enemies 7 Yee that were in times past numbered in the Catalogue of the damned and of those that perished companions with the spirits of the wicked who are now in prison are made by the Covenant of Grace through Christ the Brethren of those which now possess Heaven and have their spirits perfected in Heaven i. e. they being free from sin and misery are plenarily justified and sanctified in their spirits 8 Yee being delivered from the Covenant of works which admitted not a Mediatour and also from the yoak of Ceremonies have access to Jesus the Saviour who is the Mediatour and Surety of the New Covenant who hath undertaken that yee shall perform what the Covenant requires of you and doubtless hee will make it good 9 Yee that are without Righteousness and Holiness and polluted with all manner of sins now by virtue of the New Covenant yee are admitted to the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ the immaculate Lamb by which yee are justified and sanctified and preserved from the destroying Angel whose blood although it was shed for us and our sins yet it doth not cry against us as the blood of Abel cryed against Cain the murderer but it intercedes for us with God that hee being merciful to us would grant us all things which were bought by the price of his blood Vers. 25. See that yee refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not wee escape if wee turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven The exhortatory Conclusion of the Argument follows That under colour of some excuse they refuse not to obey Christ speaking to them in the Gospel and inviting them to grace and holiness For if The Reason of the fourth Exhortation is this If the Israelites despisers of Moses speaking on earth have not escaped punishments much less shall yee escape punishments if yee shall despise Christ speaking from Heaven Therefore yee ought to beware lest yee fail of this Grace and lest yee abuse it even to prophaneness Vers. 26. Whose voice then shook the earth but now hee hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth onely but also Heaven Hee confirms this Reason from the power of Christ who in times past shook the earth or Mount Sinai with his voice and shall also shake in the day of judgement both Heaven and Earth as hee hath fore-told by the Prophet Haggai 2.6 which shall come to pass when the Heaven and the Earth shall be burnt with fire and whatsoever instability and corruptibility they have shall bee abolished that a new Heaven and a new Earth may succeed wherein may dwell Righteousness that is wherein the Saints being made immortal may perpetually abide Vers. 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of those things that are made that those things which cannot bee shaken may remain That wee may admit this sense Hee expounds the words of the Prophet which are so to be understood because hee that is said once to shake the Heaven and the Earth and not oftener is said in that to remove those things that are unstable and things that are made or created as to their mutable condition or mutable qualities that those things which cannot be shaken and are immutable may succeed such as all things will be in the glorious Kingdome of Christ. Vers. 28. Wherefore wee receiving a Kingdome which cannot bee moved let us have Grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hee deduces from hence the fifth Reason of the Exhortation Wee have right to the glorious Kingdome which cannot be shaken and is already by Faith received by us Therefore the Doctrine of Grace and study of holiness is to be held fast or that which is the same let us have Grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Vers. 29. For our God is a consuming fire The sixth Reason of the Exhortation Against those which either do not hold fast the Grace of God or abuse it to prophaneness Our God is a consuming fire Therefore let us hold fast Grace with endeavours after holiness Who although hee profess himself the God of the faithful yet hee will not suffer them to go unpunished who counterfeit the Faith which they have not or they who with Esau abuse the Doctrine of Grace even to prophane licentiousness CHAP. XIII THere are two parts of the Chapter In the former part are contained seven Exhortations to vers 18. In the other is the conclusion of the Epistle Vers. 1. Let brotherly love continue The first Exhortation is to Constancy in Charity towards the Brethren wherein hee secretly commends them because they indeed hitherto had imbraced and succoured for Christs sake the faithful or brethren joyned together in Faith and sincere Religion and hee openly intreats them that they would go forward constantly and undefatigably in that same virtue Let saith hee brotherly love continue Vers. 2. Bee not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares Exhort 2. More specially That they practice hospitality and kindness towards strangers and foreigners who want succour and consolation Thereby The Argument to obedience of the Exhortation is onely one Because some using hospitality have entertained Angels when they thought they had received men as Abraham and Lot Gen. 18 19. The force of the Argument is Because more good is done in this kind than any one can easily imagine For the Lord himself entertaineth any thing that is done in his name to poor Beleevers Prophets or Disciples Vers. 3. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Exhort 3. That they be moved in affection towards the Brethren who are in bonds especially for the sake of Religion and so succour them as if they themselves in like manner were bound and cast into the same prison and lay in the same bonds with them Not so onely but hee also exhorts them that as members of the same mystical body they would in some measure be so affected with the evil of the afflicted Brethren as they would have others affected towards them if they were in the same condition Because so long as they lived they bare about with them a mortal body obnoxious to the same evils For that which happens to one may happen to another and common infirmity ought to move compassion Vers. 4. Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Exhort 4. For the maintaining of Chastity folded up in two Arguments confirming the Precept Argum. 1. To this sense If any one hath not the gift of continency God hath prepared a remedy and a safe refuge viz. wedlock and hath pronounced this condition of life honourable amongst all sorts of men and the conjugal bed used according to the
in Jesus Christ Therefore this ground of our Justification by Faith is no less to bee maintained than the glory of Gods Justice Faithfulness and Goodness to bee declared in justifying Believers Vers. 27. Where is boasting then it is excluded By what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith 28. Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Argum. 10. Because by the Law of Faith or the Covenant of Grace which requires Faith to our Justification by the Righteousness of another mans boasting in himself is excluded and not by the Law of Works or the Covenant of Works which exacts perfect obedience and affords matter of boasting to men in their Inherent Righteousness Therefore saith hee wee conclude that a man is Iustified by Faith without the Works of the Law The Argument is good For if men were Justified by their Works and Inherent Righteousness they might boast of the meritorious cause of their Justification to bee in themselves but they that are Justified by Faith are compelled to renounce their own Inherent Righteousness and to place their only Confidence in the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ and solely in the grace of God Vers. 29. Is hee the God of the Iewes only Is hee not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also 30. Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and uncircumcision through Faith Hee concludes this Disputation with the resolution of two questions which give much light to the present Doctrine The first question is Whether this way of our Justification by Faith bee common both to Jewes and Gentiles To which hee answers That it 's common to both whereof he adds a reason because there is one God of those that are Justified therefore there must bee but one way of justifying all to wit by Faith or of Faith For if hee should Justifie the Jews upon one ground and the Gentiles upon another God would seem to differ from Himself in communicating Righteousness and Salvation to sinners both to Jews and Gentiles which is absurd Vers. 31. Do wee then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea wee establish the Law Another question is Whether the Doctrine of Faith or Justification by Faith makes the Law of none effect or to bee given in vain while it is denied that men are Justified by the Law Hee answers that the Law is no wayes rendred void but is rather established by the Doctrine of Faith for Faith or the Doctrine of Faith establishes the Law three wayes First in respect to the threatnings shewing that Christ was dead by the Sentence of the Law that hee might satisfie the Law and that wee were lyable to death unless freed from it by Christ. Secondly in respect to the Precepts because hee demonstrates that perfect obedience was yeelded to the Law in the Righteousness of Christ. Thirdly Faith establishes the Law in respect to Believers because being justified by Faith by virtue of Christ they are initiated into new obedience who before they were justified by Faith could do nothing but sin CHAP. IV. UNto the twelfth Chapter the Apostle illustrates commends and further by many Arguments establishes this Divine ground of our Iustification by Faith not by Works Wee for the more easie method shall make the Confirmation of this Doctrine seven-fold The first Confirmation of Iustification by Faith which is contained in this Chapter is chiefly from the example of Abraham the ground of whose Iustification is common both to Iews and Gentiles whose Faith is set before us all of God for a pattern There are three parts of the Chapter In the first the example of Abrahams Iustification is set down to ver 9. In the second hee proves this ground of Iustification to bee common both to Iews and Gentiles to ver 18. In the third the Faith of Abraham is commended to the use of Believers to the end of the Chapter Vers. 1. What shall wee say then that Abraham our Father as pertaining to the flesh hath found So much as pertains to the example of Abraham under the form of an interrogation hee denies that Abraham was justified according to the flesh or by the Law of Works or Inherent Righteousness which is called flesh Galat. 3.3 in respect to the Spiritual Righteousness of Christ From whence it follows that no man is justified by Works Vers. 2. For if Abraham were justified by Works hee hath whereof to glory but not before God This Thesis concerning Abraham is asserted by five Reasons Reason 1. If Abraham was justified by Works hee hath whereof hee may glory but not before God therefore hee is not justified by Works before God The reason is sufficient because boasting in our selves is not taken away by the Law of Works but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 For in the question before men Whether Abraham is just Abraham can produce his Works and boast saying I will shew thee my Works and so hee shall bee justified before men by his Works But the question is Whether hee bee righteous before God whereupon hee must renounce his own works and fly to the Promise of Blessedness in Christ to come of Abrahams Seed that hee might bee justified in Christ by Faith alone Vers. 3. For what saith the Scripture Abraham hath believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Reason 2. The Scripture testifies Gen. 15.6 that Abraham was justified by Faith or that Righteousness was imputed to him by Faith therefore hee was justified by Faith not by Works Vers. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt Reason 3. The reward cannot bee of Grace but of debt to him that seeks after righteousness by his works wee may assume thus But to Abraham it was imputed of Grace Therefore Abraham did not mercenarily seek after righteousness by the works of the Law Vers. 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for righteousness Reason 4. To this purpose Faith is imputed for righteousness to him that is not mercenary but renouncing his own righteousness believes in God who freely justifies the ungodly that flees to Christ Jesus But such was the Faith of Abraham Therefore Abraham was not justified by works before God but Faith was imputed to him for righteousness or the Blessing promised in Christ to come received through Faith by Abraham was imputed to him for righteousness Vers. 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works 7. Saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Reason 5. David testifies Psalm 32.12 that Blessedness is given to him to whom Righteousness is imputed without works and whose righteousness consists not in good works but in the forgiveness of sins therefore such was
her Husband liveth shee bee married to another man shee shall bee called an adulteress but if her Husband bee dead shee is free from that Law so that shee is no adulteress though shee bee married to another man As to the first part taking a comparison from Marriage hee shews that the Justified which are delivered from the conjugal Covenant of the Law and Espoused by a new Covenant of Grace to a new Husband Christ should bring forth the fruits of holiness in new obedience to the Law to the glory of our new Husband Christ. In the three first verses hee propounds the protasis of the comparison after this manner As no Law hath dominion over the dead as yee know but only over them that are alive ver 1. and particularly the Law of Marriage is dissolved the one being dead so that the Wife the Husband being dead without adultery may marry another ver 2 3. so you c. as it shall appear by and by Vers. 4. Wherefore my Brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that yee should bee married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that wee should bring forth fruit unto God The Apodosis of the comparison to this manner So you that were espoused formerly to the Law by a Covenant of Works Christ being dead for you that hee might satisfie the Law Justice and the Covenant of Works in our name you are judicially dead to the Law in the body of Christ for the Law or Covenant of Works hath slain Christ and you in him and by consequence you are delivered from the matrimonial Covenant of the Law so that without the breach of Justice you may enter into a new Covenant of Grace with Christ being raised from the dead To this end hee shews that the purpose of marriage being disannulled betwixt the Law of Works and us not that wee should live as wee list but being raised from a state of death by the Resurrection of Christ that wee should bee espoused to another Husband viz. to him which is raised from the dead i. e. to Christ who rose from the dead and hath raised us with himself to newness of life and hath espoused us to himself according to the Covenant of Grace that being married unto Christ wee might bring forth fruits of obedience to the glory of God There are five Arguments of consolation to the Justified who bewail the imperfection of their own obedience Become dead Argum. 1. You are freed from the Covenant of Works which admits no obedience besides what is perfect and every way compleat Therefore all you that are Justified have consolation which bewail the imperfection of your new obedience Of another Argum 2. You are now married to another Husband viz. to Christ who is raised from the dead who when hee could answer the imperfections of your obedience and according to the Covenant of Grace render your begun obedience acceptable unto God hee took it upon himself You have this consolation that mourn over the imperfections of your new obedience Fruit Argum. 3. Yeâ— are married unto Christ which is raised from the dead that you may not abide unfruitful but may bring forth fruit to the glory of God Therefore take yee comfort who bewail your imperfect obedience Vers. 5. For when wee were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Argum. 4. Confirming the former from the change of our condition while wee were unregenerate and by consequence under a law-Law-Covenant evil affections by the holy Law of God were stirred up and put forth themselves powerfully in our members and all our faculties both of soul and body to the production of the deadly fruit of actual sin Therefore it will follow when wee are now regenerated and under the Covenant of Grace holy desires stirred up by the New Covenant powerfully shew forth themselves in our members to the bringing forth the fruit of good works unto God that wee might not abide unfruitful Which is no small consolation for if wee by Faith would lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace and would stir up our souls by the promises thereof applyed unto us there is no doubt but wee should more plentifully bring forth good works That is it which Christ saith Joh. 15.5 I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abides in mee and I in him hee brings forth much fruit for without mee you can do nothing Vers. 6. But now wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were held that wee should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Argum. 5. Opening and confirming the former from the end of our changed condition Now to wit after Justification through the Grace of Christ wee are freed from the Law-Covenant that Covenant being dead in which wee were held or wee being dead in Christ in whom wee were contained judicially to that very end that wee should serve God by the power of the Holy Ghost bestowing new strength upon us by bringing forth new and spiritual fruit not superficial and hypocritical which the letter of the old legal Covenant now abolished at the most brought forth Therefore God will not fail of his end but will cause those that are justified bewailing their imperfect obedience to bring forth much fruit in the newness of the letter for the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Grace are truly new and arise from the regenerating Spirit furnishing us with new strength forthwith to good works But the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Works either are open rebellion of corrupt Nature against Gods Law or counterfeit obedience onely in the outward performance such as the fruits of the Pharisees are who in the letter that is the outward shew and formality obeyed without any renovation of the heart The second Part. Verse 7. What shall wee say then Is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet The second part of the Chapter containing an Apology for the holiness of the Law in answering two Objections arising out of what was said before The first Objection seeing that evil and sinful motions are excited by the Law as was said the Law seems to bee sin or the cause of sin Hee answers by way of negation farre bee it from us to entertain any such thought hee gives three Reasons of his negation illustrated by his own experience wherein hee pleads for the Law The first Reason Because the Law discovers sin and manifests the evil that is in it which hee confirms by his own experience who had not known that lust which lurked in his heart to bee sin had hee not seen it forbidden by the Law Therefore the Law is holy Vers. 8. But
of their Sanctification and the reliques of sin Which consolation hee appropriates to those that are justified endeavouring after holiness secluding those that are unregenerate and delight in sin to ver 9. which hee applyes to the Romans to ver 12. and thus applyed hee shews the use of it to ver 17. The second part contains the Consolations of the Iustified in respect to the calamities of this life to which the godly are lyable to ver 31. The third part contains the triumph of those that are justified over all their enemies to the end Vers. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit From what hath been spoken hee infers consolation to those that are justified against the fear of condemnation which the conscience of sin dwelling in us may easily affright us with There is no condemnation saith hee to those which by true Faith are ingrafted into Christ And because many profess the Faith they have not hee describes true Believers and justified persons from this property that they do not indulge themselves in sin neither do they willingly follow the guidance of the flesh and corrupt nature but walk after the Commands of God and the motions of the Holy Ghost inwardly perswading them to direct the course of their life according to the Rule of the Word of God Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of Sin and Death That this consolation belongs to them that are truly justified and endeavour after holiness hee proves by three Arguments Argum. 1. The Law of Faith of Life and the Spirit in Christ or the Covenant of Grace hath freed every Believer and mee in particular from the law of sin and death or the Covenant of Works Therefore to them that are justified truly united unto Christ there is no condemnation For by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hee understands the Law of Faith or the Covenant of Grace because by Faith or the Covenant of Grace the Spirit is received and communion with the Life of Christ. And by the Law of Sin and Death hee understands the Law of Works as Rom. 3.27 or the Covenant of Works by which Law or Covenant conviction of sin is made and condemnation unto death of them that are guilty Vers. 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Argum. 2. Seeing the Law was found weak to procure for us Justification by reason of the infirmity of the flesh or humane nature now corrupted not able to yeeld perfect obedience to the Law God sending his Son in the flesh of the same nature with us and in all things like unto us sin excepted in the flesh of his Son crucified condemned our sin that satisfaction being made for us it might bee abolished in us Therefore sin in us that are justified who are in Christ cannot bee the cause of condemnation and thus there is no condemnation to us Vers. 4. That the righteousness of the Law might bee fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Argum. 3. To this very end sin is condemned in Christ that is condemned and dead for us that wee being once dead and condemned in him it might appear that the Law is satisfied in us I say who follow not the lusts of the flesh but the guidance of the Holy Ghost Therefore now no condemnation remains us Vers. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit Hee gives four reasons why hee makes this consolation peculiar to them that follow after holiness secluding all that are unregenerate and continue in sin The first reason They that are carnal and unregenerate savour and affect only those things that are carnal and wicked but those that are regenerate savour and affect spiritual things Therefore its no wonder that only they that follow after holiness are admitted to the consolation of an immunity from condemnation and they which are carnal are excluded Vers. 6. For to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded is life and peace Reason 2. The wisdome of carnal men which is the Governour of their counsels and actions and is carried only to those things which please the flesh whether in respect to God or eternal life and so it inclines to death But the wisdome of the spirit or an habit directing the actions of regenerate men is carried to those things which belong to spiritual life and peace Therefore it s no wonder if only they that are regenerate and spiritual are exempted from condemnation but not they that are carnal Vers. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can bee Reason 3. Confirming the former the wisdome of the flesh it self the principal virtue of politick wits is enmity against God for it only seeks and cares for its own rejecting God neither is it subject to the Law of God or can bee subject for it cannot but subject to its own carnal ends the Soul Heaven God and all things and pursue after these so far as it thinks them conducible to carnal ends Therefore it s no wonder that carnal men are not freed from condemnation Vers. 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Reason 4. Whoever are unregenerate in the state of corrupt nature or the flesh cannot please God because they cannot but follow after those things which please them Therefore no wonder they are not freed from condemnation Vers. 9. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so bee that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his Applying the character of justified persons out of the judgement of charity to the Romans hee also applies to the same Romans to whom hee writes the consolation which arises from freedome from condemnation hee prudently in the mean time bespeaks them that they would not indulge hypocrisie in any and hee gives four Reasons of this application The first Reason You are not subject to the domâ—nion of the flesh you are not unregenerate but in a spiritual condition following the guidance of the Spirit Therefore there is no condemnation to you or which is the same to you belongs the foresaid consolation Reas. 2. Confirming the former the Spirit of God dwelling in you framing your hearts and lives unto holiness for unless I should thus judge of you I should think you did not belong unto Christ for hee that hath not the sanctifying Spirit of Christ is not yet a living member of Christ Therefore there is no condemnation unto
you Vers. 10. And if Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness Reas. 3. Seeing that Christ is in you though your bodie indeed in respect to the remnants of sin not to bee abolished but by death is destined to death and shall certainly dye Yet the Spirit of Regeneration which is given to you is eternal life it self in you or begun in your souls because of the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto you Therefore there is no condemnation unto you Vers. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Reas. 4. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in you will never forsake his habitation but will render you to himself a glorious and immortal receptacle To which end God will no less certainly and powerfully raise even your mortal bodies to life immortal as hee hath raised the body of Christ from the dead Therefore to you there is no condemnation Vers. 12. Therefore Brethren wee are debtors not to the flâ—sh to live after the flesh The Consolation which hee had applied to the Romans from their immunity from condemnation bee draws into use exhorting them to the study of holiness by which they should strengthen their consolation The Arguments of his exhortation are six The first Argument Wee are bound by all means to obey the Holy Ghost continually minding us of our duty both inwardly and by the Word But wee â—re no debtors to the flesh or to serve the lusts of our nature because wee are nothing indebted to that besides hatred and all means of mortification Therefore ought wee to follow after holiness Vers. 13. For if yee live after the flesh yee shall dye but if you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live Argum. 2. If you set up the lusts of the flesh and corrupt Nature for a Rule that you may order your lives according to that yee shall eternally dye Therefore as you would not perish follow after holiness Argum. 3. If you obey the Holy Ghost using onely those means prescribed by it and make use of that power communicated by the Spirit to you that beleeve in Christ for the mortifying the corrupt affections and deeds of your bodies without doubt you shall obtain Eternal Life through the grace of God Therefore ought you to follow after holiness Vers. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Argum. 4. Confirming the former All that follow the command and guidance of the Holy Spirit testifie themselves to bee the Children of God by virtue of the regenerating Spirit Therefore that you may prove your selves the Sons of God obeying the Spirit of God follow after holiness Vers. 15. For yee have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Argum. 5. Further confirming that they are the Sons of God Because after they fled to Christ and embraced the Covenant of Grace being set free by Faith from the servile fear of condemnation which the Spirit strikes all those with who seek Life from the Covenant of Works and are indued with the Spirit of Adoption from hence the Argument After yee have imbraced the Covenant of Grace by Faith in Christ a servile fear of Condemnation according to the tenor of the Gospel is no more given unto you but the Spirit of Adoption that you may most familiarly call upon God the Father with the people of God every one in his own tongue Therefore you are both the Sons of God and also it becomes you to behave your selves as the Sons of God in following after holiness Vers. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that wee are the Children of God Argum. 6. The Spirit of God seals up in our hearts and witnesses together with our spirits or consciences that wee are the Children of God Wee are therefore bound as it becomes the Sons of God to follow after holiness The second Part. Vers. 17. And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ if so bee that wee suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together The second part of the Chapter comprehends the consolations of justified persons by Faith against the sharpness of afflictions in this life Hee premises a Conclusion drawn from what was said before wherein hee proves that they who are justified by Faith are not onely Heirs of God and have right to all his good things but also co-heirs with Christ and brought by Adoption into communion with the onely begotten Son and into the inheritance with him being the Sons of God This is the right of those that are justified to the inheritance which inheritance that they might bee brought into the possession of hee subjoyns the condition of suffering with Christ. And this affords thirteen Arguments of consolation The first Argument of Comfort Communion with Christ in the Kingdome of Heaven and the possession of the glorious inheritance will follow our communion with him in his sufferings Therefore let us comfort our selves in our afflictions Vers. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall bee revealed in us Argum. 2. This is no hard condition because casting up the account I finde that whatever wee suffer in this life for righteousness sake is unworthy to bee compared with the glory that shall hereafter bee revealed and at length bee bestowed upon us whether wee respect the quality of the things or the duration of time Therefore let us comfort our selves in our tribulations Vers. 19. For the earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God Argum. 3. Figurately propounded the whole frame of the world in its kind suffering together with us sustains it self in the hope of the glory of God to bee revealed in the day of judgement and very earnestly as it were with the head stretched out expects that wished-for time Therefore wee also with this hope ought to support our selves Vers. 20. For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Hee explicates this Argument shewing first that created things are subject to vanity i. e. a corruptible condition and to the abuse of the vainest men who abuse the Creature to all manner of sin and prostitute it to their service to the fulfilling of their vainest lusts Secondly That the Creature is not subject to this vanity willingly or of its natural propensity or its natural use to which it was created of God but for the will and pleasure or the judgement of God which hath subjected the Creature to this curse with sinful man for whose sake the
the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace through Christ is the Ministring of the Spirit because according to and by that the Holy Ghost is administred whereby the hearer is quickened and strengthened to embrace that which is propounded Killeth Compar 2. Confirming the former The Ministery of the Law of Works or the written Letter onely convinceth of sin and killeth the sinner by pronouncing to him the sentence of death But the Ministery of the Gospel or grace in the New Covenant sheweth liberty from sin absolves the sinner and so brings him life Vers. 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven on stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to bee done away 8. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit rather bee glorious In Stones Compar 3. The Law of Works which onely administers death for according to this Covenant no man doth obtain righteousness or life was engraven in stones to signifie that the heart by it cannot bee mollified nor renewed but remaineth dead But the Gospel of Grace is writ in the fleshy Tables of the heart i. e. in hearts by the power of the holy Ghost quickened and mollified it is so imprinted that the virtue of divine Grace may bee discerned in all the expressions of the heart Glorious Compar 4. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works which is the Ministery of death to all that have sinned was truly glorious as it appeared in Moses for justice is glorious in punishing of sin But the Ministery of the New Covenant which is the Ministery of the Spirit quickening is more glorious for as in Moses pronouncing the curse of the Law against sinners his bodily glory did shine but O how much spiritual glory doth shine in the face of Christ setting sinners at liberty by his Grace Vers. 9. For if the ministration of condemnation bee glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory Compar 4. The Ministery of the Law or the Old Covenant of Works is a Ministery of condemnation for sin therefore indeed glorious But the Ministry of the Gospel or the New Covenant is the Ministery of the Righteousness of Christ and absolution from sin and therefore so much the more glorious by how much absolution and justification do excel condemnation and sin Because by the Covenant of Works wee are all accused of sin wee are all condemned and made obnoxious to death Therefore its Ministery is called the Ministery of sin condemnation and death Vers. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glery that excelleth Compar 5. The Ministery of the Law although it was glorious was exceedingly excelled by the glory of the Ministery of the Gospel or of Grace that it not deserves to bee called glorious but let it vanish rather in comparison as the glory of the Stars when the Sun appears is obscured But the Ministery of the Gospel is simply and by way of excellency glorious Vers. 11. For if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious Compar 6. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works in respect to the annexed ceremonies hath onely the glory of temporal dispensation because so long it was to endure whilst men in the infancy of the Church convicted of sins and of their own impotency to deliver themselves were taught to fly unto Christ and as it were by the hand of a School-master might bee led to him which manner of instructing the Church being now at its full growth and continuing under the brightneâ—s of the revealed Gospel is abolished as unprofitable But the Ministery of the New Covenant hath permanent glory until the glorious coming of Christ. Vers. 12. Seeing then that wee have such hope wee use great plainness of speech 13. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that thâ— children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Compar 7. The Ministery of the New Covenant is plain and perspicuous so that the Ministers thereof can plainly and confidently preach the way of Salvation having Christ now revealed who in times past being to come was hoped for But the Ministery of the Law as it did appear in the type of the Mosaical ministration was obscure and wrapped up in types Put Hee follows this comparison to the end of the Chapter illustrating the latter part thereof to the last verse in this sense Moses the Minister of the Law turned from the Tabernacle from the Altar from the Ark and the Propitiatory speaking with his face veiled signified to the people and typically related the nature of the legal Covenant of Works and of its Ministery divided from Christ and did also figure out the blindness of the people under the legal Covenant because they did not perceive Christ to bee the end of the Law and temporal ceremonies now abolished Vers. 14. But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which veil is done away in Christ. 15. But even unto this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their heart The Apostle observes that now blindness also may bee perceived in the Iews who while they read the Old Testament they see nothing besides the veil of ceremonies because the veil of ignorance and infidelity remaineth upon their minds which veil represented by the type of the external veil covering Moses his face by Christ is taken away from all the Faithful for righteousness life virtue and lastly all grace and glory is published and communicated to the Faithful in Christ But hitherto this veil doth remain upon the hearts of the unbelieving Iews Vers. 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the veil shall bee taken away Hee hath hope of the Iews Conversion when by the Grace of God the heart of the Israelites or the Doctrine of Moses now veiled should bee turned by them to God i. e. should bee brought according to this typical signification to Christ who is the end of the Law Then the veil of ignorance and of the darkness of ceremonies should bee taken from them as the veil was taken from the face of Moses when hee entred in unto God sitting betwixt the Cherubins chiefly that they might see God their Lord and their Saviour Christ and might acknowledge him to bee the true end of the whole Law Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The reason of this is given Because 1. Christ is the Spirit or the Soul of all ceremonies that a spiritual thing is signified by them 2. Christ is also the Spirit or the Soul of the Moral Law because hee fulfilled the Law in whom alone the perfect righteousness of the Law is to bee found 3. Christ
of the Son of God who loved mee and gave himself for mee Reas. 3. Confirming the former I being justified by Faith am judicially united unto Christ crucified and in him I am judicially bound to dye unto sin to crucifie the old man Therefore I cannot consent to sin from the principles of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith This is the Reason Christ our Surety on the Cross did not onely expiate the sins of the redeemed but also for their sakes hee promised that they should dye to sin and crucifie their corrupt nature Therefore hee which by Faith apprehending his judicial union with Christ crucified it is necessary also that hee acknowledge his obligation to dye to sin or to crucifie his old nature by the virtue of Christ. Nevertheless I live I justified by Faith am a new Creature by the Spirit of Christ living in mee so that I live not as to the old man but Christ dwelling in mee useth this natural life as his Organ and Member and Effects that by Faith in his strength I may lead this life taking care of all my affairs that I may as it were bring the Spirit into obedience unto God and that out of his same love by which hee dyed for mee Therefore I cannot consent to sin from the principles of justifying Faith The force of the Argument in short is this The Spirit quickens us that are justified by the Faith of Christ to live holily Therefore Justification by Faith doth not give liberty to sin Vers. 21. I do not frustrate the Grace of God for if Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain The Objection is removed The second Argument for Justification by Faith and not by the Works of the Law followeth If Justification bee by the Works of the Law the Grace of God is in vain and made of none effect for if Justification bee by Works it cannot bee by Grace as Rom. 11.6 But God forbid that I should make the Grace of God of none effect Therefore God forbid that I should determine Justification to bee by Works For if Argum. 3. If Justification bee by the Law Christ is dead in vain because then both otherwise and more easily Justification might bee obtained than by the death of Christ But it is absurd to say that Christ is dead in vain Therefore Justification is not by the Law but by Faith CHAP. III. Vers. 1. O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Because hee knew that the minds of the Galatians were prepossessed with a false opinion Therefore lest they should faint upon the following disputation he by a grave objurgation shaketh them out of their drowsiness and pricks their consciences as it were with four stings For first of all hee calls them foolish and unadvised Because they suffer themselves foulely to bee deceived although not out of malice yet by their own imprudence 2 He calls them bewitched i. e. deluded by the delusions of Impostors 3 Hee objects to them their defection from the saving Truth of the Gospel concerning the Grace of Christ. 4 Hee amplifies their crime from this that Christ was so evidently preached amongst them and his sufferings with the causes of them so clearly explained as if the whole matter as in a painted Table had been set before their eyes The Preface being premised hee goes on to confirm that Justification is by Faith and not by the Works of the Law in four and twenty Arguments Vers. 2. This onely would I learn of you Received yee the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Argum. 1. Yee have not received the Spirit of Regeneration and other graces by which the preaching of the Gospel is sealed amongst you by Works or by Doctrine received from the Covenant of Works but by Faith or by the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace applied by Faith Therefore yee are not justified by Works but by Faith Vers. 3. Are yee so foolish having begun in the Spirit are yee now made perfect by the flesh Argum. 2. Although some Impostors have perswaded you that the beginning of Justification is by Faith but the accomplishment of it is to be had from Works yet this opinion is to be condemned of folly because it is impossible that the spiritual way of justifying by Faith should consist with that carnal way of justifying by Works much less that it should take its perfection from this Therefore wee are not justified by Works but by Faith Righteousness by Works is called flesh 1 Because although now this kind of Justification is impossible yet it is a common and foolish surmise of corrupt nature that wee are justified by Works and by the pride and vaunting of the flesh this is every where defended 2 Because all the Works of the unregenerate or a man not justified by Faith all his Works by which hee seeks Justification are meer flesh or the effects of corrupt flesh as they come from those that are not justified It is as absurd therefore to say that a man is justified by the continual violation of the Law or can acquire Righteousness by sinning But as touching Works which follow Justification or the remission of sins they cannot bee the cause of a thing already past before they were or could bee except you take Justification for the declaration of Justification amongst men already passed and pronounced by God Vers. 4. Have yee suffered so many things in vain if it bee yet in vain Argum. 3. If in your foolishness you proceed 〈◊〉 seek for Justification by Works or to bee justified partly by Faith partly by Works yee will lose all the fruit of your constancy hitherto and afflictions which yee have through Faith already suffered for the defence of Righteousness by Faith but I hope better things Therefore yee are not justified by Works but by Faith alone Vers. 5. Hee therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth hee it by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Argum. 4. The Ministers by whom God gives his Spirit and works miracles among you are onely they which teach Justification not by Works but onely by Faith in Christ Therefore Justification by Faith alone is approved by God but not that which is feigned to bee by Works Vers. 6. Even as Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness Argum. 5. Abraham although hee did very much abound in virtues yet hee was justified by Faith alone for hee beleeved God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness For God hath promised to bless all Nations in his seed i. e. in Christ. Hee hath applied this blessing which containeth in it self Righteousness and life eternal in Christ to himself by beleeving Therefore wee are justified not by Works but by Faith Vers. 7. Know yee therefore that they which are
and Gentiles become one seed i. e. one Christ mystical by faith Lastly vers 17. Hee concludes that this Covenant confirmed by a sacrifice after the manner of a Will and established by God with relation unto Christ could not bee made void or of none effect by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years after The Promise Hee includes a reason why this Covenant could not bee changed by the Law viz. because the Covenant is Gods absolute promise which as it were obligeth God promising that he cannot change it But the Law hath the nature of a commandement which bindes not the Legislators but the subject For the Legislator can change Laws but hee cannot change absolute promises Therefore the Law after so many years made cannot disanull the Covenant or the promise absolutely made to Abraham Vers. 18. For if the inheritance bee of the Law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Lest any one should object that the Law and the Promise may be conjoyned Hee answers and adds Arg. 16. If the inheritance be of the Law or works then not of the free promise for the one of these takes away the other but the inheritance is freely given to Abraham by a free promise Therefore not of the Law and consequently because the inheritance or life eternal is not of the Law or any works neither shall justification bee by the Law but only by grace through faith Vers. 19. Wherefore then serveth the Law It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator 20. Now a Mediator is not a Mediator of one but God is one Hee moves a question concerning the use of the Law inquiring to what purpose the Law was made Hee answers and adds Arg. 17. The Law is given that transgressions might bee manifest and held in as it were with some bridle untill Christ should come who is the seed to whom the promise of blessing is made Therefore seeing that onely the manifestation of sin cometh by the Law justification is not by the Law but by Christ or by faith And it was necessary to the manifestation of sin that the Law should bee renewed because the Jews sinned and yet did neither acknowledge the power of sin nor their own impotency to obey the Law Therefore the Law was urged until that compleat seed arose made up of Jews and Gentiles united the partition Wall between the Jews and the Gentiles being thrown down into one body with their head Christ by Faith Ordained Argum. 18. A terrible manner of giving the Law by the Ministery of Angels and by the hand of a Messenger or Mediator it was a sign rather of discord than of peace and concord betwixt God and men Because a Mediatour or a Messenger useth not to bee onely of one party seeing no man disagreeth with himself but of parties whereof one hath made a breach with the other But God is one and alwaies constant to himself Therefore the dis-agreeing party is man and the manner of making the Law did both signifie and argue that This is the force of the Argument which being granted reconciliation is not made but discord betwixt God and man remaineth by that Justification is not But the Law being given reconciliation is not made but discord betwixt God and the people remaineth as it appears from the manner of giving the Law Therefore Justification is not by the Law Vers. 21. Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law Hee propounds another question whether the Law is contrary to the Promise shewing to men the contrary waies of justifying Hee answers by denying and adds Argum. 19. If a Law had been given which could communicate life to sinners and strength for the performing those things that were commanded surely Justification had been by the Law wee may assume But such a Law is neither given to sinners nor can bee Rom. 8.3 Therefore Justification is not by the Law Vers. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the Promise by Faith of Iesus Christ might bee given to them that beleeve Argum. 20. The Law of God and the whole Scripture hath concluded all men and whatsoever commeth from man under sin and renders all men guilty of sin that now nothing else can remain to man but Faith in Jesus Christ by which the Promise of free blessing belongs to all that beleeve Therefore Justification is not by the Law but by Faith For if all are sinners no man by Works no man but by Faith can bee saved Vers. 23. But before Faith came wee were kept under the Law shut unto the Faith which should afterwards bee revealed Argum. 21. From the end and use of external Discipline before the comming of Christ in the Church of the Jews who were daily urged under a curse to perform Obedience to the Law according to the Covenant They were daily instructed by the yoak and observance of Ceremonies imposed touching due Obedience to the commands of their impotency to obey the Law and of their manifold sins they were also daily taught that they should flie to the Altar to sacrifice to washings that by this Discipline they might acknowledge themselves to be sinners and not to bee freed but by the oblation of the Lamb of God that was to come and by expiation in his blood or by Faith in the promised Messias From hence is the Argument wee Jews before the comming of Christ or before the full revelation of the Doctrine of Faith come were kept under the external Discipline of the Legal Covenant as under a Garrison circumscribed with boundaries that wee might not by any way turn our selves from the curse unless unto that Faith alone which was to bee revealed i. e to seek Righteousness and a blessing in the promised Messias Therefore wee are so far from Justification by the Law that on the otherside by the Discipline of the Law the ancient Church was shut up in streights and compelled to look unto Justification alone by Faith But the Discipline of the Law is abused by many to a contrary end yet this was the end of the Legal Discipline instituted by God Vers. 24. Wherefore the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that wee might bee justified by Faith Argum. 22. Illustrating and confirming the former The Law or the external form of the Legal Covenant like a School-Master sent to us by God did instruct our childish Church and lead it by the hand to Christ that wee might bee justified by Faith Therefore wee are so far from Justification by the Law that on the other side unless wee bee justified by Faith the Law is frustrated in its end For what else did the Law do by propounding moral Precepts
times past you have allowed the causes of my afflictions neither have yee contemned mee whilst I was exercised with temptations in my flesh but yee have received mee as an Angel as bearing the person of Christ Therefore now do both the same thing and return unto the same mind Vers. 15. Where is then the blessedness you speak of for I bear you record that if it had been possible yee would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to mee Argum. 6. In times past you did account your selves blessed in my Ministery Therefore if you would bee blessed it behoveth you to adhere constantly to my Doctrine Hee minds them the more earnestly of this blessedness by an interrogation because they seemed to have forgotten it Record Argum. 7. In time past that you might every way gratifie mee yee spared not your most dear injoyments Therefore return yee and by my example cast off the Legal yoak If you will do that which is acceptable unto mee Vers. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the Truth Argum. 8. So far as yee are offended by this sharper reprehension yee ought to esteem mee an enemy whom therefore you would not imitate that on the otherside because I speak the Truth for your good yee are bound to make more of mee and my Exhortation Vers. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them Argum. 9. From his unlikeness to the seducers The false Apostles saith hee who earnestly contend that you may bee brought under and submit to the Legal yoak they little regard you and with a preposterous zeal are carried out towards you and in very deed they go about to destroy you desiring to exclude you from mee and my Doctrine and consequently from the society of Christ that yee might follow them and become their Disciples Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 18. But it is good alwaies to bee zealously affected in a good thing and not onely when I am present with you Argum. 10. My zeal for you is good and in a good thing and constant when I am absent as well as present The zealousie of my Emulators concerning you is perverse and counterfeit Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 19. My little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ bee formed in you Argum. 11. The Image of Christ consisting in the Knowledge and true Faith concerning Christ is deformed in you by your falling to the yoak of the Law and Justification by Works Therefore return yee to my Doctrine I travel in birth I am no less seriously anxious concerning your repentance nor less solicitously do I labour concerning the reparation of your Faith and the Image of Christ in you than one labouring in birth for the bringing forth of a child or than I myself did labour for the conversion of you to the Faith Therefore return yee to my Doctrine Vers. 20. I desire to bee present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you Hee confirms this perplext anxiety of minde by a sign to wit from his desire of seeing their faces and instructing them and accommodating himself to their necessity Lastly from the cause of this anxiety to wit that hee was uncertain and dubious about them whether gently or severely or what course hee should take with them For how deeply this errour was rooted in them how many infected how every one was affected in his business unless hee had been present it could not easily bee known to him The Third Part. Vers. 21. Tell mee yee that desire to bee under the Law do yee not bear the Law The Third Part of the Chapter follows in which hee confirms and illustrates the whole disputation from the history of the condition of Abrahams family in which by a typical Allegory God hath prefigured the whole matter now disputed The summe of which is this God in times past prefigured that they who seek justification by Works or a Covenant of works are in a servile miserable and cursed condition and at length shall bee cast from the face of God and society of the Saints they that seek justification by grace through faith in Christ are free Sons of the family of God and blessed and at length shall certainly come to an inheritance of life eternal why therefore are you so foolish O Galatians that yee willingly affect this servile miserable and cursed way of justification sought by the works of the Law For this end the Apostle in this last part of the Chapter First of all provokes them to the Law or to the books of Moses that the whole question may bee decided vers 21. Furthermore he propounds a typical history of the condition of Abrahams family ver 22 23. Thirdly he propounds the type and opens the mystery vers 24 25 26. Fourthly hee confirms the exposition out of Isaiah vers 27. Fifthly hee applies the allegory or type to the truly faithfull Christians and hee comforts himself and the rest against the persecution of the false brethren strangers to the grace of God vers 28 29 30 31. Tell That which appertaines to the first hee reproves the Galatians of a double errour The first errour is that willingly they had affected to bee under the Law i. e. under the legal Covenant or the Covenant of works whose condition is this that thou binde thy self to the perfect fulfilling the Law and God deals with thee according to the Covenant of the Law that is hee saves thee if thou offend in nothing but doth curse and destroy thee if thou become guilty in the least tittle of that which is written in the book of the Law or art found in the least to turn aside from the Rule For otherwise all the faithful are under the Law as a rule and direction of life and they are to endeavour obedience to it sincerely in all things through grace administred by Christ. The second errour is That they were very ignorant both of the sense and scope of the Law or of books that were written by Moses Vers. 22. For it is written that Abraham had two Sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman 23. But hee who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh but hee of the free-woman was by promise In the second place hee propounds from Gen. 16. 21. the typical history of Abrahams family wherein there were two wives that were mothers Hagar and Sarah The conditions of the mothers twofold Hagar was a servant Sarah free-born Two Sons Ishmael a servant of his mother a servant Isaac free of his mother free-born a twofold principle of their Nativity viz. The power of nature according to the flesh eminent in the nativity of Ishmael of a young woman and the vertue of the promise or divine supernatural vertue in the nativity of Isaac of Sarah an old woman and conspicuously barren From
hence arose the unlike disposition of Ishmael and Isaac so great a discord that Ishmael persecuted Isaac and the dissimilitude of both their conditions in the upshot Ishmael is cast out of the family but Isaac obtains the Inheritance by which type God did figure out the divers conditions of the visible Church sprung from divers principles and causes For 1. As there are two wives Hagar and Sarah so there are two Covenants of God with men the Covenant of works or legal the Covenant of grace or the Evangelical 2. Both the wives had off-spring so both the Covenants had their worshippers and professors as born of the Covenant 3. As Hagar a young woman according to nature and the flesh brought forth but Sarah barren and an old woman according to the power of the divine promise So the Law or Covenant of works hath the ordinary strength of nature or the powers of free will for its foundation But the Gospel or Covenant of grace hath for its foundation the special grace of God 4. As Ishmael was of a servile and malicious disposition that hee would persecute his brother but Isaac indued with an ingenuous and godly disposition patiently indured persecution so how many justiciaries so ever seeking righteousness by works are of a servile and perverse disposition and they do vexe the true faithful of God But the truly faithful and Sons of the promise worship God with an ingenuous piety and do suffer persecutions as it behoves them Vers. 24. Which things are an allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from the Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar In the third place the Apostle expounds the signification of the type as much as belongs to the present purpose and first hee shews that the two Wives are figures of the two Covenants whereof one is the Covenant of Works represented by Hagar The other is the Covenant Grace or faith represented by Sarah As to Hagar and the Covenant of Works the Apostle teacheth First That Covenant had its rise from Mount Sinai because in that mountain the Law was given and this Covenant was established betwixt God and his people Secondly hee teaches that this Covenant generated an off-spring to bondage or did render the Disciples and professours of it onely servants i. e. Mercenary worshippers of God who do nothing but the external work and brought to that either by fear or hope of a reward and they heing ignorant that this was the end of the Law that being sensible of our sins we might flye to Christ do abuse the Law being meer hypocrites seeking by it righteousness which they never obtain but being not freed remain in their sins Vers. 25. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children Hee shews the convenience of the exposition 1. From this because Mount Sinai situated in Arabia and far removed from the promised Land was called by the Arabians and Caldeans Hagar by the special providence of God 2. That it had affinity with the earthly Ierusalem as it was in the Apostles time or with the Jewish Synagogue which is said to bee in bondage with her children because shee was tenacious of the Covenant of works and continued with her Disciples in a servile condition strangers to the Redeemer and free deliverance by him Vers. 26. But Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Hee expounds what is figured by Sarah the free-woman viz. The Covenant of Faith or Grace whereof the Church of the truly faithful is very tenacious which is the heavenly Ierusalem that is above created by God and studious of heavenly things the mother of all the faithful called both of Iews and Gentiles Vers. 27. For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more Children than she which hath an husband In the fourth place The Apostle proves the Exposition giveâ— out of Isaiah 54.1 where the Church of the faithful the upper Ierusalem our Mother is represented by Sarah barren as if shee had been a Widow And the Synagogue of the Jews unfaithful and tenacious of the Covenant of Works is represented by fruitful Hagar dwelling with her Husband But the Church of the faithful before the comming of Christ was compared as it were to a barren Widow because her Husband the Covenant of Grace was unknown almost to all except a few who dispersed hither and thither did not make a company neither did Grace appear but lay hid like an Husband absent or dead under the covers of Ceremonies The Synagogue of unbeleeving Justiciaries is compared to a fruitful Wife dwelling with her Husband viz. the Covenant of Works conspicuous in the external dispensation of the Law And it is fore-told by the Prophet that it should come to pass that the Church of the faithful made fruitful by the Promises of God shall bring forth more children under the Gospel than the Synagogue hath brought Servants under the Law and therefore is commanded to rejoyce and praise God Vers. 28. Now wee Brethren as Isaac was are the children of Promise In the last place hee applies this typical history and partly admonishes the truly faithful Christians and partly comforts them by four Arguments Argum. 1. That wee are redeemed children justified by Faith and truly free born and regenerated by virtue of Evangelical Promises to the similitude of Isaac who is elder than those other Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem that were after him Vers. 29. But as then hee hat was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit Argum. 2. Of consolation That suffering persecution by false Brethren Patrons of free will and Righteousness by Works were finde nothing unlike to Isaacs condition For when in Abrahams Family hee who is onely begotten by the ordinary strength of nature persecuted him who is begotten by a divine and spiritual way what wonder then if the same now bee usual amongst us Vers. 30. Nevertheless what saith the Scripture cast out the bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the bond-woman shall not bee heir with the Son of the free-woman Argum. 3. That the persecutors of the faithful and Patrons of Righteousness by Works seeing they are not set at liberty by the Son are to bee cast out of the society of the Saints and the inheritance of life eternal as it was figured by the sentence of God concerning the casting Ishmael with his Mother out of the family and excluding him from the inheritance that was to bee enjoyed with Isaac Vers. 31. So then Brethren wee are not children of the bond-woman but of the free Argum. 4. From the comparing of this verse with the former that seeing wee are not children of the bond-woman but of the free certainly wee shall obtain an inheritance of life eternal which Argument with the former as it
hath the virtue of consolation so also of admonition that they would not adhere to their errour in seeking Righteousness by the Works of the Law and moreover of an exhortation that they hold fast Righteousness by Grace through Faith in Christ unless they would exclude themselves from the inheritance CHAP. V. THere are two parts of the Chapter In the first hee goes on to urge that shaking off the yoak of the Covenant of â—orks and Legal Ceremonies they may defend their Christian Liberty to vers 13. In the other hee gives Precepts concerning the right use of Christian Liberty to the end Vers. 1. Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and bee not entangled again with the yoak of bondage The Proposition to bee confirmed in the former part is plainly proposed under the form of an Exhortation Yee must stand fast in the Christian Liberty which is the scope of the former Doctrine and disputation and it is drawn from that as the conclusion The Arguments for the proving this Proposition are thirteen Argum. 1. Liberty from the servile yoak of the Legal Covenant or Ceremonies thereof is obtained by the blood of Christ Therefore you must stand stedfast in that Vers. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you that if yee bee circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Argum. 2. Is established by an Apostolical obtestation If you bee circumcised according to the Ceremonial Law now abolished and add but this one Ceremony to free Justification by Christ Christ whom you declare by this fact an imperfect Saviour will not advantage you to salvation Therefore you must stand fast For if they could not be justified except they joyned Circumcision together with the Grace of Christ making Christ the half of their Righteousness they destroy the whole making him an imperfect Saviour they made him none at all Vers. 3. For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that hee is a debter to do the whole Law Argum. 3. Is established by the same obtestation The Covenant of Works being abrogated and the Ceremonial Law now abolished if any one returns to Circumcision the Sacrament of initiation to this Legal Covenant hee by this means makes himself a debtor to the whole Law and consequently obliges himself to the curse unless hee perfectly with his whole strength fulfil the Law which is the condition of the Covenant of Works The matter is clear Because although Circumcision by the purpose of God to the faithful expecting the Messias until Christ was a Sacrament of the Righteousness of Faith as Abraham was circumcised and although in the time of toleration till the clear manifestation of Christian Liberty to them that were born Jews Circumcision was accounted amongst things indifferent so Timothy born of a Jewish Mother is circumcised and Titus is not yet to all the Jews and Proselytes of the Gentiles seeking Righteousness by Works or by the Law Circumcision is made part of the Legal Righteousness or of the Obedience of the Covenant of Works yea and the Sacrament of that Covenant And after this manner the false Apostles did urge Circumcision amongst the Galatians to whom religious Circumcision was every way unlawful No wonder then if hee said Christ will not profit them if they bee circumcised because they that were circumcised by that very fact did imbrace the Covenant of Works Vers. 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace Argum. 4. Confirming the former whosoever of you return to Circumcision and Legal Customes abolished seeking Justification by the Law yeâ— by that same fact renounce Christ and the Covenant of Grace because the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace in Christ do mutually exclude one another neither can they consist For if Justification is by Works it is not by Grace and on the contrary Therefore yee must stand in your liberty except you would be separated from Grace and Christ. Vers. 5. For wee through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Argum. 5. Wee Jews and Apostles that are circumcised after our conversion to the faith being taught by the Spirit renounce the Covenant of works and legal customes and do expect life eternal as the fruit of justification by Faith you that are Gentiles by nature cannot otherwise be justified or saved either by the Law or Circumcision Therefore you must stand fast in your Christian liberty Vers. 6. For in Iesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Argum. 6. Confirming the former In the Kingdome of Christ or the new state of the Church under the Covenant of Grace the difference of circumcision and uncircumcision is taken away that neither helps nor hinders any thing to justification Therefore you must stand fast in your liberty from the yoak of the Law But faith Arg. 7. True faith alone or that which worketh by love without respect to circumcision or uncircumcision availeth to the act of justification Therefore in this way of justification yee that are in the Kingdome of Christ must necessarily stand fast Vers. 7. Yee did run well who did hinder you that yee should not obey the truth Argum. 8. Not long since yee ran well in the course of the truth of this Doctrine neither can any account bee given of your falling from the truth Therefore you must as yet go forward and stand fast in that course Vers. 8. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Argum. 9. By answering an Objection Although perhaps yee are perswaded that yee continue in a right way yet that credulity and perswasion to depart from that which you have received from mee is not from God calling you but some other way viz. from impostors from your inconstancy and from the Devil Therefore this perswasion is to bee rejected and yee must stand fast in the liberty Vers. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Argum. 10. By answering an Objection Although it may seem that wee muâ—â— not contend about the introduction of some few customes for peace sake and that the Jews might the more easily bee won yet this little legal leaven or Judaism doth corrupt the whole sincerity of the Doctrine of faith Therefore yee must have a care of that and stand fast in the liberty Vers. 10. I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will bee none otherwise minded but hee that troubleth you shall bear his judgement whosoever he bee Argum. 11. Although the danger of your errour and inconstancy make mee suspect the event yet love and the constancy of Divine grace commands mee to hope better things which whilst I behold I am perswaded that you will return into that opinion with mee concerning the casting away the yoak of the Law and defending your liberty by faith in Christ Therefore it is meet to satisfie my expectation Troubleth Argum. 12. Your seducers who trouble your
faith at length howsoever they are esteemed amongst you shall bee punished by God Therefore bee yee not intangled in the same snares but repent and stand fast in the liberty Vers. 11. And I brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer persecution then is the offence of the Cross ceased Hee refutes the calumny of his Adversaries and produces Arg. 13. Thou thy self dost teach Circumcision because thou hast circumcised Timothy Therefore undeservedly thou dost accuse us Hee answers by denying that hee taught Circumcision because although hee circumcised Timothy born of a Jewish mother for the use of Ceremonies with the Jews after the yoak of necessity was broken by the Decree of the Synod for a time it was left free yet hee never preached that Circumcision was to bee observed but hee both admonished the Jews concerning the abolition of Ceremonies and taught that legal Ceremonies upon no account should bee received amongst the Gentiles which hee proves because upon this ground hee suffered persecution by the Jews and because the Jews were not offended at the preaching of the Gospel or the Cross of Christ but freely tolerarated the Apostle if withall hee would promote the reception of Jewish customes amongst the Gentiles The strength of the Argument is this I had rather suffer persecution than preach that Circumcision is to bee joyned with the Gospel for if I should conjoyn them the offence of the Cross would cease the Jews would tolerate my preaching of Christ crucified But I dare not in the least depart from the purity of the Gospel Therefore yee must also stand fast in that Vers. 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you At length shutting up the whole Disputation with an Apostolical Spirit hee both imprecates and denounces destruction to the Impostors by whom the Galatians were deceived The Second Part. Vers. 13. For Brethren yee have been called unto liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another The second part of the Chapter follows wherein the reason of his imprecation is given viz. because the seducers called them back and drew them again under the yoak whom God called to liberty under the form of an exhortation hee gives three Precepts concerning the right use of Christian liberty Onely 1. That bridleing the flesh or the sinful lusts of corrupt nature lest that being unsubdued it should draw Christian liberty into a licentiousness to sin they may serve one another in the duties of love Vers. 14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Hee gives two reasons of this Precept 1. Because the Law is fulfilled in love and not in bare ceremonies Vers. 15. But if you bite and devour one another take heed yee bee not consumed one of another 2. Because unless they follow after love they will mutually devour and destroy one another by contentions Vers. 16. This I say then walk in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh The second Precept is for the confirmation of the former that they follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost walking as hee himself out of the Scripture hath suggested to their hearts And that which The reasons of the Precept are six Reas. 1. Because so the lusts of the flesh shall not rule over you that yee may as servants obey its commands Therefore follow yee the guidance of the Spirit Vers. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other Reas. 2. Confirming the former because hee that follows the guidance of the Spirit will become victorious in the contest betwixt the flesh and the Spirit That this reason might bee plain the Apostle presupposes three things 1. Hee that is lead by the Spirit hath his nature partly renewed which is called the Spirit and partly corrupt which is called the Flesh. 2. Hee presupposes these two contrary principles with contrary endeavours to fight with one another that neither good nor evill without opposition and a mutual impediment can bee put in execution 3. Hee presupposes that the Holy Ghost doth help Beleevers in their striving by the Word and Grace From whence it is concluded that hee which hearkeneth to the Spirit will become victorious in striving Vers. 18. But if yee bee led by the Spirit yee are not under the Law Reason 3. Confirming the former Because they that are led by the Spirit are not servants to sin under the servile Covenant of the Law to whom onely the knowledge of sin is vouchsafed but not the victory or strength against sin but Gods Free-men are they who under the Covenant of Grace obtain strength of God for the resisting of sin Vers. 19. Now the Works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness 20. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations â—rath Strife Seditions Heresies 21. Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Reason 4. Because if they do not follow the Spirit but rather the flesh doing the Works of the flesh of which sort hee reckons seventeen they shall not bee heirs of the Kingdome of God Vers. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith 23. Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law Reason 5. Because if they follow the Spirit and bring forth such fruit of whith sort hee reckons nine they will not have the Law against them i. e. cursing them and condemning them but for Reconciliation sake towards God they shall finde the Law their friend Therefore it behoved you to follow the Spirit Vers. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Hee proves that they shall not have the Law against them because they that are Christs and judicially crucified in Christ for satisfaction to the Law they are also judicially obliged to crucifie the body of sin i. e. corrupt nature with the affections and lusts Wherefore they that actually indeavour to peform that and to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit they cannot have the Law against them as they that now seriously indeavour to promote the scope and end of the Law Vers. 25. If wee live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Reason 6. Because by the Spirit wee have Consolation Peace and Joy wherein life consists Therefore wee ought to follow the guidance of the Spirit Vers. 26. Let us not bee desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another The third Precept is especially concerning the shunning Ambition with the attendants of that vice viz. backbiting and envy with which evils the Churches used to bee infected But because the Doctors of the Church were chiefly obnoxious
course of his conversation Therefore hee was beloved of Paul and had in estimation by him as a Son to whom hee wishes all excellent things from God as hee had done in the former Epistle Vers. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my Fore-fathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day By three other Arguments hee endeavours to perswade Timothy of his affection towards him Remembrance Argum. 1. Because hee continually remembers Timothy in his prayers I thank God Argum. 2. Because hee values it as a favour given him from God that hee remembred Timothy for whom hee acknowledgeth that thanks are to bee rendred unto God for it is an excellent benefit and only vouchsafed to the Saints to love the Saints or those whom God loveth These two Arguments hee explains and confirms from this That with a sincere unfeigned mind hee prayed and gave thanks to God for Timothy and hee proves his sincerity from this That not onely in his whole life past hee endeavoured to keep a conscience inviolated lest hee should do any thing against it but also that after his conversion to the Faith in a pure conscience i. e. illuminated by the Holy Spirit and purified by the blood of Christ hee endeavoured to serve God the God of Israel or of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God of all the rest of his faithful Ancestors for hee that serves Christ with a sincere mind serves also the Holy One of Israel the Father and the Holy Ghost hee serves the true God three in One and maintains the same true Religion with all the holy Patriarches Vers. 4. Greatly desiring to see thee being mindful of thy tears that I may bee filled with joy Arg. 3. Because hee had an earnest desire to see the face of Timothy that hee might enjoy his company Hee illustrates this Argument from three Reasons of his desire Cause 1. The remembrance of Timothies tears or his most tender affection as well towards God as towards himself for Gods sake from whom when hee was departing Timothy could not bee drawn away but with tears Cause 2. The hope of rejoycing exceedingly when hee should see him Vers. 5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am perswaded that in thee also Cause 3. It was the remembrance of his sincere faith such as was in his Grandmother and mother who dyed in the faith of the Mediator whether before Christ was revealed to them God manifested in the flesh is doubtfull but certain it is that they beleeved in Christ that was to come according to the promises in which hope Timothy was brought up from a childe by his mother and was instructed by her in the Scriptures Vers. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands After the Preface four Admonitions follow Admon 1. Inferred by way of consequence from the former That hee would stir up in himself those sparks of his ability in preaching the Gospel and the gifts conferred upon him to this end by the prayers of the Church when in the name of the Presbytery Paul ordained him to bee a Preacher And that hee would boldly manifest the vertue of the gifts conferred upon him in the execution of his Ministry notwithstanding all lets which the flesh the world and the devil might oppose against him Vers. 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde There are two Reasons of the Admonition 1 Because the spirit of fear by which any one dare not speak and do what hee ought and what hee would speak and do in his Ministry was hee not subdued by fear is not from God nor becomes the Minister of God Of power 2 Because the gift of the Spirit which God vouchsafes to his Ministers is a Spirit 1 Of power and efficacy which dares and is able to oppose it self against every thing that exalts it self against Christ And 2 a Spirit of love which is not drawn away from true love to men And 3 the Spirit of a sound minde which neither with preposterous zeal nor by foolish and carnal love is drawn away from the truth of sound Doctrine but such as renders the minde sound in the Doctrine of faith and the heart filled with charity and enkindles a zeal in the heart boldly to manage the things of Christ and contains all these gifts conjoyned amongst themselves with a sacred tye Vers. 8. Bee not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of mee his prisoner but bee thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God Admon 2. That Timothy bee not ashamed of the simplicity of the truth of the Gospel nor of the Cross of Christ iâ— his servant Paul but that hee prepare himself to bear afflictions for Christ and accompany himself with those that bear the Cross. According to the power The Reasons of these Admonitions are eight Reas. 1. Because if any thing bee laid upon us to bee born for Christ above our strength The power of God will bee present to help and deliver us trusting in whose power and supported by his aid wee are bound to bee confident and relye upon him above our own strength Vers. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began Reas. 2. Confirming the former Because God hath given us eternal life and by his holy calling hath separated us from the world to this very end that wee might confess Christ Therefore wee ought not to bee ashamed of his testimony or cross Not according Reas. 3. Because God freely doth all these things not respecting our works but his own grace and gracious purpose Therefore it is not fitting that wee should bee ashamed of the testimony of Christ or his cross or afflictions for his sake Before Reas. 4. Confirming the former Grace is given to us in Christ before the world began before wee or our works could have any being i. e. before all time Therefore it is not meet that wee should bee ashamed of the testimony or cross of Christ. It is called Grace given to us in Christ Because although wee had not any being yet Christ the designed Mediatour the second person of the Trinity subsisted from eternity who covenanted with his Father for us his Elect before all time and afterwards in time paid the price of our Redemption and in our name received the grace assigned to us by which in time wee should bee called justified and freely saved in due season Vers. 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death
Grace of God into prophane licentiousness which is the same with the Apostles conclusion inferred vers 25. See that yee refuse not him that is Christ that speaketh c. The force of the Argument is this If now seeing that not fear but love not Justice but Grace not the Law but Gospel offers it self to bee your leader in your way to Heaven ye shall fail of Grace or abuse it to prophaneness it shall come to pass that yee will be found to refuse and reject Christ speaking from Heaven and most gently inviting you to the communion with himself and his Saints which yee ought to have a care of As for the Covenants of works or the Law hee sets down the terrible manner wherein the Law was delivered of which description there are eight Branches 1 In the Covenant of works or Legal Covenant there was a Mountain that might bee touched or earthly whereto Heaven is opposed or the heavenly Mount Zion the Throne of Grace as if hee had said After yee beleeved in Christ yee came not unto the Mount that might not be touched and that which is earthly the very sight whereof did affright thereby the throne of Justice was represented wherein God sitteth when hee deals with the unregnerate man that putteth confidence in his own strength shining in the merit of his own works 2 In making that Covenant the Mount burned with fire whereby the anger of the Judge armed and ready to consume sinners trusting in their merits or works or dealing with him from the Covenant of works 3 In making that Covenant there was a whirlewind darkness and a tempest whereby was represented the perplexed condition amazement and horrour of the mind whereby the soul of the sinner is repressed when the Judge shews to him out of the Law or Covenant of works his justice and anger according to the condition of the violated Covenant 4 In giving the Law there was the sound of a Trumpet whereby was signified that all who are guilty of violating the Covenant of works shall be cited and of necessity appear before the Tribunal of God the supream Judge and none escape 5 In making that Covenant there was a voice of words by which was represented the Letter of the Law reciting the duties wee were bound to but not at all conferring strength for the performing of the things commanded 6 In making that Covenant they who had heard the voice of words intreated that the word should not bee spoken to them any more whereby was signified the intolerable weight of multiplied guilt contracted by the violation of the Law as also despair touching the future performance of the Law incumbent upon the conscience when God deals with the sinner out of the Covenant of works That which the Apostle here intimates when hee saies For they could not endure that which was commanded 7 In making that Covenant if so much as a beast had touched the Mountain it was to bee stoned or thrust through with a dart whereby was signified First That the sinner is excluded from all access to God neither is it lawful that any sinner should approach to him from the condition of this Covenant Secondly That both the sinner and all things that belong unto him his Oxen and Cattel are an abomination unto God Thirdly That the sinner is to perish miserably by this Covenant i. e. with contempt and ignominy as with stones and darts shot at his cursed and abominable head 8 In making that Covenant so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake and confessed his horrour whereby was also signified that the most holy or just men could not bee able to stand before God if they should be dealt with according to the Covenant of works as Psal. 143. v. 2. It is said In thy sight shall no flesh living bee justified This is the former part of the Argument the summe whereof is this God hath delivered you from the Covenant of works and the terrours thereof Vers. 22. But yee are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Now follows the second part of the Argument touching the Covenant of Grace which God hath made with all the faithful beleeving in Christ but the condition and happiness of man beleeving in Christ and under the Covenant of Grace is described as it were by its own parts 1 After that yee beleeved in Christ being set at liberty from Mount Sinai and from the Throne of Justice yee came to Mount Sion whereby was represented the Throne of Grace wherein God shews himself propitious to all that come unto Christ. 2 After that yee beleeved in Christ being recalled again from exilement and errours in the desert of this world yee are gathered again to your Head Christ and to the City of refuge to the possession of a quiet condition in Christ yee being freed from anger and death and reconciled to God are made free of the City of the Living God being delivered from the terrors of a just Judge yee are admitted into Ierusalem i. e. the Church of God wherein yee see the visions of peace being delivered from Hell yee are also delivered from Levitical Ceremonies which the inferiour and terrestrial Ierusalem now together with its children observes and are admitted to the priviledges of the heavenly Ierusalem the Church of the faithful and to the Kingdome of Heaven 3 After that yee beleeved in Christ being delivered from the society of Devils obnoxious to sin and torments yee are admitted into the society of an innumerable company of blessed Angels 4 After that yee beleeved in Christ being called and separated from the society of Reprobates wicked and banished men or men secluded from the inheritance of eternal life yee are come and are admitted into the society of the Catholick Church to the general Assembly and Church of the Elect who are restored to the right and priviledges of the first-born that yee may bee Priests to God and the portion of God select from amongst men 5 Yee that in times past did live amongst worldly men whose portion is in this life and whose names are written in the earth now yee are found to be of the number of the Elect and of those that were in times past written in Heaven in the book of life amongst the Elect and those that are predestinated to the obtaining of glory and grace 6 Yee that were without God in the world enemies to him and in times past hee was your angry Judge now being reconciled to him hee is your merciful Judge who absolves you and powerfully destroies your
himself would by that very thing signifie that there was no virtue of Justification or Sanctification to bee sought in any legal Rites but only in his own blood all those legal Rites being excluded Vers. 13. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach 14. For here have wâ—e no continuing City but wee seek one to come 15. By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased From hence the sixth Exhortation is drawn to a prudent imitation of Christ going out of the City and offering up himself to his Father This imitation consists in three things 1 As Christ going without the City renounced the world that hee might do his Fathers Will so wee for his sake ought to renounce all worldly things being ready to leave Father and Mother family and goods unless wee would bee accounted unworthy of his fellowship 2 As Christ hath born his Cross going out into an opprobrious place Golgotha so it behoveth us to bear Christs reproach or our Cross after him that is to prepare our selves to suffer banishments persecutions reproaches and miseries of that kind for his sake For not He gives the reason of this branch because we Believers know that those worldly things are momentary and that there is not an abiding place for us on earth but wee seek a City that heavenly inheritance to the obtaining of which it becomes us to go out of the world with a ready mind and to renounce worldly things By him The third thing in which wee ought to imitate Christs suffering is that resting in his intercession merit and worthiness wee offer to God spiritual sacrifices and acceptable i. e. As Christ hath offered himself to God that by his Passion hee might fulfill and abolish all Levitical types so wee whom hee hath made perfect by his alone Sacrifice as to Justification and hath sanctified us as Priests consecrated to God that legal sacrifices being abolished wee might offer spiritual sacrifices ought to offer up our selves as living Sacrifices for the serving of God and also Sacrifices of Praise Prayer and Thanksgiving which are our first fruits our calves and those spiritual sacrifices which wee ought continually to offer to God through Christ by whose merit wee and our obedience is made acceptable unto God To do good Besides the calves of our lips hee also commands us to do good that is to perform all duties of charity towards all but most especially towards the houshold of Faith With such Hee backs this part of the Exhortation with a strong reason because these kind of sacrifices please God or are acceptable to him as the most sweet fruit of our Faith in Christ and most evident testimony of our sincere love towards God and our neighbour Vers. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves For they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Exhort 7. That they perform diligently the duties which they owe to Pastours and Governours receiving them reverently as the Ministers of God loving them for Gods works sake which is in their hands obeying them in all things which they prescribe out of the Word of God to bee believed or done in the Name of God according to their office endeavouring with as great thankfulness as may bee to recompence their labours and cares They watch There are four arguments of the Exhortation Argum. 1. The Ecclesiastical Ministers your Leaders watch for you praying studying disputing for you preaching the Gospel and exercising Ecclesiastical Discipline amongst you for your good Therefore obey them Account Argum. 2. God requires an account of your souls from them iâ— but one perisheth by their fault Therefore obey them who undergo amongst you so dangerous and hard a task That with joy Argum. 3. If you obey as it becomes you you will rejoyce your Pastours and they will more cheerfully follow their work but otherwise they will indeed do their duty but heavily and with sorrow and so yee that ought to bee acceptable to them will become the cruel tormentors of your Pastours Therefore obey them For that Argum. 4. Preventing an Objection if perchance any amongst them might not care for the troubles griefs and sorrows of their Pastours it will turn to your hurt if Gods Ministers are compelled to mourn through your fault God will hear their groanings and will severely vindicate the contempt of his Embassadors Therefore obey them The Second Part. Vers. 18. Pray for us for wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly The other Part of the Chapter follows wherein is contained the conclusion of the Epistle whereof there are six Articles In the first Because it is the duty of all fellow-souldiers in the Army of the Church Militant to pray mutually for one another The Apostle after his manner about the end of the Epistle commends himself to the prayers of the faithful Hebrews whom hee desires to pray that God would bless him in all things but especially that hee might freely and fruitfully preach the Gospel But hee speaks of himself in the plural number as it appeareth out of the words that follow which belong to his own person from which it is manifest that it was not unknown to the faithful Hebrews that Paul was the Writer of the Epistle which Peter also confirmeth unto us although for the unbelieving Hebrews sake whom hee endeavoured to win hee did not prefix his name which was hateful to them before this Epistle The reasons why Paul would have them prays from himself are two Wee trust Reason 1. Answering an Objection because although my reputation is abused by calumniatours who are enemies of the Gospel and cannot bear my preaching concerning the Grace of Christ and freedome from the Covenant of Works and Levitical Ceremonies yet I am conscious to my self that I have duely discharged my office and of my innocent conversation that I deserve ill of none But hee speaks here most modestly concerning himself lest hee should give any occasion of cavilling Rather Reas. 2. Because if yee shall pray for mee it will come to pass that sooner than yee expect and my prosperous condition may seem to permit I may be restored to your Churches from which I am detained longer than I would being much hindered by divers impediments Vers. 19. But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may bee restored to you the sooner 20. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing
2. But for Christs Priesthood God is bound with an Oath Never to change it and it leaneth on his nature which cannot altar nor repent and upon his Oath which cannot be violated 2. Another comparison betwixt the Levitical Covenant and the Evangelical Covenant As far as the Oath is above the changeable commandement by so much is the new Covenant better than the Covenant under the Law Then 1. There was a Covenant or Testament whereby Beleevers were saved as well under the Law as under the Gospel 2. The Covenant now though in substance of salvation one with the former yet in the manner of down-setting the Articles and the form of it is better than the Covenant then more clear more free more full more largely extended and more firm 3. Christ is here called Surety of this Covenant Then 1. Christ must see the Covenant kept and be good for it 2. God hath Christ to crave for our performance of the Covenant and we have Christ to crave for Gods part of the Covenant Yea and Christ to crave to give us Grace to perform that which God requireth of us in his Covenant 3. Jesus is content to be Surety and the Father hath consented and ordained and made him Surety So it resteth only that wee bee content also and make much of Christ that hee may do all our work for us and all Gods work in us Vers. 23. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death 24. But this man because hee continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Another Excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Levitical which may be branched out in thâ—se particulars following 1. The Levitical Priests were many both at one time and one after another by reason whereof that Priesthood was weakened while one part of the Office for such a time was in the hands of this man and another part for another time was in the hands of that man And because one man could not be ready to take the Sacrifices from all the people therefore several men behoved to take several parts of the burden But in Christs Priesthood there is but one man even himself His Priesthood is undivided no man beareth a part of the burden with him Hee alone attendeth all mens Sacrifices by himself Hee is at leisure for every mans employment at all times in the greatest throng of Sacrifices Then as long as Christ is at leisure no reason to employ another to carry our prayers 2. The Levitical Priesthood did pass from one person to another Death made interruption But Christs Priesthood cannot pass from his own person to any other neither death nor any other infirmity can interrupt his Office Then 1. To make any Priest by special Office in the New Testament beside Christ is to rent the Priesthood of Christ and make it imperfect like Aarons which for the same reason that it had many Priests was weak and imperfect and inferiour to Christs 2. To make Priests by office in the New Testament to offer up any corporal Sacrifice is to make Christs Priesthood separable from his own person which is against the nature of Christs Priesthood which cannot pass from one to another for so importeth the word 3. To make plurality of Priests in Christs Priesthood Vicars or Substitutes or in any respect partaker of the office with him is to presuppose that Christ is not able to do that office alone but is either dead or weak that hee cannot fulfil that office contrary to the Text here which saith Because hee continueth ever he hath an unchangeable Priesthood or a Priesthood which cannot pass from one to another Vers. 25. Wherefore hee is able also to save them to the uttermost which come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them 1. Hee sheweth the fruit of Christs keeping still the Priesthood altogether in his own person to be the perfect Salvation of all beleevers for ever Hee is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God through him Then 1. Whosoever communicateth Christs Priesthood with any other beside his own person maketh Christ not able alone to save to the utmost those that come unto God through him 2. From this ground also it doth follow that Christ not only beginneth the beleevers salvation but perfecteth it also Hee doth not work a part of a mans salvation and leave the rest to his own merits or the merits of others but perfecteth it himself even to the uttermost 3. And if a man joyn any thing meritorious unto Christs Priesthood or any Mediatour for intercession beside him or seeketh by his own works to purchase salvation hee denieth Christ to be able to save him to the uttermost 2. Hee describeth Beleevers to be those that come to God through Christ. Then 1. Christ is the door and the way through which onely access is gotten to God By Saints or Angels there is not a way to come to God but by Christ onely 2. They that come not through him alone to God seclude themselves from the sufficiency of salvation to be had in him 3. The nature of beleeving is to make a man come towards God to get communion with him through Christ. 4. And none but such as come in Faith to God through Christ can take comfort from his Priesthood or look for salvation 3. Hee giveth a reason why perfect salvation is to be had for such as come to God through Christ Because Hee liveth for ever to make intercession for them Hee saith not to offer or cause to offer up the sacrifice of his body for them But Hee liveth and is not to be offered any more and liveth to make intercession Then 1. The sacrificing part is done and ended His intercession hath now the place and by his intercession wee get the merit of his death and passion applied unto us and not by any new oblation 2. If hee brook his life hee will not fail to intercede for us who come unto God through him and not through Saint or Angel or any person beside For hee liveth for ever to make intercession for us Vers. 26. For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the Heavens To the end hee may force the Hebrews to forsake the Priesthood of Levi hee draweth a strong reason from the nature of our estate under the Gospel Whereby hee proveth not onely that the Priests of Aarons Order are abolished but also every Son of Adam is excluded from the office of the Priesthood except Jesus Christ in his own person onely Because every Priest that wanteth the properties of Jesus Christ is unbeseeming for us under the Gospel A sinful man might have been a Priest under the Law to prefigure Christ before hee came But now no sinful man may be a Priest by office but Christ onely in whom there is no sin When the Sacrifice was a beast then a
Types is more excellent than all their offerings 2. This Ministery is proper unto Christ onely in his own person 2. From this hee preferreth the Mediatorship of Christ to the typical The Promises and the Covenant now to the Covenant then His reasoning is As the Ministery is so is the Mediatour The Ministery is more excellent in offering up himself than the shadows Therefore the Mediatour is more excellent now than the typical of old Then The offering of Christs Body which is the more excellent Ministery is still annexed to the Person of the Mediatour onely And whosoever intrudeth himself in that excellent Ministery of offering up Christs Body intrudeth himself also into the Office of the Mediatour 3. In comparing the Covenant then and now hee maketh this the better Because the Promises are better Whence wee learn 1. That there was a Covenant betwixt God and his Church of old under the Law And so Reconciliation to be had with God then 2. That howsoever in substance of Grace both the Covenants agreed yet the form of this Covenant under the Gospel is better Because the express conditions are better the Promises are more spiritual and more free of straight conditions Vers. 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second To clear the abolishing of the Old Covenant hee proveth it not to be faultless Because a New Covenant was promised in place thereof Not that any thing was wrong in that Covenant but because it was imperfect and all things needful not expressed in it clearly Whence wee learn 1. That the Lords proceeding with his Church hath ever been from the less perfect to the more perfect till Christ came 2. That where-ever God addeth or altereth what hee once did institute by so doing hee sheweth that before his Addition hee had not expressed all his Mind as in the time of the Old Testament 3. When once hee hath perfected his course taken with his Church as now hee hath done under the New Testament hee altereth the matter no more Vers. 8. For finding fault with them hee saith Behold the daies come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah 1. Hee proveth That there was an imperfection in the Old Covenant Because God found fault with the people under it Then The imperfection of the Covenant of Old was especially in default of the parties with whom it was made who by their inability to fulfil it or behold the drift of it made it unable to save themselves 2. In the words of Jeremiah 31.31 the Lord promiseth to make a Covenant afterwards with the House of Israel and Judah Then 1. The party in the New Covenant is not all Mankind but the Church of the New Testament the spiritual Israel and Iudah 2. This Covenant was not brought to light of old but had its own time of manifestation 3. Even then the Church was made wise of the imperfection of the Old Covenant that they might learn to look through the outward form of it to a better 4. The Hope and Too-look which they had towards the New Covenant held up their heart that they without us and our Priviledges should not be perfected Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. 1. The Prophet distinguisheth the Old Covenant from the New by describing the Old what it was how broken and how punished For the first the ten Commandements and the rest of the Law delivered unto them when they came out of Aegypt was the Covenant of Old wherein God promised To be their God upon condition That they did all that hee commanded them and they accepted the condition So albeit there was Grace here in sundry Articles covenanted yet the form of the Covenant was like the Covenant of Works Compare Ier. 17.23 with Ier. 31.31 32 33 c. 2. For the next They continued not in it through leaning to their own strength and seeking to establish their own Righteousness being ignorant of the Righteousness of God They dealt deceitfully in the Covenant and fell to open Idolatry from time to time So By the Covenant of Works no man will be found stedfast 3. For the punishment of it I regarded them not In the Hebrew it is as much as I Lorded it over them That is used My Husbandly and Lordly Authority over them and so mis-regarded them Whereof wee have to learn 1. That as Gods Lordship and Husbandship is an Obligation of doing well to the Covenant-keeper So is it a Declaration of his just Freedome and Authority to punish the Covenant-breaker 2. That when God is pleased to exercise his Dominion and Authority over Covenant-breakers the transgressour falleth in mis-regard with God that is As little account is made of his life as of one without the Covenant 3. That to be mis-regarded of God is the sum of all judgement 4. That the impotency of the people to keep the Old Covenant did not exempt them from the punishment due to the breaking of it 4. The Lord maketh their instability in the Old Covenant the Reason of his making of a New one Wherein the Lords bounty is very remarkable Who out of our evil taketh occasion to do us so much more good And because of mens instability in the Old Covenant maketh another Covenant whereby hee maketh us to persevere in obedience Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put My Laws into their mind and write Them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to Mee a People This is the better Cevenant containing better Promises whereof Christ is Mediatour and Surety unto all them that beleeve in Him Wherein consider 1. That all the Articles are Promises and so do require in the party that will joyn in the Covenant Faith to embrace the Promises that the Covenant may be agreed unto on both sides God promising and the needy Sinner heartily accepting 2. That what is required in the Old Covenant as a Condition is here turned into a Promise by God in the New In the Old Covenant hee required obedience to his commandements and here hee promiseth to write his Laws in our hearts God undertaketh to do our part in us if wee will beleeve in Him 3. That the sense of Wants and the feeling of our Imperfections yea of our hearts wickedness and carefulness both of heart and mind yea the feeling of the inlacks or defects of Repentance and Faith are not just hinderances to make a soul that gladly would be reconciled with God in Christ stand back from embracing this Covenant But by the contrary the feeling of
misery are in their wayes 17. And the way of peace have they not known The fifth testimony is from Psalm 59.7 8. In which unregenerate men are pronounced guilty of cruelty violence oppression and man-slaughter who create nothing but misery and destruction to themselves and others in the whole course of their lives who are very far from procuring peace or any thing that is good either to themselves or others Vers. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes The sixth testimony is from Psalm 36.2 Wherein unregenerate men by their deeds are condemned of prophaness and contempt of God for seeing they are void of the fear of God there is nothing to restrain them from falling headlong into all kind of wickedness Vers. 19. Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Hee prevents an Objection lest any man should elude the force of the testimonies before recited as if they belonged but to some few and those certain impious men who lived in the times of David or Isaias Here hee shews that the common disposition of mankind is taxed which live undeâ— the Law or the Covenant of Works and not under grace and hereupon these fore-cited sentences of the Law are directed against all men under the state of corrupt nature chiefly the Jewes whereupon a threefold conclusion is inferred First from hence every mouth is stopped lest any man should glory in himself or excuse himself in the judgement of God Another conclusion Hence the whole world is made lyable to condemnation and obnoxious to punishment Vers. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh bee justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin The third conclusion and principal drawn from the fore-cited testimonies therefore by the works of the Law no flesh shall bee justified in the sight of God for it matters not that some may bee justified by their works before men For by the Law Argument 5. Serving to prove the same assertion All men are convinced of sin and condemned by the Law for by the Law is the knowledge of sin not a procurer of righteousness to any one Therefore no man is justified by the works of the Law Vers. 21. But know the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Argum. 6. Tending to the asserting of the affirmative part of the position Now in the Gospel the righteousness of God is manifested without the works of the Law approved by the testimony of Scripture to wit that the righteousness of God which is imputed and given to all believers apprehending by Faith the righteousness of Christ Jesus without distinction of Nations or persons therefore by this Righteousness alone which is through Faith in Jesus Christ are wee justified The Argument is good for if wee cannot bee justified by the works of the Law and yet there is another way to justify us found out to wit that which God commends to us in the Law and in the Prophets As for example when hee hath said in the Law In the Seed of Abraham all Nations shall bee blessed And in the Prophets The Iust shall live by Faith It 's fitting wee should believe our selves to bee justified only upon this latter ground to wit by Faith Furthermore seeing wee can conceive only a two-fold Righteousness one is of the Law or of works inherent or a mans own righteousness another which is Evangelical called the Righteousness of Faith or the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto us to wit that Righteousness which hee imputes to all that believe After the exclusion of the former Righteousness that being now impossible the other is of necessity to bee admitted which is commended to us in the Old Testament now revealed in the New and only is possible and acceptable to God deserving alone the name of Righteousness Vers. 23. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God 24. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Argum. 7. Wherein is shewed the common disease of all men as also the necessity of the common remedy all men without exception have sinned and by Law are shut out from the glory of God or Eternal Life therefore all are no otherwise justified but freely or by Divine Grace through the Redemption of Jesus Christ that is to say they cannot otherwayes bee justified than by Faith in Christ the Redeemer who by his Blood hath purchased for us Righteousness and Salvation and hath freely of his Grace made it ours Vers. 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that hee might bee just and the Iustifier of him which believeth in Iesus Argum. 8. God hath set forth Christ that hee might bee a Reconcilement and Propitiatory Sacrifice whereby the wrath of God is appeased towards all that lay hold on him by Faith therefore it is not possible that a man should be justified but by Faith in Christ offering up this attonement in his Blood unless God should alter the means of appeasing himself To shew forth Argum. 9. God in this present time of the Gospel hath set forth Christ as the means of appeasing his anger to those that imbrace it by Faith that by this way of justifying his Righteousness might bee manifest in the time past in his forbearance and forgiveness of sins past which from the beginning of the world hee hath forborn and forgiven to wit that God did not pardon the sins of his own but upon the account of the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ which was to come and that without any violation of his Justice Therefore this ground of our Justification is no less to bee asserted than the glory of Gods Justice is to bee manifested The matter is clear For if Justification by Faith in the Blood of Christ shews that God never pardoned sins but upon satisfaction made to his Justice by the Blood of Christ certainly hee would have the righteousness of God concealed that would determine any other ground of our Justification than by Faith That hee might bee just This confirms the Argument that God hath set forth Christ that hee might bee a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood not only that hee might declare himself just in sending the promised Messias for whose sake freely and also justly hee would pardon sin but that hee might shew himself the Author and Doner of true Righteousness to us that were without any righteousness of our own by believing
endeavour after holiness Vers. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sin Argum. 6. From that judicial union which wee have with Christ crucified The force of which Argument that it may bee seen four things are to bee maintained 1. That Christ hanging upon the Cross as our Surety sustained our persons before Gods Tribunal 2. That hee under-went the punishment due to our corrupt nature or the old man so called because the evil of nature in those that are regenerated waxeth old and hastens to destruction 3. That hee took upon him to slay the old man in us 4. In that hee took upon him to represent our persons wee are thereby obliged to labour after mortification of sin by his Spirit that after Justification wee should no longer serve sin From hence the Argument wee know or believe that our old man is crucified judicially with Christ to this end that in us who are justified by Faith might bee weakned the body of death so that filthiness of habitual corruption compacted as it were into one monstrous body prepared with all its members to actual sinning that wee should no more after wee are justified serve sin Therefore wee ought to endeavour the mortification of sin unless wee will cast away the Faith of our judicial union with Christ hanging upon the Cross. Vers. 7. For hee that is dead is freed from sin Argum. 7. From the fruit of this union with Christ dying on the Cross whosoever is dead to his old Lord sin is justified and freed from the yoke and dominion of sin that hee might not serve it any longer nor obey the commands of it You may assume But wee are justified by Faith in Christ dying for sin upon the Cross wee are dead to â—our old Master Sin therefore wee are justified and freed from the yoke and dominion of sin that wee should not any longer obey its commands for what service can sin further exact from us whom Christ in his death upon the Cross hath slain as it were Vers. 8. Now if wee bee dead with Christ wee believe that wee shall also live with him Argum. 8. If wee die with Christ i. e. are united to him dying in his power endeavouring to mortifie sin wee need not doubt but wee shall live a spiritual new and heavenly life with him therefore it behoves us to endeavour the mortifying of sin Vers. 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Argum. 9. Confirming the former Wee believe that Christ rose to an immortal life neither is hee for ever hereafter lyable unto death but alwayes living hee both will and is able to perpetuate in us a new life that death may no more have dominion over us Therefore as wee do not believe in vain that by his power wee shall live a new and eternal life so ought wee to labour that the new life to which wee have risen with Christ may bee continued not to suffer sin should any more prevail or have dominion over us Vers. 10. For in that hee died hee died unto sin once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God 11. Likewise reckon yee also your selves to bee dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Argum. 10. As Christ died but once to wash away and abolish sin and rising from the dead hee lives for ever to the glory of God so you that are justified by arguments of Faith gather and reckon your selves in the death of Christ to bee once dead nor to bee obliged to dye for sin any more that yee were once dead by the dethroneing of sin neither are yee bound to serve sin any longer that yee were once dead to the destroying of sin nor can yee bee destitute of the strength of Christ to mortifie sin but in his resurrection yee are bound to live unto God or the glory of God and that yee might so live yee have strength and help enough by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore the Doctrine of free Justification by Faith is so far from opening a door of liberty to sin that on the contrary nothing is more effectual and conducible to the promoting of Sanctity and Holiness Second Part. Vers. 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof The second part of the Chapter follows wherein the Apostle infers out of what went before an exhortation to all that are justified by Faith that they follow after Holiness The Proposition to bee proved is the same with the former viz. They that are justified ought not to continue in sin but labour after Holiness Hee produceth thirteen Arguments whereof the three former are included in the following Exhortation The branches of this Exhortation are three and the Arguments as many couched in the Exhortation to the confirming of the Proposition The first branch of the Exhortation is that they would not obey sin by indulging the sinful lusts of the body Argum. 1. The first Argument is this To obey the sinful lusts of the body is to suffer in your mortal body the reign of sin or of the Devil from whence yee are freed which they that are justified should tremble at Therefore being now justified you ought not to follow after sin but holiness Vers. 13. Neither yeeld you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yeeld your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God The second branch of the Exhortation is that they would not fight for this Tyrant viz. sin making use of the faculties of their souls or bodies as servants to contend for it wherein is the second Argument To serve sin is to yeeld the faculties of the Soul and members of the body as weapons of iniquity to fight for sin and the Devil against God and our own Salvation which all that are justified ought to abhor Therefore they that are justified ought not to serve sin Yeeld The third member of the Exhortation that they would yeeld themselves Souldiers and Servants unto God who hath freed them from death wherein is the third Argument God hath called you back from death in sin and Eternal Perdition unto Life that you might bee Servants unto righteousness and might contend for God against his enemies therefore ought you to labour after Holiness Vers. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for yee arae not under the Law but under Grace Argum. 4. If you contend and fight against sin the Tyrant shall not recover his dominion over you which hee hath lost neither shall sin reign over you but you shall become Conquerours through Christ therefore ought you to labour after Holiness For you are not Argum. 5. Confirming the former you are not under the Law under the Covenant of works wherein
the Commandment exacted strict obedience but affords no strength to assist in our obedience but you are under Grace or the Covenant of Grace wherein the Grace of God with the Command confers life to Believers and strength to obey therefore certain of the victory against sin yee ought to endeavour after Holiness Vers. 15. What then shall wee sin because wee are not under the Law but under grace God forbid Hee repeats and rejects the absurd objection of Libertines who take occasion from the grace of God to sin more freely when the contrary follows viz. because wee are under grace therefore wee ought not to indulge to our selves a liberty of sinning Vers. 16. Know you not that to whom you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Argum. 6. Serving by the way to confute the objection seeing there is a necessity that you bee servants to him whom you obey and that you receive a reward proportionable to your work whether you obey sin or the Divine Commands unless you will bee accounted the servants of sin and will receive the reward of eternal death it behoves you to beware that you indulge not your selves in sin and if you will bee accounted the Servants of God that you may bee pronounced Righteous and Heirs of Life of necessity you must labour after Holiness Vers. 17. But God bee thanked that yee were the servants of sin but yee have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you Argum. 7. By the grace of God the time of your bondage is past in which you were servants to sin before your regeneration and now converted you have begun to yeeld sincere obedience to the Gospel the impression whereof you have received as from a print Therefore to return to the service of sin or to depart from the sound Doctrine is unworthy but it behoves you to persevere in your obedience to the Doctrine into which you were delivered Vers. 18. Being then made free from sin yee became the servants of righteousness Argum. 8. Being now freed from sin by the Omnipotent Arm of God yee are servants of righteousness to holiness Therefore by the Law of servitude being servants to righteousness yee are bound to become servants also unto holiness Vers. 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as yee have yeelded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yeeld your members servants to righteousness unto holiness After his excuse of his homely similitude which in many things holds no proportion with these spiritual things yet notwithstanding the Holy Ghost is pleased to use because of the infirmity of the Romans for the sake of those that were carnal which could not so easily apprehend an higher or more spiritual way of speaking Hee repeats the exhortation and addeth Argum. 9. You have sometimes yeelded your members unto uncleanness and have been altogether servants to unrighteousness therefore now 't is fitting that with equal industry at least you yeeld your members servants unto righteousness and to holiness not to bee less studious of doing well than heretofore you have been of sinning and doing ill Vers. 20. For when yee were the servants of sin yee were free from righteousness Argum. 10. Confirming the former When you were servants of sin yee were free from righteousness for you were not at all servants unto righteousness Therefore now 't is equal seeing you are the servants of righteousness that you should bee free from sin and not at all servants unto it Vers. 21. What fruit had you then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Argum. 11. You have gained no other fruit for your former sinful course of life but shame which is now upon you nor could you expect any other fruit for the future but eternal death which is the end of sin Therefore it behoves you to beware that you serve sin no longer Vers. 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God yee have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Arg. 12. After you gained your liberty from the bondage of sin you became servants unto God and have your fruit unto holiness encreasing and abounding daily therein at length you shall obtain eternal life therefore ought you diligently to follow after holiness Vers. 23. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Arg. 13. Confirming those which went before after this manner Whatsoever hath hitherto been spoken in this Argument is sufficient and firm for it is decreed by a Divine Sentence to render a reward to sinners according to their deserts which is eternal death and to bestow life eternal with Justification and Sanctification which are chained to eternal life not of debt but freely of his grace and that no way but in our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore ought wee not to continue in sin lest wee perish but with Faith in Christ wee must joyn the practice of holiness which holiness with eternal life God will freely give to those that believe in Christ and follow after holiness as it is largely proved before CHAP. VII IN the former Chap. hee exhorts those that are justified by Faith to Holiness and because they who most follow after Holiness are most sensible and lament the power of sin dwelling in them not yet extinguished Therefore for the sake of these ariseth the fourth Confirmation of the Doctrine of Free Iustification by Faith in Christ in that it yeelds consolation to the afflicted consciences of the Saints by reason of their imperfect obedience to the Law and the reliques of sin that dwell in them There are three parts of the Chapter in the first that they who are justified should take comfort against their imperfâ—ct obedience to the Law hee handles the freedome of justified persons from the Covenant of Works and their interest in the Covenant of Grace which is the first place of Consolation to ver 7. The second contains an Apology for the Holiness of the Law two objections against the Law being answered to verse 14. In the third is contained the second place of Consolation wherein from the Doctrine of Iustification by Faitâ— in Christ the Apostle propounds the wrestling which hee had with the remnants of sin and the victory which hee gained that by his example and experience troubled consciences might take comfort The first Part. Vers. 1. Know yee not Brethren for I speak to them that know the Law how that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth 2. For the Woman which hath an Husband is bound by the Law to her Husband so long as hee liveth but if the Husband bee dead shee is loosed from the Law of her Husband 3. So then if while
ought not for the vain glory of your Teachers to rent your selves into parties or boast in your Teachers as if you were the flock of learned men Vers. 23. And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods Argum. 14. The last Argument is in the last verse wherein calling their Teachers as also the people and the gifts and dignity of all to the fountain hee reduceth them into order that they might depend upon Christ and God alone and in him might make their boast for as the world is ours and all things in the world are designed as it were to our good so wee are of Christ redeemed by him that wee might bee his fâ—ock For Christ personally considered is of God as the most beloved Son of the Father in the work of redemption humbling himself to the office of a Mediatour and that to the glory of God essentially considered To whom bee glory Amen CHAP. IV. AS amongst the Corinthians their glorious Teachers were magnified by their followers so the Apostles were meanly thought of and the other faithful Ministers of Christ as if they had not been to bee compared with these eloquent Ministers either in gifts or success The Apostle teaches that this judgement is to bee rectified and the Schism not to bee fomented any further There are two parts of the Chapter In the first hee corrects this corrupt judgement of theirs to vers 14. In the second hee shuts up all hee had to say by way of reproof touching their Schism to the end Hee laies down nine Arguments why hee corrects their rash judgement concerning the Apostle and his companions and other faithful Ministers of Christ and of their unequal comparing of these with their Teachers Which prove that wee must beware of making unbecomming comparisons of the Ministers of the Gospel neither ought wee rashly to judge of any ones gifts Vers. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Argum. 1. Which is propounded in a similitude taken from Stewards Wee whom you despise although wee are not Masters of your Faith yet wee are the Ministers of Christ from whose hands you ought to receive the treasure of salvation and the bread of life Therefore you ought to beware of comparing the gifts of Teachers Vers. 2. Moreover it is required in Stewards that a man bee found faithful Argum. 2. That which commends the Ministery of the Gospel is not the excellency of gifts but a faithful dispensation of their gifts and the mystery of salvation whereof God alone is the just Judge Therefore wee must beware of this unequal comparing of the gifts of Teachers Vers. 3. But with mee it is a very small thing that I should bee Iudged of you or of mans judgement yea I judge not mine own self Argum. 3. Because neither yee nor any men nor I Paul am a competent Judge of my own dignity Therefore yee are to take heed of this unequal comparing of Teachers For if Paul could not determine in what esteem hee himself ought to bee had the Corinthians were rash who determined concerning the dignity of Paul and the rest of their Teachers Vers. 4. For I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified but hee that judgeth mee is the Lord. Argum. 4. Confirming the former I an Apostle though I am not conscious of ill mannaging my office yet I dare not acquit my self or determine of my own dignity to the injury of others but I leave the judgement wholly to God Therefore this unjust comparing of Teachers from their gifts is to bee taken heed of Vers. 5. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God Argum. 5. Propounded by way of dehortation To judge especially by way of comparison concerning the dignity or worth of men is not seasonable before the coming of the Lord Therefore wee are to take heed of this unfitting comparing of men from their gifts Counsels Argum. 6. Confirming also the former The secret intentions of the heart and the hidden purposes of men in the Ministry shall not bee manifested before the day of judgement neither can judgement bee made by any touching the excellency of men but by God himself onely who will distribute in that day to every man praise or dispraise according to their dignity Therefore wee are to take heed of the comparing of men from their gifts Vers. 6. And these things Brethren have I in a figure transferred to my self and to Apollo for your sakes that yee might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no one of you bee puffed up for one against another Argum. 7. It is not fitting upon the account of the most excellent gifts such as are in mee Paul the Apostle and Apollos the Evangelist to eâ—â—oll any Minister above what is written in the first verie of this Chapter i. e. to lift him up above the dignity of a Steward and much less out of prejudice to discredit faithful Ministers because of this or that Teacher whom wee admire Therefore this comparing of men from their gifts is to bee taken heed of That hee might evidence the force of this Argument hee opens how hee used his prudence in this busâ—ness viz. That concealing the names of these 〈◊〉 Teachers hee transfers the whole matter upon 〈◊〉 and Apollos to this very end that the Corinthians might learn in the person of these who excelled in extraordinary gifts and dignity to think soberly of all Ministers and not to pride themselves in the name of any Teacher against another so as to entitle themselves from any man Vers. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it Why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Argum. 8. God differenceth one from another giving more or less gifts to this or that man according to his pleasure no man makes himself to differ Seeing then whatsoever gifts one man hath hee hath received them of God hee ought not to boast in what hee hath received but to think modestly of himself and others Therefore this unjust comparing of men from their gifts is to bee taken heed of Vers. 8. Now yee are full now yee are rich yee have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God yee did reign that wee also might reign with you Argum. 9. This unfitting comparing of men hath in it foolish self-pleasing therefore wee must beware of it By a most grave Irony the Apostle checketh this their self-pleasing Because the Corinthians did not less please their selves in common gifts and worldly prosperity than if they had obtained a perfection of gifts a full felicity and the enjoyment of a Kingdome wanting in the midst of their fulness
hee could not any where rest also that great hope of promoting the Gospel being offered as in Troas until hee had known of Titus whom hee had sent to Corinth concerning their affairs for the cause of meeting him hee went into Macedonia that by him hee might bee made more certain concerning the affairs of the Corinthians and that hee might learn whether as yet it was a convenient time to come to the Corinthianâ— All which signs of his ready mind towards the Corinthians being considered the Apostle perswadeth himself that the suspicion that his mind was alienated from them was removed The second Part. Vers. 14. Now thanks bee unto God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The second part of the Chapter follows in which hee defendeth his Ministery and proveth it to bee commendable by five Arguments intimating by the way that hee whilst hee was absent from them was not idle but was busied in the work of the Lord with success Argum. 1. Because Christ in his Ministery and hee himself in Christ did triumph concerning his enemies by snatching many out of the power of Satan and by bringing them to the Faith of the Gospel The savour Argum. 2. Because by his Ministery whatsoever the success were the sweetness of the Gospel and its efficacy was manifested in every place whilst the knowledge of Christ did breathe a quickening life by which sinners are quickened and converted unto God Vers. 15. For wee are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 16. To the one wee are the savour of death unto death and to the other a savour of life unto life and who is sufficient for these things By preventing an Objection that the Apostles and their preaching would give an ill savour to many Hee answereth and adds Argum. 3. That notwithstanding the Apostles themselves with their Ministery were acceptable unto God and through Christ brought an acceptable savour to God no less in the conviction and perdition of the Reprobates to which the Gospel by accident was a savour of death than in the faith and salvation of those that beleeve and are saved to whom the Gospel both in its own nature and proper effect was a quickening savour to life and salvation Who is sufficient Argum. 4. Because seeing that few were fit and sufficient Ministers as the interrogation shews whose Ministery God might prosper and accept that hee was in the number of those that are made fit for these things which are spoken of secretly checking the false Apostles which were not fit Ministers for the conversion of sinners although they did prefer themselves before the Apostles Vers. 17. For wee are not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak wee in Christ. Hee confirms the next Argument more openly noting his enemies and those that envy him and also adds Argum. 5. From the unlikeness betwixt himself and many Preachers if they did not mix false doctrine yet they did mingle their own passions with true Doctrine serving their ambition and covetousness and bending the Doctrine to the favour of men But the Apostle 1 In Sincerity i. e. neither mixing false doctrine nor corrupt affections 2 Of God i. e. with confidence and authority knowing from whence it came 3 In the sight of God i. e. calling God to witness and looking at his glory 4 In Christ i. e. hee did speak in the virtue of Christ and acknowledgement of his strength From which it follows that his Ministery was commendable and not to bee contemned in any wise CHAP. III. HEE proceeds to defend his Ministery against slanderers There are two parts of this Chapter In the first hee proveth his Ministery to bee commendable by five Arguments to vers 6. In the second hee illustrateth and confirmeth the last Argument by comparing the Legal Ministery or the Covenant of Works with the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace Vers. 1. Do wee begin again to commend our selves or need wee as some others Epistles of commendation to you or Letters of commendation from you Argum. 1. Of the commendation of his Ministery containing also his clearing himself from the desire of vain-glory The efficacy of my Ministery is so apparent to all the Churches that I need not any commendatory Letters from any particular person or from you or from others neither do I say these things because I care for vain-glory but that I may defend my Ministery against my enemies for your good Therefore my Ministery is commendable Vers. 2. Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men Argum. 2. Because your conversion O Corinthians to the profession of the Faith by my Ministery sufficeth in my conscience and yours for a commendatory Epistle which is understood and acknowledged amongst all Vers. 3. Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshy Tables of the heart Argum. 3. by confirmation of the former Because my Ministery was effectual not onely in bringing you to the profession of the Faith but also to your saving regeneration by the speciall operation of Christs Spirit this is that which hee saith that they were the Epistle which Christ himself by his Ministery hath written by writing his will in their hearts by the Holy Ghost after a more excellent manner than any thing was wont to bee writ with Ink upon Paper or Tables of Stone Vers. 4. And such trust have wee through Christ to God-ward 5. Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Argum. 4. Because hee himself as it becomes a faithful servant doth not ascribe the whole confidence of glorying to himself but to his Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God Which Argument hee illustrates partly by confessing his natural impotency to think that which is good or to the least beginnings of a good work much less to the converting the Corinthians partly by acknowledging the Grace of God as the fountain of his sufficiency in that hee is fitted to communicate so much Grace to others Vers. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth lâ—fe Argum. 5. Because his Ministery is the Ministery of the New Covenant not of the Law and Covenant of Works Hee confirms this Argument with a seven-fold Comparison of the Ministery of both Covenants The second Part. Not of the Letter Compar 1. The Ministery of the Law or the Covenant of Works is onely the Letter written or spoken without efficacy without all spiritual virtue to perform that which it commands But the Ministery of
him publickly Vers. 12. For before that certain came from James he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come hee with-drew and separated himself fearing them which were of the Circumcision The reasons of his reprehension are three Reason 1. Because hee dissembled the freeing of Christians from the yoak of Moses for fear of the hatred of some Jews when hee ought rather to fear lest hee should give scandal to the Jews or Gentiles Vers. 13. And the other Iews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Reason 2. Because by his example hee drew others with himself into the same dissimulation Vers. 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all If thou being a Iew livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Iews why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Iews Reason 3. For which Paul rightly reproves Peter because when hee had preached that a man is justified by Faith alone without the works of the Law by this hee confirms the false Doctrine of those that taught Moses Law necessarily to bee observed to salvation which was to halt in his course towards the mark of Evangelical Truth or to take a very ill course for the preservation of the Doctrine of Grace pure which fact was a most manifest sign that his Doctrine which hee had taught to the Churches of Galatia concerning justification by the Grace of Christ and freedome from the yoak of Ceremonies was so heavenly and divine that thereby hee had convinced Peter himself of errour when hee did not do things consentaneous to his doctrine The Second Part. Vers. 15. Wee who are Iews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Iesus Christ even wee have beleeved in Iesus Christ that wee might bee justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law shall no flesh bee justified From the occasion of his contention with Peter Paul commeth to the other part of the Chapter wherein as in the Epistle to the Romans hee confirms that Justification is not by Works of the Law but onely by Faith whilst hee affirms this Doctrine hee repeats his discourse had with Peter that all might know that hee had taught nothing else to the Galatians than that many faithful both of the Jews and Gentiles hearing speaking openly for the convincing of Peter which hee had taught before and defended viz. wee who are Iews by Nature c. The sense whereof is if referred to Peter wee who are Jews by Nature or propagation wee are holy in Gods account by the Covenant and not sinners i. e. strangers from the Covenant as the Gentiles wee sayes hee Jews and Apostles knowing that man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by Faith in Christ flie by Faith to Christ to this end that wee may bee justified by Faith and not by the Works of the Law Therefore the Gentiles are not to bee compelled to Judaize and to undergo the yoak of the Law as if they were any way under the Covenant of Works But if these words bee referred to the principal intent it is a Proposition of the Doctrine and of the same kind with that which hee had taught the Galatians and to which hee exhorted them to return to this sense wee Jews who by the Covenant are born the holy people of God and not strangers from the Covenant as you Gentiles wee are compelled to renounce the Works of the Law in point of Justification and to seek Righteousness through Faith in Christ Therefore much more to bee done by you gentile Galatians Furthermore hee confirms this Doctrine in this Chapter with three Arguments by the way answering Objections Argum. 1. No flesh is justified by the Works of the Law Therefore the Jews nor Gentiles Vers. 17. But if while wee seek to bee justified by Christ wee our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sin God forbid Turning his speech to the Galatians hee solves the adversaries Objection The adversaries might say If whilst yee seek to be justified by Christ and not by the Law or Works yee are found sinners as from your own confession and your own mouth wee may judge of you then it will be lawful for you Christians justified by the Faith of Christ to give your selves liberty to sin and through you Christ will bee the Author and Minister or the Teacher of sin that you may sin by his authority Hee answers by abhorring the Objection as blasphemy God forbid sayes hee confidently denying it to follow from the Doctrine of Justification that it is lawful for him that is justified by Faith to sin or that Christ can bee said to bee the Minister or Teacher of sin Vers. 18. For if I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressor Hee gives four reasons of his Answer The first is this I betaking my self to Justification by the Faith of Christ have entred upon a sure course for the destroying of sin because I betook my self to Christ that hee might both forgive my sin and administer grace to the mortification of sin Therefore if I should again give my self up to sin as is objected and build the work of the Devil in mee I should bee contrary to my self I should transgress the means which is now laid for the destroying of sin and so I should bee foolish and mad not following the Doctrine of Justification by Faith Therefore from the Principles of Justification by Faith it is impossible that I should abuse the Grace or Name of Christ to sin more freely Vers. 19. For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Reas. 2. I by the strength of the Law am slain in the death of Christ and in respect of the Law or Legal Covenant I am dead to the Law and so set free from the Covenant of the Law to that end not that I should sin but that I should live unto God and should obey him Therefore from the Principles of this Doctrine I cannot indulge my self to sin The Argument is of force for if through the Law or Covenant of Works Christ is dead in the place of those that are to bee justified to this end that they being justified should live unto God It is impossible that the justified who in Christ are dead to the Law and would bee accounted free from the Covenant of Works should not also acknowledge themselves bound to live unto God and consequently that they ought not to indulge themselves in sin Vers. 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith
of Faith the same are the children of Abraham Argum. 6. Those alone who are justified by Faith or seek to bee justified by Faith and not by Works are the Sons of Abraham Therefore the onely cause of Justification is by Faith Vers. 8. And the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations bee blessed Argum. 7. The Spirit which is the Author of the Scriptures hath known this to bee the Counsel of God that the Gentiles should bee justified by Faith and foreseeing that this would come to pass hee preached the Doctrine to Abraham concerning the blessing of the Gentiles in him as in the Father the example and type of the faithful in him in whom the blessed seed Christ was included as being in his loyns as it is said of Levi Heb. 7.10 Therefore necessarily this way alone of Justification is firm Vers. 9. So then they which bee of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham Argum. 8. The faithful alone or they which by Faith seek Righteousness do obtain a blessing with faithful Abraham Therefore this way of Righteousness by Faith is onely solid Vers. 10. For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Argum. 9. How many soever are justified by the Law or seek justification by the works of the Law are under a curse because they adhere to the Covenant of Works yet perform not the condition of this Covenant that is perfect obedience to the Law Therefore justification is not of Works but of Faith It is written Hee confirms the antecedent because out of the Scripture Deut. 27.26 Cursed is every one that fulfilleth not the whole Law For they that seek justification by works do not fulfill the whole Law Therefore they are cursed Vers. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith Argum. 10. The Scripture Hab. 2.4 pronounces that the just one shall live by faith therefore no man by the Law or by Works shall be justified in the sight of God Hee adds in the sight of God because hee doth not deny but that wee are justified by Works in the sight of men For justification before men is nothing else but the acknowledgement and declaration of justification already made by faith in the sight of God by reason of the fruits of faith that are manifested Vers. 12. And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Argum. 11. Proving the consequence of the former Argument The Law or the cause of justifying by Works doth not consist with faith or with justification by faith because the legal promise is of giving life to him that doth and performeth the Law or to him who hath perfect inherent righteousness For faith bringeth righteousness imputed to them that beleeve in him who justifies the ungodly or bringeth righteousness to him who is destitute of Righteousness from himself Therefore if any righteousness bee given it is given by Faith and not by the Law and consequently righteousness of faith is alone to bee acknowledged Vers. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Argum. 12. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us upon the Cross undergoing a cursed death upon the Cross for us as it is manifest from Scripture which declares that kinde of death which Christ by the Counsel of God was to undergo to wit the hanging on a tree cursed Therefore justification is not by the Law but by faith in Christ who freed us from the curse of the Law Vers. 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Argum. 13. For this end Christ was made a curse that in Christ apprehended by faith the blessing of Abraham i. e. Righteousness and life eternal in the blessed seed might appear to the Gentiles who are destitute of works to which they may pretend to trust Therefore justification is by faith and not by works That wee might receive Hee changes the person and joynes himself and the other beleeving Jews to the beleeving Gentiles adding Arg. 14. Christ for this end is made a curse that all wee beleevers being Jews and Gentiles becoming one seed of Abraham might receive the promised Spirit of adoption by faith Therefore the justification of all us Gentiles and Jews is by faith unless wee affirm that Christ was frustrated of his end Vers. 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it bee but a mans Covenant yet if it bee confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made Hee saith not And to thy seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. 17. And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of Christ the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect In these three verses is Argum. 15. confirming the former Covenants and Agreements justly performed even amongst men cannot bee made void or bee changed by superaddition vers 15. But a Covenant is duely made betwixt God and Abraham for the uniting all the faithful both Jews and Gentiles into one seed Christ an incorporation being made of Christ the head and all his members into one Christ mystical by faith vers 16. Therefore this Covenant cannot bee made void nor by the superaddition of the Law bee changed and so justification by faith shall stand That this Argument might bee understood vers 15. The Apostle prevents an Objection some might say That the way of justifying is changed neither is there the same reason of justifying Abraham before the Law and his posterity with whom the Law was made For latter things use to derogate from former He answers that in a ratified Covenant and now confirmed by Will and Testament nothing even amongst men can bee made void or changed much lesse in the divine Covenant now established after the manner of a Will Furthermore vers 16. hee assumes that so God covenanted with Abraham concerning a blessing freely to be given to those that beleeve in Christ that hee might take into one body his seed which consists both of Gentiles and Jews by the words of the Covenant This hee proves from the words of the promise because God said not to Seeds as if there should bee more seeds to wit Gentiles asunder and Jews asunder but hee said to thy Seed as of one viz. meaning Christ in whom the faithful both of Jews
than that as in a Glass it might shew to the Church how far men are distant from Righteousness what else did Legal Promises and Threatnings speak if thou canst not perform these conditions if now thou dost shamefully violate all those thou art undone and utterly lost unless thou takest another course for salvation Lastly To the same end did the Ceremonies tend For what purpose were Sacrifices and Washings but that they should bee exercised in the daily meditation of their filthinesses and deserved damnation and should behold in the image of an innocent Creature killed before their eyes the necessity of their Redemption by a Messias who is that immaculate Lamb of God and beleeving in him to Justification Vers. 25. But after that Faith is come wee are no longer under a School-Master Argum. 23. From the abolition of the external Discipline of the Legal Covenant which hee intimates vers 23. when hee determined that the use of his Discipline was before the time of the Gospel and until the time of Faith and vers 24. when hee compared this Discipline to a School-Master whose office is onely appointed for our childish age The Argument is propounded After Christ was manifested and the time of the Gospel the time of manifesting the free Covenant â—or the time of Faith is now come wee are no more under the pedagogie of the Legal Covenant or the external Discipline wherewith the Church was exercised onely until the comming of Christ i. e. until and not beyond the time of Faith Therefore wee are so far from being justified by the Law that the whole of the external Legal Discipline is now abolished under the Gospel Hee doth not say that the Moral Law is abolished but hee saith that that pedagogical manner of urging the Legal Covenant together with the appendages of Ceremonies is abolished For although the faithful are freed from the Law as a Covenant or as it imports the Covenant of Works yet they are not freed from the Law commanding or as it is the rule of manners but rather they are obliged with a nearer and sweeter tye by the Covenant of Grace to obey the Law Vers. 26. For yee are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Iesus Hee applies the former Argument to the faithful Galatians and proves them not to bee under the Legal Pedagogie but to bee exempted from the yoak of Levitical Ceremonies by three Reasons Reason 1. All yee faithful Galatians are in the number of Children i. e. of those that are grown to full age by reason of your Faith in Christ now manifested Therefore yee are not under the childish Pedagogie of Ceremonies or Legal Discipline Vers. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Reason 2. Confirming the former Now Circumcision being made void yee by the Sacrament of Baptism have so put on Christ the Son of God and in the presence of God you carry the name and person of Christ that yee may bee esteemed to bee in him and not in your selves Therefore yee being the Children of God grown up are exempted from the Pedagogie of the Law Vers. 28. There is neither Iew nor Greek there is neither Bond nor Free there is neither Male no Female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus Reason 3. Preventing a tacit Objection and shewing that the Gentiles have no need of Legal Ceremonies that by those they may bee joyned after the manner of Proselytes with the People of God Because in the business of Faith there is no difference of Nation whether thou bee Jew or Greek nor of condition whether thou bee a Servant or Free neither whether thou bee the Male or the Female For all you whosoever are indued with true Faith do constitute and as it were make up one person in Christ Therefore yee Galatians are no less children grown up than wee Apostles or some other faithful Jews Therefore yee are exempted by Christ from the childish Pedagogie of Ceremonies Vers. 29. And if yee bee Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heirs according to the Promise Hee prevents another tacit Objection intimating as if they could not bee the seed of Abraham any otherwise than by a being united to the People of God by Circumcision and the observation of Ceremonies and withall hee brings Argument 24. to prove that Justification is not by the Law but by Faith which may bee thus formed They that are united by Faith to Christ and so made that blessed seed of Abraham and heirs according to the Promise and not according to the Law or Covenant of Works they are not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of the Promise But yee are united to Christ and made Abrahams seed according to the Promise and not Heirs hereafter according to the Law Therefore yee are not justified by the Worke of the Law but through the Faith of the Promise CHAP. IV. THere are three parts of the Chapter In the first the Apostle doth exhort them to renounce the yoak of Ceremonies to vers 12. In the second there is a courteous invitation moving them to return to a sound mind and to the Doctrine which hee had taught them in the beginning concerning Righteousness by Faith to vers 21. In the third hee confirms the whole disputation and illustrates it by a signal allegory to the end As to the first part of the Chapter bee converts his disputation into an Exhortation to the Galatians that they renouncing the servile yoak of the Law should carry themselves as the Free-men of Christ. The hortatory Proposition is this yee ought to renounce the yoak of Ceremonies The Arguments for confirmation are ten Vers. 1. Now I say that the Heir as long as hee is a Child differeth nothing from a servant though hee bee Lord of all 2. But is under Tutors and Governours until the time appointed of the Father 3. Even so wee when wee were children were in bondage under the elements of the world Argum. 1. From the servile and childish external condition in which the Church before the comming of Christ was constituted which hee illustrates by this similitude As an Heir so long as hee is an Infant or under age although hee bee Lord of all his Fathers goods according to the Law yet in respect of possession and exercise of the Law or as to external liberty hee differeth nothing from a servant vers 1. but remaineth in subjection to Tutors and Guardians until the time appointed by his Father vers 2 so the Church of God whereof wee are members as to its external state under torrene figures and worldly elements or the rudiments of legal Ceremonies as an Abeâ—edarian sticking in the rudiments of A B C did undergo a hard bondage until Christ. Hence the Argument Childish and servile is the yoak of Legal Ceremonies onely appointed to the Infant and under-age-Church before the comming of Christ Therefore yee Galatians who are under the Gospel
ought to renounce that yoak Vers. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that wee might receive the Adoption of Sons Having spoken of the servile and childish condition of the Church before the comming of Christ as to the outward man for as to the Spirit and inward man the faithful that saw the day of Christ were freed and rejoyced in the Lord now follows the manner of delivering the Church by the comming of Christ. The fulness of time Argum. 2. Now the fulness of time is come which the Father had fore-appointed to the Legal Pedagogie and that Guardianship of Legal Ceremonies is finished Therefore you Christians must renounce the yoak of Ceremonies Sent forth his Son Argum. 3. The Son of God is sent into the world takes upon him flesh and is born of the Virgin Mary and subjected to the Covenant of Works and the yoak of Legal Ceremonies that hee might redeem those that were subject to the Law Therefore yee Christians redeemed from the yoak ought to renounce it That the Adoption Argum. 4. For that end Christ is made subject to the Law that wee might clearly attain to the Adoption or to the Priviledge of Sons grown up held forth under the Gospel Therefore wee being under the Gospel ought to renounce the servile and childish yoak of Ceremonies unless wee would render the benefit of Redemption of none effect to us Vers. 6. And because yee are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Argum. 5. For a testimony of your Adoption and advancement to the priviledge of Sons now grown up God hath given you the holy Spirit by which together with other Sons of God out of Jews and Gentiles yee may call God confidently in every tongue your Father Therefore except yee would carry your selves as unworthy of this priviledge yee must renounce the childish and servile yoak of Ceremonies Vers. 7. Wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Son and if a Son then an Heir of God through Christ. Argum. 6. Yee are no more in that servile condition under the yoak of Ceremonies but in a free state as Sons grown up and Heirs actually partakers of their Fathers goods or spiritual graces in a larger measure than the ancient Church and that by Christ manifested in the flesh Therefore now you must renounce that serviâ—e and childish yoak Vers. 8. Howbeit then when yee knew not God yee did service unto them which by nature are no gods 9. But now after that yee have known God or rather are known of God how turn yee again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto yee desire again to bee in bondage Hee upbraids them with their ingratitude reprehending them for their observance of Legal Ceremonies as of daies and months c. in which they were neither born nor educated Howbeit Argum. 7. Before yee were Sons you were in a worser condition than the Jews to wit you were Idolatrous knowing not the true God and serving feigned Idols but now converted from that ignorance yee have known God or rather by the preventing Grace of God known and beloved yee are drawn to God that you might know him and are invested with the liberty of Sons How is it that a fresh as if you had been under no bondage do you turn again to the yoak of abolished ceremonial bondage Therefore this yoak you must renounce The force of this Argument is this yee bear the yoak of Ceremonies having less to pretend for your excuse and with a more signal note of ingratitude than the Jews born and brought up under the yoak Therefore you must renounce this yoak Again Argum. 8. Yee being advanced to the liberty of Sons grown up it is an unworthy thing willingly to return again to the yoak of slavery and to bee willing to bee in bondage Therefore you must renounce this yoak Beggerly Argum. 9. Those Legal Ceremonies the yoak whereof now yee affect although they had their pedagogical use before Christ came yet now Christ is come they have no use but are weak and beggerly rudiments which neither have virtue to justifie nor power to bring consolation nor their old use to prefigure Christ Therefore yee ought to renounce this so unprofitable a yoak Vers. 10. Yee observe daies and months and times and years 11. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Argum. 10. Your bondage begun again in the observation of Legal Ceremonies as for example of daies Sabbaths New Moons set Feasts and Sabbatical years c. hath given mee just cause of fear left I have preached to you the Gospel of free Justification in vain Because this is a sign that you are revolted from Justification by Faith or from the Grace of Christ to seek Justification by Works of the Law Therefore unless yee will renounce the Gospel yee must renounce this yoak The second Part. Vers. 12. Brethren I beseech you bee as I am for I am as yee are yee have not injured mee at all The second part of the Chapter follows wherein is contained a loving Exhortation to return into the way and the wholesome opinion of Justification by Grace through Faith without the Works of the Law This Proposition of the Exhortation may bee laid down You must return to my Doctrine of Righteousness by Faith without the Works of the Law bee yee saies hee as I am or bee yee in the same opinion with mee The Arguments of the Exhortation are twelve Furthermore Argum. 1. Because I though in times past a Pharisee have been very stiffe for Righteousness by the Law but now being made a Christian I am as you and I seek with you your salvation no less than you your selves seek it Therefore yee must return to my opinion Brethren I beseech Argum. 2. My fear concerning you hath neither alienated my mind from you neither hath it caused a doubtful judgement of charity concerning you but as Brethren let mee friendly bespeak you and as Brethren let mee beseech you to return Therefore return yee No Argum. 3. My severe reproof ariseth not against you either from anger or hatred who have not privately injured mee at all but out of an earnest desire of your salvation Therefore return yee Vers. 13. Yee know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first Argum. 4. I have suffered many things for preaching the Gospel unto you for yee know that I have preached the Gospel to you constantly through infirmities and a contemptible condition as to the outward-man whereunto through afflictions I am driven Therefore return yee to sound Doctrine sealed by my sufferings Vers. 14. And my temptation which was in the flesh yee despised not nor rejected but received mee as an Angel of God even as Christ Iesus Argum. 5. In
and by baptism sealed to you so that there is no need to seek any thing out of Christ that belongs to the full paying the price of Redemption Therefore wee must not depart from him Yee are risen Argum. 7. Yee beleevers by baptism are brought into the communion of Christs Resurrection or his victory that hee gained over death and sin by which yee are not onely risen to newness of life in holiness but also yee shall rise in respect of your bodies to a glorious and immortal life so that nothing as to holiness and eternal life is to bee desired out of Christ Therefore yee must not at all depart from him Through the faith But yet lest too much be attributed to external baptisme from the work as they say done hee requires the faith of God efficaciously working in those that are baptized i. e. That wee beleeve that God who powerfully raised Christ from the dead according to his promises will also effectually raise us according to his promise to all manner of newness of life For by how much the nearer wee imbrace the power of God that raised Christ our head from the dead by so much the more wee shall make progress in newness of life Vers. 13. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath hee quickned together with him having forgiven you all trespasses Argum. 8. God hath made you Colossians in times past dead in sins and lying in the uncircumcision of irregenerate nature partakers of the holy and immortal life of Christ as to right and an inchoate possession all your sins by grace being forgiven therefore as to a plenary remission of sins and to an holy and immortal life nothing is to bee sought out of Christ. This benefit is called a quickning together with Christ although Christ had risen some years before they were converted because in what moment soever any one is by faith united to Christ in the same moment is hee united to him now reigning in heaven yea in his dying burial and rising again after a judicial or forinsical manner so that in all things in which hee hath or doth sustain our person it is no less than if wee had in a Physical manner been present and consented to every act of his in our behalf Vers. 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nayling it to his Cross. Argum. 9. In which also hee explains how Christ obtained remission of sins for us viz. by taking away the hand-writing in this sense The Covenant of works is an hand-writing established partly in threatnings partly in appointed positive Ceremonials excluding the Gentiles from the Church was against us and contrary to us But Christ hath blotted out this hand-writing taking it out of the way and nailing it to his Cross Therefore you must not look back to the legal Covenant or ceremonial appointments in them to seek for any thing neither must yee depart in the least from the death of Christ by which yee are delivered from that hand-writing Hee compares this Covenant of works with its appurtenances to an hand-writing by which any one bindes himself for the paying of a debt for whosoever are convicted of sin by the light of nature are also by the force of the Covenant of Works obnoxious to wrath and as often as wee are convinced of sin so often also by nature wee confirm the punishment of sin or the condition of the legal Covenant by the judgement of our consciences against our selves as by an hand-writing The conscience of every one performs this much more which hath received the written Law and daily bears the punishment of the Law for the breaking of it But chiefly all justiciaries are compelled to subscribe to this hand-writing who acknowledge no righteousness besides inherent or that which is by works Of which number were those that Judaized and observeers of Ceremonies who adhered to this Covenant seeking Righteousness by works and the appointed Ceremonies For by how much they did indeavour by this means more manifestly to establish their own Righteousness by so much the more openly they did derive the punishment of the Law broken by the force of the Covenant upon themselves For no man enters a Covenant but hee also admits all the conditions of the Covenant The hand-writing is said to bee in Ordinances or rather subscribed to Ordinances so far as they took upon them those commands or Legal Ordinances that they might bee perfected in themselves they did withall oblige themselves to bear the punishment of the breach of those commands Hee calls it the hand-writing against us or contrary to us partly because it separated the Jews from the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the Jews Partly because it was a yoak which neither they nor their Fathers could bear Partly because as often as they did any work of the Law either moral or ceremonial to bee justified thereby so often by the imperfection of their work and the profession of their imperfection in the use of the Levitical Ceremonies they did argue themselves guilty or rather did acknowledge themselves guilty of death As for example when they offered Sacrifices and did repeat them they not onely acknowledged themselves sinners against the Moral Law but did also really confess that their frequent Sacrifices could not purge their consciences from sin and so the hand-writing of the Covenant of works was alwaies contrary to them But Christ hath blotted out this hand-writing and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross insomuch as hee for the sake of them that were his hath paid for the redeemed the penalty due upon the hand-writing by the death of his Cross and hath compleated and abolished the positive Ordinances concerning those vanishing Ceremonies by the real Sacrifice of his own body once offered Vers. 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Argum. 10. Christ hath brought all the Devils who exercise their power and tyranny upon the Elect overthrown by the price of Redemption paid upon the Cross and gloriously triumpheth over them openly in the sight of God Angels and men whose eyes are open unto their own disgrace and our deliverance Therefore it remains that nothing is to bee sought out of Christ. The Devils are called Principalities and Powers 1 Because in the world they potently exercise authority over all the reprobate children of disobedience and all the unregenerate which do nothing else but execute the will of the Devil 2 Because they are Sergeants executing the judgement of God holding those captive that are not reconciled to God in Christ. 3 Because they fight against Christ the Redeemer neither do they dismiss the redeemed and reconciled from the prison of darkness unless compelled by the stronger power of Christ. They are said to bee spoiled by Christ on the Cross 1 Inasmuch as
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when hee was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith hee that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Reas. 3. Confirming the former because Priests according to the Law serve on earth onely unto the example and shadow of heavenly things for their Ministry was bound to the Tabernacle or the Temple of Ierusalem and is imployed in the administration of figures and typical Ceremonies as it appears by the Levitical Law Therefore Christ seeing hee cannot offer up any typical Sacrifices by the Law and if hee was upon earth neither could hee bee a Priest by the Law and seeing now hee is in heaven and therein exercises his Priest-hood it is necessary that hee administer about those heavenly things figured by those Legal shadows to wit the body and substance of all Ceremonies which hee also doth representing constantly the true Tabernacle of his body unto God and dispensing unto us spiritual benefits procured for us by the offering of his body The testimony proving the former is Exod. 25.40 from whence under the name of a Tabernacle God will not onely have the Tabernacle but all things appertaining to the Levitical Priest-hood to bee representations of heavenly things viz. Of Christs Priest-hood and his benefits Vers. 6. But now hath hee obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also hee is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises Arg. 4. To prove the excellency of Christs Priest-hood above the Levitical from the excellency of the New Covenant above the Old Because Christ hath obtained so much the more excellent Ministry above the Levitical by how much the Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator is more excellent and established upon better promises than the Covenant was under the Levitical Priest-hood For the Covenant under the Levitical Priesthood as to its external form was a Covenant of Works established upon Conditional promises of external things but the Covenant under Christs Priest-hood is the Covenant of Grace freely promising Christ with all his benefits to Believers or the parties in Covenant And it is the Office of the Priest to intercede betwixt God and men and to confirm the Covenants between them by the offering of Sacrifice as also to endeavour that men may enjoy the Divine Promises Wherefore how much better the Covenants have been by so much the Priest-hood it self is to be esteemed more excellent and worthy The Second Part. Vers. 7. For if that First Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the Second The second part of the Chapter follows wherein hee confirms this Argument in the parts of it First hee proves that the New Covenant of the Gospel is more excellent than the old legal Covenant which is abolished by six Reasons For if Reas. 1. Grounded upon the Proposition connexed The former Covenant under the Levitical Priest-hood was imperfect wherein something was wanting and something might bee taxed not indeed in respect to it self but in respect to its efficacy and virtue and that not from any fault in the Covenant but because of the weakness of those that were under that Covenant Therefore the former Covenant was less excellent than this that is New Then should no place Reas. 2. Confirming the former Because the former Covenant was to bee done away and the New brought into its place which had not been had it not been imperfect Therefore that former is more imperfect and this New one more excellent Vers. 8. For finding fault with them hee saith Behold the daies come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah Reas. 3. Confirming the former Reasons Because the former Covenant by reason of the weakness of the parties in Covenant to perform the Law which was the condition of the Covenant could not make the Covenanters faultless or free them from the accusation of God but a better Covenant and more efficacious was found out by God for Justification Sanctification and Salvation Therefore the former Covenant is less excellent than the New one Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. Reas. 4. Because the New Covenant bears no similitude with that Covenant which God made with the people in Mount Sinai when hee brought them out of Egypt whereof Ier. 31.31 For that though it wanted not some obscurity in its signification of Grace which was to bee obtained in Christ represented by the Sacrifices yet it had the external form of a Legal Covenant and an express condition of full Obedience to bee performed to all Gods commandements as appears by the form of it Exodus Chap. 19. and 20. Ier. 17.23 31 32 c. But the New Covenant as will by and by appear is free from the condition of works both in respect to him that is to enter into covenant as also in respect to him who made the covenant Because they Reas. 5. The Covenanters according to the Old Covenant may fall away and have done so and may frustrate that covenant and have done so But the New Covenant as shall appear is of perpetual Grace according to which the true covenanters or beleevers have never fallen away nor can they fall away because of Gods Grace nor can they frustrate the New Covenant because of the fear which God puts into their hearts that they may not depart from him Ier. 32.40 Therefore the New Covenant is more excellent I regarded Reas. 6. The Covenanters according to the Old Covenant abusing the conjugal goodness of God and committing adultery with other Gods in their Idolatry according to the conjugal power and dominion which God had over them might justly bee despised rejected and condemned by God It is not thus with those that are under the New Covenant Therefore the New Covenant is more excellent whereof Christ is the Mediatour and Surety Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will bee to them a God and they shall bee to mee a People Now hee proceeds to the proof of the other part of the Argument viz. That the New Covenant is established upon better promises and that by reciting four absolute Promises made to the Elect or Beleevers I will put The first promise is of Regeneration which is nothing else but the inscription of the Law of God first upon the mind consisting in the renovation of the mind to the Image of God after Righteousness and true Holiness And I will bee their God The second promise is of
purpose of God to be holy and undefiled Therefore Chastity is to bee regarded Whoremongers Argum. 2. If any one neglects wedlock which is the remedy of incontinency and polluteth himself either with fornication being a single man or with Adultery being married let him know whosoever hee is that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Therefore c. Vers. 5. Let your conversation bee without Covetousness and bee content with such things as yee have For hee hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 6. So that wee may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto mee Exhort 5. To avoid Covetousness Lest this vice corrupt their manners The Reasons of the Exhortation are three The first is propounded under the form of a Precept Those things that you have ought to suffice you whether yee have them from any honest vocation they come from the Divine blessing and with those yee ought to bee contented and not to be troubled with the desire of having more Therefore take heed of Covetousness For hee hath said Reas. 2. Out of Ioshua vers 5. In that promise â—hich God made to Ioshua in his calling God propoundeth a general consolation to all his servants in their vocations viz. that hee will not forsake nor leave them in supplying them with any thing that is necessary Therefore take heed of Covetousness So that Reas. 3. It is no less for any Beleever than for David in Psal. 118. vers 6. to promise to himself with confidence not onely necessary succour as to this present life but also Gods help ready against all the oppositions of wicked men who endeavour to take away from Gods servants their very lives together with all their substance Therefore Covetousness is to bee avoided Vers. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Exhort 6. To the keeping the purity of the Gospel without the leaven of Jewish Doctrine There are six Reasons of the Exhortation Faith follow Reas. 1. Your Teachers the Apostles and other faithful Ministers of Christ have preached nothing unto you but the word of God and have propounded no end to themselves in their conversation besides that which ought to be propounded by faithful teachers viz. the glory of God and your salvation Therefore imitating their Faith and looking to the end of their conversation keep yee the purity of the Gospel or the Doctrine of Faith Vers. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and today and for ever Reas. 2. Jesus Christ whose Doctrine is preached to you by his Ministers is noâ— divers but one remaining the same for ever and ever Therefore keep the purity of his Doctrine and the unity of Faith with those your Teachers which have preached to you the Word of God Vers. 9. Bee not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart bee estaâ—lished with Grace not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein Reas. 3. Propounded under the form of a Precept There are divers and strange Doctrines unknown to the Apostles which Christ is not the Author of if yee have hearkened to them as the wind driveth the chaffe up and down the earth or ships floating in the Sea so they shall carry you about hither and thither that yee shall hold fast nothing Therefore be established in preserving the purity of the Gospel It is a good thing Reas. 4. It is better yea it is absolutely good and saving that yee seek the peace and establishment of your heart and conscience in the Grace of Christ which onely his Gospel commends to you and not in Legal Ceremonies nor in observation of mean daies and the like Wherein Righteousness least of all consists Therefore keep the purity of Faith without the leaven of the Jewish Teachers Which have not profited Reas. 5. Confirming the former from the experience of them that Judaize Those Legal observations have profited nothing as to Righteousness or Salvation them that are much conversant and have spent their time in them Therefore keep the pure Faith of the Gospel from all leaven of this sort Vers. 10. Wee have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Reas. 6. They that serve the Jewish Tabernacle after Christs comming or they that pertinaciously cleave to Levitical Ceremonies cannot bee partakers of Christ which is the thing signified to us by the Altar and Sacrifices and other Levitical shadows and is the true body of them all Therefore the Doctrine of Faith is to be preserved from the leaven of the Jewish Doctors who thought that the observation of these Ceremonies was to be joyned with the Gospel To which purpose the same Apostle saith Gal. 5.2 If you bee circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing The reason whereof is this The observers of Legal Ceremonies or they that receive shadows now abolished do in the prescribed distinction of meats observation of Altars Feasts Jubilies Holy water Priests garments and the like Ceremonies really shew forth that the Sun of Righteousness is not yet risen that Christ is nor yet come that the Ceremonial Pedagogy is not yet abolished but that still the time of shadows and signs which were instituted onely to prefigure Christ until the time of Reformation Vers. 11. For the bodies of these beasts whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin are burnt without the Camp 12. Wherefore Iesus also that hee might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Hee proves that they are to bee excluded from Christ who seek righteousness or part of righteousness in the shadows or works of the Law because God hath pre-figured this in the type of the Expiatory Sacrifice from Levit. 23.27 The blood of the Expiatory Sacrifice was brought by the High-Priest into the Sanctuary but the flesh was wholly burnt with fire neither did any thing thereof come to the Priests as was given to them from the other Sacrifices The Apostle affirms that this signified that none of those who adhere to the Covenant of Works could eat Christ but were to bee excluded from communion with them as many as do not firmly adhere to Christ but seek even the least part of righteousness in the Levitical shadows or works Without the Camp God signified by this First That Christ was to suffer without the gates of Ierusalem and that is plainly come to pass for Christ was crucified without the gate Secondly That true expiation was to bee sought in the blood of the Messias that suffered without Ierusalem or the place consecrated for the Levitical worship And the Apostle also doth teach that Christ himself intended this having by his providence so disposed of every thing that hee should suffer without the City viz. that Christ going without the gates to offer up
in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee glory for ever and ever Amen Artic. 2. Wherein premising the Arguments of his confidence that hee should be heard the Apostle praies for the Hebrews that God would fully sanctifie them i. e. joyn them together perfect compose them as members of one body and make them compleat in every good work to do his will Whereby hee intimates that wee are unfit for every good work Because wee as members out of joynt can neither do that which is our duty to do nor concur with others to do or promote any good until God draw us near unto himself and joyns himself to us unless hee moves our will and incites us to will good working in us both to will and to do or to perform that which hee himself commands to be done by his preceptive will Which the Apostle more fully explains by adding the manner whereby God perfects them Working saith hee in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ i. e. working efficaciously in you by his Grace and through you works that are pleasing to himself and working every good work whereby yee may please him under which good necessarily are contained the principles of good actions and namely the very assent of the will and its co-working And hee adds through Iesus 1 Because all those good works are purchased for us by the desert of Christs death 2 They are derived to us through him as through a chanel 3 Those good works are effected by him 4 They are purged by him and made acceptable Therefore glory is attributed to God and Christ for ever Amen Hee useth four Arguments of his confidence in praying vers 20. The God of Peace Argum. 1. With relation to the peace of the Church God is the God of Peace Therefore yee must confidently ask of God that hee give you to endeavour after Peace amongst your selves and towards God in following after holinesâ— Who hath brought again Argum. 2. God hath brought again Christ from the dead Therefore hee both can and will perfect you his sheep and members of his body in every good work for which Christ is both dead and risen The great Shepheard Argum. 3. Christ is that good Shepheard and chief Pastor of his Sheep Therefore it is to be expected from him that hee sanctifie and fully perfect you his Sheep Through the blood Argum. 4. The everlasting Covenant is made touching the Redemption of the sheep i. e. touching the perfecting of their holiness and salvation and that is established by the blood of Christ Therefore yee shall be perfected in every good work by the Covenant Vers. 22. And I beseech you Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation for I have written a Letter unto you in few words Artic. 3. In which hee praies for the Hebrews that they not onely take in good part whatsoever may seem sharp in this hortatory Epistle but also that they suffer and take well the word of Exhortation wherein their ordinary Pastors were more especially to bring and apply those things to them For in few The Reason of this Petition is Because those things were more briefly written by the Apostle without any allay which might mollifie his reproofs and they want explication larger handling a more ample and quick application from their ordinary Pastors Vers. 23. Know yee that our Brother Timothy is set at liberty with whom if hee come shortly I will see you Artic. 4. Is joyful news of the setting Timothy at liberty being his daily companion which hee knew was acceptable for whom when they had heard that hee was in bonds they grieved and knowing that hee is at liberty they may be refreshed For the same end hee hopes that hee with Timothy shall come unto them Vers. 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints They of Italy salute you Artic. 5. Wherein are contained salutations For first hee sends salutation to all the Pastors and Governours of the Churches in Iudea As also to other Beleevers that they may know hee loves them all alike In the third place hee salutes in the name of the Saints all the beleeving Hebrews in Italy Vers. 25. Grace be with you all Amen Artic. 6. Wherein Paul after his accustomed seal 2 Thes. 2.17 concludes the Epistle wishing Grace to all i. e. all saving gifts or whatsoever was necessarily requisite to their perfection from the fountain of Gods free goodness As for the subscription after the Epistle there is no credit to be given to it For it is manifest out of this Chapter vers 23. that Timothy was absent when this Epistle was writ Therefore the subscription seems to be added from some unskilful Scribe And therefore wee omit them all THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE HEBREWS WITH OBSERVATIONS gathered from the TEXT By DAVID DICKSON Professor of Divinity in the University of Glascow LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson for Francis Eglesfield and are to bee sold at the Marygold in Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE READER Christian Reader BEfore the time that something of mine did pass the Press without my knowledge or allowance I did not minde to come abroad in this Learned Age wherein many more able Men than I am do keep silence my Furniture being fitter for my present Charge than for more publick Edification in my judgement and my Employments so frequent as my spare time is little for farther extent of what the Lord hath bestowed upon mee But since that time my just fears from apparent grounds that numbers of my Sermons which were rudely and popularly delivered as thrice or four times preaching a week might yeeld and taken from my Mouth as it was possible to overtake the current of running speech the judicious Writer making what hee had overtaken to cohere the best hee could and Copies going from him to many with numbers of faults and mistakings of the Transcribers I being unable to revise for straightness of time any thing which was written by them first or last My just Fears I say that these should Come to thy Hands rude and faulty as they are made mee willing rather when God should grant mee leasure hereafter to draw up in short the points of Doctrine delivered by mee in these Sermons that thou mightest have a twenty or thirty of them or mâ—e possible in the bounds and price of one at large With this passage of Gods providence another hath concurred to draw forth this piece unto thy view in the mean time which is this When I considered how largely God hath provided Helps for understanding of holy Scripture by large Commentaries and sweet Sermons especially from His Church in England whereby encrease of Knowledge is given to the Learned and such whose means to buy and leasure from their calling to read and victory over their own lasiness for taking pains doth concur with their capacity for making use of this the Lords Liberality I have often requested the
Vers. 8. But unto the Son Hee saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdome 9. Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity Therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows 1. By this place cited out of Psal. 45.7 It is evident that the 45. Psalm is a Song of the mystical Marriage of Christ and his Church and in this Passage a number of notable Doctrines concerning Christ are pointed at 1. Hee is called God and so is fit to reconcile us to God able and all-sufficient to accomplish our Salvation a Rock to lean unto 2. A King enthroned not onely over the World but in a gracious manner over the Church which hee marrieth to himself in this Psalm and therefore shall his Church have Laws and Direction and Protection from him 3. Hee hath a Throne for ever and ever and therefore shall his Church which is his Kingdome endure for ever and ever 4. Hee hath a Scepter to rule with and therefore power and authority to take order with his subjects and with his Enemies also 5. His Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness because hee cannot abuse his power to do wrong to any but will do right to all yea and lead on his Subjects to Righteousness of Faith to justifie them before God and Righteousness of Conversation to adorn them before Men. 2. Hee loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity And therefore 1. His Scepter cannot be swayed but righteously 2. And so must his Subjects set themselves to do if they will please him 3. Therefore Christs God hath anointed him with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows Then 1. As Christ is God himself so also is hee Man under God in regard of his Man-head and Office therein 2. And God is his God by Covenant Christ as man is confederate with God 3. And hee hath Fellows in the Covenant that is others of man-kind with whom hee is partaker of flesh and blood Fellow-brethren and Co-heirs Shares-men in all the Fathers Goods with him 4. Hee is anointed with the Oyl of Gladness furnished with the Spirit that bringeth joy unto him and all his Subjects who get conveyed unto them by Christ Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost 5. Hee is anointed above his Fellows The rest of the confederate Saints are anointed also yet by measure receive they the Spirit But Christ is anointed above them the Spirit is not given to him by measure but to dwell bodily or substantially that wee of his fulness may all receive Grace for Grace 4. Because hee loveth Righteousness c. Therefore hee is anointed Then The Righteousness of Christ is the procuring and meritorious cause of this joy to him and his Subjects Fellows in the Covenant Vers. 10. And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Works of thine Hands 11. They shall perish but Thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a Garment 12. And as a Vesture shalt Thou fold them up and they shall bee changed but Thou art the same and Thy years shall not fail 1. Another Testimony of Christ from Psal. 102.25 26. wherein hee is expresly called 1. Iehovah God in essence the same God with the Father and the Holy Ghost who giveth Being to the Creatures and Performance to the Promises 2. Who laid the Foundation of the Earth c. and so Creator of Heaven and Earth 3. And by consequence who can create in us a right Spirit and make us of naughty sinners Sons 2. They shall perish wax old and be changed Then The Heavens and the Earth now subject to corruption shall both not continue and yet they shall not utterly be abolished but changed into an incorruptible estate for mans cause Rom. 8.21 3. Christ remaineth and is the same and his years fail not Then 1. Christ is eternal and our Mediatour cannot be missing cannot dye 2. Constant and immutable and cannot change his purpose of love to his called Ones whatsoever changes befall them And this is the Rock of the Churches comfort when shee looketh to her own frailty and changeableness Vers. 13. But to which of the Angels said hee at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy footstool Psal. 110. 1. To which of the Angels said hee Hee asketh for Scripture to shew what is due to Angels Then 1. The Scripture must determine what is due to Angels and other Creatures what is to be thought of them and done to them also 2. And no word in Scripture doth countenance the giving of the glory of the Mediatour to any Angel 2. The Father hath said to Christ Sit Thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy Footstoot Then 1. Christs Kingdome will not want enemies 2. Yea his enemies shall be such as there shall be need of divine wisdome and power to overcome them 3. God professeth himself Party against all the enemies of Christs Church and Kingdome 4. God will put them at under peice and peice and altogether at length 5. Their opposition and overthrow shall serve to glorifie Christs Kingdome and Government They shall be his Footstool 6. In the mean time of this Battel Christ in his own Person shall continue equal with Glory and Majesty with the Father beholding the Victory brought about and bringing it about with the Father unto the Souldiers comfort Vers. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation The Angels are all ministring Spirits Then 1. Angels are not bodies but their substance is invisible 2. They are all of them even these that are called Arch-Angels the greatest of them but servants to Christ and none of them must have their Masters honour that is any religious worship of prayer or invocation made to them 2. They are sent forth for Service or Ministring Then Their employment is about Gods Children to attend us and serve us at Christs direction not to bee served by us by any devotion 3. Christs Subjects are called Heirs of salvation Then 1. They are Sons 2. And what they get is by Heirship by virtue of their Adoption and Sonship not by merit of their works 3. And they shall surely get Salvation as an Heritage never to bee taken from them The Summe of Chap. II. FRom the former Doctrine hee inferreth Seeing Christ is so glorious let his Gospel bee stedfastly beleeved Vers. 1. For if the disobedience of the Law given by the Ministry of Angels was punished Vers. 2. Far more the disobedience of the Gospel so gloriously confirmed Vers. 3 4. For Christ is greater than the Angels even as Man and hath all things in subjection to him Vers. 5. As David witnesseth speaking of elected men with their Head the Man Christ Vers. 6 7 8. And albeit wee see not that subjection yet fully accomplished
maintain the Truth against all fear of men Vers. 26. For if wee sin wilfully after that wee have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins Another Motive to constancy in the Truth of Religion taken from the fearful case of wilful Apostates who sinning the sin against the Holy Ghost are secluded for ever from Mercy I say the sin against the Holy Ghost because wee shall finde the sin here described not to be any particular sin against the Law but against the Gospel Not a sin against some point of Truth but against Christs whole Doctrine Not of infirmity but wilfulness Not of rashness but of deliberation wittingly and willingly Not of ignorance but after Illumination and Profession Such as Iews turned Christians revolting from Christianity back again to their former hostility against Christ did commit It is true many who commit lesser sins get never grace to repent and many who make defection in some point of their profession may be secluded from mercy thereafter but this sin here described is a wilful rejecting of Christ and the Benefit of his Sacrifice after Illumination and Profession of the Faith of Christ. Then 1. As Apostacy from the true Religion lyeth nearest unto this sin so they who desire to be freed of this sin must be the more careful to be constant in the profession of every point of the Truth of the Gospel 2. If a man reject the Benefit of that once offered Sacrifice of Christ there is no other Sacrifice for sin after that nor any other mean to help him But if a man seek unto Jesus Christ and will not quit Him whatsoever hee may think of the hainousness of his own sins the Sacrifice which Jesus offered for sins remaineth whereby hee may be saved Vers. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Having secluded the Apostate from Mercy hee goeth on in these words to shew his miserable estate Whereof wee gather 1. That the wilful Apostate from the Faith of Christ is also a wilful Adversary to Christ of the highest sort Partaker of Satans sin and Satans Profession 2. That every Apostate of this sort is destitute of Gods Peace self-condemned desperate of salvation hopeless of Relief without all purpose of Repentance or using means of help stricken with the fore-sight of the Wrath coming upon him and made to expect it although hee should dissemble it never so much 3. The Apostates fear shall come upon him judgement answerable to his sin the indignation and wrath of God yea fiery indignation the most terrible that can be thought upon which hee shall not escape but it shall devoute him swallow him up and feed upon his body and soul even for ever 2. In that hee maketh this the judgement of Christs Adversaries Wee learn That the soul which loveth Christ and cannot quiâ— Him cannot endure to think of a separation will not quit the true Religion nor any known point of Christs Truth and is using the means to get Gods Peace albeit it might seem to it self because of the present sense of wrath to be in the self-same estate that is here described yet it is â—ree as yet of the sin against the Holy Ghost and not to be reckoned amongst adversaries but amongst the friends and lovers of Christ how vehemently soever Satans suggestions bear in the contrary 3. In that by setting before them the fearful estate of Apostates from the known Truth of the true Religion hee Laboureth to strengthen them against the fear of persecution Whence wee learn That if Apostates before they make Apostasie from the true Religion did fore-see their own danger as after Apostasie they are made to fore-see their own condemnation all the terrour of all the torment which man could put them unto and all the allurements which this world could give them would not move them to quit the least point of the Truth of true Religion Vers. 28. Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith hee was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace 1. Hee proveth the equity of their judgement by the proportion of their punishment who despised the Law of Moses Then As sins are greater so must the punishment be greater and the conscience being posed as here cannot but subscribe to the proportion 2. To make the sin appear the better hee pointeth out some particular sins involved within this great sin For clearing whereof it may be asked How can the Apostates tread the Blood of the Son of God under foot c. I answer They cannot indeed by physical action but by doing the equivalent sin they are accounted of God to do it by judicial interpretation Their Apostasie importeth their agreeing to do Christ as much indignity as if they did offer Him this personal violence Their deeds shew that they have this base estimation of Christ and His Blood and no better For what saith the Apostate of Christ by his deed but That Hee is not worthy to be professed or avowed or followed And what is this in effect but to tread Him under all these base things which the Apostate preferreth before Him And so is to be understood of the Blood of Christ and His Spirit Quest. But how can the Reprobate be said to be sanctified by the Blood of the Covenant I answer There is a sanctification to the purifying of the flesh and a sanctification to the purifying of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. The sanctification external to the purifying of the flesh consisteth in the mans separation from the world and dedication unto Gods service by Calling and Covenant common to all the members of the visible Church and it is forcible thus far as to bring a man into credit estimation as a Saint before men and unto the common Priviledges of the Church whereupon as Men so God also speaketh unto him and of him as one of His People and dealeth with him in his external dispensation as with one of His own People In this sense all the Congregation of Israel and every one of them is called holy yea Core also and his followers Num. 16.3 The Sanctification internal by renovation consisteth in a mans separation from the state of Nature to the state of grace from his old conditions to be a new creature indeed By this latter sort a Reprobate cannot be called Sanctified but by the former hee may be called Sanctified and that by virtue of the Blood of the Covenant albeit hee should not get any further good thereby For as the Blood of CHRIST hath virtue to cleanse the conscience and renew the soul which commeth unto it truly and spiritually so it
brook with Gods approbation how mean soever it seem before the world 2. When honour and a good conscience cannot be kept together let the honour be quitted and the preferment go 4. When hee was come to years hee did this Then 1. What one hath done in his non-age or ignorance is not reckoned when after riper consideration hee amendeth it 2. The more ripely and advisedly a good work be done it is the more commendable Vers. 25. Chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season The reason of his refusal is the estimation which hee had of the estate of Gods people how afflicted soever above the pleasures of sin Then 1. Hee who chuseth the priviledges and fellowship of Gods people must chuse their affliction also 2. The Riches Honour and Pleasure which a man enjoyeth with the disavowing of true Religion and want of the society of Gods people which hee might have are but the pleasures of sin 3. What pleasure a man can have by sin is but for a season 4. It is better to be afflicted for a season with Gods people than to live with the wicked with pleasure for a season and it is greater misery to be in a sinful state than in an afflicted state Vers. 26. Esteeming the reproach of CHRIST greater Riches than the Treasures of Aegypt For hee had respect unto the Recompence of Reward Hee commendeth the work of Moses his Faith by the motives thereunto whereof the first was The high estimation of the reproach of Christ. Then 1. Moses and GODS People in his time did know CHRIST or else they could not have born his Cross and suffered for him 2. Christianity is as old as true Religion 3. The Cross and Reproach hath attended on true Religion in all Ages 4. What reproach men suffer for true Religion is reckoned to be Christs reproach and not theirs 5. Reproach and Shame is the heaviest part of the Cross for under it is all comprized here 2. The next Motive was His respect unto the Recompence of the Reward which also made him to esteem the Reproach his Riches Then 1. There is a reward for such as suffer reproach for Christ. 2. It is lawful yea needful for men to have respect unto this reward and to draw encouragement from it even for their own strengthening 3. Though the Cross seem terrible yet Faith can peirce through it and behold the reward following it 4. When sufferings for Christ are rightly seen they are the richest and most glorious passage in all our life Vers. 27. By Faith hee forsook Aegypt not feating the wrath of the King for hee endured as seeing him who is invisible Another work of Faith is his leading of the people from their dwelling places in Aegypt to the Wilderness with the hazard of the wrath of Pharaoh if hee should overtake them Then whatever it seem unto us now after it is done it was no small Faith at that time to undertake such a buâ—â—ness to turn his back upon a fertile land and go with such a company without provision to the wilderness 2. His Faith is commended for not fearing the wrath of the King Exod. 2.14 Moses feared the wrath of Pharaoh and fled After that Exod. 10.29 Hee feared not another Pharaoh as terrible as the former Then Where natural courage would succumb Faith will sustain yea and make a man endure as it is spoken in the next words where natural courage having led him on a little would forsake him at length 3. The encouragement unto this work was Hee saw him that is Invisible That is hee apprehended by Faith God more powerful than Pharaoh and more terrible Then 1. Faith openeth the eyes to see God in a spiritual manner who by sense or imagination carnal cannot be conceived 2. The beholding of the invisible God is able to support a mans courage against the terrour of men and all things visible and nothing else can do it Vers. 28. Through Faith hee kept the Passeover and the sprinkling of blood lest hee that destroyed the first-born should touch them Another work of his Faith is His keeping of the Passover That is the Sacrament of the Angels passing over and not destroying the people Then 1. It is usual for Scripture speaking of Sacraments to give the name of the thing signified to the sign because the sign is the memorial of the thing signified Circumcision is called the Covenant Gen. 17.13 because it is the memorial thereof The Paschal Supper for the like cause is here called the Passeover which was the work of the Angel because it was by appointment the memorial of it So the Cup in the Lords Supper is called The New Testament in Christs Blood and the Bread in the same Supper is called The broken Body of Christ because it is the memorial thereof 2. It is the work of Faith to celebrate a Sacrament rightly 3. As Moses celebrated the Passeover in assurance that the destroying Angel should not touch the people of Israel So may every Beleever be certified by using the Sacrament that the grace promised and sealed in the Sacrament shall be bestowed Vers. 29. By Faith they passed thorow the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Aegyptians essaying to do were drowned Hee joyneth the Faith of the true Israelites with the Faith of Moses for whose sakes the rest of the incredulous multitude got the benefit of Delivery also through the Red Sea which was the fruit of the Beleevers Faith Whence wee learn 1. That Faith will finde unexpected deliveries and out-gates where it might seem altogether impossible 2. Yea means of destruction by Faith may be turned into means of preservation 2. The fruit of Faith is evidenced by the drowning of the Aegyptians essaying themselves to follow that way which Faith had opened to Israel Then 1. Presumption in unbeleevers will set them on work to go thorow the same dangers which beleevers pass thorow but without all success For Beleevers shall escape where unbeleevers shall down 2. The benefit of Faith is best seen when the evil of unbeleef is seen Vers. 30. By Faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven daies Hee ascribeth the down-throwing of the walls of Jericho to Faith making the Beleevers onely to compass them seven daies Then 1. What God doth for beleevers is reckoned the work of Faith because Faith setteth God on work so to say and his power imployed by faith worketh the work 2. Faith will throw down strong Holds and overcome seeming impossibilities 3. Faith must use such means as God appointeth albeit they seem but weak 4. It matters not how weak the means be if faith have a promise to prevail thereby 5. The means must be constantly used during the time that God appointeth them to be followed Vers. 31. By Faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the Spies
him and powerfully seize upon the conscience to cause it acknowledge the Judge represented by the sound of the Trumpet 5. The killing Letter of the Law read out unto us shewing us our Duty what we should have done and have omitted and what we should not have done and have committed without giving any strength to obey for time to come represented by the sound of Words 6. By this Charge and new exaction of the Law an unsupportable weight lieth upon the Conscience pressing it down to Desperation and Death that we would give all the world if we had it to be free of the terror of the Lord and challenge of the Conscience upon so fearful a ditty represented by the peoples entreating That the word should not be spoken to them any more 7. There is an impossibility to help our selves by any thing we can do or to do any thing better than we have done and the seen impotency of our cursed Nature maketh the commandement for time to come a matter of desperation as well as the challenge for breaking the Law in time by gone represented by their inability to endure the thing which was commanded 8. No drawing near to God here such terrour in his Majestie justice being onely seen and no mercy represented by their debarring from touching of the Mountain 9. Such uncleanness and vileness as not onely our selves but our beasts and cartel and all that we have is counted unclean for our cause and liable to the curse with us represented by the debarring of the Beasts from the Mount 10. Such a loathsome abomination in the guilty as the Judge will not put hand on the Malefactor himself nor employ any of his clean Angels but give them over to death if they remain in that estate to be destroyed ignominiously represented by stoning or darting where the stone or darâ— lighteth upon the Malefactor but not the hand which threw it Vers. 21. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Yet further 11. If God deal with us as Judge and by the Rule of the Law examine our works were we like Moses The meekest men under Heaven the least harmful and innocent in the world richest in good works for service done to GOD and to his Church yet could we not stand before this Tribunal all that ever we had done all our works were not able to free us from the curse of the Law and Gods fearful wrath for our sinfulness mixed amongst our works represented by Moses his confessed fear and quaking 12. And with all this no place to flee unto no place to remain in no company but an evil conscience within and matter of terror without represented by the Wilderness wherein this Throne of Justice was set up And this is the estate wherein we are by Nature according to the Law from which we are delivered by Christ according to the Gospel as followeth Vers. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living GOD the Heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels This is the estate whereunto we are advanced under the Gospel by CHRIST which by comparison with the former shall be more clear thus 1. Before we come to CHRIST we have to do with God as Judge sitting upon his Throne terrible After we come to Christ we finde God upon a Throne of Grace reconciled unto us resembled by Mount Sion 2. Without Christ we are kept under upon the earth depressed in the valley and may not touch the Mount to ascend But through Christ we get access to climb up towards God and to advance piece and piece above the world and sin and misery towards Heaven resembled by going up Mount Sion 3. Without Christ vagabonds wandring abroad in a waste Wildernesse but through Christ collected together under a head and brought to a place of refuge and rest and commodious dwelling to the Kingdom of Heaven resembled by the City where Mount Sion stood 4. Without Christ exposed to the wrath of the living God Through Christ admitted to remain as reconciled in the City of the living GOD. 5. Without Christ afraid by the terrible sight of wrath and judgement Through Christ brought into Ierusalem the Vision of Peace not onely in this world by faith but in Heaven by fruition resembled by Ierusalem 6. Without Christ heirs of Hell Through Christ Citizens of Heaven 7. Without Christ exposed to the fellowship of Devils in sin and torments Through Christ admitted to the society of innumerable Angels resembled by the inhabitants of Ierusalem on earth 8. Without Christ Angels our foes Through Christ our fellow-Citizens Vers. 23. To the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect Without Christ we are scattered as sheep in the Wilderness a prey to all the ravenous Beasts But through Christ gathered together in one to the Society of the true Catholick Church of the Elect under the Government of one Head even CHRIST 9. Without Christ living with the world in the Suburbs of Hell Through Christ made Members of the true Church and Company which is called out of the world by the effectual calling of his Word and Spirit 10. Without Christ forlorn Children who have deprived our selves of our inheritance and wasted all our Fathers benefits on vanities Through Christ our fore-faulting is reduced our inheritance redeemed we brought back to the Family restored to the inheritance dignified with the first-born and made Priests to our God as his portion from amongst men 11. Without Christ living amongst them whose names are written in the earth and whose portion is beneath Through Christ our names are enrolled in Heaven amongst those who are written in the Book of Life elected and predestinated unto Grace and Glory 12. Without Christ without God in the world having God our Judge against us Through Christ we are reconciled to God get accesâ— unto him and have our God Judge of all upon our side to absolve us and to plead for us against all our foes 13. Without Christ we are for guiltiness in the rank of those who are already damned and brethren to those whose spirits are in prison But through Christ we are brethren to those who are already saved whose souls and spirits are freed from sin and misery and made perfect in holiness and glory having the same grounds of right to Heaven through CHRIST which they have who are entered already into possession Vers. 24. And to IESVS the Mediator of the NEW COVENANT and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abel He goeth on 14. In our natural estate we are under the Law and the Covenant of Works which bindeth us to perfect Obedience or to the Curse When we come to Christ we are under the Covenant of Grace which proclaimeth remission of sins unto all who are in him 15.
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ Grace unto you and peace be multiplied In the first place Peter the Penman of the Epistle in the inscription is described from the Office of his Apostleship that he might give authority to this Epistle Moreover the Hebrews to whom he writ are described first from their outward low condition that they were strangers scattered through the Regions here mentioned not excluding the rest that lived otherwhere The second from the inward spiritual and excellent state viz. that they were elected foreknown sanctified partakers of the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ For to be elected through Sanctification of the Spirit to the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus is to be elected that we by way of Sanctification might come to a full participation of the fruits of Christs obedience and sprinkling of his blood or the imputed righteousness of Christ made obedient to his Father for us unto the death of the Cross And so there are set down four causes of the excellent condition of the believing Hebrews or our spiritual state 1. The election of God he Father comprehending both the eternal election wherein God from eternity would have them before others separated for the obtaining salvation in Christ and that temporal wherein God by an efficacious calling actually separated them from others 2. The other cause is the foreknowledge of God by which he means the act of Divine predilection or eternal love whereby he determined in himself or willed out of his meer love to do good to all his sheep and namely to them 3. The Sanctification of the Spirit by which he means the whole progress of the spiritual change of our state from the beginning of our conversion even unto perfect holiness and glory 4. The obedience of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood whereby is meant both the active and passive righteousness of Christ as some distinguish yea the whole work of redemption together with his application to their Justification and Reconciliation unto God which causes of Salvation are illustrated by naming the three Divine Persons to which distinctly indeed but without division or separation of persons those causes in their order are ascribed whereby we may very easily perceive the distinction grace vertue and the order of their working For fore-knowledge and election is ascribed to God the Father as to the Fountain of our felicity To Christ Reconciliation as Mâ—diator meriting and purchasing that felicity and to the Holy Ghost as an Executor applying that to us And so the causes of our Righteousness and Salvation the original obtaining and application are wholly placed in the alone good pleasure of one God electing us out of his meer favour From whence our efficacious calling flows and true Sanctification as a certain fruit of our election But the onely means whereby the vertue and efficacy of our election to Sanctification and Salvation is derived to us is the mediation of Christ or our reconciliation made in him In the benediction or salutatory prayer he wishes for encrease and multiplication of the effects of Divine favour towards them in all things which may compleat their Sanctification and Salvation Vers. 3. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead The first part of the Chapter follows wherein that he may confirm them in the faith and grace of Christ wherein they stood he thanks God as the Father of Jesus Christ for spiritual benefits in Christ bestowed upon them in this state of grace The reasons of his thanksgiving and also of the confirmation of their faith are sixteen all which prove that they ought to give thanks to God and be confirmed in faith Vs Reas. 1. God hath no less regenerated you than the rest of the Saints yea no lest than the Apostles themselves Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith The Father Reas. 2. He hath regenerated as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. he hath by Regeneration put you into the society of the Covenant of Christ and hath received you into the fellowship of Christs Sonship by adoption Therefore c. Out of his abundant Reas. 3. He hath out of his abundant mercy regenerated you i. e. not induced by any deserts nor hindred by any of your unworthiness or ill deservings hath given unto you the benefit of Regeneration Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vnto Hope Reas. 4. God hath regenerated you unto a certain lively hope of eternal life which shews it self in the works of spiritual life Therefore c. By Reas. 5. God hath solidly founded the lively certainty of your hope upon Christs Resurrection from the dead which is both the cause and pledge of your resurrection from the dead Therefore ye ought c. Vers. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Reas. 6. God hath regenerated you unto life eternal which freely he bestowed upon you by the will and testament of your Father as an inheritance gotten by none of your merits and which is not earthly but heavenly incorruptible undefiled immarcessible excelling all worldly possessions even that condition of life which Adam had in his innocency as that which is incident to no change and whereunto nothing is wanting as to its full perfection Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vers. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Reas. 7. God hath bestowed perseverance upon the regenerate and hath established the gift keeping you to salvation as with an armed Garrison and supporting your faith lest ye fail from the way of salvation and that by his most firm decree whereby he hath both prepared that salvation for you and also appointed a certain time for the communicating of it viz. the day of judgement Therefore ye ought to bless God and to be strengthened in faith Vers. 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations 7. That the tryal of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Reas. 8. The condition of the faith and grace of Christ wherein ye stand is solid matter of your rejoycing and triumph Now if Reas. 9. The grace in which ye stand administreth to you joy even when ye are tossed with manifold afflictions and sorrows it gives you solid arguments of consolation Such as these four 1. The shortness of your afflictions 2. Intermission of your afflictions 3. And the necessity of them For ye are now in
In the dissimilitude betwixt themselves and their promises For they promised liberty to others when they drew them into bondage of sin and they themselves were the servants of corruption both as to their practice and the principles of their doctrine For there is no other Christian liberty than that which brings those that are freed from sin and the servile yoak of the Covenant of works to the free obedience of Righteousness For Hee proves these Libertines with their Disciples to be the most abject and miserable slaves to sin by four reasons Overcome Reas. 1. Because they are vanquished and overcome by sin to whose servitude they yeeld themselves being allured by the deceiveableness of false doctrine Therefore they are truly slaves Vers. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning Reas. 2. Because they and their Disciples by Apostacy from an holy conversation fall into a worse condition than that was wherein they lived before they gave their names to Christ. For after they renounced in Baptism the pollutions of the world and through the knowledge of Christ whatsoever betaking themselves into the bosome of some Church of Christ have escaped them if afterwards they be intangled again in those pollutions and have yeelded to them their last end is worse than their beginning Vers. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandement delivered unto them Reas. 3. Proving the former because they knowingly and willingly run as fugitives to the tents of their adversaries from the known way of Righteousness and from the holy commandement once delivered unto them which sin is much more grievous and the servitude harder than if they had never known the way of Righteousness for their condition would be better in ignorance than in Apostacy Vers. 22. But it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Reas. 4. Making for removing of the scandal which might arise from their Apostacy because by their Apostacy they shew that they never were of the true Sheep of Christ but in Baptism and a visible sanctity of life wherein they sometimes vaunted themselves to be Saints they shew themselves to have been Sows and Dogs and to have alwaies been so without spiritual and internal renovation of their nature And therefore no wonder if it happen unto them according to the true Proverb As the Dog though purged by vomiting yet hee licks up again that which hee hath vomited and the Sow though washed yet shee returns to her wallowing in the mire So Apostates though they may profess repentance from their sins and Faith in Christ and obedience of his commands yet if occasion serves they turn to their former manners CHAP. III. HEE passes on to another Admonition concerning their bewaring of scoffers who denyed the coming of Christ whose blasphemy hee reproves to vers 11. In the second hee shews the use and fruit of his Doctrine chiefly touching the coming of Christ to the end Vers. 1. This second Epistle beloved I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance 2. That yee may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the commandement of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour That hee may make a way for those things that follow hee propounds the scope of both Epistles viz. by admonitions to stir up the minds of the truly faithful to constancy in Faith and Obedience to the Doctrine of the Gospel which they had learned out of the Scripture of the Prophets and the teaching of the Apostles Vers. 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts That they might beware of Atheists and mockers at piety hee describes such sort of Monsters four waies First From the Antecedent prediction of the Holy Ghost warning thee of the coming and frequency of those wicked scoffers about the end of the world as capital enemies of the Gospel who in the times of the Gospel would make a laughing stock at all piety Secondly From their vicious life that they will lead a life according to their lusts Vers. 4. And saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation Thirdly From their blasphemous speeches that they will also dare impudently to deny the Lords coming to judgement and openly accuse Gods promises of falsitie Fourthly From their pertinacious defence of their blasphemy that they would dare to dispute against the Lord coming as if hee would not come at all but that the world should endure for ever Therefore because many ages being past the Judge doth not as yet come and because all things remain in our times as they did from the beginning of the Creation they make their carnal sense the measure of their Faith and cast the Word of God behinde their backs Vers. 5. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water Hee reproves these blasphemous Dogs in five Arguments Argum. 1. Because they scornfully reject the knowledge offered them out of Gods word and are willingly ignorant that by the word of God the world was created for if they should acknowledge the Creation to be by the word of God they ought also to acknowledge an end of the world foretold in the word of God The Earth Argum. 2. They are willingly ignorant of and shut their eyes against that constant miracle of the earth rising out of the water and consisting by the water by which it is made solid so that it crumble not to dust when the whole earth by its own nature being the lowest element should sinck and be covered and drowned in the waters In which miracle wee may perceive that nature is governed and establish'd by the will of God alone that it may so continue or otherwise as it shall please God Vers. 6. Whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished Argum. 3. That the earth contrary to nature appears out of the waters and that all things do remain alwaies in the same state is evident out of the history of the deluge whereby the former order being changed the world or mankind that then was is perished in those overflowing waters Therefore it is not incredible but that the world passing on shall suffer the change which the word of God hath foretold Vers. 7. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in
Advocate hee excludes all others for otherwise Christ was not simply our Advocate but one of our Advocates The Righteous Reas. 3. Confirming the former Christ our Advocate is righteous i. e. not onely meet to intercede for sinners by reason of the Righteousness of his person but also righteous in his office who requires nothing of the Father in our behalf but what is justly due to him interceding for us from the covenant and merit of his death Also hee is Righteous that hee might cover us with his imputed Righteousness And lastly hee is righteous who upon the Covenant of Redemption promotes us in the following after Righteousness and raises us up again when wee fall and at length perfectly makes us righteous or holy Therefore beleevers ought both to endeavour after holiness and if at any time they fall into sin to hope for the virtue of Christs intercession Vers. 2. And hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Reas. 4. Confirming the second reason The death and expiatory Sacrifice of Christ was offered not onely for us viz. elected out of the Jews and converted to the Faith of Christ but also for the sins of all the elect or redeemed in the world Therefore yee ought to beware of the evil of sin which cannot bee expiated unless by the death of Christ but if yee sin yee may confidently expect the virtue both of the rich expiation and intercession of Christ. Vers. 3. And hereby wee know that wee know him if wee keep his commandements Reas. 5. By endeavouring sincerely to keep the commandements of God as by a sure sign yee may know the truth of your Faith or that yee truly beleeve in God and love him sincerely Therefore follow yee after holiness or sin not Vers. 4. Hee that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him Reas. 6. Hee that professes that hee knows God i. e. that hee beleeves in him and loves him and doth not follow after holiness for according to the stile of the Gospel to endeavour sincerely after holiness is to keep the commandements is an hypocrite in whom there is no sincerity or truth of Faith Therefore endeavour after holiness Vers. 5. But who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know wee that wee are in him Reas. 7. Hee that endeavours after holiness proves the sincerity of his love towards God which love is perfected or manifested to bee sincere from an endeavour of keeping the word of God and obeying it Therefore yee ought to endeavour after holiness Hereby Reas. 8. Hee that endeavours after holiness or not to sin or to keep the word of God hath an evidence of his communion with God and knows that hee dwells in Christ by Faith Therefore c. Vers. 6. Hee that saith hee abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as hee walked Reas. 9. Confirming the former whosoever professes that hee hath communion with Christ ought to endeavour after holiness or to imitate Christ in his life and conversation Therefore yee ought to endeavour after holiness Vers. 7. Brethren I write no new commandement unto you but an old commandement which yee had from the beginning the old commandement is the word which yee have heard from the beginning Reas. 10. I require no new duty from you when I urge you to follow after holiness or the observance of Gods commandements but I repeat an old commandement which yee have not onely heard from the beginning from Christ and his Ministers but yee have had it also commended to you out of the Law and Prophets Therefore endeavour after holiness Vers. 8. Again a new Commandement I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth Reas. 11. This Commandement is not old in the oldness of the letter as in times past it was so long as you lived irregenerate under the Covenant of works when the Law did command and conferred no strength to perform but it is now in the newness of Spirit To the performing whereof Christ will administer new grace to you Therefore yee ought to follow after holiness Which What the New Covenant is hee expounds in the next words affirming that the command is new both in respect of Christ who quickens the Commandement and in respect of themselves who were now by regeneration made new Creatures i. e. to whom grace was administred and was furthermore to bee administred to obedience Because the darkness The reason is given to this sense Because yee are not under the Law but under Grace yee are not in a state of irregeneration but are renewed For the darkness of the Legal Covenant and the state of irregeneration are passed away and now Christ who brings life and grace with him and is the true light is risen as the Sun of Righteousness upon you that beleeve and hath both communicated the light and also the heat of life to you Therefore the commandement is new to you that yee ought to bee encouraged to follow after holiness with more alacrity Vers. 9. Hee that saith hee is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now The second Exhortation drawing the former to the love of the Brethren The Arguments of the Exhortation are ten besides those two which are next recited and may also bee referred hither Argum. 1. Whosoever professeth himself to bee in the light or regenerate and hateth his Brother hee lies yet unregenerated in the darkness of ignorance and sin Therefore yee ought to endeavour after brotherly love Vers. 10. Hee that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him Argum. 2. He that loves his Brother remains in the light and perseveres in the way of truth in part possessing the lot and condition of the Saints Therefore yee ought to follow after c. And none occasion of stumbling Argum. 3. Hee that loveth his Brother doth neither stumble himself in the way of holiness alwaies seeing whither hee goes viz. to God by Faith in the way of obedience nor is hee an occasion of stumbling to others whereby they may either be drawn into sin or hardened in it Therefore yee ought to endeavour after brotherly love Vers. 11. But hee that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither hee goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes Argum. 4. Hee that hateth his Brother hee wholly lyes and perseveres in sin and swarving from the right way which leads to salvation hee is carried to a precepice not knowing whither hee goes because his mind is darkened with sin Therefore yee must follow after brotherly love Vers. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake Argum. 5. O faithful