first loved mee therefore I must and doe love him 1. John 4.19 Wee love him because he first loved us And it goeth very well and happily with mee if Gods grace have this effect upon mee to bee seconded and followed with my workes of holinesse by way of gratefulnesse for his grace For this effect doth not follow necessarily but onely contingently which may bee or may bee not Seeing too manifest it is that in some men it followeth not Because otherwise Gods grace could not bee frustrated which the Apostle heere supposeth Yet I must constantly note that although my workes of holinesse bee not the cause procreant to produce the existence of Gods grace towards mee Yet they are the cause conservant to maintaine the continuance of it because otherwise his grace will bee frustrated Seeing then Gods grace is on Gods part the cause of my Justification unto this divine alliance and inheritance with him if therefore unto my workes I ascribe that cause which belongs unto his grace doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God by denying it that effect which properly it doth produce Am I not heereby a Rejector and a Despiser of Gods grace as a thing superfluous and needlesse And consequently am I not an ungratefull and an ungracious wretch to magnifie the poorenesse of my workes above the richnesse of his grace Seeing unto workes of holinesse I stood bound before by the Law of nature as I am Gods Creature though hee had conferred upon mee no such grace of alliance as to make me his son and heir For if righteousnesse come by the Law A further confirmation and illustration of this last argument in the former clause of this verse comprising withall a prevention of a tacit objection An Obje ∣ ction For by reason of his former words some man might say why doe you speake of frustrating the grace of God Should you frustrate his grace if your right of inheritance should bee conveyed unto you by Gods Law and not by faith in Christ The An ∣ swer Heereto his Answer is affirmative that thereby he should frustrate Gods grace for saith hee if the right of inheritance come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause and consequently the riches of Gods grace which appeared by the meanes of Christs death should bee made frustrate and void The word Righteousnesse in reference to God doth often signifie that vertue of God which is his Uprightnesse whereby all his actions are just and right according to that holinesse which unto him is naturall Sometime it signifieth his faithfulnesse in keeping and performing that promise which hee hath made But more frequently it signifieth his kindnesse which went before his promise and was the cause why hee made it For why doth God keep his promise The reason is because he is just faithful but why did he first make his promise the reason is because he is kind and gracious Of the word Righteousnesse in this latter sense we spake somewhat largely before in this Chapter verse 16. But heere in this verse the word signifies jurally for that right of alliance and inheritance which on my part is the effect or consequent of Gods kindnesse to mee and whereto his righteousnesse or kindnesse doth justifie mee All which amount in one word unto Justification as if the Apostle had expressed it thus if my Justification or the right whereto Gods kindnesse doth justifie come by the Law For Gods kindnesse his Justfying and my Right thence resulting are in this respect either put for the other Because they are all concurrent unto one and the same purpose for his righteousnesse or kindnesse is the cause whereof my Right is the effect and his Justifying is the act whereby through the meanes of my faith his kindnesse doth convey this Right unto me That therefore wee may heere performe what was before intimated in this Chapter vers 16. Wee are to observe that the Hebrew word Zedakah in the Old Testament and the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New which in our Translations are commonly Englished by the word Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime As Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed in the Lord and hee counted it to him Zedakah for righteousnesse or a Right i. e. God upon Abrahams faith conveyed unto Abraham a right to the blessing which God had promised And Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse or right answer for mee in time to come when it shall come for my hire before thy face q. d. All the yong ones of the flock which shall fall out to bee spotted shall bee my hire for keeping the flock and my Right to these shall answer your question concerning my future wages for if you finde with mee any other then such let it bee theft in mee And Psal 35.27 Let them shout for joy and bee glad that favour Zidki my righteousnesse i. e. my right or as it is there translated my righteous cause And Proverb 16.8 Better is a little Bizdekah with righteousnesse i. e. with right for the words following require that sense then great revenues without right And Esay 5.23 Which justifie the wicked for reward and take away Zedakah Zaddikim the righteousnesse of the righteous from him i. e. the right of the righteous from him for no man can take away the uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse of the righteous from him but his jurall right may be and many times is taken from him Likewise in the New Testament the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth many times signifie a right As Heb. 11.7 And Noah became Heire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse which is by faith i. e. of the right which hee accepted by his faith For the matter whereto a man becomes heire is some right interest or claime and not uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not inheritable or deviseable to bee conveyed from one person to another as Rights and Interests may and doe And Rom. 4.4.5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for righteousnesse i. e. for a Right for it hath reference to the thine former words Reward Grace and Debt which are jurall tearmes concerning matters of Right and plainely teach us this comparison betweene the Laborer and the Believer who agree in this that both have a good right interest or claime the Labourer to his wages and the Believer to his promise But in this they differ that the Labourer by title of his worke hath a right to his wages and his right is of debt But the Believer by title of his faith hath a right to his promise and his right is of grace And in the same Chapter vers 11. And Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse of the faith which hee had being uncircumcised that hee might bee the Father of all them that believe i. e. A seale of the right which hee had by faith being uncircumcised for a seale is not a signe of uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse but of a right interest or claime and the right sealed unto Abraham is heere specified That hee might bee the Father of all them that believe which condition in Abraham was not a morall righteousnesse but a jurall right of dignity And againe vers 13. For the promise that hee should bee the Heire of the World was not to Abraham or to his seeds through the Law but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the righteousnesse of faith i. e. through the right which hee had by faith for it hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heire which are jurall tearmes proper to matters of right for a Promise is an act which maketh a Right and an Heir is a person who hath a right The like sense the word Righteousnesse beareth in divers passages of that Epistle the recitall whereof would prove too numerous and tedious Yet for our further confirmation heerein wee may take notice that in the Old Testament the Hebrew word Zedakah doth not onely signifie a right but in King JAMES his translation is sometime so Englished As 2. Sam. 19.28 For all my Fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eate at thine owne table mah iesh li Zedakah what right have I therefore yet to cry any more unto the King The Right heere mentioned is the right of Inheritance which Mephibosheth had to his Land whereof he stood then disseised by the treachery and calumny of Ziba as it appeares by the words following And Nehemiah 2.20 Then I answered them and sayd unto them the God of Heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion Uzedakah nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem The Right heere mentioned was a Right of Inheritance or of some speciall Priviledge which the three persons to whom hee spake could not clayme because they were not Jewes but Strangers for Sanballat was a Samaritan Tobiah an Amonite and Geshem an Arabian And Psal 9.4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou satest in the throne Judging Zedek right And Psal 17.1 Heare Zedek the right O Lord attend unto my cry Thus the Hebrew word Zedakah the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the English righteousnesse doth many times signifie a Right and is sometime so Englished Now that the same word doth also signifie a Right here in the Text which we have now in hand though here it be not so Englished it playnly appeares from a parallell place in the next chapter following verse 18. For if the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise For first both these sayings carry the same sense because every Inheritance is a Right though not contrarily every Right is not an Inheritance for there be divers other Rights besides Inheritances But an Inheritance is one speciall kind and indeed the best kind of Right when it comes to be in possession because it is an universall and perpetuall Right extended to a whole estate for ever What therefore in one place is meant by the generall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Right the same is expressed in the other by the speciall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Inheritance Secondly both these sayings carry the same reason because in both places hee argues for one and the same conclusion namely that a man is not justified by the Law which hee proves from the severall absurdities which upon a supposall of the affirmative will necessarily follow for if a man be justified by the Law or if his right come by the Law or if his Inheritance be of the Law for all these sayings are all one in effect then all is frustrate voyd without cause and of no effect for the grace of God is frustrate faith is made voyd the death of Christ is without cause and the promise is of no effect For when he saith It is no more of Promise hee seemes to say The Promise is of no effect for so hee sayth expresly in a place paralell to both these Rom. 4.14 For if they which be of the Law be heires fayth is made voyd and the Promise made of no effect Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Dyed without cause This is the absurdity which will necessarily follow upon the former supposition that the right to blessednesse commeth by the Law The Greeke Adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie in vaine for that is in vaine which is without effect neither is it elswhere in the New Testament ever translated in vaine neyther is that sense the minde of the Apostle heere though that sense be a truth and will follow upon the former supposition But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies gratis i. e. for nothing or of gift without desert reward or recompence and in this sense it is commonly translated by the word freely as Rom. 3.24 being justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace Yet sometime and so heere in this place it signifieth causelesly or without cause and that is done causlesly or without cause for which there is no reason or at least no just weighty or sufficient reason So the word is rendred John 15.25 they hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause and so in this place it stands rendred in that English translation which was here in use before that of King JAMES q. d. If the Right of Inheritance unto blessednesse bee Legitimate and come by the Law then there was no just cause nor no sufficient reason can be given why God should deliver Christ and Christ should deliver himselfe up to death But heere in the Death of Christ must bee tacitly comprehended by way of Synecdoche all those other actions of his without which his death would have failed of that due effect for which it was purposed as his Doctrine before it and especially his Resurrection after it For when the Apostle declares the causes of his Death hee commonly also makes expresse mention of his Resurrection joyning it with his death in respect of causality As Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification And Rom. 6.4 Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father Even so wee also should walke in newnesse of life And Rom. 8.34 Who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe And Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and the living And 2.
his Revelation and calling to preach the Gospel not onely Historically but Argumentatively that by an Argument a minori hee might firmely prove his principall assertion that his Gospel was not humane or taught by man because hee discovered not his calling thereto to any mortall man and therefore much lesse did hee consult any man for instruction therein and therefore againe much lesse durst any man attempt to instruct him q. d. When God at Damascus had revealed his sonne in mee and designed mee to preach him among the Gentiles immediately thereupon at least after my baptisme there I went from Damascus into Arabia to preach him among the Gentiles and thence I returned againe to Damascus but during all that time I discovered not the Revelation to any mortall man that I was called to the Gospel much lesse did I consult or confer with any man for any further instruction in the knowledge of Christ or for my proceeding in the exercise of my Ministery among the Gentiles as if in any poynt I were either ignorant or doubtfull and much lesse durst any man attempt to instruct mee for no man knew that I was called to the Gospel excepting Ananias of Damascus but all other men knew that I had authority to binde all that professed it and all men must needes imagine that I still continued in the same minde and therefore all must needs be afraid and actually were afraid of me But for my knowledge in Christ and his Gospell I did wholly acquiesce and rest upon God as abundantly instructed by his Revelation and fully satisfied with his Commission by the sole vertue whereof I preached the Gospel before I made any discovery of my calling to it otherwise then by my preaching of it VERSE 17. Text. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before mee but I went into Arabia and returned againe unto Damascus Sense Went I up The Greeke is neither returned I. Apostles before mee i. e. Ancienter then I or before mee in time And returned i. e. Retired secretly Reason An illustration in particular of that whereof hee mentioned before in generall namely how hee disposed of himselfe immediately after his calling to the Apostleship Comment Paul being made an Apostle went not to Jerusalem to consult the Apostles there But went into Arabia and why so Thence unto Damascus and why so NEither went I up to Jerusalem Went I up The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Neither returned I to Jerusalem for from Jerusalem hee came when hee made that journey to Damascus wherein by the way hee was converted and called to his Apostleship and therefore his not going to Jerusalem at that time must needes bee a not returning thither And thither hee returned not from Damascus immediately after his calling and baptisme there by Ananias although three yeares after that time hee returned to Jerusalem as will appeare in the next verse following To them which were Apostles before mee At Jerusalem was the Oracle as formerly of the Law so then of the Gospel seated in the Apostles of Christ whom Christ before his ascention had personally inspired with his Spirit and ordained by his owne hand Hee denyes therefore that hee went to the Apostles either because his adversaries who magnified them so much for divine men exempted from the ranke of ordinary persons might also remember that they were not yet exempted from the appellation of flesh and blood although they were qualified with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost or because the chiefe suspicion against Paul might arise concerning the Apostles that hee to them made some addresse and by them was instructed in the doctrine of the Gospel This suspition therefore Paul cleares by these words that by this his denyall no man might affirme that ever hee was a Disciple to the Apostles thereby to diminish his reputation especially if in any poynt his Doctrine seemed different from theirs as was the suggestion of his adversaries Before mee i. e. For their time or standing in the Apostleship which hee mentions therefore because from their seniority and Antiquity in their Apostleship Pauls adversaries had taken occasion to disparage him as a novice and a puny or a pupill to some of the Apostles who for their standing in the Ministery were all his Seniors and Ancients This objection hee refells by declaring that although the Apostles were all his Seniors yet hee was Disciple or pupill to none of them for hee never came at them to learne any thing from them neither immediately after his calling nor at any time afterward for when afterward hee was at Jerusalem with them about the controversie of circumcision the chiefest of them who seemed to bee somewhat in conference added nothing to him as it is expressed in the next Chapter following vers 6. But I went into Arabia These words as was noted before must cohere in sense with the word immediately in the former verse for the affirmative of Pauls first action after his conversion for the two clauses intervening betweene that word and these are both negatives of what actions hee did not q. d. When it pleased God to reveale his Sonne in mee and to give mee my charge for preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles then after my baptisme and a little refreshment in Damascus to recover my strength whereof the Lord by my dejection had deprived mee the first action which I did was this that immediately I went into Arabia where certainely I could finde no instructions for the Gospel to bee gathered from a people uncivill and wild who were wholly ignorant of the Gospel who had never heard any thing of Christ and who excepting some Proselites who came yearely to Jerusalem were all wholly devoted to idolatry and superstition By the adversative particle but he plainly declares that unto his not going to Jerusalem hee opposeth his going into Arabia whereby hee seems to prefer Arabia the basenesse of the Gentiles before Jerusalem the glory of the Jews that by this intimation hee might either abolish or abate the boasting of his adversaries who imagined that the truth of the Gospel was topicall and calculated onely for the Meridian of Jerusalem and therefore afterward againe Arabia and Jerusalem are compared together in a matter of higher moment and are both made equall to stand in the same ranke of basenesse and bondage The end why immediately hee went into Arabia was this that being made a seperate Apostle from the rest hee might according to his calling and the charge layd upon him preach the Gospel among the Gentiles or Heathen and of all the Gentiles they of Arabia were in a manner most Heathenish But why hee chose to preach the Gospel there rather then elsewhere the reason might bee because Arabia was much remote and quite contrary to Cilicia wherein stood the famous Tarsus where Paul was borne and well knowne for hee was a Citizen of that City but Arabia was as it were an Angle of
somewhat obscure and farre remote from Jerusalem or because all commerce and passage of Letters was stopped by reason of the persecution then reigning about Jerusalem I went up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I returned which hee therefore sayth because Jerusalem was the place of his habitation or ordinary residence from whence he set forth with authority to persecute the Saints at Damascus and now after three yeares he returned from thence to Jerusalem q. d. When I had already executed my Apostleship for the space of three yeares in Preaching the Gospel for the most part of that time in Arabia and for some dayes at Damascus and had thereby given sufficient proofe both of my Apostleship and of my knowledge in the mystery of Christ then after those three years were expired because I was persecuout of Damascus I returned to Jerusalem Wherby he necessarily concludes that he returned not to Jerusalem for any instruction to preach the Gospel because for the space of three yeares he had already Preached it To see Peter The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to visit Peter the word is no where else used in all the New Testament and properly signifies that kind of seeing which by the Opticks is tearmed â—â—â—ustus i. e. insight which is a diligent and ferious observance of a thing eying the whole and every part and marking all that is to be seene thereby to get an exact and perfect knowledge thereof as if we meant to write a history of it The practise of this insight made upon Cities and Countries is called Surveying but done upon persons out of civill respect is tearmed visiting Yet the visit heere given by Paul unto Peter was not a visitation by way of authority but a Salutation by way of observance or brotherly kindnesse to know and bee knowne unto that Apostle who was of singular authority and eminency not only in Jerusalem but in all that part of the Church which lay within the Jewish pale and of extraordinary fame throughout the whole Church For what could bee more comfortable to all the Disciples of Christ and more sutable in it selfe then that two such great Apostles of Christ who were the two principall Doctors and as it were the two pillars of the Church should joyne their eyes and hands in the mutuall knowledge and acquaintance one of another The cause therefore of Pauls departure from Damascus was his persecution from thence by the Governour and the Jewes who insidiated his life and the cause of his accesse unto Jerusalem at that time was only to give Peter a visit and to bee known unto so great an Apostle q. d. The end of my then going to Jerusalem and personally to Peter was not for Instruction to learne any thing of him but for acquaintance to visit him and to be known unto him And abode with him fifteene dayes The space of time how long for that time he abode at Jerusalem was only a for might which saying heere although in the letter it be History yet in the purpose of the Apostle it is a Reason to prove the truth of his former words that his comming to Jerusalem to see Peter was only to see and visit him because hee abode with him but fifteene dayes and further he thereby also concludes his principall point that the Gospel which he preached was not humane but divine q. d. The space of a forâ—ight was a time too narrow for mâ—… learne divine mysteries by the meanes of humane instruction and therefore my knowledge in the Gospel whereby I became a Teacher of the Gentiles could not be acquisitive to bee gayned by study or by the help of man no not of Peter himselfe the most eminent person in the Church of Christ but must needs be infusive to be operated in me only by the pleasure of God and to be wrought in my soul by revelation What the Apostle did besides at Jerusalem during those fifteen dayes namely how hee exercised his Ministery privatly yet boldly in disputing against the Grecians or Proselites of Jerusalem till they went about to kill him is related by Luke Act. 9.28.29 But why the Apostle abode at Jerusalem no longer then fifteen dayes and why he preached not there publikely to the Jewes during that time himselfe gives the reason elsewhere namely because the Jewes of Jerusalem would not receive his testimony concerning Christ as Christ in a vision had revealed it unto him in the Temple at Jerusalem where during his abode of fifteene dayes hee was praying and in a trance for because of this malignity in the Jewes of Jerusalem he neyther preached nor stayed there but was commanded to make haste and get him quickly out of Jerusalem Act. 22.17.18 VERSE 19. Text. But other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lords brother Sense The Lords brother i. e. Cosin-germane Reason An answer to a tacite objection that might bee made against his former words concerning Peter q. d. If any man shall heereupon object against me that although at that time I received no instruction from Peter yet I might have it from some other of the Apostles To this I must further professe for a truth that during my abode at Jerusalem those fifteene dayes I saw no other of the Apostles save James the lesse our Lords kinseman and cosin-germane and him I saw no otherwayes then by way of visit as I did Peter James the Brother of Christ This James is called the Lords brother by an Hebruisme because he was his cosin-germane being the son of Alpheus alias Cleopas by his wife Mary who was sister to Mary our Lords mother See and compare Mat. 10.3 and Mat. 13.55 and Marc. 3.18 and Marc. 15.40 and Luke 6.15 and John 19.25 and Act. 1.13 And this title of being our Lords brother was given him for distinction to notifie him from James the son of Zebedee and brother of John At that time of Pauls being at Jerusalem he saw no other of the Apostles but Peter and James but at another time many yeares afterward being at Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus he mentions John also as it will appeare in the next Chapter verse 9. VERSE 20. Text. Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not Sense Which I write unto you Supply the sense thus are true or certaine Reason A Confirmation of all his former Narrative by testifying his words upon his Oath or rather by his Oath calling God to testifie them Comment A solemne Oath ascertory NOw the things which I write unto you These words must have the supply of some predicate or attribute to compleate or perfect the sense of them which may be thus the things which I write unto you are not faigned but most true and certaine and the words for their proper antecedent must be referred to the words at the beginning of the 15. verse before But when it pleased God c. for the things wherto he
before even then when his persecution was in action for the deede thereof being done at Jerusalem the same thereof came presently to the Churches of Judea and afterwards spread beyond Syria and Cilicia even to the Churches of Galatia who had also heard of it as hee mentions it unto them before in this Chapter vers 13. But of his latter action in preaching the faith the Churches of Judea for the space of three yeares after hee began to preach it heard not a word or if they heard any thing thereof they beleft it not for when Paul after three yeares of preaching the Gospel in Arabia and Damascus came from Damascus into Jerusalem neither the Churches of Judea nor those of Jerusalem had heard of it for the faithfull at Jerusalem were all afraid of him and beleeved not that hee was a Christian as was shewed before from Acts 9.26 But upon that returne of Paul to Jerusalem the Church of Jerusalem first heard of his Preaching the Faith and she heard of it by Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles and declared unto them both his calling and his Preaching how wonderfully Christ had called him and how powerfully he had Preached Christ at Damascus Act. 9.27 And from the Church of Jerusalem the Churches of Judea circumjacent might easily heare the report of it That he which persecuted us in times past These words are related here by Paul but are the words spoken by the Churches of Judea containing the report they had heard of Paul Paul before in this Chap. vers 13. saith to the Galatians that he had persecuted the Church of God and here he saith that the Churches of Judea had heard of him he which persecuted us yet between his saying and theirs there is no difference concerning the object of his persecution or the persons by him persecuted who in his saying and theirs are still the same because the Churches of Judea were the Churches of God for they were particular Churches of that universall Church which Paul in particular places persecuted in times past And very probable it is that some single persons either teachers or Members in those Churches of Judea were by Paul actually persecuted and forced from Jerusalem upon the Martyrdome of Stephen because the times past were not long past for it was but a matter of three yeares before And those Saints which then were not at Jerusalem were notwithstanding persecuted in that persecution for as when one member of the body suffereth all the members suffer with it so when any one part of the Church is persecuted all the faithfull who are the members thereof and Christ himselfe who is the head thereof is also persecuted for Christ complained that in that very persecution himselfe was persecuted see Act. 9.5 Now the Apostle inculcates the memory of his former persecution into the mindes of the Galatians thereby to maintaine their perswasion of him that so great a Zelot for the Law of Moses as therefore to persecute the Church of Christ had not cast off his patronage of the Law or layd aside his malice against the Gospel without just and weighty causes Now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed The Faith i. e. the Doctrine of faith or the Gospel of Christ for so it is recorded of Paul that at Damascus he had preached Christ and in the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 9.20.27 For in Scripture Faith is often taken for the Motive whereby we believe and for the matter which we believe whether that matter be a single verity or the whole body of the Gospel See Gal. 3.2.5.23 and Ephes 4.5 Which once The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in times past for so it was translated in the words immediatly going before in reference to the persecution and seeing here is the same word in the same sense why should it not here have the same expression for where the elegancies in the Language of the holy Ghost may be fully expressed in our native language there is no reason we should decline them Hee destroyed The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. wasted for so it was rendred before in this translation verse 13. and he wasted the Faith or the Doctrine of it by using all meanes either by himself or by his Friends to withdraw men from the profession of it and by labouring to being a great destruction upon them for therein consisteth the nature of wasting as was shewed before verse 13. And the words of this verse are serviceable to continue his argument q. d. The Christian Churches in Judea knew me not by face but only by heare-say yet they heard nothing how I learned the Gospel but only that I taught and preached it VERSE 24. Text. And they glorified God in mee Sense They. i. e. The Churches of Judea In mee i. e. In my behalfe for me or by reason of me Reason A Christian consequent of Devotion in the Churches of Judea to praise God for his mercy to his Church Comment AND they glorified God The Churches of Judea hearing that Paul preached the Faith did thereupon glorifie and praise God for it was an ancient custome among the people of God to give praise and thankes to God for any extraordinary worke of God See Mat. 9.8 and Mat. 15.31 and Luk. 7.16 and Acts 4.21 particularly upon the same of a sinners repentance or of any mans conversion to the faith especially if he had been a persecutor of it because such a conversion hath in it more then ordinary and is an immediate worke of God And such was Pauls conversion wherein the good grace of God was extreamly powerfull by drawing him from one extreame to another that is from being a Persecutor of the Faith not only to the state of a Beleever but beyond that state to become a Preacher of it In mee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in my behalfe by reason or because of me for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because in which sense this phrase is an Hebraisme noting any kinde of causality especially that which is rationall and so it is used elsewhere See and compare John 13.31 32. and John 17.10 and 2. Cor. 12.9 and Ephes 3.13 The ground or reason why the Churches of Judea glorified God was because of Gods grace to Paul in converting him to the Faith and because of Gods grace to his Church by Pauls Preaching of the Faith The Contents of this First Chapter 1. Preface Wherein are contayned 1. Authour Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father verse 1. 2. Approvers All the brethren which are with me verse 2. 3. Direction Vnto the Churches of Galatia verse 2. 4. Salutation Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for our sins that c. vers 3.4 5. Devotion To God bee
they might escape the crosse of Christ i. e. avoyd those persecutions and inconveniences which followed the sincere Christians for following Christianity And partly for their belly to procure the better maintenance from the Jewish Judaizers who thereupon were liberall and bountifull unto them for false Teachers easily finde by experience that false Doctrine doth bring more profit to the Teacher then to the Hearer Against these Gentilish Judaizers who tooke upon them to bee Teachers and to teach for their belly Paul is very vehement reproving them with divers bitter rebukes For those of Rome hee calls Make-bates or causers of Divisions and Offences Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren marke them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Those of Macedonia hee calls Belly-gods Phil. 3.19 Brethren bee followers together of mee and marke them which walke so as you have us for an ensample for many walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things Those of Creete hee calls unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers For there are many unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouths must bee stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake And those of Galatia hee will heere in the next verse call Sinners of the Gentiles VERSE 15. Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Sense Jewes by nature i. e. Originally and natively by Nation and birth And not sinners of the Gentiles i. e. And who never were idolatrous or sinfull Gentiles as were once the Judaizing false Teachers in Galatia Reason These words may have such a connexion with the former as if Paul seemed to continue his speech unto Peter untill the 17. verse following or as some thinke untill the end of this Chapter for at the beginning of the third Chapter hee manifestly addresseth his speech to the Galatians And it may well bee that by Paul in his discourse with Peter not for the instruction of Peter who was before sufficiently informed in the matter but for the instruction of those hearers who stood by these or the like words were spoken to Peter and were afterward heere inserted because they were very pregnant and pertinent to his purpose But whether the words bee continued to Peter or directed to the Galatians rather yet this coherence is manifest that Paul having sufficiently vindicated the authority of his Apostleship against the obloquies of his adversaries that it was neither humane nor no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles doth heere enter upon the principall subject of this Epistle concerning Justification the Doctrine and verity whereof hee also vindicates from those Errours wherewith the Judaizing false Teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it Comment Jewish advantages twofold 1. Jurall 2 Legall Persons became Jewes 2 wayes 1 Natively by birth 2. Factively by favour these were called Proselites and initiated by Circumcision Gentiles of two sorts 1. Worshippers whereof some Examples 2 Idolaters called Sinners wherof Examples The sum of the Comment A Digression The word Sinner signifies three wayes whereof examples 2. Morally for the improbous Whereof Examples in the Old Testament and in the New 3. Jurally for the Calamitous who really is but a quasi sinner Sin put for the Effect of sin or a Sinner passively or Putatively The Calamitous of foure sorts 1. The Oppressed 2 The Blemished as the Bastard the Alien and the Bondslave 3 The distresed as Job and Lazarus 4 The Tainted as the children of the Ninevites of the Gibeonites of Saul of Gehazi and all the Children of Adam whose Judgement was hereditary Three observations on the three former sorts of sinners 2. For the Gentiles 3. For the Jewes VVEE who are Jewes by nature This whole verse being in it selfe incomplete and suspensive must for the due construction of it be carried forward and referred to these words in the next verse Even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ For between this verse and those words the principall Assertion of this Epistle is interserted namely That A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ The Jewes above all other Nations in the world had certaine prerogatives or advantages from whence besides their descent from Judah the chiefe tribe of Israel they were also denominated Jewes and these advantages were of two sorts 1. Jural in respect of their Rights and Privileges as they were the true Israel and peculiar people of God with whom God had Covenanted for the Blessing promised to Abraham for unto them that Blessing principally belonged because thereto they by Covenant had the originall Right For hence the Jewes are called the children of the Kingdome Mat. 8.12 They are called the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with Abraham that in his seed all the kindreds of the Earth should bee blessed Act. 3.25 Vnto them first God raysed up Christ and sent him to blesse them in turning away every one of them from their iniquities Act. 3.26 They are called the Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9.4 2. Legall in respect of their lawes and Ordinances which were all divine constituted and enacted by God himselfe not only concerning Religion and Piety for the worship and service of God but for Justice and Judgement to be observed betweene man and man For hence the Jew is sayd to Rest in the Law and to make his boast of God to know his will and to be instructed out of his law to be a Guide to the Blinde and a Light to them in Darknesse to bee an instructer of the foolish and a teacher of babes Rom. 2.17 18. Hence is the distinction of him who is a Jew outwardly in the letter from him who is a Jew inwardly in the spirit Rom. 2.28 29. Hence the Jew is sayd to have this advantage that Vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 2. And hence in the verse before to Judaize or to live as doe the Jewes was taken for the legall maner of their life But by the way we must carefully observe that in respect of time God setled upon the Jewes their Rights long before he imposed on them their Lawes for the promise of those Rights was made to Abraham before their first and great Law of Circumcision and the rest of their Lawes for the body of them as they were delivered by the hand of Moses were given above 400 yeares
their Lord and God and they on their part should be his people and peculiar to have hold and enjoy their estates in fee from him For that in these jurall respects the Israelites are called the Righteous it may appeare from divers testimonies of Scripture as Psal 69.28 Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written vegnim zaddikim with the righteous i. e. with the Israelites who have the rights of inheritances in the Land as the Owners and Freeholders of it for among the Israelites and other Nations the names not of the legally or morally righteous but of the jurally righteous are written in bookes and entered into Records in respect of their Inheritances and Priviledges And Psal 72.7 In his dayes shall Zaddik the righteous flourish i. e. literally in the dayes of Solomon the Israelites who are the right Heires and Owners of the Land shall abound in peace But mystically the words refer unto Christ and to the Believers in him And Psal 92.12 Zaddik The righteous shall flourish like a Palme-tree i. e. The Israelite shall so flourish for in the Margin of that place there is a reference quoted to a parallell place Hos 14.5 Where the Prophet mentioning the like blessing doth instead of the Righteous put the word Israel I will bee as the dew unto Israel hee shall grow or blossome as the Lilly And Psal 118.20 This gate of the Lord into which Zaddikim the righteous shall enter i. e. The Israelite shall enter who hath the right of entrance for strangers had no right to enter within the gate of the Lord i. e. of the Temple but remained in the outward Court of the Gentiles And Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot hazzard dikim of the righteous i. e. The stranger shall not continue his Dominion and Possession over the Inheritance of the Israelite to whom the right of the Land was allotted And Esay 26.2 Open ye the gates that goi Zaddik the righteous Nation who keepeth the truth may enter in i. e. The Nation who is the right Inhabitant and Owner of the Land though for a time they were exiled and fled because they would not change their Religion but would keepe the truth And Esay 60.21 Thy people also shall bee all Zaddikim righteous they shall inherite the Land for ever i. e. Thy people even all of them who have any right of Inheritance in Judea shall returne from their Captivity in Babylon and shall henceforth enjoy their estates for ever without any more Captivity In all which passages the jurall sense of the word righteous is chiefely respected although the other two senses may bee also included And under the word righteous in this jurall sense are comprehended not onely the Native Israelites who discended from Jacob but also those factive Israelites who by Nation or Birth being Aliens became of the Jewish Religion professing it by the Ceremony of Circumcision and were thereupon by the Septuagint called Proselytes but by the Rabbins gerei Zedek advenae justitiae i. e. strangers of right Because they had a right interest and claime to the Rights Lawes Ceremonies and Priviledges of the Native Israelites and in many particulars the very same Rights with the Natives For the Proselyte had the same right for the Ceremonies as in eating the Passeover Exod. 12.19.48.49 and in keeping the Fast of Expiation Levit. 16.29 and in offering of Sacrifices Numb 15.14.15.16 and in the use of the holy water Numb 19.10 The Proselite had the same right for Judicature For one maner of Law must bee for the Stranger and for the Native Levit. 24.22 and one maner of Judgement Deut. 1.16 and one maner of punishment Numb 15.30 And hee had the same right for Priviledges the very same immunity from oppression Levit. 19.33.34 and the same Reliefe in case of Poverty Levit. 25.35.36 and the same benefit of Sanctuary Numb 35.15 Thus in the Land of Canaan the Native Israelite and the Proselyte are called the Righteous and so heere in England a Subsidy-man who is an Owner and enjoyes an Estate in Lands or Goods to a certaine yearely is in the Writts of our Common Law stiled homo probus legalis which wee can scarce English properly without the word Just or Righteous in this jurall sense or some other word thereto equivalent And as the concrete words Just or Righteous doe concretely signifie a proprietary or owner So the abstract words of the Hebrew Zedakah in the Old Testament and of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in our Translations are rendred Justice and Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime as shall bee more largely declared in the last verse of this Chapter upon these words For if righteousnesse come by the Law Compare we now the Proprietary or Owner who is a just or righteous man jurally with the kinde or bounteous who is a just or righteous morally and we may observe 3 things 1. That the Owner and his property is a necessary effect and consequent flowing from the kinde man and his kindnesse for he who out of his kindnes bestoweth a thing upon me doth thereby transferre his property and right thereto from himselfe and imputeth or conveyeth the right and property thereof unto me whereby necessarily I am made and become the true proprietary or Owner thereof 2. That the Owner who is jurally just or righteous is mainely opposed to the jurall sinner which as was shewed in the verse before signifies a stranger who either absolutely hath no right at all or none respectively to this or that thing in particular when therefore a stranger who before had no right to a thing attaines some right or claime thereto then he becomes just and righteous in a jurall sense 3. That the word Righteous carryes a variety of sense not much unlike to the word Gracious for as the word Gracious doth signifie sometime actively for one who doth shew grace and favour in which sense it is a frequent attribute of God in the Scripture and so a Prince is Gracious to his favourite and sometime passively for one to whom grace and favour is shewed so the Princes favourite is Gracious with his Prince and in this sense the word Gracious is taken Jer. 22.23 How gracious shalt thou bee when pangs come upon thee i. e. no grace nor favour shall be shewed thee in thy distresse so the word Righteous is taken sometime actively for him who is legally upright by doing right to all and for him who is morally kinde by doing kindnesses in granting and giving some right interest and claime and sometime passively for him to whom a kindnes is done to whom some right interest or claime is given or granted and who because he hath such a right is therefore in Scripture called Just or Righteous Thus the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English
a right to come to a Feast his title to that right on the Feasters part is onely by the Grace Favour or Courtesie of the Feaster and the title on the Guests part is his acceptance of the invitation or calling to the Feast Now Grace is not a legall word belonging to the Old Covenant of the Law for in the Old Testament wee shall very rarely finde the word at all in any sense but never in the genuine sense But Grace is a word Evangelicall belonging to the New Testament or Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediatour for hence the Gospel and the subject thereof which is the New Covenant is called the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace and in that Evangelicall sense wherein the word stands in this place for to take the word in the whole latitude would bee tedious and needelesse Grace is the will and act of God whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse For hence Grace is opposed to Nature which is an act of God whereby wee are made men to have an earthly dominion and inheritance after the Image or likenesse of God So Grace is an Act of God whereby wee are made Christians to have an Heavenly Dominion and Inheritance after the Image and Likenesse of Christ who was the naturall sonne of God borne to that Inheritance whereto wee after his likenesse as co-heires with him are adopted And hence Gods Grace is opposed to our Workes which as a title to that Inheritance are incompatible with Gods grace for if wee have a right to that Inheritance by grace wee cannot have it by workes no more then wee have by nature or birth Yet our workes are a tenure consequent and according to Gods grace whereby wee hold the right wee have by grace for because of Gods grace to make us his sonnes wee must bee gratefull and thankefull to carry our selves as his sonnes by the workes of obedience to so gracious a Father for otherwise wee are ungracious sonnes And lastly hence Gods grace is opposed contrarily to his wrath and his Law extreamely contrary to his wrath and meanely to his Law because Gods Law is a meane betweene the two extreames of his grace and his wrath for when God doth us more good or lesse evill then his Law allowes this is grace but when hee doth us more evill or lesse good then his Law provides this is wrath and his wrath hee many times executes upon us by taking judgement into his owne hands and punishing our sinnes by himselfe when the Ruler is negligent of his duty in laying upon us the punishment assigned by Law and extreame grace is when God without any Law or equity obliging him thereto bestowes upon us the supreame favour of making us his sonnes and co-heires with Christ unto the Inheritance of eternall Blessednesse Now the Apostle doth therefore tell the Galatians that they were removed from Christ who had called them by grace because hee would acquaint them with the admirable benefit or blessing whereof by that removall they had voluntarily deprived themselves that seeing and acknowledging the rashnesse of their fact they might repent of it and turn to the Gospel of Christ by whose grace they had been called Unto another Gospel Another i. e. a forraigne or strange Gospel pretended so to be These words shew the terme of accesse whereto they were removed and are opposed to the former words from Christ who called them by grace as the terme of Recesse from whence they were removed The new doctrine which they had exchanged for the doctrine of Christ who called them by grace he calls another Gospel not that it was so indeed but only in the opinion of the Galatians and of their false teachers who obtruded upon them this counterfeit Gospel and thereby taught them another way of obtayning a right to blessednes then by the grace of God The summe of which counterfeit and pretended Gospel was this that the right and title to the inheritance of blessednesse was to be had by the Law of God formerly given by Moses that the inheritance was due unto them for the service and desert of their works performed according to that Law and that God was to give them that inheritance by an act of his Justice in consequence to his Law for their obedience unto it For these seeme to bee the principall points in the confutation whereof the Apostle bends his arguments prosecuted in this Epistle VERSE 7. Text. Which is not another but there bee some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Sense Which is not another i. e. Eyther is not another Gospel or which is nothing else but that some trouble you Some that trouble you i. e. Disquiet your consciences Pervert the Gospel of Christ viz. By compounding and mingling it with the Law of Moses Reason The words are a further mollifying of his former reproofe by shewing the true cause of their removeall from Christ and translating the fault of it upon others who drave them into it by troubling them Comment The cause of the Galatians revolt and the event of it VVHich is not another The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words may beare a twofold sense A first sense 1. Thus which is not another Gospel for if the Relative which be referred to the word Gospel in the former verse then this saying is a correction of his former reproofe for that clause of it in saying they were removed to another Gospel q. d. Though I sayd you were removed to another Gospel yet indeed there is no other Gospel at all besides that which I preached amongst you but only some trouble you with another doctrine and perswade you that their doctrine is the true Gospel A second sense 2. Thus which is nothing else but that there be some who trouble you for if this whole sentence with the rest of this verse bee referred to the whole reproofe in the former verse then it is an excuse of the Galatians revolt by discovering the true cause of it and by translating the fault of it upon some others who troubled them q. d. This your removeall from the Gospel of Christ unto another Gospel is nothing else or the cause of it is no other but that there be some who trouble you Either of these two senses is so allowable that neither of them is to bee maintained or pressed against the other because neither of them is of such consequence as to be elementary and serviceable for the illustrating or concluding of any other verity in the New Testament But there be some that trouble you The true cause of their revolt from the true Gospel The false teachers amongst the Galatians to avoyd persecution for preaching the true and sincere Gospel of Christ troubled and disquieted the consciences of the Galatians constrayning them to Circumcision and other Legall ceremonies The truth many times may and sometime doth breed trouble
to him that teacheth it but it seldome troubles the soul that receives it whereas errour disquiets and distracts the conscience leaving her uncertaine of the issue pretended and troubling her about the means thereto leading And would pervert the Gospel of Christ The issue of their counterfeit Gospel which though it might not be the intent of the false teachers yet it would bee the event that the Gospel of Christ would thereby be perverted i. e. it would bee cast into a new mould or frame contrary to the forme it had before The addition of Circumcision and other legall Ceremonies doth adulterate and corrupt the Gospel of Christ by compounding it into a new nature contrary to the genuine simplicity and sincerity wherein it was originally planted and taught for they confound the Gospel who compound and complie it with the law because they who unto the Gospel of Christ would super-adde the law of Moses must consequently needs teach that Grace on Gods part and faith on our part make not a sufficient title to our right of inheritance unto blessednesse but that our title by grace and faith requires a further corroboration from our works according to the law of Moses such as Circumcision and difference of meats which are such servile works and such beggerly services unto God and so far from making us a title to have that right that they serve not for a tenure whereby to hold it but that right must bee held by our filiall works of love as wee are the sonnes and heires of God and as they are prescribed in the Gospel of Christ which works Evangelicall are of a more noble nature and more pleasing to God then the legall works under the law which were but beggerly and servile services VERSE 8. Text. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him bee accursed Sense But though we i. e. Though I. Or an Angel from heaven i. e. an heavenly Angel Which we have preached i. e. Which I have preached Reason Though formerly the Apostle had sufficiently declared that the revolt of the Galatians from the Gospel of Christ was a foul errour and that they who obtruded another counterfeit gospel upon them were corrupters of the true Gospel and therefore not to be followed yet heere also hee further insisteth upon the same point shewing them what they are to thinke of any other person whatsoever that should presume to preach any doctrine contrary to his or different from it Comment Angels are some celestiall others infernall Doctrine may be false two wayes 1. Directly 2. Indirectly And such are humane Traditions The doome of false Doctrine BUt though we or an Angel from heaven Wee i. e. I Paul for he speaks only of or concerning himselfe using the plurall number for the singular as appears in the words in the verse following as we have sayd before for Paul only was the person who had sayd the words of this verse And the force of this argument is very moving because the Apostle argues for the truth of his owne doctrine even against himselfe q. d. Not only they who trouble you and would enforce a new gospel upon you are to bee wholly rejected but also I my selfe if I should attempt it am to bee repelled as an execrable person And not only I but if an Angel should come to you as an Evangelist or an Apostle with a message from Heaven contrary to the doctrine by me planted amongst you he is in like maner to be abandoned The words from heaven are not to be referred to the act of preaching but to the person of the Angel to whom they are an attribute and signifie only an heavenly Angel for there are Angels who in respect of their residence are celestiall and supernall in the highest Heaven and there are Angels who for their residence are aereall and infernall for in comparison of the highest Heaven which is most supernall the Ayre which makes the lowest Heaven is infernall Hence wicked spirits are called Princes of the Ayre and are sayd to bee in Heavenly Places i. e. in the Ayre for the Ayre though in respect of the highest Heaven above it it bee Hell yet in respect of the Earth below it it is Heaven and consequently the Ayre in a different and subalterne respect is both Heaven and Hell See and compare Mat. 6.26 and Luk. 13.19 and Ephes 2.2 and Ephes 3.10 and Ephes 6.12 and 2. Pet. 2.4 But to supply the Argument with the greater force the Apostle supposeth a condition altogether impossible seeing it could never come to passe that either hee himselfe should against himselfe or an Angel from Heaven against him should ever attempt to preach another Gospel Should preach any other Gospel unto you then that which wee have preached The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. literally should preach unto you besides what wee have preached Heereby is excluded from the Gospel of Christ all such Doctrine that is either against his Gospel or besides it for whatsoever Doctrine is against it is also besides it and more then besides it and consequently all such Doctrine is excluded as alien from the Gospel of Christ which either doth wholly alter or partly subvert the way delivered by Paul for obtaining a true right and a right title to the Inheritance of Blessednesse And this is done either directly when any thing is taught manifestly contrary to that Doctrine which is necessary to salvation as to teach that Jesus is not the Christ or that there is no New Covenant Or indirectly when any thing not necessary is proposed and urged as necessary though it bee not contrary to the Gospel of Christ but onely disparate or diverse from it as to urge the Ceremonies either of Moses or of others as necessary to salvation for by this meanes the way to salvation is partly changed and assigned to some by-way whereto Christ and his Apostles assigned it not Yet because at that time the legall Ceremonies were urged as necessary to salvation especially by those Christians which were converted from Judaisme whose infirmity was tolerated by the rest of the Apostles and by Paul himselfe who Rom. 14. plainely declares that their opinion was no prejudice to their salvation Therefore wee must not affirme that it was the Apostles minde in this place to pronounce a curse upon all those who any manner of way should teach something as necessary to salvation besides what hee had taught if they taught it out of meere ignorance or errour but those onely hee pronounceth accursed who out of arrogance or some by-respect should presse as necessary to salvation those things which they knew the Apostle had taught to bee not necessary Doth not this Text reach unto the Church of Rome who urgeth as necessary to salvation the Traditions and Precepts of the Church as shee calls them which shee acknowledgeth not to bee comprised in the
Doctrine of the Apostles for shee her selfe distinguisheth them from the Precepts of the Apostles For if Pauls Doctrine which contained not those Traditions of the Church were sufficient to salvation with wâ—â—â— authority can those Traditions bee urged as necessary and by what meanes shall they who urge them escape the curse heere menaced But if they alleage that their Traditions are not contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles but onely additionall even the concession of this is enough for their conviction for in adding to the Doctrine of the Apostles and urging their additions as necessary to salvation they thereby teach besides the Doctrine of Paul as much as they did who unto the faith of Christ would adde the legall Ceremonies which is the maine point in this Epistle condemned because those legall Ceremonies though they were not contrary and against yet were different and besides those things which Paul affirmed as sufficient to salvation But the Galatians by necessitating of their additions must needes deny them sufficient and therefore the Churches of Rome joyne heerein with the Churches of Galatia that unto the Gospel of Christ they make additions though the additions bee not the same Let him bee accursed The censure and doome upon the former presumption that whosoever shall attempt it shall become a curse i. e. an abominable and execrable and devoted thing which no man may or dare touch In poynt of false Doctrine urged against or besides the Gospel of Christ no respect is to bee had to the Dignity or quality of the Person though hee bee an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven for if such Persons as these may by no meanes corrupt the Gospel what person else shall dare to doe it Whosoever therefore shall wittingly and purposely with arrogance and pertinacy attempt this corruption directly or indirectly against or besides the Gospel that person cannot escape the thunder of this curse but hee may escape it who out of ignorance or errour teacheth somewhat which hee thinkes consequent to the Doctrine of the Gospel though indeed it bee repugnant or different from it if afterward upon the sight of his errour hee forsake it and submit to the truth for such a one is not forthwith to bee accursed but must first bee refuted and instructed in the truth VERSE 9. Text. As wee sayd before so say I now againe If any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that you have received let him bee accursed Sense Then that yee have received Viz. from mee who first planted and afterward confirmed it amongst you Reason A Repetition of the former sentence to the same sense yet expressed in words somewhat more generall and full lest any man should thinke that the former clause was too severe and fell from him rashly or unawares VERSE 10. Text. For doe I now perswade men or God or doe I seeke to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Sense Doe I now viz. Since I was made an Apostle Perswade men i. e. Doe I teach humane doctrines or the opinions of men Or God Doe I not teach divine doctrine proceeding from God For if I yet viz. Since I became the servant of Christ Pleased men viz. Against or besides the pleasâ—â—e of Christ I should not be the servant i. e. I would not have been the servant Reason An entrance upon the third part of this Chapter wherein he vindicates the authority both of his Ministery and Doctrine and whereby he will conclude that such a person is worthy to be accursed who shall presume to oppose or corrupt his doctrine by teaching any thing against it or by adding somewhat besides it because his doctrine was altogether divine for he was taught it by God from heaven and by God from heaven he was commanded to publish it Comment The word Now. Men put for humane Doctrines and God for Divine Doctrine Paul was no Men-pleaser The particle yet How farre Men may must bee pleased and how far not Ministers are the servants of Christ FOR doe I now perswade men or God The particle now and the particle yet in the words following though sometime they be taken for the very instant and moment of the time present yet heere in this place they must bee ampliated or extended to a greater latitude to signifie such a time present as comprehendeth some compasse and includeth a certaine state and condition of things which state as long as it lasteth the same is so long accounted the time present See Matt. 3.10 and John 12.31 and Rom. 13.11 and 1. Cor. 13.12.13 and 2. Cor. 6.2 In this place therefore the particle now signifies that space of time from whence the Apostle being made a Minister of Christ did begin to preach the Gospel and yet continued to preach it for it is opposed to that former time when he was a Pharisee and a vehement maintayner of the Law He demands therefore whether now during his Ministery of the Gospel hee perswade men or God which he proposeth by way of Interrogatory signifying thereby that the matter was so evident to the Galatians that they must needs be forced to confesse the truth of it for this Interrogation must bee resolved and construed for two vehement assertions one a Negation thus I doe not now perswade men the other an affirmation repugnant to the former negation thus I doe now perswade God The word Men is here figuratively put for humane doctrines or for those opinions whereof men are the Inventors as wee often use the words Plato and Aristotle for the opinions or writings of Plato and Aristotle And in like manner the word God is put for divine Doctrines and for those verities whereof God is the Authour and Revealer so Christ is sometimes put for the Doctrine of Christ and the preaching of Christ is put for the preaching of his Doctrine See Act. 5.42 and Act. 8.5 and 2 Cor. 4.5 and Phil. 1.15 q. d. When I was a Pharisee zealous of the Law I perswaded and pressed humane Doctrines as the traditions of our Fathers and other opinions of men but now since I was ordained an Apostle and a Minister of Christ I dare urge no humane Doctrine but contrarily the Doctrine which now I urge is wholly Divine whereof God is the Authour and Revealer unto mee This Phrase to perswade men is taken in another sense 2 Cor. 5.11 for there he affirmes that he perswades men which heere he flatly denyes and the reason is because there men are taken for the personall object of his perswasion to whom the matter which he perswaded was piety but heere Men are put for the reall matter of his perswasion that the matter which now he perswaded unto men was not the Doctrine of men Or doe I seeke to please men A reason of his double assertion contained in his former interrogation by removing the cause impulsive which might seeme to move him to perswade humane Doctrines and
not humane or after man because he neyther received of man nor was taught it by man Comment The construction of the words Paul learned the Gospell not from Men. But immediately from Christ By way of Revelation At what time FOR I neyther received it of man neyther was I taught it The word of man interposed heer between the two Verbs received and taught must bee referred to both and follow both thus I neyther received it nor was taught it of man And the word taught is but explicative to specifie the generall word received and restraine it to the Gospel in reference whereto those two words make but one sense for to receive the Gospel and to be taught the Gospel is all one and in a sense somewhat like to this Paul requires the Thessalonians to hold the Traditions which they had beene taught 2. Thess 2.15 The meaning of the Apostle in this place is not simply to say that hee neyther received nor was taught the Gospel at all for in the words next following he acknowledgeth and confesseth that hee received and was taught it of Christ by revelation for that was the maine point which as he sayd in the former verse he would certifie or make knowne unto the Galatians But his purpose is to prove that his knowledge in the divine Gospel of Christ was not humane that hee neyther received nor was taught his knowledge therein by any Apostle nor by any other mortall man For although the Gospel which Paul preached were for the matter of it divine as being the same which Peter and the rest of the Apostles preached Yet his knowledge therein for the meanes whereby hee had it might by the false Teachers bee alleadged and pretended to bee humane which Paul heere denyes of himselfe But hee denies it not of Timothy who though hee preached that Gospel which was divine yet Timothies knowledge in that divine Gospel was humane because hee received and was taught his knowledge therein by Paul who was a mortall man for Paul both instructed Timothy in the Gospel and ordained him a Minister thereof by the imposition of his hands See and compare 1. Tim 4.6.14 and 1. Tim. 6.20 and 2. Tim. 1.6.13.14 and 2. Tim. 3.14 So is it in all the Ministers of the Gospel at this day for although the Gospel which they preach bee divine yet their knowledge therein is humane because they receive their knowledge by humane meanes But by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. A super-reason or confirmation of his former reason by an argument drawne from the contrary that the Gospel which hee preached hee neither received nor was taught it by man because hee received and was taught it of Christ by Revelation And heere againe Christ is opposed to man not that Christ was no way man but because when hee revealed the Gospel unto Paul hee was not at that time a mortall man nor at any time a meere man but alwayes both God and man And heereby also hee firmely concludes and proves his principall assertion that the Gospel which hee preached was not humane or not after man for if hee received and was taught it by the Revelation of Jesus Christ then certainely the Gospell so by Christ revealed unto him was no humane invention neither was his knowledge in it by any humane instruction q. d. For my knowledge in the Gospel which I preached unto you I was no Disciple nor Auditor to any of the Apostles nor to any other mortall man to bee taught it and learne it from man but my onely Master and Teacher in the Gospel was Jesus Christ himselfe who revealed it unto mee and his Revelation of it unto mee was not after an ordinary manner as hee taught it his Apostles and the rest of his Disciples while hee conversed upon Earth But after an extraordinary and miraculous manner for hee taught it mee since his ascention and revealed it unto mee from Heaven and this was the ground why I told you before that if an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Gospel unto you hee was to bee accursed because thereby hee preacheth a Gospell repugnant to that Gospel which was revealed by Christ from Heaven Hee useth the word Revelation because Revelation is an instruction teaching peculiar and proper to the Gospel and such an instruction as is also peculiar and proper to God to bee made by him for although men have and doe teach the Gospel yet the action of revealing the Gospel is never ascribed unto man but only unto God See Mat. 16.17 and Luke 10.21 and 1. Cor. 2.10 and Ephes 3.3 and Phil. 3.15 For the Gospel and the points therein contained are the sacred mysteries and secrets of God which of themselves are veiled and covered from the knowledge of man who by the course of nature or by force of his naturall understanding can never attaine to any knowledge therein unlesse first they bee revealed and discovered by God Because God and God onely is the revealer of secrets Dan. 2.47 The first Teacher of the Gospel who published the Doctrine of it was Christ who because hee was God was therefore a Revealer of it and his Instruction was Revelation But since Christs ascention his Apostles and their Successours have beene Teachers thereof yet not Revealers neither is their instruction Revelation because Revelation is that instruction which is immediate or proximous from God therefore the Instruction in the Gospel which Paul received immediately and proximously from Christ who is God hee calls it Revelation But the time when Paul had this Revelation from Christ can not bee certainely defined from Scripture Yet probable it is that hee had it at the time of his conversion when hee lay at Damascus in a Trance three dayes together blinde and fasting without sight or meat for when in his astonishment hee demanded of Christ what hee would have him to doe Christ answered hee must goe into Damascus and there it should bee told him what hee must doe Act. 9.6.9 c. And probable also it is that hee had this Revelation at the time of those Revelations which hee had in his rapture when hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words whereof hee writes 2. Cor. 12.1.2.3 because it is very probable that his trance after his conversion and his rapture for those Revelations were at one and the same time for in the sequele of this Chapter hee drawes immediate Arguments from his conversion to prove hee was taught by Revelation But this is certaine that Paul never preached the Gospel of Christ untill first hee was taught it by Christ and then immediately hee preached it See afterward in this Chapter vers 16. VERSE 13. Text. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewes Religion how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Sense Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse And wasted it i. e. Destroyed it Reason Another Argument to prove that the
Church of God which is all one with wasting it See Acts 8.3 and Acts 26.10 11. Hence plainly appeares the fury and madnesse of blind and bloudy zeale which is the only cause of persecuting and wasting the Church of Christ VERSE 14. Text. And profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine own nation being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of my fathers Sense And profited in the Jewes religion i. e. I advanced and propagated Judaisme My equals i. e. My contemporaries of the same age Reason An effect of his former conversation in persecuting and wasting the Church of God that by that meanes hee advanced and increased the Jewes religion and the reason of both was his zeal to the Jewish traditions Comment The effect of his persecuting And the cause of it AND profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine owne nation Hee seemes not heere to speake of his owne personall profiting eyther in the knowledge or in the observance of Judaisme as if therein hee exceeded his contemporaries but of the nationall advantage he brought unto the Jewes in defending and propagating their religion amongst others and making Proselites unto it For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I increased the Jewish religion or made it to proceed for so elsewhere the word is rendred in our last English Translation See Luke 2.52 and 2. Tim. 2.16 and 2. Tim. 3.9 And this sense is very consequent to his persecuting and wasting of the Church of God for his persecution and vastation of Christianity must needs have this effect and fruit thereto consequent that by vertue thereof hee advanced and propagated Judaisme for those two religions being mainly opposite and contrary the decrease of Christianity must needs bee the increase of Judaisme as afterward the propagation of Christianity was the vastation of Judaisme q. d. I propagated and advanced the doctrine knowledge and observance of the Jewes religion by my activity and industry in defending it against all adversaries in gayning divers Proselites unto it and in spreading it somewhat among the Gentiles and heerein I exceeded and surpassed all my contemporaries that were of my time not only such as were Proselites reconciled to our Religion from other Nations but also such as were Native Jewes by discent and birth in mine owne Nation Being more exceeding zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers The reason why hee persecuted and wasted the Church of God was because hee was zealous of the Traditions of his Fathers and the reason why hee increased the Jewes Religion more then any of his contemporaries or equalls in time was because hee was more exceeding zealous then they By the Traditions of his Fathers Hee seemes to understand the whole body of Ceremonies then in practice among the Jewes as well the Ceremonies of Moses as the Traditions of his Ancestors whereof some are mentioned by Christ in the Gospel See Mat. 15.2.6 and Mat. 23.16.18.23.25 q. d. I was an exceeding Zelot above measure and above many of my equalls not onely for the Ceremonies of Moses instituted by the Law of God but also for the Traditions introduced and superadded by our Ancestours which by Antiquity of time were confirmed into Customes and carryed the force of Lawes And the reason why hee was exceeding zealous in the Jewish Religion was because hee was a Pharisee not onely by profession in living according to the Rules of that strict Sect but also by birth and education for he was the sonne of a Pharisee and might bee bred by his Father in the Traditions of his Fathers and the manner of the Pharisees was to bee exceeding strict and exceeding zealous See and compare Mat. 23.15 and Act. 23.6 and Act. 26.5 and Phil. 3.5.6 VERSE 15. Text. But when it pleased God who separated mee from my Mothers wombe and called mee by his grace Sense Who separated mee i. e. Designed or appoynted mee to the Ministery From my Mothers wombe i. e. During my time in the wombe And called mee Viz. To the Ministery to bee an Apostle Reason The meanes whereby hee was converted from his former conversation in the Jewish Religion to bee an Apostle and a Preacher of the Gospel whereby hee continues his Argument to prove and conclude his principall assertion that his Ministery and his Doctrine in the Gospel was not humane or after man but divine or after God For saith he Comment The prime cause of Pauls Apostleship whereto 〈◊〉 was preordained while he was in the wombe In a singular manner and afterward actually ordained Pauls whole Apostleship Divine Sanctifying put for separating Pauls calling The non-causes of it The true causes of it BUT when it pleased God These first words of this verse must have their coherence with the first words of the next verse following to reveale his sonne in me thus But when it pleased God to reveale his sonne in me for the subject or matter of Gods pleasure here mentioned was the revealing of Christ unto Paul which act he saith pleased God because he would declare that the originall or prime cause of all those meanes whereby he became a Preacher of the Gospell was onely the good will and pleasure of God q. d. There was no other motive or cause of my Conversion from my former conversation wherein I persecuted and wasted the Church of God and of my reduction to the knowledge of Christ who was so effectually revealed unto me that I became a member of the Church which I persecuted and a Preacher of the Gospell in it but onely the good will and good pleasure of God without any dignity or merit of mine and contrary to all dignity and merit in me for the indignities and demerits which I had done to his Church were such and so great that had he looked upon my actions and not upon his owne pleasure there could have been no cause why he should reveale his sonne to me Who seperated me from my mothers wombe A reason of his former words why the originall cause of all those meanes whereby he was ordained a Preacher of the Gospell was the sole and singular pleasure of God and no action of Pauls namely because God separated or designed him to the Ministery from his mothers wombe before he had yet done any action of his owne The words are an Hebraisme whereby is signified some excellent and singular benefit of nature in the composure or temper of the braine and heart wherewith God endowes some children from their first conception in the wombe especially those whom hee preordaines and prepares for some speciall purpose whereof in Scripture there are severall examples For although nature in her ordinary course hath divers degrees of goodnesse yet by the extraordinary hand of God she may bee and sometime is infinitely advanced and exalted when God is pleased to fashion a child for some singular service and curiously to worke it in the wombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e.
such a latitude of sense as may also include the presence of the person as opposed unto his absence for the word taken in this sense is elsewhere rendred presence in our last English Translation See Act. 3.13 and Act. 5.41 and 2. Cor. 10.1 and 1. Thess 2.17 and 2. Thess 1.9 and Heb. 9.24 Unto the Churches of Judea i. e. unto the Churches in the Regions of Judea both at Jerusalem and other Countrey-Townes and Judea must not heere bee taken strictly as sometimes it is when it stands opposed unto Galilee and Samaria but largely as it contayns the whole land of Israel including Galily and Samaria and as Judea is opposed to Syria and Cilicia For the persecution at Jerusalem arising upon the dispute of Stephen with the Synagogue of the strangers there grew so fearful and bloudy for divers were put to death that the faithful were scattred all abroad not only throughout the Regions of Judea strictly taken but of Samaria also Act. 8.1 And the good providence of God by the scattering of the faithfull scattered also the Gospel for they who from Jerusalem were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Gospel Act. 8.4 Hence Philip to whom Peter and John soone after adjoyned themselves planted the Gospel in Samaria and preached it in many Villages of the Samaritans Act. 8.25 And after the baptisme of the Eunuch he preached in all the Cities of Samaria till he came to Cesarea which frontiers upon Syria Act. 8.40 As for Galily the Gospel had her beginning there and thither it redounded about this time with peace and rest from persecution which was now fully ceased throughout all the Churches of Judea Galily and Samaria Act. 9.31 Yet Paul departing from Jerusalem makes not his addresse to any of the Churches in the Regions of Judea Galilee or Samaria where hee might have rested with safety and security for it was now a time of tranquility from the tempest of the former persecution but he proceeds into the Regions of Syria and Cilicia because unto the Churches of Judea Galilee and Samaria he was altogether a stranger unknowne by his bodily and personall presence neither the teachers nor members of those Churches had ever seen his face to his knowledge And the reason heereof might be because in a maner Paul was a stranger in the Countreyes of Judea Samaria and Galilee for he was then but a yong man who was borne at Tarsus and brought up at Jerusalem where he had alwayes lived till about three yeers before during which time he had preached in Arabia and at Damascus in Syria Which were in Christ A note of distinction whereby to discerne the Churches of Christ from the Synagogues of Moses for heerby hee would specifie what Churches of Judea hee understood namely not the Jewish Synagogues but the Christian Congregations because in all the Regions of Judea Galilee and Samaria the Churches of Christ were intermingled with the Synagogues of the Jewes for heereby it came to passe that the Christians were subject to so many persecutions from the Jews who for their abode were their Countrey-men as Paul intimates to the Thessalonians where he expresseth the Churches of Judea with the like note of distinction of being in Christ 1. Thes 2.14 To be in Christ beares two senses 1. Generally and so to bee in Christ is to be a Christian and hee is a Christian who hath taken the new Covenant whereof Christ was and is the Mediator and he hath taken that Covenant who beleeves the truth of it and accepts the grace of it for in this sense to be in Christ is taken heere and so the word is opposed to a Jew and a Heathen 2. Specially and so to be in Christ is to be a reall sincere and true Christian in opposition to the hypocrite the carnall and false Christian and he is a reall Christian who puts on Christ and lives according to the life of Christ who not only beleeves the verities of the new Covenant and accepts the promises of it but also obeyes the precepts of it by being a new creature according to the new Covenant for thus to doe and be is to be in the spirit and to have the spirit of Christ which if any man have not he is not in Christ See and compare Rom. 8.9 and 2. Cor. 5.17 and Gal. 5.24 and 1. John 4.13 The reason of the words in this verse for the History was shewed before in the context but the reason for their argument is thus q. d. I was so far from learning any point of doctrine eyther from the Apostles at Jerusalem or from any other Teachers amongst the Christian Churches of Judea that they never saw my face but my person was wholly unknowne unto them for to my remembrance I never was in presence with any of them VERSE 23. Text. But they had heard only That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed Sense But they viz. The Churches of Judea Heard only Supply Some men say That he c. The faith i. e. The doctrine of Faith or the Gospel Which once Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. In times past He destroyed Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. He wasted Reason An Illustration of his former saying or a Limitation of the generality therein by specifying in what sense and how farre hee might be or sayd to be known unto the Churches of Judea Comment The believing Jewes heard of Paul That from a Persecutor hee was become a Preacher BUT they had heard onely The Greeke placeth the enclusive particle onely in the first place reading it thus But onely they had heard viz. men say for the words must bee supplyed with some impersonall or indefinite tearme to perfect up the sense thus But onely they had heard say or men say That hee who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith for so it is supplyed in the French Translation They had heard The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. they were hearing which is both an Hebraisme and a Grecisme used heere by way of elegancy to encounter his former words of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I was unknowne to them but they were hearing of mee Some knowledge therefore the Churches of Judea had of Paul yet none by sight or view of his person for they had not seene his face but their knowledge of him was onely by report and hear-say for they had heard of his actions two wayes whereof the one was extreamely contrary to the other for first they had heard that hee had persecuted and wasted the faith and secondly they had heard the quite contrary that now hee preached that faith which formerly hee had persecuted and wasted Yet these two contrary reports of him were both true for hee had done both not at one and the same time but successively one after the other in times different Of his former action they had heard long
God to undertake that journey which they had already determined upon him because Gods will is sometime subsequent to follow not only mans will but his act by approving and confirming afterward what man before hath willed and acted for hence Christ sayd to his Disciples Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Mat. 18.18 Now Paul mentions this Motive of his journey that he went it by revelation thereby to signifie that hee went then to Jerusalem chiefly as a Messenger sent from God lest his adversaries to diminish the authority of his Ministery should suggest to the Galatians that Paul went that journey as a meere Messenger and servant to the Church of Antioch And communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles And communicated The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I declared related or reported for in all the New Testament the word is used but in one place besides and that is by Luke who sayth that Festus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. reported Pauls cause unto King Agrippa where our last English Translation renders it declared Act. 25.14 The pronoune them is here a relative without an antecedent as the manner of the Hebrewes is sometimes to use it yet it is referred antecedently not to any persons mentioned before expresly but tacitly as they are couched in the word Jerusalem and it is referred subsequently to persons that shall be mentioned in the next following clause of this verse namely to them which were of reputation in Jerusalem The matter which unto them he related was not that whole Gospel wherein at his conversion Christ was revealed unto him but the summe of that Gospel or of that Doctrine which as part of the whole Gospel he preached among the Gentiles particularly to the point of circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies namely he preached that men are justified only by faith in Christ without either circumcision or other observances of the Law which he no where pressed upon the Gentiles or mentioned as necessary to salvation But privately to them which were of reputation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. secretly apart or aside for so also the word is commonly rendred elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to the principall or chiefe persons for among the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are such who are personages of chiefe esteem or repute of whom other men hold a great opinion for their knowledge wisedome and integrity such among the Apostles were Peter James and John and whosoever else were principall persons in the Church of Jerusalem To the chiefe persons therefore of that Church Paul related the summe of his Doctrine for they were most concerned in the point because they were best able to examine it and to give their judgement in it And with these he first dealt privately at a secret meeting as in like cases commonly the maner is before he communicated the matter to the whole Church of Jerusalem to whom the matter was referred and to whom afterward Paul and Barnabas publickly delivered it in the Synod For when in a full audience of the Synod they two had rendred an account of that Doctrine which they had preached among the Gentiles and had declared the miracles and wonders which God by them had wrought among the Gentiles presently upon their silence James gave the sentence which was approved by the whole Synod and thereupon the Decrees were drawne up to be sent abroad among the Gentiles as Luke reports it Acts 15.12 13. Against which order of proceeding this makes nothing that here in this Epistle he mentions his conference with the chiefest persons secretly in the last place for he might therefore doe so because he would expresse the generall act of his message before that which therein was particular without respect to the order of time Yet if any man will urge the contrary I shall not much stand upon it Lest by any meanes I should run or had run in vaine The finall cause why he made this relation of his Doctrine to the Apostles Not that Paul made any doubt concerning the certainty of his Doctrine as if he would acknowledge the verity and certainty thereof from the approbation of those who were the chiefe in reputation for as we heard before the verity and certainty of his Doctrine was by God himselfe miraculously revealed unto him and every where confirmed by divers miracles But he therefore related it to avoyd the inconvenience of losing his labour q. d. Unlesse I had thus communicated my selfe at Jerusalem to the Apostles I might have lost all my labour in preaching of the Gospel for my adversaries would continually have clamoured against my Doctrine that the chiefest of the Apostles thought and taught otherwise by which meanes they would have subverted their Faith who had beleft it and consequently I should have run in vaine losing all the fruit of my labour in preaching VERSE 3. Text. But neither Titus who was with me being a Greeke was compelled to be circumcised Sense Neither i. e. Not indeed A Greeke i. e. A non-Jew or Gentile Compelled The Greeke is necessitated Reason The issue of the conference at Jerusalem that circumcision was not decreed necessary neither was Titus a Gentile necessitated to be circumcised Comment A Greeke who Why Titus was not circumcised and why afterward Timothy was BUT neither Titus who was with me being a Greeke We may now perceive from these words why Paul mentioned Titus before as the companion of his journey to Jerusalem and why he tooke him with him by Revelation namely that from his person he might draw an evident testimony against the necessity of circumcision upon the Gentiles The particle neither stands not here for a copulative but is put for the single negative firmely denying of not indeed A Greeke i. e. a non-Jew or a Gentile for by the Jew every non-Jew of what Nation soever is generally called sometime a Greeke sometime a Gentile or Heathen See Rom. 1.16 and Rom. 2.9 q. d. From the result of the Synod no not Titus a man of great repute in the Church of God and my frequent assistant in the Gospel who was then with me at Jerusalem and present in the Assembly although by nation and birth he was not a Jew but a Gentile was ordered to be circumcised no not although circumcision seemed of great moment in regard of his person that he might be a precedent and leading man to the rest of the Gentiles Compelled to bee circumcised Compelled the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. necessitated to bee circumcised for the question was whether circumcision were necessary to salvation and to shew it not necessary Titus was not necessitated to bee circumcised An infallible argument that the judgement of the Apostles was that neither circumcision nor the rest of the legall Ceremonies were no way necessary neither
and although they seemed to urge but the act of circumcision and that to continue but for a time yet we gave no way nor yielded not for the least moment Hence it appears that in things indifferent and in themselves lawfull at some time to be done we need not then gratifie an opposite party when some lust her inconvenience is to be feared but we must therein have a consideration not onely for the time present but for the future That the truth of the Gospel might continue with you The end or purpose of Parts opposition against the false brethren urging the circumcision of Titus namely to preserve and continue the Gospel in the sincerity and purity thereof unto all the faithfull and consequently unto the Galatians The truth i. e. the sincerity or purity for Truth here is opposed to all that falshood or forgery which is done by any adulteration corruption depravation subornation or admission of any thing with the Gospel which unto the nature of the Gospel is alien or contrary and in this sence the word is often taken elsewhere See Psal 51.6 and Esay 59.14 15. and 1 Cor. 5.8 and afterward here in this cap. vers 14. and cap. 3. vers 1. Now circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies were so alien and contrary unto the Gospel that they did wholly corrupt and falsifie the nature of it nullifying all the efficacy thereof and rendring it frustrate voyâ— and of no effect for if Christians be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing he shall become of no effect unto them for thereby they are fallen from his grace as Paul will tell the Galatians afterward cap. 5. vers 2 4. Paul therefore opposed the false brethren urging the circumcision of Titus that he might preserve the nature of the Gospel intire and sincere in the purity thereof free from all compliance with the legall ceremonies that by thus maintaining it first at Jerusalem he might so continue it among the Gentiles untill it arrived so unto the Galatians For if Paul had given way to the circumcision of Titus at Jerusalem would not the false teachers in Galatia have thence afterward drawne an argument for it alleaging to the contrary of Pauls Doctrine there that at Jerusalem by the Apostles themselves circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies were adjudged necessary to salvation and thereupon Titus was compelled to be circumcised With you i. e. You the Galatians or rather with you Gentiles for although in those words he speakes only to the Galatians yet in them he understands all others of their condition in respect of Religion especially the Gentiles to whom his Ministery was peculiarly ordained and to whom the benefit of that action at Jerusalem â—edounded VERSE 6. Text. But of these who seemed to be somwhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they who seemed to bee somwhat in conference added nothing to me Sense Of these Read From those Who seemed to be somwhat i. e. Who were the chiefe persons at Jerusalem Whatsoever they were viz. In times past or heertofore It maketh no matter to me i. e. There is no difference from me or I differ nothing In conference added nothing i. e. Discovered no further light or knowledge in the Gospel to me Reason Having formerly shewed a Difference betweene him and the false brethren at Jerusalem and his superiority above them in yeelding nothing unto them hee now passeth to the chiefe persons there shewing that between them and him there was no difference or inequality and therefore their authority ought not to be objected against his much lesse preferred before it Comment To be somewhat The dignity of the Apostles was no disparagement to Paul who to theÌ„ was no way inferiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A mans person Why Paul differed nothing from the chiefe Apostles who unto his doctrine added nothing but in all poynts confirmed it BUT of these who seemed to bee somwhat i. e. Of these who were the chiefe Apostles for these words are but a circumlocution of the chiefe persons at Jerusalem and they are the same in sense with the words mentioned before verse 2. which were of reputation for the Greek of the Originall is the same Yet by reason of the Infinitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to bee somwhat which followes heere they are heere translated by the way of a Verbe who seemed to be somwhat but the sense returns still unto the same because to be somwhat signifies to be some eminent and excellent person above other men for as when we would debase a man we commonly say he is nothing so contrarily when we would extoll him we sometime say he is somwhat or some body i. e. some extraordinary or singular person For in this forme of speech the Greek particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie indefinitly and really for some what or some thing in generall but eminently and personally for some person extraordinary eyther in deed or in repute for hence of Theudas who made an insurrection it is sayd that he boasted himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to be some body Act. 5.36 And the like was given out by Simon Magus of himselfe Act. 8.9 but hereof see more afterward cap. 6. vers 3. And when Paul saith heer of the chiefe Apostles that they seemed to be somewhat his meaning is not that they seemed great and eminent persons to others onely and not so to himselfe also but hee also himselfe had the like esteeme of them for afterward in this cap. vers 9. he acknowledgeth them to be pillars of that building whereof Christ is the head and corner stone But his meaning is that he did not acknowledge in those Apostles or attribute unto them things in that sense and maner which others especially his Adversaries boasted of them and urged against him to disparage his Doctrine For his adversaries after whose minde and sense he seemes to use these words did use and urge them as if those Apostles were some extraordinary persons for knowledge and power farre above Paul and that Paul to them was no body Whatsoever they were The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. how great soever they were sometime or in times past In our last English translation the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not expressed but should have been expressed for it is very significant to compleate the sense of the words and it is expressed in the Italian and French translations so also in our former English translation compiled at Geneva by our Countrimen who render the words thus Whatsoever they were in times passed But the parenthesis wherewith the words of this clause and of the clause next following are included seemes superfluous and needlesse neither is there any in the French translation yet if wee doe as wee may admit of a Parenthesis in this verse then this clause onely Whatsoever they were in times past
7. Text. But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto mee as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter Sense They. i. e. The chiefe persons at Jerusalem who were of reputation and seemed to be somewhat The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles Was committed Greek was entrusted unto me The Gospel of the Circumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes Reason A further Illustration of his former negative that between the chiefest persons and him there was no difference nor disparity by an argument from the contrary that there was equality and so acknowledged by the chiefest Apostles who gave him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship as their fellow-Apostles but first he shewes the occasion how that acknowlegement came to passe namely when it appeared that Peter and he had severall and equall Commissions for preaching of the Gospel the one to the Jewes the other to the Gentiles Comment Paul an Apostle chiefly to the Gentiles but Peter chiefely to the Jewes BUT contrariwise This paricle of Contrariety must bee referred backward unto these words in the former verse from these who seemed to bee somewhat I differ nothing for that negative of Inequality shall be proved by the contrary affirmative of equality and therefore the same particle must also bee referred forward by carrying the coherence of it to these words in the 9. verse following they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship q. d. The chiefest persons at Jerusalem even the chiefest of the Apostles were so far from putting any difference betweene their doctrine and mine or condemning mine as erroneous imperfect or insufficient in any point and were so farre from making any disparity betweene their persons and mine or preferring themselves before me and Barnabas in reputation and authority that contrarily they acknowledged us for their equals and assumed us into their society of the Apostleship as their copartners and fellow-labourers in the Gospel and in testimony of that their acknowledgement they gave us their right hands upon it When they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me The causes or occasions that manifested the equality and fellowship between the chiefest Apostles and Paul namely that the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw his Commission for preaching of the Gospel The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the uncircumcised who were the Gentiles for the words Circumcision and Incircumcision are often times put for the Circumcised and uncircumcised See Act. 10.45 and Act. 11.2 and Rom. 2.26 and Rom. 3.30 and Rom. 4.9 and Phil. 3.3 Of the Gospel there were not two severall sorts for the Gospel in it selfe was but one for the doctrine of it but there were two sorts of people notably different and separate in their maner of life and conditions to whom God commanded that the Gospel should be preached whereof the one sort was circumcised and the other uncircumcised And although personally some single persons who by birth were Gentiles became Proselites to the Jewish religion and were thereupon circumcised yet nationally and in generall those nations of the Gentiles who were not of the posterity of Abraham were uncircumcised But heer the word uncircumcision is not taken actually but morally as it is opposed unto Judaisme and the uncircumcised are accounted all those who were not of the Jewish religion although actually the foreskin of their flesh were circumcised and cut such as the Edomites and Ismaelites unto whom as to uncircumcised for religion though circumcised in the flesh Paul preached the Gospel in Arabia whither he went from Damascus immediatly after his conversion Was committed unto me The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That I was entrusted or put in trust with the Gospel for in our last English Translation that word is rendred sometime committed sometime put in trust See 1. Thess 2.4 and 1. Tim. 1.11 and Tit. 1.3 The charge of preaching to the Gentiles who were uncircumcised was committed or entrusted unto Paul who because in this charge he was separate from the rest of the Apostles is therefore called the separate Apostle as hath beene formerly noted Yet this charge to preach to these was committed unto Paul not solely for Barnabas and others were his fellow-labourers in that Province but unto Paul it was committed chiefly as the principall person to conduct the functions of that Ministery When they saw i. e. When the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw or perceived that this charge was thus committed unto Paul and the meanes whereby they perceived it was by giving audience to him and Barnabas when they two declared in the Synod at Jerusalem what miracles wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them See Act. 15.12 As the Gospel of the circumcision was to Peter The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes who were circumcised was committed unto Peter The charge of preaching to the Jewes was imposed not upon Peter onely but generally upon the Apostles at Jerusalem yet heere hee names onely Peter because hee was the principall person in that Ministery and naming him as principall the rest of his fellow-laborers in that Ministery are to bee understood as James John and Philip who planted the Gospel in all the Cities of Samaria Yet Peter was not so limited and restrained to the Jewes as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee also might preach among the Gentiles and did so as appeares by his vision of the sheete and his preaching thereupon to Cornelius who was a Gentile see Act. 10.11 and afterward in this Chapter vers 11. Wee shall finde him at Antioch among the Gentiles In like manner Paul was not so limited to the Gentiles as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee had also power and authority given from God to preach among the Jewes who were the children of Israel See Act. 9.15 Heerein Paul doth not onely exempt himselfe from all subjection unto Peter but doth tacitly equall himselfe to Peter and in a manner prefer himselfe above him forasmuch as Pauls Province of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was far the larger of the two because it was extended over all the World VERSE 8. Text. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles Sense He. i. e. God by his spirit and grace That wrought effectually in Peter i. e. Who enabled Peter to the Apostleship Was mighty in me i. e. Enabled me Reason These words are inserted to insinuate another ground or cause of his equality to the chiefe Apostles and of his reception into their fellowship namely that as his Commission was equall to Peters so his execution of it was equally divine and equally effectuall for the same God enabled both Comment Gods efficacy in the Ministery of Peter and of Paul HEE that wrought
effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision He plainly intimates that the agent whom heere hee understands is the Almighty God for the Verbe whereby hee expresseth the action doth properly imply a divine Agent Hee that wrought effectually in Peter The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he who enabled Peter or was effectuall in or by Peter But why it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the dative case without the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as elsewhere is commonly added to the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not worth the enquiry for whether we make Peter the subordinate cause upon whom God was effectuall or the instrumentall cause by whom God was effectuall it comes all to one sense because these are but severall expressions of Gods efficacy in Peters Ministery But that God was the supreame Agent or principall efficient in this efficacy it appeares from the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the sense of the Scripture doth principally signifie that working whose principall Agent is outward and Divine and whose action is inward and potent and this is commonly done when God by his spirit workes upon our spirit by exalting our spirit to that action whereto by naturall strength it could never attaine and by blessing the finall effect beyond that power which by us was applyed to the meanes And this word is also in Scripture opposed meanly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to cease or rest from working by being actually idle or doing nothing But extreamely it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to defeate or disable by rendring a thing so ineffectuall or impotent that it remaines deprived of all inward power to produce any outward act To the Apostleship i. e. to the exercise or Function of the Apostleship and to the efficacy thereof upon others by his exercise of it for to both these Peter of himselfe was unable had he not beene super-enabled by a divine power q. d. As the authority of Peters Apostleship to preach the Gospel unto the Jewes was divine for God had committed that Gospel unto him so Peters efficacy in the execution of his Apostleship was divine also for he did not execute by vertue of his owne abilityes and naturall parts but by the speciall grace of God who by his spirit wrought effectually in him for the execution and successe of his Ministery Now this Divine efficacy whereby God enabled Peter to his Apostleship appeared chiefely three wayes 1. By his Preaching when at one Sermon of his three thousand persons were converted Acts 2.41 2. By his Miracles as his restoring of the Cripple Acts 3.7 his destroying of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. his healing of Aeneas and raising of Dorcas Acts 9.34.40 3. By his deliverance when God by his Angel delivered him out of prison from the hand of Herod who meant to slay him Acts 12.6 7. The same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles Was mighty in me i.e. Enabled me for the word in the Originall is the same whereby Gods efficacy was expressed in Peter Toward the Gentiles i. e. To my Apostleship among the Gentiles for the word Gentiles is opposed to the word Circumcision in the former clause of this verse which there supposed for the Jewes q. d. The efficacy of my Apostleship was divine also wrought by the same grace of the same God whose spirit was as powerfull and as effectuall in me as in Peter so that betweene Peters authority and mine betweene his ability and mine and betweene his successe among the Jewes and mine among the Gentiles there is no difference or disparity seeing all are equally divine and all meere graces from the same spirit of God Now this divine efficacy upon Paul to his Apostleship consisted chiefely in his travels to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles even at the Emperors Court in his miracles which hee wrought for the confirming of his Doctrine in his afflictions which hee suffered and in his deliverances from persecution in all which particulars hee was extraordinarily supported by Gods gracious assistance as appeares by his history in the Acts of the Apostles And heere againe Paul makes himselfe equall unto Peter in that both their abilities for the exercise of their Ministery proceeded from the same supernaturall and divine power VERSE 9. Text. And when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto mee they gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should goe unto the Heathen and they unto the Circumcision Sense Cephas i. e. Peter The grace viz. Of the Apostleship Fellowship viz. In the Apostleship Should goe i. e. Should exercise our Ministery in the Greeke the Verbe is silenced Reason Another argument of his equality with the chiefe Apostles together with another ground or cause how it came to bee acknowledged namely that when they perceived the grace of his Apostleship they acknowledged it by giving to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship Comment The chiefe Apostles then at Jerusalem and their attribute their acknowledgement of Paul Barnabas and society or equality with them Of giving the right hand AND when James Cephas and John The names of the chiefe Apostles then resident at Jerusalem James i. e. James the yonger or the lesse whom hee mentioned before and gave him the attribute of the Lords brother cap. 1. ver 19. He names him heere in the first place therefore as it seems because he was constantly resident at Jerusalem and President in the Synod there for upon the controversie about Circumcision he gave the sentence Cephas i. e. Peter who was the brother of Andrew and whose proper name was Simon but Cephas which in sense is all one with Peter was his sirname for Cephas is but the Syriack word and Peter the Greek word which in English signifie a Stone so that Cephas Peter and Stone are three severall words in three severall Languages which signifie one and the same thing the name whereof was given unto Simon for a sirname for in Scripture it is often declared that Peter was the sirname of Simon See Act. 10 5.18.3◠and Act. 11.13 And this sirname of Cephas or Peter which is by the Evangelist interpreted a stone was given unto Simon by Christ when Christ first beheld him being presented unto Christ by his brother Andrew John 1.42 But seeing Paul mentioneth Simon by the 〈◊〉 of Peter in severall passages of this Chapter both before and after this verse why doth he heere and heere only call him Cephas The reason may bee because hee mentioneth him heere joyntly with other men whose names were Syriack as well as that of Cephas for that is Pauls manner that when hee speakes of Simon alone by himselfe hee calls him by his sirname of Peter but mentioning him among others hee commonly calls him Cephas See 1. Cor. 1.12 and
1. Cor. 3.22 and 1. Cor. 9.5 and 1. Cor. 15.5 John i. e. John the Apostle who was one of the twelve and the beloved Disciple who is commonly called the Evangelist partly to distinguish him from John the Baptist and partly because hee wrote that Gospel which goes under his name hee also wrote three Canonicall Epistles and the Booke of the Revelation hee was the sonne of Zebedee and Brother of James the Elder whom Herod put to death Act. 12.2 Besides this John and John the Baptist there was another John sirnamed Marke whom Paul and Barnabas tooke for their Minister and fell into some dissention about him of whom see Act. 12.25 and Act. 13.5.13 and Act. 15.37 Who seemed to bee Pillars Having discovered and specified by name the persons of whom before it was sayd in generall that they were chiefe men who were of reputation and who seemed to bee somewhat hee now determines in particular what they seemed to bee namely to bee pillars i. e. principall persons in the Church of God who of that edifice whereof Christ is the foundation were in a manner the maine supporters whereby the Christian Religion and the truth thereof was sustained and upheld against all persecutors who openly opposed it and against all false Teachers who secretly undermined it For as the Tabernacle and the Temple was supported by pillars So the mysticall building of Christ is under Christ supported by the Ministers thereof and as the Church is elsewhere called the pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Because therein and therein onely the truth of Religion is preserved for out of the Church wee seeke in vaine for any true Religion So the Ministers are the pillars of the Church by whose Doctrine and Ministery the Church is preserved Yet James Cephas and John have heere from Paul this attribute that they seemed to bee pillars according to the language or speech of his adversaries because unto them these Apostles onely seemed to bee the onely pillars not that they were not as they seemed or not that they seemed not so unto Paul but because they were not the only men that either were or seemed so and because his adversaries who in the poynts controverted dissented from the Apostles abused their reputation of being pillars on purpose to deceive the Galatians and to debase the reputation of Paul as if hee were no pillar or no supporter of the truth Perceived the grace that was given unto mee The grace viz. of my Apostleship or of my being an Apostle unto the Gentiles for that was the matter whereof hee spake last before when hee sayd that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him and that God was mighty in him toward the Gentiles This his Apostleship hee calls a grace because the office thereof was conferred upon him from God by Christ by no other title then by the grace of God as is further implyed in the word given Because all gifts of what nature soever proceede from the grace and favour of the giver Paul of himselfe was unsufficient for this Function for hee was ignorant of the Gospel till such time as it pleased God to reveale Christ unto him and above all other men hee was unworthy of it because hee was a persecutor of those persons who sustained it and of the Church for whom the office was ordained So that unto Paul his office in the Apostleship was free grace because hee no way desired it and meere grace because hee no way deserved it and abundant grace because hee deserved the contrary Hence elsewhere hee calls his Apostleship by the name not onely of grace but of grace exceeding abundant See and compare Rom. 1.5 and Rom. 15.15 and 1. Tim. 1.14 But hee mentions it here by the name of grace to continue his Argument for the Divinity of it for seeing the Gospel was committed or entrusted unto him seeing God was mighty in it toward the Gentiles and seeing it was a gift unto him proceeding from Gods graces therefore certainly it must needs be divine They gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship They i. e. James Cephas and John who seemed to bee pillars Gave mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship i. e. acknowledged me and Barnabas for their Peeres and equalls for their com-Ministers and fellow-Apostles and in testimony thereof gave us their right hands And these words for their coherence must be referred backward unto these words at the 7. verse But contrariwise q. d. James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars and were pillars and by your false Teachers were pretended to bee the only pillars were so far from discovering any further light in the Gospel or from adding any knowledge unto mee therein as if I had beene their Disciple who had learned something from them that contrariwise even they themselves acknowledged both mee and Barnabas to bee pillars also even their equalls and fellowes in the Apostleship and signed our fellowship under their hands by giving us their right hands upon it thereby to testifie unto the world that our authority ability and efficacy for the Ministery of the Gospel was equally divine with theirs all proceeding immediately from the grace of God which unto mee was exceeding abundant The giving of the right hand was among the Hebrewes an ordinary and solemne forme whereby to expresse equality and fellowship for by this forme Jehonadab associated himselfe into the fellowship and company of Jehu by giving him his hand 2. King 10.15 And thus Tobias was marryed to his wife Sara by the joyning of their hands Tobit 7.13 For this solemnity of joyning the right hands in marriage is not onely ancient but very proper because marriage is the most originall and naturall society or fellowship of mankinde which is also called Wedlocke because thereby two persons like two hands clasped are so linked and locked together that they are incorporated into one body or as Christ termeth it whereby twaine are no more twaine but one flesh which God hath joyned together Mat. 19.6 Which Conjunction is expressed and signified by the mutuall conjoyning of their right hands a part of the body for the whole and the right hand being the principall instrument of strength and action doth further argue the mutual promise of that mutuall helpe which God respected at the Creation in making the woman a helpe meete for the man Gen. 2.18 That wee should goe unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision Should goe In the Greeke there is no Verbe expressed but is well supplied in our last English translation Should goe for the very same supply is in the Italian and French translations although the Syriack and some Latines supply it somwhat more emphatically thus should exercise our Apostleship for this expresseth the action or end of their going q. d. Upon their hands given us this agreement was further concluded between us that we should exercise the Ministery of our Apostleships distinctly I and Barnabas by
the reproof is by way of Interrogation which therefore redounds to the sharper reprehension for in demanding a reason of his action why he being a Jew compelled the Gentiles he seems to tell him that he had no reason at all for his action but rather his action was against all reason Yet the Interrogatory of his reproofe is but one and that one so concise that the language and the argument of it is contained and couched under a marvelous brevity q. d. seeing thou art a Christian Jew and by vertue of thy Christianity hast relinquished Judaisme and hast hitherto lived after the liberty of the Gentiles eating all sorts of meats after their maner for so thou didst eate till certaine Jewes came from James why art thou now become so contrary to thy selfe as to relapse back againe into Judaisme and in one fact to commit three offences for therein thou dissemblest with thine owne soule seeing thou hast declared thy judgement to the contrary and therein thou confirmest the Jewish Christians in their infirmity for by thy fact they will be hardened and therin thou compellest the Gentile-Christians to Judaize for thereto they are forced by the example of thy fact and for feare of thee Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as doe the Jewes Why some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. how but it matters not at all what the Interrogation should be for although the words be Interrogatory yet the sense is reprehensory thus certainely thou art too blame in compelling c. Compellest thou The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. necessitatest not by way of violence but by way of example whereby thou dost occasion and move them and by thy fact dost impose a kinde of necessity upon them to doe the like or at least that for fear of thee and of thy authority that dare not do otherwise For he is sayd to necessitate or compell who by force of reason or of example doth vehemently perswade or urge a thing to be done for in this sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used See afterward cap. 6. vers 12. and Luke 14.23 and Mat. 14.22 and Marc. 6.45 and Act 28.19 and 2 Cor 12.11 The Gentiles to Judaize i. e. The Christian-Gentiles to abstaine from certaine meats after the Jewish manner seeing neither that Ceremony nor any other part of the Law of Moses was ever by God imposed on the Gentiles for that Law to them was never given nor never binding q. d. Why dost thou now contrary to thy declared judgement and to thy former custome force the Gentiles to forsake their liberty and to apply themselves to the Ceremonies and observances of the Jewish Lawes whereto the Gentiles were never obliged this is not onely against all equity but against the liberty of the Gentiles and against the freedome of the Gospel The Law of Moses did not now binde the Jewes for by the accesse of the new Testament the old ceased and was expired much lesse should the Gentiles be compelled to it now being expired seeing formerly while it was in force it never obliged them But so great was the authority of Peter that any notable act of his was in a maner compulsory to prescribe and impose upon others especially when the rest of the Jewish Christians and even Barnabas himselfe followed the example of it Neither could all know that Peter herein dissembled for they might believe that he did it as moved in conscience and that now he corrected that errour whereinto before he somwhat swerved in love and courtesie to the Gentile-Christians Seeing then this fact of Peter might have occasioned great troubles seeing it might have disquieted the consciences of many and have much hindred the liberty of the Gospel therefore Paul had great reason to pluck off the vizard in publicke and to discover before all men the person which Peter had assumed For necessary it is that even great Persons when their example grows to a publick offence should undergoe a publick reproof yea the greater they are and the greater the danger that may arise from their example so much the greater should our care be that their authority which otherwise is to be maintained for the publicke good be not turned to the publicke ruine Hence for our better understanding of the former foure verses and of divers passages in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles wee may and must observe that in the Church of Christ there then were and still are and ever will bee three sorts of Christians or three severall parties which agreeing all in the faith of Christ differed much among themselves 1. The sincere Christian who was intirely and wholly a Christian believing in Christ and walking in Christ or as from Pauls words in this verse they may bee described who believed uprightly and walked uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel edifying their faith and composing their life according to the Doctrines Precepts and Rules delivered by Christ and his Apostles These laboured for the sincerity and purity of the Gospel to preserve the truth therof clean and free from the admixture leaven of all Religions Opiniōs whatsoever that therunto were alien and forraine These were inoffensive peaceable and quiet giving no scandall to any party who differed from them in judgement or practice not busying their mindes with foolish questions and fruitlesse disputes to no profit but exercising themselves not in the workes of the Law but in the workes of their callings and in the good workes of the Gospel by doing all Offices and Services of Love Charity Equity Mercy Courtesie and Kindenesse towards all men but especially towards the houshold of faith and chiefely one toward another These were the children of the Kingdome the good seede which Christ sowed in the field of the world and they were the Wheate among which his Enemy sowed Tares Of this sort were the Friends Landlords and Companions of Paul to whom and from whom in his Epistles hee sendeth salutes also Aquila and Priscilla and the Church in their house also the houshold of Cloe of Crispus Gaius and Stephanas in the Church of Corinth also the house of Onesiphorus and all those in the Church of Ephesus whom Paul salutes in these words Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and also those in the Church of Philippi to whom hee writes thus Phil. 1.9.10 And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that yee may approve things that are excellent that yee may bee sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 2. The second party of Christians were the Judaizers for by that name Paul seemes to denote them heere by using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to judaize or to live as doe the Jewes These in respect of their faith were Christians but by their life they were Jewish for they did believe
the Iewes and some living among them as the Samaritans and many townes in Galilee which Mat. 4.15 was therefore called Galilee of the Gentiles All these idolatrous Gentiles were so abominable and odious unto the Iewes that Paul in contempt and disdayne doth heere tacitly call the false teachers of Galatia Sinners of the Gentiles i. e. Idolaters Because although they were now by fayth Christians and by sect Iudaizers yet by birth they were Idolaters for unto Christians they were not converted from being Iewes but from being Gentiles and from that sinfull sort of Gentiles who were not worshippers but Idolaters For in saying Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles he sufficiently insinuates that those Iudaizers were once such sinners and therefore were once men of the basest and lewdest life in the world as persons most distant and remote from the Jewes by nature who by the prerogative of their birth accounted themselves in the highest degree of all those who worshipped God to be a holy Nation and the Saints of the Lord. The sence of the whole verse is q. d. Wee who are Jewes in the best and fullest maner both in respect of our Nation as wee are the seede of Abraham Jewes in respect of our Rights which God hath setled upon us and Jewes in respect of our Lawes which God hath prescribed us for Religion and Justice wee who have these advantages by the best title even by Nature and Birth-right as wee are borne to those Rights and under those Lawes wee who were never sinfull Gentiles borne and bred up in Idolatry as were the Judaizing false Teachers and therefore have better meanes then they to know by what meanes a man is justified Even wee have beene forced to forsake all these advantages even the workes of our Law and the wayes of our Religion to flye unto the faith of Christ for our justification that by faith in him wee may attaine to that Blessednesse which was promised to our Father Abraham No reason is there then that the Gentiles who heeretofore were alwayes aliens and strangers to God and our Lawes but now by Gods grace manifested in the Gospel are admitted unto Christ and endenized into the Kingdome of Heaven being made fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God should thereupon bee constrained to the workes of our Law and to the wayes of our Religion considering that those workes and wayes were unto justification so unavailable and so unprofitable that wee our selves have utterly forsaken them for how can those things advantage them which unto us were no benefit But in the word Sinners there is yet couched a further emphasis whereby the Apostle would prepare and lay a ground for his future Doctrine in the next verse concerning Justification whereof a Sinner is the proper subject and the onely person capable of that blessing That therefore wee may bee the better provided to understand what Justification is and what is the Justification of a Sinner wee must observe that in the Scriptures the word Sinner and his Synonyma's or equivalents beare three severall senses viz. a legall a morall and a jurall sense according to the three generall and notable words Lex Mos Jus. 1. The word sinner signifies legally quoad leges for one who is a transgressour in not doing that right which hee should and ought to doe by the Rules of the Lawes Statutes and Justice For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Law and Justice hee is unrighteous and a person unrighteous is a sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a legall sinner to bee a transgressor is some unlawfull act of his done by him against the Law Such sinners were our first Parents who by transgressing against the Law of Paradise were of mankinde the first sinners by whom sinne entered into the world Such a Sinner was David who in the case of Uriah transgressed the Laws against murder and adultety Such a Sinner was Jeroboam who made Israel to sinne and such was all Israel who did sinne by transgressing the Law against worshipping of Images Such a Sinner was the woman Luk. 7.37 Who washed the feete of Christ with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head and kissed them and anointed them with oyntment For shee was an Adulteresse Such a Sinner was the other woman John 8.3 Who was taken in adultery in the very act and was thereupon brought unto Christ to bee censured And such were the Sinners of the Gentiles mentioned before 2. It signifies Morally quoad mores for one who is Improbous in not doing that right which hee might should and ought to doe by the Rules of Morality Equity Decency Charity and Mercy For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Equity Decency and Mercy hee is unrighteous and the person unrighteous is a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man to become a sinner morally or improbous is not an act of his that is unlawfull in respect of any Law for the act may bee lawfull and yet sinfull enough to denominate him a sinner But it is an act that is not honest and faire in respect of Equity and Decency Such a Sinner was Cham Gen. 9.22 Who seeing his Fathers nakednesse told his two brethren without This act of his was a sinne for it was punished with a heavy curse of perpetuall slavery Yet this was not a sinne legally against any Law or Statute then being in force which forbad that act but it was a sinne morally against the Rule of good Manners Equity and Charity for a sonne to bee so improbous unnaturall and unkinde as to blab of his fathers fault which hee should have concealed Such Sinners were they 1. Sam. 10.27 Who despised Saul and brought him no Presents This act of theirs was a sinne for at the beginning of the verse the offenders are called the children of Belial Yet this was no sinne legally nor an act unlawfull against any Law of Moses but a morall sinne of improbity against the Rule of Morality Equity and Decency for Subjects to despise their King and upon his Election to bring him no Presents Such a Sinner was Nabal 1. Sam. 25.10 Who sayd who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse There bee many servants now a dayes that breake away every man from his Master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee This saying was a sinne for vers 14. one of Nabals owne servants censureth it for railing and afterward vers 17. hee censureth his Master in these words Hee is such a man of Belial that a man cannot speake to him Yet this sinne of Nabal was no legall sinne against any Law of Moses But a morall sinne of improbity against equity and good manners that a man of a great estate
should bee so unmanerly unthankefull and unkinde as to deny a little provision to David and his followers who unto him had been so good as to be a defence to him and his goods Come we down somewhat lower to an example or two of this improbity from the New Testament Such an improbous Sinner was the wicked servant Mat. 18.28 who when his Lord had forgiven him a debt of ten thousand talents would neither forgive nor forbeare his fellow-servant who owed him onely an hundred pence but arrested and imprisoned him for it This act was a sinne for his Lord thereupon was so wrath that revoking his former pardon of the debt hee delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Yet this was no legall sinne against any Law because the act in it selfe was very lawfull for the Law allowes every Creditor to demand and sue for his debt but it was a morall sinne against morality equity and Charity for him to whom his Lord had forgiven a debt of ten thousand talents to exact from his fellow-servant a matter of an hundred pence Such a Sinner was Dives Luke 16.19 who was cloathed in purple and fared sumptuously every day letting Lazarus lye at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crummes that fell from the table This prodigality upon himselfe and parcimony toward the poore was a sinne not legall but morall against the rules of equity Charity and mercy Such Sinners were the Priest and the Levite Luke 10.31 who seeing a man lye in the way stripped wounded and halfe dead passed by on the other side This passage of theirs was no legall sinne against any Law but a morall sinne against the rules of equity humanity courtesie charity and mercy Lastly such sinners will the damned be found at the last day when the finall Inditement shall runne against them in this form Mat. 25.42 I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and ye gave me no drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited mee not Certainely these negligences are sinnes for the parties are cursed and punished with this finall Judgement to eternall damnation Depart from mee ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his angels Yet they are not sinnes legally against the Law of Moses but morally against the rules of equity charity and mercy 3. The word Sinner signifies jurally quoad jura for one who is Calamitous who either hath no Right at all or not that right which he should have or not that which he might have had but is either deprived or debarred from some right priviledge or capacity which by Law or favour is alowed unto others and is predestinated prejudicated decreed and doomed to be and abide in the state and condition of an offendour and thereby to suffer that misery of losse paine and shame which is commonly inflicted as a punishment upon offenders Yet unto the Calamitous the misery which he suffers is not a punishment but onely an affliction because no man is to be punished for having no right or for quitting his right much lesse for losing it if the losse be none of his fault but against his will Now according to the common rule and practice of denominations he that hath no right or not his due right but misseth and faileth of his right may be called unrighteous and must bee so called till wee can finde or make some other appellative that will fit him better and a person in this sense unrighteous is accordingly in Scripture called a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a Jurall Sinner to bee calamitous woefull and wretched is no act of his owne but either the act of some Adversary who unjustly and without cause chargeth upon that sinne whereof hee is not guilty or the act of some Law or of some Curse which burdeneth him for that sinne whereof some other person is guilty whereby the calamitous who is innocent and guiltlesse is forced to suffer affliction or misery as if in himselfe hee were a Delinquent and guilty Yet the Calamitous as hee stands distinguished from the transgressor and the improbous should in strictnesse of speech be called rather a quasi-sinner then a Sinner because hee is not a Sinner properly but quasily i. e. hee hath manifest differences to cleare him from the proper nature of a Sinner and yet hath resemblances enough to draw upon him the name of a Sinner For properly and usually the word sinne doth signifie tha◠evill act which is an offence either against Law or Equity and so the Transgressor and the improbous are both offendors and both properly sinners But many times that word is taken improperly and figuratively by a Metonymy frequent in Scripture and in ordinary discourse and so it signifies not the evill act of sinne but that evill effect or consequent which followes the act of sinne and is commonly made the punishment of sinne as shame paine losse or any other Affliction Calamity Misery or Trouble especially Death which is mans finall suffering and his last enemy As Gen. 4.7 If thou dost well shalt thou not bee accepted and if thou dost not well i. e. If thou dost any act of sinne sinne lyeth at the doore i. e. the effect of sinne which is punishment and misery is ready to attach thee And Gen. 19.15 Arise take thy Wife and thy two Daughters which are heere lest thou bee consumed in the iniquity of the City i. e. in the destruction or punishment of the City And Gen. 31.39 That which was torne of Beasts I brought it not unto thee I bare the losse of it where the Hebrew word is Achtenah i. e. I sinned for it q. d. I suffered for it as if the sinne or fault had beene mine And Levit. 22.9 They shall therefore keepe mine Ordinances lest they beare sinne for it i. e. lest they suffer death for it as appeares by the words following which are but the sense of these and dye therefore And Levit. 24.15 Whosoever curseth his God shall beare his sinne i. e. Hee shall surely bee put to death For so the words are explicated in the next verse And Rom. 5.12 And so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned i. e. For that in Adam all dyed as afterward among the examples of the Calamitous shall bee more amply declared And Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners i. e. Were made mortall and necessitated to dye for the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Constituted ordained or appoynted sinners or mortall for in other places of our last Translation so many wayes that Verbe is Englished and heereto other vulgar Translations agree for the Italian hath it constituted sinners and the French rendred sinners But then by Sinners wee must understand mortall or made to dye because men
of those Legacies and promises and by his acceptance of Jesus Christ for the son and heir of God and for the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament For by the workes The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because by the workes No flesh i. e. No mortall man Be justified i. e. Be declared upright in respect of the Law Reason Heere the Apostle enters upon the principall doctrine of this Epistle and to the end that hee might the more distinctly and clearly assert the verity thereof from those errours wherewith the Judaizing false teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it he delivers it bibartitely in two assertions 1. A Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law 2. An Affirmative that A man is justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ And therefore for the fuller understanding of this excellent Doctrine which declares the introduction and initiation of a man into Christ and discovers withall wonderfull comforts to the soul of a Christian I shall somewhat inlarge my selfe and distinctly explicate what is meant by Justifying what by The workes of the Law and what by Fayth in Jesus Christ Wherein though in my expressions I shall somewhat vary from the current of Expositors yet farre shall I be from that unprofitable and beggarly worke of Confutation which spends it selfe in a destructive way by cavelling at opinions or disgracing the writings of worthy men But I shall travaile only in the way of edification to rayse confirme and illustrate those instructions whereto the holy Scripture shall be the foundation Comment Justified is a derivative from the word Just or Righteous which signifies three wayes 1. Legally for the upright whereof examples 2. Morally for the kind man whereof examples and accordingly the word righteousnes signifies kindnes in the Old Testament and in the New The Hebrew Zedakah The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The legally and morally Righteous compared in 4 points 1. In their Conjunctiō in their subordination in their Dignity 4. in their opposite 3 Jurally for an Owner or an Heire or a Promissary Such was Abraham who is therfore called the Righteous man Such were the Israelites and are so called and so were the Proselytes The Owner compared with the Kinde man Righteous signifies like Gratious A Recollection Justified signifies made Just or righteous in 3 significations and in two consignifications 1. Declaratively by pronouncing a man upright and by pronouncing a man kinde 2. Efficiently either Procreantly or Conservantly Neither excluding necessarily the declarative sense Paul and James easily reconciled Jurall justifying illustrated from words of foure sorts 1. Of Circumstance 2. Of Contrariety 3. Of Affinity 4. Of Attribute and Co-heires Citizens and Freemen Justifying put for Freeing Justifying is a Court-word and a Chancery word and a word Testamentary for the sense of it Man is a sinner jurally legally and morally God is righteous jurally and Morally his kindnesses to Man and their conveyance by Testament which is a will ad pias causas in most ample maner The Nature of Justifying exemplified in Abraham in Rahab in the Jews and Gentiles The Names of it as adopting infranchising reconciling ingrafting ingratiating infeoffing seating allying inabling translating forgiving redeeming The matter of it is a Right of state two spirituall states one of bondage another of freedome which is the state of grace The state whereto we are justified or rather exalted The state from which we are justified Justification makes in us a change only jurall The Priviledges incident to that state exemplified in the Patriarks The degree of our right to the Priviledges exemplified in the Israelites in David in a Legatary The Manner of Justifying is factive exemplified in Moses Uriah and Araunah And that fact is testamentary A recollection KNowing that a man is justified First therefore for the meaning of Justified whereof I intend not in the first place so much the definition though that shall follow as the signification for the right and true English of it according to the Language wherein I write because the word Justified is a Latinisme The Greek word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies made righteous for the Apostle Rom. 5.19 expresseth that word by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. constituted or made righteous as our English Translation renders them whereto other Vulgar translations unanimously for the Italian hath it constituted just and the French rendred just Seeing then the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a derivative from the nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regularly therefore the verbe ought to pertake of those senses which are to be found in the primitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English is Just or righteous Which word carrieth in Scripture severall senses and these as it is the attribute of a person are principally three viz. a legal a moral and a jural sense For as the word Sinner in the verse before had severall senses so the word Just or righteous being contrary to Sinner must needs therfore have severall senses also and they severally contrary to those of Sinner yet where the word is taken chiefly in one of these senses the rest are not alwayes excluded but some one sense is principall and the other accessory 1. The word Just or righteous is taken legally quoad leges for one who is upright according to the Laws by doing right to all and giving every man his due by the Lawes in being sometime rendring that evill which by Law is due to a man but alwayes that good which is due unto him And all men ought to bee legally righteous especially Judges and Rulers whose uprightnes in other mens causes must be exactly legall for the Law is the Rule whereby they must give Sentence and execute Judgement declining neyther to the right hand nor to the left whether it concerne the good or the evill of the party whose cause is handled for that which no way declines to neyther hand is properly sayd to be upright To render evill for evill private men are not bound but now under the Gospel are wholly bound from it yet not so neither but that Masters of Families may reprove and correct their children and servants as the Law of reason shall require because Masters of Families in respect of their Families are petty-Judges and petty-Rulers to judge and Rule uprightly by the law of reason Thus the word Righteous is taken Exod. 23.7 the innocent Vezaddik and righteous slay thou not and righteous i. e. upright or legally righteous And 2 Sam. 23.3 Hee that ruleth over men must be Zaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just i. e. legally righteous or upright And Esay 26.7 The way Lazaddik of the Just is uprightnesse i. e. of the upright is uprightnesse And it is sayd of John the Baptist Marc. 6.20 that Herod feared him knowing that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e.
an upright man and of Zacharias and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous before God i.e. upright walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse and Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just before God i. e. upright before God And as in the concrete the righteous is put for the upright so in the abstract the word righteousnesse is put for uprightnesse Thus saith Jacob Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse answer for mee i. e. my uprightnesse And so Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse i. e. not for thy uprightnesse And Psal 45.7 thou lovest Zedek righteousnesse i. e. uprightnesse And Prov. 16.8 Better is a little Bezedakah with righteousnesse i. e. with uprightnesse And Esay 5.7 and he looked Lizdakah for righteousnesse and behold a cry i. e. he looked for uprightnesse And Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in righteousnesse i. e. in uprightnesse And 1 John 3.7 Hee that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnes is righteous i. e. he that dealeth in uprightnes is upright And in this sense the word righteous is opposed to the legall sinner who because he walketh not according to the Law but transgresseth it is therefore unjust and unrighteous 2. The word Righteous signifies morally quoad mores for one who is kinde and courteous liberall and bounteous by doing acts of benefit and mercy who is not onely ruled by the Law to give every man his due by Law but in many cases is over-ruled by his love to give men more then their due more good and lesse evill then by the Law is due unto them whose maner is to conferre and convey rights unto men by bestowing benefits and doing kindnesses by giving favours and forgiving trespasses For he who out of his love bestows some benefit favor or kindenesse upon me doth thereby create in me a right interest or claime unto the thing bestowed and consequently is thence rightly denominated a righteous man for if he be a righteous man who is upright and deales with me according to that right or claime which by Law I had before much more is he righteous and properly so called who by conferring some benefit or gift upon me doth create some right or claime which before by Law I had not and he that forgives my trespasse doth against the right of the Law give me a right of Release from that penalty which he by the Law might have exacted from me Now as all men ought to be legally righteous i. e. upright according to the Law so ought all men to be morally righteous i. e. kind and curteous according to good maners for no man upon earth is so indigent or poore as not to bee able some way or other to doe a kindenesse as at least to forgive a trespasse Yet eminently this vertue is required from persons of ability and principally from Princes whose Power and Offices lead them to give and forgive in many cases partly beyond the Law and partly against it So the word righteous is taken Psal 37.2 The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Vezaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth i. e. the kinde and liberall man forgiveeth and giveth and Proverb 21.26 The slothfull coveteth greedily all the day long Vezaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the righteous giveth and spareth i. e. the kinde and liberall man and Mat. 1.19 Joseph the Spouse of the blessed Virgin is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man Then Joseph her Husband being a just man i. e. a just or righteous man morally in being kinde and curteous because hee was not onely upright in accustoming to doe that which was right according to the Law but also exceeded the rule of the Law in being kinde and curteous an example of which kindenesse hee shewed to his Wife in resolving to put her away privily when by the Law hee might justly have questioned her openly And Luk. 23.50 Joseph of Arimathea is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good man and a just i. e. kinde and courteous Because hee was not onely upright in not consenting to the sentence of the Sanedrim when they condemned Christ But also further was so kinde and courteous that hee begged a kindnesse to bestow a kindenesse for hee begged the dead body of Christ to bestowe upon it an honourable buriall by wrapping it in linnen and laying it in his owne Sepulcher And Act. 10.22 Cornelius the Captaine is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e. a kinde and courteous man for hee was not onely upright in fearing God but also toward men hee was kind and courteous liberall and bounteous in giving much Almes unto the Poore as in the same Chapter is specified at the second verse Furthermore as in the concrete the righteous is put for the kinde man so also in the abstract the word righteousnesse is many times in Scripture put for kindnesse As 1 Sam. 12.7 Samuel speakes thus unto the people Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord eth col zedakoth of all the righteousnesses of the Lord which he did to you and to your Fathers i. e. of all the kindnesses which he did to you and to your Fathers where our last English translation in the margin renders it benefits and Psal 24.4 Hee that hath cleane hands c. shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation i. e. Hee shall receive kindenesse from God and Psal 112.9 Hee hath dispersed hee hath given to the poore Zidkatho his righteousnesse endureth for ever i. e. his kindenesse and bounty shall bee alwayes commemorated And Esay 60.17 I will also make thy Officers peace and thy exactors Zedakah righteousnesse i. e. They who used exaction upon thee shall doe thee kindenesse for unto exaction which takes more then is due kindenesse which gives more then is due is extreamely contrary And Mich. 6.5 That yee may know Zidkoth the righteousnesse of the Lord i. e. the kindnesses of the Lord for the word is of the plurall number And Mat. 6.33 Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his righteousnesse i. e. his kindnesse favour and mercy And Rom. 1.17 For therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of God i. e. the kindenesse of God is revealed from faith to faith for so the righteousnesse of God must heere signifie because in the verse following it is opposed to the wrath of God the contrary whereof must bee his kindenesse And Rom. 3.21 But now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested i. e. the kindenesse of God is manifested for Gods righteousnesse without the Law must needes bee his kindenesse in which sense also the word is often repeated in the following
or diverse but subordinate and graduall the latter being a degree or accesse unto the former and alwayes supposing it and affected with it at least in the concrete for every kinde man is also or should be upright but every upright man is not necessarily kinde for kindnes is uprightnes and somewhat more because true kindnes doth all the good offices which are due by Law and many more besides which by Law are not due For of Nabal we may say that he was legally righteous or upright to give every man his due but that he was morally righteous or kinde to bestow a courtesie we cannot say for he is branded to be such a man of Belial so unkind and churlish that a man could not speake to him and he reviled David instead of relieving him 1 Sam. 25.17 Of himselfe Paul saith that for legall righteousnes or uprightnes which was by the Law he was blameles Phil. 3.6 but from morall righteousnes or kindnes he was so remote that he was like a mad man against the Saints to persecute imprison and put them to death as he confesseth of himselfe Acts 26.10 3. That of these two virtues the latter is farre more excellent then the former and alwayes preferred before it for uprightnes is a low and servile righteousnesse but kindnes is high and noble the supreme and soveraigne righteousnes in the best and highest degree and is therefore in the Gospel called perfection for Christian perfection consisteth not in being sinles but in deeds of kindenes because uprightnes and kindnes being the two maine degrees of righteousnes he that hath onely the first degree in being onely upright he is imperfect he therefore that hath both degrees in being both upright and kinde he in the phrase of the Scripture is called perfect for though in each degree singly he may be and is very imperfect or peccant yet for having both and joyning both together he is accounted perfect Kindnes in God is Gods perfect righteousnesse whereby God is most glorified and wherein God himselfe doth most glory yea Gods kindnes is called his glory Rom. 3.21 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God i. e. stand in need of the kindnesse of God for seeing the words of this verse are a reason of those in the former therfore the glory of God here must needs be referred to the righteousnesse of God there which as was formerly shewed doth signifie the kindnes of God And kindnesse in man is mans perfect righteousnes for in this kind man hath no other perfection if he have this but his kindnes is a virtue so lovely and obliging beyond uprightnes that for a kinde mans sake some even dare to dye Rom. 5.7 For scarcely for a righteous i. e. an upright man will one dye yet peradventure for a good i. e. a kinde man some would even dare to dye 4. That the person wherein these two righteousnesses of uprightnes and kindnes do concurre and meet together is quite opposite and contrary to the legall sinner mentioned in the verse before who is a transgressour against the Law and therefore cannot be upright and being not upright he can never be truely kinde for he who is not upright toward me to give me that which is my due by Law will much lesse be kinde toward me to give me more then by Law is my due 3. In the third and last sense the word Just or Righteous doth signifie jurally quoad jura for one who is a Proprietary or Owner and hath a right claime or interest eyther in generall as a Communer or Freeman in some Kingdome or Common-wealth or in particular who hath some Free-hold or Estate of his owne in his owne right whether his right be a right in possession by enjoying the present use and fruit of his estate or whether it be a right in capacity by way of interest or claime to some future estate whereof the present possession lies yet in another Such a right of capacity or expectance have the Heyres and Legataries instituted in a Will or Testament unto the estate and goods of the Testator during the Testators life for although the Testators estate bee his owne both for the property and present possession during his life yet also during his life the Heyre by vertue of his nomination in the Will hath a present right or clayme to the future possession of it The like right clayme or interest is imputed given or conveyed in every promise for thereby the promissary hath a present right to the thing granted although the present possession remaine still in the promiser till such time as the promise be performed Such a right of capacity by a present interest or clayme had Abraham during his life to the Land of Canaan whereof by vertue of Gods promise and Covenant he was made heire for sayth Paul Rom. 4.13 The promise was that Abraham should be heire of the world i. e. Of the whole Land of Canaan but Abraham during his life never had the possession of that inheritance for sayth Stephen Act. 7.5 God gave Abraham no inheritance in Canaan no not so much as to set his foot on i. e. no inheritance in possession The man then who hath a jus or right whether in possession or but in capacity is in Scripture called a Just or Righteous man for so Abraham is called the righteous man Esay 41.2 Who called up the righteous man from the East i. e. The man who had the originall and primitive right from whence you derive all that right and interest which you clayme to the Land of Canaan which was first given to Abraham whom I exalted and raysed to the inheritance of that estate by calling him thereto out of the East to follow me he not knowing whither as the footman followes the step of his master to give him the lands of the Nations before him Yet this sense heere of Abrahams being jurally righteous doth not exclude the other two senses for hee was righteous every way both legally morally and jurally but heer in this place the jurall is chiefly respected So the Israelites who were the heyres of Abraham are in many places of Scripture called the Righteous partly in respect of aliens or strangers especially of those who living amongst them were debarred from the Passeover and other holy things and commonly had no right in their Lands or Lawes but were only under their protection and jurisdiction from whence they were called forreigners and strangers within their gates See Exod. 12.43.45 and Exod. 20.10 and Exod. 29.33 and Exod. 30.33 and Levit. 22.10.13 and Numb 1.51 Partly they were called the Righteous in respect of Canaan to the Lands whereof they had a right in possession as the Owners and Freeholders of it for the inheritances thereof were divided by lot among their tribes but chiefly they were so called in respect of God in whom by Covenant they had a right of alliance that hee on his part should bee
or clayme in the Lord that he is their God and thereof they shall not boast in themselves but shall glory in him And Esay 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous servant jizdik shall justifie many i. e. Christ who shall be upright in executing my will and obedient even to the condition of a servant shall by the knowledge or Doctrine by him taught make many to have a right interest and clayme in God as his sonnes and heires to everlasting life for Paul expressing the sense of this place doth instead of the words shall justifie many use these many shall bee made righteous Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous i. e. Many shall bee jurally justified or made to have a right in God which before they had not for the word made heere doth not signifie Declaratively but Efficiently Because the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies constituted ordained or appoynted and in some places of our last English Translation is so rendred See Act. 6.3 and Tit. 1.5 and Heb. 5.1 And Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified freely by his grace i. e. procreantly jurified or made to have our right in God without any deserts any workes or any suit on our part but onely by grace on Gods part him thereto especially moving And Roman 4.2 if Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were justified by workes hee hath whereof to glory i. e. if Abraham were procreately or initially jurified or made to have his right of inheritance to the Kingdome of Canaan by the title of his workes he may well boast of them for certainely they must bee mighty workes that could entitle him to a Kingdome or make him to bee the Heire of the World as Paul phraseth it afterward ver 13. And to instance in the first clause of the present Text Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law i. e. Procreantly jurified or made to have a right to bee constituted or initiated by the workes of the Law 2. Conservantly and so hee is justified or rather jurified who is made to hold his right when that right which hee was made to have before is afterward and moreover preserved continued and maintained unto him for by this efficiency his right is made to subsist and remaine according to the former creation or constitution of it and consequently is kept from escheating reverting revoking forfeiting or otherwise losing for in vaine a man is made to have a right if hee bee not also made to hold it In this sense the word is taken James 2.21 Was not Abraham our Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne upon the Altar i. e. That right of Inheritance to the Land of Canaan which Abraham was first made to have by his faith or which was created constituted imputed or initiated unto him upon his faith was it not afterward held continued preserved and maintained by his workes in offering up his son And againe vers 24. Yee see how that by works a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is justified and not by faith onely i. e. that right unto salvation which a man is first made to have by his faith is held or continued by his workes for though his faith onely without workes doth first create constitute and commence that right in making him to have it yet faith onely without workes doth not preserve continue and maintaine that right in making him to hold it and though his workes have no efficiency procreant in making him to have that right yet they have an efficiency conservant in making him to hold it And againe vers 25. Was not Rabah the harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way i. e. the right to be saved at the sacke of Jericho which was first created constituted and imputed unto Rahab by her faith in God was it not afterward preserved continued and held by her workes in receiving the messengers and dismissing them another way Yet this jurall efficiency of the Verb justified doth not necessarily exclude the declarative sense but is so compliant and consistent therewith that it doth advance and further it For if the right which is made us be declared it becomes thereby the more manifest before men and consequently the lesse questionable and therefore in all the places formerly quoted out of James the Verb justified may and doth carry a declarative sense yet not principally but secondarily and accessorily for that our right should be conserved and continued unto us is of absolute necessity to salvation because otherwise wee cannot be saved but that it should be declared and manifested otherwise then Gods Will and Testament declares it we find no such necessity in Scripture And certainly our workes doe declare our right yet not assertorily to pronounce it for workes cannot doe so but illatively and consequently to argue or inferre it by the meanes of our fayth for workes by declaring our fayth doe consequently declare that right which by our fayth wee are made to have For faith being an inward thought of the heart lies of it selfe covered and concealed untill by some outward meanes it be declared or manifested and the proper meanes for that act are not words for a man may easily say hee hath faith but workes for workes are the proper evidence which shew it Hence sayth the Apostle Jam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith without thy workes i. e. Declare or manifest unto mee thy faith which is without workes not by thy words in bidding the poore Depart in peace but by thy workes in giving them those things which are needfull to the body as it is in the former verse before but shew it by thy workes thou canst not because it is solitary alone and without workes as thou sayst it may bee and is Workes then justifie not only efficiently to conserve our right but declaratively also to manifest it by declaring that faith whereby we are made to have it See heere a solid and easie way to cleere that seeming contradiction which some have conceyved betweene Paul and James in the point of Justification for although both these Apostles have the same word justified and both use it in a jurall sense and both in a consignification of efficiency yet apparant it is that both understand not the same kind of efficiency For Paul understands that efficiency which is procreant in making us first to have a right by creating producing and constituting of it which kind of efficiency is proper wholly and only to fayth but no way to workes which are altogether excluded from it But James understands that efficiency which is conservant in making us afterward to hold our right by preserving continuing and maintayning it unto us which kind of efficiency is proper to works yet not wholly and only so as to exclude fayth for fayth is also conservant
everlasting life in the kingdome of Heaven Gods Will was to give them a present right to those blessings and those Jewes who effectually had that right they were justified And when the Gentiles who were both sinners and strangers were by the same Will made fellow-citizens with the Saints fellow-heyres fellow-members and partakers of Gods promise in Christ to have the same right unto the same blessings with the believing Jewes then were the Gentiles justified The Names of Justifying or other words whereby in Scripture this is expressed are too many to be mentioned here yet for the better understanding of the thing we may take notice of some which intimate either the causes effects affections or resemblances of it 1. Therefore it is called adopting or making Sons of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become or be made the sonnes of God i. e. he justified them by giving them the right or priviledge of Sons for so the word power is explained in the margin 2. Manumising infranchising or making free John 8.36 If the Sonne shall make you free you shall be free indeed i. e. if the Son shall justifie you by giving you the right of freedome the Kingdome of Heaven ye shall have that reall and true freedome whereof your earthly freedome is but a figure or shadow 3. Reconciling or attoneing with God Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God i. e. justified by way of amity or alliance to be made the friends and Sons of God and at the next verse following By whom we have now received the attonement i. e. by whom we have now been justified for in the originall the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both these verses but is rendred in the 10. reconciled and in the 11. attonement 4. Inoculating or grafting Rom. 11.24 If thou wert cut out of the Olive tree which is wilde by nature and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good Olive tree i. e. if contrary to nature thou wert justified for as the Cions or Graft hath a right of life and maintenance to partake of the root and sap of that stock whereinto it is inoculated so the justified are made joynt-heyres with Christ to have the same rights with Christ into whom they are incorporated 5. Ingratiating or making accepted Ephes 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made us accepted in the beloved i. e. hath justified and graced us by giving us a right in Christ who is the beloved of God 6. Infeoffing or estating Ephes 1.11 In whom also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have obtained an inheritance or have been infeoffed i. e. by whom we are justified to have that inheritance whereto God had predestinated instituted or ordained us in his will and testament 7. Seating or placing in Heaven Ephes 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus i. e. hath justified us by making us co-heires with Christ by Christ and giving us a present right to a future seat or possession in Heaven where Christ is already seated for in this life we doe not actually sit in heavenly places but in this life we are made to have a present right for our future sitting there 8. Allying or making nigh unto God Ephes 2.13 Yee who sometimes were farre off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ. i. e. ye who were sometimes strangers unto God are now justified and made to have an allyance with God amounting in a manner to a consanguinity and as effectuall as a nearenesse by bloud yet not by your bloud but by the bloud of Christ 9. Inabling or making meet Col. 1.12 Which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light i. e. hath justified us to make us fellow-heires and fellow commoners with the Saints 10. Translating in the next verse following Who hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne i. e. and hath justified us by changing our state or condition from being bondslaves and captives in the Kingdome of Satan to be made Owners and Freeholders in the Kingdome of Christ 11. Pardoning or forgiving Col. 2.13 And you being dead in your sinnes and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath hee quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses i. e. having justified you by giving you a right of impunity or pardon whereby ye are released from the punishment of all your sinnes 12. Ransoming or Redeeming Revel 5.9 For thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud i. e. hast justified us by delivering us from the bondage and slavery of Satan and by asserting us into a spirituall freedome and a divine allyance with God The Matter of Justifying or the Right which thereby a man is made to have is a Right of State which is a permanent and stable condition wherein his person standeth remaineth and resteth and this State is as it were the standerd base or ground to all the rest of mans future rights priviledges and benefits which unto this state are incident and subsequent to be raised and built thereon For as in many Kingdomes of the world so in the Kingdome of God mens persons are made to stand and rest under severall states and conditions whereof the most remarkable are the two states of spirituall bondage and of spirituall freedome which being in themselves contrary draw after them contrary consequents and accidents Spirituall bondage is a restraint pressure closenesse or fastnesse of the spirit whereby a man stands tyed from good unto evill debarred from having the good that hee would and should have is hindred from doing the good that hee would and should doe is constrained to doe the evill that hee would not and should not doe is a drudge to the pleasure of sinne is a slave to the motions of his lust and a Captive under the power of Satan This is a state of wrath a low base terrene and miserable condition a condition farre beneath the proper nature and quality of man a condition that hath no right or interest to any spirituall benefit nor while it lasteth is capable of any a condition charged and loaden with so many burdens and miseries thereto incident and consequent that in poynt of Law the Bondman is reputed a dead man Contrarily spirituall freedome is a gallantry braven fluency cleernesse or loosenesse of the spirit whereby a man is inlarged from evill unto good is advanced to have that good which hee would and should have is inabled to doe that good which hee would and should doe is restrained from doing that evill whereto Sathan may tempt him is licensed to live according to his owne will or rather according to a better will then his owne namely according to the good will and pleasure of God whose will hee makes his owne will
but are made so by the Will and Testament of God And wee are adopted by his Will Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will i. e. of his Will and Testament whereto the like saying followeth afterward in the same Chapter vers 13. And wee are begotten by his Will James 1.18 Of his owne Will begat hee us with the word of truth i. e. by his owne Will and Testament Thus having premised the Meaning of the word Justified that it signifies the conveying of a present right to man that the Matter of that Right is a right of state or permanent condition wherein man resteth that the quality of that state is a spirituall franchise or alliance to become the friend son and heyre of God that the priviledges incident to that alliance are the future Remission of his sins the Resurrection of his body and Life everlasting that the degree of his right to these priviledges is a right of Institution or a present right to the future possession of them that the Maner how man hath this state is factively by a testamentary act of God We come now to the Means whereby man hath this state or to that fact of man whereby the fact of God is effected or to the Title whereby man receives and enters this state for on mans part there is required an Act as the Meanes or Title for his reception of this state and concerning this Means or Title was all the controversie between Paul and the false teachers of Galatia against whom hee layes downe this Negative that It is not by the works of the Law as it followeth in the next words Text. Not by the workes of the Law The wrong title to the former state The particle By argues a Cause or Meanes The Nature of a Title exemplified in Lysias and in Paul and of speciall consideration 3. Maine heads of the Law 3. Judgements Two other heads of the Law It was Gods Testament and his Covenant Workes meane good workes Man worketh and the Law worketh in Condemning and Justifying conservantly but not procreantly neither doe mans works so The Law hath two senses 1. The History or letter of it which was well understood and so the Promises were terrene the Precepts were childish as their Moralities and much more their Ceremonies The workes were servile 2. The mystery or spirit of it which was not fully understood And so the Promises were heavenly the Precepts were virile and manly The works to be Cordial Liberall and Perfect No works justifie Procreantly to the heavenly promises nor to the earthly The wrong or false title of man to his spirituall right of franchise and alliance with God that hee hath not that state by the works of the Law For in any right whatsoever whether it be a Right of state of power of honour or of profit a man must have a speciall regard to his Title especially in a Right of this moment which is divine and concernes everlasting blessednesse The particle By doth imply a Meanes and thereby doth intimate unto man that unlesse on his part some Meanes be used or some Act done for his reception of this spirituall and divine state the testamentary acts of God in predestinating or instituting him thereto may become ineffectuall as ineffectuall they must needs become unto all who despise refuse or reject that state as manifest it is that too many have done both of Jewes and Gentiles for all testamentary acts doe leave unto the party instituted a liberty to accept or refuse the Legacy therein devised to him because a Testament carrieth not the force of a Law to constrayne and much lesse of fate to necessitate but passeth in the forme of grace to offer and tender the good will of the Testator And the Meanes heere understood is the meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby a right is first acquired initiated commenced entred and had which meanes or cause is commonly called a Title For a Title is that cause or formality whereby a mans right is declared or proved to be true and just whereby it is assured unto the party that hath it and is defended against any that shall impugne it or lay a clayme to dispossesse the possessor of it For in case another man should make a doubt of my right whatsoever it be or question me whether I have and hold it justly if thereupon I shall alleadge unto him the Meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby I first acquired entred and had that my right as that I had it by my Birth in inheriting it or by my Worke in earning it or by my Money in buying it or by my Acceptance in receiving the gift of it then such meanes or cause being justly approoved is my Title whereby I have that right and whereby I defend my having of it Lysias the Colonell and Governour of the Temple at Jerusalem had a right of freedome to the City of Rome and his title to that state was by his money for saith he Act. 22.28 with a great summe obtayned I this freedome And Paul his prisoner had the same right of freedome to the very same City but Pauls right came not to him by the same title for when Lysias made a doubt of Pauls freedome and questioned him about it Paul in the defence of his right alleadged his title that it was by Birth and sayd I was free borne In mans Justification therefore wee are to consider his title whereby he hath his right of spirituall State in his divine franchise and alliance with God whereby procreantly and acquisitively the reception of that state is initiated commenced or begun in him But that his title is not by Birth was proved before in the Maner how man hath this state namely not natively in being borne in it but factively in being made to have it and that fact on Gods part was Gods testamentary act in Predestinating or devising it unto man It remaineth therefore that mans title on mans part must bee by some act of his owne whereof the Apostle determineth heere that it is not by the works of the Law The Law was the whole body of those orders and rules for life which God by the meanes of Moses inacted in the Wildernesse for the people of Israel contayning three maine heads 1. Promises of divers blessings which God freely conferred upon that Nation as his owne peculiar people 2. Precepts of divers duties which the people on their part were to performe in respect of those promises of which precepts some were Moralities contayning duties naturall whereto the light of nature binds towards God and man as the ten Commandements of the Decalogue and others of their nature others were Ceremonies imposing duties positive which had little ground in nature but only in Gods pleasure of these the principall was Circumcision which though it were long before inacted in the time of Abraham yet
maine argument was that God had raysed him from the dead See Act. 2. and Act. 3. and Act. 4. and Act. 5. and Act. 13. For this is the very life of faith 1. Cor. 15.17 For if Christ be not raysed your faith is vaine ye are yet in your sinnes And it is the very heart of saving faith for Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saved Shall wee not beleeve one risen from the dead Surely the damned are not so unbeleeving for they seeme to beleeve that one risen from the dead is the fittest person to gaine faith and beliefe Hence Dives requested Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brethren living for he supposed that if one should come to them from the dead they would be more perswaded by him then by Moses all the Prophets Luk. 16.30 Can now the unbelieving Jew believe any thing in the World that he hath not seen Can he believe that Abraham was his Father by whom he had a right to the Kingdome of Canaan And can he not believe that Jesus is the Christ by whom he hath a right to the Kingdome of Heaven Can hee believe that Moses was the man of God by whom God gave his Law And can he not believe that Jesus is the son of God by whom God gives his grace Hath he any grounds to believe in Moses And hath hee not far greater stronger for his faith in Jesus Christ for besides the grounds arguments for faith in Christ which hitherto we have mentioned Christ had also the Testimonies of Moses and the Prophets which were sufficient to make faith of him and by the indication of John the Baptist actually did make it in the first of his Disciples for say they John 1.45 We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write But the Incredulous Jew gives not full credit to his owne Creed he boasteth of Moses and glorieth in his writings and yet hee believes not the writings of Moses for if hee did hee would also believe in Jesus Christ John 5.46 For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrot of me The Reason why Christ doth declare and prove the last Will and Testament of God is because Christ is the Executor of it Seeing that Gods Will is a Testament therefore it must needes have an Executor i. e. a person in the place or stead of God to performe the minde and will of God Because the nominating or appoynting of an Executor is the very essence of a Testament which alone doth make a Will to become a Testament and without which no Will eyther is or can bee rightly tearmed a Testament for by the best Lawyers a Testament is defined to bee a Will wherein an Executor is nominated Now the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament is Jesus Christ who is a person in the place and stead of God to execute and performe the will of God For hence saith Christ John 6.38 I came downe from Heaven not to doe mine owne Will but the Will of him that sent mee and the Will heere mentioned is Gods last Will and Testament for in the next following verses hee expresseth one clause of that will containing the blessed Legacies of the Resurrection from the dead and Everlasting life devised or bequeathed to every believer in Christ And againe the Apostle saith Heb. 7.22 Jesus was made a Surety of a better Testament i. e. In effect the Executor of a better Testament for although every Surety bee not an Executor Yet the surety of a Testament is the very same with an Executor because the Executor of a Will stands bound for the Testator to pay all his Debts Gifts and Legacies as the Surety in a bond stands bound for the principall Debtor And againe Christ professeth that hee came into the World on purpose to bee the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament Heb. 10.9 Then sayd hee Loe I come to doe thy Will O God for by Gods will heere is meant his last Will and Testament even that will whereby hee tooke away the first Will that hee might establish the second as plainely appeares by the rest of the words in that verse Now it is the office of the Executor to declare and prove the Will and Testament of the Testator Seeing then Christ is the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament therefore hee declared and proved it to make faith thereof unto us 3. It is called faith in Christ Because faith in Christ is the Title or appellation whereby men are nominated in Gods last Will and Testament If Gods Will containe Promises Legacies and Gifts as most certainely it doth then the persons to whom those Legacies and Gifts are predestinated or devised must bee really truely and certainely nominated for otherwise neither can the Executor duely performe those Legacies neither can the Legataries know how to claime them It must therefore follow that in Gods last Will and Testament men are really truely and certainely nominated Yet not by their proper names nor by their sirnames but by names appellative or common For they who are predestinated or instituted in Gods will are therein predestinated or instituted by the appellative or common names of the Faithfull in Christ of Believers in Christ of Receivers of Christ or such like words equivalent to these as John 3.16 Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life and John 6.47 He that believeth in me hath everlasting life And Acts 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house And Rom. 3.26 That God might be just and the Justifier of him that believeth on Jesus And Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved And 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life When therefore any man can really truly and certainly be denominated from the appellative or common name of a Believer in Christ or of having faith in Christ the Promises Legacies and Gifts of God are thereby as firme and sure unto him as if he had been nominated in Gods Will by his single or proper name In like maner men are reprobated or disinherited in Gods Will not by their proper or single names but by the appellative or common names of unbelievers in Christ and of Carnall Livers and such like names to these as John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God Againe John 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And John 8.24 If ye believe
latter act all promises are finished to have their finall and last effect for the verity or truth of the promiser which is concealed and may bee doubted in the grant of the promise doth cleerly and fully appear in the performance Unlesse therefore there bee a full performance of Gods promise by a future delivery and possession of that inheritance whereto by faith we have now a present right then both God failes of his truth and wee of our right For when a promise is conveyed unto mee in the best and surest manner by being devised or bequeathed unto mee by way of Legacy or Gift in a Will and the Will bee also confirmed Yet if it bee not performed what benefit have I by a promise so devised Now the person who performes the promises of Gods last Will and Testament is Jesus Christ for by and through him all the promises of God have the verity and truth of their performance 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen i. e. are performed and fullfilled by Christ who thereby doth perfect the verity and truth of them Yea Christ was raised from the dead that hee might bee inabled with full power to performe the promises of our Justifying Rom. 4.25 And was raised againe for our Justification i. e. to performe the promises whereto wee are justified for as hee was delivered unto death to Confirme the promises So hee was raised againe to performe them The Reason why Christ doth Performe Gods last Will and Testament and the Promises or Legacies therein contained is because as was before shewed Christ is the Executor thereof It is the office of the Executor to execute or performe the will of the Testator for as it is his office to declare the nature of the will and to Prove the verity of it So his finall office whereto the former are but mediall is to Performe the Legacies of it Otherwise the Faithfull who are the Legataries in Gods Will and Testament and who therein are Co-heires with the Executor have no meanes nor hope to attaine and possesse the precious Legacies therein devised and bequeathed unto them Because although they have their right and claime by the good will and gift of the Testator Yet of themselves they have no ability to take or seize upon their Legacies For what ability have the Dead to raise themselves from the dust of their corruption and rottennesse unto celestiall and glorious bodies whereby to ascend into Heaven and take possession of that Kingdome Or what ability have the Living to transforme or change their bodies earthly and mortall into bodies heavenly and immortall Or suppose that the Legatary hath ability to take his Legacy of himself as in humane wills hee many times hath Yet regularly hee hath no authority to doe it for if hee doe hee doth in many cases forfeit it The course therefore of the Legatary is to addresse himselfe unto the Executor to whom hee must make suit for the Legacy that in due manner hee may receive the possession of it from him who is to deliver it according to the will and minde of the Testator Partly because the Executor being the Mediator or mediall person betweene the Testator and the Legatary must first be possessed of the Testators estate that thereby he may be enabled to deliver the Legacies thence issuing and partly because a Legacy according to the definition and nature of it is a gift left by the Testator to be delivered or performed by the Executor Seeing then Christ is the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament therefore his Office it is to execute and performe it by delivering unto the Faithfull the possession of those blessed Legacies whereto by vertue of Gods Will they are justified Thus Christ is the Beginner of our faith by working in us our acceptance of Gods Promises and he is the Finisher of our faith by performing unto us the Promises which we have accepted for hence he is called Hebr. 12.2 the Athour and Finisher of our faith Text. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ. Reason An Inference from the former assertion Because a man is justified not by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ therefore we who are Jewes by nature or native Jewes knowing the verity and certainty hereof have believed in Jesus Christ for these words are to be referred unto the 15. verse before as was there noted Wee who before the comming of Christ did believe in God for before the comming of Christ we were the peculiar people of God to whom appertained the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises even we have relinquished all these carnall Priviledges and have accounted them but losse that we might gaine the promises and priviledges which come by Christ For because Gods former Will and Testament wherof Moses was the Mediatour is now expired and that God is pleased to declare a new Testament whereof Jesus Christ is the Mediatour therefore now even we have relinquished the former Testament and have adhered to the latter by accepting the promises of it and by receiving Christ for the mediator of it now placing all our faith and hope in God by and through Jesus Christ For it is great reason we should now adhere to that Will and Testament of God which God now appointeth to stand in force Justifying is the effect of faith but not of workes The Reason of it From a testimony of Scripture The Proposition of the Reason the Assumption and the Conclusion much pressed by the Judaizing Christians for 2 Inconveniences That wee might be justified by the faith of Christ. The finall cause end or effect of our beliefe or faith in Christ namely our Justification that we might have a present right to those future blessings which are promised devised and bequeathed unto us in Gods last Will and Testament For if it be true as it is that faith is the Meanes of our Justification then also this truth must needs follow that Justification is the end of our saith seeing we believe to this end that by meanes of our faith we might be justified And because of that Will and Testament wherein we are Justified Christ is the Mediatour by whose meanes wee have our present right to those blessings and by whose meanes we shall enjoy the future possession of them therefore our faith is limitted and restrained unto Christ 1. Because Christ is the Conveyer of our faith by and through whom we believe in God 2. Because Christ is the Authour or Beginner of our Faith by declaring the contents of Gods Will and Testament and by proving the verity of it by his Witnesses his Miracles his Holines his Death and Resurrection 3. Because faith in Christ is the Title or appellation whereby we are instituted or nominated in Gods last Will and Testament which is a Testament ad pias causas
wherein Christ is the Precedent or Patterne according to whose right we are made to have our right in being made co-heires with him 4. Because Christ is the Person who by our faith doth Ministerially justifie us by Confirming unto us Gods last Will and Testament and by performing unto us the promises thereof for of Gods last Will Christ is the whole and sole Executor to publish prove and performe it And not by the workes of the Law Seeing the title whereby we are justified is our faith in Christ therefore all title by the workes of the Law is hereby excluded for where two titles unto any right are incompatible and cannot stand together he that claymeth by the one must necessarily relinquish the other No workes therefore of the Law in what sense soever we take it whether in the literall sense as it was delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the spirituall sense as it was declared by Christ and is now understood by the faithfull are of that efficacy and vertue to make us a true title whereby to acquire and have a true right and claym unto heavenly blessednesse And consequently seeing the finall cause or end of our faith in Christ is to be justified therefore a further end of our faith in Christ subordinate unto the former is no longer to rest in the literall works of the Law but wholy to relinquish it as an act of God which now unto us is expired and dead for so the Apostle would be here understood as appeareth by his reasoning at the 19. verse next following And seeing God by Christ hath declared and published his new Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore hereby his former Will of the Law though for the time of it very good and usefull is utterly infringed cancelled and voyd For by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek which is heer rendred For being a Conjunction causall doth playnly shew that the truth of this clause is the cause or reason of that truth which was delivered in some former clause For the principall Doctrine of this whole epistle concernes the title whereby a man is justified which for the clearer evidence thereof the Apostle delivers bipartitely in two severall assertions Whereof the first is a Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law and the second an Affirmative that He is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ These being thus proposed his next businesse is to produce arguments or reasons for the confirmation and proofe of these two severall assertions but first he begins with the first which is the Negative that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law And this Negative he proveth in the following verses of this chapter by three severall arguments or reasons whereof the first is contained in this clause For by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be justified No flesh i. e. No living man whose life is mortall For to call man flesh is an Hebraisme to put man in minde of his mortality because seeing hee is framed of flesh and blood which are materialls but weake and fraile therefore hee must needes decay and dye Be justified i. e. bee declared upright No mortall man whose life is tryed by the Law shall by his worke in observance thereof bee found so compleat and perfect as to bee pronounced upright and sinlesse For his workes shall never appeare so cordiall so liberall and so perfect as to have performed an universall and perpetuall obedience to every Precept of the Law in every sense thereof without transgressing any one at any time Formerly it hath beene shewed that the word Justified hath in the Scripture severall senses the Apostle therefore haveing in the former parts of this verse taken this word in a jurall sence for the imputing or conveying of a right interest or claim doth now in this last clause take the same word in a legall sense for declaring or pronouncing upright innocent or sinlesse For when a word doth beare severall senses and the Apostle hath expressed it in some one sense hee loves for the greater elegancy to repeate the same word againe in another sense if the matter will admit it as heere it will and doth for otherwise wee faile of the Apostles intent and lose all the force of his argument If therefore in this last clause of the verse the word Justified bee taken in the very same sense which it carryed in the first clause then is this last clause but a bare repetition of the first and no confirmation of it at all For of this assertion that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law how can this bee a reason or proofe For by the workes of the Law no flesh shall bee justified if in both clauses the word justified carry one and the same sense But if the sense be varied as we have glossed it then will this latter clause bee a pregnant proofe of the former and consequently it will excellently suit with the scope and minde of the Apostle And the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which elsewhere is constantly rendred Because doth both require and inforce this sense And that this Proofe or reason may carry the greater authority for the confirmation of his former Negative hee seemes to ground it on a testimony of Scripture and to produce it from Psalm 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant i. e. Doe not arraigne mee before thy Tribunall or Seat of Judgement to try my workes by the rigour of the Law and then to handle mee according to my deserts For in thy sight shall no man living bee justified i. e. Because if thou in thine owne person or before thy selfe shalt take the cognisance of any mans workes to examine them throughly by the rule of thy Law and to give sentence upon him according to his workes no man living can by thy mouth bee declared or pronounced upright or innocent So that Paul hath in a manner explained the sense of Davids saying in adding these words by the workes of the Law The reason therefore whereby the Apostle argues heere seemes to runne thus If a man will bee jurally justified by the workes of the Law i. e. If hee will clayme from God a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven by the title of his workes then God entring into judgement with him and in the sight or knowledge of God hee must by his workes bee legally justified i. e. Hee must bee declared or pronounced upright and innocent never to have beene an offendor against any Law of God For supposing but not granting that it is an effect or worke of the Law to Justifie a man jurally i. e. To give him a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven Yet certainely the Law cannot produce this effect but onely in those who by the workes of the Law are legally
from sinne and because yee disclaime the works thereof from being any part of the title whereby yee acquire this right restraining your title to faith onely And in case you doe live thus by continuing your life in sinfullnesse it will thence further follow that Christ who gave you this liberty did thereby give you a licence to sinne and consequently did open a doore and minister an occasion to all wickednesse For the word Sinne in this place must bee understood not generally for any small degree of sinne by way of errour or frailty for in such sinnes the faithfull doe and cannot but continue in this life but specially and eminently for a high degree and constant course of wickednesse and lewdnesse as Perjuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. from which sort of sinnes all that are truely faithful may and must abstaine in this life This Objection against Justification by faith onely without workes was much pressed and frequently urged as may appeare by the mention of it in this place and by these words Rom. 6.2 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound and by these Rom. 6.15 Shall we sinne because we are not under the Law but under grace and by severall passages in the first Epistle of John cap. 3. where consider verse 4 5 6 7 8 9. The parties who urged this objection were not unbelievers who refused and rejected the faith of Christ but over-believers who received the faith of Christ and moreover retained the Law of Moses I meane those Judaizing Christians who in their zeale unto Gods Law laboured for a compliance between Moses and Christ excluding neither but retaining both For they supposing that the Gospel of Christ was but an addition or superstruction unto the Law of Moses did confidently teach that the workes of the Law were the entrance and the way unto faith in Christ and consequently they urged the workes thereof principally Circumcision to bee retained by the believing Jewes and to bee imposed upon the believing Gentiles as things necessary to Justification and salvation as it appeares Acts 15.1 And these Judaizers did by vertue of this objection spread their false Doctrine against Justification by faith onely in the Churches of Judea of Syria of Galatia and of Italy for in the Epistle to the Romans wee finde the Apostle copiously refelling this objection and wee finde the like in the generall Epistle of St. John The Matter of this objection containes two inconvenient or absurd Consequences which the urgers thereof conceived would necessarily follow upon the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without works 1. That then Believers would take occasion to continue in all kinde of sinne and licenciousnes 2. That thereupon Christ would become the occasioner and minister unto all sinne and licenciousnesse By which two Consequences they would conclude that the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without workes was ungodly because that Doctrine whatsoever it be must needs be ungodly from whence there will necessarily follow ungodly consequences A generall Answer God forbid A generall answer unto the former objection plainly denying the necessity of the Consequences therein pretended that in the way of true reason they cannot be necessarily deduced from the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without workes And this deniall is not a bare and naked negation which onely rejecteth the former objection but it is a negation vested with a word of abomination for it is expressed by a phrase which consignifies a high degree both of disdaining and abhorring the objection as a profane and wicked discourse because the ungodly Consequences therein mentioned cannot bee rationally collected from the former Doctrine of Justification The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. never be it so which word is a forme of Supplication or prayer unto God against some future and fearefull evill that God would divert and crosse the accesse of it For it is equivalent to the Hebrew Chalilah and to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the expressions of a minde highly disdaining and abominating And it is opposed to the Hebrew Amen i. e. so be it and to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. God grant it which contrarily are formes of Application benediction that God would approve and confirme with his fiat some present or future good the blessing whereof wee earnestly wish and desire VERSE 18. Text. For if I build againe the things which I destroyed I make my selfe a transgressor Sense Build againe Viz. By my acts of sin and lewdnesse of life The things i. e. The state of sin and misery wherein I stood before I was justified Which I destroyed i. e. Which state of sinne I exstinguished upon my Justification by faith whereby a new state was created unto me I make my selfe a transgressor i. e. I become a very sinfull sinner who after pardon relapseth and it is not Christ who makes me so but I make my selfe so Reason An Answer particularly the Phrase of it by way of Proverb the Frame of it by way of Personation the Scope of it The particle For doth teach us that these words contayne a Reason why he so disdainfully denyed the consequences pretended in the former objection carrying withall particular Answers to those two particular Consequences To the first consequence that Men justified by faith of Christ onely would continue in all kind of sinfulnesse hee Answers Men must not build againe by acts of sin that state of sin which by their Justification they destroyed for in so doing they become transgressors To the second consequence that Thereupon Christ would become the minister unto sin he Answers In case men justified become transgressors it is not Christ who maketh them so by ministring of grace but they make themselves so by abusing the grace which he hath ministred The Phrase of this Answer By building againe things destroyed seemes to be a Proverbe which argueth in a man not onely a pure levity of doing undoing and re-doing of the same thing but a levity seasoned with much folly when a man is at great charges and takes much paines to compasse a matter which makes his condition a great deale the worse For building is an action very painefull and chargeable and when the edifice is sin and transgression the matter is so much the worse The Frame of this Answer is disposed by way of Prosopopy or Personation wherein by a suddaine change of the person from the third to the first the Apostle translates the subject of the point in debate and attributes it unto himselfe Because the matter being somewhat odious and offensive he would qualifie and temper it by the modesty of his discourse by speaking that in his owne person and of himselfe which was true of every Christian especially of a Jew by nature or of a native Jew wh◠〈◊〉 lived under the Law of Moses and had deserted it to embrace the Gospel of Christ For the Apostle himselfe was such a
man much lesse can hee bee certaine that any thing is doubtfull This nomination of mee by the common name of a Believer is fully sufficient to convey unto mee a proper right to everlasting blessednesse My Father by his last Will setled his estate upon my elder Brother and upon his heires but my Brother dying without issue I came to enjoy my fathers estate Because I was named to it in his Will yet not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of Heire for collaterally by my birth I was heire to my Brother But because this is a parable therefore it is not necessary that the Argument of it should agree with the thing it should argue in every particular circumstance but it shall suffice that it hold in the maine purpose and scope of it My heavenly Father by his last Will setled the Kingdome of Heaven upon Christ my elder Brother and upon his Heires and heereby the inheritance of Heaven is assured unto mee Because in Gods Will I am named to it not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of heire to Christ for having God my Father by faith I consequently become Brother to Christ and co-heire with him And an heire by faith when the Testator is pleased so to assigne it is jurally as sure as an heire by birth and in the case present much surer because the assignation is universall to all in generall Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life And the righteousnes of God unto all and upon all them that believe If therefore a common name written in mans will be of force to convey and assure an estate much more shall it doe the like in Gods Will. Oh my deare and blessed Lord who hast loved mee and given thy selfe for mee and therefore wilt give mee any thing else beside grant mee the spirit of thy love that thine to mee may beget mine to thee But let mine bee a soveraigne love to adhere to thee against all the world and let it bee a diligent love not in word but in deed to serve thee faithfully in all thy commands Grant mee also the virtue of thy death to worke in mee my death to sinne that as thou for my sake didst lay downe thy life so I for thy sake may lay downe my sinne Let the sprinkling of thy blood fall upon my heart to withdraw mee from the course of the world to cleanse mee from all vaine conversation to purifie mee from sinne and iniquity to consecrate and dedicate my soule to holynesse that as Adams sinne made mee guilty so thy death may make mee holy And when my naturall death approacheth seeing thou hast tasted death for mee bee pleased to succour mee at the houre of mine Let mee not feare or grieve or grudge to dye but answering the way of thy love let mee give my selfe for mee and then Lord Jesus receive my spirit for which thou didst vouchsafe to dye VERSE 21. Text. I doe not frustrate the grace of God For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine Sense I do not frustrate the grace of God i. e. I make it not vaine or voyd by despising or rejecting it in attributing that blessing unto Gods Law which proceedeth from his grace For if righteousnesse come by the Law i. e. If the Right whereto Gods righteousnesse or kindnesse justifieth come by the Law or if Justification come by the Law as an effect of the Law Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dyed without a cause then Christ who dyed on the Crosse to settle that Will and Testament of God whereby this Right was conveyed dyed without a cause or there was no sufficient reason why he should so dye Reason These words containe the third and last Argument in this Chapter whereby he proves the Negative of his principall Assertion concerning Justification that A man is not Justified by the works of the Law and consequent y that he himself was not so justified For the Apostle according to his former personation continueth his argument in his owne person concluding his Negative from an absurdity which must necessarily follow upon the contrary Affirmative of it For if I am justified by the workes of the Law then it must needs follow that thereby I doe frustrate or made voyd the grace of God because the Law of God and the Grace of God make such opposite titles that if I claime by his Law I must needs disclaime his Grace The Necessity of this consequence he further declares and confirmes by instancing in the gracious Meanes whereby this divine Right of Inheritance to Blessednes is conveyed and setled upon me namely by the bitter death of Christ upon the Crosse wherein God shewed the riches of his grace when by the death of his owne Son he testified and confirmed that Will and Testament wherein this Inheritance was devised unto mee For if my Right of Inheritance came by reason of the Law then Christ who died to settle this Right upon me dyed without any cause on Gods part and there was no sufficient reason why his Father who so dearly loved him should expose him unto death much lesse unto such a bitter death if therefore I frustrate the death of Christ I thereby also frustrate the grace of God And for this argument from Gods grace hee seemes to take occasion from the last words of the former verse wherein hee mentioned the love of Christ because all grace is love Comment Frustrate ampliated to 4 senses which really are the same Grace put for it selfe and for all the effects of it Of Justification the Matter the Title the Tenure the Author the Motive is meere Grace The Nature of grace in 2. things Testimonies for it No causes for it Yet reasons 5. 1. From Gods gift 2. from his good pleasure 3. from his goodnes or kindnes 4. from his Mercy 5. From his Will and Testament Gods grace is rich Testimonies hereof and Reasons 3. 1 It is without cause Not from Merit nor Request nor Inquiry But from Gods proper motion According to his owne will which otherwise were not his but ours 2. Rich for the Effect of Alliance and Inheritance seated most gloriously 3. For the Meanes which was costly precious Why Grace is not caused by my Works nor by my Will but is onely Gratis for Thankes 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 are Yet they follow not necessarily why not Grace how frustrated Righteousnesse put sometime for Uprightnes Faithfulnes Kindnes Heere for a Right For so it is taken in the Old Testament So in the New And sometime is so Englished So also here and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies without desert here without cause Christs death ampliated to his other actiōs Especially to his Resurrection Causes of Christs death fit to be knowne the ◠Causes humane the Divine which must be 1. Consequent to Gods
quickned us together with Christ by grace yee are saved i. e. The cause of your present right to future salvation is the grace of God And Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his grace wee should bee made heires according to the hope of eternall life i. e. The cause of our Justifying is Gods grace and the effect of it is that thereby wee are made heires of eternall life and because wee are heires wee have good reason to hope for it for who can have better hope of any thing then an heire hath of his inheritance These are the chiefe authorities from the Scriptures to testifie this truth that our inheritance is by grace Causes to prove it there are none for wee sayd that Gods grace was the highest cause which had none above it and therefore this verity must needes bee a principle and consequently cannot bee proved for hee abuseth a principle who attempteth to prove it Yet there are reasons that may argue and perswade it and they being grounded on Scripture are chiefely these five following 1. Because this Right comes from Gods gift John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God i. e. everlasting life which comes from Gods gift for so the Well of water is interpreted at the last words of the 14. verse following And Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life i. e. then hath God given them the benefit or fruit of repentance which is eternall life for the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. given yet it is Englished well enough because every grant is a gift And Rom. 5.15 But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many bee dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many here unto eternall death the cause whereof was the offence or sin is opposed eternall life the cause whereof is grace for it is a gift by grace And Rom. 6.23 But the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. i. e. The cause of our present guiltinesse unto eternall death is sin whereof death is the wages but the cause of our present right unto eternall life is not our holinesse but Gods grace whereof life is the gift and that gift is conveyed unto us by the meanes of Jesus Christ And Heb. 6.4 It is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift i. e. who have had the knowledge and have felt the joy of their inheritance to blessednes which is no earthly purchase but a heavenly gift proceeding from God Now the fountaine or cause from which gifts and grants proceed is not Law and justice but grace and favour for what else is a gift or grant but an act of grace 2. Because it commeth from Gods good pleasure Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. good pleasure towards men q. d. Let the God of Heaven be glorified for that blessednesse on earth descended from his favour or good pleasure towards men which he hath abundantly testified by sending his son to be their Saviour And Luke 12.32 Feare not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome i. e. feare not the want of food and raiment for God is your Father and therefore will give it you and more then so for he will also give you the Kingdome of Heaven for the blessing thereof comes from his gift and that gift proceeds from his good pleasure And Ephes 1.9 having made knowne unto us the mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himselfe i. e. That Will and Testament of God wherein we are made heirs to the inheritance of Heaven was a long time a mystery and concealed in secret but is now published and made knowne unto us and this is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himselfe first for the making of that Will and after for the publishing of it Now that which proceeds from the good pleasure of any person is not an act of Law and justice but of Grace and favour for matters of Law and justice leave not a man to his good pleasure but oblige him to that which Law and justice require to be done 3. Because it comes from Gods goodnes or kindnes Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the goodnesse and severity of God on them which fell severity but towards thee goodnes if thou continue in his goodnes otherwise thou also shalt be cut off i. e. The Jews were once in the state of alliance with God to be his children and people but because they fell from their obedience God cut them off and their excision proceeded from Gods severity but Gods election of thee in their room proceeds from his goodnes or kindnes towards thee if thou cōtinue in that state wherinto his goodnes hath grafted thee otherwise thou also shalt be cut off with the like severity And Eph. 2.7 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus i. e. God hath raised Christ from the dead and hath seated him in Heaven and in him he hath given us a precedent of our future possession there to be raised as he was and to be seated as he is for he was raised and seated there to him and his co-heirs i. e. to all believers in him that in the world to come after the Resurrection God might shew and impart unto us the exceeding riches or abundance of that blessednes which proceeds from the abundance of his grace and kindnes towards us through the means of Jesus Christ And Tit. 3.4 But after that the kindenesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared i. e. Those benefits whereby God is the Saviour of man proceeds from Gods kindnesse and love toward man Now Gods goodnesse or kindnesse is really the very same thing with his grace for his grace is that inward affection from whence his outward kindnesse floweth as the effect thereof 4. Because it comes from Gods Mercy or Pity Rom. 11.30 For as yee in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbeliefe Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercy i. e. As heeretofore yee Gentiles were Infidells or Unbelievers yet now have believed upon the Jewes unbeliefe So now the Jewes are become unbelievers that upon your beliefe they may bee provoked to believe Hee calls beliefe mercy because the thing believed and the act of believing proceed from Gods mercy And Tit. 3.5 Not by workes of righteousnesse which wee have done but according to his
Cor. 5.15 And that hee dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe And 1. Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Jesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him Yet heere and sometimes elsewhere the Apostle doth mention onely the death of Christ Because above all his other actions his Death was the hardest worke and the greatest argument of his love and therefore his death should most strongly move us to the workes of love and waies of holinesse The Effects and Benefits of Christs death were specified before upon these words of the former verse Who gave himselfe for mee Heere therefore wee shall mention the Causes or Reasons of his death Partly because there is much difference betweene the causes and the effects of the same thing though sometime these to them may bee subordinate Partly because it much conduceth to our understanding and beliefe of a thing to know the causes and reasons of it especially a thing of such moment as is the death of Christ But chiefely because the force of the Apostles argument lyeth in these words that then Christ dyed without a cause Yet heere wee intend not to meddle with the Naturall cause of his death for manifest it is that naturally his Crucifying caused it Nor yet with the voluntary causes of it on the Jewes part For so the causes of it were partly the sentence of Pilate whose will it was to condemne him partly the Malice of the Jewes whose will it was to importune that sentence and partly the Treachery of Judas whose will it was to betray him But our meaning is to declare the voluntary causes of it on Gods part why God had a will to decree the death of Christ and actually to subject him thereunto And the Causes thereof on Gods part if they bee rightly alleadged according to the Scriptures must needes have in them these three qualities 1. They must bee repugnant unto Justifying by the Law for otherwise wee lose the force of the Apostles argument which runnes thus For if righteousnesse or the right whereto a man is justified come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause i. e. If the Law have this effect to justifie then there is no just cause why Christ dyed and therefore there must bee such a repugnancy betweene that effect of the Law and the cause of Christs death that hee who supposeth the former doth thereby overthrow the latter and contrarily if there bee a cause of Christs death the Law must needes bee without that effect 2. They must bee Consequent to the love and grace of God for otherwise againe wee lose another force of the Apostles reasoning whereby hee inferreth that if Christ dyed without cause then I frustrate the grace of God But I doe not frustrate the grace of God who by the death of Christ conveyeth that grace unto mee For indeede the supreame inward impulsive cause or prime motive of Christs death was the love and grace of God towards us and not his hatred or wrath but of this remote cause wee spake before upon the former verse and therefore shall not insist upon it any further 3. They must bee Respective unto the New Testament Partly because the New Testament is both repugnant to Gods Law and also consequent to Gods grace Partly because the New Testament is that solemne Will and Act of God wherein his love and grace is conveyed and whereon all the actions of Christ reflected Repugnantly therefore to the effect of the Law and consequently to the love and grace of God and respectively to the New Testament the immediate proper finall causes or reasons of Christs death are chiefely three 1. To testifie or prove the truth of the New Testament Every Testament ought to bee sufficiently and solemnly testified for hence by way of eminency it is called a Testament Partly because actively it doth testifie the minde or will of the Testator as the Civill Law delivers it which thereupon saith Testamentum ex eo appellatur quod sit testatio mentis But chiefely under correction because passively it is solemnly testified by the Testimony of severall testable persons who are to attest the truth of it and in case it bee a written Testament actually doe attest it under their hands and seales For the ancient solemnity whereof there are extant severall rules in the Civill Law But unto the New Testament a solemne Testimony was especially requisite Because it was to encounter with strong opposition which Gods people would and did raise against it in defence of the Law which was Gods Testament also and had a solemne Testimony on Mount Sinai wherewith lightning and thunder and the shrill sound of a Trumpet it was testified by an Angel in the audience of all the Nation And besides this solemne testimony the Law had the prescription of being in force for the space of fifteene hundred yeares The New Testament therefore which was to infringe the Old wherein a whole Nation had beene so long interessed had neede of good testimony because men will struggle hard for their Lawes Customes and Religion wherein the graver sort will hardly endure any change And the New Testament though it were not written as was the Old but was nuncupative declared by God onely to Christ Yet it had very sufficient testimony as good and better then the Old For the certainty and truth therof was testified by the Son of God a greater person then any Angel and hee testified it by greater meanes not with lightning and thunder but with workes of wonder such as never were done in the World before such as had they been in Sodome it would have remained untill this day as the strangenesse of his Miracles the holinesse of his life and the solemnity of his death Which solemnity was performed upon Mount Calvary in the view of all the Nation then assembled to eate the passover in a greater Congregation then was at Mount Sinai And that solemnity was attended with greater wonders then were at Mount Sinai for there onely the Ayre was rent with lightnings thunders and the sound of a Trumpet But at the death of Christ there were farre greater and stranger rents for Mat. 27.51 The vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the toppe to the bottome and the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose For because Christ could not gaine beliefe for Gods New Testament neither by the constancy of his Doctrine nor by the strangenesse of his Miracles nor by the holinesse of his life therefore hee testified it by the solemnity of his death and afterward further attested it by the glory of his Resurrection for thereby his Disciples who stood doubtfull before gave full faith to his testimony and have since co-attested it over all the World Hence Christ
more firme and sure then that which is setled by the meanes of a Testament an instrument which naturally requireth all favourable construction that things may take effect according to the best meaning of the Testator And was it not the richnesse of Gods grace that hee would settle this Testament by the death of Christ who was his owne and onely son whom he made his substitute to dye in his stead for the testifying confirming and executing of his Testament that it might be in force and take effect whereby I might finally enjoy the benefit of it For could not God have setled his Testament by meanes lesse chargeable and costly to him then the precious bloud of his owne Son And lastly this richnes and abundance of grace was it not grace onely for grace onely for my thankes i. e. onely for my fayth to accept the present right to it for my hope to expect the future possession of it and for my love to performe the condition of it For is not the richnesse of this grace abundant enough to draw these thankes from mee Is it not rich enough to perswade my faith to accept the present right to my Legacy and to embrace it with all my heart and all my soule Seeing Christ hath dyed to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee For is faith to bee given to any thing which I have not seene if this bee not credible and to bee believed Is not this grace rich enough to assure my hope to receive the future possession of my Legacy for when the Executor of the Testament so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake that the Will might bee in force for which hee dyed can I imagine that hee will deny mee my Legacy For what will not hee give me who gave himselfe for mee When the Executor sitteth at the right hand of the Testator upon his Throne in Heaven where he hath all honour and power to doe all things can I imagine that hee can bee either unwilling or unable to performe the whole Will of the Testator For will such an Executor in such a condition wrong the Testator or defraud any Legatary who is co-heire with him Is not this grace rich enough to procure my love to performe the condition of my Legacy For seeing the Executor so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake to performe the condition of his Executorship Is it not reason that I should love him againe and chearefully addresse my selfe to the workes of love in all the waies of holynesse which is the condition of my Legacy If therefore I conceive that this grace of God comes to mee by the Law and claime my right to it by the Law Doe I not heereby wave the death of Christ and suppose that hee dyed without a cause that there was no neede of his death to testifie confirme and execute the New Testament And consequently doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God and disanul the gratious meanes whereby it was conveyed and finally debarre my selfe from the benefit of it For what right have I to this grace of God if that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee bee of no force and have no effect For what force or effect can any Testament have which is not testified confirmed and executed But contrarily if I meane that Gods grace shall bee effectuall and will hope to enjoy the blessing of it I must acknowledge the gracious meanes whereby it was conveyed unto mee namely through the death of Christ who shed his pretious blood to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it was conveyed For this grace was not given by meanes of the Law but it came by the meanes of Jesus Christ John 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Hence the New Testament is called the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20.24 So that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And afterward it is called the word of his grace in the same Chapter vers 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace But unto the Law grace is contrary for they are things in themselves opposite Rom. 6.14 Yee are not under the Law but under grace Thus the causes of Christs death were repugnant to the effect of the Law and were consequent to the effects of Gods Love and Grace The Contents of this Second Chapter are 1. History Paul went not to Jerusalem to learne the Gospel vers 1. 1. Because fourteene yeares after his Preaching of it he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and tooke Titus with him also vers eod 2. Because he went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which hee Peached among the Gentiles vers 2. 3. Because Titus who was with him was not compelled to bee circumcised although and because it was urged of false brethren to whom he gave place by subjection no not for an houre vers 3 4 5. 2. History Paul was no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles vers 6. 1. Because from those who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were he differed nothing vers eod 2. Because they who semed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to him vers eod 3. Because they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter vers 7. 4. Because hee that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in Paul towards the Gentiles vers 8. 5. Because when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto Paul they gave to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship onely desiring them to remember the poore vers 9.10 3. History At Antioch Paul withstood Peter to his face vers 11. 1. Because Peter was to be blamed vers eod 2. Because before that certain came from James Peter did eate with the Gentiles But when they were come he withdrew fearing them of the circumcision vers 12. 3. Because the other Jewes dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation vers 13. 4. Because when Paul saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel hee sayd unto Peter before them all if thou being a Jew livest as the Gentiles and not as the Jewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as the Jewes vers 14. 4. Doctrine A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ vers 16. 1. Because by the workes of the Law shall no flesh bee declared righteous v. eod 2. Because through the death of the Law I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God for I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet no more I the man that I was but Christ liveth in mee And though I now live in a body of flesh yet I live in the Faith or Religion not of Moses but of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me vers 19.20 3. Because I doe not frustrate the grace of God for if the right whereto I am justified come by the Law then Christ dyed without cause vers 21. 5. Duty While wee seeke to bee justified by Christ we must not bee found sinners to continue in sinne vers 17. 1. Because God forbid that Christ should bee or be thought to bee the Minister of sinne vers eod 2. Because if I build againe the things or sinnes which I destroyed I make my selfe a transgressour vers 18. FINIS O My Heavenly loving Father that hast justified mee to bee thy sonne and hast given mee faith to accept the grace of it Circumcise my heart of flesh and cut away from it all carnall love operate and polish it with thy spirit and engrave therein thy Law of love that with all reverence and obedience I may worship and serve thee in all the offices and duties of a sonne lest I prove an ungracious wretch unworthy of so gracious a Father And thou my deare Lord and Saviour that hast dyed to buy mee with thy bloud to make me thy Brother and Co-heire make mee thy Disciple in love that from thee I may learne the wayes of love and for thy sake love them that are thine doing to all men as I would they should doe unto mee
verses 21.25.26 For the Apostle in other of his Epistles speaking to the same purpose doth expresse the very same thing by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English Translations render kindenesse as Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come hee might shew the riches of his grace in his kindenesse towards us through Jesus Chrisi now that of God which unto the Romans hee called Revealing manifesting and declaring of Gods righteousnesse heere hee termeth Shewing of his kindenesse And Tit. 3.4 But after that the kindenesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared kindnesse appeared heere is the very same with righteousnesse revealed and manifested before And againe 2. Cor. 9.10 Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower c. increase the fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your righteousnesse i. e. of your kindnesse in contributing and ministring to the poore Saints of Jerusalem Hence also that Chest of the Temple at Jerusalem which stood in the Treasury whereinto the people cast that money which they offered for the necessities and services of the Temple was by the Jewes called Cuphah Schel Zedakah the Chest of righteousnesse i. e. of kindenesse because it contained that money which was contributed by the voluntary kindnesse courtesie or bounty of the people Moreover that wee may bee no way imagined to enforce or obtrude this sense of kindenesse upon the word righteousnesse it is yet further observable that the Hebrew word Zedakah which ordinarily signifies righteousnesse is in severall passages of the Old Testament rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies kindenesse See or consult the Learned for these passages Deut. 6.25 and Deut. 24.13 and Psal 24.5 and Psal 33.5 and Psal 103.6 and especially Dan. 4.27 And the Hebrew word Chesed which properly signifies kindenesse is always by the Septuagint rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies mercy But where the Hebrew hath Chesed and the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there our last English Translation doth render it two wayes indifferently sometime mercy sometime kindenesse and loving kindnesse But the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it properly signifie kindenesse yet wheresoever it is used in the New Testament and used it is there not infrequently yet onely by Mathew and Luke is perpetually in our last English Translation rendred Alms but in the Old Testament where it is also frequently mentioned it is never rendred Almes for there the word Almes is never read and the word Almes is not the Native English but the Grecisme of it to signifie that act or gift which proceedes from kindenesse for betweene these three words Mercy Kindenesse and Almes there is so neare an affinity that either may well bee put for the other seeing Mercy is that inward affection which exercising it selfe outwardly in the acts and deedes of Almes doth produce the habit and vertue of Kindnesse from which afterward proceede the morall acts and deedes of Almes for those acts are properly morall not which produce the habit but which the habit doth produce Because they proceede from such a person whose maner it is to use such acts and to use them frequently Hence by the way it may appear that about these words Mat. 6.1 Take heede that you doe not your almes before men there needs no great dispute what should in the Originall bee the word for almes whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly because it is far the more probable that the right Originall was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the most ancient Manuscripts have it so and apparent it is that so it was read by the Syriake and Arabick Interpreters so by the most Ancient Greeke Fathers so by almost all the Latine so translated by the Vulgar Latine and so by Beza a learned and diligent Interpreter And partly because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are unto a Greeke eare so concurrent in sense that they are but two words to signifie one and the same action either word being a glosse to explicate the other For unto the Orientall or Easterne Greekes living in Asia after whose language the New Testament is written the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was very usuall and familiar to signifie that kindenesse whose acts are Almes But unto the Westerne Greekes living in Europe that word in that sense was somewhat strange and was better expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense whereof was unto them better knowne And very probable it is as Grotius well conjectures that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was first adjoyned in the Margin and was afterward translated into the Text to exclude the other But of the word Zedakah which St. Mathew there followes the Syriake Interpreter notes thus on the place It is worth our observation saith hee that the word Zedakah which among the Hebrewes Caldyes and Syrians signifies Righteousnesse doth also signifie Almes And we may further observe that the Greeke phrase in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies to doe a kindnesse which is eminently done in doing of almes is but an expression of the Hebrew phrase frequent in the Old Testament gnasoth zedakah which in our last English is rendred sometime to doe justice sometime to doe righteousnesse viz. in a morall sense as justice and righteousnesse signifie kindnesse For an instance or two heereof see or consult the learned for these places Psal 15.2 and Psal 99.4 and Psal 106.3 and Proverbs 21.3 and Esay 32.17 and Esay 56.1 and Esay 58.2 and Jerem. 9.24 and Jerem. 22.3 and Jer. 33.15 And the Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth this of the Hebrew Gnasoth chesed frequent in the Old Testament which in our last English is rendred to shew mercy See Psal 18.50 and Psal 109.16 Now to doe kindnesse and to shew mercy are all one Really and differ onely verbally because the doing of kindnesse is a shewing of mercy for mercy is that inward affection which is shewed outwardly by the deeds of kindnesse Thus we have shewed two senses of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the just or righteous man first the legall for the upright or innocent man and then the morall for the kinde or courteous man and consequently for the abstract that justice or righteousnes doth signifie both uprightnes and kindnes If now we compare these two senses one with another we may observe foure things 1. That very frequently in Scripture they are coupled and joyned in one sentence not alwayes under these names but under words equivalent bearing these senses the places are too numerous for us to make instance yea that solemne Oath which Princes at their Coronation do ordinarily take to doe Justice and Mercy containes nothing else but uprightnes and kindnes in the senses premised for Justice and Mercy are not natively English but Latinismes 2. That these two Virtues are not opposite