Lord thy God doth drive them out before thee and that he may performe the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The right therefore which the Israelites had to enter that Land proceeded not from their workes but descended from that right which was before in their fathers Nay Abraham himselfe to whom God gave the originall right to that Land and by whose right the Israelites possessed it had not his title to that right by vertue of the literall worke of Circumcision for manifest it is he had that right before his Circumcision Rom. 4.11 and he received the signe of Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised i. e. As a seale of the right or title which he had by faith for faith is the right title whereby a man is justified as will appeare in the words following Text. But by the faith The right title to the former state to be understood Exclusively The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith needs not be defined Neither can it be defined Yet it may be designed a wayes 1 An high esteem of God is faith exemplified in the Ninevites and the Devils 2. An acceptance of Gods promise is faith Explicated the Nature of Gods Promise and of his Precept and illustrated 3 wayes 1 From the common definition of it 2 From the ConcurreÌ„ce of it to a Promise 3. From Examples in the Old Testament and in the New Faith is a Passive act of Receiveing and Embracing in an easie and noble maner Yet faith hath mighty effects yet only jurally and of grace and they are chiefly 4. 1 It enters Gods Covenant of grace that why so called and how it differs from that of works 2 It assures Gods promise for the possession of it against all difficulties exemplified in Abraham Amen what it signifies 3 〈◊〉 obligeâ—â—â—oth parties 1. God who bindes himselfe by his Promise and by his Oath 2. The Faithfull who is bound by his Acceptance which makes a Contract and by his Baptisme 4. It justifies the faithfull as his Title exemplified in the Old Testament and in the New The faithful are heires of God The second assertion for the Affirmative touching the doctrine of Justification wherein is declared the true and right title whereby a man is justified i. e. whereby procreantly and acquisitively he is made to have a right of divine alliance to bee the son and heire of God namely that this title is by Faith because faith is the cause efficient procreant or meanes acquisitive whereby the right of this state is first acquired initiated commenced or had for what person soever whatsoever act or whatsoever thing is eyther a cause or a meanes of mans Justifying by such person act or thing a man is sayd to be justified and because faith is that act of man therefore a man is justified by faith And this Affirmative amounts to an Exclusive That a man is justified by faith only to exclude and debarre from Justifying all those acts of man which before were called the workes of the Law unto which faith is heer opposed For although the Schoolmen in their Arguments call Faith a Worke and from thence would inferre that a man justified by faith is consequently justified by workes yet the Apostle in his arguments will not endure that faith should be a worke but makes them as contrary in Divinity though both be acts of man as fire and water are in Philosophy though both bee elements of the world Which God continuing his light unto us shall be further made evident in our following Exposition of this clause The particle But hath in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly a word of excepting and signifies unlesse and thereupon to that sense it is generally rendred by the Romish Translators as if the meaning of the Apostle were that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law unlesse to such workes hee adde his faith in Christ. But this cannot bee the meaning in this place for two reasons 1. Because the Apostle argues against this assertion and produceth severall reasons to overthrow it all which were inconclusive by admitting of that meaning 2. Because such a sense would have made no controversie betweene Paul and the false Teachers of Galatia whom hee heere opposeth but would have beene very pleasing unto them and have sided with their opinion For they maintained not that a man should forsake his faith in Christ but that unto his workes of the Law he should adde his faith in Christ and bee justified by virtue of both together joyntly Wherefore the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not in this place signifie exceptively but adversatively and is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies But as it doth in many other passages of the New Testament and is so translated See Mat. 12.4 and John 5.19 and 1. Cor. 7.17 and Revel 9.4 In all which plaplaces and more the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie and is Englished But. There is no more necessity of defining Faith which unto mans Right of alliance with God is his right title then there was before of defining workes which were the wrong title For mans Justification is commonly in Scripture referred disjunctively to one of these three titles that it is either by Birth or by Workes or by Faith and the Scripture doth cleerely disclaime the two former titles by Birth and Workes to inferre the latter by Faith The title by Birth is disclaimed Rom. 9.6.7.8 For they are not all Israel which are of Israel neither because they are the seede of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seede bee called i. e. They which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seede And the title by Workes is excluded Rom. 3.19.20 Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may bee stopped and all the World may become guilty before God therefore by the deedes of the Law there shall no flesh bee justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And therefore according to that right reasoning which is framed in a disjunction the conclusion must needes inferre the remaining title by faith for so the Apostle concludes Rom. 3.28 Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by faith As therefore there needes no definition to open the nature of Birth and Workes because those things are sufficiently knowne of themselves and therefore all Writers passe them over undefined So there needes no definition to declare the nature of Faith Because Faith is either manifest enough of it selfe or sufficiently poynted out by the contradistinction of it as it stands opposed to Birth and Workes for things contradistinct and opposite are or should bee equally knowne Neither is there possibility
constitute and produce the being of it And therefore against the Infirmity of these Paul in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and elsewhere stoutly maintaines this doctrine that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by faith only Wherin according to the quicknesse and shortnesse of his speech hee intends these two points 1. That no workes at all are the cause procreant to constitute and build mans Justification as was largely explicated verse 16.2 That no workes of the Law are a cause conservant to continue and maintaine mans Justification as shall bee discovered in the next verity For in these two points the Judaizers held the contrary as it plainly appeares partly by their practise and partly by his arguments against them But James in his assertion opposeth the Gentilizers who were a party quite contrary to the former and in opposition of them were Fiduciaries and Libertines standing onely for fayth and liberty neglecting despising and disgracing all maner of works as no cause at all of Justification neyther procreant to constitute or build the state of it nor conservant to continue and maintayne it as before was intimated after the 14. verse And therefore against the vanity of these James maintaynes this doctrine that A man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Wherein his meaning is as it was well enough understood of the Gentilizers that good workes â—ot of the Law but of Grace love and kindnesse were necessary both to faith and Justification as causes conservant to continue and maintaine both untill Justification bee consummated determined and finished into salvation for without such workes faith is dead but with and by them is made perfect Allowing therfore unto the word Justified being a Verbe efficient or factive these two senses of efficiency procreant and conservant and thereupon affirming that Faith only without workes doth justifie procreantly to constitute the state of Justification But faith with workes and by workes doth justifie conservantly to continue that state Then it will plainly appeare concerning Paul and James that neyther of their doctrines is a paradoxe that neyther is to other repugnant but each with the other is consistent and both are conducent to the verity and sanctity of Christianity Nay more the doctrine of James is to that of Paul a necessary consequent borrowing from Paul those principles whereby it is both raysed and proved For because as Paul teacheth my faith only without works doth procreate or build my Justification and because evill workes destroy the state of it and build againe my state of sinne therefore it must needs follow as Saint James teacheth that good workes doe continue and maintaine the state of it For although they doe not procreate or build that state yet they preserve and uphold it from that destruction and ruine which evill works would bring upon it Againe because as Paul teacheth my continuance in sin is the cause corrumpent and destruent to decay destroy my Justification which is to unjustifie me therefore as James teacheth my continuance in good workes is the cause conservant and restituent to preserve the state and to restore the decayes of it For in case I should fall my faith alone cannot restore mee but if I recover my faith working by workes of Repentance must be the meanes of my Recovery Besides because as Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13.2 Though I have all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have no charity I am nothing Therefore as James teacheth faith without workes is dead because the acts of charity are good workes and of all other the greatest Lastly because as Paul teacheth Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Therefore as James teacheth Faith working with workes is by workes made perfect that it may finally availe in Jesus Christ Thus James in his doctrine and in his reasons thereof secondeth Paul not differing from him in sense and truth but onely in words and tearmes and for that verball difference there was a just occasion For Paul being an Apostle to the Gentiles tempereth his doctrine with such words and tearmes that hee might give no offence either to the unbelieving Gentiles who thereupon would continue in their unbeliefe or to the believing Gentiles who thereupon might recede from their beliefe For hee made it his rule not to offend any party but to please all seeking to save as many as hee could labouring to plant the Gospel and to increase the Church of God as much as might bee And James being an Apostle to the Jewes and writing to the twelve dispersed Tribes doth correspondently carry himselfe with the like temper that hee likewise might give no offence either to the unbelieving Jew or to the believing Judaizer Yet let no Christian presume to censure this temperate carriage with temporizing seeing heerein these two great Apostles practized the great rule of Charity which is To walke without scandall or giving of offence especially to parties opposite but rather to please both A rule by Paul both taught and practised as appeares 1 Cor 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved And seeing under the tearmes of Justifying by workes taken in different senses opposite Errours did trouble the Church who can say to the contrary but that these two Apostles might bee moved to use these very termes either by the spirit of God or by their owne agreement that each should confute those severall errours within his severall line namely James within the line of Circumcision and Paul elsewhere Concerning this seeming opposition between Paul and James whereof I spake somewhat before but not enough there are extant divers other Reconciliations whereof I oppose none but leave every man to that sense whereby hee may bee most edified 4. The fourth verity is this The workes which continue my Justification are acts of Love The tenure whereby the Israelites continued their Justification to the kingdome of Canaan to hold and enjoy it were the workes of the Law in the literall sense For thus speakes Moses to the people Deut. 5.33 You shall walke in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you and that you may prolong your dayes in the Land which ye shall possesse i. e. Your walking in Gods Lawes shall continue and prolong your possession in the Land whereto yee are justified or have a right And in after-ages when their children should aske them the meaning of these Lawes they must answer their children thus Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to doe all these statutes to feare the Lord our God for our good alwayes that hee might preserve us alive as it is this day and it shall be our righteousnesse if wee observe to doe all these commandements before
Authority of his Commission the largenesse of his circuit and the efficacy of his ministery among the Gentiles That for Circumcision hee allowed the liberty of it as a thing indifferent to be used or omitted as occasions and circumstances should require for the advance of the Gospel But he opposed the Necessity of it that it should be imposed and forced as a yoke upon all the faithfull without any distinction of persons times or places for such a necessity was inconsistent with the liberty of the Gospel which by the necessity of Circumcision must necessarily be overthrowne 2. The Doctrine of Justification cap. 2. ver 15. c. Wherein hee declares the power and vertue of faith in Christ That every Christian is justified i. e. hath a present right interest or claime unto the future Blessings promised in Gods Covenant and bequeathed in his Will and Testament for it is the nature of promises and covenants of Wills and Testaments to create assigne and convey rights interests and claimes That the right interest or claime which we have by vertue of Gods Will and Testament is a Right of amity alliance and inheritance whereunto wee are instituted and adopted for the Sons and Heires of God as co-heires with Christ for Wills and Testaments doe produce amities and alliances by devising Legacies and setling Inheritances That the cause procreant or title whereby wee acquire and have this Right of Inheritance is Fayth in Christ for by faith in him we covenant and contract with God to accept and receive this Right because Christ is the Publisher Probator and Executor of Gods Will and the Legatary or particular Heir can never possesse himselfe of the gift assigned him but by meanes of the Executor or heire generall because the performance of the Testators Will as to matter of gifts and Legacies is charged onely upon the Executor That the cause conservant or Tenure whereby we preserve and hold this Right of inheritance is our workes of love for the greatnesse of this Blessing ought so to animate and quicken our faith as to make it lively and working by love without which our faith is an act imperfect frustrate voyd and dead and the workes of love are the conditions and services which we must performe in acknowledgement and thankfulnesse unto God for his infinite grace and savour in giving us this right of Inheritance for without such workes we become ingratefull and disinheritable to forfeit our future possession of that inheritance whereto our faith procures us a present right interest or clayme seeing it is in vaine for us to have a right unlesse we performe the services whereby to hold it for what Inheritance is there in the world which requires not a tenure whereby to hold it as well as a title whereby to have it Vnto Blessednesse therefore these two onely are necessary and sufficient on our part namely Faith in Christ whereby we are Justified or made the Sons of God jurally to have the Rights of Sons and workes of love whereby we are sanctified or made the sons of God morally to performe the duties of Sons As for works of the old Law whether Morall which are rather not-works then workes as not to have many Gods not to worship images not to forsweare our selves not to worke on the Sabbath c. or whether Ceremoniall such as Circumcision and the rest thereon depending these especially the latter are no way effectuall or causall either procreant or conservant to our right interest or claime of Blessednesse they are neither a title whereby we acquire and have that Right nor a tenure whereby we preserve and bold it but are rather destructive and extinctive to defeat frustrate and voyd it for seeing the Gospel is Gods last Will and Testament and every last Will doth infringe all former therefore he that will adhere to Gods former Will debars himselfe from the benefit of the latter This Doctrine the Apostle proveth and presseth by reasons authorityes examples and types from the old Testament and withall hee solidly refutes the arguments alleadged by the false teachers for their false Doctrine 3. An Exhortation to holinesse cap. 5. vers 1. c. Wherein hee seriously moves them to all holy dutyes as To persist in their Christian liberty and to use it without any abuse of it To live in love and walke after the spirit whereby they should be enabled against the lusts of the flesh the fulfilling whereof would exclude them from possessing that inheritance whereto by faith they had a present right To practice Christian toleration in bearing with one anothers infirmities To allow a liberall maintenance to their Teachers whom although they might mock and defraud of their meanes yet God would not bee mocked To persevere in doing good universally toward all men especially faithfully to the faithfull To suffer persecution joyfully even to glory in the Crosse of Christ. So that if wee respect these two last parts of Doctrine and Exhortation this Epistle to the Galatians seemes to bee an Epitome or breviat of that to the Romans 4. The Composure THe stile or frame of this Epistle is different and various for the Apostle earnestly laboring to reduce the Galatians from their Jewish errour summons up all the sorces of reason and Scripture omitting no kind of assertion nor no kind of argument but winding and turning himself every way assumes all forms of perswasion whereby to open the truth and presse it home upon them Sometime hee is grave and sterne neglecting all manner of respect in saluting them not affording them any honourable appellation of Christianity as to call them Elect Faithfull or Saints as his maner is in other of his Epistles to other Churches Sometime time hee is severe and sharpe reproving and chasticing them with bitter rebukes wondring at their suddain revolt from Christ and tearming them a foolish and bewitched people Sometime againe hee is gentle and kind cherishing and winning them with words of deare affection stiling them his brethren and his little children of whom hee travelled in birth againe commemorating withall their former affection toward him that at first they received him as an Angel of God yea as Christ Jesus and would have plucked out their owne eyes to have given them to him To this variety and freedome of argumentation in a way so familiar the Apostle might bee therefore induced because the Galatians were his next neighbours bordering upon Cilicia whereof he was a Native 5. The Date FOR the time when it was written some thinke it was the first of all Pauls Epistles Others conceive it written about the same time that hee wrot his Epistle to the Romans which they collect from the affinity of the argument betweene these two Epistles But if wee suppose it written at Rome then it seemes probable that it was the last of all his Epistles written while hee was there a Prisoner at large after Luke had finished the Acts of the Apostles and was departed from
5.12 By one man sinne entred into the World and Death by sinne and so Death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned i. e. for that in him all dyed for of the word sinned in this place that in effect is the sence Or to speake a little nearer to the letter of the word it will bee thus for that in him all quasi-sinned not actively by transgressing in his transgression but passively by being prejudicated in his Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in his one doome all were condemned and all cast into the state of transgressors to suffer misery and death like unto that which was inflicted on him as a judgement for his transgression For for the tense none of the Verbes in that verse are of the Preterperfectense but all are aorists or indefinite and accordingly the two first are rendred indefinitely Sinne entred and Death passed not Sinne hath entred and Death hath and therefore the Translation had beene more sutable if the last Verbe also had not beene rendred preterperfectly all have sinned but indifinitely thus all sinned And for the sense these words In whom all sinned signifie in effect the same thing with these ver 15. Through the offence of one many bee dead or many dyed and with these words vers 16. The judgement was by one to condemnation and with these vers 17. By one mans offence death raigned by one and with these vers 18. By the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation and with these vers 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and with these 1. Cor. 15.22 In Adam all dye All which sayings amount to no more but this That by the sinne of Adam hee and all his children were made mortall as by the sinne of the Gibeonites they and all their Children were made bondslaves and by the sinne of Gehazi hee and all his Children were made lepers For the Judgement given upon Adam for his offence was Banishment from Paradise a Curse upon the ground for his sake a Miserable and painefull Life and at last an everlasting Death And this judgement was not personall onely to determine the effect of it upon Adam onely and passe no further then his person but it was also real and hereditary to him and his Heires for ever First falling upon him and then descending to them For as by his offence his Innocency was corrupted So by this Judgement upon him his Posterity was corrupted or as a common Lawyer would expresse it By his Attainder his blood was corrupted i. e. First none of his Children shall bee Heires to that immortality and blessednesse which hee once enjoyed in Paradise for that was forfeited and extinguished Secondly all his Children shall bee blemished distressed and tainted to inherit that Banishment Malediction Misery and Mortality which hee incurred Thirdly this Corruption shall not bee remedied or salved by any ordinary mercy of God but by the extraordinary Mystery of Jesus Christ Thus the Calamitous who are jurall or quasi-sinners are of foure sorts viz. the oppressed the blemished the distressed and the tainted If wee compare together the three first sort of sinners viz. the Transgressor the Improbous and the Calamitous we may observe 1. That the difference between them is not essentiall and necessary but accidentall and contingent for they are not so opposite and contrary as that when the word is taken in some one sense all the rest should be excluded But they are onely diverse i. e. so different that one sense may be without the other and yet so complyant and consistent that they may all concurre and meet in the same word For the word Sinner doth carry sometime onely one of those senses sometime two and sometime all three and when the senses are plurall sometime they are equall sometime one above the rest is more eminent so that one and the same person may be at the same time a transgressor improbous and calamitous 2. That the Gentiles generally were sinners all these three wayes for they were sinners legally and morally being transgressors and improbous Rom. 1.29 Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murder debate deceit malignity whisperers backbiters haters of God despitefull proud boasters inventers of evill things disobedient to parents without understanding covenant-breakers without naturall affection implacable unmercifull And they were sinners jurally for they were calamitous blemished with the state of ignorance and of enmity to God Ephes 2.12 Being aliens from the common Wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world 3. That in the sight of God the Jewes generally were as great sinners as the Gentiles both legally and morally in respect of transgressions and improbities For of the Jewes the Apostle testifieth Rom. 3.9 that they were in no wise better then the Gentiles for he had proved both Jewes and Gentiles that they were all under sinne Yet jurally the Jewes were not such sinners nor so calamitous as the Gentiles because they were not such aliens and strangers from God as were the Gentiles but had many jurall rights priviledges and prerogatives as the true Israel and peculiar people of God as was shewed before in the former clause of this verse Yet the Right which the Jew had in God was but a puerile and servile right to be the children of God in the condition of servants in a state of nonage and wardship under the Law From which state Christ came to emancipate and deliver them that hee might advance and invest them into a filiall right of being the sons of God in a perfect plenage and fulnesse of yeares as shall be more fully explicated in this Epistle cap. 4. ver 2.3 Thus men are sinners three severall wayes for most men generally are transgressors and improbous and all men universally are calamitous for in Adams attainder all were tainted Wherefore this last way Man as he is Man is a sinner and this Sinner is the Man who in the next verse shall bee justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ for so it there followeth VERSE 16. Text. Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the fayth of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that wee might be justified by the fayth of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Sense A man is justified i. e. Made jurally righteous to have a present right and clayme to the Legacies and future blessings promised and devised in Gods last Will and Testament Not by the works of the Law His title to that right and claime is not by any workes done in observance of the Law nor by any effect or work of the Law in consideration of his works But by the fayth of Jesus Christ i. e. His title to that right and clayme is by his Acceptance
of those Legacies and promises and by his acceptance of Jesus Christ for the son and heir of God and for the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament For by the workes The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because by the workes No flesh i. e. No mortall man Be justified i. e. Be declared upright in respect of the Law Reason Heere the Apostle enters upon the principall doctrine of this Epistle and to the end that hee might the more distinctly and clearly assert the verity thereof from those errours wherewith the Judaizing false teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it he delivers it bibartitely in two assertions 1. A Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law 2. An Affirmative that A man is justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ And therefore for the fuller understanding of this excellent Doctrine which declares the introduction and initiation of a man into Christ and discovers withall wonderfull comforts to the soul of a Christian I shall somewhat inlarge my selfe and distinctly explicate what is meant by Justifying what by The workes of the Law and what by Fayth in Jesus Christ Wherein though in my expressions I shall somewhat vary from the current of Expositors yet farre shall I be from that unprofitable and beggarly worke of Confutation which spends it selfe in a destructive way by cavelling at opinions or disgracing the writings of worthy men But I shall travaile only in the way of edification to rayse confirme and illustrate those instructions whereto the holy Scripture shall be the foundation Comment Justified is a derivative from the word Just or Righteous which signifies three wayes 1. Legally for the upright whereof examples 2. Morally for the kind man whereof examples and accordingly the word righteousnes signifies kindnes in the Old Testament and in the New The Hebrew Zedakah The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The legally and morally Righteous compared in 4 points 1. In their Conjunctiō in their subordination in their Dignity 4. in their opposite 3 Jurally for an Owner or an Heire or a Promissary Such was Abraham who is therfore called the Righteous man Such were the Israelites and are so called and so were the Proselytes The Owner compared with the Kinde man Righteous signifies like Gratious A Recollection Justified signifies made Just or righteous in 3 significations and in two consignifications 1. Declaratively by pronouncing a man upright and by pronouncing a man kinde 2. Efficiently either Procreantly or Conservantly Neither excluding necessarily the declarative sense Paul and James easily reconciled Jurall justifying illustrated from words of foure sorts 1. Of Circumstance 2. Of Contrariety 3. Of Affinity 4. Of Attribute and Co-heires Citizens and Freemen Justifying put for Freeing Justifying is a Court-word and a Chancery word and a word Testamentary for the sense of it Man is a sinner jurally legally and morally God is righteous jurally and Morally his kindnesses to Man and their conveyance by Testament which is a will ad pias causas in most ample maner The Nature of Justifying exemplified in Abraham in Rahab in the Jews and Gentiles The Names of it as adopting infranchising reconciling ingrafting ingratiating infeoffing seating allying inabling translating forgiving redeeming The matter of it is a Right of state two spirituall states one of bondage another of freedome which is the state of grace The state whereto we are justified or rather exalted The state from which we are justified Justification makes in us a change only jurall The Priviledges incident to that state exemplified in the Patriarks The degree of our right to the Priviledges exemplified in the Israelites in David in a Legatary The Manner of Justifying is factive exemplified in Moses Uriah and Araunah And that fact is testamentary A recollection KNowing that a man is justified First therefore for the meaning of Justified whereof I intend not in the first place so much the definition though that shall follow as the signification for the right and true English of it according to the Language wherein I write because the word Justified is a Latinisme The Greek word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies made righteous for the Apostle Rom. 5.19 expresseth that word by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. constituted or made righteous as our English Translation renders them whereto other Vulgar translations unanimously for the Italian hath it constituted just and the French rendred just Seeing then the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a derivative from the nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regularly therefore the verbe ought to pertake of those senses which are to be found in the primitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English is Just or righteous Which word carrieth in Scripture severall senses and these as it is the attribute of a person are principally three viz. a legal a moral and a jural sense For as the word Sinner in the verse before had severall senses so the word Just or righteous being contrary to Sinner must needs therfore have severall senses also and they severally contrary to those of Sinner yet where the word is taken chiefly in one of these senses the rest are not alwayes excluded but some one sense is principall and the other accessory 1. The word Just or righteous is taken legally quoad leges for one who is upright according to the Laws by doing right to all and giving every man his due by the Lawes in being sometime rendring that evill which by Law is due to a man but alwayes that good which is due unto him And all men ought to bee legally righteous especially Judges and Rulers whose uprightnes in other mens causes must be exactly legall for the Law is the Rule whereby they must give Sentence and execute Judgement declining neyther to the right hand nor to the left whether it concerne the good or the evill of the party whose cause is handled for that which no way declines to neyther hand is properly sayd to be upright To render evill for evill private men are not bound but now under the Gospel are wholly bound from it yet not so neither but that Masters of Families may reprove and correct their children and servants as the Law of reason shall require because Masters of Families in respect of their Families are petty-Judges and petty-Rulers to judge and Rule uprightly by the law of reason Thus the word Righteous is taken Exod. 23.7 the innocent Vezaddik and righteous slay thou not and righteous i. e. upright or legally righteous And 2 Sam. 23.3 Hee that ruleth over men must be Zaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just i. e. legally righteous or upright And Esay 26.7 The way Lazaddik of the Just is uprightnesse i. e. of the upright is uprightnesse And it is sayd of John the Baptist Marc. 6.20 that Herod feared him knowing that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e.
or clayme in the Lord that he is their God and thereof they shall not boast in themselves but shall glory in him And Esay 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous servant jizdik shall justifie many i. e. Christ who shall be upright in executing my will and obedient even to the condition of a servant shall by the knowledge or Doctrine by him taught make many to have a right interest and clayme in God as his sonnes and heires to everlasting life for Paul expressing the sense of this place doth instead of the words shall justifie many use these many shall bee made righteous Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous i. e. Many shall bee jurally justified or made to have a right in God which before they had not for the word made heere doth not signifie Declaratively but Efficiently Because the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies constituted ordained or appoynted and in some places of our last English Translation is so rendred See Act. 6.3 and Tit. 1.5 and Heb. 5.1 And Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified freely by his grace i. e. procreantly jurified or made to have our right in God without any deserts any workes or any suit on our part but onely by grace on Gods part him thereto especially moving And Roman 4.2 if Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were justified by workes hee hath whereof to glory i. e. if Abraham were procreately or initially jurified or made to have his right of inheritance to the Kingdome of Canaan by the title of his workes he may well boast of them for certainely they must bee mighty workes that could entitle him to a Kingdome or make him to bee the Heire of the World as Paul phraseth it afterward ver 13. And to instance in the first clause of the present Text Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law i. e. Procreantly jurified or made to have a right to bee constituted or initiated by the workes of the Law 2. Conservantly and so hee is justified or rather jurified who is made to hold his right when that right which hee was made to have before is afterward and moreover preserved continued and maintained unto him for by this efficiency his right is made to subsist and remaine according to the former creation or constitution of it and consequently is kept from escheating reverting revoking forfeiting or otherwise losing for in vaine a man is made to have a right if hee bee not also made to hold it In this sense the word is taken James 2.21 Was not Abraham our Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne upon the Altar i. e. That right of Inheritance to the Land of Canaan which Abraham was first made to have by his faith or which was created constituted imputed or initiated unto him upon his faith was it not afterward held continued preserved and maintained by his workes in offering up his son And againe vers 24. Yee see how that by works a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is justified and not by faith onely i. e. that right unto salvation which a man is first made to have by his faith is held or continued by his workes for though his faith onely without workes doth first create constitute and commence that right in making him to have it yet faith onely without workes doth not preserve continue and maintaine that right in making him to hold it and though his workes have no efficiency procreant in making him to have that right yet they have an efficiency conservant in making him to hold it And againe vers 25. Was not Rabah the harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way i. e. the right to be saved at the sacke of Jericho which was first created constituted and imputed unto Rahab by her faith in God was it not afterward preserved continued and held by her workes in receiving the messengers and dismissing them another way Yet this jurall efficiency of the Verb justified doth not necessarily exclude the declarative sense but is so compliant and consistent therewith that it doth advance and further it For if the right which is made us be declared it becomes thereby the more manifest before men and consequently the lesse questionable and therefore in all the places formerly quoted out of James the Verb justified may and doth carry a declarative sense yet not principally but secondarily and accessorily for that our right should be conserved and continued unto us is of absolute necessity to salvation because otherwise wee cannot be saved but that it should be declared and manifested otherwise then Gods Will and Testament declares it we find no such necessity in Scripture And certainly our workes doe declare our right yet not assertorily to pronounce it for workes cannot doe so but illatively and consequently to argue or inferre it by the meanes of our fayth for workes by declaring our fayth doe consequently declare that right which by our fayth wee are made to have For faith being an inward thought of the heart lies of it selfe covered and concealed untill by some outward meanes it be declared or manifested and the proper meanes for that act are not words for a man may easily say hee hath faith but workes for workes are the proper evidence which shew it Hence sayth the Apostle Jam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith without thy workes i. e. Declare or manifest unto mee thy faith which is without workes not by thy words in bidding the poore Depart in peace but by thy workes in giving them those things which are needfull to the body as it is in the former verse before but shew it by thy workes thou canst not because it is solitary alone and without workes as thou sayst it may bee and is Workes then justifie not only efficiently to conserve our right but declaratively also to manifest it by declaring that faith whereby we are made to have it See heere a solid and easie way to cleere that seeming contradiction which some have conceyved betweene Paul and James in the point of Justification for although both these Apostles have the same word justified and both use it in a jurall sense and both in a consignification of efficiency yet apparant it is that both understand not the same kind of efficiency For Paul understands that efficiency which is procreant in making us first to have a right by creating producing and constituting of it which kind of efficiency is proper wholly and only to fayth but no way to workes which are altogether excluded from it But James understands that efficiency which is conservant in making us afterward to hold our right by preserving continuing and maintayning it unto us which kind of efficiency is proper to works yet not wholly and only so as to exclude fayth for fayth is also conservant
because after long disuse it was againe revived by Moses is called by Christ a Law of Moses Joh. 7.23 3. Judgements of divers curses penalties and punishments which in respect of those precepts were to be inflicted on the transgressours of them The word Law therefore is in respect of these three heads variously taken sometime strictly for some one of them singly sometime largely for two of them together sometime amply for all three and sometime extraordinarily eyther for the five Bookes of Moses or for all the Historicall Bookes of the old Testament as they are opposed to the Psalmes and the Prophets But among these varieties which of the senses ought to be taken in this or that place of Scripture must bee collected from the words annexed In this place heer it seemes to signifie strictly for that head which containes the precepts yet with some reflection also upon the promises Another distribution of the Law is into the Tables of the Law contayning the Decalogue or ten Commandements which were kept in the Arke and into the booke of the Law comprising all the residue which was kept by the High Priest Yet this Law in respect of the promises therein conveyed was also the Testament of God partly because those promises were workes of his kindnesse conferred upon the Israelites by way of legacies or blessings but chiefly because according to the nature of a Testament they were a just sentence of Gods will touching what he would have done after death yet not after his owne death because God is necessarily immortall and ever-living but after the death of some other creature who being mortall should die in his stead to confirme and establish his Will because all Testaments are established by death And although among men that establishment be alwayes made by the death of the Testator yet Gods Testament being a divine Will had therefore this prerogative that it might be established by the death of some other in his stead and thereupon it was actually established by the death and bloud of Calves and Goats sprinkled on the Booke of the Law and on the people Compare Exod. 24.5.6.7.8 with Heb. 9.19.20 In which respect the Law hath not only the definition but also the appellation of a Testament for hence 2. Cor. 3.14 it is called the old Testament and Heb. 9.18 the first Testament Againe the Law in respect of the other two heads viz. of the Precepts and the Judgements was also the Covenant of God because unto Gods Will for the observance of those precepts and judgements there was an agreement of the peoples will to observe them for to this purpose they professe their agreement Exod. 19.8 All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe And againe Exod. 24.7 All that the Lord hath sayd will we doe and be obedient And an agreement of Wills upon a just cause makes up the nature of a Covenant Yet the Law hath also the name of Gods Covenant most frequently in Scripture and the Arke which kept the Tables of the Law is commonly called the Arke of the Covenant and the Booke of the Law kept by the Priest is also called the Booke of the Covenant For this old and first Testament and Covenant of the Law was but the crayon or first draught of Gods Will to stand in force awhile untill the time of Reformation by his New and last Testament which for a distinction from the Old is named the Gospel and the Old to distinguish it from the New is called the Law By workes wee are to understand good workes because evill workes are not workes of the Law but against the Law And good workes taken generally and absolutely by themselves are of a larger extent then workes of the Law whereunto workes are heere restrained For before the Law of Moses was inacted those of the Patriarks who walked in a continuall obedience of God doing all those duties which by the light of nature or by divine Revelation they knew would bee acceptable and pleasing to him had good workes as had Abel Enoch and Noah And now since that Law is expired they who neglecting the Ceremonies thereof walke according to the Precepts of the Gospel persevering in the duties thereof have good workes and may bee rich in good workes The workes therefore of the Law doe implye two sorts of workes flowing from two severall Agents which working reciprocally one upon another are both heere excluded from Justifying or making free One sort is all workes or legall acts of man done by man in obedience to the Precepts of the Law The other sort is all workes or legitimate acts of the Law done by the Promises of the Law in recompence of mans obedience to the Precepts For as man hath his workes upon the Law to transgresse or obey it So reciprocally the Law hath her workes and effects upon man to condemne or justifie him because the Law is not onely a rule whereby man workes but is also a kinde of Ruler and Actor to worke upon man according to his workes When therefore the worke of man is sinne a worke contrary to the Precept of the Law then the worke of the Law is to Condemne and punish him for his worke hence saith Paul Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is a worke or effect of the Law to punish the worke of sinne And when the worke of man is uprightnesse a worke according to the Precept of the Law then the work of the Law is to Justifie him conservantly by continuing and maintaining that right of freedome unto him which hee had before hence saith the Law Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. Hee shall thereby continue and prolong his life which hee enjoyed before secure from any violent death to bee inflicted by those Statutes and Judgements and againe Ezech. 18.9 Hee that hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgements to deale truely hee is just hee shall surely live i. e. Hee is thereby upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue maintaine and prolong his life which hee had before on earth But when againe the worke of man is uprightnesse according to the Precepts of Law then for sound Doctrine wee must lay downe this Negative It is not the worke of the Law to justifie man procreantly to create constitute or make unto him any new right which hee had not before to bee acquired initiated and had by title of his uprightnesse or weighing the workes in the other skale let them bee referred unto man and then though the Negative vary in words yet the truth will bee the same It is not the worke or effect of mans legall workes to justifie man procreantly to create unto him the right of divine freedome by the title of his uprightnesse Thus wee have the meaning of the Apostles Negative concerning Justification by the workes of the Law but hee writing to the
of his minde a present right to the future Remission of his sins the Resurrection of his body and Life everlasting Because Gods promise is his declared will to give thee a present right to the future possession of some blessing and thy faith is an Acceptance of his promise and therefore it is a taking of the right given and therefore also it is an having of the right taken and he that hath a present right to the future possession of some blessing he is justified for as was formerly shewed this makes the nature of Justifying And this faith is thy title whereby this Right is transferred imputed conveyed or passed unto thee and whereby on thy part it is first acquired commenced entred or had For if that Act which the Civilians call Consent bee a good title whereby rights interests and claymes are transferred conveyed and passed in all Covenants and Contracts for all are made by Consent some indeed require somewhat more as reality of things or formality of words but Consent is a requisite necessary to all Much more is that act which the Scripture calls Faith a good title to that Right or interest which is conveyed and passed in Gods Covenant because Faith is not onely a Consent or declared agreement for the future taking of this Right but it is moreover an actuall acceptance by a present taking receiving and embracing of it In the Old Testament Gen. 15.4 God promised to Abraham a son and heire of his owne body and Abraham believed i. e. he accepted the promise and he counted it to him for righteousnesse i. e. God justified Abraham by imputing conveying or passing unto him a present right to the future possession of a sonne and unto that right Abrahams faith was the title for immediately thereupon his right to a sonne was in present although the possession was not untill twenty yeares after for about so long after was Isaac borne who was therefore called the sonne of the promise At the same time also God justified Abraham to a present right for the inheritance of Canaan But the possession was not delivered to his Heires till about foure hundred yeares after In the New Testament 2. Cor. 6.18 God promiseth unto thee that hee will bee a Father unto thee and that thou shalt bee his Sonne and Daughter Dost thou on thy part beleeve this i. e. Doest thou accept this promise by an actuall taking receiving and embracing this divine and sacred alliance with God then God counteth it unto thee for righteousnesse i. e. he justifieth thee by imputing conveying or passing unto thee a present right of alliance to bee his son and heyre and consequently a present right to all the future blessings incident to the state of this alliance Hence the faithfull are called and stiled Rom. 8.17 Heires of God and joint-heires with Christ And Gal. 3.29 Heires according to the promise And Gal. 4.7 Heires of God through Christ And Hebr. 1.14 Heires of saluation And Hebr. 6.17 Heires of the promise And Jam. 2.5 Heires of the kingdome which God hath promised to them that love him Why are they called and stiled Heires The reason is because they are justified i. e. Because they have a present right to the future possession of blessednesse for an heire is a person who hath a present right to the future possession of some estate So that to be justified by faith and to be made heire of God are things eyther all one in effect or the latter is but the property or consequent of the former as the Apostle intimates it Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Text. Of Jesus Christ Faith restrained unto Christ what it is The subject of it negatively and affirmatively 4. Reasons why faith is restrained unto Christ 1. Christ is the Conveyer of it Gods promise immediate and mediat Faith immediate and mediat whereof the Necessity and some Examples 2. Christ is the Authour or Worker of it in declaring Gods last Will and in Proving of it by his Witnesses by his Miracles by his Holinesse by his death and by his Resurrectiō The Jewish incredulity For Christ is the Executor of it 3. Faith in Christ nominateth us in Gods last Will wherein all Believers are instituted and all unbelievers are disinherited and none preterited Gods Will a Testament ad pias causas whereof Christ is the Precedent for Alliance and Inheritance and we are ad instar Christi exemplified 4. Christ doth justifie by it yet not principally but ministerially in respect of God by confirming Gods Will. and by Performing it for Christ is the Executor of it on whom all Believers depend Recollectiō A limitation or restriction of Justifying faith unto Christ For as in the former clause workes were restrayned to the Law so heere faith is limited unto Christ and consequently the faith of Christ whereby a man is justified is opposed to the workes of the Law whereby a man is not justified For that faith whereby a man hath a present right to the benefits and blessings of the New Testament must be the faith of Jesus Christ i. e. in Jesus Christ Because Christ is not the subject of this faith heere who doth beleeve but the object of it in whom wee beleeve A like phrase of speech we have Marc. 11.22 where the Translation is faith in God but the Originall is faith of God as is noted in the margin So againe Act. 3.16 the Originall is through faith of his name but the Translation rightly expresseth it in his name For faith in reference unto Christ is in the New Testament varied by these fowr particles of in through and toward Christ which although sometime they may seeme to argue different respects yet generally they signifie the same faith referred in the same respect unto the same person If an high esteeme of Gods existence goodnesse and greatnesse be faith in God then an high esteeme of Jesus for his existence goodnesse and greatnesse that he is the Christ i. e. that divine and sacred person who is God the son of God anointed for the mediatour of the New Testament is faith in Jesus Christ And if an acceptance of Gods promises be faith in God then an acceptance of them by the meanes or from the hand of Jesus Christ is faith in Jesus Christ A justifying faith under the Gospel is not made up by any one of these degrees single or alone but must be completed and exalted to both these degrees for both these notions must concurre to perfect the faith of Jesus Christ 1. There must bee an high esteeme of the person of Jesus that he is the Christ for to this end was the Gospel written John 20.31 That men might beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the son of God 2. There must bee an actuall acceptance of the promises from Jesus Christ for Hebr. 9.15 For this cause hee is the mediatour of the New Testament
latter act all promises are finished to have their finall and last effect for the verity or truth of the promiser which is concealed and may bee doubted in the grant of the promise doth cleerly and fully appear in the performance Unlesse therefore there bee a full performance of Gods promise by a future delivery and possession of that inheritance whereto by faith we have now a present right then both God failes of his truth and wee of our right For when a promise is conveyed unto mee in the best and surest manner by being devised or bequeathed unto mee by way of Legacy or Gift in a Will and the Will bee also confirmed Yet if it bee not performed what benefit have I by a promise so devised Now the person who performes the promises of Gods last Will and Testament is Jesus Christ for by and through him all the promises of God have the verity and truth of their performance 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen i. e. are performed and fullfilled by Christ who thereby doth perfect the verity and truth of them Yea Christ was raised from the dead that hee might bee inabled with full power to performe the promises of our Justifying Rom. 4.25 And was raised againe for our Justification i. e. to performe the promises whereto wee are justified for as hee was delivered unto death to Confirme the promises So hee was raised againe to performe them The Reason why Christ doth Performe Gods last Will and Testament and the Promises or Legacies therein contained is because as was before shewed Christ is the Executor thereof It is the office of the Executor to execute or performe the will of the Testator for as it is his office to declare the nature of the will and to Prove the verity of it So his finall office whereto the former are but mediall is to Performe the Legacies of it Otherwise the Faithfull who are the Legataries in Gods Will and Testament and who therein are Co-heires with the Executor have no meanes nor hope to attaine and possesse the precious Legacies therein devised and bequeathed unto them Because although they have their right and claime by the good will and gift of the Testator Yet of themselves they have no ability to take or seize upon their Legacies For what ability have the Dead to raise themselves from the dust of their corruption and rottennesse unto celestiall and glorious bodies whereby to ascend into Heaven and take possession of that Kingdome Or what ability have the Living to transforme or change their bodies earthly and mortall into bodies heavenly and immortall Or suppose that the Legatary hath ability to take his Legacy of himself as in humane wills hee many times hath Yet regularly hee hath no authority to doe it for if hee doe hee doth in many cases forfeit it The course therefore of the Legatary is to addresse himselfe unto the Executor to whom hee must make suit for the Legacy that in due manner hee may receive the possession of it from him who is to deliver it according to the will and minde of the Testator Partly because the Executor being the Mediator or mediall person betweene the Testator and the Legatary must first be possessed of the Testators estate that thereby he may be enabled to deliver the Legacies thence issuing and partly because a Legacy according to the definition and nature of it is a gift left by the Testator to be delivered or performed by the Executor Seeing then Christ is the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament therefore his Office it is to execute and performe it by delivering unto the Faithfull the possession of those blessed Legacies whereto by vertue of Gods Will they are justified Thus Christ is the Beginner of our faith by working in us our acceptance of Gods Promises and he is the Finisher of our faith by performing unto us the Promises which we have accepted for hence he is called Hebr. 12.2 the Athour and Finisher of our faith Text. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ. Reason An Inference from the former assertion Because a man is justified not by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ therefore we who are Jewes by nature or native Jewes knowing the verity and certainty hereof have believed in Jesus Christ for these words are to be referred unto the 15. verse before as was there noted Wee who before the comming of Christ did believe in God for before the comming of Christ we were the peculiar people of God to whom appertained the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises even we have relinquished all these carnall Priviledges and have accounted them but losse that we might gaine the promises and priviledges which come by Christ For because Gods former Will and Testament wherof Moses was the Mediatour is now expired and that God is pleased to declare a new Testament whereof Jesus Christ is the Mediatour therefore now even we have relinquished the former Testament and have adhered to the latter by accepting the promises of it and by receiving Christ for the mediator of it now placing all our faith and hope in God by and through Jesus Christ For it is great reason we should now adhere to that Will and Testament of God which God now appointeth to stand in force Justifying is the effect of faith but not of workes The Reason of it From a testimony of Scripture The Proposition of the Reason the Assumption and the Conclusion much pressed by the Judaizing Christians for 2 Inconveniences That wee might be justified by the faith of Christ. The finall cause end or effect of our beliefe or faith in Christ namely our Justification that we might have a present right to those future blessings which are promised devised and bequeathed unto us in Gods last Will and Testament For if it be true as it is that faith is the Meanes of our Justification then also this truth must needs follow that Justification is the end of our saith seeing we believe to this end that by meanes of our faith we might be justified And because of that Will and Testament wherein we are Justified Christ is the Mediatour by whose meanes wee have our present right to those blessings and by whose meanes we shall enjoy the future possession of them therefore our faith is limitted and restrained unto Christ 1. Because Christ is the Conveyer of our faith by and through whom we believe in God 2. Because Christ is the Authour or Beginner of our Faith by declaring the contents of Gods Will and Testament and by proving the verity of it by his Witnesses his Miracles his Holines his Death and Resurrection 3. Because faith in Christ is the Title or appellation whereby we are instituted or nominated in Gods last Will and Testament which is a Testament ad pias causas
wherein Christ is the Precedent or Patterne according to whose right we are made to have our right in being made co-heires with him 4. Because Christ is the Person who by our faith doth Ministerially justifie us by Confirming unto us Gods last Will and Testament and by performing unto us the promises thereof for of Gods last Will Christ is the whole and sole Executor to publish prove and performe it And not by the workes of the Law Seeing the title whereby we are justified is our faith in Christ therefore all title by the workes of the Law is hereby excluded for where two titles unto any right are incompatible and cannot stand together he that claymeth by the one must necessarily relinquish the other No workes therefore of the Law in what sense soever we take it whether in the literall sense as it was delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the spirituall sense as it was declared by Christ and is now understood by the faithfull are of that efficacy and vertue to make us a true title whereby to acquire and have a true right and claym unto heavenly blessednesse And consequently seeing the finall cause or end of our faith in Christ is to be justified therefore a further end of our faith in Christ subordinate unto the former is no longer to rest in the literall works of the Law but wholy to relinquish it as an act of God which now unto us is expired and dead for so the Apostle would be here understood as appeareth by his reasoning at the 19. verse next following And seeing God by Christ hath declared and published his new Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore hereby his former Will of the Law though for the time of it very good and usefull is utterly infringed cancelled and voyd For by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek which is heer rendred For being a Conjunction causall doth playnly shew that the truth of this clause is the cause or reason of that truth which was delivered in some former clause For the principall Doctrine of this whole epistle concernes the title whereby a man is justified which for the clearer evidence thereof the Apostle delivers bipartitely in two severall assertions Whereof the first is a Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law and the second an Affirmative that He is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ These being thus proposed his next businesse is to produce arguments or reasons for the confirmation and proofe of these two severall assertions but first he begins with the first which is the Negative that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law And this Negative he proveth in the following verses of this chapter by three severall arguments or reasons whereof the first is contained in this clause For by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be justified No flesh i. e. No living man whose life is mortall For to call man flesh is an Hebraisme to put man in minde of his mortality because seeing hee is framed of flesh and blood which are materialls but weake and fraile therefore hee must needes decay and dye Be justified i. e. bee declared upright No mortall man whose life is tryed by the Law shall by his worke in observance thereof bee found so compleat and perfect as to bee pronounced upright and sinlesse For his workes shall never appeare so cordiall so liberall and so perfect as to have performed an universall and perpetuall obedience to every Precept of the Law in every sense thereof without transgressing any one at any time Formerly it hath beene shewed that the word Justified hath in the Scripture severall senses the Apostle therefore haveing in the former parts of this verse taken this word in a jurall sence for the imputing or conveying of a right interest or claim doth now in this last clause take the same word in a legall sense for declaring or pronouncing upright innocent or sinlesse For when a word doth beare severall senses and the Apostle hath expressed it in some one sense hee loves for the greater elegancy to repeate the same word againe in another sense if the matter will admit it as heere it will and doth for otherwise wee faile of the Apostles intent and lose all the force of his argument If therefore in this last clause of the verse the word Justified bee taken in the very same sense which it carryed in the first clause then is this last clause but a bare repetition of the first and no confirmation of it at all For of this assertion that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law how can this bee a reason or proofe For by the workes of the Law no flesh shall bee justified if in both clauses the word justified carry one and the same sense But if the sense be varied as we have glossed it then will this latter clause bee a pregnant proofe of the former and consequently it will excellently suit with the scope and minde of the Apostle And the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which elsewhere is constantly rendred Because doth both require and inforce this sense And that this Proofe or reason may carry the greater authority for the confirmation of his former Negative hee seemes to ground it on a testimony of Scripture and to produce it from Psalm 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant i. e. Doe not arraigne mee before thy Tribunall or Seat of Judgement to try my workes by the rigour of the Law and then to handle mee according to my deserts For in thy sight shall no man living bee justified i. e. Because if thou in thine owne person or before thy selfe shalt take the cognisance of any mans workes to examine them throughly by the rule of thy Law and to give sentence upon him according to his workes no man living can by thy mouth bee declared or pronounced upright or innocent So that Paul hath in a manner explained the sense of Davids saying in adding these words by the workes of the Law The reason therefore whereby the Apostle argues heere seemes to runne thus If a man will bee jurally justified by the workes of the Law i. e. If hee will clayme from God a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven by the title of his workes then God entring into judgement with him and in the sight or knowledge of God hee must by his workes bee legally justified i. e. Hee must bee declared or pronounced upright and innocent never to have beene an offendor against any Law of God For supposing but not granting that it is an effect or worke of the Law to Justifie a man jurally i. e. To give him a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven Yet certainely the Law cannot produce this effect but onely in those who by the workes of the Law are legally
justified i. e. Are declared upright and innocent in the sight and knowledge of God For if in the sight of God a man bee found an offender or peccant against any one Law of God then in that case the effect or worke of the Law upon him is to Condemne him by imputing unto him a present guilt of a future punishment which is an effect quite contrary to that of jurall Justifying which imputes a present right to a future blessing For saith the Apostle Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is an effect or worke of the Law to bring the punishment of death upon every transgressour of it though hee offend but in some one poynt of it as it is expressed Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one poynt hee is guilty of all i. e. Hee that offends against one single Law whereof the penalty is death is in as bad a case as if hee had offended against all for by the breach of that one Law hee is guilty of death and of more punishment hee could not bee guilty if hee had beene guilty of breaking all the rest Because death is a finall punishment beyond which there is no other But to come now to the Assumption though before men at their seats of Judgement in their sight and knowledge of the cause some man may be and hath beene legally justified i. e. declared upright and innocent for in this sence Paul testifies of himselfe Phil. 3.6 that touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law he was blamelesse not that hee was blamelesse in the sight and knowledge of God but in the knowledge of men and of his owne conscience in that neyther himselfe nor any other man could iustly lay any legall blame unto him and in this sense God himselfe testifies of Job Job 1.8 that hee was a perfect and an upright man yet Gods testimony of Job must not be so understood as if Job were perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of God for that sense Job himselfe doth afterward disclaime but God saw and knew Job to be perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of men in that no man could charge him with the breach of any Law and the like sense is to be conceived of Zacharias and Elizabeth of whom it is reported Luk. 1.6 that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Yet before God at his seat of Judgement or upon his sight and knowledge of the cause no man living except Jesus Christ ever was or ever shall be Legally justified i. e. declared and pronounced perfect and upright to be a man sinlesse and blamelesse no way peccant against any Law of God For by the sentence of God delivered in the Scriptures all men living of what Nation or Religion soever are declared sinners against his law and guilty of death For such are the Gentiles declared who had not the law but in doing by nature the things contayned in the law were a law unto themselves and such are the Jewes declared who rested in the law and made their boast of God See Rom. cap. 1. and cap. 2. per totum Yea the Jewes are declared in no wise better then the Gentiles but of both it is proved that they were all under sin Rom. 3.9 And the end of that declaration is to stop all mouths and to find all the world guilty Rom. 3.19 that every mouth might be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God and the reason of that guiltinesse is because all have sinned Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God But the finall or last end of that Declaration is that mans right to the inheritance of Heaven should come by promise and gift and his title to that right should bee by faith of Jesus Christ Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that believe Therefore to adde the Conclusion no man living shall bee jurally justified i. e. Shall have a present right to the future estate of blessednesse by the title of his workes The summe of the Apostles argument is briefely thus If a man have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes then hee must by his workes in the sight of God bee declared upright But no man living can by his workes in the sight of God be declared upright Therefore no man living can have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes This is the debility of mans workes if wee consider them as a title whereby hee acquires and hath that right But if wee consider them as a tenure wherby hee preserves and holds his right then they may and must be of some efficacy as will appear afterward in this Chapter at the 18. verse VERSE 17. Text. But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne God forbid Sense Found sinners i. e. Found continuers in sin Is therefore Christ i. e. Himselfe and his Doctrine The Minister of sinne i. e. One that gives occasion and licence unto sin even unto impiety and wickednesse Reason These words are and well enough may bee translated interrogatively But as I conceive they are rather to bee understood illatively thus But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves are found sinners then it will necessarily follow that therefore Christ is the Minister of sinne An objecti ∣ on Yet whether of these two wayes soever wee take them they containe an objection which would seeme to weaken and crosse the former Doctrine about Justification by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law for against that Doctrine some men did or might argue thus Yee that are Jewes by nature seeke to bee justified i. e. ye seeke a state of divine liberty or freedome whereby yee have a present right to the future possession of heavenly blessednesse whereof one particular is the Pardon of all your sinnes past present and to come And yee seeke this right by the title of your faith in Christ i. e. By your high esteeme of him for the sonne of God and by your acceptance of those promises wherein hee gives this divine state And yee make this faith your sole and onely title excluding all workes of the Law from any concurrence therewith But while yee have this present right to blessednesse and seeke the future possession of it by faith onely whereby yee are certaine and assured of it then hence it will follow that in the meane time yee may continue in sinfullnesse living in all kind of licentiousnesse as the sinners of the Gentiles lived before their accesse unto Christ And it seemes yee make account to live thus because yee speake so much against the Law which would bridle yee
person and the objection it selfe was made against such And this elegant modesty of Personation in changing the person of his discourse was with Paul so familiar that he would attribute unto himselfe sometime really that person which indeed he was as heere hee doth continuing so to the end of this Chapter and sometime verbally by way of fiction that person which indeed he was not as hee doth Rom. 7.7 through a great part of that Chapter where in his owne person hee speakes of a man under the Law and adhering thereto which then was not his condition But in the last verse of that Chapter and Chap. 8.2 hee changeth againe and in his owne person speakes of himselfe according to that condition wherein he then was The Scope or purpose of this Answer is this that By vertue of my Justification I may and must mortifie and destroy in my selfe the acts and lusts of sin For this worke although it be not the title whereby I acquire and have my Justification or that Divine alliance with God whereto I am Justified yet it is the tenure whereby I preserve and hold it This worke if I neglect I forfeit the state of my Divine alliance and lose the benefit of my Justification For by my continuance in the acts of sin I become a most sinfull sinner in abusing the pardon and grace of God in building againe my state in sin and in binding my selfe over to eternall death And the guilt of this my sinfulnes lyes wholly upon my selfe and not upon Christ who justified mee and therefore Christ cannot be called the minister of my sin or any way the occasion thereof But if upon my relapse into sin and my continuance therein Christ should notwithstanding continue my state of justification keepe up my divine alliance with him and at last give me eternall life then indeed he might be accounted the minister of sin We may hereupon easily collect that in this Answer is comprised and couched in a maner the sum of the whole sixt chapter to the Romans For the very same objection urged here in the former verse is discussed and dissolved there in a discourse more diffusive and ample For in respect of the maine Argument this Epistle to the Galatians is of that to the Romans a kinde of Breviat as by the collation of many passages in both may plainly appeare Comment My justificatiō destroys my state of sinne how far But relapse into sin destroys my Justification how far and makes me a foule sinner Transgressor is opposed to the Justified yet Christ is no cause of it but I my self am the cause of it by two defaults 1 By my unfaithfulnes in not performing my promise 2. By my unthankfulnes in not loveing and honoring God for his kindnes 4 Consequences 1 Jusification is mutable not necessarily but contingently because it is conditional from the very nature of it Yet every sin destroyes it not because it is a state of grace 2. Justification requires a tenure The Nature of a Tenure and the Necessity of it 3. That Tenure is good workes which justifie conservantly as James affirms and Proves by Reasons By Similies and Examples Yet not excluding God nor Faith Works not only declare justification but Conserve it efficiently Why faith is pressed by Paul and why workes by James Both easily reconciled For both teach consequently and both temperately by the rule of Charity 4. Good workes are acts of Love The tenure under the Law That under the Gospel Is works of Grace which are Acts of Love super-legall and super-naturall and Justifie conservātly which is testified and exemplified and justifie finally FOR if I build againe the things which I destroyed The state wherein I stood before my Justification was a state of sinne a base low and terrene state of spirituall bondage whereby I was a stranger to God a slave to sinne and the sonne of death For I was not onely Calamitous or a quasi-sinner tainted by the attainder of Adam But I was a transgressour against the rules of Gods written Law and I was improbous and many wayes peccant against the rules of equity and morality But upon my Justification my state of sinne was destroyed and extinguished For my Justification doth erect and build unto mee a state quite contrary to the former namely a state of Right which makes mee jurally righteous to have a divine right a high noble and heavenly state of divine liberty and allyance whereby I am made a Freeman of Heaven in the best and highest degree to bee the Sonne and Heire of God When a Slave is infranchised his state of slavery is thereby extinguished So when a Sinner is justified his state of sinne is thereby actually destroyed because these two states are so contrary and inconsistent that in one and the same person at one and the same time they cannot both subsist Yet upon my Justification the passions motions or lusts of my sinne are not destroyed in facto esse for I finde in my soule that they still remaine and struggle in mee and by some of them I am sometime worsted And yet againe even these motions and lusts are also destroyed in fieri i. e. They are in a good course and in a ready way to be actuall destroyed for their dominion and power is already destroyed so that they cannot as formerly they did over-master and compell me to the acts of sinne And the worke of their destruction in fieri is designed unto mee as my service to righteousnesse unto holynesse For unto this worke Christ who justified mee by my faith doth thereby oblige mee and unto this worke Christ who sanctified mee by his spirit doth thereto enable me But after my Justification if through the subtilty of Satan or through the pravity of mine owne soule I shall suffer my selfe to bee perswaded that either there is no bond upon mee or no power in mee to performe this worke of mortifying and destroying the passions motions and lusts of my sinne and thereupon shall either neglect this worke or fall to a worke quite contrary in serving the passions motions and lusts of my sinne unto the acts of sinne not acts of ignorance and infirmity but of Malignity or wickednesse for these three kindes or degrees of sinne must alwayes bee noted and discerned Then by my sinfull acts I destroy my state of Justification which although by good works I could never build yet by evil workes I may destroy for by them I dedignifie and make my selfe unworthy of it Yet by them I destroy it not for the seed and root of it for this shall alwayes remaine a truth that I had once a divine liberty and alliance whereby I was a Free-man of Heaven and the Son of God and possibly before I dye I may recover this state againe But by sinfull acts I destroy this state for the fruit benefit and priviledges of it for during that condition I shall never enjoy that future estate
make not also some benefit of it for that state is to no purpose from whence ariseth no benefit In my Justification therefore I am to consider both these meanes viz. not onely the meanes procreant or title whereby my state is constituted acquired or had but also the meanes conservant or Tenure whereby my state is continued preserved or held Because I am truly sayd to be justified as well by the tenure wherby I continue and hold this state as by my title whereby I acquire and have it For all states whatsoever not onely jurall but naturall of all creatures whatsoever whose existence hath any duration doe necessarily require a cause conservant meanes retentive or tenure whereby they may be continued or preserved to abide and remaine in being for otherwise their state would not be permanent at all but actually transient and sodainly passe away Yea the Earth it selfe whose state above all other elements is most firme and stable and the whole world whereof God is the sole cause procreant who created and established it for ever should he cease to be thereof the cause conservant would suddainely in a moment runne to ruine Much more is such a tenure necessary to my Justification which is my state of alliance unto God Because this state above all others is to mee most pretious and consequently the losse of it becomes most grievous 3. The Tenure whereby I am justified is workes I am not afraid to expresse this verity in these words because the phrase Justified by workes is the expresse saying of the Holy Ghost For Jam. 2.24 This Assertion that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone is the language and word of God as well as this that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ For the Scripture delivereth both these assertions mentioning neither of them obviously as it were in transitu But handling both equally purposely and by way of doctrine for shee proposeth both and presseth both insisteth upon both confirmeth both by severall arguments and illustrating both by Similies and examples And therefore I cannot use such partiality to bee so earnest for either as thereby to bee against the other but I must maintaine them both and maintaine both for current doctrine to bee duly taught in the Church of God Because both in their due senses are infallibly true and of great consequence as well to magnifie Gods grace as to edifie his Church But I must allow unto both their proper senses and due distinctions for if I side with the assertion of Paul and cast off James with a distinction or side with James and cast off Paul with a distinction then I doe not rightly divide the word of truth But I rather make that right-downe division which Paul himselfe condemneth 1. Cor. 1.12 I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ. As therefore my faith is the Title whereby I am justified viz. procreatively and acquisitively i. e. Whereby my Justification is created produced and constituted to have the originall existence and beginning or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance to bee the Sonne and Heire of God is acquired commenced and initiated So my workes are the Tenure wherby I am justified viz. conservantly and retentively i. e. Whereby my Justification is continued preserved and maintained to abide subsist and remaine in that existence which originally it had by faith or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance is prolonged for my finall continuance to bee the Sonne and Heir of God untill such time as I possesse and enjoy that inheritance in heaven whereto I am now the heire and have a present right For that the verbe Justifie as also many others of the like nature doth consignifie these two kindes of efficiency namely procreant and conservant hath beene formerly shewed And by workes I understand good and holy workes for if the workes which unjustifie mee by building againe the state of sin which I destroyed are evill and sinfull then the workes which sub-justifie or support my state of justification must needes bee good and holy For seeing my Justification which procures unto mee a divine alliance to bee the sonne and heyre of God is a state of sanctity and holines what can bee more suitable convenient and comely then that a holy state should bee preserved by holy workes In this sense James affirmeth that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone Which assertion hee prooves three severall wayes 1. By two reasons whereof one is Because faith without workes is dead i. e. the act of faith in justifying is frustrate voyd and of no effect as a Bill Bond or other writing whereto there is no hand nor seale For a man justified by faith if his faith be not seconded by workes to continue and maintaine his Justification he shall never possesse and enjoy that heavenly inheritance whereto hee was by faith justified and his faith falling of this effect is therefore voyd or dead The other reason is Because faith working with workes is by workes made perfect i. e. faith alone by it selfe is a thing imperfect and ineffectuall for in Justifying it doth but commence begin and enter the state of Justification and consequently it createth but an imperfect and weake right namely a right of Institution and Expectation a right of a son and heyre a right of interest clayme and hope a right escheatable and defeasable that may possibly bee destroyed But faith seconded accompanied and animated with workes is by workes made effectuall to continue consummate and 〈◊〉 the state of Justification into the state and assurance of salvation and consequently to procure a perfect plenary and full right namely a right of possession and fruition a right of peace rest and quiet an inheritance executed and seized subject unto no defeaâ—ance relapse or other casualty or as the Apostle calls it 1 Pet 1.4 an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not 〈◊〉 reserved in Heaven for us Secondly he proves it by two Similyes or comparisons 〈◊〉 of one is that Faith alone without workes is like the Devils Faith for they have a kinde of faith whereby they believe the existence and unity of God And their faith is alone without workes namely without good and holy workes but they are not without evill and wicked workes and their faith with evill workes hath this evill worke upon them that it makes them to tremble The other Simily is that faith alone without workes is like the body without breath for as the body without breath is dead so faith without works is dead also Thirdly hee proves it by two Examples One of Abraham Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the Altar i. e. The Justification of Abraham constituted long before by his faith whereby was imputed unto him a right of alliance and amity
to bee and bee called the friend of God was it not afterward continued by his worke in offering his son for was not that worke wrought by his faith and was not his faith and the Scripture mentioning it fulfilled by that worke The other example is of Rahab Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way i. e. The Justification of Rahab constituted long before by her faith whereby she became a Proselyte and an Israelite in beleeving that the God of Israel was God in Heaven above and in earth beneath was it not afterward continued by her worke in Receiving the Messengers For was not that worke wrought by her faith and at the sacke of Jericho was not she and her family preserved by that worke and thereby continued Proselites unto Gods People Now from these Examples and Similies of James but especially from his two reasons it evidently followes that workes doe justifie in the sense alleadged namely conservantly For because Faith without workes is dead and working with workes is by workes made perfect or effectuall therefore workes doe preserve and continue the life perfection and efficacy of Faith and consequently they preserve and continue the state of Justification which is the effect of faith and whatsoever doth preserve and continue Justification that doth Justifie True it is that Neither faith nor works are the principall and prime efficients of my Justifying because God is the personall principall and prime efficient who makes mee to have my right and who makes mee to hold it but faith and workes are the reall mediall or meane efficients on my part For God willeth and ordayneth that fayth should bee my title whereby I acquire and have this right and that workes should be my tenure whereby to continue and hold it From my title I wholly exclude my workes allowing them neyther efficiency to justifie nor presence in my person at my Justifying For faith alone without any efficiency or any presence of workes within mee doth make me to have this right Because when I am to bee justified I have not within me any workes at all that any way qualifie me or can bee truely sayd to be resident in mee For manifest it is that I am then in the state and condition of a sinner if not legally of a transgressor against the Law yet morally of one somewhat improbous who was many wayes peccant in the rules of morality equity decency and mercy and jurally of one calamitous who must suffer and die like a sinner for the proper subject of Justification is a sinner But from my Tenure I exclude not faith but include and suppose it adding and adjoyning my workes unto it Because in my Justification faith hath a double efficiency first a procreant to constitute it and secondly a conservant to continue it Yet that degree of conservancy which flowes from faith is so imperfect that unlesse it be perfected by the accesse of works fayth alone is not able to conserve it selfe for without workes shee is dead Yet from my Tenure I exclude the solitarinesse both of my faith and of my workes for neither faith alone without workes nor workes alone without faith but both concurring and joyned together viz. faith conducting and co-operating with workes and workes accompanying and seconding faith doe justifie me conservantly as my Tenure making mee to continue and hold that state of divine alliance which faith alone did create and constitute And heerein I give the preeminence to faith for I say not thus Workes with faith but thus Faith with workes doth make up my Tenure faith as the principall and workes as accessories thereto to animate enable and render faith effectuall unto that effect which alone without workes it can not performe Because faith without workes is imperfect and dead but working with workes is by workes made perfect and effectuall And true it is that Workes doe also justifie declaratively because they declare manifest and shew that faith which doeth justifie efficiently and which alone without workes is efficient procreantly and which being alone without workes can not be declared For words will not serve the turne to declare the existence of faith but this service must be done by works And therefore the existence of that faith which is solitary alone and without workes can by no meanes bee sufficiently declared Hence saith the Apostle Jam. 2.18 Shew mee thy faith without thy workes Shew me if thou canst or thou canst not shew mee that faith of thine which is without workes or which is solitary or alone by it selfe for by thy words in saying thou hast faith it is not sufficiently shewed and by thy workes it cannot possibly be shewed because as thou acknowledgest it is a solitary faith which is alone by it selfe destitute of workes And I will shew thee my faith by my workes i. e. But I will shew thee my operary faith which worketh with workes for I will and doe declare it by my workes because I acknowledge that my faith is seconded and accompanied with workes Now because faith is declared or shewed by workes therfore workes are a Signe of faith and consequently they are a Signe of Justification to declare and shew the state of it because faith is a cause whereof Justification is the effect and whatsoever is a Signe of the cause is also a Signe of the effect Yet this is not all and the whole influence which workes have unto Justification that they are a Signe of faith to declare it But moreover workes are a cause of faith to effect it yet not a cause procreant to constitute and produce it but a cause conservant to continue and maintaine it For Jam. 2.26 As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Now the Spirit whereby the body respireth and breatheth is a cause of the body yet not a cause procreant to give the body life and being but a cause conservant to continue and maintaine the life and being of it And consequently workes are also a cause conservant of that Justification whereof faith is a cause wholly procreant and partly conservant and to conserve Justification is to justifie For seeing that unto many words I willingly allow severall senses not only modall but reall I cannot with equity deny the like courtesie unto the Verbe Justified for the honour of those two great Apostles Paul and James who were planters of the Gospel and pillars of the Church especially when I consider the severall parties with whom they had to deale For Paul by his assertion opposeth the Judaizers who as was formerly shewed upon the 14. verse of this Chapter were Operaries and Rituaries standing so much for the workes and Ceremonies of the Law that they made workes the sole and whole efficient cause of Justification both the cause conservant to continue and maintaine the state of it and also the cause procreant to
was not his love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when his love to God with whom he had alliance only by faith surpassed his love to his only son with whom hee had alliance by nature and in whose behalfe he had received the promises Againe Jam. 2.25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when shee had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Did not Rahab continue justified by her worke in receiving rhe Messengers Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not an office of love or as she called it Jos 2.12 a shewing of kindnesse whereby she entertayned and lodged strangers Was not her love super-legall above and beyond the Law for did any Law command that a woman of the City should entertain Spies who came to prepare the destruction of the City And was not her love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when she shewed kindnesse to her enemies in housing hiding and sending them out another way These Offices of love at least the super-legall are the workes whereby at the day of Judgement my Justification must take effect for my salvation or finall possession of that inheritance whereto I am justified For according to these works the finall sentence of Blessednes is formed and pronounced by Christ for the righteous Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye tooke me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And although to me in my owne person ye did not this yet in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me And for default of these workes my present Justification will then at that day become of no benefit unto mee but will prove frustrate voyd and of no effect For according to the contrary of these workes the contrary sentence of eternall death is framed and pronounced upon the wicked whether they were ever justified or not justified as appeareth in the following part of that Chapter VERSE 19. Text. For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Sense Through the Law i. e. Through the death of the Law which is expired and dead I am dead to the Law i. e. I have left my old carnall life according to the letter and rules of the Law and doe not the workes thereof That I might live unto God viz. In a new spirituall life aceptable and pleasing to God Reason Heere begins a second Argument to prove the Negative of his principall assertion concerning Justification namely that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law and consequently that he himselfe was not so justified for having translated his discourse unto his owne person hee continueth his argument accordingly For because the Law it selfe is expired and dead therefore it can produce no such effect as to justifie mee for a thing that is dead is without effect And because I am dead to the Law not living by her rules nor doing her workes therefore by them I cannot bee justified for no man is justified by an act which hee doth not And his purpose heerein is that this argument should conclude much more for the Gentiles for if the Law bee dead unto Paul who was a Jew by nature and for whom it was enacted much more was it dead unto the Gentiles upon whom it was never in force and therefore much lesse should they bee forced to the workes of it This verse seemes to bee the summe of the first sixe verses in the seventh Chapter to the Romans Comment The Law ordayned as perpetuall Not limited to a time certaine Yet limited to a time uncertaine But is now expired how far and why so and to what effect and sub-effect FOR I through the Law There must heer be made a supply of the word Death or some such like to that sense thus For I through the death expiration or cessation of the Law am dead expired or ceased to the Law The Law of Moses in respect of the duration how long it should continue and remaine in force was ordayned by God to be perpetuall for unto many ordinances thereof there are annexed expresse words of perpetuity So Circumcision which was the soveraigne ordinance and the chiefe Ceremony of the whole Law was enjoyned for an everlasting covenant Gen. 17.13 And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant So the Passover was to be observed as an Ordinance for ever Exod. 12.14 And you shall keepe it a Feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keep it a Fevst by an Ordinance for ever So the Sabbath was to be observed for a perpetual covenant Exod. 31.16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant So the Fast of Expiation was to bee an everlasting statute Levit. 16.34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an attonement for the Children of Israel for all their sinnes once a yeare So the holy Assemblies or Festivals of the Lord mentioned Levit. 23. were to bee statutes for ever throughout their generations in all their dwellings So the Lamps for the Sanctuary Lev. 24.3 must burne before the Lord continually it shall be a statute for ever in your generations And the like is sayd for the Shewbread Levit. 24.8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant Notwithstanding all these severall expressions of Perpetuity yet the Law of Moses was not ordayned to bee so everlasting that it should last as long as the World lasteth and have no end till the Worlds end For this opinion was and is the errour of the unbeleeving Jewes and of the beleeving Judaizers But the Law of Moses though it was ordayned to bee perpetuall and everlasting yet withall it was ordayned also to bee transitory mutable and ceaseable For the understanding whereof wee must observe that the duration of the Law was ordered two wayes 1. The duration of it was not limited to any time certaine or to a set number of yeares And in this respect it was perpetuall or everlasting especially because as the event shewed it lasted for the space of fifteene hundred yeares and according to the phrase of the Scripture any long space of time or any thing lasting long is called everlasting as Psal 24.7 And bee yee lift up yee everlasting doores i. e. Ye doores of Cedar which is a long lasting wood For the Perpetuity or everlastingnesse of a Law implieth not a duration infinite that should never have an end but consisteth in a duration
more firme and sure then that which is setled by the meanes of a Testament an instrument which naturally requireth all favourable construction that things may take effect according to the best meaning of the Testator And was it not the richnesse of Gods grace that hee would settle this Testament by the death of Christ who was his owne and onely son whom he made his substitute to dye in his stead for the testifying confirming and executing of his Testament that it might be in force and take effect whereby I might finally enjoy the benefit of it For could not God have setled his Testament by meanes lesse chargeable and costly to him then the precious bloud of his owne Son And lastly this richnes and abundance of grace was it not grace onely for grace onely for my thankes i. e. onely for my fayth to accept the present right to it for my hope to expect the future possession of it and for my love to performe the condition of it For is not the richnesse of this grace abundant enough to draw these thankes from mee Is it not rich enough to perswade my faith to accept the present right to my Legacy and to embrace it with all my heart and all my soule Seeing Christ hath dyed to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee For is faith to bee given to any thing which I have not seene if this bee not credible and to bee believed Is not this grace rich enough to assure my hope to receive the future possession of my Legacy for when the Executor of the Testament so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake that the Will might bee in force for which hee dyed can I imagine that hee will deny mee my Legacy For what will not hee give me who gave himselfe for mee When the Executor sitteth at the right hand of the Testator upon his Throne in Heaven where he hath all honour and power to doe all things can I imagine that hee can bee either unwilling or unable to performe the whole Will of the Testator For will such an Executor in such a condition wrong the Testator or defraud any Legatary who is co-heire with him Is not this grace rich enough to procure my love to performe the condition of my Legacy For seeing the Executor so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake to performe the condition of his Executorship Is it not reason that I should love him againe and chearefully addresse my selfe to the workes of love in all the waies of holynesse which is the condition of my Legacy If therefore I conceive that this grace of God comes to mee by the Law and claime my right to it by the Law Doe I not heereby wave the death of Christ and suppose that hee dyed without a cause that there was no neede of his death to testifie confirme and execute the New Testament And consequently doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God and disanul the gratious meanes whereby it was conveyed and finally debarre my selfe from the benefit of it For what right have I to this grace of God if that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee bee of no force and have no effect For what force or effect can any Testament have which is not testified confirmed and executed But contrarily if I meane that Gods grace shall bee effectuall and will hope to enjoy the blessing of it I must acknowledge the gracious meanes whereby it was conveyed unto mee namely through the death of Christ who shed his pretious blood to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it was conveyed For this grace was not given by meanes of the Law but it came by the meanes of Jesus Christ John 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Hence the New Testament is called the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20.24 So that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And afterward it is called the word of his grace in the same Chapter vers 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace But unto the Law grace is contrary for they are things in themselves opposite Rom. 6.14 Yee are not under the Law but under grace Thus the causes of Christs death were repugnant to the effect of the Law and were consequent to the effects of Gods Love and Grace The Contents of this Second Chapter are 1. History Paul went not to Jerusalem to learne the Gospel vers 1. 1. Because fourteene yeares after his Preaching of it he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and tooke Titus with him also vers eod 2. Because he went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which hee Peached among the Gentiles vers 2. 3. Because Titus who was with him was not compelled to bee circumcised although and because it was urged of false brethren to whom he gave place by subjection no not for an houre vers 3 4 5. 2. History Paul was no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles vers 6. 1. Because from those who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were he differed nothing vers eod 2. Because they who semed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to him vers eod 3. Because they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter vers 7. 4. Because hee that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in Paul towards the Gentiles vers 8. 5. Because when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto Paul they gave to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship onely desiring them to remember the poore vers 9.10 3. History At Antioch Paul withstood Peter to his face vers 11. 1. Because Peter was to be blamed vers eod 2. Because before that certain came from James Peter did eate with the Gentiles But when they were come he withdrew fearing them of the circumcision vers 12. 3. Because the other Jewes dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation vers 13. 4. Because when Paul saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel hee sayd unto Peter before them all if thou being a Jew livest as the Gentiles and not as the Jewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as the Jewes vers 14. 4. Doctrine A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ vers 16. 1. Because by the workes of the Law shall no flesh bee declared righteous v. eod 2. Because through the death of the Law I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God for I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet no more I the man that I was but Christ liveth in mee And though I now live in a body of flesh yet I live in the Faith or Religion not of Moses but of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me vers 19.20 3. Because I doe not frustrate the grace of God for if the right whereto I am justified come by the Law then Christ dyed without cause vers 21. 5. Duty While wee seeke to bee justified by Christ we must not bee found sinners to continue in sinne vers 17. 1. Because God forbid that Christ should bee or be thought to bee the Minister of sinne vers eod 2. Because if I build againe the things or sinnes which I destroyed I make my selfe a transgressour vers 18. FINIS O My Heavenly loving Father that hast justified mee to bee thy sonne and hast given mee faith to accept the grace of it Circumcise my heart of flesh and cut away from it all carnall love operate and polish it with thy spirit and engrave therein thy Law of love that with all reverence and obedience I may worship and serve thee in all the offices and duties of a sonne lest I prove an ungracious wretch unworthy of so gracious a Father And thou my deare Lord and Saviour that hast dyed to buy mee with thy bloud to make me thy Brother and Co-heire make mee thy Disciple in love that from thee I may learne the wayes of love and for thy sake love them that are thine doing to all men as I would they should doe unto mee
THE IUSTIFICATION OF A SINNER Being the Maine ARGUMENT OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS By a Reverend and Learned Divine NON ALTVM PETO I.S. LONDON Printed by T. H. and are to be sold at the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1650. THE PREFACE For the Reading of the Epistle to the GALATIANS In five Particulars The situation of Galatia Her Inhabitants Her reception of the Gospel Her false Teachers Their false Doctrine Their Arguments for it Their designe in it The Scope and parts of this Epistle three Pauls Apostleship is immediate from Christ and no way inferiour to the chiefe Apostles Circumcision is of it selfe a thing indifferent Justification makes us a right unto Blessednesse whereto Faith in Christ is our title and workes of Love are our tenure and these two are sufficient But workes of the Law are neither title nor tenure Paul exhorts to severall holy duties He argues variously 1. Gravely 2. Severely 3. Gently For the time and the place 1. The Direction IT is addressed to the Churches of Galatia The Land of Judea extending it so as sometime it is to include Samaria and Galilee is bounded on the South with Arabia the Desert wherein the Famous Mount Sinai is seated But on the North it bordereth upon Syria whereof anciently it was a Province for therefore the King of Syria is by the Prophet Daniel frequently called the King of the North. And North from Syria lies Cilicia the Native Country of St. Paul and North from Cilicia is Galatia whereof the Metropolis or Chiefe City is the Famou◠Ancyrà from whence the people of the whole Country are by some Historians called Ancyrans So that the Countries of Arabia Judea Syria Cilicia and Galatia lye as it were in a Line under the same Meridian successively North-ward the latter still more Northerly then the former Galatia being a large Province of Asia the lesse was originally inhabited by the Greekes But afterward some 360 yeares before Christ was possessed by the Gaules or French who quartering and mingling themselves with Greekes gave occasion that the Countrey was called Gallo-Graecia or Graeco-Gallia i. e. that part of Greece wherein the Gaules lived At last the Jewes whose manner was being a populous Nation to disperse their Families into divers other Countries seated themselves as sojourners or strangers in the chiefe Cities of Galatia where they had their severall Synagogues as the French and Dutch in some Cities of England have their proper Congregations Into this Countrey of Galatia bordering upon Cilicia Paul being a Cilician borne did in discharge of his Ministery make two severall journeys The first by way of Plantation to publish the Gospel and the second by way of Visitation to confirme the Believers in it And those Believers of Galatia who came in unto the Faith whether from the Jewes or from the Gentiles for there came in from both are in respect of their severall Congregations stiled by the Apostle the Churches of Galatia unto whom he directs this Epistle 2. The Occasion AFter Pauls finall departure from Galatia into other Countries to plant and settle the Greeke and Latine Churches there arose in the Congregations of Galatia certaine false Teachers who by Birth and Nation were not Jewes but Proselytes or Strangers who had lived among the Jewes in Judea where by Religion they became Christians and from thence travelled afterward into Galatia amongst whom it seemes by Ecclesiasticall Writers Cerinthus was the leading man The false Doctrine taught by these was That unto Salvation the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law were necessary especially that of Circumcision Yet heerewith they taught not that Faith in Christ and Holynesse of life were either to bee rejected or neglected But approving the necessity of these they pressed their insufficiency alledging that Faith and Holynesse were not sufficient and prevalent to procure us a right interest and claime unto the Blessings promised in the Gospel unlesse to our Faith and Holynesse wee super-added Circumcision Thus they framed a complyance of Christ with Moses to compound the Gospel with the Law or rather if wee consider the moment of the matter to substitute the Law instead of the Gospel for both of them cannot subsist together The Arguments whereby they raised and maintained this Doctrine were chiefely Calumnies against St. Paul partly by extolling Peter James and John as the chiefe Pillars of the Church as Apostles ordained by Christ himselfe as Residentiaries of Jerusalem in the Consistory of Christ partly by disparaging Pauls Apostleship and opposing the authority of the Apostles against his authority as that hee had not the authority of an Apostle or if hee had any it was but derivative onely from them and therefore was inferiour to them That hee was the onely man who opposed the Ceremonies of the Law for the rest of the Apostles allowed of them and indeede for a time they seemed to allow them prudently concealing their minde in that point lest otherwise the Jewes of Judea where they chiefly preached being blindly zealous for the Law should have taken distast against the Gospel That hee in the poynt of Circumcision was inconstant and various sometime urging it as hee did upon Timothy and sometime opposing it as hee did in Titus The Designe or end of this Doctrine was double 1. That by this means these Teachers might render themselves gratious amongst the Jewes who highly esteemed the use of their ancient Lawes and consequently that heereby they might become capable of all Honours Offices Priviledges and Commodities granted then to the Jewes in divers places 2. That heereby they might decline those persecutions and other inconveniences whereto those Christians were subject who professed the purity of the Gospel stripped from the Jewish Ceremonies For in those times by the Civill Lawes of Rome and by the Edicts of the Romane Emperours the Jewes in all places enjoyed the free exercise of their Religion But so did not the Christians who were every where vexed by all Vnbelievers on all hands both by Jewes and Gentiles as appeares throughout the Acts of the Apostles 3. The Intention THE maine Scope of St. Paul in this Epistle is to reduce the Galatians from their Jewish errour in retaining and adhering to the workes and Ceremonies of the Law unto the sincerity and purity of the Gospel as will best appeare in the parts of the Epistle which besides the Salutation and Valediction seeme principally three 1. A Defence of his Apostleship cap. 1. ver 6. c. For because the false teachers by impugning his Apostleship had grounded and raised their errour therefore he with great courage and freedome of language doth vindicate the Office and authority thereof as that hee had not his Apostleship from the Apostles nor by the Apostles but as immediately from Christ as ever they had theirs That hee was no way inferiour to the chiefe of the Apostles either for knowledge in the mysteries of Christ or for power in Preaching the Gospel That they acknowledged the
Certainly not to this that thereupon we should imagine Repentance or holinesse to be a thing impossible or should esteeme good works not necessary or should differ from the evill men of this present world in nothing but in our faith taking liberty to live licentiously without feare of punishment that grace may abound and God may have all the glory of it as the false teachers among the Galatians who besides the faith of the Gospel urged the works of the Law conceived of Pauls doctrine and in the next Chapter ver 17. will object it against him But the end or effect which the remission of our sinnes should have upon us is to move and draw us to Repentance or holinesse of life For Christ died or gave himselfe for the remission of our sinnes that hee might deliver us from that servitude of sin wherin the men of this present world are enthralled Now this deliverance is done only by Repentance because Repentance only doth separate and withdraw us from the service of sin and wickednes And the Reasons why the forgivenesse of our sinnes should cause our Repentance are two 1. Because the forgivenesse of our sinnes is granted us in relation to our repentance It hath been the businesse of Gods spirit in all ages to struggle with man and to draw him from wickednesse Under the Law God ordayned severall punishments by violent death for it but this was a base and servile way for Gods people to be kept in aw only through feare and it was a defective faulty or weak way because those penalties by death could not doe the deed to deliver or withdraw men from wickednesse Under the Gospel therefore God proceeds in a contrary course by reversing all penalties and granting a generall pardon for all sinnes to the end that what the Law could not doe by way of feare that the Gospel might effect by reasons of Gods love that wee in thankfulnesse for so great a blessing might answer his love with our love and therupon for his sake might forsake the wayes of wickednesse And God sealed this Pardon with the bloud of Christ that his love in not sparing his own Son and the love of Christ in laying downe his life for us might the more endeare and engage us to the works of Repentance and holinesse Unto which effect what further means are there conducent besides the feare of God in punishing sin and the love of God in forgiving it 2. Because our Repentance or holinesse is the condition wherupon the forgivenesse of our sinnes is to take effect Every Beleever by vertue of his beliefe or faith hath a present right to the future forgivenesse of his sinnes and his present right to that forgivenesse is absolute or simple without any condition For his beliefe or faith is not the condition thereof but the nomination whereby the Right of forgivenesse and the rest of the Legacies devised in Gods Will are assigned unto him for that and the rest are setled upon all the faithfull by their name of Beleevers But the future fruition of that forgivenesse is conditionall for it is limited or restrayned unto the condition of Repentance or holinesse for though all Beleevers have a present right to the forgivenesse of their sins yet only those Beleevers who are penitent or holy shall enjoy the future benefit of that Right By reason of which limitation the benefit or effect of actuall forgivenesse is suspended untill the condition of holinesse bee accomplished Which condition being never performed God stands no way engaged for the future to forgive actually those sinnes unto the forgivenesse whereof the Beleever had once a present Right Hence Christ makes our Forgiving of one another an adequate condition of Gods forgiving us that if we forgive one another which act in us is a good degree of our repentance or holinesse then will God forgive us but if we forgive not God will not forgive us what former promise soever he hath made or what present right soever we have thereto Matt. 6.14 If yee forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if yee forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses If Gods forgivenesse heere mentioned be not conditionall then must wee needs averre that either there is no such thing as a condition or that hitherto the thing is not rightly understood what it meaneth Likewise every time wee pray to God for forgivenesse as Christ taught us to pray for it we aske it upon this condition of forgiving others Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us Or if on our part this condition be not expressed yet on Gods part it is alwayes implied and understood But if in this life our sinnes bee absolutely and actually forgiven there can bee no cause why wee should dayly pray for their forgivenes because no man prayes for what he already hath and enjoyeth But because Gods promise to forgive us is conditionall therefore we dayly pray that God would finally performe his promise upon our performance of the condition Heerupon it is that Christ makes the forgivenes of sinnes a Motive unto Repentance in saying to the Cripple whom he had healed John 5.14 Thou art now made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Under the words Thou art made whole Christ comprehendeth the forgivenes of his sinnes because the ordinary forme of words wherewith Christ healed was by saying Thy sinnes are forgiven thee Peter also presseth the same doctrine that the forgivenesse of our sinnes should make us to repent or die to sin 1. Pet. 2.24 Who his own selfe bare or tooke away our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse The word heere in the originall for dead doth properly signifie departed but is elegantly Englished dead because it is opposed to live in the clause following but especially because all the dead are departed and therefore all that are dead to sin are departed from sin which makes the nature of repentance And the woman who had beene a sinner did carefully put this doctrine in practice and shewed us an example of it in her owne person for she upon the forgivenesse of her sinnes was thereby moved unto acts of holinesse in the works of love and because her sinnes were many her love was so much the more in washing and wiping in kissing and anointing the feet of Christ And Christ afterward declared that her motive to this great love was the forgivenesse of her many sinnes adding withall this verity Luke 7.47 To whom little is forgiven the same loveth little From whence it followeth that hee who loveth not to him nothing is forgiven or at least the forgivenesse will come to nothing because if it come to something it must needs come to some love And Christ must bee the Judge of the condition For his office it is to examine the reality of it whether
to him that teacheth it but it seldome troubles the soul that receives it whereas errour disquiets and distracts the conscience leaving her uncertaine of the issue pretended and troubling her about the means thereto leading And would pervert the Gospel of Christ The issue of their counterfeit Gospel which though it might not be the intent of the false teachers yet it would bee the event that the Gospel of Christ would thereby be perverted i. e. it would bee cast into a new mould or frame contrary to the forme it had before The addition of Circumcision and other legall Ceremonies doth adulterate and corrupt the Gospel of Christ by compounding it into a new nature contrary to the genuine simplicity and sincerity wherein it was originally planted and taught for they confound the Gospel who compound and complie it with the law because they who unto the Gospel of Christ would super-adde the law of Moses must consequently needs teach that Grace on Gods part and faith on our part make not a sufficient title to our right of inheritance unto blessednesse but that our title by grace and faith requires a further corroboration from our works according to the law of Moses such as Circumcision and difference of meats which are such servile works and such beggerly services unto God and so far from making us a title to have that right that they serve not for a tenure whereby to hold it but that right must bee held by our filiall works of love as wee are the sonnes and heires of God and as they are prescribed in the Gospel of Christ which works Evangelicall are of a more noble nature and more pleasing to God then the legall works under the law which were but beggerly and servile services VERSE 8. Text. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him bee accursed Sense But though we i. e. Though I. Or an Angel from heaven i. e. an heavenly Angel Which we have preached i. e. Which I have preached Reason Though formerly the Apostle had sufficiently declared that the revolt of the Galatians from the Gospel of Christ was a foul errour and that they who obtruded another counterfeit gospel upon them were corrupters of the true Gospel and therefore not to be followed yet heere also hee further insisteth upon the same point shewing them what they are to thinke of any other person whatsoever that should presume to preach any doctrine contrary to his or different from it Comment Angels are some celestiall others infernall Doctrine may be false two wayes 1. Directly 2. Indirectly And such are humane Traditions The doome of false Doctrine BUt though we or an Angel from heaven Wee i. e. I Paul for he speaks only of or concerning himselfe using the plurall number for the singular as appears in the words in the verse following as we have sayd before for Paul only was the person who had sayd the words of this verse And the force of this argument is very moving because the Apostle argues for the truth of his owne doctrine even against himselfe q. d. Not only they who trouble you and would enforce a new gospel upon you are to bee wholly rejected but also I my selfe if I should attempt it am to bee repelled as an execrable person And not only I but if an Angel should come to you as an Evangelist or an Apostle with a message from Heaven contrary to the doctrine by me planted amongst you he is in like maner to be abandoned The words from heaven are not to be referred to the act of preaching but to the person of the Angel to whom they are an attribute and signifie only an heavenly Angel for there are Angels who in respect of their residence are celestiall and supernall in the highest Heaven and there are Angels who for their residence are aereall and infernall for in comparison of the highest Heaven which is most supernall the Ayre which makes the lowest Heaven is infernall Hence wicked spirits are called Princes of the Ayre and are sayd to bee in Heavenly Places i. e. in the Ayre for the Ayre though in respect of the highest Heaven above it it bee Hell yet in respect of the Earth below it it is Heaven and consequently the Ayre in a different and subalterne respect is both Heaven and Hell See and compare Mat. 6.26 and Luk. 13.19 and Ephes 2.2 and Ephes 3.10 and Ephes 6.12 and 2. Pet. 2.4 But to supply the Argument with the greater force the Apostle supposeth a condition altogether impossible seeing it could never come to passe that either hee himselfe should against himselfe or an Angel from Heaven against him should ever attempt to preach another Gospel Should preach any other Gospel unto you then that which wee have preached The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. literally should preach unto you besides what wee have preached Heereby is excluded from the Gospel of Christ all such Doctrine that is either against his Gospel or besides it for whatsoever Doctrine is against it is also besides it and more then besides it and consequently all such Doctrine is excluded as alien from the Gospel of Christ which either doth wholly alter or partly subvert the way delivered by Paul for obtaining a true right and a right title to the Inheritance of Blessednesse And this is done either directly when any thing is taught manifestly contrary to that Doctrine which is necessary to salvation as to teach that Jesus is not the Christ or that there is no New Covenant Or indirectly when any thing not necessary is proposed and urged as necessary though it bee not contrary to the Gospel of Christ but onely disparate or diverse from it as to urge the Ceremonies either of Moses or of others as necessary to salvation for by this meanes the way to salvation is partly changed and assigned to some by-way whereto Christ and his Apostles assigned it not Yet because at that time the legall Ceremonies were urged as necessary to salvation especially by those Christians which were converted from Judaisme whose infirmity was tolerated by the rest of the Apostles and by Paul himselfe who Rom. 14. plainely declares that their opinion was no prejudice to their salvation Therefore wee must not affirme that it was the Apostles minde in this place to pronounce a curse upon all those who any manner of way should teach something as necessary to salvation besides what hee had taught if they taught it out of meere ignorance or errour but those onely hee pronounceth accursed who out of arrogance or some by-respect should presse as necessary to salvation those things which they knew the Apostle had taught to bee not necessary Doth not this Text reach unto the Church of Rome who urgeth as necessary to salvation the Traditions and Precepts of the Church as shee calls them which shee acknowledgeth not to bee comprised in the
Gospel which hee preached was not humane but divine drawne from a narration of his conversion from the Jewish Religion to the Christian and first hee puts them in minde of his carriage in Judaisme and of his zeale to the Law while hee lived a Pharisee that from thence they might collect that hee would by no meanes ever have forsaken the Ceremonies of Moses and the Traditions of his Fathers unlesse God or Christ himselfe had withdrawne him from them after a miraculous and manifest manner and further that in preaching of the Gospel his present asserting of faith against the workes of the Law proceeded not from any hatred of the Law whereto once hee was so wholly addicted but onely from the Authority and command of Christ Comment Pauls former conversatioÌ„ was not his piety But his Activity In persecuting the Church and in wasting it which is a Metaphor taken from Warre or from a cursed Judgement And argues Pauls former fury and his excesse FOR yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewish Religion By his former conversation in the Jewish Religion wherein after the most straitest Sect hee lived a Pharisee hee understands not his piety towards God in any acts of devotion for the worshippe and service of God whereto the Pharisees above the rest of the Jewes were great Pretenders especially for the acts of fasting and praying for as it appeares by the description of their Devotions recorded in the Gospel they fasted thrice in the weeke they prayed publickly in the corners of the streetes and they prayed tediously by making long prayers although all this were Hypocrisie Yet Paul by his conversation in this place hath reference to none of these But hee meanes his activity or madnesse as himselfe calls it in being wholly transported with fervency and zeale to defend the Law and oppose the Gospell by persecuting and destroying the Professours thereof as himselfe intimates in the words following For all the conversation of some men in their Religion especially of those who professe themselves the strictest is onely a blinde and bloody zeale to persecute and destroy all Dissenters from them and the murders they commit by the fury of this zeale they account the worshippe and service of God as Christ foretold it unto his Disciples John 16.2 Of Pauls former conversation this way the Galatians must needes heare either before or at least upon his planting of the Gospel amongst them because his persecution was very generall entering into every house haling men and women to prison and because the dispersion of the Disciples therupon was very generall also for they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word See Act. 8.3.4 And because of the fearfull accident that fell upon him in his journey to persecute at Damascus neare whereunto hee was strucken to the ground with lightning from Heaven the fact whereof was so notorious and publick that the fame of it must needes spread to the hearing of the Galatians seeing the confines of Galatia lay not farre remote from the confines of Syria whereof Damascus was the chiefe City How that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God An instance or example of his conversation in the Jewish Religion namely that beyond measure he persecuted the Church of God and beyond measure wasted it Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse even unto extremity for Beyond measure is an expressâ—on too flat and too dry to utter the sharpnesse and bloudinesse of that persecution wherewith Paul once wasted the Church of God for therein he exceeded unto all extremity Into the profession of persecution Paul as it seemes had his initiation at the martyrdome of Stephen with whose bloud his zeale was fleshed for he was accessory to Stephens death by consenting thereto and by keeping the rayment of them that stoned him See Acts 7.58 and Acts 22.20 Of the bloudy persecution against the Church at Jerusalem whereby all the Saints were thence scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea and Samaria though the chiefe Priests were the chiefe authors yet Paul was the chiefe actor for hee entred not only into every Synagogue but into every house and haling out men and women committed them to prison See Acts 8.3 and Acts 26.11 Hee sollicited the high Priest for authority and obtayned a commission from him to commit the like outrage in the Synagogues at Damascus as he had executed before in those at Jerusalem See Acts 9.1.2 and Acts 22.5 and Acts 26.12 And wasted it The degree of his persecution was that it proceeded unto wasting of the Church for that word expresseth the extremity of his persecution that it advanced and increased not only beyond measure but beyond all excesse The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred elsewhere in our last English Translation destroyed See Act. 9.21 and afterward in this cap. ver 23. which expression is too generall and flat coming short of the full sense of the word but in this place it is fully and properly translated wasted For wasting is a speciall kind of destruction executed with fury and excesse not only upon mens persons but upon their lands and goods and properly signifies a vast destruction For Wast is a metaphor taken from War by the fury wherof a Countrey is depopulated the people slaine with the sword the Towns burnt downe by fire the cattell driven away and all the goods made a prey such a Wast was done upon Jericho Jos 6.21.24 Or rather Wast seemes to be a metaphor taken from the Execution of a heavy Judgement upon a cursed person who to be made an example unto others is put to a fearfull death his wife and children turned out of doores and his house pulled down to the ground his gardens supplanted his meadowes plowed his trees digged up by the roots and all his goods forfeited Such a wast was by the judgement of God executed upon the house of Jeroboam upon the house of Baasha upon the house of Ahab and upon the house of Baal which was turned into a draught-house See 1. King 15.29 and 1. King 16.3.4 and 1. King 21.22 and 2. King 10.27 Such a Wast in a maner Paul laboured to bring upon the Church of God as it may easily appeare from two grounds 1. From the fury of his mind for hee was exceeding mad against the Church of God and his mind was so bloudy that his very breath was bloud in breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord. See Act. 9.1 and Act. 26.11 2. From the excesse of his actions for he haled men and women out of their houses into prison he forced divers into banishment persecuting them even unto strange Cities hee punished the Saints in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and when they were put to death hee suffraged or gave his voyce against them in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word explicates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he made havocke of the
before even then when his persecution was in action for the deede thereof being done at Jerusalem the same thereof came presently to the Churches of Judea and afterwards spread beyond Syria and Cilicia even to the Churches of Galatia who had also heard of it as hee mentions it unto them before in this Chapter vers 13. But of his latter action in preaching the faith the Churches of Judea for the space of three yeares after hee began to preach it heard not a word or if they heard any thing thereof they beleft it not for when Paul after three yeares of preaching the Gospel in Arabia and Damascus came from Damascus into Jerusalem neither the Churches of Judea nor those of Jerusalem had heard of it for the faithfull at Jerusalem were all afraid of him and beleeved not that hee was a Christian as was shewed before from Acts 9.26 But upon that returne of Paul to Jerusalem the Church of Jerusalem first heard of his Preaching the Faith and she heard of it by Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles and declared unto them both his calling and his Preaching how wonderfully Christ had called him and how powerfully he had Preached Christ at Damascus Act. 9.27 And from the Church of Jerusalem the Churches of Judea circumjacent might easily heare the report of it That he which persecuted us in times past These words are related here by Paul but are the words spoken by the Churches of Judea containing the report they had heard of Paul Paul before in this Chap. vers 13. saith to the Galatians that he had persecuted the Church of God and here he saith that the Churches of Judea had heard of him he which persecuted us yet between his saying and theirs there is no difference concerning the object of his persecution or the persons by him persecuted who in his saying and theirs are still the same because the Churches of Judea were the Churches of God for they were particular Churches of that universall Church which Paul in particular places persecuted in times past And very probable it is that some single persons either teachers or Members in those Churches of Judea were by Paul actually persecuted and forced from Jerusalem upon the Martyrdome of Stephen because the times past were not long past for it was but a matter of three yeares before And those Saints which then were not at Jerusalem were notwithstanding persecuted in that persecution for as when one member of the body suffereth all the members suffer with it so when any one part of the Church is persecuted all the faithfull who are the members thereof and Christ himselfe who is the head thereof is also persecuted for Christ complained that in that very persecution himselfe was persecuted see Act. 9.5 Now the Apostle inculcates the memory of his former persecution into the mindes of the Galatians thereby to maintaine their perswasion of him that so great a Zelot for the Law of Moses as therefore to persecute the Church of Christ had not cast off his patronage of the Law or layd aside his malice against the Gospel without just and weighty causes Now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed The Faith i. e. the Doctrine of faith or the Gospel of Christ for so it is recorded of Paul that at Damascus he had preached Christ and in the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 9.20.27 For in Scripture Faith is often taken for the Motive whereby we believe and for the matter which we believe whether that matter be a single verity or the whole body of the Gospel See Gal. 3.2.5.23 and Ephes 4.5 Which once The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in times past for so it was translated in the words immediatly going before in reference to the persecution and seeing here is the same word in the same sense why should it not here have the same expression for where the elegancies in the Language of the holy Ghost may be fully expressed in our native language there is no reason we should decline them Hee destroyed The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. wasted for so it was rendred before in this translation verse 13. and he wasted the Faith or the Doctrine of it by using all meanes either by himself or by his Friends to withdraw men from the profession of it and by labouring to being a great destruction upon them for therein consisteth the nature of wasting as was shewed before verse 13. And the words of this verse are serviceable to continue his argument q. d. The Christian Churches in Judea knew me not by face but only by heare-say yet they heard nothing how I learned the Gospel but only that I taught and preached it VERSE 24. Text. And they glorified God in mee Sense They. i. e. The Churches of Judea In mee i. e. In my behalfe for me or by reason of me Reason A Christian consequent of Devotion in the Churches of Judea to praise God for his mercy to his Church Comment AND they glorified God The Churches of Judea hearing that Paul preached the Faith did thereupon glorifie and praise God for it was an ancient custome among the people of God to give praise and thankes to God for any extraordinary worke of God See Mat. 9.8 and Mat. 15.31 and Luk. 7.16 and Acts 4.21 particularly upon the same of a sinners repentance or of any mans conversion to the faith especially if he had been a persecutor of it because such a conversion hath in it more then ordinary and is an immediate worke of God And such was Pauls conversion wherein the good grace of God was extreamly powerfull by drawing him from one extreame to another that is from being a Persecutor of the Faith not only to the state of a Beleever but beyond that state to become a Preacher of it In mee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in my behalfe by reason or because of me for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because in which sense this phrase is an Hebraisme noting any kinde of causality especially that which is rationall and so it is used elsewhere See and compare John 13.31 32. and John 17.10 and 2. Cor. 12.9 and Ephes 3.13 The ground or reason why the Churches of Judea glorified God was because of Gods grace to Paul in converting him to the Faith and because of Gods grace to his Church by Pauls Preaching of the Faith The Contents of this First Chapter 1. Preface Wherein are contayned 1. Authour Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father verse 1. 2. Approvers All the brethren which are with me verse 2. 3. Direction Vnto the Churches of Galatia verse 2. 4. Salutation Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for our sins that c. vers 3.4 5. Devotion To God bee
in Christ yet they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospell but lived as did the Jewes These labouring a compliance betweene Moses and Christ did teach and professe that the Law and the Gospel the Old and New Testament were all one and the same or at the most that the latter was but an addition or supplement to the former and that there was no coming unto Christ and to the Gospell but by passing first through Moses and the Law These were Operaries and Rituaries i. e. so much for the Workes and Ceremonies of the Law that they made Workes the cause conservant to continue justification and therefore after their faith and justification in Christ to the end that they might continue and abide in that state they continued in the Workes of the Law as in practising the use of Circumcision in abstaining from divers meates both of Flesh Fish and Fowle and especially from all meates that had beene offered unto Idolls in observing divers seasons of dayes moneths times and yeares And proceeding yet further at last they came to this that they made Workes also the cause procreant of justification to constitute create and begin the state of it for therefore they urged their Workes especially Circumcision upon the Gentiles as necessary unto salvation Of this Sect were they who are mentioned Acts. 15.1 And certain men which came down frō Judea taught the brethren and sayd Except ye bee circumcised after the maner of Moses ye cannot be saved Certain men i. e. certain Judaizers And they who are mentioned here in this cap. v. 12. For before that certain came from James i. e. certain Judaizers Also they in the Church of Rome and of Colossa whom Paul notes in his Epistles to the Romans and Colossians and they Phil. 3.2 whom Paul there cals Dogs evill workers and the Concision and they in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who were given to Jewish Fables to endles Genealogies and strivings about the Law The Cause of this their Judaisme was at first partly their zeal to the Law of Moses whereof they acknowledged God himself the Author partly their envy and hatred against the Gentiles that they should be made partakers of Gods grace in Christ from which by this meanes they endeavoured to discourage the Gentiles But afterward this Judaisme was advanced partly out of vain-glory to insult over the Gentiles in forcing them to the Laws and Customs of the Jews and partly out of policy that living as did the Jews they might enjoy the Priviledges of the Jews and thereby not become liable to that persecution which lay upon the sincere Christian The Effect of this Judaisme was that the walking therein was not onely an errour against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it for heereby it came to passe that the unbelieving Gentiles were unwilling to receive it and the believing Gentiles were ready to desert it 3. The third party of Christians were the Gentilizers for so they may bee called seeing here in this verse Paul denotes them by this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to Gentilize or as our English Translation renders it to live after the maner of the Gentiles These also in respect of their faith were Christians for they believed in Christ but in respect of their life they were Heathenish because they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but lived after the maner of the Gentiles For these labouring a compliance betweene Philosophy and Christianity interserted mingled and blended the Gospel of Christ with Pythagorisme and Platonisme with Epicurisme and Stoicisme The severall Sectaries or followers heereof either turning the grace of God into wantonnesse or pretending to exercise their Christian liberty were somewhat divided amongst themselves not onely in their Doctrines and Opinions but also in their practice and conversation For some as the Pythagorists abstained from Wine drinking onely water they abstained from all kinde of flesh eating onely herbes and they abstained from mariage disallowing that state holding it good for a man especially a Philosopher not to touch a woman Others as the Epicures were heerto so contrary that they would abstain from nothing not from bloud nor things strangled nor any kinde of flesh eating meats offered unto Idolls not from fornication nor incest nor other uncleannesse not from drunkennesse at the Communion 1. Cor. 11.21 For in eating every one took before other his supper and one the Pythagorist was hungry and another the Epicure was drunken Yet these different sects agreeing all in the fayth of Christ tolerated one another in other matters as anciently they had done before their conversion that in the maine they might all side against the Judaizer Wherefore taking advantage of Pauls doctrine against works and boasting that Paul was their Apostle as indeed he was they became Fiduciaries and Libertines i. e. They were only for faith and liberty neglecting despising and disgracing works as no way necessary to salvation as no cause at all of Justification neither procreant to constitute or build the state of it nor conservant to continue and maintaine it Of this sect were they Rom. 14. who did eat only hearbs and they who did eat all things They 1. Cor. 1. who made divisions and contentions saying I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ They 1. Cor. 5. who were puffed up in the behalfe of the incestuous Corinth They 1. Cor. 6. who held fornication lawfull They 1. Cor. 7. who held mariage unlawfull or unexpedient They 1. Cor. 8. who would eat meat offered unto Idols and would eat it in the Idols temple They 1. Cor. 15. who denyed the Resurrection to come and they at Ephesus who affirmed that it was already past They Coloss 2. who spoyled men through Philosophy beguiling them in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels In a word they in generall who are censured and taxed in the Generall Epistles of James Peter John and Jude The Cause of this their Gentilisme was partly their vaine-glory in being gifted men and puffed up with the gifts of the Holy Ghost as the gift of fayth of knowledge of tongues and of prophesie partly their Sensuality in abusing their Christian liberty unto licentiousnesse and loosenesse following their carnall appetite and walking after the flesh partly their Animosity in opposing and crossing the Judaizer whose doctrines and practises especially that of Circumcision they detested and abhorred The Effect of this Gentilisme was the very same with that of Judaisme for this walking or living thus after the maner of the Gentiles was not only an error against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it especially amongst the Jewes for heerupon the event was that the unbeleeving Jewes were unwilling to
of that right which it first created if fayth it selfe bee conserved but fayth cannot conserve it selfe without workes because by workes fayth lives and breaths but without workes is frustrate and dead as the body is without breath Workes therefore being efficient to conserve our faith must consequently needes bee efficient to conserve that right which by the efficiency of our fayth was created unto us for though fayth alone bee efficient to create our right yet faith alone is not sufficient to conserve or declare it without the co-efficiency of workes Wherefore workes are not only a signe of our right to declare it but also a cause to conserve it because they are a cause to conserve our faith which without them would be dead And this jurall sense of the Verb Justified may be further illustrated and confirmed from divers other words which carry a jurall construction and are referred to Justifying which words for better order may be distributed into fowre sorts 1. Words of Circumstance whereof some doe create or constitue a Right or Interest as Grace Gift Goodwill Will and Testament Covenant and Promise all which are jurall words signifying the principall motives and causes of our Justification some doe confirme or assure a Right as Seale and Earnest for the holy Spirit is sayd to be the Seal and Earnest of that Inheritance whereto wee are justified and some other words doe specifie a Right constituted and assured as Liberty Freedome Communion Fellowship Inheritance and Peculiar all which and many more are the results and effects of our Justification 2. Words of Contrariety which are opposite to Justifying as Injurying and Condemning for the two Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie Injurying and Condemning are both contrary and opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Justifying As therefore he who is Injuried is against Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law was due unto him and as he who is Condemned is according to Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law hee was to lose for all Condemnation effecteth on the condemned eyther the abolition or the abatement of some right which the party had before eyther in deed or in pretence so contrarily he who is justified is beyond or above Law made to have some right which before hee had not and which by Law was not due unto him And as Condemnation is the Imputation of a present sin to a future punishment so Justification is the Imputation of a present right to a future blessing for although Justifyng and Condemning be opposite and contrary one to another yet they agree in this that both are under one and the same genus which is Imputation Seeing then Injurying and Condemning are jurall words therefore so is Justifying because it is opposite and contrary to them both 3. Words of Affinity or nearenesse which are subordinate to justifying and comprehended under it as Naturalizing Legitimating Manumising Redeeming Pardoning Adopting and such like all which are severall kindes or sorts of justifying which is the genus to them all For Naturalizing is the Justifying of an Alien by imputing or giving the right of a Native to him that was borne in a forraigne Countrey Legitimating is the Justifying of a Bastard by imputing or giving the right of Birth to him that was born misbegotten Manumising or Infranchising is the Justifying of a Villaine or Bondman by imputing or giveing the right of freedome to him that was borne a Slave Redeeming is the Justifying of a Captive by giving the right of Liberty to him who before was a Prisoner to his Enemy Pardoning is the Justifying of an Offender by imputing or giving the right of impunity to him who stands by Law condemned Adopting is the Justifying of a Stranger by imputing or giving the right of a Sonne and Heire to him who was borne in another Family Any one of these acts severally is justifying and all of them concurring joyntly for concur they may upon one and the same person are no more saving that then the justifying is exceeding gracious for when an Alien a Bastard a Bondslave and a Captive and so much worse beside as to bee a Malefactor is made an Heire to some Kingdome such a Justifying in regard it passeth from one extreame to another is extreamely gratious and so gratious is our Justification by Christ as to an observant Reader will afterwards appeare 4. Words of Attribute whereby the justified are in Scripture stiled and called as Sonnes and Heires of God Gal. 4.7 Wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Sonne and if a Sonne then an Heire of God through Christ Co-heires or joynt-heires with Christ Rom. 8.16.17 The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the Children of God and if Children then Heires Heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ Fellow-citizens and Domesticks of God Ephes 2.19 Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forraigners but Fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God The Lords Freemen 1. Cor. 7.22 For hee that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords Freeman Which last Attribute of Freeman is a generall word including all the former for Citizens Sonnes and Heires are but severall sorts and rankes of Freemen and it is a word so jurall that the state of Liberty or Freedome is the Primitive Originall or Fundamentall Right whereon all other Rights and Priviledges are raised and without which none can subsist for a Bondman during his bondage hath no right at all neither can hee have any till first hee bee infranchised or made free seeing all the right hee hath before is onely a crooked right to accept or refuse freedome for a will to refuse freedome was by the Law of God allowed to a Bondman who otherwise hath no freedom of will Exod. 21.5 If the servant shall plainely say I love my Master my Wife and my Children I will not go out free then his Master shall bring him to the Judges c. And the word Freeman is so intimate genuine proper unto Justified that those 2 words are reciprocall adequate to denote the same person for Freeman is the proper name whereby a person justified is called a person justifyed is the proper essence or differēce which defines a Freeman seeing a Freeman is a person justified or made to have some right for hereby he is absolutely opposed to a bōdman who absolutely is not justified or hath no right at all heereby hee is respectively opposed to an Alien a Forraigner or Stranger who locally is not justified or hath no right in this or that place as none in such a Kingdome such a City or such a Family Hence in the Scripture the word Justified is sometime put for freed as Act. 13.39 and by Christ all that believe are justified i. e. freed from all things from which yee could not
Believing Jewes who knew the Law and were well acquainted with the tearmes and phrases of those times seemes very concise in his expressions sparing and couching his words as his maner is that unto them he might not seeme tedious though thereby unto us of these times hee becomes in many poynts obscure But for our further and clearer understanding of the Apostles Negative that a man is not justified by the works of the Law we are to observe that of the Law there is made in Scripture a two fold sense I say not a two fold sense of every part of the Scripture but of that part which is here called the Law whereat we are the lesse to marvell because in a manner there is the like difference of sense in the Lawes that are made by man for the remedy whereof in all well ordered States the Courts of Equity are erected The first sense of Gods Law is the History saying writing or as Paul calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the letter of the Law according to the proper signification and vulgar acception of those words and clauses wherewith the Law was first published spoken or written This sense of the letter was from the very beginning of the Law intelligible unto all the Israelites of ordinary discretion apprehended of all and acknowledged of all throughout all the passages of the Law excepting onely those ambiguities and doubts which fell out afterward in poynt of practice wherein the Priest or the Judge was to pronounce or declare that sense which they conceived For in vaine are those Lawes which carry not with them a literall sense because when that sense is not understood by the people on whom such Lawes are imposed the Lawes themselves can neither bee approved nor obeyed According to this sense of the letter the Promises of the Law were for terrene and temporall blessings consisting of a long and happy life abounding with plenty of all earthly things resting under the peculiar protection of God in peace and safety secured from the violences and injuries either of a Forraigne Enemy or of a Domestick Warre as any man may easily perceive who shall consult Levit. cap. 26. and Deut. cap. 28. and shall thence consider the large Declarations there expressed concerning the Legall Promises Yea the Originall Promises made unto Abraham long before the time of the Law were for the letter of them terrene and carnall namely the donation of the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance to him and his Heires for ever and a legitimate issue of his owne body that should multiply into a Nation to possesse it Contrarily the Judgements Penalties or Curses of the Law were for the letter quite contrary to the former blessings for their ordinary Penalties to bee executed by the Ruler upon Offendors were either a violent and untimely death by hanging burning stoning c. or corporall Corrections by Roddes and Whippes but their extraordinary Judgements inflicted on them by the hand of God when the Rulers hand was corrupt or remisse were all the miserable calamities of a wretched life by Warre Famine Plague and Diseases with divers other distresses which crossed the happynesse of this life as it plainely appeares in the two forecited Chapters The Precepts of the Law for the letter were terrene and carnall commandements proportioned to the nature of the Promises so fitted and suited to the rudenesse and childishnesse of the Nation that they did not much exceed the quality of humane Lawes and therefore afterward in this Epistle cap. 4. vers 3.9 they will bee called beggerly rudiments and elements of the world Their Moralities or morall Precepts of the Decalogue were the least and lowest commandements that are to bee found in the Law of Nature or rather were restraints from acts unnaturall ordained for men not of any good but of a bad and lewd condition for the tables of the Law were either barres from impiety to keepe men from being Atheists Idolaters perjurious and prophane or they were bridles from inhumanity to curbe men from being disobedient to Parents from being Murderers and Adulterers from being Thieves Lyars and Deceivers hence it is sayd 1. Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of Fathers and murderers of Mothers for manslayers for whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankinde for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons c. Yea their generall or capitall Moralities of Loving God with all their heart and of loving their neighbour as themselves which were the great Commandements of their Law are to bee taken in a construction accommodate and agreeable to the speciall Precepts of the Decalogue for those two generalls containe in them no more then all these specialls joyntly together Their Ceremonies were odious Institutes or Statutes positive so numerous chargeable and troublesome that they were like yokes on their necks and burdens on their shoulders and are in Scripture so called for they were all carnall Ordinances or Lawes upon the flesh serving either for carnall distinction to difference them from other Nations or for carnall oblations in sacrificing the flesh and blood of Beasts or for carnall purifications in washing their owne flesh and their cloaths Insomuch that the Priests of the Law though their Function were glorious yet compared to the Ministers of the Gospel whose Function is more glorious seemed but a kinde of Butchers Cookes and Laundresses Lastly the workes of the Law done in duty to the Precepts thereof were for the Letter externall and servile by a kinde of eye-service performed out of feare under the spirit of bondage Yea the best of their workes as their Moralityes were not really workes but properly not-workes as not to have many gods not to worship images not to be forsworne not to worke on the Sabbath not to murther not steale not lye not defraud for all these and the like were meere Innocencies or abstinencies from wickednesse which make but a negative and beggarly holinesse As for any positive holinesse they had little or none for their Priests and Levites who went for the holiest persons amongst them untill afterward the Pharisees by an Hypocriticall holinesse exceeded them in the opinion of the people were acquainted with no workes of kindnes or mercy though they met with a man in extream distresse by thieves stripped wounded and halfe dead as Christ discovers them in the parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10.30 c. And yet their workes how poore soever had a large abatement or allowance not onely of all errours and frailties but of some willfull trespasses for which God in his mercy granted the legall favours of Expiation by certaine sin-Offerings and trespas-Offerings which remitted onely temporall penalties and mitigated besides the rigour of the Law in exacting of those workes The second sense of the Law is the mystery minde meaning or as Paul
to give an intire and true definition of Faith because Faith is a thing so indefinite and so generall that it hath no genus which will comprehend it and it is a thing so notable so well known that there are not other words more knowne whereby to expresse and teach the nature of it They therefore who define Faith to bee a Confidence in God are peccant against the nature of a definition two wayes 1. Because Confidence is a word more obscure then Faith and therefore cannot teach the knowledge of it for hee that knowes not what Faith is will never bee made to know it by telling him that it is a Confidence because the word Confidence is more unknowne unto him and leaves him more to seeke then the word Faith doth 2. Because Confidence is a word more narrow for all Confidence is Faith but all Faith is not Confidence seeing Confidence is but one kinde of Faith or rather a degree of it the like defect may bee found in the word Affiance Other definitions of faith commonly exhibited by Divines are either so wide that they will not justifie at all or else so narrow that they will justifie onely under the Gospel Yet because divine faith is an act so acceptable to God and so desirable to bee understood I shall sutably to our present purpose declining all definitions and other significations of the word which in divers learned Writers are sufficiently layd out propose two Notions designes or cases thereof one in generall as it magnifies God the other more particular as it justifies man Both which added together may serve as signes and markes to breed a competent and comfortable knowledge thereof 1. The first notion is this An high esteeme of Gods existence greatnesse and goodnesse is Faith in God For Believing is opposed to Dispising as therefore when wee have a base and low esteem of the weakenesse and badnesse of any person wee are sayd to despise him So contrarily when wee have a rich and high esteeme of that greatnesse and goodnesse which wee conceive in any person then wee have faith in him and when God is the person whom wee so esteeme then wee have faith in God But although such a faith bee acceptable and pleasing unto God because it is agreeable to his will and to the truth that hee should bee esteemed as hee is Yet this kinde of faith is not Justifying to acquire any right unto the believer because it is generall and common to persons justified and to some not justified in whom this faith is onely servile to breed in them feare and trembling Such a faith was in the people of Nineveh for at the preaching of Jonah that within forty dayes Nineveh should bee overthrowne the people Jon. 3.5 believed God i. e. They had such an high esteeme of Gods greatnesse and goodnesse of his power and justice therein included that hee could and would execute the judgement threatned against them and this faith bred in them a feare of God and that feare bred a Fast whereby they declared their Repentance And such a faith is in the Divels Jam. 2.19 The Divels also believe and tremble i. e. They have an high esteeme of the greatnesse of Gods Power and the goodnesse of his Justice that hee can and will execute his vengeance upon them for their Rebellion and this their faith is onely servile for it breeds in them feare and makes them to tremble 2. The second notion of faith is this An acceptance of Gods promise is Faith The difference betweene Gods Promise and his Precept will cleerely teach us the nature of faith and workes and consequently the true difference betweene them The right to a thing and the possession thereof are distinct respects that may bee transferred either joyntly both at once at the same time as is done in a Donation or they may bee transferred severally one after another by conveying the right at one time and respiting the delivery of possession till another as is done in a Promise Gods Promise therefore is his declared Will to impute unto thee a present right to the future possession of some blessing For God in his Promise willeth unto thee two distinct things 1. That thy right to the blessing should bee in present 2. That thy possession of that blessing should bee future And then according heereto hee requires from thee two distinct acts of thy will in corresponding and consenting to his 1. Thy Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing 2. An Expectance or trusting to the future possession of it I say God requires thy acceptance because Gods promissory will is not compulsory to will and command thy acceptance by necessitating or binding thee thereto for in so thinking thou destroyest the nature of Gods promise by turning it into a Precept whereof the effect is compulsory and binding But Gods promise is only Invitatory to will and require thy acceptance by calling moving and drawing thee thereto in using all the gratious and proper meanes conducing to that end Yet leaving thee free at thine owne choice either to accept or refuse it A refusall or Rejecting of Gods Promise is Unbeliefe an Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing promised is Faith and an Expectance or trusting to the future possession of the blessing is Hope for Faith and Hope are the acts of mans will answerable and agreeable to the will of Gods promise Contrarily Gods Precept is his declared Will to impose upon thee a present bond to the future observance of some duty And herein Gods Will is that thy bond to this duty should be present and thy observance of the duty should be future from thence forward But Gods Preceptory Will is not Invitatory to will and require thy observance or to leave thee free at thine owne choyse either to observe or transgresse it for in thinking so thou destroyest Gods Precept whose nature it is to will and command thy observance by laying upon thee a necessity thereof yet that necessity is not fatall but legall A transgression of Gods Precept is sin an observance thereof is workes and when the workes are cordiall and liberall done heartily and freely with all the heart and all the soule then the workes are Love For workes and love are acts of mans will answerable to the will of Gods Precept and therefore are different from faith and hope which answer to the will of his promise because his promise and his Precept are Wills different and opposite This last notion of faith may be further illustrated from three grounds 1. From the common definition of Faith That faith is an assent to every revealed word of God which kind of faith is so large and wide that it may aswell condemn as justifie yet it will serve to enlighten our notion For Gods Precepts are his revealed word but these because they proceed from his holines and uprightnes are but hard words and so hard that when they
is Gods grace which moveth him to this act of kindnesse in making or passing his promise unto man and because the matter thereof is meerely gratious consisting of those favours benefits and blessings conferred upon man which are not due to man by any Law In the Old Testament Gen. 15. God covenants with Abraham by way of promise that God on his part would bee unto Abraham a shield and an exceeding great reward that he would give him a son and heire of his owne body and Abraham therupon enters covenant with God that hee on his part did beleeve in the Lord i. e. did accept receive and embrace those promises heere was a Covenant of Grace because the ground of it was Gods grace and the matter very gratious In the New Testament Heb. 8.10 God covenants with thee by way of promise that hee on his part will put his Lawes into thy mind and write them in thy heart that he will be a God unto thee and take thee for one of his people that he will teach thee to know him in respect of his greatnes goodnes and kindnes toward thee that he will be mercifull to thy unrighteousnesse not onely to forgive but also to forget thy sins and iniquities If thou on thy part accept these promises by thy faith thou thereby entrest Gods Covenant and the Covenant thou entrest is the Covenant of Grace because the ground of it is Gods grace and the matter of it very gracious Contrarily the Covenant made with God by meanes of a Preceptory faith is the Covenant of workes because the ground thereof is mans duty as he is the worke or creature of God owing all allegiance obedience and observance unto his Lord and Maker and because the matter thereof is laborious consisting of those workes Offices and services which by Gods Law are due from man to God In the Old Testament Gen. 17.1.10 God covenants with Abraham by way of Precept that Abraham on his part should walke before the Lord and be perfect upright or sincere and that every male childe in Abrahams family should be Circumcised here was a Covenant of workes because the ground of it was Abrahams duty and the matter somwhat laborious for workes to be done Againe in the New Testament Mat. 5.3 God covenants with thee by way of Precept that thou on thy part shalt be poore in spirit shalt mourne shalt bee meeke shalt hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shalt bee mercifull shalt be pure in heart shalt be a Peace-maker shalt suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Heere againe is a Covenant of works because the ground of it is thy duty and the matter somewhat laborious In a word every promise of God is a Covenant of grace every Precept of God a Covenant of workes every judgement of God a Covenant of Curses and every voluntary sin of man is an involuntary Covenant to suffer those curses 2. The second effect is to assure Gods promise The promise of God though in respect of his will on his part it be firme sure and fast yet in respect of any right or benefit thence accruing to thee it is neither firme sure nor fact before thy faith or acceptance of it but by vertue of thy faith or acceptance it is made stable firme and sure Because that promise which Gods will is should be stable firme and sure is by thy faith actually established affirmed and assured for as was shewed before thy faith doth advance and forme Gods promise into a Covenant and a Covenant is an agreement so stable firme and sure that the parties agreed cannot repent revoke recede or goe back And if a Consent of the parties to be married doth make the mariage sure for upon their consent we use to say they are sure together much more doth thy acceptance of Gods promise make thy alliance to him stable firme and sure And this faith doth assure not onely thy present alliance but also the future possession of all those blessings which unto this alliance are appendent and consequent as the Regeneration or sanctification of thy minde the Remission of thy sins the Resurrection of thy body and thy Life everlasting And unto this assurance this faith is quickened and strengthened by the first notion of faith which is a high esteeme of Gods goodnes and greatnes that what the goodnes of his will was pleased to promise that the greatnes of his power is able to performe For this estimatory Faith by giving unto God the glory of his goodnes and greatnes doth nourish and feed up thy promissory faith into an assurance of a strong and full perswasion of Gods performance though unto thy selfe thou seeme never so poore and dead a Creature For notwithstanding all the difficulties and casualties in the world that may seeme to disturb Gods performance notwithstanding thy ignorance in many poynts of Religion that may seeme to hinder it notwithstanding thy sinnes of errour and frailty that may seeme to crosse it notwithstanding thy death and dissolution in the grave that may seeme to bury it Yet after all these God remaines constant firm and sure both willing and able to performe his promise and will actually performe it unto thee And of this assurance thou hast a precedent in Abrahams faith which notwithstanding the deadnesse of his owne body and of Sarahs Wombe was so firme sure and strong that hee was sure of a sonne because he considered not the deadnesse of his body but the goodnesse of Gods will and the greatnesse of his power Rom. 4.19 And being not weake in faith hee considered not his owne body now dead when hee was about 100. yeare old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe hee staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to peforme Hence Amen the Hebrew word for faith doth also signifie verity constancy firmenesse and surenesse Because it is the nature of faith to bee true constant firme and sure not onely formally for the quality of it as it is opposed to falshood doubting staggering and wavering but also effectively for the virtue of it because it makes the promises of God to bee stable constant true firme and sure which otherwise and without it will prove frustrate and voyd to bee of no force or effect to him who diffides them And this Assurance of Gods promise is an effect so peculiar to thy faith that not workes but faith is ordained for thy title to this very end and purpose that the promise might bee sure unto thee Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seed 3. The third effect is to oblige both parties God at the first was not obliged to make any promise but was altogether free either to make or forbeare it and having made it hee is not obliged to performe
him both Jewes and Gentiles have an accesse by one spirit unto the Father and 1. Pet. 1.21 By Christ wee doe believe in God that our faith and hope in Christ might bee faith and hope in God Hence Christ saith that our faith in him is not faith in him John 12.44 Hee that believeth on mee believeth not on me but on him that sent mee i. e. Hee believeth not on mee ultimately and finally but his faith is carryed through and beyond mee to determine and end finally in him that sent me 2. It is called the faith of Christ because Christ is the Authour or Beginner of it who worketh it in us who by his publishing and preaching of Gods promises doth invite call and draw us to that acceptance of them which is our faith For some may peradventure say how shall a man know whether the promises of the Gospel come from God and whether the beetle Will and Testament of God seeing many things are imposed on the World for the will of God which either are not his will or are not sufficiently declared and proved to bee his will Unto this query the answer is That Christ hath abundantly made full faith unto the World both of his person that hee was the Sonne of God and of his Message that it was the Will and Testament of God and consequently on his part doth sufficiently worke in us that faith whereby wee accept the Legacies or Promises therein contained and devised unto us And Christ was the Founder or Beginner of this faith who first made it unto the World For that faith which is wrought in us by reading those Evangelists and Apostles who have written the Gospel or by hearing those Ministers who preach the Gospel is but a derivation and propagation of that faith which was originally and primitively taught by Christ From whom the Apostles and all the Ministers of the Gospel since succeeding have their Commission and Authority to teach it and unto whom they are Witnesses to attest that truth which was first testified by Christ as the first person that made faith of it And Christ hath made faith of Gods last Will and Testament by two Acts. 1. By Declaring Gods Will. The last Will and Testament of God was decreed or determined long since even from the foundation of the World But during many Ages and Generations it was but a Mystery namely a Will sealed up concealed and kept secret For hence it is called Gods secret Will the purpose and counsell of his Will and hence the Apostle calls it Col. 1.26 The Mystery which hath beene hidden from Ages and from Generations Knowne it was in generall that there was such a Will for the Being of it was witnessed by the Law and by the Prophets Yet the contents of it in particular were not knowne But in the last Age of the World God nuncupated his Will unto Christ by expressing unto him particularly the decree purpose or counsell thereof which in former Ages had beene so long concealed And Christ by speciall Commission from his Father sent into the World revealed published declared and made knowne that Will to worke in us our faith of it For first hee made it knowne unto his Apostles John 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father have I made knowne unto you And againe John 17.8 I have given unto them the words which thou gavest mee and they have received them and have knowne surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send mee And afterward hee commanded his Apostles to make the same Will knowne to all Nations for the obedience of faith Rom. 16.25 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures and by the Prophets according to the commandement of the everlasting God made knowne to all Nations for the obedience of faith And againe Ephes 1.9 Having made knowne unto us the Mystery of his Will according to his good pleasure which hee hath purposed in himselfe 2. The second Act whereby Christ makes faith of Gods Will is by Proving it for as hee was the Publisher of that Will to declare the matter of it So hee was the Probator to certifie the verity of it that it was the true whole and last Will of God All which hee hath proved so fully that never any Will in the World whether Will of man or the first Will of God had such a probation for thereof Christ hath made faith five wayes 1. By his Witnesses For hee had the Testimony of John Baptist who John 1.6.7 was sent from God and came for a witnesse to beare witnesse of the Light that all men through him might believe And John witnessed of him John 1.29 that hee was the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the World And heereof John was not an eare-witnesse who heard it from others but an eye-witnesse who John 1.31 saw the spirit descending from Heaven like a Dove and it abode upon him And Christ had the Testimony of God the Father who by a voice from Heaven witnessed of him at his Baptisme saying Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased And his Father witnessed of him againe at his transfiguration on the Mount saying Mat. 17.5 This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased heare yee him Hence saith Christ John 5.36 I have greater witnesse then that of John for the Father himselfe who hath sent mee hath borne witnesse of mee Now if wee receive the witnesse of men for the proofe of mens Wils and Testaments as commonly wee doe much greater is the witnesse of God for the proofe of Gods Will. And if at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall bee established Much more shall a Will bee established when one of the Witnesses is God himselfe Hence saith the Apostle 1. John 5.10 Hee that believeth not God heerein hath made him a Lyar because hee believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son 2. By his Miracles The signes and wonders which Christ wrought were not bare signes but full proofes to make faith that his message was from God For he rebuked the windes and the Sea from a great tempest into a great calme hee cast out Divels from the possessed and they obeyed his command hee cured the sicke of diseases incurable and hee raysed the dead who had lyen in the grave Now if two or three miracles of Moses made faith of his message as they did for Exod. 4.30 When he did them in the sight of the people the people beleeved much more the many marvellous and mighty workes of Christ are of power to produce faith in Christ Because they were so incomparable that by the confession of multitudes Mat. 9.33 the like had never
beene seene in Israel And because they were so available to beget faith and beliefe that Mat. 11.21 had they been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes or had they beene done in Sodome it would have remained untill this day Hence Christ to make the fuller faith of his message appeales from his words unto his workes for sayth he John 5.36 The workes which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I doe beare witnesse of mee that the Father hath sent mee And againe John 10.37 If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeve me not but if I doe though ye beleeve not me beleeve the works that ye may know and beleeve that the Father is in me and I in him Hence also in Scripture miracles are called Signes because they are good proofes of that truth for which they are wrought and doe naturally beget the beliefe of it for every signe is a proofe of that which it signifieth 3. By his Holinesse Christ was a person so holy that one of his ordinary titles wherewith he is stiled in Scripture is to bee called The Holy one See Act. 2.27 and Act. 3.14 and 1. John 2.20 And that uncleane spirit who knew of no holinesse in himself did openly acknowledge the holinesse of Christ Marc. 1.24 I know who thou art the Holy one of God His Birth was holy for at his conception the Angel Gabriel tels the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God His Life was holy for through all the whole course of it hee was so innocent and so sinlesse that 2. Cor. 5.21 hee knew no sin And Heb. 4.15 hee was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin And 1. Pet. 2.22 He did no sin neyther was guile found in his mouth His Death was holy for he repined not at the sentence though most unjust hee complayned not at the execution though most painefull but Act. 8.32 He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a 〈◊〉 dumbe before his shearer so opened he not his mouth But hee bare all with an holy silence 1. Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously Now Holinesse is a quality of mighty force to gaine faith and beliefe to the words of a person indued with that vertue for who would not beleeve the repent of that person whose holinesse is so eminent that in all his life he never sinned will such a person forge a Will or frame a deceit or maintaine an untruth and father it upon God certainly it is impossible that one and the same person should be 〈◊〉 holy and yet false 4. By his Death Christ tooke his death upon it that his message was from God For when hee openly acknowledged himselfe the son of God that saying was made the blaspheâ—y whereat the high Priest rent his cloths and it was made the crime for which he was adjudged to die and consequently was the cause for which hee suffered the shamefull and painefull death of the Crosse See Mat. 26.63 64 65 66. and John â—9 7 Yet neither the shame nor the paine of his death could force him to renounce that saying but he persisted in it to his last gasp and then crying with a loud voyce and commending his spirit unto God he called him his Father and gave up the ghost Luk. â—â— 46 Had not that saying of calling God his Father beene most certainely true the shame of the Crosse and the paines of his sufferings would have forced him to forbeare it at that time as a saying too insolent and wholly vaine which in that caâ—e could advantage him nothing But for our sakes it was this he would not forbeare it because hee would make full faith of it by making it in effect his last words and witnessing the truth of it with his bloud For as that saying caused his death so his death caused the faith of it because among men there As no greater proofe to make faith of a truth then when the person who averres it doth take his death upon it And the death of Christ seconded with some miracles at it was to this purpose so effectuall that presently at his giving up the ghost it bred the faith of this truth in the minds of many yea in some of his Executioners and the Centurion openly confessed it upon the place saying Mat. 27.54 Truly this was the son of God 5. By his Resurrection The Resurrection of Christ from the dead was such a strong proofe of his mission from God that it confirmed all the former proofes Not that those former were not sufficient but because his Resurrection was a speciall proofe which Christ had singled out to take away the scandall of his death that notwithstanding the Jewes would take away his life yet he could and would take it againe in rising from the grave the third day For when first the faithlesse Jewes demanded a signe of his authority hee proposed his Resurrection to oppose the scandall of his destruction Joh. 2.19 Destroy saith he this temple and in three dayes I will rayse it up And when he foretold his Disciples of his Passion hee alwayes comforted their minds against it by foretelling also his Resurrection Mat. 16.21 and Mat. 17.23 If therefore according to these Predictions his Resurrection had not followed then by default thereof his doctrine and his miracles had beene discredited and diffided The Resurrection therefore of Christ declared him to bee the sonne of God Rom. 1.4 and declared to bee the sonne of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead It prooved him to be the Judge of the world which because to the world it seemes incredible therefore God hath made faith of it by raysing him from the dead Act. 17.31 Because hee hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordayned whereof hee hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raysed him from the dead This giving assurance heere is making faith for so is the Originall and so the vulgar Italian renders it and it is almost so in the margin of our last English Translation for there it is offered faith yet the sense comes all to one because all giving assurance is making faith And the Resurrection of Christ was of such force to make faith that the Apostles who were to spread faith made it the forme of their ordination ordayning Matthias to bee an Apostle under this forme Act. 1.22 To be a witnesse with them of Christs Resurrection And they made it the summe of their preaching for when they began to preach that Jesus was the Christ their
from sinne and because yee disclaime the works thereof from being any part of the title whereby yee acquire this right restraining your title to faith onely And in case you doe live thus by continuing your life in sinfullnesse it will thence further follow that Christ who gave you this liberty did thereby give you a licence to sinne and consequently did open a doore and minister an occasion to all wickednesse For the word Sinne in this place must bee understood not generally for any small degree of sinne by way of errour or frailty for in such sinnes the faithfull doe and cannot but continue in this life but specially and eminently for a high degree and constant course of wickednesse and lewdnesse as Perjuries Murthers Adulteries Thefts c. from which sort of sinnes all that are truely faithful may and must abstaine in this life This Objection against Justification by faith onely without workes was much pressed and frequently urged as may appeare by the mention of it in this place and by these words Rom. 6.2 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound and by these Rom. 6.15 Shall we sinne because we are not under the Law but under grace and by severall passages in the first Epistle of John cap. 3. where consider verse 4 5 6 7 8 9. The parties who urged this objection were not unbelievers who refused and rejected the faith of Christ but over-believers who received the faith of Christ and moreover retained the Law of Moses I meane those Judaizing Christians who in their zeale unto Gods Law laboured for a compliance between Moses and Christ excluding neither but retaining both For they supposing that the Gospel of Christ was but an addition or superstruction unto the Law of Moses did confidently teach that the workes of the Law were the entrance and the way unto faith in Christ and consequently they urged the workes thereof principally Circumcision to bee retained by the believing Jewes and to bee imposed upon the believing Gentiles as things necessary to Justification and salvation as it appeares Acts 15.1 And these Judaizers did by vertue of this objection spread their false Doctrine against Justification by faith onely in the Churches of Judea of Syria of Galatia and of Italy for in the Epistle to the Romans wee finde the Apostle copiously refelling this objection and wee finde the like in the generall Epistle of St. John The Matter of this objection containes two inconvenient or absurd Consequences which the urgers thereof conceived would necessarily follow upon the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without works 1. That then Believers would take occasion to continue in all kinde of sinne and licenciousnes 2. That thereupon Christ would become the occasioner and minister unto all sinne and licenciousnesse By which two Consequences they would conclude that the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without workes was ungodly because that Doctrine whatsoever it be must needs be ungodly from whence there will necessarily follow ungodly consequences A generall Answer God forbid A generall answer unto the former objection plainly denying the necessity of the Consequences therein pretended that in the way of true reason they cannot be necessarily deduced from the Doctrine of Justification by faith onely without workes And this deniall is not a bare and naked negation which onely rejecteth the former objection but it is a negation vested with a word of abomination for it is expressed by a phrase which consignifies a high degree both of disdaining and abhorring the objection as a profane and wicked discourse because the ungodly Consequences therein mentioned cannot bee rationally collected from the former Doctrine of Justification The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. never be it so which word is a forme of Supplication or prayer unto God against some future and fearefull evill that God would divert and crosse the accesse of it For it is equivalent to the Hebrew Chalilah and to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the expressions of a minde highly disdaining and abominating And it is opposed to the Hebrew Amen i. e. so be it and to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. God grant it which contrarily are formes of Application benediction that God would approve and confirme with his fiat some present or future good the blessing whereof wee earnestly wish and desire VERSE 18. Text. For if I build againe the things which I destroyed I make my selfe a transgressor Sense Build againe Viz. By my acts of sin and lewdnesse of life The things i. e. The state of sin and misery wherein I stood before I was justified Which I destroyed i. e. Which state of sinne I exstinguished upon my Justification by faith whereby a new state was created unto me I make my selfe a transgressor i. e. I become a very sinfull sinner who after pardon relapseth and it is not Christ who makes me so but I make my selfe so Reason An Answer particularly the Phrase of it by way of Proverb the Frame of it by way of Personation the Scope of it The particle For doth teach us that these words contayne a Reason why he so disdainfully denyed the consequences pretended in the former objection carrying withall particular Answers to those two particular Consequences To the first consequence that Men justified by faith of Christ onely would continue in all kind of sinfulnesse hee Answers Men must not build againe by acts of sin that state of sin which by their Justification they destroyed for in so doing they become transgressors To the second consequence that Thereupon Christ would become the minister unto sin he Answers In case men justified become transgressors it is not Christ who maketh them so by ministring of grace but they make themselves so by abusing the grace which he hath ministred The Phrase of this Answer By building againe things destroyed seemes to be a Proverbe which argueth in a man not onely a pure levity of doing undoing and re-doing of the same thing but a levity seasoned with much folly when a man is at great charges and takes much paines to compasse a matter which makes his condition a great deale the worse For building is an action very painefull and chargeable and when the edifice is sin and transgression the matter is so much the worse The Frame of this Answer is disposed by way of Prosopopy or Personation wherein by a suddaine change of the person from the third to the first the Apostle translates the subject of the point in debate and attributes it unto himselfe Because the matter being somewhat odious and offensive he would qualifie and temper it by the modesty of his discourse by speaking that in his owne person and of himselfe which was true of every Christian especially of a Jew by nature or of a native Jew wh◠〈◊〉 lived under the Law of Moses and had deserted it to embrace the Gospel of Christ For the Apostle himselfe was such a
of blessednes whereto I had once a present right nor shall I ever possesse that inheritance whereto I was once a co-heyre with Christ For my faith which was lively and effectuall to procure my present right to blessednes doth by my evill workes become dead voyd and of no effect to the future possession of it Hence the Apostle asketh me 1 Cor. 6.9 if I know not this that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and he chargeth me to Be not deceived neither fornicators nor adulterers nor idolaters nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God And the same Apostle hath told me Gal. 5.21 that they who doe the workes of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdome of God And this I know Ephes 5.5 that no whoremonger nor uncleane person nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God let no man deceive me with vaine words c. And by my sinfull acts I destroy not only my state of Right but moreover by them I build againe my state of sin for one sinfull act added to another doth at last build a habit of sin as one stone upon another doth build an habitation Or one single act alone without any more if the sin be heinous and foule is enough to cast me into the state of sin I make my selfe a transgressor By building againe my state of sin I become a transgressor i. e. an exceeding sinfull sinner and a treble offendor against God by sinning first against his written Law and then against the rules of equity and thirdly against the grace of his mercy by a wilfull relapse into that state of sin which he had gratiously pardoned For the word Transgressor is not heere taken simply for one who commits some one act of sin against the Law but for one who after pardon relapseth into sin and thereby drawes upon himselfe the guilt of his sin and bindes himselfe over to the punishment of it without all hope of remedy by the ordinary course of Gods mercy For the transgressor heere is opposed not onely to the Just who is legally and morally righteous but also to the justified who is jurally righteous Am I not by this relapse a revolter from God and a traytor to him when after my amity and alliance with him I desert him and side with his enemy defrauding God of his services to bestow them upon Satan And am I not a felon to my selfe to rob my selfe of all my right to eternall life and cast away my selfe to eternall death For doth not the Law of Nations teach mee that by such facts as these any estate becomes forfeit and doth not the light of Reason teach me that if my Tenure faile my estate must needs escheat And doth not the sacred Scripture teach me that my last state in sin is worth then the first For doth she not playnely tell me Hebr. 10.26 that If I sin wilfully after that I have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine fearfull looking far of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries And againe 2 Pet. 2.21 that it had been better for me not to have knowne the way of righteousnes then after I have knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement delivered unto me Doth she not cleerly declare this unto me by the horrid and loathsome comparisons of a house haunted with an uncleane spirit who being cast out and re-admitted doth re-enter with seven other spirits more wicked than himselfe Luk. 11.24 Of a Dog licking up his vomit againe and of a Som that after washing walloweth in the mire 2. Pet. 2.22 Yet Christ who justified me is no minister to my sin by justifying me neither is it hee that makes mee a transgressor For the right of Impunity or forgivenes of sins which is one of the Priviledges whereto Christ justified mee gives mee no license to sin As in the family the right of Impunity which the son hath above the servant not to be ejected or punished for every fault as the servant may doth give the son this Priviledge in faults onely such as are ignorances and infirmities but excuseth him not in crimes such as are malignities wickednesses and wilfull misdemeanors But if the son will abuse his Priviledge of Impunity and shall thereupon run into presumptuous and wilfull offences can wee charge the Father as the Minister to his sin that hee makes his son a transgressor Was ever any Father who duly corrected his son though he punished him not mentioned in such a case as this The like may bee sayd of a Malefactor who after pardon relapseth into the same or the like crime whereby his offence is highly aggravated can wee charge his relapse upon the Prince who in mercy granted the pardon to him Or when a bondslave whom his Lord hath infranchised shall afterward sell himselfe for a slave can any man in reason charge his latter slavery upon his first Lord who set him at liberty It is not Christ then who makes mee a Transgressour for my transgression is wholly against his will against the will of his Precepts wherein hee forbids it and against the will of his Judgements wherein hee threatens it with eternall death And my transgression is wholly against his deedes for in Justifying mee by faith hee hath strongly obliged mee against it and in sanctifying mee by his holy spirit hee hath sufficiently enabled mee against it What greater provision can Christ possibly make against my transgression What greater obligation from it could hee lay upon mee then the menace of eternall death in case I commit sinne and the promise of eternall life in case I refraine and destroy it in mee What greater ability in this life can I have to refraine and destroy it then the Power of his holy spirit alwayes resident in mee to inlighten strengthen assist and succour mee against it But on the contrary if upon my continuance in sinne Christ should promise to continue unto mee my right of inheritance to blessednesse and accordingly should afterward settle mee in the possession of it then certainely hee makes mee a transgressour and may thereupon bee justly accounted not onely the Minister of my sinne but also the rewarder of it It is therefore no other but my selfe who by reason of some default predominant in mee doe willfully on my part make my self a transgressor and that default seems twofold 1. My unfaithfulnesse not that I have no faith for then I could not bee justified or that my faith wants truth for a faith not true is all one with none Or that my faith wants strength for it is engaged and obliged by Gods infinite kindenesse in giving mee a right to eternall blessednesse And it is assisted and inabled by Gods holy spirit wherewith hee sanctifieth enlightneth
and strengthneth mee to performe the workes duties and services sutable to my faith and worthy of that divine alliance and inheritance whereto God by my faith hath admitted mee For what greater strength more can possibly bee added to my faith then such an infinite engagement and such a powerfull assistance But my true and strong faith wants life and efficacy or rather I want will enough to give it life and efficacy Yet I have will enough to give it life and efficacy passively to Accept those Promises and Legacies of Gods Will and Testament wherto I am justified But I will not give it life and efficacy actively to Performe those Precepts and Conditions of Gods Will and Testament whereto I am sanctified that it may become a faith working by love Heereby it comes to passe that my true and strong faith comes not to be a lively active working and effectuall faith But remaines a dead idle lazie and slothfull faith and this deadnesse idlenesse lazinesse and slothfulnesse of my faith is the unfaithfulnes of it For God promiseth unto mee a present right of divine alliance and inheritance to bee his Sonne and Heire to eternall blessednesse and I by faith Accept this promise and am thereupon actually in that divine state of a Sonne and Heire to God This Acceptance is my passive or taking faith and by this acceptance I doe againe on my part repromise unto God that I will perform the workes duties offices and services of a Sonne and Heire to love honour and obey my heavenly Father This promise I certainely make though really I neither mention it in words nor mentally conceive it in my heart for my act in accepting that right doth naturally and jurally according to the nature and equity of the thing make this promise for mee though my tongue and heart bee never so silent And the state of a Sonne and Heire wherein I stand doth naturally engage and oblige mee not onely to make this promise but also to performe it For hee that accepts of any beneficiary state or condition doth ipso facto thereby promise to performe the workes duties offices and services unto that state appertaining and incident For the nature and equity of his Acceptance doth make this promise for him though it bee neither expressed nor minded and the Law of nature and equity doth oblige him to performe it though there bee no written Law to inforce it Seeing experience teacheth mee that there are promises obligations and engagements as well naturall as civill and as well tacite as expresse Now if my faith be not lively and active to performe that promise of love honour and obedience which I on my part have made to God or if my faith be so dead idle lazy and slothfull that she will not or doth not performe it this non-performance of my promise to God is the unfaithfulnesse of my faith and this unfaithfulnesse is one default by reason wherof I come to make my selfe a transgressor against my Justification 2. The second default is my Unthankfulnesse or rather my Ungraciousnesse which is but the Latinisme of unthankfulnesse saving that in my apprehension of the word it noteth an aggravation and soundeth a high degree of unthankfulnesse Especially if I consider the greatnesse of the Blessing which I have received and the greatnesse of the person from whom I received it for to proove unthankfull to God for his grace what can this be else but extreame ungraciousnesse God hath given mee a state of divine alliance and inheritance to bee his son and heire to eternall blessednesse And this state hee hath given mee most freely out of his meere love and grace without any desert of mine without any desire of mine without any motion by mee made or any act by me done saving my faith to accept it What an infinite blessing is heere improoved and exalted with infinite kindnesse for what greater blessing could God confer upon me and how could he confer this with greater kindnesse Certainly this blessing accompanied with such kindnesse deserveth my thankes and those not only verball to give God good words by acknowledging this blessing and singing praises to his Name but reall thankes by the workes duties offices and services of a son to love and honour my heavenly Father who hath so much loved and honoured me For what lesse thankes then these can I returne Seeing I have nothing else worthy of him nor nothing at all but what was his before and came from him Yea even my workes of loving and honouring him proceed from him for he by loving and honouring me hath begotten those workes in mee and deserved them from mee hee hath obliged me to them and enabled me from them Should an earthly Prince give or but promise me some temporall estate incomparably short of Gods kindnesse what duties offices and services would I deny to such a Prince thereby to expresse my thankfulnesse to him If therefore to the King of Heaven who hath so much loved and honoured me as to make mee his son and heyre I will not or doe not performe the duties offices and services of a son to love honour and obey him with all my heart and all my soule this non-performance is extreame unthankefulnes and this unthankfulnes or rather ungratiousnes is another default whereby I come to make my selfe a transgressor against my Justification Hence there appeare unto mee these 4 following verities 1. My state of Justification is mutable It is in it selfe a state firme stable and permanent and the firmenesse thereof is not onely durable but may and should be perpetuall Yet the firmenesse thereof is casuall and may be not perpetuall for during my naturall life and before I dye it may be defeated and destroyed I say not it must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability thereof is not necessary as is the mortality of my body which God hath created from the dust and hath decreed that unto dust it shall returne But the mutability thereof is possible for manifest it is that it may bee not defeated and not destroyed because God hath given mee the state of a son and heyre by way of perpetuity for ever to continue not onely for my life but after death When I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God for hee acknowledgeth himselfe the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who are long since dead And from the Dead he will rayse mee at the last day to put me in possession of that inheritance whereto I am now an heyre For as Marriages so also Alliances are states not temporary for terme of yeares but of perpetuity for ever Hence in the family the son differs from the servant severall wayes whereof this is one that the servant hath no right of perpetuity there but the son hath for saith Christ John 8.35 The servant abideth not in the house for ever i. e. hath not a right to abide for ever but the son abideth
Italian in the Vulgar French and in our former English Translation in use before that of King JAMES which leaveth the Greeke and followeth the Latine of Beza Yet in the Translation of King JAMES the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places of the New Testament is rendred in that as Rom. 6.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for in that hee dyed I live by the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the faith for so the Vulgar Latine Italian and French render it The Greeke Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though many times it signifie by or through Yet heere it doth not so for the Apostles meaning is not to shew the meanes whereby hee lived but the manner wherein hee lived And the word faith by way of metonymy or transnomination is heere put for Religion which is the proper and due effect of faith for so faith is taken in divers places as Gal. 1.23 Now preacheth the faith which once hee destroyed i. e. the Religion which once hee destroyed And 1. Tim. 4.1 In the latter times some shall depart from the faith i. e. from the Religion And 1. Tim. 5.8 If any man provide not for his owne especially for those of his owne house hee hath denyed the faith i. e. the Religion of Christ To live in the flesh is to performe the naturall and civill acts of a mortall man who is compassed with flesh and blood as to eate drinke and sleepe to labour traffick or otherwise follow the workes of my worldly calling But to live after the flesh is another and a contrary thing not allowable to any Christian not compatible with mortification nor consistent with salvation For living after the flesh is a continuance in those sinnes which will for certaine exclude the sinner from his divine inheritance in the Kingdome of God as will appeare afterwards in this Epistle cap. 5. vers 19. c. To live in the faith or Religion of Christ is to performe those workes of Love which belong to a Believer professing the faith of Christ as workes of love to himselfe by Patience Temperance Chastity and Humility Love to his brother by Equity Mercy Meekenesse and Kindnesse Love to God by Piety and Devotion in his Worship and Service Or to live in the faith as the Apostle expresseth it in other words Ephes 4.1 Is to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith wee are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love And againe Coloss 1.10 It is to walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke c. In a word it is to live a religious and holy life according to the profession and obligation of my faith for if my faith have not this effect upon mee to make mee live thus my faith is dead I were as good have no faith as have the Divels faith which justifies not And I were as good againe have no faith as to have such a bare semblance or shadow of a justifying faith which sanctifies me not For my Justification is before my Sanctification not onely in nature and time but also is or ought to bee the cause of it and will bee frustrate unlesse it have that effect An Objecti ∣ on The words then of this clause are another prevention of a tacit objection that might bee made against his former words immediately preceding For some man might thereupon say Seeing you and all other Christians are mortall men cloathed with flesh yee must needes therefore live after the manner of other men by performing those actions which belong to flesh and blood as actions naturall in eating drinking and sleeping and actions civill in discoursing buying selling and negotiating in the works of your calling All which actions and the like seeme nothing pertinent unto Christ and to life spirituall but carnall the Answer To this Objection his Answer seemes to bee thus as for my former sinfull actions they are wholly crucified and mortified for I have utterly renounced them and live not in them at all And as for my naturall and civill actions they are altered and changed for they are not now wholly the same that they were before but are all done in faith for they are as it were animated and quallified with my faith which governeth and ordereth them after a religious way For while I performe those naturall and civill actions which belong to flesh and bloud as necessary to the course of this mortall life I have alwayes a respect to the Faith and Religion of Christ which I professe thereby moderating ordering and ruling all my actions that I may walke worthy of the vocation whereto I am called carrying all things in a due conformity thereto and avoyding all tnat eyther may bring a scandall upon it or bee any way unworthy thereof For even my naturall and civill actions are now all referred unto God and being done in thankefulnesse to him for his grace they serve to declare and advance his glory Whether I eate or eat not to the Lord I eate or eate not and give God thankes Rom. 4.6 Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thankes and hee that eateth not to the Lord hee eateth not and giveth God thankes This clause therefore of Living in the flesh and yet living in the Faith seemeth to be the same with that 2. Cor. 10.3 Though we walk in the flesh we doe not warre after the flesh Hence it appeeres that Our naturall and civill actions as far as they are capable of morality doe belong unto fayth For even upon such actions faith may have such an influence that they may be done in faith and that action which in one man is meerely naturall may in another be both naturall and religious being cloathed with some circumstance which may make it a service acceptable unto God Although my Faith and Religion oblige me not to undertake every kinde of action yet faith must moderate the maner of every action which I undertake that it be suitable to the will of God and faith must direct the end of every action that it tend to the glory of God Hence the Scripture is copious in her Exhortations that all things be done in a due maner nothing uncharitably Rom. 14.15 If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Nothing offensively 1. Cor. 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Nothing contentiously Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory c. And that all things bee done to the right end All unto the Lord Rom. 14.8 Whether wee live wee live unto the Lord or whether wee die we die unto the Lord. All unto his glory 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glory of God All in thankfulnesse to him Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye doe in word or in deed doe all
grace 3 Respective to the New Testament and so they are chiefly 3. which was very necessary done very sufficiently and very solemnly and why so from ReasoÌ„ and testimonies of Scripture 2. To Confirme it which also was necessary Effected Yet not by the Testator in his owne person But in the person of his owne Son Which assures my Right and argues the love of God and of Christ Hence is the Bloud of the New Testament opposed to that of Abel and to that of the Old Testament and is farre more holy 3. To Execute it for this is the Life of a Testament and a Bond upon the Executor who of the New Testament was Christ whereof the Reasons and the Testimonies from Scripture Christ a vested Executor for his Inheritance Power Honour and Office But upon the Condition of his Death a Condition strange Yet Possible and Necessary for 2 reasoÌ„s 1. For his owne Inheritance which otherwise he could not enter 2. For discharge of Legacies Hence he is the Captain of Salvation and Author of Salvation Hence at his Ascention he fulfilled Gods Will in giving gifts to men Hence our Expiation our Consolation our Resurrection and Glorification Hence Christs doctrine for the Necessity of his death whereof the causes remote were many yet all subordinate to the three forementioned But the Remission of sins is most mentioned and the Reason The force of Pauls argument The effect of a Testament Gods two Testaments are different and therefore are Repugnant The Old not in force because it was faulty or else Pauls argument is so and Christ dyed without cause Arguments of Gods grace for the Effect of it and the Meanes which was Rich Requiring my Faith and Hope and Love It comes not by the Law but is opposed to it I Doe not frustrate the grace of God The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I doe not despise reject disanul or bring to nothing the the grace of God for these foure ways the word is Englished elswhere and in this place only is rendred frustrate As Luke 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that despiseth you despiseth mee And Marc. 7.9 And hee sayd unto them full well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee reject the commandement of God And Gal. 3.15 Though it bee but a mans Testament yet if it bee confirmed no man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disanulleth or addeth thereto And 1. Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will bring to nothing the understanding of the Prudent And all these foure wayes the word signifieth heere Because these severall senses are not really different but are either in a maner the same or else one consequent to the other For what I despise that also I reject and what I reject that I disanull or bring to nothing in effect by making it frustrate or void in respect of any use or benefit to my selfe If therefore I frustrate or make voyd the grace of God from having that effect upon mee which God purposed towards mee I disanul his grace or bring it to nothing which argues my refusall of it to reject it and my rejection argues my contempt of it that I disesteeme or despise it Concerning the nature of Gods grace what it is wee have spoken somewhat before cap. 1. vers 6. where the Reader may peruse it Heere therefore wee shall consider that effect of it from which the Apostle argueth and reasoneth in this place for heere the word is put by way of metonymy or transnomination for all those effects both mediall and finall whereof Gods grace is the originary and primary cause The Right whereto I am justified is a divine state of alliance and inheritance to bee the sonne and heire of God for this is the Matter of my right The Title whereby I acquire or have this Right is only my Faith to accept it for my Faith is a meane procreant cause on my part whereby I receive this Right The Tenure whereby I continue or hold it are the Duties and Services of holinesse or the good workes of love for these are a meane cause conservant on my part that my right may not escheat or bee forfeited The principall person who imputeth deriveth or conveyeth this right unto mee is God the Father for who but God as the principall Agent can make mee the sonne and heire of God The Motive inducing God to impute or convey this Right unto mee is his meere Grace I meane that inward affection residing in God which is his goodwill love favour mercy and kindnesse for all these are really the same but rationally different in respects So that my title on Gods part is Gods meere grace which is the supreame or prime cause having no other cause above or beyond it The cause why every Believer is the sonne and heire of God is because God in his last Will and Testament hath so devised or promised it And the cause why God in his Will made this devise or promise is his meere Grace i. e. his love or goodwill to dignifie a person who deserves it not For Gods love is his good-will to benefie or doe good and when the benefit done is a dignity or honour to the receiver and the receiver a person who deserves it not then such Love of God is his Grace My alliance with God to bee his sonne and heire hath it not in it there â—o qualities The one that it is an high dignity and honour unto me the other that it is far beyond my desert For no man can deserve to bee borne of his Father or after hee is borne to bee made the sonne of another But the onely cause of a sonne is love and the onely cause to bee made the sonne of God is the grace of God Because to bee made the sonne of God is the greatest dignity and honour in the Wold for thereby mans dignity approacheth to the Majesty of the most high God who though by reason of his power hee bee the Father of all yet by way of grace he is not so My Justifying therefore unto this alliance with God is by the Scriptures attributed to the grace of God Rom. 3.24 Being satisfied freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ And Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might bee by grace to the end the promise might bee sure to all the seed what is the thing that is of faith The divine inheritance to bee made the heires of God as it appeares in the words preceding vers 13. and 14. And Ephes 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein or whereby hee hath made us accepted in the beloved i. e. Whereby hee hath justified us or made us co-heires with his beloved sonne And Ephes 2.4.5 But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead in sinnes hath