all truth by the spirit of God so as he could not erre in deliuering doctrine to the church And yet for all this he followes the rule of the written word And his manner was so to doe Act. 26. 22. This shewes the shamelesse impudencie of the church of Rome which takes to it selfe an absolute power of iudgement in all matters without and beside the scripture yea a power to iudge of the scripture it selfe and of the sense thereof without the helpe of scripture vpon a supposed infallible assistance of the spirit The second point is In what question saith Paul It is written Ans. In a controuersie betweene him and the false Apostles touching the iustification of a sinner This shewes that the scripture it selfe is the meanes to determine and decide controuersies There was for this purpose in the old Testament the liuely voice of God vttered in the Oracle at the Mercie seat but in the new Testament there is no such voice of God but the written word is in stead thereof to the ende of the world And therefore
least we surfet Yet in spirituall ioyes the measure is to reioice without measure if we be rauished with ioy in Christ that we crie againe it is the best of all 28. Therefore brethren we are after the manner of Isaac children of the promise Here Paul shewes that as Sara figured the catholike church so Isaac was a figure of all true beleeuers the children of God Therefore or thus And we brethren We not onely the Iewes but also beleeuing Gentiles Promise the promise made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed or the promise made to the church that beeing barren shee shall beare many children Children of promise beleeuers are so called not because they beleeue the promise though that be a truth but because they are made children of God by the vertue of Gods promise For thus was Isaac the child of promise in that he was borne to Abraham not by the strength of nature but by Gods promise And Paul opposeth the children of the promise to the children of the flesh which were borne by naturall strength Rom. 9. 8. Hence it followes that the meere grace of God is the cause of our election and adoption and not any thing in vs. For the promise of God makes vs Gods children and the promise is of the meere grace of God and therefore we are Gods children by the meere grace of God For the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused Therefore Paul saith that the Ephesians were predestinate to adoption Eph. 1. 5. And he saith the 7000 that neuer bowed knee to Baal were reserued by the election of grace Rom. 11. 5. And it is a false Position to teach that Election and adoption are according to Gods foreknowledge of our faith and obedience For thus shall we Elect our selues and be children not of Gods promise but of our own freewill and faith Moreouer God foresees our future faith and obedience because he first decreed to giue the grace of faith vnto vs because the foreknowledge of things which are to come to passe depends vpon a precedent will in God Marke further the children of God are called the children of the promise and this promise is absolute and effectual Here a question may be resolued and that it whether the child of God in his conuersion haue a libertie and power to resist the inward calling of God Answ. No. The absolute will of God cannot be resisted nowe the promise whereby men are made the children of God is the absolute will of God Againe with this promise is ioyned the infinite power of God which without all resistance brings that to passe which God hath promised For he makes men to doe that which he commands Ezec. 36. 26. he giues the will and the deede Phil. 2. 13. so as men effectually called cannot but come Ioh. 6. 45. It may be saide that this is to abolish all freedome of will Ans. It sufficeth to the libertie of the will that it be free from compulsion for constraint takes away the libertie of the will and not necessitie Secondly the determination of mans will by the will of God is the libertie of the will and not the bondage thereof for this is perfect libertie when mans wil is conformable to the will of God 29 But as he which was borne according to the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit so is it now These wordes are an answer to an Obiection on this manner We are hated of the Iewes and therefore we are not the children of promise The answer is two fold One in this verse thus No maruell this is the old fashion it was thus in Abrahams familie For Ismael borne after the flesh persecuted Isaac borne after the spirit and so it is at this day Obserue that there is a perpetuall enmitie and opposition betweene true beleeuers and hypocrites God put enmitie betweene the seede of the serpent and the seede of the woman Gen. 13. 15. The world hates them that are chosen out of the world Ioh. 15. 19. Carnall men cannot abide that their opinions and doings should be iudged and condemned of others Ioh. 3. 20. And hence comes the opposition that is betweene beleeuers and hypocrites who cannot abide such as are not like themselues This hatred and opposition shewes it selfe in persecution of which three things are to be considered The first is who persecutes Ans. Carnall Ismaelites such as are of the same religion and familie with Isaac Thus the Iewes persecuted their owne Prophets and the Thessalonians were persecuted of their own prophets 1. Thes. 2. 14. Thus Priests and Iesuits that haue bin hertofore borne baptised brought vp among vs are the causes of many seditions conspiracies and seeke the subueâ—sion of Church and land The second is who are persecuted Ans. Spirituall men the children of the promise They suffer wrong but they doe none In the mount of the Lord there is no hurt done Isa. 11. 9. they turne their speares and swords into mattocks and sithes Isa. 2. 4. And they which doe no wrong but are content to suffer wrong and that for a good cause are in this respect blessed Matth. 5. 10. The third point is touching the kind of persecution and that was skorning or mocking Gen. 21. 9. It may be demanded how mocking can be persecution Ans. Mocking and derision which riseth of the hatred and contempt of our brother is a degree of murder He which saith Raca to his brother is guiltie of a Councell Matth. 5. 22. Here Raca signifieth all signes and gestures that expresse contempt as snuffing tushing iering gerning c. Cain is rebuked of God euen for the casting downe of his countenance Gen. 4. 6. Againe the mocking wherewith Ismael mocked Isaac proceeded from a contemp and hatred of the grace of God in Isaac which Paul notes when he saith that he was persecuted which was borne after the spirit This hatred of Gods grace in men is the beginning of all persecution and the deriding of the grace of God is as much as the spoiling of our goods and the seeking of our liues Thus Cain hated his brother by reason of the grace of God because his deedes were good 1. Ioh. 3. 12. A great part of the sufferings of Christ stood in this that he was mocked for his confidence in God Psal. 22. 8. Matt. 27. 43. The children of Bethel mocke Elizeus first for his person calling him bald pate secondly for the fauour of God shewed vpon Elias his master in saying Ascend bald â—ate that is ascend not to Bethel but ascend to heauen as Elias did And this prophane skorning he cursed in the name of God 2. King 2. 23. The like skorning is vsed among vs at this day For the practise of that religion which stands by the law of God and the good lawes of this land is nicknamed with tearmes of precisâ—nes and puritie A thing much to be lamented for this bewraies
it pertaines to the conscience The vse indeede of our libertie is in outward things as meate drinke apparell c. but the libertie it selfe is in the conscience And thus it differs from ciuill libertie which stands in the moouing of the bodie in the choise of bodily actions and in the free vse of our goods Christian libertie hath two parts a Deliuerance from miserie and Freedome in good things Deliuerance hath foure parts The first is a Deliuerance from the curse of the law for the breach thereof Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. And this comes to passe because there is a translation made of the curse from our persons to the person of Christ. Gal. 3. 13. The second deliuerance is from the obligation of the law whereby it binds vs to bring perfect righteousnes in our owne persons for the attainment of euerlasting life according to the tenour thereof Doe this and liue And this deliuerance is procured because there is a translation made of the fulfilling of the law from our persons to the person of our Sauiour Christ. From these two deliuerances ariseth the Pacification of the conscience partly for our Iustification and partly for our conuersation Touching iustification A sinner in his humiliation and conuersion hath by this doctrine a Libertie without respect to his owne workes or to his owne fulfilling of the law to rest on the meere mercie of God for the forgiuenes of his sinnes and the saluation of his soule and to appeale from the throne of diuine iustice to the throne of grace and to oppose the merit of Christ against the wrath and iudgement of God And this hath bin alwaies the helpe of the godly in their distresse Read 2. Chron. 33. 12. Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Psal. 32. 31. 130. 143. Consider the example of the Publican and the Prodigall sonne who condemne themselues and make their appeale to the court of mercie and grace Here some man may say how shall I know that I am freed from the rigour of the law and from the curse thereof Ans. Thou must first set thy selfe at the barre of Gods iudgement and there must thou arraigne accuse and condemne thy selfe this done thou must vse thy libertie and make thine appeale to Gods mercie and grace for pardon by asking seeking knocking and thus at length shalt thou be resolued touching thy deliuerance Moreouer touching conuersation our consciences are setled thus In that we are freed from the Rigour of the law God in mercie accepts the will and indeauour to beleeue repent and obay for faith repentance and obedience He spares them that feare him as a father spares his child when he indeauours to doe that which he can Mal. 3. 17. The law requires perfect obedience at our hands yet God of his mercie lookes more at the will to obay then the perfection of obedience This must be a stay to our mindes when we see more corruption then grace in our selues and our obedience tainted with many spots of disobedience The third Deliuerance is from the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law of Moses Col. 2. 16. And hence ariseth an other deliuerance from the bondage of humane Traditions as Paul saith If yee be dead with Christ from the Elements of the world why are ye burdened with traditions Col. 2. 20. The fourth Deliuerance is from vnder the tyrannie and dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 14. Let not sinne haue dominion ouer you For ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace In the first tonuersion of a sinner Originall sinne receiues his deadly wound and the dominion thereof is diminished according to the measure of grace receiued The second part of Christian libertie is a Freedome in good things and it is fourefold The first is a freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God Luk. 1. 74. We are deliuered from our enemies that we may serue God in righteousnes and holines before him all the daies of our liues without feare Paul saith that the law is not giuen to the righteous man 1. Tim. 1. 9. because he is a law to himselfe and freely does good duties as if there were no law to bind him The cause of this freedome is the Gift and donation of the free spirit of God Therefore Dauid praies Stablish me with thy free spirit Psal. 5. 1. And Paul saith Where the spirit is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. And The spirit of life which is in Christ is a Law to vs and frees vs from the power of sinne and death Rom. 8. 2. It may be obiected that this freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God is bondage For Christ saith Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke vpon you And we are as straightly bound to the obedience of the law of God as Adam was by creation nay more straightly by reason of our redemption by Christ. Ans. The more we are bound to obedience the freer we are because the seruice of God is not bondage but perfect libertie The second freedome is in the free vse of all the creatures of God Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure Rom. 14. 14. And the reason is because the dominion ouer the creatures lost by Adam is restored by Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 22. And hence it is that Paul calls the forbidding of marriage and of meates with obligation of conscience a doctrine of deuills 1. Tim. 4. 1. The third freedome is a Libertie to come vnto God the father in the name of Christ and in praier to be heard Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 3. 12. Whereas according to our naturall condition our sinnes are a wall of partition betweene vs and God and cause vs to flie from the presence of God and though we crie vnto God and fill heauen and earth with our cries so long as we are in our sinnes we are not heard of him The fourth freedome is a Libertie to enter into heauen in the day of our death Christ by his blood hauing made a way Heb. 10. 19. Thus we see what Christian libertie is The vse followes The Anabaptists gather hence that among Christians there must be Magistrates they must haue power to make lawes beside the lawes of God but this power they haue not because Christians haue a free vse of all the creatures of God by Christian libertie Ans. We must distinguish betweene the libertie it selfe and the vse of it And the Magistrates authoritie deales not with the libertie which is in the conscience but with the vse of it and he doth neither diminish nor abolish the vse of any of the creatures but restraines the abuse and moderates the ouer common vse for the common good Thus Magistracie and Christian libertie may stand together and the rather because libertie is in conscience and the Magistrates authoritie pertaines to the bodie Here is further comfort for all the godly for euen by Christian libertie their consciences are exempted from the power of all creatures men and Angels 1. Cor. 7.
in respect of iustification as Paul shewes at large in this Epistle and yet the Popish doctrine is that we are to be iustified by the workes of the law Againe Christian libertie frees our consciences from the Traditions of men Col. 2. 20. and yet the Popish religion bindes vs in conscience to the Traditions of men nay it is nothing els but an heape of traditions Here two things are to be considered the manner of standing and the time The manner is signified in the very words For to stand fast is to hold and maintaine our libertie with courage and constancie whatsoeuer comes of it as the soldier keepes his standing though it cost him his life We are readie to defend the libertie of our countrie euen with the hazard of our liues much more then are we to defend Christian libertie with the losse of all that we inioy sinne must be resisted euen vnto blood Hebr. 12. 4. If men be fearefull they must pray to God for the spirit of boldnes and courage and if God vouchsafe not this gift when opportunitie is offered they may withdraw themselues and by flying preserue their libertie The time of standing is the euill day that is the day of triall Eph. 6. 13. And then to stand fast is a matter of great difficultie And for this cause we are before hand to prepare our selues by obseruing these rules following First we must labour that religion be not onely in mind and memorie but also be rooted in the affection of our hearts so as we loue it reioyce in it and esteeme it aboue all things Secondly we must not onely be hearers of the word of God but also doers of it in the exercises of faith repentance new obedience Thirdly we must ioyne with our religion the soundnes of good conscience for if conscience faile we cannot be sound in our religion Lastly we must pray to God with all manner of praier and supplication for all things needefull Eph. 6. 18. 2 Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing These words are a reason of the former conclusion thus If ye be circumcised and goe backe from your Christian profession Christ shall profit you nothing therefore stand fast In the words I consider a sentence and the proofe of it The sentence If ye be circumcised c. the proofe J Paul say vnto you For the better vnderstanding of the sentence Circumcision must here be considered according to the circumstance of time three waies Before Christ it was a sacrament and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. after the death of Christ till the destruction of the temple it was a dead ceremonie yet sometime vsed as a thing indifferent After the destruction of the Temple when the Church of the new Testament was planted among the Gentiles it was a deadly ceremonie and ceased to be indifferent and in this last respect Paul saith If ye be circumcised c. Againe circumcision must be considered according to the opinion which the false Apostles had of it now they put their confidence in it and made it a meritorious cause of their saluation and ioyned it with Christ. The words therefore carrie this sense If ye will be circumcised with this opinion that circumcision shall be vnto you a meritorious cause of your saluation Christ shall profit you nothing The vse Hence it followes that the doctrine of iustification by works is an errour ouerturning the foundation of religion which whosoeuer obstinately maintaineth cannot be saued It will be said this is true of ceremoniall works but not of morall works Ans. Yea euen of morall For that which Paul saith here of circumcision he speakes generally of the whole law vers 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law And circumcision must be considered as an obligation to the obedience of the whole law Againe it may be said this is true of the works of nature but not of works of grace Ans. Yea euen of workes of grace for the Galatians were regenerate and therfore looked not to be iustified saued by the workes of nature but by workes of grace Secondly hence we gather that to adde any thing to the passion as a meritorious cause of our iustification and saluation is to make Christ vnprofitable For he must be a perfect Sauiour or no Sauiour he admits neither partner nor deputie in the worke of our redemption And the grace of God admits no mixture or composition with any thing that is of vs. Grace is no grace vnlesse it be freely giuen euery way Therefore the Popish religiō is a damnable religion because with the merit satisfactiō of Christ it ioyns humane merits satisfactions in the case of our iustification It may be alleadged that the Popish religion maintaines all the articles concerning Christ as we doe Ans. It doth so in word but withall it addes to the foresaid articles the doctrine of humane merits and satisfactions which make voide the death of Christ. Againe Papists alleadge that it is the glorie of Christ that he merits for vs and withall makes vs to merit for our selues as it is the glorie of an Emperour to make other kings vnder him Ans. It is not the glorie of the Emperour to make kings as partners with him in his kingdome And workes set vp as meritorious causes of saluation dishonour Christ for they make him vnprofitable as Paul here teacheth Popish religion therefore is in no wise in any place to be tollerated where it may be abolished but it is to be wished that it were banished forth of towne and countrey and students are to be warned with great circumspection to read Popish writers For no good can be looked for of that religion that makes Christ vnprofitable Lastly we are here taught to content our selues with Christ alone and with his works merits and satisfactions For in him we are complete Col. 2. 10. The confirmation of the sentence followeth I Paul say it therfore it is so This kind of reasoning may not seeme strange for the Apostles in writing and preaching had the diuine and infallible assistance of the spirit so as they could not erre This must be held as a Principle in religion and beeing denied there is no certentie of the Bible 3 For I testifie againe to euery man that is circumcised that he is bound to keepe the whole law 4 Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace The meaning Paul saith I testifie againe because he hath spoken thus much in effect before Gal. 3. 10. That is circumcised who is of opinion of the false Apostles that will be circumcised and looke for iustification thereby Bound to the whole law that is to the whole ceremoniall law to the iudiciall law and to the whole morall law And further bound in respect of iustification and life to doe all things in the law For he that
If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ First I gather that the Law and the Gospel are not one in substance of doctrine as the Papists teach for they say the Gospel is nothing but the law made more perfect and plaine which if it were true a man might be iustified both by Christ and the law which Paul saith cannot be Secondly I gather hence that it is a meere deuice of mans wit to say that Christ by his death and passion merited that we should merit by our owne workes our iustification and saluation For if this were true that the merit of our workes were the fruit of Christs passion Paul would not haue said that iustification by the law should abolish Christ vnto vs. For the cause and the effect both stand together whereas Christs merit and the merit of our works agree euen as fire and water And no maruell For the reason why Christ meriteth is the Personall vnion of the Godhead with the manhood which vnion because it is not to be found in any meere man neither is there any true and proper merit to be found Whereas Paul saith Ye are fallen from grace some gather that the children of God may fall quite from the fauour of God Ans. Men are said to be vnder grace two waies First in the iudgement of infallibilitie and thus onely the Elect are vnder the grace of God Secondly in the iudgement of Christian charitie and thus all that professe Christ though indeede hypocrites are vnder the grace of God And in this sense Paul saith that the whole Church of Galatia is vnder the grace of God And they are said to fall from grace not because all were indeede vnder the fauour of God and at length cast out of it but because God makes it manifest to men that they were neuer in the fauour of God Thus Christs enemies are said â—o be blotted out of the booke of lifâ— Psal. 69. 28. when God makes it manifest that their names were neuer written there Secondly I answer that Paul speakes this not absolutely but vpon condition If ye will be iustified by the law And therefore v. 10. he saith that he is perswaded better things of them Lastly here we see it is false that euery man shall be saued by his religion for he that is abolished from Christ is quite out of the â—auour of God And therefore no religion but that which is truly Christian saueth 5 For we in the spirit by faith waite for the hope of righteousnes 6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue The meaning We I Paul the rest of the Apostles and all other Christian churches In spirit that is in the powers of the soule sanctified and renewed In this sense Paul saith that the true circumcision is that which is in the heart in spirit Rom. 2. 29. and Christ saith that true worship of God is in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. And that spirit is here taken in this sense it is manifest because it is opposed to circumcision which is in the flesh By faith we wait Faith apprehends the promise and thereby brings forth hope and faith by meanes of hope makes them that beleeue to waite Hope of righteousnes that is saluation or life eternall which is the fruit of righteousnes Tit. 2. 13. or againe righteousnes hoped for Righteousnes indeede is imputed to them that beleeue and that in this life yet the fruition and the full reuelation thereof is reserued to the life to come when Christ our righteousnes shall appeare and when the effect of righteousnes namely sanctification shall be accomplished in vs. Rom. 8. 23. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. The sense then is this All the Apostles and Christian churches with one consent in spirit by meanes of their faith waite for the full reuelation of their imputed righteousnes and for euerlasting life whereas the false Apostles place their righteousnes in circumcision of the flesh and looke to haue the fruition of it in this life v. 6. In Christ that is in the Church kingdome or religion of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any be in Christ that is if any be a Christian he is a new creature Vncircumcision that is the condition and workes of men vncircumcised Auaileth any thing is of no vse respect or acceptation with God Faith working faith effectuall in duties of loue The resolution These wordes containe a second reason where Paul confirmes the former conclusion and it may be framed thus That thing which makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes that iustifies not circumcision but faith makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes therefore not circumcision but faith iustifies The proposition is omitted the minor is in the 5. verse And it is confirmed by two arguments The first is the consent of all Churches We waite The second is taken from the propertie of faith in the sixt verse thus It is faith and not circumcision that auailes before God therefore faith and not circumcision makes vs waite Againe in these two verses Paul meetes with an Obiection which may be framed thus If ye abolish circumcision and the ceremoniall law ye abolish the exercises of religion The answer is in stead of them we haue other exercises in our spirit namely the inward exercises of faith hope and loue The vse In the 5. verse foure things are to be considered The first is who waites Paul saith we waite Before he hath iustified his doctrine by the Scriptures now he addes the consent of the Churches Here then we see what is the office of all faithfull dispensers of the word namely to declare such doctrines as are founded in Scriptures and approoued by the consent of the true Church of God Paul an Apostle that could not erre respected consent much more are all ordinarie Ministers to doe it Againe it is the office of all Christian people to maintaine and defend all such doctrines and opinions as are founded in the Scriptures and ratified by the consent of the true churches of God and no other This to doe is to walke in the way of vnitie and peace and to doe otherwise is to walke in the way of schisme and heresie The second point is what is waited for Paul saith the reuelation of righteousnes and eternall saluation Here I obserue that there is no iustification by the obseruation of the law and I prooue it thus The righteousnes whereby a sinner is iustified is apprehended by faith and expected by hope but if righteousnes were by the law men should haue the fruition of their righteousnes in this life and consequently the hope thereof should cease Secondly here is comfort for the godly They complaine of the want of sanctification but they are to know that in this life they shall neuer feele righteousnes as they feele sinne here they must hunger and thirst after righteousnes liuing in some want of it If we haue the first
fruits of the spirit the hatred of our owne sinne the purpose of not sinning the feare of God and such like we must content our selues and waite for the fruition of further grace till the life to come Thirdly we must become waiters for the mercie of God and for life euerlasting Gen. 49. 18. Iud. v. â—1 For this cause we must doe as they doe which waite attend for some great benefit we must daily stand with our supplications knocking at the mercie gate to the death and we must daily prepare our selues against the day of death and it must be welcome vnto vs for then is the ende of all our waiting and attending The third point is by what are we to waite Paul saith We waite by faith Hence it followes that faith brings with it a speciall certentie of the mercie of God and of life euerlasting For men vse not to waite for the things whereof they are vncerten Waiting presupposeth certentie The Papists therefore that make speciall hope should also make speciall faith The last point is where is this waiting Paul saith in spirit Here obserue that all the exercises of Christian religion are to be in the spirit God must be worshipped in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. Rom. 1. 9. The heart must be rent and not the garment Ioâ—l 2. The inward motions of the spirit are of themselues the worship of God whereas our words and deedes are not simply but so farforth as they are founded in the renewed motions of the heart Men in our daies thinke they doe God high seruice if they come to Church heare Gods word and say some few praiers Indeede these things are not to be condemned yet are they not sufficient vnlesse withall we bring vnto God a renewed spirit indued with faith hope â—oue In the 6. verse Paul propounds three conclusions The first is this that externall and bodely priuiledges are of no vse and moment in the kingdome of Christ. Paul saith 1. Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little and that godlines is profitable for all things It was a great priuiledge to be familiarly acquainted with Christ and to haue eaten and drunke with him yet is it of no vse in the kingdome of Christ. For of such Christ saith Luk. 13. 26. Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie It was a great priuiledge to be allied to Christ in respect of blood yet in the kingdome of Christ it is of no vse and therefore Christ saith He that doth the will of my father is my brother sister and mother Mark 3. 33. To conceiue and beare Christ was a great honour to the virgin Marie yet was shee not by this meanes a member of the kingdome of Christ but by her faith in him And if shee had not borne him in her heart as well as shee bare him in her wombe shee had not bin saued To prophecie or preach and that in the name of Christ is a great dignitie and yet many hauing this prerogatiue shall be condemned Matth. 7. 22. It may be alleadged that some outward exercises as baptisme and the Lords supper are of great vse in the Church of Christ. I answer the outward baptisme is nothing without the inward Not the washing of the flesh but the stipulation of a good conscience saueth 1. Pet. 3. 18. Circumcision is profitable if thou keepe the law Rom. 2. 35. By this we are taught not to esteeme of mens religion by their riches and externall dignities For the fashion of the world is if a man haue riches and honour to commend him for a wise vertuous and godly man This is foolishly to haue faith in respect of persons Iam. 2. 1. Secondly by this we are taught to moderate our affections in respect of all outward things neither sorrowing too much for them nor ioying too much in them 1. Cor. 7. 30. The second conclusion Faith is of great vse and acceptation in the kingdome of Christ. By it first our persons and then our actions please God and without it nothing pleaseth God It is the first and the greatest honour we can doe to God to giue credence to his word and from this flowes all other obedience to all other commandements Hence we learne First that we must labour to conceiue faith a right in our hearts by the vse of the right meanes the word praier sacraments as also in and by the exercises of spirituall inuocation and repentance This beeing done we must rest vpon the bare word and testimonie of God without and against sense and feeling and quiet our hearts therein both in life and death Secondly faith in Christ must raigne and beare sway in our hearts and haue the command ouer reason will affection lust And by it whatsoeuer we doe or suffer specially the maine actions of our liues are to be ordered and disposed Lastly it is a thing to be bewailed that the common faith of our daies is but a Ceremoniall faith conceiued without the ordinarie meanes and seuered from the exercises of inuocation and repentance The third conclusion is that true faith workes by loue Hence the Papists gather that loue is the forme and life of faith not because it makes faith to be faith but because it makes it to be a true faith a good faith a liuely faith But this their doctrine is false and erronious For faith is the cause of loue and loue is the fruit of faith 1. Tim. 1. 5. Loue out of a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained Now euery cause as it is a cause hath his force and efficacie in it selfe and receiues no force or efficacie from his effect Secondly true faith is liuely and effectuall in it selfe and hath a peculiar forme of his owne and that is a certen power to apprehend Christ in the promise For in faith there are two things knowledge and apprehension which some call application or speciall affiance which affiance because the Papists cut off they are constrained to make a supplie by loue Thirdly the operation of faith according to the doctrine of the Papist is to Prepare and dispose a sinner to his future iustification Now if this operation be from loue then loue is before iustification and that cannot be because as they teach iustification stands in loue Loue therfore is not the forme of faith They alleadge for themselues this very text in hand where it is said faith worketh by loue or as they translate it faith is acted and mooued by loue Ans. The meaning of the text is that faith is effectuall in it selfe and that it shewes and puts forth his efficacie by loue as by the fruit thereof And it cannot hence be gathered that faith is acted and mooued by loue as by a formall cause Againe they alleadge Iam. 2. 26. As the bodie is dead without the spirit so is faith without workes Ans. 1. The soule of man is not the forme of his bodie but of the whole man 2. Spirit may as well signifie breath or
religion in the exercises of faith repentance new obedience Thus did Abraham Gen. 17. and Iosua c. 24. They that doe not first of all consent in Christ cannot consent among themselues Secondly it must be obserued that a familie is the schoole of God in which he will exercise our faith inuocation loue patience long-suffering c. And there is more vertue to be seene in the well ordering of a familie then in the pretended holines of Monkish cloisters Thus we see how we are to maintaine the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace For the better inforcing of this dutie Paul Eph. 4. 4. giues seauen reasons one bodie one spirit one hope of eternall life one Lord one faith one baptisme one father of all It may be said we are at peace what needes all this adoe Ans. The peace of many is peace in drunkennes called good fellowship peace in prophanes and wickednes This is the deuils peace where he beares the sway The peace of which I now speake is in the Lord and in the true worship of God of which read Isa. 2. where men are saide hand in hand to goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord that they may heare his will and ioyntly obay it 16. Then I say walke in the spirit and ye shall not fullfill the lust of the flesh The scope Here Paul returnes to the first rule v. 13. and shewes the waie how it is to be obserued thus If ye walke in the spirit ye shall not fullfill the lustes of the flesh and when the lusts of the flesh are not fulfilled there shall no occasion be giuen to the flesh by the vse of Christian libertie The words containe two parts a Rule walke in the spirit the benefit that comes by the rule ye shall not fullfill the lustes of the flesh In the rule I consider two things what is the spirit and what is walking The spirit is the gift of regeneration lost by Adam restored by Christ. I say it is a gift and this gift is termed by the name of the spirit because the spirit worketh it immediatly in vs from the father and the sonne Againe I say it is a gift of regeneration to make a distinctiō bewteene it ciuill vertue For there is a gift of regeneration which mortifies corruption and a gift of restraint which serues only to keepe in corruption Of this second kind are all ciuill vertues in naturall and heathen men and not of the first Ioseph is chast and so was Xenocrates Iosephs chastitie is a part of regeneration and proceedes from the spirt here mentioned but the chastitie of Xenocrates is not so proceeding only from the generall prouidence of God and not from the spirit of Sanctification The like I say of all other ciuill vertues More plainly The spirit is a Diuine nature qualitie or cōdition whereby we are made conformable to Christ in righteousnes and holines The spirit hath fiue properties The first that it is a rich and liberall grace of God For it containes in it the seede of all vertues and all necessarie graces of God because it comes in the roome of originall sinne which containes in it the seedes of all vices or sinnes The second is the largenes of it for this spirit is in all the powers of them that are regenerat that is in the mind conscience will affections and in the sensuall appetite 1. Thes 5. 23. And he that is sanctified in on part is sanctified in all Hence it followes that they which haue plentie of illumination without change of affection and life are indeed carnall and not spirituall The third propertie is sinceritie for the grace of God is without falsehood or guile Psal 32. 1. hence ariseth the difference betweene the Godly man and an hypocrite betweene the workes of nature and the workes of grace There are men that in distresse desire the assistance fauour of God and they do it without the spirit of God for they do it deceitfully desiring Gods fauour not for it selfe but in respect of some euill from which they would be deliuered as the Mariners in Ionas and Pharao did Againe there are men that mourne for their sinnes without the spirit of God For there is much falsehood in their mourning because they mourne for sinne in respect of the punishment thereof and not in respect of the offence of God Lastly there are that pretend a loue to God and yet want the spirit for they loue God in respect of his benefits as Saul loued God for a kingdome such loue is mercenarie a worke of nature whereas the loue which is from the spirit makes vs loue God for himselfe The fourth propertie is excellencie for the spirit of grace in Christians is more excellent then the grace of creation in two respects First in respect of the beginning thereof For the spirit is from Christ the second Adam both God and man the grace of creation should haue beene conuayed vnto vs from the first Adam but a meere man if he had stood Secondly in respect of constancie for God gaue to Adam the will to perseuere if he would he giueth further to beleeuers both the wll to perseuere and the deed The fifte propery is liuelines whereby the spirit is effectuall in operation Elihu saith that the spirit compelled him and was in him as a vessell of new wine which must haue a vent Iob 32. 19. Of the operation of the spirit I deliuer three things The first that the spirit workes in and by the word of God which therefore is called the Ministerie of the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 6. The second that the spirit worketh by certaine degrees The first degree and the very first beginning of his diuine operation is to make vs feele in what great neede we stand of Christ to desire to be recōciled and turned vnto God This is the first motion of the spirit in vs and they which want this haue nothing as yet of the grace of God in them The third that the whole worke of the spirit may be reduced to three actions The first is to cast downe euery thing in vs that exalts it selfe against God 2. Cor. 10. as namely to beat downe erronious reason and rebellious affection and to put a man out of heart with his chiefe deligtes and with his owne selfe The second action is to kindle in our hearts a care and desire of reconciliation with God in Christ hence the spirit is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zach. 12. The third action is to write the law in our hearts and that is done by putting a new light of knowledge into the minde and new inclinations into the will and affections Thus much of the Spirit Walking in the spirit is to Order our liues according to the direction and motion of the spirit For as the spirit renewes our nature within so it makes vs to change and renew our actions in three respects First it makes
vs put a further beginning to our actions then nature can afford causing vs to doe them in faith whereby we beleeue that our persons please God in Christ that our worke to be done pleaseth God that the defect of the worke is pardoned Secondly the spirit makes vs doe our actions in a new manner namely in obedience to the written word Thirdly it makes vs put a new end to our actions that is to intend and desire to honour God in the things that we doe For example A man is wronged by his neighbour and nature tells him that he must requite euill with euill yet he resolues to doe otherwise for saith he God in Christ hath forgiuen me many sinnes therefore must I forgiue my neighbour And he remembreth that vengeance is Gods and that he is taught so to aske pardon as he forgiueth others And hereupon he sets himselfe to requite euill with goodnesse This is to liue in the spirit The vse By this rule we see that most of vs faile in our duties For many of vs professing Christ liue not according to the lawes of nature in our common dealings We minde earthly things and therefore we are carnall It is a principle with many that if we keepe the Church obserue the Queenes laws which are indeed to be obserued and auoid open and grosse sinnes we do all that God requires at our hāds Hereupon to walke in the spirit is thought to be a worke of precisenes more then needes And they which deeme it to be a worke of precisenes walke not in the spirit And indeede they which haue receiued the greatest measure of the spirit must say with Paul that they are carnall sould vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Secondly this rule telleth vs that we must become spirituall men such as make conscience of euery sinne and doe things lawfull in spirituall manner in faith and obedience and not as carnall men doe them carnally It may be saide that Ministers of the word must be spirituall men I answer if thou whatsoeuer thou art be not spirituall thou hast no part in Christ. Rom. 8. And the rather thou must be spirituall because a naturall man may doe the outward duties of religion in a carnall sort Thirdly we must not iudge any mans estate before God by any one or some few actions either good or badde but by his walking or by the course of his life which if it be carnall it shewes the partie to be carnall if it be spirituall it shewes him to be spirituall The benefit that ariseth by the keeping of the rule followes in these words Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Flesh the corruption of nature the roote of all sinnes Lusts inordinate motions in the minde will and affections Thus largely is lust taken in the tenth Commandement which condemneth the first motions to euill Fulfill fulfilling is not a simple doing of euill but the accomplishing of lust with loue pleasure and full consent of will as also perseuerance in euill by adding sinne to sinne A question How farre doth the child of God proceede in the lust of the flesh Answ. He is assaulted by the lusts of the flesh but he doth not accomplish them More plainly there are fiue degrees of lust Suggestion delight consent the acte perseuerance in the acte Suggestion and delight whereby the minde is drawne away are incident to the child of God Consent is not ordinarily and if at any time the child of God consent to the lusts of his flesh it is but in part and against his purpose because he is ouercarried Likewise the acte or execution of lust is not ordinarily and vsually in the child of God if at any time he fall he may say with Paul I doe that which I hate Lastly perseuerance in euill doth not befall the child of God because vpon his fall he recouers himselfe by new repentance In this sense S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The vse Hence it followes that the lust of the flesh is in the child of God to the death and consequently they doe not fulfill the law neither can they be iustified thereby as Popish doctrine is Secondly our dutie is not to accomplish the lusts of the flesh but to resist them to the vttermost Rom. 13. 14. Thirdly here is comfort for the seruants of God Some man may say I am vexed and turmoiled with wicked thoughts and desires so as I feare I am not Gods child I answer againe for all this despaire not For if thou hate and detest the lusts that are in thee if thou resist them and wage battell against them if beeing ouertaken at any time thou recouer they selfe by new repentance they shall neuer be laid to thy charge to condemnation Rom. 8. 1. It is here made a prerogatiue of Gods child when the lusts of the flesh are in him not to accomplish them or to liue in subiection to them 17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are contrarie one to another so that ye cannot doe the things which ye would These wordes are a reason of the former verse thus If ye walke in the spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh and spirit beeing contrarie mutually refist and withstand one another so as ye can neither doe the good not the euill which ye would Paul here sets forth a spirituall combate of which sixe things are to be considered The first is concerning the parties by whome the combat is made namely the flesh and the spirit The flesh signifies the corruption of the whole nature of man and the spirit is the gift of regeneration as hath beene shewed It may be demanded how these twaine beeing but qualities can be said to fight together Ans. The flesh and the spirit are mixed together in the whole man regenerate and in all the powers of the soule of man Fire and water are said to be mixed in compound bodies light and darknes are mixed in the aire at the dawning of the day In a vessell of luke warme water heat and cold are mixed together we cannot saie that the water is in one parte hott and in another cold but the whole quantitie of water is hott in parte and cold in parte Euen so the man regenerate is not in one part flesh in another part spirit but the whole mind is partly flesh and partly spirit and so are the will and affections through out partly spirituall and partly carnall Now vpon this mixture it comes to passe that the powers of the soule are carried and disposed diuerse waies and hereupon followes the combat The second point concernes the meanes whereby this combate is made and that is a two sold Concupiscence expressed in these words the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The lust of the flesh shewes it selfe in two actions The first is to defile 〈◊〉
represse the good motions of the spirit In this respect Paul saith when I would do good euill is present and the law of the flesh rebelles against the law of the mind Rom. 7. 21. 23. Hereupon the flesh is fitly resembled by the disease called Ephialtes or the mare in which men in their slumber thinke they feele a thing as heauie as a mountaine lying on their brests which they can no waie remoue The second action of the flesh is to bring forth and to fill the mind with wicked cogitations and rebellious inclinations In this respect concupiscence is said to tempt intice and draw away the mind of man Iam. 1. 14. Againe the lust of the spirit hath two other actions The first is to curbe and restraine the flesh Thus Saint Iohn saith that the seed of grace keepes the regenerate that they can not sinne 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The second action of the spirit is to ingender good motions cogitations and inclinations agreeable to the will of God Thus Dauid saith that his raines did teach him in the night season Psal. 16. And the prophet Isai saith thine eare shall heare a voice saying here is the way walke in it when thou â—urnest to the right hand or to the left c. 30. v. 21. And this voice no doubt is not only the voice of such as be teachers but also the inward voice of the spirit of God in vs. And thus by the concurrence of these contrarie actions in one and the same man is this combat made The third point is concerning the cause of this combat in these wordes and these are contrarie one to another The contrarietie of the flesh and the spirit makes the combat And the contrarietie is very great for the spirit is the gift of righteousnes and the flesh standes in a double opposition to it for it is first of all the want of righteousnes and secondly a prones to all vnrighteousnes that is to say not a single but a double priuation or want of the grace or gift of God Hence I gather that man hath no freedome of will in good duties before his conuersion because he is then wholly flesh and wants the spirit of God and the flesh is flat contrarie to the spirit and one contrarie hath no power at all to bring forth the effect of his contrarie And hence it followes that there are no such workes wherby a man may prepare himselfe to his owne iustification for though the mind be inlightned with a general faith yet man before he be iustified is nothing but flesh and flesh beeing in nature opposite to the spirit can make no preparation for the spirit no more then darknes can make preparation for the entrance of light The fourth point is concerning the persons in whome this combate is to be found And they are beleeuers not vnbeleeuers or wicked men such as the Galatians were to whome this combate is said to belong It may be alleaged that naturall men haue a combate in them For they can say I see and approoue that which is good but I doe that which is naught Ans. This combate is betweene the naturall conscience and rebellious affection and it is incident to all men that haue in them any conscience or light of reason But the combate of the flesh and the spirit is of an other kinde for in it the mind is carried against it selfe the will against it selfe and the affections against themselues by reason they are partly spirituall and partly carnall Secondly not all beleeuers haue this combate in them but only such as be of yeares for infants though they haue the seede of grace in them yet do they want the act or exercise thereof and therefore they feele not this combate because it standes in action Thirdly this combate is in the godly for the time of this life only because in death the flesh is abolished and consequently the combate it selfe The fift point is in what things doth this combate shew it selfe Ans. In all the actions of men regenerate which Paul signifies when he saith ye cannot do the things which ye would For example in praier sometime we feele feruent desires and sometime againe deadnes of spirit sometimes faith sometimes doubting This combate is in all the actions of the Godly specially in good actions Thus much Paul teacheth wheÌ„ he saith I find by the law of God that when I would do good euil is present Rom. 7. 21. And I do not the good which I would but the euill which I would not that do I. v. 19. And that we mistake not it must be remembred that Paul speakes all this of himselfe as beeing regenerate that he speakes it not of this or that action but of the course of his life in which he willed and indeauoured to do that which was good and acceptable to God And that appeares by the very wordes when he saith to will is present with me And I would do good but I do it not Marke further while Paul wills and indeauours to do that which is good if he faile and do amisse he may well say It is not I that do it but the flesh that dwelles in me And vngodly men for the couering of their wickednes if they say as they do that it is their flesh that sinneth and not they the abuse the holy doctrine and example of Paul The last point concernes the effect of the Combate which is to hinder the Godly that they cannot do that which they would and that three waies First it makes them that they cannot sinne that is liue in practise of any one sinne 1. Iohn 3. 9. Secondly if at any time they fall it sâ—aies and keepes them that they sinne not with full consent of will For they say when they sinne the euill which I hate that do I. Thirdly though in the ordinarie course of their liues they do that which is good yet by reason of this combate they faile in the dooing of it Rom. 7. 18. to wil is present with me but I find no means to fulfil or accomplish that which is good Euen as a sick-man that is in recouerie for his affection thinkes he is able to walke a mile or twaine and yet by reason of faintnes and weakenes is scarce able to walke once or twise about his chamber So the regenerate man for affection inclines to the best things and yet by reason of the flesh failes in the dooing of them Thus much of the combate the vse followes Hence I gather that concupiscence or lust after baptisme in the regenerate is a sinne For the lust of the spirit is the thing that God requireth and approoueth now the lust of the flesh is directly contrarie to it as a defect or priuation thereof and therefore the lust of the flesh is properly a sinne whether consent of will goe with it or no. Againe hence it followes that workes of the regenerate are mixed workes that is good workes indeed yet not perfectly
good but partly euill for such as the cause is such is the effect now the minde and will of man are the cause of his workes and the mind is partly carnall and partly spirituall so also is the will and therefore the workes that proceede from them are partly spirituall in part carnall Vpon this ground it followes that all the workes of regenerate men are sinfull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnation Obiect Sinne is the transgression of the law good workes are no transgression of the law therefore good workes are no sinnes I answer to the minor The transgression of the law is twofold One which is directly against the law both for matter and manner the second is when that is done which the law requires but not in that manner it should be done And thus good workes become sinfull The dutie which the law requires is done but it is not done perfectly as it ough to be done by reason of the flesh Secondly it is alleaged that good workes are from the spirit of God and that nothing proceeding from the spirit of God is sinne Ans. Things proceeding from the spirit of God alone or from the spirit immediatly are no sinnes now good workes proceed not only from the spirit but also from the mind and will of man as instruments of the spirit And when an effect proceedes from sundrie causes that are subordinate it takes vnto it the nature of the second cause hereupon workes are â—â—rtly spirituall and partly carnall as the minde and will of the doer is Thirdly it is alleged that good works please God and that things pleasing God are no sinnes Ans. They please God because the doer is in Christ and so pleaseth God Againe they please not God before or without pardon for they are accepted because God approoues his owne worke in vs pardons the defect thereof Lastly some obiect on this manner No sinnes are to be done good workes are sinnes there-therefore not to be done Ans. They are not simply sinnes but onely by accident For as God commands them they are good and as godly men doe them they are good in part Now the reason holds onely thus That which is sinne so farre forth as it is a sinne or if it be simplie a sinne is not to be done Now then vpon this doctrine it followes that there is no iustification by workes nor no fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Thirdly hence it follows that the grace of God for the time of this life is mixed with his contrarie the corruption of the flesh This mixture the godly feele in themselues to the great griefe of their hearts When they would beleeue their mindes are oppressed with vnbeleefe They see more ignorance in themselues then light of knowledge There are a number amongst vs that say they know as much as all the world can teach them that they doe perfectly beleeue in Christ and euer did that they loue God with all their hearts and did neuer so much as doubt of the mercie of God But these men are voide of the grace of God they are like emptie barrells that make a great sound they neuer knew what is meant by the combate of the flesh and spirit Fourthly we are here to be admonished in all duties of religion to vse industrie and paines by willing striuing and indeuouring to the vttermost to doe that which we ought to doe We must vse asking seeking knocking Matth. 7. 7. we must with Paul vse wrastling in our praiers to God Rom. 15. 30. They that would haue knowledge in the booke of God must doe more then heare a Sermon they must striue against their ignorance and blindnes and laboriously exercise their senses in the discerning of good and euill They that would beleeue must striue against their naturall vnbeleefe and indeauour to beleeue Blessed saith Salomon Prou. 28. is the man that feareth himselfe or inures himselfe to feare Paul saith of himselfe that he laboured and tooke paines to keepe a good conscience Act. 24. 16. Lastly by reason of this combate we are put in minde to vse sobrietie and watchfulnesse ouer our owne corruptions with much and instant praier least we fall into temptation Matth. 26. 41. We should practise these more then we doe for beside the enemies without we haue an enemie within that seekes our perdition 18 And if ye be led by the spirit ye are not vnder the law In the 13. verse Paul propounds a maine rule of good life Giue no occasion to the flesh and for the better keeping of this he giues a second rule v. 16. Walke in the spirit Of this second rule he giues two reasons The first is taken from the contrarietie of the flesh and the spirit v. 17. The second is in these words they that walke according to the spirit are freed from the curse of the law In these words Paul sets downe three things The first is the office of the spirit which is first of all to regenerate and renew all the powers of the soule and secondly to guide and conduct them that are regenerate Psal. 143. 10. In this guidance or conduction there are foure actions of the spirit The first is Preseruation whereby the holy Ghost maintaines the gift of regeneration in them that are regenerate The second is Cooperation whereby the will of God as the first cause workes together with the regenerate will of man as the second cause And without this Cooperation mans will brings forth no good action no more then the tree which is apt to bring forth fruit yeeldes fruit indeede till it haue the presence and cooperation of the Sunne and that in the season of the yeare The third is direction whereby the spirit of God ordereth and establisheth the minde will and affections in good duties 2. Thess. 3. 5. The last is Excitation whereby the spirit stirres and still mooues the will and minde after they are regenerate because for the time of this life the grace of God is hindred and oppressed by the flesh Hereupon after regeneration there must still be new inclining Psal. 119. 36. new drawing Cant. 1. 3. new working of the will and the deede Phil. 2. 13. Hence it follows that beside the antecedent and first grace there is necessarie a subsequent or second grace For we doe not that good which we can doe vnles God by a second grace make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it by the first grace The second thing is the Office of all true beleeuers and that is to resigne theÌ„selues in subiection to the worke of Gods spirit Now Gods spirit workes in and by the word of God And hereupon this Subiection hath two parts The first is to make triall inquirie and examination what is the good will of God in euery thing Rom. 12. 2. Thus did Dauid Psal. 119. 94. I am thine saue me for I seeke thy commandements The second part is to denie our selues
to forsake wife and children house and land for Christs sake If we haue not the command of our selues in a trifle we may neuer hope for it in waightie matters V. There are dangerous effects of drunkennes First it destroies the bodie For it inflames the blood with an vnnaturall heate and this vnnaturall heate ingenders vnnaturall thirst which ingenders immoderate drinking whence comes dropsies consumptions all cold diseases and death Secondly it hurts the minde for the spirits of the heart and braine beeing the immediate instruments of the soule are by drinking distempered and inflamed and hereupon arise wicked imaginations disordered affections And thus the deuil in the roome of Gods image sets vp his owne image and makes the minde a shoppe of all wickednesse Thirdly the vile imaginations and affections that are in men when they are drunke remaine still in them when they are sober so as beeing sober they are drunke in affection In fauour of drunkennesse it is alleadged that Noahs drunkennes is remembred in scripture but no where condemned Ans. While Moses sets downe the foule effects that followed Noahs drunkennesse he doth indeede condemne it Secondly his example is noted in scripture as a warning to all ages following Thirdly his sinne may be lessened though not excused because he had no experience of wine Obiect II. Ioseph and his brethren did drinke and were drunke together Gen. 43. v. last Ans. The meaning of the text is that they dranke liberally or that they dranke of the best together For the word shakar signifies not onely to be drunke in drinking but also to drinke liberally or to drinke of the best drinke Hag. 1. 6. Obiect III. Learned Phisitians as Rasis Avicenna and others teach that it is greatly for health to be drunke once or twice in a moneth Ans. As learned as they teach the contrarie And we may not doe any euill or sinne against God for any good to our selues Obiect IU It is said to be neighbourhood and good fellowshippe Ans. It is drunken fellowship The right fellowship is in the doctrine of the Apostles praier Sacraments and the workes of mercie Thus much of the works of the flesh Now follows the punishment of thē of which I cōsider three things First a Premonition in these words whereof I tell you before as I also haue told you before Secondly the designment of the punishment in these words shall not inherit the kingdome of God Thirdly the designment of the persons in these words They which doe such things In the Premonition is set downe the office of all Ministers and that is often to forewarne the people of the future iudgements of God for their sinnes Mich. 3. 8. Isa. 58. 1. And this may easily be done For they may know the sinnes of men by experience and the iudgements of God due to euery sinne they may finde in the word of God Againe all people are warned by this often to meditate of the future iudgements of God Thus did Dauid Psal. 119. 120. and Paul who knowing the terrour of the Lord was mooued to doe his dutie 2. Cor. 5. 11. The old world neuer so much as dreamed of gods iudgements before they came vpon them and so they perished Matth. 24. 39. The punishment of these sinnes is not to inherit Gods kingdome Gods kingdome sometime signifies the regiment of God whereby he rules all things in heauen and earth More specially it signifies a state or condition in heauen whereby God and Christ is all things to all the Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. And thus it is taken in this place And an entrance or beginning to this happie estate is in this life when men in their consciences and liues are ruled by Gods word and spirit It must here further be obserued that not to inioy the kingdome of God is to be in torment in hell because there are no more but two estates after this life and therefore to be out of heauen is to be in hell The vse I. This must teach vs aboue all things to seeke Gods kingdome and to establish it in our hearts and that we shall doe if we know the will of God and yeeld subiection to it in the duties of repentance faith new obedience II. The kingdome of God comes by inheritance therfore there is no merit of Good workes The persons which are punished are such as are doers and practisers of the works of the flesh Marke the words not such as haue bin doers but such as are doers The word signifies a present and a continued act of doing amisse The vse Here is the difference betweene the godly man and the vngodly The godly man falls into the workes of the flesh and beeing admonished thereof he repents and recouets himselfe he doth not stand in the way of sinners though sometime he enter into it Psal. 1. 1. The vngodly man when he falls lies still in his sinne and heapes sinne vpon sinne and makes a practise of euill I. Warning They which are priuie to themselues of any of the former workes of the flesh must bewaile their offences and vtterly forsake them For if we be found doers of any one worke of the flesh there is no hope of saluation II. Warning They which haue turned vnto God from the works of the flesh must be constant and take heede of going backe least they loose the kingdome of God 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith 23 Meeknes temperance against such there is no law For the better obseruing and the more easie vnderstanding of the rule in the 16. v. Walke in the spirit Paul here sets downe a Catalogue of the works of the spirit In the Catalogue I consider three things the propertie of the workes of the spirit in these words The fruit of the spirit the kinds of works and they are nine the benefit that comes by them in these words against such there is no law The fruit of the spirit It is the propertie of the workes of Gods spirit in vs to be called the fruits of the spirit And by this much is signified namely that the Church is the garden of God Cant. 4. 16. that teachers are planters and setters 1. Cor. 3. 9. that beleeuers are trees of righteousnes Isa. 61. 3. that the spirit of God is the sappe and life of them and good workes and vertues are the fruits which they beare In that the works of the spirit are called fruits therof hence it followes that there are no true vertues and good affections without the grace of regeneration The vertues of the heathen how excellent soeuer they seemed to be were but shadowes of vertue and serued onely to restraine the outward man and no further Againe here we see the efficacie of the spirit which makes men fruitful or bearing-trees of righteousnes Psal. 1. 3. yea trees that beare fruit in their old age Psal. 92. 14. Here we haue cause to cast downe our selues For
others Lastly in that spirituall men especially the holy men of God and ministers of his word are the Lords surgeans to bind vp the broken and raise those that are fallen as also his physitians to restore those that are in a spirituall consumptioÌ„ of grace we ought to make great account of theÌ„ haue them in singular loue for their worke sake 1. Thes. 5. 19. For if we must honor the bodily Physitian as Syracides saith Eccles. 38. vers 1. who cureth but the diseases of the bodie how much more ought we to honour spirituall physitians which cure the spirituall maladies of our soules The fourth and last point is the manner how we must restore laid downe in these words in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenes is the setling or quieting of the minde freeing it from perturbation especially in repressing the reuengeful affection A meeke and quiet spirit are ioyned together 1. Pet. 3. 4. A notable example hereof we haue in Moses who beeing prouoked in stead of anger shewed meekenes It further makes a man to yeeld of his right and not to prosecute the matter in rigour and extremitie and so it is opposed to seueritie 1. Cor. 4. 21. Shall I come vnto you with arodde or in loue and the spirit of meekenesse Hence ariseth another propertie it bridleth the tongue and the outward man either by silence as Christ being prouoked waâ— dumme and opened not his mouth Isay 53. 7. was silent and answered not a word Luk. 23. 9. or by a soft and gentle answer which asswageth wrath Pro. 15. 1. There is great reason why men should restore their brethren in all meekenesse for without it there is nothing but swelling and faction but troubles and tragedies Againe as meekenesse is necessarie for euery Christian Coloss. 2. 12. Tit. 3. 2. so it is most necessarie for him that would fruitfully and effectually reprooue Hence it is that the Apostle commands vs to Instruct theâ— in meekenesse that are contrarie minded 2. Tim. 2. 25. Motiues to inforce this dutie are these First the exhortation and example of Christ to be followers of him 1. Cor. 11. 1. who was lowly and meeke Math. 11. 29. for he waâ— ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter and like a lambe dummâ— before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Isa. 53. 7. When he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not 1. Pet. 2. 23. as it may appeare by that meeke answer If I haue euill spoken beare witnesse of the euill but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me Ioh. 18. 23. Paul hath no stronger argument to exhort the Corinthians then by the meekenesse and gentlenesse of Christ. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Secondly it is a vertue which God doth make great account of 1. Pet. 3. 4. A â—eeke and quiet spirit is before God a thing much set by Thirdly God hath made excellent promises to them that are of a meeke and humble spirit that he will guide them in iudgment and teach them his waies Psal. 25. 9. That they shall be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 2. 3. That they shall inherit the earth Math. 5. 5. Fourthly consider the comfortable effects the good that comes thereby A soft meeke and milde answer turneth away wrath Prou. 15. 1. Meeke and gentle behauiour heapeth coles of fire vpon our enemies head Rom. 12. 20. A soft toâ—gâ—e breaketh the bones Prou. 25. 15. See the example of Gideon appeasing the Midianites Iudg. 8. 1. c. and Abigail pacifying Dauid 1. Sam. 25. Fiftly without meekenesse we cannot sauingly heare the word either read or preached Iam 1. 21. It is further said we must restore in the spirit of meeknes The word spirit is added because it proceeds from the spirit of god who is both the worker and continuer thereof as on the contrarie the spirit of iealousie Numb 5. 14. the spirit of errour 1. Ioh. 4. 6. the spirit of vncleanesse Zach. 13. 2. the spirit of giddines Isa. 19. 14. the spirit of slumber Isa. 29. 19. are so tearmed because they proceede from a wicked spirit So quicke motions sudden perturbations strong affections proceeding either from the spirit of God or of SathaÌ„ are tearmed by the name of spirit Hence we learne that the holy Ghost is author not onely of meeknes but of all sanctifying graces and therefore is called the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord Isa. 11. 2. Secondly this teacheth vs that all true vertues are wrought onely by the operation of Gods spirit in vs for though there be diuersities of gifts yet it is the same spirit 1. Cor. 12. 4. and therfore the vertues of the Heathen are but glittering sinnes Thirdly that when we see the gifts or graces of God in our selues or others we returne all the praise and glory to God from whome they proceede ascribing nothing to our selues Fourthly this shewes to whome we must haue recourse in our neede namely not to the virgin Marie nor any Saint who stand in as great neede of the fauour of God as our selues but to God alone who is the fountaine of grace Ierem. 2. 13. Lastly in that the spirit is set before meekenesse it shewes that the spirit of God is present with his graces to inspire them to cherish and increase them Therefore the commandement Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. is to be obeyed if we will retaine the graces of God Thus much of the dutie The reasons vsed by the Apostle to enforce this dutie follow to be considered they are two The first is implyed in the word Brethren which is of great force to perswade vs to vse moderation lenitie and gentlenesse Abraham could vse no stronger argument to pacifie Lot then this Let there be no strife betweene thee and me for we are brethreÌ„ Gen. 13. 8. Moses vsed it as a motiue to accord two Ebrewes Sirs yâ— are brethren why doe you wrong one to another Act. 7. 26. For it is a shame that those whome nature hath so neerely conioyned should be so farre disioyned in affection But the reason beeing taken from spirituall brethren such as are not onely brethren in the flesh but also in the Lord hauing the same God for their father the same Church for their mother Christ for their elder brother beeing begotten by the same immortall seede washed by the lauer of one newe birth conglutinate by the sinewes of the same faith nourished by the milke of the same word is so much the stronger by how much grace is a straiâ—er bond then nature therefore Paul would haue vs restore one another in the spirit of meekenesse because we are brethreÌ„ Nay persons excommunicate are not to be accounted as enemies but to be admonished as brethren 2. Thess. 3. 15. The reason why men vse no more mildnesse in their reproofes is because they forget themselues to
our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another Tit. 3. v. 2. 3. In regard of the time present that he is but a fraile man ready to fall euery moment that he is not able of himselfe to thinke the least good thought much lesse to resist the least temptation and that whatsoeuer he is he is it out of himselfe by grace in Christ as Paul saith By the grace of God I am that I am So that were it not for this preuenting and cooperating grace he would fall into as great enormities as other men In regard of the time to come Consider thy selfe lest thou also be tempted remember Pauls Item 1. Cor. 10. v. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lâ—st he fall for if thou hast not bin ouertaken with the like sinne yet thou maist be hereafter therfore as thou wouldest haue others to be coÌ„passionate towards thee if thou were in the like case so be thou to theÌ„ The not obseruaÌ„ce of this rule is the cause that there are so many censorious Catoâ—â— so many seuere Aristarchi of other mens actions so many that are sharpe sighted Eagle eied in spying motes in other mens eies and as blind as moles or beetles in discerning the great beames that are in their owne eies IIII. It is very requisite and expedient that the reproouer be not tainted with the same or the like fault which he reprooueth in an other least it be said vnto him Physitian cure thy selfe Luk. 4. 23. In that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe Rom. 2. v. 1. Therefore Dauid saith not Let the wicked smâ—â—e me or let him that is as deep in fault as my selfe reprooue me but Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit and let him reprooue mee that shall be as a pretious oâ—le that shall not be wanting to my head Psal. 141. v. 5. For albeit in regard of the reproofe it selfe it be not greatly materiall yet it is not so expedient nor so profitable in regard of the reproouer 1. because he seemeth vnworthy to reprooue another who is to be reprooued himselfe beeing as deepe in fault as any 2. because it will be thought that he which maketh no conscience to redresse himselfe will not be so ready to reclaime others of loue to their persons or hatred of their sinnes or zeale of Gods glorie but for pride or businesse in other mens matters or vanitie or some such sinister ends V. All reproofes must so be ministred as that the partie reprooued may be brought to a true sight of his sinne as also to a liuely sense and feeling thereof and so to a compunction of heart by reason of it and of the wrath of God which attendeth vpon him for his sinne For the performance of this rule we haue the example of God himselfe Psal. 50. v. 21. I will reprooue thee and set thy sinnes in order before thee as also of the Prophet Nathan who by the parable conuicted Dauids conscience and so made him condemne himselfe 2. Sam. 12. And the precept of Saint Paul commanding Timothie that he should so reprooue as that he conuict the conscience of the sinne when he saith Reprooue rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and DOCTRINE nowe this is done by shewing the true meaning of the lawe and the curse of God annexed to euery breach thereof and so by vnfolding the horrible greatnesse of sinne to the conscience of him whome we doe reprooue For reproofes which are not thus qualified are but cold and perfunctorie such as was that of Elie in reproouing his lewd sonnes Why doe ye such things for of all this people I heare euill reports of you doe no more my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare 1. Sam. 2. v. 23 24. beeing a meanes rather to cherrish sinne in them then to reclaime them from it These kinds of reproofes not vnfitly may be compared to hotte or hastie healing salues which drawe a faire skinne ouer a fowle wound which because it is not soundly cured from the bottome but ouerly healed vp doth afterward apostemate or fistulaâ—e and becommeth more dangerous and desperate then euer before VI. The vineger of sharpe reprehension must be allaied and tempered with the oyle of milde and gentle exhortation we may not onely vse the corrasiues of thâ— lawe but withall we must apply the cordialls of the Gospell bitter pilles of reproofe must be sugered ouer with louing and affectionate perswasion lest the patient abhorre the physicke euery man in this case is to follow the skilfull Chirurgeon who doth not alway vse section and vsâ—ion in launcing the wound with sharpe instruments but mollifying ointments and mundifying waters to clense and supple the wound and heale the sore Paul saith that the seruant of the Lord must be gentle toward all men and that he must instruct with meekenes them that are contrarie minded 2. Tim. 2. 25 26. and in this place he commands the Galatians that they should restore their brethren with the spirit of meekenes The word translated restore is very emphaticall for it signifieth to set a bone that is broken or any member of the bodie that is out of ioynt and therefore we are to deale with a man that is fallen and by his fall hath diâ—â—onyted some member of the new man as the Chirurgeon doth with an arme or a legge that is broken or out of ioynt to handle it tenderly and gently so as it may be most for his good and least for his paine More particularly this may be done foure waies 1 When a man doth propound the reproofe in his owne person as Paul did 1. Cor. 4. 6. Now these things brethren I haue figuratiuely applied vnto mine owne selfe and Apollos for your sakes that ye might learne by vs that no man presume aboue that which is written c. 2 When a man doth not directly reprooue another in plaine tearmes but closely shewes a mislike of the fact and conuaieth a reproofe in an exhortation and so lappeth vp pills as it were in sugar as when a man sweares not alwaies to say thou c. but yea and nay shall serue betwixt vs what needes this vehemencie betwixt vs two I will as soone take your word as your oath c. 3 When the reproofe is propounded in a parable as Nathan dealt with Dauid 2. Sam. 12. and as our Sauiour Christ by the parable of the two sonnes reprooued the Pharisies Matth. 21. 28. 4 When we reprooue a man directly as at the length Nathan did Dauid Thou art the man 2. Sam. 12. 7. we must so carrie our selues as that the partie may see himselfe rather reprooued by God then by vs and not to proceede bluntly to worke to rebuke and censure at the very first but to vse some preface before hand as that we doe that which we doe in loue of his
two respects 1. Because by faith we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ and so in him who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs we fulfill it and so establish it 2. because hauing our hearts purified by faith we liue no more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and so by inchoaâ—e obedience we fulfill the law Lastly in the end in that both the lawe and the gospel tend directly to the manifestation of the glorie of God Yet they differ in 5. things First in the manner of reuealing the lawe before the fall was perfectly known by nature and since the falliâ— part Rom. 2. 15. The Gospel is not known by nature neither was it euer written in mans heart before or after the fall as Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 9. Those things which the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him therefore the Gospel is called a mysterie Rom. 16. v. 25 26. First because the doctrine of the Gospel was made knowne to men and angels by the reuelation of God Eph. 3. 5. 9. Secondly because there is required a special reuelation worke of gods spirit before a man can yeeld assent vnto it Therefore Paul saith We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. Secondly in the subiect or doctrine it selfe and that in two respects First the Law preacheth nothing but absolute iustice to the transgressours thereof the Gospel sheweth how iustice is qualified with mercie from all things from which ye could not be absolued by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. Secondly the Law teacheth what manner of men we ought to be and what we ought to doe that we may come to eternall life but shewes not howe we may becom such indeed the Gospel teacheth that by faith in Christ we may be such as the Law requires God hath made him to be sinnâ— for vs who knewe no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly in the obiect The law is giuen to the vniâ—st lawles vngodly prophane 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. that it may shew them their sinnes and the punishment thereby deserued and so may accuse and condemne them the Gospel is to be published and dispensed onely to the penitent which are contrite and broken in heart mourne for their sinnes Math. 11. Esay 57. Luk. 4. IIII. The law promiseth eternall life vpon condition of works Doe this and liue If thou wiâ—â— enter into life keepe the commandements The Gospel promiseth eternall life freely without any condition of works Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue V. In the effects The Law is no instrumentall cause of faith repentance or any sauing grace it is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. causing wrath Rom. 3. 15. But the Gospel causeth life it is the grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. for this cause Paul calleth the Law a dead or killing letter the Gospel a quickning spirit 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly it may be demaÌ„ded whether any maÌ„ be able to fulfil the Law considering that Paul biddeth vs beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Ans. No meere man can perfectly fulfill the Law in this life This conclusion S. Paul prooueth in sundrie of his Epistles specially by these arguments First by the great and generall deprauation of nature which remaineth in part euen in the regenerate stayning their best actions and making them like a menstruous cloath confessing withall that his best workes are not answerable to the law by reason of the remainders of originall corruption Rom. 7. Now perfect fulfilling of the law cannot stand with corruption of nature and transgression in life For a corrupt fountaine cannot send forth sweete waters neither can a corrupt tree beare good fruit Saint Iames saith He that offendeth in one is guiltie of all and the Scripture pronounceth him accursed that abideth not in all things written in the bookâ— of the law to doe them Popish Doctours answer first that originall corruption which they call the fewell of sinne and the first motions to euill preuenting all consent of will are indeede in the regenerate but they are no sinnes properly But it is false which they teach For euery transgression of the law is a sinne as S. Iohn defines it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. but these are transgressions of the tenth commandement for it either forbiddeth these first motions whether they be primò primae or secundò primae as Schoolemen speake or it forbid doth nothing but the motioÌ„s which are with coÌ„sent of wil which were forbidden in the former commandements and so in effect there are but nine commandements the tenth forbidding no speciall sinne Againe Paul teacheth that these motions preuenting all consent of will are formally opposed to the Law I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Secondly they answer that Paul Rom. 7. speakes not of himselfe but in the person of the vnregenerate according to the opinion of S. Augustine Ans. Augustine indeede was once of that iudgement but he after retracted that opinion as it is manifest out of his booke of Retractations and the 6. booke against Iulian the Pelagian and that for these reasons First because Paul saith To will is present with me and I doe not the good I would and J delight in the law of God concerning the inward man all which are proper to the regenerate and cannot be affirmed of the wicked Secondly because he makes mention of the inward man which is all one with the new man or the new creature which agreeth onely to the regenerate Thirdly because he saith he is ledde captiue to sinne v. 23. whereas the wicked are not drawne to sinne by force against their wills but runne riot of their owne accord into all wickednes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ierem. 8. 6. Lastly in that he cries out in a sense and sorrow for his sinnes O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death v. 24. which can not be the voice of the vnregenerate for they feele not the burden of their sinne nor desire to be eased of it but take delight and pleasure in it His second reason is this such as our knowledge is such is our loue of God and man but our knowledge is onely in part therefore our loue is but in part and so consequently our obedience is but in part therfore there is no perfect fulfilling of
I come quickly and my reward is with me to giue to euery one as his works shall be Apoc. 22. 12. Besides it meeteth with the practise of those men which sowe nothing but cockâ—e and yet expect a croppe of wheates or nothing but darnell and yet looke to reape a barly haruest that is such as sowe nothing but the cursed seeds of a damnable life and yet looke to reape the haruest of eternall life for as a man soweth so shall he reape such as he brueth such shall he drinke Euery one shall eate the fruit of his owne waies and be filled with his owne deuises Prou. 1. 31. It doeth further detect the follie of those which fraught the shippe of their soule with nothing but faith resting in carnall presumption vpon a vaine opinion of faith and neuer caring for good workes against whome Saint Iames writeth chap. 2. v. 14. What auaileth it though a man say he hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him 20. Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that faith which is without workes is dead We must therefore sowe the seedes of good workes in this life if after this life we looke to reape the haruest of eternall life giue all diligence by good workes to make our calling and election sure that as it is sure in it selfe in Gods vnchangeable decree 2. Tim. 2. 19. so we may make it sure to vs. 2. Pet. 1. 10. and so lay vp in store a good foundation against the time to come that we may obtaine eternall life 2. Tim. 6. 19. Lastly it crosseth the wicked conceipt and imagination of those men that sing a requiem to their soules in promising to themselues an impunitie from sinne and an immunitie from all the iudgements of God notwithstanding they goe on in their bad practises and all because God doth not presently take vengeance on them for their sinnes For they do not consider that their sinnes are as seedes which must haue a time to growe in before they come to maturitie but beeing once ripe and full-eared let them assure themselues God will cut them downe with the sickle of his iudgements as we read Gen. 15. 16. They remember not what the Lord saith by Ieremie that he will not wearie himselfe with following after these wild asses vsed to the wildernesse which snuffe vp the winde by occasion at their pleasure and none can turne them backe but will seeke for them and finde them in their moneths that is when their iniquitie shall be at the full the Lord will meete with them 8. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Here Saint Paul specifieth that in particular which before he had deliuered in generall vz. what he meant by sowing and reaping And this he doth by a distribution or enumeration of the kindes of sowing and reaping she wing that there are two sorts of seeds which men sow in this life good and euill Two kinds of sowers spirituall men and carnall men Two sorts of ground in which this seede is sowne the flesh and the spirit Two sorts of haruests which men are to reape according to the seede corruption and life as Paul saith If ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirit ye shall liue Rom. 8. 13. These two sorts of haruests beeing answerable to the seede corruption and death beeing the haruest of the seede sowne to the flesh life and immortalitie of that to the spirit Tacianus the hereticke and author of the sect of the Encratites doth gather from this and the like places that marriage is in it selfe simply euill because it is a sowing to the flesh To him we may adioyne the Popes holinesse Syricius who reasoneth after the same manner to prooue that Priestes ought not to marrie because saith he they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. where he condemneth all marriages as vncleane both in the Cleargie and the Laitie Distinct. 82. Vnderstanding as though Paul should speake properly of seed and of the flesh But worthely was Tacianus his opinion confuted and he condemned for an hereticke for the Apostle speaketh not of the workes of nature but of corrupt nature which ouerturneth the diuine order which God set in nature in the creation Besides the Apostolike writer saith that marriage is honourable among all men not the first onely but also the second third c. and among Cleargie men as well as others and therefore the marriage bed beeing vndefiled that is beeing vsed in holy manner is no sowing to the flesh but to the spirit as Popish doctours are enforced to confesse Lastly Paul saith not He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to his flesh c. Now no man except he be worse then a bruit beast doth abuse himselfe by sowing to his owne flesh as Ierome saith vpon this place Others by sowing to the flesh and spirit vnderstand the following after the fruites of the flesh and of the spirit mentioned in the former chapter vers 19. 22. But this exposition cannot stand in this place because the illatiue particle for in the beginning of the verse sheweth euidently that these wordes depend vpon the former as an exegesis or exposition thereof where Paul spake not generally of all but particularly of those workes which serue directly to vphold the ministerie By sowing to the flesh therefore the Apostle meaneth nothing else but to liue in the flesh to walke in it to take pleasure in it to followe the desires of it and to fulfill the lusts thereof More plainely it is wholly to giue and add ct a mans selfe to the pleasures profits honours and preferments of this life and to spend himselfe his strength and wit in compassing of them hauing little or no respect of the life to come howe he may compasse the rich purchasse of the kingdom of heauen which who so doeth shall reape nothing at the haruest but corruption that is shall haue for his reward eternall death vnderstanding by corruption the corruption of good qualities not of the substance On the contrary to sowe to the spirit is to liue in the spirit and to walke according to the spirit and to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit to doe those things which otherwise we would neuer doe if we were not mooued and ledde by the spirit as to bestowe a mans goods his labour and trauell his strength his wit and all in those things that may further true religion and pietie with relation to eternall life which whosoeuer doth shall reape life euerlasting as a iust recompence of his worke according to the mercifull promise of God Here sundrie obiections are to be answered for the clearing of this text First the papists reason thus Workes are
vanitie of their minde almost for three thousand yeares together Act. 14. 16. Now if God be so patient in expecting our amendement from day to day from yeare to yeare we ought to be patient in expecting the accomplishment of his promises day after day and yeare after yeare as we are commanded Habac. 2. 3. Though the vision tarie yet wait for it for it shall surely come and shall not stay and though it be long before we reape any fruit of our labours yet let vs with patience expect it for in due season we shall reape if we faint not For if God wait vpon vs not for his owne good but for ours what a shame is it that we will not waite vpon him in tarrying his good leisure for our owne good The dumme and sâ—nsles creatures may set vs to schoole in this point for they expect with a feruent desire to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 19 20. and as the word signifieth they expect with a longing desire euen with thrusting forth their heads as the poore prisoner that is condemned doth who eftsoones putteth forth his head out of the window in a continuall earnest expectation of the gratious pardon of the Prince It is our parts therefore to waite as Dauid did who saith of himselfe Psal. 69. 3. I am wearie of my crying my eyes faile me whilst I waite for my God For if we giue ouer our patient expecting and faint in our minds seeking to anticipate this DVE TIME this period which God hath prefixed in his vnchangeable will more immutable then the lawes of the Medes and Persians a thousand to one but we runne for helpe either to the witch of Endor as Saul did 2. Sam. 28. or to the wizzard of Pethor as Balack did Numb 22. or to the sorcerer and figure-flinger of Babel as Nebuchadnetzer did Ezek. 21. 21. or if all these faile as commonly they doe we either breake out into open blasphemie as the king of Israel did 2. King 6. 33. Behold this euill commeth of the Lord should I attend on the Lord any longer or in the depth of discontent we play the desperate part of Razez and lay violent hands vpon our selues 2. Macchab. 14. 41. The third thing to be considered is the condition required on our part that we may reape in due time set downe in these words if we faint not The wordes in the originall are thus we shall reape in due time not fainting which may be and are of â—some taken in a double sense either as a promise or as a condition As a promise thus If we be not wearie of well doing we shall reape in due season without all fainting and wearines either to the bodie or minde that is we shall reape with all ioy and comfort as it is Psal. 126. 5 6. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy and they that went weeping and caried pretious seede shall come againe with ioy and bring their sheaues with them As a condition that if we continue constant in well doing to the end without fainting we shall reape in the time that God hath appointed and in this sense it is to be taken in this text to wit conditionally as it is well translated if we faint not We are further to consider that there is a double fainting one of the bodie another of the minde The bodily fainting which commeth by labour and toyling is not here meant seeit doeth nothing impeach the goodnesse of the worke it is an argument rather of the soundnesse and sinceritie thereof but the spirituall fainting is that which is to be seared because it maketh our labour all in vaine And this spirituall fainting is two fold the first is the slaking and remitting some what of our course and this hath and doeth befall the Saints of God as we may see in the example of the Church of Ephesus which left her first loue Apoc. 2. 4. Yea all the saints of God haue their turbida intervalla troubled and distempered fits sometime in the full sometime in the wane sometime zealous and forward in the seruice of God sometime againe heauie and backeward c. The second is such a fainting languishing that we cleane giue ouer our course of which Paul speakes 2. Cor. 4. 16. therfore we faint not but though our outward men perish yet the inward man is renewed daily And the author to the Hebrewes we must consider Christ who endured such speaking against of sinners least we should be wearied and faint in our soules Heb. 12. 3. And againe ver 5. Despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint wheÌ„ thou art rebuked of him This fainting is meant in this place Whereas Saint Paul saith we shall reape if we faint not he signifieth that we must perseuere and continue to the ende otherwise we cannot looke to reape the haruest of eternall happinesse It is nothing but constancy and continuing in well doing that doeth crowne all our good works Be constant saith our Sauiour Christ to the church of Smyrna Apo. 2. 10. and I will giue thee the crowne of life Ierome saith It is the propertie of true vertue not to beginne well but to ende well Paul blameth these Galatians for beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh and Christ shewes what a shame it is to him that beginneth to build and cannot finish it it is as good neuer a whit as neuer the better nay his condition is better that never began then that of Iudas whose end was worse then his beginning Leuit. 3. 9. the taile of the sacrifice was commanded to be offered vpon the altar by which was signified that in euery good worke we must not onely begin but continue in it to the end and sacrifice the ende of it to God as well as the beginning otherwise we loose our labour and misse our reward therefore Saint Iohn biddeth vs looke to our selues that we loose not the things which we haue done but that we may receiue a full reward 2. Ioh. v. 8. The labourers in the vineyard came at sundry times some in the morning others at the third others at the sixt and ninth others at the twelfth houre of the day yet none receiued the labourers wages but those that continued in the worke to the ende Matth. 20. God is Alpha and Omega and therfore requireth a good ende as well as a good beginning and it is our dutie not onely to obey the commandement of Christ venite ad me come vnto me Matth. 11. 28 but that also manete in me abide in me Ioh. 15. 4. for he onely that continueth to the ende shall be saued Matth. 24. 13. Further whereas the Apostle saith we shall reape if we faint not It may be demanded whether the Saints doe so faint at any time that they finally fall away To which demaund I answer in a word that they doe not
whereas the word doth not onely signifie qualitie but as properly quantitie as Heb. 7. 4. Consider how great this man was And the word that answereth vnto it signifieth as well quantitie as qualitie Coloss. 2. 1. I would ye knew what great fight I haue Iam. 3. 5. Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth The plaine and simple meaning therefore of Paul is this that he neuer wrote so long an Epistle with his owne hand vnto any Church as vnto them He writ indeede the Epistle to Philemon with his owne hand but that was short in comparison of this And he wrote larger Epistles to other Churches as to the Romans CorinthiaÌ„s c. but by his Scribes not with his owne hand Therefore seeing this is the longest and largest letter that euer Paul writ with his owne hand it ought to be more regarded and better accepted So that as his paines were greater in writing our diligence should be greater in reading and obseruing the same This shewes Pauls great care of the Churches not onely when he was present but when he was absent How painefull he was beeing among them to winne them to the Gospel how fearefull when he was absent from theÌ„ least their minds should be loauened by false teachers how faithfull both present and absent And it may serue as a president to all Pastours hauing cure of soules to vse the like diligence and conscience in their Ministerie that beeing absent in bodie from their charge vpon necessarie occasions as Paul was yet they would be present in spirit with them and present by their letters that so they may testifie to all the world that they haue a greater care of the flocke then of the fleece It further teacheth vs that if the Minister beeing carried with discreete zeale for the good of the Church goe further either in word or writing then he intended or is thought fit by some as it seemes Paul did in this place for what needes this large letter may some say a shorter would haue done as well that we are not to censure him or limite and prescribe him It had beene a great fault in the Galatians if they had found fault with Paul for this his large letter and in the Disciples Iewes if they should haue blamed his long Sermon which continued at one time from morning to night Act. 28. 23. at another time from the closing of the euening till midnight Act. 20. 7. And so it is in many hearers who are too curious and strictt in prescribing and limiting their teachers to the time longer then which they cannot patiently indure And in stinting them in vrging of this or that point in saying he missed his Rhetoricke his Epimone was to long he was ouerseene in dwelling so long vpon the point it had beene better a word and away c. His second argument is taken from the instrumentall cause that he wrote it with his owne hand Haimo saith it is the opinion of the Doctours that Paul wrote not this whole Epistle with his owne hand but onely from hence to the ende which opinion is confuted by the very text You see how large a letter I HAVE WRITTEN with mine owne hand speaking of the whole Epistle in the time past or if of any one part more then of another of the former part rather then of the latter Secondly his assertion is not true for if we except Ierome none of the Ancients as I take it are of that opinion Not Ambrose who saith Where the whole writing is his owne hand there can be no falshood Not Chrysostome who saith To the rest of his Epistles he did subscribe but this whole Epistle he writ himselfe Not Primasius vsing the word perscripsit that he writ it through with his owne hand Not Theodoret affirming that it seemes Paul writ the whole Epistle Not Theophylact who bringeth in Paul speaking to them in this manner I am enforced to write this Epistle vnto you with mine owne hand Not Occumenius who calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Epistle written with his owne hand Not Anselme who paraphrasing the text saith it is all one as if he had said This Epistle I writ with mine owne hand And a little before Not with the Scribes hand but with mine owne hand albeit Anselme cannot so preiudice his assertion who liued long after him Not the Author of the Commentarie vpon the Epistles ascribed to Ierome Tom. 9. for he vpon the 2. Thess. 3. 17. saith plainly With these words he subscribes all his Epistles excepting that to the Galatians which he writ from the beginning to the ende with his owne hand And vpon these very words which we now entreat of See how I am not afraid which of late time haue written with mine owne hand Where by the way we may obserue that Ierome is not the author of those Commentaries beeing so contrarie to himselfe This I confesse is a light matter and not to be stood vpon were it not that some are too hastie to swallow whatsoeuer comes in their way vnder the title of the Doctours It must therefore be a caueat vnto vs not to be too credulous in beleeuing euery one that shall auouch this or that to be the opinion of the Fathers no though it be affirmed by a Father especially by such a one as draweth neere the dregs as Haimo doth It is certen then that Paul writ this whole Epistle with his owne hand the reasons are these First that it might appeare vnder his hand that he was no changeling but the same man that he was before in that he did not preach circumcision or the obseruation of Iewish ceremonies as the false Apostles standered him Gal. 5. â—1 Secondly that this his letter was not counterfaited by another and sent in his name as the false Apostles might haue obiected and the Galatians suspected Thirdly that he might testifie his sincere loue towards them and how he did as it were trauaile in paine of them till Christ were formed in them shunning no labour that might further their saluation We may hence further obserue a threefold difference of the bookes of Scripture in the new Testament Some were neither written by an Apostle nor subscribed as the gospel of Marke and Luke Some subscribed but not written as the Epistle to the Romanes and others Some both written and subscribed as this Epistle and that to Philemon vers 19. I haue written it with mine owne hand J will recompense it Now that Paul subscribed euery Epistle with his owne hand he himselfe witnesseth 2. Thessalon 3. 17. The salutation of me Paul with mine own haÌ„d which is a signe in euery Epistle that it is mine not forged in my name by another so I write the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all In which place he warneth the Thessalonians againe of false teachers and forged letters for 2.
come downe from heauen and light vpon them that follow this rule and that they cannot he hindered by the mallice of men Let the Pope then anathematize curse and excommunicate vs both Prince and people because we tread not in the steps of his faith but of the faith of our father Abraham and walke not according to his rule but according to this rule of the Apostle for we need not feare his thunderbolts nor curses seeing the causelesse curse shall neuer come Pro. 26. 2. for what though he curse if God doe blesse It was the thing that comforted Dauid beeing cursed of his enemies in that though they did curse yet God would blesse Psal. 109. 28. and let vs comfort our selues in this that he will curse them that curse his people Gen. 12. 3. Againe if peace and mercy shall be vpon them that walke according to this rule then wrath and indignation shall light vpon those that follow any other rule or deuise any other way or set downe any other meanes of saluation besides or contrary to this False therefore is the opinion of Pucksius that if a man lead an outward ciuil life he may be saued in any religion the Iewe in his Iudaisme the Turke in his Mahometisme the Heathen in his Paganisme For they that walke not in this way according to this rule doe but weary themselues in endlesse Labyrinths and so walking without line or rule in their crooked wayes shall be led with workers of iniquitie whenas peace shall be vpon Israel Psal. 125. 5. Other vses are made of mercy and peace Pag. 11. and 12. to which places I referre the reader The Apostle addeth that peace and mercy shal be vpon all them that walke according to this rule and vpon the Israel of God There is a doble Israell mentioned by Paul Israell according to the flesh 1. Cor. 10. 18. and the Israell of God as there is a twofold Iewe one outward in the flesh another inward in the spirit Rom. 2. 28 29. By the Israell of God the Apostle meaneth all such as are like to Nathaniell who was a true Israelite in whome there was no guile Ioh. 1. 47. whether they be the faithfull Gentiles or beleeuing Iewes And he makes mention of the Israell of God partly by reason of the aduersaries who bragged so much of their father Abraham and that they were the only true Israelites and yet were noe Israelites because they troade not in the steps of the faith of Abraham partly for the weake conuerts who thought it a hard thing to be seuered from the society of those to whome the promises were made partly for vs Gentiles that we might know that all are not Israell which are of Israell Rom. 9. 6. but that all they which are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham Gal. 3. 9. seeing that God is no accepter of persons Act. 10. 34. v. 17. From hence forth let no man put me to busines for I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus Here the Apostle laies downe his last admonition preuenting an obiection that might be made by the false Apostles or the Galatians For whereas it might be said that Paul sought himselfe and the world shunned persecution and therefore ioyned circumcision to Christ to please the Iewes and followed not his owne rule v. 16. he takes away this obiection with great authoritie when he saith from hence forth let no man put me to busines And withall he addes a reason of it for I beare in my bodie the markes of the Lord Iesus as if he should saie The bonds the imprisonments the stripes wounds and scarres in my bodie doe sufficiently testifie my fidelitie in my ministerie for if I had preached circumcision I should not haue suffered persecution The words may be and are taken in a doble sense First thus The false Apost and you Galatians by their instigation haue beene troblesome vnto me by false accusations and scanderous imputations as that I taught circumcision and the obseruatiō of the ceremoniall Lawe as a thing necessarie to saluation and so you haue made a reuolt from my doctrine by that meanes haue dobled and tripled my labour and paines among you But from hence forth cease to be troblesome vnto me you may take experiment and proofe from me the marks that I beare in my body doe sufficiently witnesse and seale the truth of my doctrine and my fidelitie in myne Apostleship as also whose disciple I am Moses or Christs and what rule I follow Iudaisme or Christianisme Secondly they cary this sense I haue sayd that they which walke according to this rule in glorying onely in the crosse of Christ peace shall be vpon them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God And I say againe and againe that we ought to striue and contend for it to obserue keepe it as a thing most necessarie to saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for othings not necessary to saluation as circumcision c. Let no man troble me in the execution of mine Apostolicall function or hinder the course of the Gospell by vrging any other doctrine or ceremony contrary or diuerse from this as necessary to saluation This one thing is necessarie other things are needles and fruitles in comparison therefore neither I nor the church of God ought to be trobled with them This latter sense I take to be more ageeable to the text Some make the sense to be this I haue had many trobles and conflicts and haue many markes and scarres in my body inflicted by persecutours therfore be no more troblesome vnto me for it were to much to add wormewood to my gale affliction to affliction Here we se the condition of the Apostle and the estate of all faithfull ministers that it is full of troble and molestations For as they are accounted men of turbulent spirits disquieters of the state as Elias was 1. King 21. and Ieremie chap. 15. 18. and Paul Act. 16. 20. 21. 28. So they are most trobled with factious opposers and false teachers who labour to bring into the church things partly needles and superfluous partly hurtfull pernicious Thus the false Apost trobled the pastors and church of Galatia Gal. 5. 10. and the churches of Antiochia Syria Cilicia Act 15. 24. Secondly consider how that the most and greatest trobles of the church haue beene for matter◠not of substance but of circumstance partly not necessarie partly contrarie to the rule which notwithstanding haue bee vrged with fire and fagot as things most necessarie Lastly he that stands forth for the defence of Gods truth as Paul did and all Ministers ought to doe must let goe all circumstances and looke to the substance Not with Martha to trouble himselfe about many needelesse things when as one thing onely is necessarie The reason followeth in these words For I beare in my bodie the markes of the Lord Iesus The word in the Originall translated markes doth properly
vnderstood albeit the soule principally be ment because it is the proper subiect of grace for grace beeing a spirituall thing is placed immediately and properly in the spirit or mind of man and in the bodie accidentally where it doth bewray it selfe by outward actions Secondly for that as the seate of grace is in the mind so the sense and apprehension of it is there likewise not in the bodie Thirdly as Theophilact saith Non ait vobiscum quid ita abigens eos à rebus hisce arguensque non à lege bos spiritum sed à gratia accepisse So that it is all one as if he should haue said the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all as it is Philip. 4. 23. and 2. Thess. 3. 18. as it may appeare by the like for that farewell which Paul giues Timothie in his latter Epistle The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit 2. Tim. 4. 22. is all one with that in his former Grace be with thee 1. Tim. 6. 21. And that salutation Philem. 15. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit is all one with that Coloss. 4. 18. Grace be with you Hence that phrase and forme of speech in our English Liturgie or Common praier booke though misliked by some and cauilled at by others hath his warrant and ground when the Minister saith The Lord be with you and the people answer And with thy spirit wishing the same to him that he to them that God would be with his spirit that is with him Againe marke how the Apostle as he did beginne with grace chap. 1. 3. so he doth ende with grace to teach vs first of all that our saluation is placed in it alone for the beginning the progresse and the accomplishment thereof for election is of grace Rom. 11. 5. and vocation is of grace 2. Tim. 1. 9. and iustification Rom. 3. 24. and glorification Rom. 6. 23. Secondly that Christ is to haue all the glorie of this grace whereby we are so highly aduanced into the fauour of God both for the beginning continuance and ending without ascribing any part thereof to our selues or any other creature Thirdly that all our salutations and greetings our adieues and fare-wells ought to be grounded in the grace of Christ otherwise they are but carnall and therefore the Apostle biddeth the Christians to salute one another in a holy kisse or as Peter speakes with the kisse of loue 1. Pet. 5. 14. This confutes the Popish Doctors who doe not onely ascribe the beginning of their saluation to themselues in co-working with God in their first conuersion but also the ende and accomplishment of it by workes of condignitie which as they say are meritorious of eternall life Further obserue with what emphasis the Apostle concludes his Epistle First opposing Christ the Lord of the house to Moses who was but a seruant in the house Secondly the grace of Christ to inherent iustice and merits of workes Thirdly the spirit in which he would haue grace to be seated to the flesh in which the Apostles gloried so much Lastly brotherly vnitie one with another implied in the word brethren to the proud and lordly carriage of the false Apostles ouer them The Conclusion In the ende of all it is added in the Greeke and Siriacke copies that this Epistle was written to the Galatians from Rome Which post-script seemes to be erroneous and false for first there is not a tittle in the whole Epistle that giueth the least inkling that it should haue beene written from Rome whereas in all the rest which are written from thence Paul makes mention of his bonds and imprisonment Secondly the varietie of copies argues the vncertentie of it seeing in some copies it is said to haue been sent from Ephesus as Caietan and Hyperius affirme in their Commentaries vpon this place Thirdly Baronius if his authoritie be of any waight in this case affirmeth that it is not likely or credible that it was written from thence But be it graunted that this post-script were true indeede yet it is no part of Canonicall Scripture as not beeing written by the Apostle but added afterwards by the Scribes which copied out the Epistles Neither is this onely true of post-scripts but also of Inscriptions or Titles prefixed before Epistles they are no part of holy writ This may easily be prooued in particular for first touching Post-scripts the Greeke copies agree in this that the first Epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi and sent by Stephanas Fortunatus Achaicus and Timotheus when as it is certen it was written from Ephesus For first chap. 16. 5. he saith He will come to them when he shall go through Macedonia Therefore Paul was not then at Philippi a chiefe citie in Macedonia Secondly in the 19 of the same chapter he saith All the Churches of Asia salute you which shewes plainly that when Paul writ this Epistle he was at Ephesus in Asia not at Philippi in Europe Thirdly v. 8. he saith he will abide at Ephesus till Pentecost therefore he was not then at Philippi Fourthly that it was written before the tumult in Ephesus raised by Demetrius and his complices and so consequently before his comming to Philippi as also that it was sent by Timotheus and Erastus it is manifest v. 10. of that chapter beeing compared with Act. 19. v. 21 22. Lastly the Syriacke translatour agreeth with me in affirming that it was written from Ephesus and so doth Baromius Annal. tom 1. pag. 494. l. 39. Againe the post-script of the 2. to the Corinthians hath it was written from Philippi of Macedonia and sent by Titus and Luke whereas the Rhemists if we may giue any credit to their testimonie who elsewhere make titles part of the Canonicall scripture say it was written at Troas as it is thought And Baron annal â—om 1. pag. 590. l. 51. Antuerp thinkes it was written at Nicopoli vpon this occasion that in his former Epistle from Ephesus promising to come vnto theÌ„ as he passed through Macedonia coÌ„ming not 1. Cor. 16. he doth in this excuse himselfe 2. Cor. 15 16 17. compared with the 2. Cor. 7. 5. Neither is it a good reason to prooue that Titus carried this Epistle as it is in the postscript because Paul saith he sent Titus to them and another with him 2. Cor. 8. 18 22. and 12. 18. for Paul speakes of Titus his comming vnto theÌ„ before that time neither may it be thought that Tâ—tus was sent the second time vnto them considering that departing from Macedonia and taking Titus with him he left him in Creete See Cesar Baron annal tom 1. Antuerp p. 591. l. 40. Besides the Rhemists controll the subscription of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians which hath it thus The first Epistle to the Thessalonians written from Athens For in their preface they are bold to affirme that it seemeth rather to haue bin written at Corinth then