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-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
calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the spirit of the Law according to the tacit intent true meaning and purpose of the Law-giver for times and things future above and beyond the common construction which the words and clauses of the Law afford This mysticall sense for the spirit of the Law was not understood at least not plainly and fully by the people of Israel to whom the Law was given neither could it be understood of any unlesse God revealed it from Heaven in a way extraordinary as privately was done in some measure unto some speciall persons but publickly it was never revealed untill it was Preached and published by Christ who was the first that did away the vaile of the Law and brought to light that true sense and minde of the Law whereof the former sense which even unto this day 2. Cor. 3.15 is a vaile upon the heart of the Jew was a figure and a shadow in foreshewing some representment of those things which should have a future existence under the new covenant which is little else but the new and true sense of the old For according to this sense of the spirit the Promises of the Law were to be Celestiall and eternall blessings in the Kingdome of Heaven whereof the principall and finall is a divine holinesse like that of the Angels pure and perfect without any spot or staine of sin and the accessories to that blessed state in Heaven are eternall life eternall rest eternall joy and eternall glory in the eternall company of eternall persons The judgements penalties or curses of the Law for the spirit of it were to be infernall and eternall death with all the losses and miseries thereto incident quite contrary to the former blessings The Precepts of the Law for the spirit of it were to be all Moralities for the legall moralities and all the ceremonies excepting onely those which were especiall figures of Christ were to be refined and exalted into the evangelicall moralities of poorenesse of spirit purenesse of heart mourning meekenesse hunger and thirst after righteousnes mercifulnes peaceablenes and gladnes under persecution for none of all these are Counsels or advises left unto mans choyse to be done or not done but all of them are Precepts or commands injoyned by Christ who thereupon assureth heavenly blessednes Mat. 5.3 And unto all these the generall or capitall morality is the new Commandement of Love refined also and exalted above and beyond the legall love yea above and beyond that love which moves and workes by the Law of nature as to love mine enemies to blesse them that curse me to benefit them that hate me to pray for them that despite me and persecute me to lay downe my life for my Brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father whensoever a just cause shall require it Lastly the workes of the Law for the spirit of it were to be Cordiall wrought inwardly in and upon my heart by Circumcising of my heart by Sacrificing of my heart by Expiating of my heart in cutting killing and cleansing away the lusts motions and affections of sin And the workes were to be Liberall done in the free and noble way of love answerable to that love and kindnes which appeareth in God in condescending to this divine alliance of being my heavenly Father and of promising me an heavenly Inheritance and answerable to that love and duty which is due from me who am made the son of God and his heyre to eternall blessednes And finally the works were to be Perfect so exact and compleat as to performe an universall and perpetuall obedience to every precept not transgressing any one at any time so sinlesse and blamelesse that none of them should need any pardon or forgivenesse so upright and holy in the sight of God as to merit and deserve those divine and heavenly blessings as their proper and due wages The full meaning therefore of the Apostles Negative in this verse is this A man is not justified by any workes whatsoever no not by the spirituall workes of the Law i. e. his Moralities or morall workes by poorenes of spirit meekenes purenes of heart meeknes mercifulnes c. being measured by the spirituall sense of Gods Law are not cordiall liberall and perfect enough to make him a title whereby to acquire and have a true right of divine alliance with God and of the heavenly Inheritance consequent to that state This Negative the Apostle proves in this Chapter by three severall arguments which are not to be here anticipated but shall be specified in their due places in all which he mentions workes with restraint of them to the Law but his arguments hold against works in generall and in his Epistle to the Romans he handles the very same Doctrine of workes in generall without any restraint of them to the Law proving it there by the same arguments alleaged heere yet because there he produceth two arguments which here are omitted I shall therefore mention those two and but onely mention them One is Rom. 3.27 and the same is also alleaged Ephes 2.9 If mans title or cause procreant whereby he acquireth or hath a right of divine alliance and inheritance with God come by his owne workes then all boasting on mans part cannot be excluded for man doth naturally boast of his works particularly of such workes whereby he acquires some great alliance and inheritance especially of such as would make him a divine alliance to be the son and heire of God The other is Rom. 4.4 If mans title c. be by his workes then by the Law of equity heavenly blessednes becomes a debt and is due unto him as his wages which he hath earned by his worke Now these two respects that man should be able either to boast of his blessednes or to earne it are both derogatory to the love grace mercy and kindnes of God for where is Gods grace and his kindnes when either I can boast of my earnings or he is drawne to pay his debt But concerning the literall workes of the Law there may hereupon be inferred these two consequences 1. That the literall workes of the Law are no title whereby a man is justified procreantly or acquisitively to the spirituall promises thereof For if the spirituall workes which are farre more sublime and more pleasing to God make man no title to the spirituall promises as was proved before much lesse can the literall workes doe it which are farre lesse 2. That the literall workes of the Law were no title whereby the Israelites were acquisitively justified to the temporall promises thereof For when God gave them the Land of Canaan to possesse it hee utterly disclaymes their workes and their uprightnes from being any title whereby they acquired their right of possession Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thy heart doest thou goe to possesse their Land but for the wickednesse of these Nations the
the Iewes and some living among them as the Samaritans and many townes in Galilee which Mat. 4.15 was therefore called Galilee of the Gentiles All these idolatrous Gentiles were so abominable and odious unto the Iewes that Paul in contempt and disdayne doth heere tacitly call the false teachers of Galatia Sinners of the Gentiles i. e. Idolaters Because although they were now by fayth Christians and by sect Iudaizers yet by birth they were Idolaters for unto Christians they were not converted from being Iewes but from being Gentiles and from that sinfull sort of Gentiles who were not worshippers but Idolaters For in saying Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles he sufficiently insinuates that those Iudaizers were once such sinners and therefore were once men of the basest and lewdest life in the world as persons most distant and remote from the Jewes by nature who by the prerogative of their birth accounted themselves in the highest degree of all those who worshipped God to be a holy Nation and the Saints of the Lord. The sence of the whole verse is q. d. Wee who are Jewes in the best and fullest maner both in respect of our Nation as wee are the seede of Abraham Jewes in respect of our Rights which God hath setled upon us and Jewes in respect of our Lawes which God hath prescribed us for Religion and Justice wee who have these advantages by the best title even by Nature and Birth-right as wee are borne to those Rights and under those Lawes wee who were never sinfull Gentiles borne and bred up in Idolatry as were the Judaizing false Teachers and therefore have better meanes then they to know by what meanes a man is justified Even wee have beene forced to forsake all these advantages even the workes of our Law and the wayes of our Religion to flye unto the faith of Christ for our justification that by faith in him wee may attaine to that Blessednesse which was promised to our Father Abraham No reason is there then that the Gentiles who heeretofore were alwayes aliens and strangers to God and our Lawes but now by Gods grace manifested in the Gospel are admitted unto Christ and endenized into the Kingdome of Heaven being made fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God should thereupon bee constrained to the workes of our Law and to the wayes of our Religion considering that those workes and wayes were unto justification so unavailable and so unprofitable that wee our selves have utterly forsaken them for how can those things advantage them which unto us were no benefit But in the word Sinners there is yet couched a further emphasis whereby the Apostle would prepare and lay a ground for his future Doctrine in the next verse concerning Justification whereof a Sinner is the proper subject and the onely person capable of that blessing That therefore wee may bee the better provided to understand what Justification is and what is the Justification of a Sinner wee must observe that in the Scriptures the word Sinner and his Synonyma's or equivalents beare three severall senses viz. a legall a morall and a jurall sense according to the three generall and notable words Lex Mos Jus. 1. The word sinner signifies legally quoad leges for one who is a transgressour in not doing that right which hee should and ought to doe by the Rules of the Lawes Statutes and Justice For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Law and Justice hee is unrighteous and a person unrighteous is a sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a legall sinner to bee a transgressor is some unlawfull act of his done by him against the Law Such sinners were our first Parents who by transgressing against the Law of Paradise were of mankinde the first sinners by whom sinne entered into the world Such a Sinner was David who in the case of Uriah transgressed the Laws against murder and adultety Such a Sinner was Jeroboam who made Israel to sinne and such was all Israel who did sinne by transgressing the Law against worshipping of Images Such a Sinner was the woman Luk. 7.37 Who washed the feete of Christ with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head and kissed them and anointed them with oyntment For shee was an Adulteresse Such a Sinner was the other woman John 8.3 Who was taken in adultery in the very act and was thereupon brought unto Christ to bee censured And such were the Sinners of the Gentiles mentioned before 2. It signifies Morally quoad mores for one who is Improbous in not doing that right which hee might should and ought to doe by the Rules of Morality Equity Decency Charity and Mercy For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Equity Decency and Mercy hee is unrighteous and the person unrighteous is a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man to become a sinner morally or improbous is not an act of his that is unlawfull in respect of any Law for the act may bee lawfull and yet sinfull enough to denominate him a sinner But it is an act that is not honest and faire in respect of Equity and Decency Such a Sinner was Cham Gen. 9.22 Who seeing his Fathers nakednesse told his two brethren without This act of his was a sinne for it was punished with a heavy curse of perpetuall slavery Yet this was not a sinne legally against any Law or Statute then being in force which forbad that act but it was a sinne morally against the Rule of good Manners Equity and Charity for a sonne to bee so improbous unnaturall and unkinde as to blab of his fathers fault which hee should have concealed Such Sinners were they 1. Sam. 10.27 Who despised Saul and brought him no Presents This act of theirs was a sinne for at the beginning of the verse the offenders are called the children of Belial Yet this was no sinne legally nor an act unlawfull against any Law of Moses but a morall sinne of improbity against the Rule of Morality Equity and Decency for Subjects to despise their King and upon his Election to bring him no Presents Such a Sinner was Nabal 1. Sam. 25.10 Who sayd who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse There bee many servants now a dayes that breake away every man from his Master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee This saying was a sinne for vers 14. one of Nabals owne servants censureth it for railing and afterward vers 17. hee censureth his Master in these words Hee is such a man of Belial that a man cannot speake to him Yet this sinne of Nabal was no legall sinne against any Law of Moses But a morall sinne of improbity against equity and good manners that a man of a great estate
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.
is Just or righteous doth in Scripture signifie in all three wayes 1. Legally quoad leges for one who is upright faciendo by doing right 2. Morally quoad mores for one who is kinde donande by giving a right 3. Jurally quoad jura for one who is an Owner habendo by having a right Yet in that one word in one and the same sentence there may concurre or bee implyed sometime two of those senses sometime all three as the circumstances may require a lesse or more generall acception thereof for one and the same person at the same time may bee a man upright kinde and an Owner Come wee now to the Greeke Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a derivative from the Nowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Latine Verbe Justifico which is a figurative compounded of Justus and facio and then the true genuine English of the Latinisme justified will bee this viz. to bee made just or righteous and because the Nowne Just or righteous hath three senses as was formerly shewed therefore consequently the Verbe justified being thence derived must regularly signifie three wayes Viz. 1. To bee made upright 2. To bee made kinde 3. To bee made an Owner And because the word made doth expresse unto us the forme of the third Conjugation Hiphil and Hophal in the Hebrew which regularly consignifies making therefore from that causall Conjugation wee must observe that in the phrase of the Old Testament and so likewise from the New where it imitates the Old as heere it doth such Making may and must bee understood sometime Declaratively only sometime Efficiently and sometime both wayes For these consignifications modifying the principall sense of the Verbe doe vary it into different and severall senses Yet so as that in some case they may concurre for a man may at once be declaratively pronounced righteous and efficiently made so and in some case againe they may be severed for a man may be declaratively pronounced righteous when he is not efficiently made so and contrarily he may be efficiently made so when declaratively he is not so pronounced For the declaring of a thing is not necessarily efficient to make the being of it as if it had no being before but it causeth that being to appeare which before appeared not by making that manifest and cleare which was in being before but the being was so obscure or doubtfull that it was in question and after that being is duly declared it admits of no proofe to the contrary Wherefore the verb justified besides the 3 principall sences which it derives from the nowne Just or righteous doth in Scripture consignifie chiefly 2 wayes viz. Declaratively onely and Efficiently whether the effect be declared or not 1. Declarative onely by pronouncing a person just or righteous and so it derives from the nown 2 senses 1. A Legall and so he is justified who is declared or pronounced upright to have done that which is just or right not to have offended against the Law nor to have done that wrong wherewith he is charged Hence Exod. 23.7 the Lord professeth of himselfe lo azdick I will not justifie the wicked i. e. I will not declare the wicked to be upright or innocent And Deut. 25.1 If there be a controversie between men and they come into judgement that the Judges may judge them vehizdik eth hazaddik then they shall justifie the righteous i. e. they shall declare him upright who is upright legally And Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be justified i. e. the hearers onely of the Law are not upright before God but the doers of the Law if there be any such shall be declared upright And here in the last clause of the verse in hand for by the works of the Law shall no flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be justified i. e. no flesh shall be declared upright See Job 33.32 and Psal 51.4 and Prov. 17.15 and Esay 5.23 and Esay 43.9 and Mat. 11.19 and Mat. 12.37 and Luke 10.29 and Luke 16.15 In all which places the verb Justifie doth not consignifie efficiently or any way causally to make him upright who before was not upright either by infusing into him a new uprightnes which was no where existent before or by imputing unto him that uprightnes which was before existent in another but it consignifies onely declaratively in pronouncing him upright who was upright before and had the quality of uprightnes inherent in him 2. It declares the Morall sense and so he is justified who is declared kinde bounteous and gratious that he not onely doth right in giving every man his due but also doth more then right in giving men more then their due by bestowing Gifts Graces and benefits upon them Hence Luke 7.29 And all the people that heard him and the Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified God being baptised with the Baptisme of John i. e. the people and the Publicans declared God to be kind Gratious and bounteous in that counsell of his will which the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected as it appeares by the verse following and this kindnes bounty and Grace of God they declared by their deed in being baptised with the Baptisme of John and the end why they declared Gods kindnes was that thereby they might glorifie God for he that declares or sets forth Gods kindnes by shewing the goodnes and greatnes thereof doth in effect prayse and glorifie God And 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was justified in the spirit i. e. was declared kinde bounteous and Gratious by reason of the various gifts and wonderous workes proceeding from his holy spirit And here as before the verb Justifie doth not consignifie efficiently or any way causally to infuse or impute kindnes to him who was not kinde before but onely declaratively to manifest that kindnes which was before in being 2. The verb Justified consignifies Efficiently by effecting or making a man just or righteous and then it derives from the nowne the jurall sense of it and so he is justified or rather jurified who is efficiently made an Owner or an Heire in respect of some right interest or clayme imputed conveyed or settled upon him whether the effect be declared or not declared and this Jurall justifying is effected or made by the two maine degrees of efficiency 1. Procreantly and so he is justified or rather jurified who is made to have a right when a right clayme or interest which he had not before is created constituted imputed or ordained unto him for by this efficiency his Right is first made to initiate commence or begin unto him so the word is taken Esay 45.25 in the Lord all the seed of Israel Jizdeku shall be justified i. e. all the Faithfull who are the spirituall seed of the true Israel shall be procreantly jurified or made to have a right interest
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
by conforming his owne unto it and whose service hee findes to bee no servitude but perfect freedome is acquitted and discharged from the burdens and penalties of the Law to rest and remaine under the friendship favour grace and love of God to bee inlightned guided moved strengthned and cheered by the holy spirit of God This is a state of grace an high noble divine and blessed condition a condition transcending farre above the proper nature and quality of man a condition honored and inriched with many other Rights Priviledges and Benefits thereto consequent incident and annexed whereof the first concurrent with it is a degree of spirituall freedome viz. a divine alliance to bee the Sonne and Heire of God The state whereto a man is Justified is this condition of spirituall freedome and alliance to bee the freed man and friend of God to bee the Sonne and Heire of God Hence Abraham being justified was called the friend of God Jam. 2.23 Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and hee was called the friend of God i. e. Abrahams faith did justifie him or was imputed unto him for a right of Freedome Amity or Alliance with God to bee made and called Gods friend And Christ tells his Disciples that they were and should bee called his friends John 15.14 Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth But I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you And the Apostle tells all Believers that by being justified they are made the Heirs of God Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his grace wee should bee made Heires according to the hope of eternall life For Justifying is the altering or changing of mans spirituall state or condition whereby hee acquires a new state much different from that wherein hee stood before Yet this change is not made downeward to abate and lessen it into the state of spirituall bondage but upward to advance and raise it unto spirituall Freedome Amity and Alliance with God Hence Justification is quite opposite and contrary to that Condemnation which the Civilians call Capitis diminutio i. e. a lessening of the head by debasing and changing the state or condition of a man from the better to the worse to make him an Alien or a Bondman who before was a Citizen or Freeman for anciently the word head did signifie jurally for the state or condition of a man Because a mans state or condition is the beginning fountaine or head from whence all his other rights are either derived or obstructed And because of this contrariety to Capitis diminutio Justification may be fitly tearmed Capitis exaltatio i. e. a raising or lifting up the head for to that sense the phrase of lifting up the head is used in the Old Testament Gen. 40. vers 20. And it came to passe the third day which was Pharoahs birth-day that hee made a Feast unto all his servants and hee lifted up the head of the chiefe Butler and of the chiefe Baker among his servants i. e. Hee raised their condition by giving them their freedome and releasing them from their former imprisonment And 2. King 25.27 And it came to passe that Evilmerodach King of Babylon in the yeare that hee began to raigne did lift up the head of Jehoiachin King of Judah out of prison i. e. Did give him his freedome from his imprisonment The state from whence a man is justified is the base condition of spirituall bondage and the miseries thereto consequent for that state is the terminus a quo or tearme of recesse from whence Justifying commenceth and from whence a man is thereby delivered and the state of freedome is the terminus ad quem or the tearme of accesse whereto Justifying exalteth and wherin a man is thereby invested and seated And although mans deliverance from bondage doth in order of nature precede his investiture into freedome Yet I first mentioned the last because the last is first in the order of our method and first in order of dignity as being the more worthy and more noble condition Hence it appeares that Justifying doth worke an alteration or change in a man for it changeth his state or condition Yet it appeares also that this change is onely jurall whereby hee is exalted or raised from a low and base condition to rest in a noble and divine state for such a jurall change and no other there is in a person naturalized legitimated infranchised redeemed pardoned and adopted in all which being severall sorts of Justifying there is a change yet that change is onely jurall by a change of condition As for any morall alteration or change upon the affections or manners of man that is not the proper worke of Justification but of Sanctification Yet the grace and blessing of Justification in changeing the state and condition of man doth strongly oblige and binde him to the workes of sanctity or holinesse in making a morall change upon his affections and manners by destroying sinne and the lusts thereof as the Apostle will seriously presse it in this Chapter vers 18. The Priviledges incident and consequent unto this state of divine freedome and alliance are all the residue of the Legacies or precious Promises devised in Gods Testament wherof the most future and most finall are the Remission of sins the Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting with all the glory and joyes thereto annexed all which three are in a maner eyther one and the same blessing or blessings so consequent one to another that the former must necessarily be antecedent to the latter For there can bee no Life everlasting unlesse the Resurrection of the body antecede and the Resurrection cannot be unlesse the Remission of sins antecede But when by the Remission of sins eternall death which is the punishment thereof is extinguished then the Resurrection of the body must needs follow and upon the Resurrection from eternall death Life everlasting must needes follow For the heyres of God dying on earth how shall they enter their heavenly inheritance unlesse they be againe raysed to life and dying for sin how shall they be raysed unlesse the sin be remitted for which they die As therefore the state of Sovereignty draweth unto it the rights and dues of tribute custome feare and honour Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour so the state of supreame alliance doth draw unto it the priviledges and blessings of Forgivenesse of sins the Resurrection of the body and Life everlasting For Abraham Isaac and Jacob have a right interest or clayme unto the Resurrection and consequently unto Life everlasting and their right interest or clayme thereto is by vertue of their state or condition of freedome and alliance unto
but are made so by the Will and Testament of God And wee are adopted by his Will Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will i. e. of his Will and Testament whereto the like saying followeth afterward in the same Chapter vers 13. And wee are begotten by his Will James 1.18 Of his owne Will begat hee us with the word of truth i. e. by his owne Will and Testament Thus having premised the Meaning of the word Justified that it signifies the conveying of a present right to man that the Matter of that Right is a right of state or permanent condition wherein man resteth that the quality of that state is a spirituall franchise or alliance to become the friend son and heyre of God that the priviledges incident to that alliance are the future Remission of his sins the Resurrection of his body and Life everlasting that the degree of his right to these priviledges is a right of Institution or a present right to the future possession of them that the Maner how man hath this state is factively by a testamentary act of God We come now to the Means whereby man hath this state or to that fact of man whereby the fact of God is effected or to the Title whereby man receives and enters this state for on mans part there is required an Act as the Meanes or Title for his reception of this state and concerning this Means or Title was all the controversie between Paul and the false teachers of Galatia against whom hee layes downe this Negative that It is not by the works of the Law as it followeth in the next words Text. Not by the workes of the Law The wrong title to the former state The particle By argues a Cause or Meanes The Nature of a Title exemplified in Lysias and in Paul and of speciall consideration 3. Maine heads of the Law 3. Judgements Two other heads of the Law It was Gods Testament and his Covenant Workes meane good workes Man worketh and the Law worketh in Condemning and Justifying conservantly but not procreantly neither doe mans works so The Law hath two senses 1. The History or letter of it which was well understood and so the Promises were terrene the Precepts were childish as their Moralities and much more their Ceremonies The workes were servile 2. The mystery or spirit of it which was not fully understood And so the Promises were heavenly the Precepts were virile and manly The works to be Cordial Liberall and Perfect No works justifie Procreantly to the heavenly promises nor to the earthly The wrong or false title of man to his spirituall right of franchise and alliance with God that hee hath not that state by the works of the Law For in any right whatsoever whether it be a Right of state of power of honour or of profit a man must have a speciall regard to his Title especially in a Right of this moment which is divine and concernes everlasting blessednesse The particle By doth imply a Meanes and thereby doth intimate unto man that unlesse on his part some Meanes be used or some Act done for his reception of this spirituall and divine state the testamentary acts of God in predestinating or instituting him thereto may become ineffectuall as ineffectuall they must needs become unto all who despise refuse or reject that state as manifest it is that too many have done both of Jewes and Gentiles for all testamentary acts doe leave unto the party instituted a liberty to accept or refuse the Legacy therein devised to him because a Testament carrieth not the force of a Law to constrayne and much lesse of fate to necessitate but passeth in the forme of grace to offer and tender the good will of the Testator And the Meanes heere understood is the meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby a right is first acquired initiated commenced entred and had which meanes or cause is commonly called a Title For a Title is that cause or formality whereby a mans right is declared or proved to be true and just whereby it is assured unto the party that hath it and is defended against any that shall impugne it or lay a clayme to dispossesse the possessor of it For in case another man should make a doubt of my right whatsoever it be or question me whether I have and hold it justly if thereupon I shall alleadge unto him the Meanes acquisitive or cause procreant whereby I first acquired entred and had that my right as that I had it by my Birth in inheriting it or by my Worke in earning it or by my Money in buying it or by my Acceptance in receiving the gift of it then such meanes or cause being justly approoved is my Title whereby I have that right and whereby I defend my having of it Lysias the Colonell and Governour of the Temple at Jerusalem had a right of freedome to the City of Rome and his title to that state was by his money for saith he Act. 22.28 with a great summe obtayned I this freedome And Paul his prisoner had the same right of freedome to the very same City but Pauls right came not to him by the same title for when Lysias made a doubt of Pauls freedome and questioned him about it Paul in the defence of his right alleadged his title that it was by Birth and sayd I was free borne In mans Justification therefore wee are to consider his title whereby he hath his right of spirituall State in his divine franchise and alliance with God whereby procreantly and acquisitively the reception of that state is initiated commenced or begun in him But that his title is not by Birth was proved before in the Maner how man hath this state namely not natively in being borne in it but factively in being made to have it and that fact on Gods part was Gods testamentary act in Predestinating or devising it unto man It remaineth therefore that mans title on mans part must bee by some act of his owne whereof the Apostle determineth heere that it is not by the works of the Law The Law was the whole body of those orders and rules for life which God by the meanes of Moses inacted in the Wildernesse for the people of Israel contayning three maine heads 1. Promises of divers blessings which God freely conferred upon that Nation as his owne peculiar people 2. Precepts of divers duties which the people on their part were to performe in respect of those promises of which precepts some were Moralities contayning duties naturall whereto the light of nature binds towards God and man as the ten Commandements of the Decalogue and others of their nature others were Ceremonies imposing duties positive which had little ground in nature but only in Gods pleasure of these the principall was Circumcision which though it were long before inacted in the time of Abraham yet
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
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
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
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
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
the Lord our God as he hath commanded us Thus speakes the Law it selfe Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my Judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. By keeping my Lawes you shall continue your right and state of life to prolong the course of it and to secure it from any violent death to be inflicted by the Law Thus the Prophet Ezech. 18.9 He that hath walked in my statutes to deale truly he is just he shall surely live i. e. by his walking in my Lawes hee becomes upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue and prolong his temporall life which hee not transgressing the Law shall not by the Law bee cut off And thus also the Apostle Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. shall continue to bee justified for that by the deeds of the Law they could not begin to be justified hee meanes to prove at large in the following chapters of that Epistle And for default of these workes the ten tribes forfeited their right to that Land for ever and the other two tribes were sequestred for the tearme of 70 yeares under their captivity in Babylon But the tenure whereby under the Gospel I hold my state of alliance with God and continue my right of inheritance to the kingdome of Heaven are not the workes of the Law in the literall sense Not her Ceremonies as her Feasts in observing dayes and months and times and yeares and her Fasts in not touching not tasting not handling and her Capitall Ceremony of Circumcision which in Christ Jesus availeth nothing Not her Moralities as to bee no Idolater no perjurer no Sabbath-breaker no murderer adulterer thiefe lyar nor deceiver For a profession of my selfe to bee no sinner will not continue my Justification nay a confession of my selfe to bee a sinner will rather justifie mee then a justifying of my self to be no sinner for upon this ground as I am taught Luke 18.14 The Publican went downe to his house justified rather then the Pharisee But because that Pharisee was an Hypocrite let us heare another kinde of Pharisee who was no Hypocrite and yet confesseth of his Innocency that it justified him not 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therefore justified I observe the Moralities of the Law because otherwise I should make my selfe a transgressor and thereby destroy my justification for although my innocency in being no Idolater no perjurer no Sabath-breaker c. will neither constitute nor continue my divine alliance and inheritance yet my Transgression in being an idolater a perjurer a murderer or adulterer or the like will discontinue and destroy it The Moralities of the Law therefore I doe and must observe yet I observe them not in duty to the Law because she commands them nor for feare of the Law because she threatens the breach of them For I am not under the Law but am dead to the Law and it is a part of my Justification to bee free from the Law But the workes which continue my Justification are the works of Grace For seeing God hath so highly Graced mee as to make mee his sonne and heyre therefore to shew my gratefulnes and thankefulnes to God for his grace I observe those duties offices and services whatsoever they be whereto not the letter of Gods Law but the spirit of his grace doth move and draw mee those workes which the grace of his Gospel commands and requires from mee for I am under his Grace And the workes which Gods grace causeth in me and requires from me are the acts of Love exercising it selfe in the offices of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse For seeing God hath so loved and graced me as to make me his son and heire what other workes should his love and grace produce in me but the workes of love for what should love beget but love and what duties should the son doe to his father but the duties of love And these workes of Love have two strange properties for 1. They are super-legall i. e. above and beyond the Law of Moses not only fulfilling but transcending and exceeding it As to feed the hungry and cloath the naked to entertaine the stranger to visit the sicke and releeve the prisoner 2. They are super-naturall i. e. above and beyond the law of Nature for as there is a miraculous faith so there is also a miraculous love which in a maner worketh miracles surpassing the common course of naked nature As not to be Angry not to resist or revenge evill to suffer persecution gladly and joyfully to lay down my life for my brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father to love mine enemies who hate revile and persecute me and in some case to hate my friends as my father and mother my wife and children my brothers and sisters Luk. 14.26 These and the like workes of Love are not the commands of the Law for they are not there manifested though some of them be there testified But they are the Commands of Grace for they are manifested in the Gospel which contayning the precepts and rules of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse whereto Gods Grace obligeth and enableth me is therefore called the word of his Grace Hence Christ calls Love a new Commandement John 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his commandement John 15.12 This is my Commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you And these workes offices and services of Love are the tenure to continue and maintaine my state of Justification For sayth Paul Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love i. e. The only thing which availeth to make mee continue and abide in Christ is faith working by love And 1. John 2.10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light i. e. Continueth in his state of light and life And 1. John 4.16 He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him i.e. Hee that continueth in the workes of love continueth in that alliance which is between God and him And when James affirmeth that a man is justified by works he meanes not works of the law but works of love and of such love as is both super-legall and supernaturall according to the two strange properties formerly mentioned For sayth he Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar Did not Abraham continue justified by his worke in offering Isaac Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not a service of love whereby at Gods immediate command he offered unto God his onely sonne in sacrifice Was not his love super-legall above and beyond the Law For did any Law command that a father should sacrifice his son And
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
man much lesse can hee bee certaine that any thing is doubtfull This nomination of mee by the common name of a Believer is fully sufficient to convey unto mee a proper right to everlasting blessednesse My Father by his last Will setled his estate upon my elder Brother and upon his heires but my Brother dying without issue I came to enjoy my fathers estate Because I was named to it in his Will yet not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of Heire for collaterally by my birth I was heire to my Brother But because this is a parable therefore it is not necessary that the Argument of it should agree with the thing it should argue in every particular circumstance but it shall suffice that it hold in the maine purpose and scope of it My heavenly Father by his last Will setled the Kingdome of Heaven upon Christ my elder Brother and upon his Heires and heereby the inheritance of Heaven is assured unto mee Because in Gods Will I am named to it not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of heire to Christ for having God my Father by faith I consequently become Brother to Christ and co-heire with him And an heire by faith when the Testator is pleased so to assigne it is jurally as sure as an heire by birth and in the case present much surer because the assignation is universall to all in generall Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life And the righteousnes of God unto all and upon all them that believe If therefore a common name written in mans will be of force to convey and assure an estate much more shall it doe the like in Gods Will. Oh my deare and blessed Lord who hast loved mee and given thy selfe for mee and therefore wilt give mee any thing else beside grant mee the spirit of thy love that thine to mee may beget mine to thee But let mine bee a soveraigne love to adhere to thee against all the world and let it bee a diligent love not in word but in deed to serve thee faithfully in all thy commands Grant mee also the virtue of thy death to worke in mee my death to sinne that as thou for my sake didst lay downe thy life so I for thy sake may lay downe my sinne Let the sprinkling of thy blood fall upon my heart to withdraw mee from the course of the world to cleanse mee from all vaine conversation to purifie mee from sinne and iniquity to consecrate and dedicate my soule to holynesse that as Adams sinne made mee guilty so thy death may make mee holy And when my naturall death approacheth seeing thou hast tasted death for mee bee pleased to succour mee at the houre of mine Let mee not feare or grieve or grudge to dye but answering the way of thy love let mee give my selfe for mee and then Lord Jesus receive my spirit for which thou didst vouchsafe to dye VERSE 21. Text. I doe not frustrate the grace of God For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine Sense I do not frustrate the grace of God i. e. I make it not vaine or voyd by despising or rejecting it in attributing that blessing unto Gods Law which proceedeth from his grace For if righteousnesse come by the Law i. e. If the Right whereto Gods righteousnesse or kindnesse justifieth come by the Law or if Justification come by the Law as an effect of the Law Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dyed without a cause then Christ who dyed on the Crosse to settle that Will and Testament of God whereby this Right was conveyed dyed without a cause or there was no sufficient reason why he should so dye Reason These words containe the third and last Argument in this Chapter whereby he proves the Negative of his principall Assertion concerning Justification that A man is not Justified by the works of the Law and consequent y that he himself was not so justified For the Apostle according to his former personation continueth his argument in his owne person concluding his Negative from an absurdity which must necessarily follow upon the contrary Affirmative of it For if I am justified by the workes of the Law then it must needs follow that thereby I doe frustrate or made voyd the grace of God because the Law of God and the Grace of God make such opposite titles that if I claime by his Law I must needs disclaime his Grace The Necessity of this consequence he further declares and confirmes by instancing in the gracious Meanes whereby this divine Right of Inheritance to Blessednes is conveyed and setled upon me namely by the bitter death of Christ upon the Crosse wherein God shewed the riches of his grace when by the death of his owne Son he testified and confirmed that Will and Testament wherein this Inheritance was devised unto mee For if my Right of Inheritance came by reason of the Law then Christ who died to settle this Right upon me dyed without any cause on Gods part and there was no sufficient reason why his Father who so dearly loved him should expose him unto death much lesse unto such a bitter death if therefore I frustrate the death of Christ I thereby also frustrate the grace of God And for this argument from Gods grace hee seemes to take occasion from the last words of the former verse wherein hee mentioned the love of Christ because all grace is love Comment Frustrate ampliated to 4 senses which really are the same Grace put for it selfe and for all the effects of it Of Justification the Matter the Title the Tenure the Author the Motive is meere Grace The Nature of grace in 2. things Testimonies for it No causes for it Yet reasons 5. 1. From Gods gift 2. from his good pleasure 3. from his goodnes or kindnes 4. from his Mercy 5. From his Will and Testament Gods grace is rich Testimonies hereof and Reasons 3. 1 It is without cause Not from Merit nor Request nor Inquiry But from Gods proper motion According to his owne will which otherwise were not his but ours 2. Rich for the Effect of Alliance and Inheritance seated most gloriously 3. For the Meanes which was costly precious Why Grace is not caused by my Works nor by my Will but is onely Gratis for Thankes 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 are Yet they follow not necessarily why not Grace how frustrated Righteousnesse put sometime for Uprightnes Faithfulnes Kindnes Heere for a Right For so it is taken in the Old Testament So in the New And sometime is so Englished So also here and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies without desert here without cause Christs death ampliated to his other actiōs Especially to his Resurrection Causes of Christs death fit to be knowne the ◠Causes humane the Divine which must be 1. Consequent to Gods
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
remit or forgive our sinnes by doing all such acts whereby we might finally enjoy the benefit thereof when hee shall rayse us from death to give us the possession of eternall life That he might deliver us Heer is another end or effect of Christs death subordinat to the former and therefore somewhat more remote from it namely our deliverance from the servitude of sin which though causally on his part it be a deliverance yet effectually on our part it is our Repentance The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to exempt take out or pluck out in delivering from some sodain danger and delivering in a speciall maner namely powerfully and hastily plucking or snatching away the party by force and speed As Peter was delivered by the Angel out of prison from the hand of Herod the night before he should have been slaine wherof Peter making relation useth the same word Act. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod Or as Paul was delivered by Lysias the Colonel who with an army or band of men rescued him from the Jewes when they were about to kill him as Lysias relates Acts 23.27 where he useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he which in our last English Translation is there rendred rescued To the same sense the Scripture useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exempt redeeme or rescue From this present evill world The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. out of the sinfulnesse that he might deliver or pluck us out of that sinfulnesse which reigneth in the men of this present world For evill is heer put for sinfulnesse and the world for the men of the world or worldly men whose maners conditions and actions are evill sinfull or wicked If our deliverance be good as comming from Christ it must needs be then the terme or state from whence we are delivered must needs be evill Yet the evill heer meant is not the evill of punishment because thence we are delivered by the Remission of sinnes whereby the punishment is taken away as was intimated in the former clause of this verse Nor the evill of Affliction from which we are many times delivered and from which we pray for deliverance as 2. Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men i. e. From the afflictions and violences which we suffer under them But Affliction cannot be heer meant because that is not an end or effect of Christs death for he died not to deliver us from affliction but rather to animate us against it and to encourage us to suffer it But the Evill heer intended is the evill of sin or rather that degree of sin which is wickednesse as it is opposed to sins of Errour and Frailty such wickednesse as Idolatry Murder Adultery c. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in King JAMES his Translation is constantly Englished Wickednesse Wherefore To be delivered from this present evill world is not meant locally as if we should be taken away from being in the world or be so separated from worldly men as not to feare any affliction from their violences or any corruption from their examples for then we must altogether go locally out of this world But the words are to be understood Morally for a separation from their wicked courses by abstayning from all wickednesse and in undergoing a course of life contrary to the common course of this present evill world framing our selves to the workes of love and to the wayes of holinesse according to the precepts and rules of Christ This distinction betweene a locall and a morall separation is taught us by Christ when he prayed to his Father for his Disciples Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evill i. e. From doing that evill which is wickednesse And so I understand Christ when he taught us to pray Matt. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from evill i. e. Not only from suffering of that evil which proceeds from the wickednesse of others but chiefly from our doing of any evill which is wickednesse For we pray that God would not lead us into temptation now when we are tempted whether by meanes of affliction or otherwise the purpose whereat the temptation aymeth is not our suffering of evill but our doing of it See heere the nature of true Repentance Repentance is a separation from wickednesse For it is a deliverance or separation or turning from evill not from that of affliction which is the suffering of evill but from that of sin which is the doing of evill Yet not from all sin in every degree of it as errours and frailties for unto such a Repentance as to bee wholly sinlesse no sinner ever yet did or ever can attaine in this life But it is a separation from that degree of sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malignity malice or wickednesse which consisteth either in a wilfull custome of sin or in the act of some one sin whereof the pravity amounts to a custome Repentance then is a liberty or freedome from wickednesse for when Christ by forgiving our wickednesse delivereth us from it then he causeth our repentance and when we by forsaking wickednesse are delivered from it then are wee come to Repentance Unto this Repentance many have attayned and thereto every Beleever may and must attaine in this life or else his faith is not effectuall unto salvation And this Repentance is really one and the same thing with holinesse though betweene them there may bee some rationall differences as the words in divers mens understandings may bee diversly dilated or restrayned For holinesse may bee in a person who never sinned as is that of God of Christ and of Angels but when the subject of holinesse is a person that was a sinner and the terme from whence it began was sin then such holinesse is repentance and in this life the holinesse of Beleevers is no other although therof there are diverse degrees wherein some far exceed others The Motive unto repentance or holinesse of life or the cause that should invite and draw us unto the workes worthy thereof or which is all one the Means whereby Christ delivereth us from the evill or sinfulnesse of this present world is the remission or forgivenes of our sinnes For to what end or effect did Christ die for us It was to this end to testifie and confirme the New Testament that it might be in force unto us and that we might have a present right to the Legacies therein devised or promised whereon one is the Remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes And to what end or effect are our sinnes forgiven
receive it and the beleeving Jewes were ready to desert it and by both the name of God and his doctrine was blasphemed Whereupon wee are further to observe that these two last Christian parties namely the Judaizers and Gentilizers agreed in effect For although betweene themselves they were extreamly opposite in many opinions and practises touching Religion Policy and Customes whereby they became bitterly odious one to another yet under this opposition there were many resemblances wherein they agreed 1. Both were Christians for both embraced the fayth of Christ each acknowledged the grace of the Gospel each pretended the truth of it each endeavoured the growth of it and each had a forme of godlinesse 2. Both were erroneous for each labouring to make a compliance betweene the Gospel and that Religion from whence each was converted they both corrupted defiled and leavened the sincerity of the Gospel wherein though both were opposite yet both were in an errour For opposite parties love to make their opinions extreamly opposite i. e. not only contradictory but quite contrary till both become equally erroneous To say in the sense of the Judaizer that works did every way justifie and to say in the sense of the Gentilizer that works did no way justifie were opinions equally erroneous In no case to eat of meat offered unto Idols and in every place to eat meat offered unto Idols were practises equally erroneous And these two opposite erroneous Parties were the two Seminaries of all errors and sects in the Church of Christ for since the first planting of the Gospel unto this very day what errour or what sect did ever trouble and vex the Church which was not a branch either of Judaisme or Gentilisme 3. Both were Contentious for each labouring to maintayne their owne errour and each to obtrude theirs upon the other they did both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. teach erroneously and corruptly neyther of them consenting to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof came envy strife raylings evill surmisings and perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth 1. Tim. 6.3 4 5. For their needles Controversies and foolish questions and doubtfull disputations did commonly conclude and end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in vaine janglings and vaine bablings having no other profit but the subverting of the hearers Yet in such contentions some of them were so arrogant or proud and yet so ignorant or knowing nothing that 1. Tim. 1.7 they desired to bee teachers of the Law understanding neither what they sayd nor whereof they affirmed i. e. not knowing which was the subject and which the predicat of the question 4. Both were malicious for each transgressing the Rules of Charity whose office is not to behave it selfe unseemely but to beare all things and to endure all things they both walked in the way of scandall giving mutuall offence grieving vexing and wounding each others conscience The Judaizer judged and condemned the Gentilizer for a prophane and wicked sinner and the Gentilizer despised and scorned the Judaizer for a superstitious and weake idiot Whereupon at first they shunned one anothers company each separating themselves and each excommunicating the other from their Assemblies but at last they laboured to extirpate and destroy one another For in after times when the Heathenish persecution against the Christians ceased then these two opposite Christians fell to persecute one another and wheresoever either party prevailed that condemned the other of Heresie and the other exclaimed against that for Tyranny Thus one toward another these two opposite parties were ravening Wolves in sheepes clothing 5. But in respect of the sincere Christian both were the Tares or the children of the wicked one which Sathan the Enemy of Christ sowed among the Wheat in the field of Christ For as a right faith and a holy life is the seede and Wheate of Christ So Errours and Vices in not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel how opposite or contrary so ever they bee one to another are the seed and tares of Sathan which hee soweth to annoy the Wheate of Christ For Tares or rather Juray or Darnell are a vitious graine of a destructive nature annoying cumbring hindring and pulling downe not onely one another but any other Corne among which they grow but especially Wheate So Judaisme and Gentilisme were Errours and Vices sowed by Sathan which annoyed cumbred and hindred not onely one another but also the truth and sincerity of the Gospel Yet when the question was moved for the extirpation or rooting out of the Tares Christ denies it and hee denies it for the Wheates sake Mat. 13.29 Lest while yee gather up the Tares yee roote up also the Wheate with them For the Tares are rooted into the roote of the Wheate both having one common root one and the same Faith one and the same Head Christ Jesus And the Tares themselves of both sides deny it for their owne sakes one against another Yet both parties deny it not at one and the same time but each party denies it then when hee is deprest and feares to bee extirpated And againe both parties also affirme it one against another yet both affirme it not in one and the same place But each party affirmes it there where hee prevailes and hopes to extirpate the other By such turnings and windings of Doctrine the mystery of iniquity worketh affirming and denying the same thing at severall times and varying their tenets as their advantages vary professing in words the Rule of Equity in Doing to others whatsoever they would that others should doe unto them But denying it in workes and doing the quite contrary For they finde by experience that the common capacities upon whom they worke have not judgement enough to discover the mystery of this iniquity but are rather children tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in waite to deceive Ephes 4.14 But thou who art a sincere Christian and livest among these Tares growing betweene them and bordering upon both must carry thy selfe towards both according to those Rules of Charity which the Gospel of Christ prescribeth 1. Not to extirpate either for since the planting of the Gospel this was never done neither till the end of the world shall it bee done neither till then must it bee done lest saith Christ While yee extirpate the Tares yee roote up also the Wheate with them and when it is done the deed is not a worke of men but of Angels Mat. 13.40.41 So shall it bee in the end of this World the Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquity True it is that every plant which God hath not planted shall bee rooted
they might escape the crosse of Christ i. e. avoyd those persecutions and inconveniences which followed the sincere Christians for following Christianity And partly for their belly to procure the better maintenance from the Jewish Judaizers who thereupon were liberall and bountifull unto them for false Teachers easily finde by experience that false Doctrine doth bring more profit to the Teacher then to the Hearer Against these Gentilish Judaizers who tooke upon them to bee Teachers and to teach for their belly Paul is very vehement reproving them with divers bitter rebukes For those of Rome hee calls Make-bates or causers of Divisions and Offences Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren marke them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Those of Macedonia hee calls Belly-gods Phil. 3.19 Brethren bee followers together of mee and marke them which walke so as you have us for an ensample for many walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things Those of Creete hee calls unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers For there are many unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouths must bee stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake And those of Galatia hee will heere in the next verse call Sinners of the Gentiles VERSE 15. Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Sense Jewes by nature i. e. Originally and natively by Nation and birth And not sinners of the Gentiles i. e. And who never were idolatrous or sinfull Gentiles as were once the Judaizing false Teachers in Galatia Reason These words may have such a connexion with the former as if Paul seemed to continue his speech unto Peter untill the 17. verse following or as some thinke untill the end of this Chapter for at the beginning of the third Chapter hee manifestly addresseth his speech to the Galatians And it may well bee that by Paul in his discourse with Peter not for the instruction of Peter who was before sufficiently informed in the matter but for the instruction of those hearers who stood by these or the like words were spoken to Peter and were afterward heere inserted because they were very pregnant and pertinent to his purpose But whether the words bee continued to Peter or directed to the Galatians rather yet this coherence is manifest that Paul having sufficiently vindicated the authority of his Apostleship against the obloquies of his adversaries that it was neither humane nor no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles doth heere enter upon the principall subject of this Epistle concerning Justification the Doctrine and verity whereof hee also vindicates from those Errours wherewith the Judaizing false Teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it Comment Jewish advantages twofold 1. Jurall 2 Legall Persons became Jewes 2 wayes 1 Natively by birth 2. Factively by favour these were called Proselites and initiated by Circumcision Gentiles of two sorts 1. Worshippers whereof some Examples 2 Idolaters called Sinners wherof Examples The sum of the Comment A Digression The word Sinner signifies three wayes whereof examples 2. Morally for the improbous Whereof Examples in the Old Testament and in the New 3. Jurally for the Calamitous who really is but a quasi sinner Sin put for the Effect of sin or a Sinner passively or Putatively The Calamitous of foure sorts 1. The Oppressed 2 The Blemished as the Bastard the Alien and the Bondslave 3 The distresed as Job and Lazarus 4 The Tainted as the children of the Ninevites of the Gibeonites of Saul of Gehazi and all the Children of Adam whose Judgement was hereditary Three observations on the three former sorts of sinners 2. For the Gentiles 3. For the Jewes VVEE who are Jewes by nature This whole verse being in it selfe incomplete and suspensive must for the due construction of it be carried forward and referred to these words in the next verse Even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ For between this verse and those words the principall Assertion of this Epistle is interserted namely That A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ The Jewes above all other Nations in the world had certaine prerogatives or advantages from whence besides their descent from Judah the chiefe tribe of Israel they were also denominated Jewes and these advantages were of two sorts 1. Jural in respect of their Rights and Privileges as they were the true Israel and peculiar people of God with whom God had Covenanted for the Blessing promised to Abraham for unto them that Blessing principally belonged because thereto they by Covenant had the originall Right For hence the Jewes are called the children of the Kingdome Mat. 8.12 They are called the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with Abraham that in his seed all the kindreds of the Earth should bee blessed Act. 3.25 Vnto them first God raysed up Christ and sent him to blesse them in turning away every one of them from their iniquities Act. 3.26 They are called the Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9.4 2. Legall in respect of their lawes and Ordinances which were all divine constituted and enacted by God himselfe not only concerning Religion and Piety for the worship and service of God but for Justice and Judgement to be observed betweene man and man For hence the Jew is sayd to Rest in the Law and to make his boast of God to know his will and to be instructed out of his law to be a Guide to the Blinde and a Light to them in Darknesse to bee an instructer of the foolish and a teacher of babes Rom. 2.17 18. Hence is the distinction of him who is a Jew outwardly in the letter from him who is a Jew inwardly in the spirit Rom. 2.28 29. Hence the Jew is sayd to have this advantage that Vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 2. And hence in the verse before to Judaize or to live as doe the Jewes was taken for the legall maner of their life But by the way we must carefully observe that in respect of time God setled upon the Jewes their Rights long before he imposed on them their Lawes for the promise of those Rights was made to Abraham before their first and great Law of Circumcision and the rest of their Lawes for the body of them as they were delivered by the hand of Moses were given above 400 yeares
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
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
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