he received not his mission from men as sent to Preach from men as if men were the prime authors of it Before his conversion while he was a Pharisee his authority against the Gospel was humane for hee had that calling from men and from men hee had his mandate to persecute the professours of it seeing hee had it from the chiefe Priests as it appeares Act. 9.14 And heere he hath authority from the chiefe Priests to bind all that call on thy Name But after his conversion when he was a Beleever his authority for the Gospel to preach and plant it came not from men Neither by man His Apostleship was not from God mediately by the meanes of any person who was a mortall or meere man And heere hee takes man for an ordinary mortall man in opposition unto Christ who is both God and man and who though hee bee man yet is an extraordinary and immortall man First therefore for his Instruction in the Doctrine of the Gospel hee had it not by man as taught it by man as before hee had his knowledge in the Law by the meanes of Gamaliel at whose feete hee was brought up in Jerusalem Act. 22.3 And taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers and was zealous towards God Or as Apollos who although hee was before eloquent in the Scriptures and well catechised in the Christian Religion yet afterward hee had his best and soundest knowledge therein by the meanes of Aquila and Priscilla for Acts 18.26 They tooke him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly Secondly neither had hee his Mission by man for some Preachers of the Gospel in the Primitive Church though they had their authority and calling from God yet they had their Mission into their Function by the meanes of men being instituted and ordained thereunto by men As Mathias by the eleven Timothy and Titus by Paul and others by the rest of the Apostles But the Mission of Paul was not effected by any such meanes for although Ananias at Damascus put his hands upon Paul that hee might receive his sight Yet Paul had no Instruction nor Mission from Ananias but from the Lord onely who having first converted him sent Ananias to performe this office unto him for the recovery of his sight But Christ reserved unto himselfe the Instruction of Paul Act. 9.16 I will shew him how great things hee must suffer for my names sake Likewise the Presbytery at Antioch Act. 13.3 When they had fasted and prayed layd their hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them away But that Mission was not autoritative but onely dismissive for the Calling and the Warrant for their sending away was wholly from the Holy Ghost who had sayd in the former verse Seperate me Barnabas and Saul for the worke whereunto I have called them Paul therefore doth utterly disclaime this humane Instruction and Mission that thereby hee might the more commend and improve the authority and credit of his Apostleship against the calumnies and obloquies of the false Teachers who had divulged that Paul had received from Peter James and John both his Instruction and his Mission And heere againe the Calling of the Apostles differeth from ours for although our Calling bee Divine and come from God yet it is not Primitively and immediately from God but derivatively and mediately by the meanes of man Because our Instruction and Mission is derivative and delegate to bee instructed by the teachings and writings of men and to bee sent forth to preach by the authority of men who were in this Office before us and are the onely competent Judges of our ability and sincerity for our Function But by Jesus Christ and God the Father A full Declaration of his calling to his Apostleship whence hee received it and by whom namely from God the Father as the prime Authour of it by the meanes of Jesus Christ by whom hee had immediatly his Instruction and his Mission For having before removed the calumny that was made against his Calling he now asserts the verity and truth of it But in this Assertion hee proceeds in an order retrograde to the former for in the first place he introduceth Christ as the immediate and proximous person by whom he was called unto his Apostleship opposing Christ to the last words before mentioned not by man wherein the cause mediall was before intimated And then he specifies God the Father as the prime and principall person from whom hee was called by Christ opposing God the Father to the remoter words before not of or from men wherein was intimated the cause prime and principall of his humane calling But in opposing Christ unto man by man he understands as we sayd before an ordinary person like other vulgar men unto whom Christ though he also be man may with good reason be opposed Because Christ is exempted and exalted from and above the ranke quality and condition of all other men for he is the unigent Sonne of God who was in the entire and perfect nature of man even then when he lived amongst men on earth And therefore much more is he so now in Heaven where he is invested with immortality and glory enjoying soveraigne dominion over all men and Angels For Worthies and persons of eminent quality are wont to exempt themselves from the account and number of men because they are not like other vulgar men but seeme to themselves as petty gods For so Sampson sayd of himselfe Judg. 16.17 If I be shaven then my strength will goe from me and I shall become weake and be like any man i. e. like every ordinary man And from the number of men Judges and Rulers are in a maner exempted and that by God himself when he speakes to them in this forme Psal 82.6 I have sayd Yee are gods and all of you are children of the most High but yee shall die like men i. e. Like other vulgar and ordinary men If then such persons as are Worthies and Judges may be exempted from the number of men and be opposed unto them much more may Christ be so who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 With good reason therefore Paul heere opposeth Christ unto man q. d. I am no way inferiour to the rest of the Apostles for as they for their preaching of the Gospel had not their Instruction and Mission by man but by Jesus Christ who first taught and after sent them forth so I for my part to preach among the Gentiles had my Instruction and Mission not mediately by man but immediatly by Christ who immediately by himselfe revealed and taught the Gospel unto me and by himselfe sent me forth to preach it among the Gentils And as the rest of the Apostles had the originall of their calling from God the Father whose will it was that they should bee taught and sent forth by Christ so the originall author of my Apostleship is God the Father
trespas-offering 3. Because Repentance which is heere called a Deliverance from the evill of this present World was according to no other will of God then his last Will and Testament for the Old Testament granted not the benefit of Repentance for any sinne but the transgressor of a penall Law must by the Law undergoe the penalty of it whether hee repented or not in which respect the Law was armed and strengthned with divers penalties whereof the most were capitall and from which no Repentance could excuse the Offendour These words then shew the efficient cause of Christs death as those immediately before declared the finall cause of it and these heere seeme added by way of answer to a tacit objection for some man might say or thinke that Christ indeed gave himselfe to death and it on purpose to confirme the New Testament but his death might proceede from the violence of the Jewes who put him to death and not from any Ordinance of God that his death should bee effectuall to that end To this the Apostle answers fully and plainely that it was the will counsell and purpose of God according to his last Will and Testament that Christ should dye for the confirmation of that Testament to this end that accordingly our sinnes might bee forgiven and our sinnes are forgiven to this further end that thenceforth wee should repent by forsaking the workes of sinne for all this was according to the last Will and Testament of God the Father For the forgivenesse of our sinnes is not the sole act or deede of Christ but principally of God the Father unto whom Christ is therein Ministeriall receiving power and command from his Father to performe all acts conducing to that effect Because the forgivenesse of our sinnes is a legacy devised or promised unto us in Gods last Will and Testament whereof Christ is the Executor or Mediator Now the Authour or principall cause of every Legacy is the Testatour according to whose will it is devised and the Executor is the hand or meane whereby the Legacy is conveyed for a Legacy according to the nature of it is a gift devised by the Testator to bee performed by the Executor And this forgivenesse of sinnes is the most necessary Legacy or promise above all the rest contained in Gods last Wil and Testament Because without it wee can never enjoy any of the rest for unlesse our sinnes bee forgiven wee can never attaine the Resurrection of the body and without our Resurrection wee cannot enjoy life everlasting So likewise our Repentance or Holynesse is the Precept or Command of Gods last Will and Testament for throughout the whole body of that Testament Holynesse is made the condition of the Legacies or Promises which are thereby so suspended that without it 〈…〉 of no effect Thus forgivenesse and repentance 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ording to the will of God for forgivenesse is acâ—…g to the promise of his will and repentance is according to the precept of his will as the condition whereupon the promise is to bee performed Hence it appears that The Gospel is the last Will and Testament of God Which saying is soone delivered but not so soone proved For indeede it can never bee proved Yet not therefore because it is false but therefore because it is so true and the truth of it so high that there is no cause or reason above it why it is true For this truth is a prime verity which wee call a principle and it is a prime principle which wee call a definition See therefore in it an exact and easie definition of the Gospel Nominally indeede the Gospel signifies glad tydings or good newes but really it is the name of Gods last Will and Testament Although then some Grammaticall or nominall cause may bee given for the single words why it is called the Gospel or why a Testament Yet for the verity why one is affirmed of the other there is no rationall or reall cause because the affirmation is a definition Which definition though it cannot bee proved may easily bee declared thus A Testament is a Decree of things to bee executed after death and God who himselfe cannot dye may make a Testament because hee may make a Decree of things to bee executed after the death not of himselfe but of another God hath made two severall Testaments whereof the first is called by the name of the Law and the last by the name of the Gospel Where by the way wee have also an exact definition of the Law thus the Law is the first Will and Testament of God Yet wee may note that throughout the Scripture the Law is not called the will of God not that it was not his will for being his Testament it must therefore needes bee also his will but because it was not his good will as is the Gospel wherein are devised unto us far better blessings The Testatour who is the Authour of this Will and who framed it is God the Father for heere and constantly elsewhere it is called the will of God The Executor or principall Heire upon whom this will is grounded is Jesus Christ for hee is the person who receives the maine benefit thereby and who is to performe it by discharging the Legacies which are therein charged upon him The death whereto this will was limited was the death of Christ for Christ was the substitute of God to dye instead of God that by the death of Christ the Testament of God might bee confirmed to bee and stand in force for ever till the finall execution of it For a Testament is of force after men are dead and not before The forme of this Will was Nuncupative or a Will-parol for at the constitution of it God first declared it unto Christ and Christ published it to his Apostles and they afterward consigned unto writing whereby it became that part of the holy Scripture which wee call the New Testament The apparence or certainety of this will that it is the whole true and last will of God was effected by the testimony of Christ who made sufficient and full proofe thereof by his Doctrine his Miracles his Death and Resurrection for all Wills have their apparance or certainety either by writing or witnesse as the Old Testament appeared by the writing of Moses and the New by the witnesse of Christ The Legataries who in this Will are made the co-heires with Christ are all men who are Beleevers or who through Christ beleeve in God for in Gods Will men are nominated by no other name then by the appellative or common name of Beleevers The Legacies or promises made unto Beleevers in this Will are the Graces and blessings of Adoption to bee the sonnes of God of sanctification by the Spirit of God of the Remission of their sinnes of the Resurrection of their bodies and of Everlasting life in heaven for unto all these blessings Beleevers are called and justified to have a present right to the future possession
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
during or from my time in my mothers wombe for the wombe is not here the tearme of Recesse from whence the Apostle is said to be separate as if the separation were to be understood of his severing from the wombe by the way of his delivery or birth from thence for then it must have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but his abode in the wombe was the tearme of Time when or during which hee was separated unto the Ministery or rather decreed or designed to be separated thereto But the tearme of Recesse from whence hee was decreed to bee separate was partly his contemporaries whom hee exceeded in the acts of Persecution and partly the rest of the Apostles whom hee exceeded in suffering Persecution And the terme of Accesse whereunto he was separate was his Ministery or Apostleship yet not that simply considered but his separate and singular Apostleship whereby after an extraordinary maner he was singled out from the rest of the Apostles to exercise his Ministery apart from theirs that hee might preach Christ among the heathen or Gentiles as he specifies in the next verse following for unto those words there the words heere of his separating and calling must be referred for their coherence as being the employment and service whereunto hee was separated and called For unto this separate and singular Apostleship to preach Christ among the Gentils Paul was elected as God tells Ananias whom he sent to heale Paul of his blindnesse in Damascus Acts 9.15 and as Ananias reports it unto Paul when he healed him Acts 22.13.14 And unto this he was instituted at Jerusalem when hee was in a trance praying in the Temple where God sayd unto him Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for I will send thee farre hence unto the Gentiles Act. 22.17.18.21 And unto this he was ordayned at Antioch when unto the Prophets and Teachers there as they ministred to the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost sayd Separate mee Barnabas and Saul for the worke whereunto I have called them Act. 13.2 For heer and now at this time and place that Separation was actually ordayned or destinated which from his mothers wombe was pre-ordayned or predestinated Hence Paul stiles himselfe the separate Apostle unto the Gospel Rom. 1.1 And hence he professeth with a deepe asseveration that hee was ordayned and appointed a Preacher and an Apostle and a Teacher of the Gentiles See 1. Tim. 2.7 and 2. Tim. 1.11 where by the words ordayned and appointed he seems to explicate the word separated q.d. Before the time that ever I had done any humane act eyther of good or evill in the world yea before the time that I was borne into the world while yet I lay wrapped in my mothers wombe God by his good pleasure and singular favour unto me decreed and designed to separate appoint or ordaine me to a separate and singular Apostleship apart from the rest of the Apostles especially from Peter James and John whose Province it was to preach Christ among the Jewes that mine from theirs should be far remote to preach him among the Gentiles wherto afterward he actually called instituted and ordained me for the actuall execution of that whereto from my Mothers wombe hee had separated and designed mee This hee saith to certifie and make knowne unto the Galatians that his Apostleshippe was no way humane that hee had neither instruction nor authority thereto from those that were the chiefe Apostles as the false Teachers among the Galatians had falsely suggested But the whole frame of his Apostleshippe was wholly divine from the good pleasure of God even from his mothers wombe And in his expression heereof hee seemes to allude to the words of Esay who saith of himselfe The Lord hath called mee from the wombe from the bowells of my Mother hath hee made mention of my name Esay 49.1 Or to the words of Jeremy to whom God saith Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the wombe I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations Jer. 1.5 In the words to Jeremy to sanctifie is the same that to separate is with Paul for to sanctifie there is not to make Jeremy holy and righteous morally but politically to designe and ordain him to a publick Office for there Jeremy is ordained a Prophet unto the Nations and heere Paul is separated a Preacher unto the Gentiles A saying not much unlike to this of himselfe and to those of the Prophets the Apostle hath of Jacob and Esau concerning whom God made a singular appoyntment from their Mothers wombe while the Children were not yet borne neither had done any good or evill Rom. 9.11 But from Gods singular acts upon any of these single persons from their Mothers wombe to collect an universall appoyntment upon all single persons from all eternity is not consequent by any rule of sound reason And called mee by his grace Called mee viz. to my Apostleship by signifying his will to institute mee an Apostle to the Gentiles If wee referre this Calling to the time of his Mothers wombe and make it an adjunct and concurrent with his separation as if from his Mothers wombe God had both separated and called him then the word called cannot signifie the act of his calling that then hee was actually called but onely the Decree of his calling that then God designed him to bee called afterward as it seemes the word is taken Rom. 9.11 But there is no cause to the contrary but that the word called may heere signifie the effect of that separation which God made of him in his Mothers wombe and the time of it fitly referred to those times wherein hee was actually and really called by the intimation unto him of Gods will and pleasure who had elected instituted and ordained him to execute the office of an Apostle to the Gentiles which intimation was made and confirmed unto him at severall times and places as at Damascus by Ananias at Jerusalem by God himselfe in a vision and at Antioch by the Presbytery as was formerly noted And the ground of his Calling to bee an Apostle of Christ was no qualification in himselfe whereby hee was prepared or fitted to preach Christ for hee was wholly ignorant of Christ who now upon his calling was to bee revealed unto him as it appeares by the words next following Nor no act of justice in God whereby God was obliged to recompence any former act done by Paul who had done many acts to the contrary that made him unworthy to bee called an Apostle for although touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law hee was blamelesse Phil. 3.6 Yet touching the Gospel hee was not blamelesse but criminates himselfe for a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious 1. Tim. 1.13 Nor no act of equity in God whereby God stood engaged to his owne decree in separating and designing him to the Apostleship from his Mothers wombe for that decree
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
to the bloud of Abel and is sayd to speake better things then that of Abel Heb. 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel viz. Because the sprinkling of Christs bloud confirmed the New Testament which gives rights and claymes to blessednesse whereas the bloud of Abel clamors and cryes for vengeance Hence the New Testament is highly magnified above the Old in respect of the confirmation for although the Old Testament was confirmed by bloud yet that confirmation was made but by the bloud of beasts as of Oxen Calves and Goats for that with such bloud onely the Old Testament was established or confirmed it appeares playnely Exod. 24.8 which place we recited before and is further manifested Heb. 9.18 Whereupon neither the first Testament was dedicated or confirmed to be in force without bloud for when Moses had spoken every Precept to all the people according to the Law he tooke the bloud of Calves and of Goates with water and scarlet wooll and hysop and sprinkled both the Booke and all the people saying this is the bloud of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you And hence a contempt against the New Testament is farre more fearefull and dangerous then a despite against the Old because the New was sanctified confirmed or hallowed with holy bloud even with the bloud of the Son of God Heb. 10.28 Hee that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the bloud of the covenant or New Testament wherewith hee it should be wherewith it viz. the New Testament was sanctified i. e. was ratified confirmed and established to be and to stand in force 3. To execute or performe the Decrees of the New Testament According to the rule of right reason and to the Law of naturall equity the will of the dead is to bee performed Because otherwise the will also is dead For it is a rule among the Civilians Voluntas Testatoris pro Lege habetâ—â— i. e. the Testators Will is a kinde of Law As therefore the Execution if the Law is the life of the Law So the Execution of a Will is the life of the Will and as the Law bindes the Magistrate to execute it So doth a Will binde the Executor But it is definitive and naturall to a Testament to bee a Will wherein an Executor is nominated that Will therefore wherein no Execution is nominated is no Testament or is not properly so called And to what purpose is an Executor nominated or nominated by the name of an Executor if hee execute not the Testament of the Testator And because it is definitive and naturall to a Testament to predestinate and pre-decree things to be executed after death that Testament therfore which after death is not executed is frustrated or frustrated to those particulars which are not executed And avested Executor who hath some benefit by the Testament wherin he is nominated may be compelled to accept the Executorship or else to lose his benefit by the Testament And although a nude or bare Executor who hath no benefit by the Testament bee not precisely bound to undertake the Executorship for if hee see cause hee may refuse it Yet when once hee hath accepted it he is then precisely bound to execute it Now of the New Testament the Executor was Christ For the New Testament was the last and best Will of God established upon better Promises better Inheritances and better Legacies then were ordained in the former Testament And therefore what better Executor could God nominate and depute for the performance of it then Christ Because Christ was the Son of God and by that relation above all persons in the World was nearest in alliance unto the Testator and fittest in ability to execute the Testament For who but Christ can execute the Office of that Priest who was to enter the Sanctuary of Heaven and there to sanctifie the people of God by expiating their sinnes and sending unto them the holy spirit of God to purifie and cleanse their conscience from sinne And who but Christ can execute the Office of that King who was to set on the Throne of Heaven there to governe the people of God to subdue all their enemies to raise them from death to invest them with heavenly bodies and to seate them in the possession of blessednesse For the Priestly and Kingly Office of Christ wherein else doth it chiefely consist but in the execution of the New Testament In a word who but Christ can discharge the Promises or Legacies of blessednesse which in the New Testament are made and devised unto Believers Hence Christ is called the Mediatour of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 And for this cause hee is the Mediatour of the New Testament And againe Heb. 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant or Testament for that word stands in the Margin and should have beene in the Text. Now the Mediatour of a Testament is hee whom in these times wee call the Executor of it for although every Mediatour bee not the Executor of a Testament yet every Mediatour of a Testament is the Executor of it Because the Executor thereof is a Mediatour or middle person betweene the Testator and the Legataries and by Means of him the finall effect of the Testament is procured and therein in consisteth the finall execution of it But although this be not the onely respect wherein Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament for he mediated it by testifying the truth of it and he mediated it by confirming the force of it yet he also mediated it this way and chiefly this way namely by executing the decrees of it For albeit the Testament were of force upon the confirmation of it yet till the Execution of it it was of no effect But here we shall not further prosecute this verity that Christ is the Executor of the new Testament because we certified it before upon verse 16. And Christ was a vested Executor Because he was to receive an infinite benefit by the new Testament For therein he was appointed the universall heire of God Heb. 1.2 God in these last dayes hath spoken unto us by his Sonne whom he hath appointed heire of all things Now in a testamentary construction an heire and a vested Executor are really all one and the same although some rationall difference may be betweene them Thereby he was to receive universall Power over all the world both in heaven and earth for such power was given him and after his Resurrection he received it Mat. 28.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Thereby he was to receive universall honour from all persons in Heaven in earth or under the earth for all were to
unto all other Christians Because these Churches had partly corrupted the grace of God and partly rejected the Meanes of it by Christ for they had sowred the liberty of the Gospel with the necessity of legall Ceremonies especially that of Circumcision Yet in saying unto the Churches of Galatia he allowes them the name of Churches because they yet retayned severall parts of Christianity As in like maner he doth to the Corinthians who were fowly tainted and stayned with divers corruptions both in doctrine and maners VERSE 3. Text. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Sense Grace i. e. All love favour and kindnesse be to you from God and Christ Peace i. e. All happinesse and blessednesse be to you from God and Christ Reason After the harsh Direction followes a kind Salutation in the best forme which is by way of Benediction and for the best Matter which is Grace and Peace from God and Christ In the former verse Paul had denied unto the Galatians that ordinary respect which usually accompanieth the Direction of Epistles and therefore hee doth heere bespeake them with a most pious and Christian Salutation that hee might seeme to recompence the flatnesse and sowrenesse of his former Direction with the kindnesse and sweetnesse of this Salutation For although hee were unwilling to vouchsafe them their Title yet he is ready to afford them his Prayer in the best and holiest maner And the prudent Apostle practiseth this variety of discourse that he might gaine some advantage by every forme of Arguing sometime by harshnesse and sometime by sweetnesse leaving no meanes unassayed whereby to recover the Galatians from their errour Comment The forme of salutation among the Jewes Grace what and Peace Of blessednesse God the Authour and Christ the meanes The title of the Father of Christ Yet neithers title exclude the others There are many Gods and many Lords yet to us but one so and but one supreamely so Invocation is due to Christ the Ground thereof the Command of it and Practice of it A mis-reading of the Text and a misconstruction of it GRace be to you and Peace This is the ordinary forme of Apostolicke Salutation and benediction in the Epistles of Paul Peter John and Jude And the verbe substantive Be which by Paul is silenced in the originall is by Peter expressed by the word Be multiplied 1. Pet. 1.2 Grace unto you and peace be multiplied The ancient forme of Salutation among the Hebrewes was Peace be unto you Which forme was also used by Christ himselfe and he commanded the use of it to his Apostles Luke 10.5 And into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace bee to this house But afterward among the Christians in memory of that rich Grace which came by the meanes of Christ the word Grace was added and prefixed to the former ancient Salutation Grace then is the love favour or kindenesse of God by the meanes of Christ or that rich kindenesse of God towards us whereof Christ is the Messenger and Mediatour the Beginner and the Finisher who first published the truth and procureth the finall effect of it Peace denoteth unto us Christians all the effects events and issues of Grace for Peace includes all those blessings which are the fruit growing from Grace as from the roote Whether those blessings bee temporall and spirituall in this life or celestiall and eternall in the life to come according to the sence of the Hebrewes who by Peace understand all safety prosperity and happinesse whatsoever From God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. The persons from whom Paul salutes them and prayes a benediction upon them are expressed to bee two namely God the Father as the originall and prime cause from whence all grace and peace doth arise and Christ our Lord as the instrumentall and meane cause wherby all Grace and Peace is conveyed For hee wisheth a blessing upon them from the very same persons in the very same order that hee had his Calling namely from God the Father by Jesus Christ Or to use the very same words wherein hee expresseth himselfe elsewhere 1 Cor. 8.6 From God of whom are all things and from Christ by whom are all things Unto each of these divine persons severally Paul attributes a peculiar dignity or title of honour For unto the Father hee gives the title of God in an eminent and transcendent sense because the Father is the supreame and most high God who of himselfe hath soveraigne dominion and power over all things over all persons and who of himselfe is that person from whom all other persons are descended And unto Christ he gives the title of our Lord because Christ is the person to whom the Father hath communicated the universal dominion governement over all things and persons excepting one onely who is the Father himselfe For the Father hath ordained Christ in a peculiar manner to bee the Lord or head over his Church in all matters thereto pertaining And heereby Christ in a peculiar relation unto us becomes our Lord in whom wee must believe and trust and whom wee must worship serve and obey Yet it is not Pauls meaning to make these titles so peculiar to each person as if Christ were not God or as if the Father were not our Lord for each person beares both these titles but that when they are mentioned both together these are the usuall formes to difference them Hence from these two attributes thus differenced and distributed unto these two divine persons of God unto the Father and of Lord unto Christ and because there is but one Father and one Christ therefore it is frequent with the Apostle Paul to call the Father one God and Christ one Lord. For although there bee extant many Gods and many Lords Yet there is extant but one God and one Lord to bee by us invocated and worshipded i. e. God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Because there is but one person who unto us hath that relation of God which the Father hath and but one person who unto us hath that relation of Lord which Christ hath Hence it is sayd 1 Cor. 8.5 For though there bee that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there bee Gods many and Lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and wee for him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him Where by the way wee may note that there are made three degrees the first is of those who are called Gods but are not indeed so as the Sunne and Moone in Heaven Idolls and Images on Earth the next of those who are called so and are indeede so but not supreamely so as the Angels in Heaven and Rulers on Earth and the last of those who are called so and are really or indeed so and also are supreamely so to bee invocated and worshipped as
him to his Apostleship saith who called mee by hâ—â— grace And besides to speake properly and truely the Galatians were not removed from God for they continued still zealous towards God and really adhered to the Law of God but they were removed from Christ unto Moses i. e. from that Discipline which God delivered by Christ unto that which God delivered by Moses And as for Paul the action of calling is no where in Scripture ascribed unto him nor to any other of the Apostles And it seemes somewhat too much for Paul to say of himselfe that the Galatians were removed from him or from his Gospel unto another Gospel for the Gospel is really and truely the Gospel of God and of Christ and is constantly so called albeit in some passages Paul in reference to his Ministery and preaching of the Gospel calleth it his Gospel See Rom. 2.16 and Rom. 16.25 and 1. Thess 1.5 and 2. Thess 2.14 and 2. Tim. 2.8 Yet so hee calls it onely in respect of the line or circuit where hee was to preach it because the Ministery thereof unto the uncircumcision or Gentiles was committed unto him as afterward in this Epistle hee expresseth it cap. 2.7 Where hee opposeth the Gospel of uncircumcision committed unto him to the Gospel of Circumcision committed unto Peter The plainest sense therefore of these words is to referre the Calling unto Christ and that for these three Reasons 1. Because Christ is named in the Text under a Genitive that may governe the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may bee governed as well by the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Because Christ is the person who under God calleth us and by whom God calleth us for hence the faithfull are sayd to bee the called of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.6 3. Because the Galatians were removed from Christ and his Gospel unto Moses and his Ceremonies especially unto that of Circumcision as Paul plainely intimates afterward cap. 5. vers 2.4 Where hee professeth to the Galatians that if they bee circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing and Christ is become of no effect unto them That called you In the word called is expressed the manner of our accesse to the Right and Priviledge of Blessednesse which is our Heavenly Inheritance for unto this Right or Priviledge we are called i. e. the will and good pleasure of God to give and grant us a right thereto is revealed or signified unto us for by this calling wee have our first notice or knowledge of Gods good will towards us to justifie and adopt us for his Sonnes and Heires as Co-heires with Christ whereby wee have a right to the Inheritance of Blessednes This will of God was revealed or signified to men first by Christ after by his Apostles and ever since successively by Gods Ministers who by preaching and publishing the word of his will doe dayly invite and call men to become the Sonnes of God and Heires unto Blessednesse For this Calling is a Metaphor taken from a publick Feast whereunto divers Guests are invited called or bidden who before they are invited have of themselves no right to come no desert to come no desire to come nor no will to come for in being invited they are entreated to come as it were against or beyond their will and many will not come at all but request to bee excused because they have other businesse in the world which as they conceive is of more importance then to come to a Feast According to this manner is our Calling to become the Sonnes of God and Co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Heaven for before wee are thereto called wee are in the condition of Guests before they are invited to the Feast for wee to that Inheritance have of our selves no right no desert no desire no knowledge and therefore no will For wee are invited or called i. e. entreated to it as it were against besides or beyond our will and many will by no meanes accept it but desire to bee excused that they may follow their worldly businesse as appeares in the Parable of the Wedding whereto the Guests were invited or called Mat. 22.2 When an invitation or calling to a Feast is accepted by the Guest then the invitation or calling is effectuall because according to the will and purpose of the Inviter it taketh effect and that effect consisteth in this that the Guest hath a right to come to the Feast for the will and purpose of the Invitor is that upon the invitatioÌ„ the Guest should have a right to come and the Guest by his acceptance of the Invitation hath a right to that whereto he was invited And the title whereby the Guest hath this right to come to the Feast is only by the grace favour or courtesie of the Invitor and not by any works in the guest meriting that right nor by any Law constraining the Invitor to give it for invitations are not ordered by any such Rules as works and Lawes neither are or can be any Lawes extant in the World to regulate Invitations So we when by the Ministery of the Gospel we are invited or called to the inheritance of blessednes if we accept of it our calling is effectual and thereby we have a right to it for the son heir hath a right to his Inheritance Yet our title to that right is neither by birth nor by works nor by law but only by Grace Into the Grace The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. By with or through Grace for all these make but one sense and one of these wayes the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned elsewhere are alwayes rendred by our last English Translation See 2. Cor. 1.12 Col. 3 16. Col. 4.6 2. Thes 2.16 And so it is rendred here by the Syriak Interpreter and by the vulgar French Translation For the word by Grace doth declare our title specifying what kind of right wee have to that Inheritance whereto we are invited or called that on Gods part our title thereto is only by grace not by any act of Justice or Duty wherby God stands bound to cal us as by grace only it is that a Guest is invited or called to a Feast And Grace is not the tearme or state whereinto wee are called but the motive or meanes whereby wee are called for Grace is the originall ground or prime cause of our calling and our calling is in order of Nature after Grace because it is an effect of Grace But Grace is on Gods part the title to our right in the state of filiation or Christian Liberty whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse for unto that right wee are called by no other title on Gods part but by his Grace though the title on our part bee our acceptance of that right which is our Faith as when a Guest hath
a right to come to a Feast his title to that right on the Feasters part is onely by the Grace Favour or Courtesie of the Feaster and the title on the Guests part is his acceptance of the invitation or calling to the Feast Now Grace is not a legall word belonging to the Old Covenant of the Law for in the Old Testament wee shall very rarely finde the word at all in any sense but never in the genuine sense But Grace is a word Evangelicall belonging to the New Testament or Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediatour for hence the Gospel and the subject thereof which is the New Covenant is called the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace and in that Evangelicall sense wherein the word stands in this place for to take the word in the whole latitude would bee tedious and needelesse Grace is the will and act of God whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse For hence Grace is opposed to Nature which is an act of God whereby wee are made men to have an earthly dominion and inheritance after the Image or likenesse of God So Grace is an Act of God whereby wee are made Christians to have an Heavenly Dominion and Inheritance after the Image and Likenesse of Christ who was the naturall sonne of God borne to that Inheritance whereto wee after his likenesse as co-heires with him are adopted And hence Gods Grace is opposed to our Workes which as a title to that Inheritance are incompatible with Gods grace for if wee have a right to that Inheritance by grace wee cannot have it by workes no more then wee have by nature or birth Yet our workes are a tenure consequent and according to Gods grace whereby wee hold the right wee have by grace for because of Gods grace to make us his sonnes wee must bee gratefull and thankefull to carry our selves as his sonnes by the workes of obedience to so gracious a Father for otherwise wee are ungracious sonnes And lastly hence Gods grace is opposed contrarily to his wrath and his Law extreamely contrary to his wrath and meanely to his Law because Gods Law is a meane betweene the two extreames of his grace and his wrath for when God doth us more good or lesse evill then his Law allowes this is grace but when hee doth us more evill or lesse good then his Law provides this is wrath and his wrath hee many times executes upon us by taking judgement into his owne hands and punishing our sinnes by himselfe when the Ruler is negligent of his duty in laying upon us the punishment assigned by Law and extreame grace is when God without any Law or equity obliging him thereto bestowes upon us the supreame favour of making us his sonnes and co-heires with Christ unto the Inheritance of eternall Blessednesse Now the Apostle doth therefore tell the Galatians that they were removed from Christ who had called them by grace because hee would acquaint them with the admirable benefit or blessing whereof by that removall they had voluntarily deprived themselves that seeing and acknowledging the rashnesse of their fact they might repent of it and turn to the Gospel of Christ by whose grace they had been called Unto another Gospel Another i. e. a forraigne or strange Gospel pretended so to be These words shew the terme of accesse whereto they were removed and are opposed to the former words from Christ who called them by grace as the terme of Recesse from whence they were removed The new doctrine which they had exchanged for the doctrine of Christ who called them by grace he calls another Gospel not that it was so indeed but only in the opinion of the Galatians and of their false teachers who obtruded upon them this counterfeit Gospel and thereby taught them another way of obtayning a right to blessednes then by the grace of God The summe of which counterfeit and pretended Gospel was this that the right and title to the inheritance of blessednesse was to be had by the Law of God formerly given by Moses that the inheritance was due unto them for the service and desert of their works performed according to that Law and that God was to give them that inheritance by an act of his Justice in consequence to his Law for their obedience unto it For these seeme to bee the principall points in the confutation whereof the Apostle bends his arguments prosecuted in this Epistle VERSE 7. Text. Which is not another but there bee some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Sense Which is not another i. e. Eyther is not another Gospel or which is nothing else but that some trouble you Some that trouble you i. e. Disquiet your consciences Pervert the Gospel of Christ viz. By compounding and mingling it with the Law of Moses Reason The words are a further mollifying of his former reproofe by shewing the true cause of their removeall from Christ and translating the fault of it upon others who drave them into it by troubling them Comment The cause of the Galatians revolt and the event of it VVHich is not another The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words may beare a twofold sense A first sense 1. Thus which is not another Gospel for if the Relative which be referred to the word Gospel in the former verse then this saying is a correction of his former reproofe for that clause of it in saying they were removed to another Gospel q. d. Though I sayd you were removed to another Gospel yet indeed there is no other Gospel at all besides that which I preached amongst you but only some trouble you with another doctrine and perswade you that their doctrine is the true Gospel A second sense 2. Thus which is nothing else but that there be some who trouble you for if this whole sentence with the rest of this verse bee referred to the whole reproofe in the former verse then it is an excuse of the Galatians revolt by discovering the true cause of it and by translating the fault of it upon some others who troubled them q. d. This your removeall from the Gospel of Christ unto another Gospel is nothing else or the cause of it is no other but that there be some who trouble you Either of these two senses is so allowable that neither of them is to bee maintained or pressed against the other because neither of them is of such consequence as to be elementary and serviceable for the illustrating or concluding of any other verity in the New Testament But there be some that trouble you The true cause of their revolt from the true Gospel The false teachers amongst the Galatians to avoyd persecution for preaching the true and sincere Gospel of Christ troubled and disquieted the consciences of the Galatians constrayning them to Circumcision and other Legall ceremonies The truth many times may and sometime doth breed trouble
Church of God which is all one with wasting it See Acts 8.3 and Acts 26.10 11. Hence plainly appeares the fury and madnesse of blind and bloudy zeale which is the only cause of persecuting and wasting the Church of Christ VERSE 14. Text. And profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine own nation being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of my fathers Sense And profited in the Jewes religion i. e. I advanced and propagated Judaisme My equals i. e. My contemporaries of the same age Reason An effect of his former conversation in persecuting and wasting the Church of God that by that meanes hee advanced and increased the Jewes religion and the reason of both was his zeal to the Jewish traditions Comment The effect of his persecuting And the cause of it AND profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine owne nation Hee seemes not heere to speake of his owne personall profiting eyther in the knowledge or in the observance of Judaisme as if therein hee exceeded his contemporaries but of the nationall advantage he brought unto the Jewes in defending and propagating their religion amongst others and making Proselites unto it For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I increased the Jewish religion or made it to proceed for so elsewhere the word is rendred in our last English Translation See Luke 2.52 and 2. Tim. 2.16 and 2. Tim. 3.9 And this sense is very consequent to his persecuting and wasting of the Church of God for his persecution and vastation of Christianity must needs have this effect and fruit thereto consequent that by vertue thereof hee advanced and propagated Judaisme for those two religions being mainly opposite and contrary the decrease of Christianity must needs bee the increase of Judaisme as afterward the propagation of Christianity was the vastation of Judaisme q. d. I propagated and advanced the doctrine knowledge and observance of the Jewes religion by my activity and industry in defending it against all adversaries in gayning divers Proselites unto it and in spreading it somewhat among the Gentiles and heerein I exceeded and surpassed all my contemporaries that were of my time not only such as were Proselites reconciled to our Religion from other Nations but also such as were Native Jewes by discent and birth in mine owne Nation Being more exceeding zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers The reason why hee persecuted and wasted the Church of God was because hee was zealous of the Traditions of his Fathers and the reason why hee increased the Jewes Religion more then any of his contemporaries or equalls in time was because hee was more exceeding zealous then they By the Traditions of his Fathers Hee seemes to understand the whole body of Ceremonies then in practice among the Jewes as well the Ceremonies of Moses as the Traditions of his Ancestors whereof some are mentioned by Christ in the Gospel See Mat. 15.2.6 and Mat. 23.16.18.23.25 q. d. I was an exceeding Zelot above measure and above many of my equalls not onely for the Ceremonies of Moses instituted by the Law of God but also for the Traditions introduced and superadded by our Ancestours which by Antiquity of time were confirmed into Customes and carryed the force of Lawes And the reason why hee was exceeding zealous in the Jewish Religion was because hee was a Pharisee not onely by profession in living according to the Rules of that strict Sect but also by birth and education for he was the sonne of a Pharisee and might bee bred by his Father in the Traditions of his Fathers and the manner of the Pharisees was to bee exceeding strict and exceeding zealous See and compare Mat. 23.15 and Act. 23.6 and Act. 26.5 and Phil. 3.5.6 VERSE 15. Text. But when it pleased God who separated mee from my Mothers wombe and called mee by his grace Sense Who separated mee i. e. Designed or appoynted mee to the Ministery From my Mothers wombe i. e. During my time in the wombe And called mee Viz. To the Ministery to bee an Apostle Reason The meanes whereby hee was converted from his former conversation in the Jewish Religion to bee an Apostle and a Preacher of the Gospel whereby hee continues his Argument to prove and conclude his principall assertion that his Ministery and his Doctrine in the Gospel was not humane or after man but divine or after God For saith he Comment The prime cause of Pauls Apostleship whereto 〈◊〉 was preordained while he was in the wombe In a singular manner and afterward actually ordained Pauls whole Apostleship Divine Sanctifying put for separating Pauls calling The non-non-causes of it The true causes of it BUT when it pleased God These first words of this verse must have their coherence with the first words of the next verse following to reveale his sonne in me thus But when it pleased God to reveale his sonne in me for the subject or matter of Gods pleasure here mentioned was the revealing of Christ unto Paul which act he saith pleased God because he would declare that the originall or prime cause of all those meanes whereby he became a Preacher of the Gospell was onely the good will and pleasure of God q. d. There was no other motive or cause of my Conversion from my former conversation wherein I persecuted and wasted the Church of God and of my reduction to the knowledge of Christ who was so effectually revealed unto me that I became a member of the Church which I persecuted and a Preacher of the Gospell in it but onely the good will and good pleasure of God without any dignity or merit of mine and contrary to all dignity and merit in me for the indignities and demerits which I had done to his Church were such and so great that had he looked upon my actions and not upon his owne pleasure there could have been no cause why he should reveale his sonne to me Who seperated me from my mothers wombe A reason of his former words why the originall cause of all those meanes whereby he was ordained a Preacher of the Gospell was the sole and singular pleasure of God and no action of Pauls namely because God separated or designed him to the Ministery from his mothers wombe before he had yet done any action of his owne The words are an Hebraisme whereby is signified some excellent and singular benefit of nature in the composure or temper of the braine and heart wherewith God endowes some children from their first conception in the wombe especially those whom hee preordaines and prepares for some speciall purpose whereof in Scripture there are severall examples For although nature in her ordinary course hath divers degrees of goodnesse yet by the extraordinary hand of God she may bee and sometime is infinitely advanced and exalted when God is pleased to fashion a child for some singular service and curiously to worke it in the wombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e.
the World and a Country of obscure and base condition wherein hee might bee latitant in his preaching and live somewhat secure from the fury of that persecution which himselfe had partly raised and at that time flamed in all places round about Jerusalem from whence the Saints were then all scattered abroad except the Apostles who there lay hid for it was the manner of Paul who himselfe had beene a persecutor to bee alwayes subject to persecution and yet alwayes to shunne it by all the shifts hee could make as farre as hee obtained licence and warrant from God This journey of Paul from Damascus into Arabia is not mentioned by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles yet it is not therefore not a truth but therefore it is a truth because Paul mentions it heere for whatsoever is any where mentioned in Scripture is a truth and many a truth is no where mentioned especially in poynt of History And returned againe unto Damascus I returned The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I was forced or made to returne secretly and privately i. e. in one word I retired For the Verbe affected with that Preposition doth consignifie both compulsion and warinesse or secresie imitating those Conjugations of the Hebrewes which consignifie passively and causally in being made to suffer the doing of something which the Latines expresse by compounding the Verbe with fio And the word though frequently used in Scripture in a vulgar sense is originally a military word borrowed from a Retreate in Warre where a Party or an Army that hath marched into some danger or disadvantage is forced to retire or necessarily and warily to returne for feare they should bee enclosed or bee beaten by the enemy The returne then of Paul from Arabia was not voluntary free and open but necessary wary and secret by way of retire But the cause that necessitated him to retire from thence is not expressed in Scripture either heere or elsewhere yet the reason might bee because that persecution which lately began at Jerusalem and was by him extended to Damascus might now bee spread into Arabia and threatned to him who had before threatned it to others and who now for feare of it retired from thence for persecution when once raised against the Gospel of Christ though it spare no Professor of the Truth yet it aymeth most at the Preachers of it But why hee retyred back againe to Damascus the reason is manifest from the Scripture because hee was to preach the Gospel there for after hee had rested at Damascus a few dayes with the Disciples there hee straitway preached Christ in the Synagogues that hee was the Sonne of God Act. 9 19.20 Hence it appeares that in the middle of that 19. verse 〈◊〉 the place where Luke hath omitted Pauls journey into Arabia which omission may easily bee harmonied and supplyed by inserting that journey into that Verse thus And when hee received meat hee was strengthned and immediately hee went into Arabia and retyred againe unto Damascus Then was Saul certaine dayes with the Disciples which were at Damascus and straightway hee preached Christ c. And there hee preached Christ to all their amazement that heard him because hee now preached that Truth which before hee persecuted and preached it there where hee most persecuted it or most intended to persecute it for God to shew his power upon Paul and to comfort those Saints whom Paul had terrified would make Paul there build againe the things which there hee had destroyed And there hee preached Christ till hee was persecuted thence for Damascus was a Garison-City whose gates were watched day and night where the Governour minded to apprehend Paul and the Jewes layd wait to kill him but by night hee was let downe by the wall in a basket by meanes whereof hee escaped thence See Act. 9.24.25 and 2. Cor. 11.32 Heere was another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in departing from Damascus by way of a forced and secret retyre for although in the whole course of his Apostleship hee travelled more then the rest of the Apostles yet in the beginning of it he never travelled otherwise then as the storme of persecution blew him and as the spirit of God steered him VERSE 18. Text. Then after three yeares I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteene dayes Sense After three yeares viz. From my conversion or calling to my Apostleship Went up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I returned To see Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. To visit or be acquainted with Peter Reason A Narrative of his first returne to Jerusalem and the time of his stay after his going from thence with authority from the high Priest to persecute the Saints at Damascus Comment Pauls return to Jerusalem the cause of it his short stay there THen after three yeares I went up to Jerusalem Then The Grek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. After that or afterwards for so the word taken as an adverb of Order is rendred elsewhere in our last Translation See afterward in this cap. ver 21. and 1. Cor. 12.28 and 1. Cor. 15.6.7.23.46 and Heb. 7.2 When he was persecuted from Damascus the next City whereto hee came afterwards was Jerusalem from whence hee had now beene absent for the space of three years For the three yeares must not be computed from his retire out of Arabia unto Damascus as if he had preached three yeares at Damascus for how could he possibly preach so long in a City so populous and so neer to Jerusalem with such astonishment to all that heard him in then Preaching Christ whom before he persecuted and yet all this while no report of his Conversion should come to Jerusalem Now that no certainty thereof came thither is from hence evident because when at the end of three yeares Paul himselfe returned to Jerusalem his present condition of being an Apostle was so unknowne to the Disciples there that they beleeved him not a Disciple and when hee assayed to joyne himselfe with them they were all afrayd of him as if he had yet persisted a persecutor untill he was necessitated to procure the curtesie of Barnabas to introduce him to the Apostles and to make the report as well of his conversion to the fayth as of his Preaching Christ at Damascus See Act. 9.26.27 Hence it appeares 1. That although his Preaching at Damascus were many dayes as Luke expresseth the time of it Act. 9.23 yet it lasted not for the space of three yeares and therefore the three yeares must be computed from the time of his conversion or calling to his Apostleship or which comes all to one from the time of his journey from Jerusalem toward Damascus because his conversion fell out in that journey 2. That the greatest part of the three years was spent in Preaching in Arabia from whence the news of his conversion came not to Jerusalem eyther because the Countrey of Arabia was
is therewith to bee included and the clause following is not to bee co-included The words then seeme to bee an answer to a tacite objection made to Pauls disparagement for very probable it is that his adversaries with intent to disparage him had magnified Peter and the rest of the Apostles as that they were the Disciples of Christ had beene conversant with him and instructed by him when Paul was but a Pharisee To this Paul seemes to answer q. d. Whatsoever or how great soever the Apostles were formerly in times past doth not necessarily inferre my disparity now for things are not alwayes the same that formerly they were in times passed Although then formerly in times past the Apostles were familiar with Christ were instructed by him and ordained by him and all this then when I was a Pharisee though they were Preachers of the Gospel then when I was a persecutor of 〈◊〉 yet all this then makes no matter now either to the truth of the point in question or to argue that now betweene their Doctrine and mine there is any disagreement or betweene their persons and mine any disparity It maketh no matter to mee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I differ nothing or am nothing different viz. from those who seemed to bee somewhat for unto those former words these heere must bee referred for the construction and sense of both which seemes thus that betweene them and Paul there was no difference or disparity in any thing But then the parenthesis which doth shadow and obscure the sense must bee wholly removed Howsoever the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie in humane Writers among the Greekes yet in the holy Scriptures it signifies to differ viz. in such a manner that one thing is either better or worse then another and so it is rendred elsewhere in our last English Translation So 1. Cor. 15.41 One Starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. differeth from another Starre in glory and so afterward in this Epistle cap. 4.1 The Heire as long as hee is a childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. differeth nothing from a servant and so the French Translation reades it heere and this sense seemes to bee intended though not rightly expressed in our former English Translation made at Geneva q. d. Whatsoever or how great soever the difference or disparity betweene mee and the chiefe Apostles hath beene heeretofore in times past which I confesse was very remarkeable when they were first Apostles to preach the Gospell and I a Pharisee to persecute it but now since the time that God revealed Christ unto mee and trusted mee with the preaching of him unto the Gentiles there is no difference or disparity at all betweene the greatest of them and mee either in respect of the Doctrine which I preach or of my knowledge in the Gospel or of my dignity in the Apostleship Not that they now are any thing lesse then formerly they were but that I by Gods grace am so much greater that I am now their equall for it hath pleased God so highly to advance mee in the Ministery that now they have no advantage above mee that they in any thing should bee my betters and I their inferiour God accepteth no mans person Or accepteth not the person of man The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sometime any single person sometime the face and presence of man but heere and in such like formes of speech it is taken for those outward qualities of man which make nothing to the merit of his cause or to the poynt of the matter in question to argue the truth from any such qualities and therefore the French Translation renders these words thus God accepteth not the outward appearance of man and the Italian thus God hath no regard to the quality of any mans person These words or the like to this sence are somewhat frequent in the New Testament See Act. 10.34 and Rom. 2.11 and Ephes 6.9 and Col. 3.25 And they seeme to bee a speciall attribute unto God in respect of the integrity and equity which hee perpetually useth not onely in the administration of his justice and judgement but also in the distribution of his grace and mercy For God is no way partiall to respect mens dignities or other outward qualities which conduce nothing to the merit of the cause or to the poynt of truth but God is a most just and equall Judge who regards onely the genuine and inward truth And therefore in the debate of true Doctrine no argument is to bee drawne from mens persons Hence Paul would heere infer that betweene him and the rest of the Apostles there was now no difference or disparity either for knowledge or authority in the Gospel notwithstanding those outward qualities in the Apostles that formerly in times past they were the proper Disciples of Christ instructed and ordained by him seeing God regardeth no such qualities For they who seemed to bee somewhat in conference added nothing to mee A reason of his former negation that betweene the chiefe Apostles and him there was no difference or disparity namely because the chiefest of them added no knowledge or power unto him Added nothing The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Discovered nothing or opened no further light or knowledge in the Gospel unto mee as if therein God had revealed any thing to them more then he had to me for to this sense the word was used and rendred before See cap. 1. vers 16. q. d. How great soever the Apostles seemed to whose judgement the difference about Circumcision and the legall Ceremonies were referred or how meane soever I seemed who was sent to require their judgement therein yet in the Gospel I learned from them no manner of knowledge which before was not revealed unto mee For when the question was agitated and determined they altered nothing in my Doctrine as if it had beene any way erroneous they added nothing to my preaching as if in any poynt it had beene defective or insufficient unto salvation An Objection The Apostles in that Synod added severall things as namely these abstinence from fornication from meals offered to Idolls from blood and from things strangled as it plainely appeares Act. 15.29 The Answer These things were not then added unto his Doctrine but his former Doctrine of these things was then confirmed For Paul in his preaching did expresly and constantly forbid fornication as it may appeare in divers passages of his Epistles and particularly required abstinence from things offered unto Idolls See 1. Cor. 8.1.7 and 1. Cor. 10.20 And in generall words hee restrained men from blood and things strangled in all his Doctrines of avoyding scandalls especially in regard of those things which unto the Jewes were abominable as was the eating of blood and things strangled which the Jewes abhorred as much as they did meates offered unto Idols See Rom. 14.13.14 and 1. Cor. 10.23 and 1. Cor. 11.2 VERSE
7. Text. But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto mee as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter Sense They. i. e. The chiefe persons at Jerusalem who were of reputation and seemed to be somewhat The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles Was committed Greek was entrusted unto me The Gospel of the Circumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes Reason A further Illustration of his former negative that between the chiefest persons and him there was no difference nor disparity by an argument from the contrary that there was equality and so acknowledged by the chiefest Apostles who gave him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship as their fellow-Apostles but first he shewes the occasion how that acknowlegement came to passe namely when it appeared that Peter and he had severall and equall Commissions for preaching of the Gospel the one to the Jewes the other to the Gentiles Comment Paul an Apostle chiefly to the Gentiles but Peter chiefely to the Jewes BUT contrariwise This paricle of Contrariety must bee referred backward unto these words in the former verse from these who seemed to bee somewhat I differ nothing for that negative of Inequality shall be proved by the contrary affirmative of equality and therefore the same particle must also bee referred forward by carrying the coherence of it to these words in the 9. verse following they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship q. d. The chiefest persons at Jerusalem even the chiefest of the Apostles were so far from putting any difference betweene their doctrine and mine or condemning mine as erroneous imperfect or insufficient in any point and were so farre from making any disparity betweene their persons and mine or preferring themselves before me and Barnabas in reputation and authority that contrarily they acknowledged us for their equals and assumed us into their society of the Apostleship as their copartners and fellow-labourers in the Gospel and in testimony of that their acknowledgement they gave us their right hands upon it When they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me The causes or occasions that manifested the equality and fellowship between the chiefest Apostles and Paul namely that the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw his Commission for preaching of the Gospel The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the uncircumcised who were the Gentiles for the words Circumcision and Incircumcision are often times put for the Circumcised and uncircumcised See Act. 10.45 and Act. 11.2 and Rom. 2.26 and Rom. 3.30 and Rom. 4.9 and Phil. 3.3 Of the Gospel there were not two severall sorts for the Gospel in it selfe was but one for the doctrine of it but there were two sorts of people notably different and separate in their maner of life and conditions to whom God commanded that the Gospel should be preached whereof the one sort was circumcised and the other uncircumcised And although personally some single persons who by birth were Gentiles became Proselites to the Jewish religion and were thereupon circumcised yet nationally and in generall those nations of the Gentiles who were not of the posterity of Abraham were uncircumcised But heer the word uncircumcision is not taken actually but morally as it is opposed unto Judaisme and the uncircumcised are accounted all those who were not of the Jewish religion although actually the foreskin of their flesh were circumcised and cut such as the Edomites and Ismaelites unto whom as to uncircumcised for religion though circumcised in the flesh Paul preached the Gospel in Arabia whither he went from Damascus immediatly after his conversion Was committed unto me The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That I was entrusted or put in trust with the Gospel for in our last English Translation that word is rendred sometime committed sometime put in trust See 1. Thess 2.4 and 1. Tim. 1.11 and Tit. 1.3 The charge of preaching to the Gentiles who were uncircumcised was committed or entrusted unto Paul who because in this charge he was separate from the rest of the Apostles is therefore called the separate Apostle as hath beene formerly noted Yet this charge to preach to these was committed unto Paul not solely for Barnabas and others were his fellow-labourers in that Province but unto Paul it was committed chiefly as the principall person to conduct the functions of that Ministery When they saw i. e. When the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw or perceived that this charge was thus committed unto Paul and the meanes whereby they perceived it was by giving audience to him and Barnabas when they two declared in the Synod at Jerusalem what miracles wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them See Act. 15.12 As the Gospel of the circumcision was to Peter The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes who were circumcised was committed unto Peter The charge of preaching to the Jewes was imposed not upon Peter onely but generally upon the Apostles at Jerusalem yet heere hee names onely Peter because hee was the principall person in that Ministery and naming him as principall the rest of his fellow-laborers in that Ministery are to bee understood as James John and Philip who planted the Gospel in all the Cities of Samaria Yet Peter was not so limited and restrained to the Jewes as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee also might preach among the Gentiles and did so as appeares by his vision of the sheete and his preaching thereupon to Cornelius who was a Gentile see Act. 10.11 and afterward in this Chapter vers 11. Wee shall finde him at Antioch among the Gentiles In like manner Paul was not so limited to the Gentiles as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee had also power and authority given from God to preach among the Jewes who were the children of Israel See Act. 9.15 Heerein Paul doth not onely exempt himselfe from all subjection unto Peter but doth tacitly equall himselfe to Peter and in a manner prefer himselfe above him forasmuch as Pauls Province of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was far the larger of the two because it was extended over all the World VERSE 8. Text. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles Sense He. i. e. God by his spirit and grace That wrought effectually in Peter i. e. Who enabled Peter to the Apostleship Was mighty in me i. e. Enabled me Reason These words are inserted to insinuate another ground or cause of his equality to the chiefe Apostles and of his reception into their fellowship namely that as his Commission was equall to Peters so his execution of it was equally divine and equally effectuall for the same God enabled both Comment Gods efficacy in the Ministery of Peter and of Paul HEE that wrought
effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision He plainly intimates that the agent whom heere hee understands is the Almighty God for the Verbe whereby hee expresseth the action doth properly imply a divine Agent Hee that wrought effectually in Peter The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he who enabled Peter or was effectuall in or by Peter But why it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the dative case without the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as elsewhere is commonly added to the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not worth the enquiry for whether we make Peter the subordinate cause upon whom God was effectuall or the instrumentall cause by whom God was effectuall it comes all to one sense because these are but severall expressions of Gods efficacy in Peters Ministery But that God was the supreame Agent or principall efficient in this efficacy it appeares from the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the sense of the Scripture doth principally signifie that working whose principall Agent is outward and Divine and whose action is inward and potent and this is commonly done when God by his spirit workes upon our spirit by exalting our spirit to that action whereto by naturall strength it could never attaine and by blessing the finall effect beyond that power which by us was applyed to the meanes And this word is also in Scripture opposed meanly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to cease or rest from working by being actually idle or doing nothing But extreamely it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to defeate or disable by rendring a thing so ineffectuall or impotent that it remaines deprived of all inward power to produce any outward act To the Apostleship i. e. to the exercise or Function of the Apostleship and to the efficacy thereof upon others by his exercise of it for to both these Peter of himselfe was unable had he not beene super-enabled by a divine power q. d. As the authority of Peters Apostleship to preach the Gospel unto the Jewes was divine for God had committed that Gospel unto him so Peters efficacy in the execution of his Apostleship was divine also for he did not execute by vertue of his owne abilityes and naturall parts but by the speciall grace of God who by his spirit wrought effectually in him for the execution and successe of his Ministery Now this Divine efficacy whereby God enabled Peter to his Apostleship appeared chiefely three wayes 1. By his Preaching when at one Sermon of his three thousand persons were converted Acts 2.41 2. By his Miracles as his restoring of the Cripple Acts 3.7 his destroying of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. his healing of Aeneas and raising of Dorcas Acts 9.34.40 3. By his deliverance when God by his Angel delivered him out of prison from the hand of Herod who meant to slay him Acts 12.6 7. The same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles Was mighty in me i.e. Enabled me for the word in the Originall is the same whereby Gods efficacy was expressed in Peter Toward the Gentiles i. e. To my Apostleship among the Gentiles for the word Gentiles is opposed to the word Circumcision in the former clause of this verse which there supposed for the Jewes q. d. The efficacy of my Apostleship was divine also wrought by the same grace of the same God whose spirit was as powerfull and as effectuall in me as in Peter so that betweene Peters authority and mine betweene his ability and mine and betweene his successe among the Jewes and mine among the Gentiles there is no difference or disparity seeing all are equally divine and all meere graces from the same spirit of God Now this divine efficacy upon Paul to his Apostleship consisted chiefely in his travels to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles even at the Emperors Court in his miracles which hee wrought for the confirming of his Doctrine in his afflictions which hee suffered and in his deliverances from persecution in all which particulars hee was extraordinarily supported by Gods gracious assistance as appeares by his history in the Acts of the Apostles And heere againe Paul makes himselfe equall unto Peter in that both their abilities for the exercise of their Ministery proceeded from the same supernaturall and divine power VERSE 9. Text. And when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto mee they gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should goe unto the Heathen and they unto the Circumcision Sense Cephas i. e. Peter The grace viz. Of the Apostleship Fellowship viz. In the Apostleship Should goe i. e. Should exercise our Ministery in the Greeke the Verbe is silenced Reason Another argument of his equality with the chiefe Apostles together with another ground or cause how it came to bee acknowledged namely that when they perceived the grace of his Apostleship they acknowledged it by giving to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship Comment The chiefe Apostles then at Jerusalem and their attribute their acknowledgement of Paul Barnabas and society or equality with them Of giving the right hand AND when James Cephas and John The names of the chiefe Apostles then resident at Jerusalem James i. e. James the yonger or the lesse whom hee mentioned before and gave him the attribute of the Lords brother cap. 1. ver 19. He names him heere in the first place therefore as it seems because he was constantly resident at Jerusalem and President in the Synod there for upon the controversie about Circumcision he gave the sentence Cephas i. e. Peter who was the brother of Andrew and whose proper name was Simon but Cephas which in sense is all one with Peter was his sirname for Cephas is but the Syriack word and Peter the Greek word which in English signifie a Stone so that Cephas Peter and Stone are three severall words in three severall Languages which signifie one and the same thing the name whereof was given unto Simon for a sirname for in Scripture it is often declared that Peter was the sirname of Simon See Act. 10 5.18.3◠and Act. 11.13 And this sirname of Cephas or Peter which is by the Evangelist interpreted a stone was given unto Simon by Christ when Christ first beheld him being presented unto Christ by his brother Andrew John 1.42 But seeing Paul mentioneth Simon by the 〈◊〉 of Peter in severall passages of this Chapter both before and after this verse why doth he heere and heere only call him Cephas The reason may bee because hee mentioneth him heere joyntly with other men whose names were Syriack as well as that of Cephas for that is Pauls manner that when hee speakes of Simon alone by himselfe hee calls him by his sirname of Peter but mentioning him among others hee commonly calls him Cephas See 1. Cor. 1.12 and
appeare afterward vers 14. Neither was it dissembled or feigned betweene them to cast a feare upon the believing Jewes in seeing Peter thus reproved as Jerome pretends it but it was serious and reall with intent to reprove not onely the Jewes but Peter also for otherwise Paul should have used one dissimulation wherewith to reprove another seeing the thing it selfe which hee reproved was a dissimulation as afterward it will appeare vers 13. q. d. When I was at Jerusalem Peter reproved not mee either for my Doctrine or for my Conversation but when Peter came to Antioch I reproved him for his Conversation and I condemned a carriage of his not clancularly behinde his back nor generally in tearmes indefinite but particularly and openly even in his presence to his face For I was confident of my authority to reprove him and of my equity in the cause of it which otherwise I should never have done in that manner had I beene conscious to my soule that in poynt of the legall Ceremonies his judgement was contrary to mine For then though his fact had disliked mee I should not have dared to have reproved him openly to his face as knowing that way would availe mee nothing but to make my cause worse and render me odious Because hee was to bee blamed A reason in generall of the former words why hee reproved Peter before his face namely because hee was to bee blamed The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Literally hee was condemned for so elsewhere the word is alwayes rendred in our last English Translation See 1. John 3.20 21. For hee that reproves another man doth give as it were a judgement or sentence against him which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wee Blaming or Condemning But really the sense is not preteritively that hee was blamed before Paul reproved him but futurely hee was to bee blamed when Paul did actually reprove him then hee was worthy of reproofe and deserved to bee blamed For many time a Greeke participle passive of the preter tense is in imitation of the Hebrewes put for a Noune verball which the Latine sometime expresseth by the future in dus and wee in English thus is or was to bee so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are saved i. e. which are to bee saved 1. Cor. 1.18 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them that perish i. e. in them that are to perish 2. Cor. 2.15 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that are sanctified i. e. them that are to bee sanctified Heb. 10.14 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to bee reserved 2. Pet. 2.4 So heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was blamed is rightly rendred hee was to bee blamed q. d. I reproved Peter because concerning some of the legall Ceremonies his carriage was so various and different from it selfe that although in one respect he was to be commended yet in another he was to be blamed VERSE 12. Text. For before that certaine came from James hee did eate with the Gentiles but when they were come hee withdrew and separated himselfe fearing them which were of the Circumcision Sense Certaine i. e. Believing Jewes who were but weake Christians and observers of the legall Ceremonies Did eate Viz. All manner of meates indifferently With the Gentiles i. e. With the Christian Gentiles after their manner and in their company who made no distinction of meats as did the Jewish Christians Withdrew and separated himselfe Viz. From eating with them after their manner and in their company Fearing them i. e. Fearing to offend or grieve them Reason Of the Circumcision i. e. The believing Jewes who yet were observers of Circumcision A more particular reason why hee reproved Peter expressing the fact for which hee was to bee blamed namely because hee knowing that the legall difference of meates was ceased yet withdrew himselfe from eating indifferently all manner of meats in the company of the Gentiles and after their manner and restrained himselfe only to the Jewish meats Comment Peter eates with the believing Gentiles and afterward withdrew from them fearing to offend the believing Jewes who yet cōceived thēselves bound to the Law FOR before that certaine came from James These were by their birth Jewes who had been bred up in the Jewish Religion but by their faith they were Christians but as it seemes so lately converted that they were yet but weake in the faith and therefore continued observers of the Jewish ceremonies These men came to Antioch from Jerusalem while Peter was at Antioch but whether they came thither as Emissaries sent from James or as voluntaries of their owne accord either as spies or for other businesse it appeares not from Scripture Yet from James they are said to come either authoritatively because they might have some direction or addresse from him or locally because they came from the Church at Jerusalem where James was the President or chiefe Pastor He did eate with the Gentiles He did eate i. e. Peter did freely eare any manner of meates though forbidden by the Law of Moses With the Gentiles with the Christian Gentiles in their company after their maner and of their meates altogether as they did eate who observed not the differences of meats nor other legall ceremonies This action of Peter was very commendable for although the Jewes by their Law esteemed it unlawful to eate of some meates supposing themselves thereby polluted because they were forbidden by the Law of Moses yet unto the Christians of all sorts to whom the Law was now expired it was by the Gospel fully allowable to eate of any meate and particularly unto Peter it was most warrantable by reason of his vision of the great sheet wherein were all maner of meates as Beasts creeping things and Fowles which God had cleansed commanding him to kill and eate See Acts 10.11.12.13 But when they were come hee withdrew and separated himselfe When those Christian Jewes were come from Jerusalem to Antioch Peter who before did there eate with the Christian Gentiles did then privily withdraw and separate himselfe from the company and from the fare of the Christian Gentiles carrying himselfe as a strict observer of the Legall Ceremonies and particularly of the differences of meates This action in Peter was the thing that was blameable and for which hee was by Paul reproved for by this fact Peter might and did very much blemish the truth and sincerity of the Gospel by endangering the liberty therof whilest by his ouermuch indulgence to the Jewes who were the minor part he seemed to betray the liberty of the Gospel and to give occasion of scruple to the Christian Gentiles who were far the major part and far more considerable Fearing them of the circumcision The occasion of Peters fact in withdrawing himselfe from eating with the Christian Gentiles namely because he feared those Christian Jewes of the Circumcision who came from James and were yet but weake Christians and were consequently earnest
in Christ yet they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospell but lived as did the Jewes These labouring a compliance betweene Moses and Christ did teach and professe that the Law and the Gospel the Old and New Testament were all one and the same or at the most that the latter was but an addition or supplement to the former and that there was no coming unto Christ and to the Gospell but by passing first through Moses and the Law These were Operaries and Rituaries i. e. so much for the Workes and Ceremonies of the Law that they made Workes the cause conservant to continue justification and therefore after their faith and justification in Christ to the end that they might continue and abide in that state they continued in the Workes of the Law as in practising the use of Circumcision in abstaining from divers meates both of Flesh Fish and Fowle and especially from all meates that had beene offered unto Idolls in observing divers seasons of dayes moneths times and yeares And proceeding yet further at last they came to this that they made Workes also the cause procreant of justification to constitute create and begin the state of it for therefore they urged their Workes especially Circumcision upon the Gentiles as necessary unto salvation Of this Sect were they who are mentioned Acts. 15.1 And certain men which came down frō Judea taught the brethren and sayd Except ye bee circumcised after the maner of Moses ye cannot be saved Certain men i. e. certain Judaizers And they who are mentioned here in this cap. v. 12. For before that certain came from James i. e. certain Judaizers Also they in the Church of Rome and of Colossa whom Paul notes in his Epistles to the Romans and Colossians and they Phil. 3.2 whom Paul there cals Dogs evill workers and the Concision and they in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who were given to Jewish Fables to endles Genealogies and strivings about the Law The Cause of this their Judaisme was at first partly their zeal to the Law of Moses whereof they acknowledged God himself the Author partly their envy and hatred against the Gentiles that they should be made partakers of Gods grace in Christ from which by this meanes they endeavoured to discourage the Gentiles But afterward this Judaisme was advanced partly out of vain-glory to insult over the Gentiles in forcing them to the Laws and Customs of the Jews and partly out of policy that living as did the Jews they might enjoy the Priviledges of the Jews and thereby not become liable to that persecution which lay upon the sincere Christian The Effect of this Judaisme was that the walking therein was not onely an errour against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it for heereby it came to passe that the unbelieving Gentiles were unwilling to receive it and the believing Gentiles were ready to desert it 3. The third party of Christians were the Gentilizers for so they may bee called seeing here in this verse Paul denotes them by this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to Gentilize or as our English Translation renders it to live after the maner of the Gentiles These also in respect of their faith were Christians for they believed in Christ but in respect of their life they were Heathenish because they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but lived after the maner of the Gentiles For these labouring a compliance betweene Philosophy and Christianity interserted mingled and blended the Gospel of Christ with Pythagorisme and Platonisme with Epicurisme and Stoicisme The severall Sectaries or followers heereof either turning the grace of God into wantonnesse or pretending to exercise their Christian liberty were somewhat divided amongst themselves not onely in their Doctrines and Opinions but also in their practice and conversation For some as the Pythagorists abstained from Wine drinking onely water they abstained from all kinde of flesh eating onely herbes and they abstained from mariage disallowing that state holding it good for a man especially a Philosopher not to touch a woman Others as the Epicures were heerto so contrary that they would abstain from nothing not from bloud nor things strangled nor any kinde of flesh eating meats offered unto Idolls not from fornication nor incest nor other uncleannesse not from drunkennesse at the Communion 1. Cor. 11.21 For in eating every one took before other his supper and one the Pythagorist was hungry and another the Epicure was drunken Yet these different sects agreeing all in the fayth of Christ tolerated one another in other matters as anciently they had done before their conversion that in the maine they might all side against the Judaizer Wherefore taking advantage of Pauls doctrine against works and boasting that Paul was their Apostle as indeed he was they became Fiduciaries and Libertines i. e. They were only for faith and liberty neglecting despising and disgracing works as no way necessary to salvation as no cause at all of Justification neither procreant to constitute or build the state of it nor conservant to continue and maintaine it Of this sect were they Rom. 14. who did eat only hearbs and they who did eat all things They 1. Cor. 1. who made divisions and contentions saying I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ They 1. Cor. 5. who were puffed up in the behalfe of the incestuous Corinth They 1. Cor. 6. who held fornication lawfull They 1. Cor. 7. who held mariage unlawfull or unexpedient They 1. Cor. 8. who would eat meat offered unto Idols and would eat it in the Idols temple They 1. Cor. 15. who denyed the Resurrection to come and they at Ephesus who affirmed that it was already past They Coloss 2. who spoyled men through Philosophy beguiling them in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels In a word they in generall who are censured and taxed in the Generall Epistles of James Peter John and Jude The Cause of this their Gentilisme was partly their vaine-glory in being gifted men and puffed up with the gifts of the Holy Ghost as the gift of fayth of knowledge of tongues and of prophesie partly their Sensuality in abusing their Christian liberty unto licentiousnesse and loosenesse following their carnall appetite and walking after the flesh partly their Animosity in opposing and crossing the Judaizer whose doctrines and practises especially that of Circumcision they detested and abhorred The Effect of this Gentilisme was the very same with that of Judaisme for this walking or living thus after the maner of the Gentiles was not only an error against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it especially amongst the Jewes for heerupon the event was that the unbeleeving Jewes were unwilling to
should bee so unmanerly unthankefull and unkinde as to deny a little provision to David and his followers who unto him had been so good as to be a defence to him and his goods Come we down somewhat lower to an example or two of this improbity from the New Testament Such an improbous Sinner was the wicked servant Mat. 18.28 who when his Lord had forgiven him a debt of ten thousand talents would neither forgive nor forbeare his fellow-servant who owed him onely an hundred pence but arrested and imprisoned him for it This act was a sinne for his Lord thereupon was so wrath that revoking his former pardon of the debt hee delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Yet this was no legall sinne against any Law because the act in it selfe was very lawfull for the Law allowes every Creditor to demand and sue for his debt but it was a morall sinne against morality equity and Charity for him to whom his Lord had forgiven a debt of ten thousand talents to exact from his fellow-servant a matter of an hundred pence Such a Sinner was Dives Luke 16.19 who was cloathed in purple and fared sumptuously every day letting Lazarus lye at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crummes that fell from the table This prodigality upon himselfe and parcimony toward the poore was a sinne not legall but morall against the rules of equity Charity and mercy Such Sinners were the Priest and the Levite Luke 10.31 who seeing a man lye in the way stripped wounded and halfe dead passed by on the other side This passage of theirs was no legall sinne against any Law but a morall sinne against the rules of equity humanity courtesie charity and mercy Lastly such sinners will the damned be found at the last day when the finall Inditement shall runne against them in this form Mat. 25.42 I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and ye gave me no drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited mee not Certainely these negligences are sinnes for the parties are cursed and punished with this finall Judgement to eternall damnation Depart from mee ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his angels Yet they are not sinnes legally against the Law of Moses but morally against the rules of equity charity and mercy 3. The word Sinner signifies jurally quoad jura for one who is Calamitous who either hath no Right at all or not that right which he should have or not that which he might have had but is either deprived or debarred from some right priviledge or capacity which by Law or favour is alowed unto others and is predestinated prejudicated decreed and doomed to be and abide in the state and condition of an offendour and thereby to suffer that misery of losse paine and shame which is commonly inflicted as a punishment upon offenders Yet unto the Calamitous the misery which he suffers is not a punishment but onely an affliction because no man is to be punished for having no right or for quitting his right much lesse for losing it if the losse be none of his fault but against his will Now according to the common rule and practice of denominations he that hath no right or not his due right but misseth and faileth of his right may be called unrighteous and must bee so called till wee can finde or make some other appellative that will fit him better and a person in this sense unrighteous is accordingly in Scripture called a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a Jurall Sinner to bee calamitous woefull and wretched is no act of his owne but either the act of some Adversary who unjustly and without cause chargeth upon that sinne whereof hee is not guilty or the act of some Law or of some Curse which burdeneth him for that sinne whereof some other person is guilty whereby the calamitous who is innocent and guiltlesse is forced to suffer affliction or misery as if in himselfe hee were a Delinquent and guilty Yet the Calamitous as hee stands distinguished from the transgressor and the improbous should in strictnesse of speech be called rather a quasi-sinner then a Sinner because hee is not a Sinner properly but quasily i. e. hee hath manifest differences to cleare him from the proper nature of a Sinner and yet hath resemblances enough to draw upon him the name of a Sinner For properly and usually the word sinne doth signifie tha◠evill act which is an offence either against Law or Equity and so the Transgressor and the improbous are both offendors and both properly sinners But many times that word is taken improperly and figuratively by a Metonymy frequent in Scripture and in ordinary discourse and so it signifies not the evill act of sinne but that evill effect or consequent which followes the act of sinne and is commonly made the punishment of sinne as shame paine losse or any other Affliction Calamity Misery or Trouble especially Death which is mans finall suffering and his last enemy As Gen. 4.7 If thou dost well shalt thou not bee accepted and if thou dost not well i. e. If thou dost any act of sinne sinne lyeth at the doore i. e. the effect of sinne which is punishment and misery is ready to attach thee And Gen. 19.15 Arise take thy Wife and thy two Daughters which are heere lest thou bee consumed in the iniquity of the City i. e. in the destruction or punishment of the City And Gen. 31.39 That which was torne of Beasts I brought it not unto thee I bare the losse of it where the Hebrew word is Achtenah i. e. I sinned for it q. d. I suffered for it as if the sinne or fault had beene mine And Levit. 22.9 They shall therefore keepe mine Ordinances lest they beare sinne for it i. e. lest they suffer death for it as appeares by the words following which are but the sense of these and dye therefore And Levit. 24.15 Whosoever curseth his God shall beare his sinne i. e. Hee shall surely bee put to death For so the words are explicated in the next verse And Rom. 5.12 And so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned i. e. For that in Adam all dyed as afterward among the examples of the Calamitous shall bee more amply declared And Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners i. e. Were made mortall and necessitated to dye for the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Constituted ordained or appoynted sinners or mortall for in other places of our last Translation so many wayes that Verbe is Englished and heereto other vulgar Translations agree for the Italian hath it constituted sinners and the French rendred sinners But then by Sinners wee must understand mortall or made to dye because men
of that right which it first created if fayth it selfe bee conserved but fayth cannot conserve it selfe without workes because by workes fayth lives and breaths but without workes is frustrate and dead as the body is without breath Workes therefore being efficient to conserve our faith must consequently needes bee efficient to conserve that right which by the efficiency of our fayth was created unto us for though fayth alone bee efficient to create our right yet faith alone is not sufficient to conserve or declare it without the co-efficiency of workes Wherefore workes are not only a signe of our right to declare it but also a cause to conserve it because they are a cause to conserve our faith which without them would be dead And this jurall sense of the Verb Justified may be further illustrated and confirmed from divers other words which carry a jurall construction and are referred to Justifying which words for better order may be distributed into fowre sorts 1. Words of Circumstance whereof some doe create or constitue a Right or Interest as Grace Gift Goodwill Will and Testament Covenant and Promise all which are jurall words signifying the principall motives and causes of our Justification some doe confirme or assure a Right as Seale and Earnest for the holy Spirit is sayd to be the Seal and Earnest of that Inheritance whereto wee are justified and some other words doe specifie a Right constituted and assured as Liberty Freedome Communion Fellowship Inheritance and Peculiar all which and many more are the results and effects of our Justification 2. Words of Contrariety which are opposite to Justifying as Injurying and Condemning for the two Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie Injurying and Condemning are both contrary and opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Justifying As therefore he who is Injuried is against Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law was due unto him and as he who is Condemned is according to Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law hee was to lose for all Condemnation effecteth on the condemned eyther the abolition or the abatement of some right which the party had before eyther in deed or in pretence so contrarily he who is justified is beyond or above Law made to have some right which before hee had not and which by Law was not due unto him And as Condemnation is the Imputation of a present sin to a future punishment so Justification is the Imputation of a present right to a future blessing for although Justifyng and Condemning be opposite and contrary one to another yet they agree in this that both are under one and the same genus which is Imputation Seeing then Injurying and Condemning are jurall words therefore so is Justifying because it is opposite and contrary to them both 3. Words of Affinity or nearenesse which are subordinate to justifying and comprehended under it as Naturalizing Legitimating Manumising Redeeming Pardoning Adopting and such like all which are severall kindes or sorts of justifying which is the genus to them all For Naturalizing is the Justifying of an Alien by imputing or giving the right of a Native to him that was borne in a forraigne Countrey Legitimating is the Justifying of a Bastard by imputing or giving the right of Birth to him that was born misbegotten Manumising or Infranchising is the Justifying of a Villaine or Bondman by imputing or giveing the right of freedome to him that was borne a Slave Redeeming is the Justifying of a Captive by giving the right of Liberty to him who before was a Prisoner to his Enemy Pardoning is the Justifying of an Offender by imputing or giving the right of impunity to him who stands by Law condemned Adopting is the Justifying of a Stranger by imputing or giving the right of a Sonne and Heire to him who was borne in another Family Any one of these acts severally is justifying and all of them concurring joyntly for concur they may upon one and the same person are no more saving that then the justifying is exceeding gracious for when an Alien a Bastard a Bondslave and a Captive and so much worse beside as to bee a Malefactor is made an Heire to some Kingdome such a Justifying in regard it passeth from one extreame to another is extreamely gratious and so gratious is our Justification by Christ as to an observant Reader will afterwards appeare 4. Words of Attribute whereby the justified are in Scripture stiled and called as Sonnes and Heires of God Gal. 4.7 Wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Sonne and if a Sonne then an Heire of God through Christ Co-heires or joynt-heires with Christ Rom. 8.16.17 The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the Children of God and if Children then Heires Heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ Fellow-citizens and Domesticks of God Ephes 2.19 Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forraigners but Fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God The Lords Freemen 1. Cor. 7.22 For hee that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords Freeman Which last Attribute of Freeman is a generall word including all the former for Citizens Sonnes and Heires are but severall sorts and rankes of Freemen and it is a word so jurall that the state of Liberty or Freedome is the Primitive Originall or Fundamentall Right whereon all other Rights and Priviledges are raised and without which none can subsist for a Bondman during his bondage hath no right at all neither can hee have any till first hee bee infranchised or made free seeing all the right hee hath before is onely a crooked right to accept or refuse freedome for a will to refuse freedome was by the Law of God allowed to a Bondman who otherwise hath no freedom of will Exod. 21.5 If the servant shall plainely say I love my Master my Wife and my Children I will not go out free then his Master shall bring him to the Judges c. And the word Freeman is so intimate genuine proper unto Justified that those 2 words are reciprocall adequate to denote the same person for Freeman is the proper name whereby a person justified is called a person justifyed is the proper essence or differēce which defines a Freeman seeing a Freeman is a person justified or made to have some right for hereby he is absolutely opposed to a bōdman who absolutely is not justified or hath no right at all heereby hee is respectively opposed to an Alien a Forraigner or Stranger who locally is not justified or hath no right in this or that place as none in such a Kingdome such a City or such a Family Hence in the Scripture the word Justified is sometime put for freed as Act. 13.39 and by Christ all that believe are justified i. e. freed from all things from which yee could not
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
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
indefinite that is not limited to a time certaine And a Law so unlimited is thereupon called perpetuall or according to the phrase of Scripture everlasting to distinguish it from a law temporary whose duration is limited to a time certaine Yet the Perpetuity of a Law doeth never debarre the Law-maker from his power to revoke repeal or alter at his pleasure as cause shall require either the Law it selfe or the duration of it And therefore upon just cause by expunging the clause of limitation hee may advance a Law temporary to become perpetuall or by inserting a clause of limitation hee may reduce a Law perpetuall to bee temporary 2. The duration of it was limited to a time uncertaine the event whereof exceeded humane knowledge For that this kinde of limitation was made it plainly appeares from hence in that the Tabernacle and the services thereto belonging Heb. 9.9 are called a figure for the time present and the rest of the Ceremonies in meats drinkes and washings Heb. 9.10 were imposed untill the time of Reformation Now the period or event of that time present and of the time of Reformation was at the making of the Law so uncertaine that it passed the reach of humane knowledge And that uncertaine time which the duration of the Law was limited was the time of Christ whose time was the time of Reformation For the Law of Moses was but a way leading unto the Gospel of Christ and ended at Christ Rom. 10.4 for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth And as the occasion of the Law was for transgressions so the duration of it was untill the comming of Christ Gal. 3.19 The Law was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made It was a Schoolemaster to initiate the Jew for a time untill the comming of Christ Gal. 3.24 Wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaster unto Christ And it was a tutor or governour to over-rule the childhood or the Jew for a time the fulnesse whereof was fulfilled at the comming of Christ Gal. 4.2 We when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law Because then the duration of the Law was not limited to any time certaine therefore it was perpetuall and everlasting and yet because the duration of it was limited to a time uncertaine therefore it was transitory mutable and ceasable Wherefore during the current of that uncertaine time the Law was all that while mortall and at the expiration of that time it expired and died i. e. it was then of no force but frustrate and voyd For as the Obligation or Bond of the Law while it standeth in force is called the life of the Law for hence it is sayd Rom. 7.1 The Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth i. e. as long as the Law is in force so the cessation of the Law when the force of it is expired is called the death of the Law for hence againe it is sayd Rom. 7.6 But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held i. e. The Law being ceased and dead Wherefore to speak accurately and properly the Law was not abrogated or repealed but of it selfe it expired and ceased because the fulnes of her time was come for that uncertaine terme whereto her duration was limited was by the comming of Christ certainly determined Yet this Expiration or Death of the Law is expressed by severall other words for it is called Abolishing Ephes 2.15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements And Cancelling or blotting out Col. 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us And Disanulling Heb. 7.18 For verily there is a disanulling of the commandement going before for the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof And Antiquating or making old Heb. 8.13 In that he sayth a new Covenant he hath antiquated or made the first old Thus all the Lawes of Moses are as dead as the Lawes of Solon or Lycurgus Yet the death of the Moralityes contained in the Decalogue or elsewhere dispersed must be cautelously understood by distinguishing between the Constitution of a Law whereby it first hath being and the Declaration of a Law whereby that being which it had before is made knowne For according to this distinction we say of Judges that they doe not make Law by constituting it but they onely declare Law by manifesting that to bee Law which was constitute and made before Much more may the Law-maker himselfe in case of ignorance or question declare that to be his Law which hee had constituted for Law before Now the Moralities in the Decalogue had their Constitution at the beginning of the world for they are Lawes of nature which God made at the making of man from whose creation they resulted But they had a declaration in the Decalogue wherein God wrote them and published them to the Israelites that thereby they taking notice of them to bee his Lawes might not make their ignorance an excuse for their transgressions for some Lawes of nature are of themselves obscure and those that are knowne are not to all men equally manifest And they had a new Declaration in the new Covenant for thereby Hebr. 8.10 God hath put them into our mindes and written them in our hearts and lest our owne mindes and hearts should deceive us hee hath sufficiently manifested them by Christ and his Apostles throughout the New Testament The Moralityes then in the Law of Moses are dead as to that declaration which they had there for by vertue thereof they binde no man but they are not dead in respect of two other bonds whereof the one is their new declaration in the New Testament by vertue whereof they binde all Christians and the other their first Constitution as Lawes of nature by vertue whereof they binde all men whatsoever The reason why the Law is dead and why it expired at the death of Christ is because the Gospel published by Christ is the last Will and Testament of God established upon better promises and better Precepts then were in the Law and was confirmed by the death of Christ and therefore the Law which was Gods former Will and Testament is thereby infringed and frustrated For of Persons testable the last and newest Will is alwayes the best and of such validity or force that at the very making of it all former Wills are infringed and at the confirming of it all former are frustrated And Christ who was the Executor of Gods last Will did disanull the first to establish the last Heb. 10.9 Then sayd he Loe I come to doe thy Will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second And Christ at his death by one and the
Italian in the Vulgar French and in our former English Translation in use before that of King JAMES which leaveth the Greeke and followeth the Latine of Beza Yet in the Translation of King JAMES the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places of the New Testament is rendred in that as Rom. 6.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for in that hee dyed I live by the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the faith for so the Vulgar Latine Italian and French render it The Greeke Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though many times it signifie by or through Yet heere it doth not so for the Apostles meaning is not to shew the meanes whereby hee lived but the manner wherein hee lived And the word faith by way of metonymy or transnomination is heere put for Religion which is the proper and due effect of faith for so faith is taken in divers places as Gal. 1.23 Now preacheth the faith which once hee destroyed i. e. the Religion which once hee destroyed And 1. Tim. 4.1 In the latter times some shall depart from the faith i. e. from the Religion And 1. Tim. 5.8 If any man provide not for his owne especially for those of his owne house hee hath denyed the faith i. e. the Religion of Christ To live in the flesh is to performe the naturall and civill acts of a mortall man who is compassed with flesh and blood as to eate drinke and sleepe to labour traffick or otherwise follow the workes of my worldly calling But to live after the flesh is another and a contrary thing not allowable to any Christian not compatible with mortification nor consistent with salvation For living after the flesh is a continuance in those sinnes which will for certaine exclude the sinner from his divine inheritance in the Kingdome of God as will appeare afterwards in this Epistle cap. 5. vers 19. c. To live in the faith or Religion of Christ is to performe those workes of Love which belong to a Believer professing the faith of Christ as workes of love to himselfe by Patience Temperance Chastity and Humility Love to his brother by Equity Mercy Meekenesse and Kindnesse Love to God by Piety and Devotion in his Worship and Service Or to live in the faith as the Apostle expresseth it in other words Ephes 4.1 Is to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith wee are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love And againe Coloss 1.10 It is to walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke c. In a word it is to live a religious and holy life according to the profession and obligation of my faith for if my faith have not this effect upon mee to make mee live thus my faith is dead I were as good have no faith as have the Divels faith which justifies not And I were as good againe have no faith as to have such a bare semblance or shadow of a justifying faith which sanctifies me not For my Justification is before my Sanctification not onely in nature and time but also is or ought to bee the cause of it and will bee frustrate unlesse it have that effect An Objecti ∣ on The words then of this clause are another prevention of a tacit objection that might bee made against his former words immediately preceding For some man might thereupon say Seeing you and all other Christians are mortall men cloathed with flesh yee must needes therefore live after the manner of other men by performing those actions which belong to flesh and blood as actions naturall in eating drinking and sleeping and actions civill in discoursing buying selling and negotiating in the works of your calling All which actions and the like seeme nothing pertinent unto Christ and to life spirituall but carnall the Answer To this Objection his Answer seemes to bee thus as for my former sinfull actions they are wholly crucified and mortified for I have utterly renounced them and live not in them at all And as for my naturall and civill actions they are altered and changed for they are not now wholly the same that they were before but are all done in faith for they are as it were animated and quallified with my faith which governeth and ordereth them after a religious way For while I performe those naturall and civill actions which belong to flesh and bloud as necessary to the course of this mortall life I have alwayes a respect to the Faith and Religion of Christ which I professe thereby moderating ordering and ruling all my actions that I may walke worthy of the vocation whereto I am called carrying all things in a due conformity thereto and avoyding all tnat eyther may bring a scandall upon it or bee any way unworthy thereof For even my naturall and civill actions are now all referred unto God and being done in thankefulnesse to him for his grace they serve to declare and advance his glory Whether I eate or eat not to the Lord I eate or eate not and give God thankes Rom. 4.6 Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thankes and hee that eateth not to the Lord hee eateth not and giveth God thankes This clause therefore of Living in the flesh and yet living in the Faith seemeth to be the same with that 2. Cor. 10.3 Though we walk in the flesh we doe not warre after the flesh Hence it appeeres that Our naturall and civill actions as far as they are capable of morality doe belong unto fayth For even upon such actions faith may have such an influence that they may be done in faith and that action which in one man is meerely naturall may in another be both naturall and religious being cloathed with some circumstance which may make it a service acceptable unto God Although my Faith and Religion oblige me not to undertake every kinde of action yet faith must moderate the maner of every action which I undertake that it be suitable to the will of God and faith must direct the end of every action that it tend to the glory of God Hence the Scripture is copious in her Exhortations that all things be done in a due maner nothing uncharitably Rom. 14.15 If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Nothing offensively 1. Cor. 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Nothing contentiously Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory c. And that all things bee done to the right end All unto the Lord Rom. 14.8 Whether wee live wee live unto the Lord or whether wee die we die unto the Lord. All unto his glory 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glory of God All in thankfulnesse to him Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye doe in word or in deed doe all
in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath even as others but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead in sinnes hath quickned us together with Christ by grace yee are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the Ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Certainely such love as heere is mentioned so exceeding rich in grace mercy and kindnesse must needes bee free from wrath and anger unlesse wee are content to say that at one and the same time in respect of the same action and of the same persons God was exceeding loving and yet exceeding angry which at last will come to this that at the same time the same God loved and loved not 2. God was not angry with Christ when he dyed For would God bee angry with his onely begotten Son of whom hee gave this publick testimony from Heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased With his Son who was so obedient that hee tooke upon him the forme of a servant and God calls him his chosen servant in whom his soule was well pleased Mat. 12.18 Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased With his Son who was so Innocent that in all his life hee knew no sin and therefore could bee no subject of Gods anger And could God bee angry with his Sonne then when hee was about Gods owne worke a worke to God so pleasing that God therefore loved him because he undertook it John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it againe A worke to God so agreeable that Ephes 5.2 it was an Offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour A worke to God so acceptable that for his undergoing of it God hath highly exalted him and caused every knee to bow unto him Phil. 2.8 Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow c. 3. God was not angry with us when Christ dyed for us For could God bee angry with us then when wee were the objects of his admirable and infinite love when hee did a worke for our sakes whereby hee especially intended to free us wholly from his anger a work wherein he playnly declared the exceeding riches of his grace and the abundance of his mercy and kindnesse towards us a worke wherein hee spared not his own most dearly beloved Son but delivered him up for us all and thereby manifested that hee would freely give us all things a worke whereby hee conveyed unto us a right interest and clayme to the eternall possession of Heavenly blessednes Or if God were then angry with us when to settle upon us eternall life hee exposed his owne Son to a bitter death what sufficient argument can wee draw from his death whereby to assure our soules that God remaines not angry with us still even unto this very day True it is that God was angry with the Jewes who put Christ to death for his bloud was upon them and upon their children and afterward God punished their wickednes with a sin all desolation Yet if wee consider that anger of God according to the right course of causality we shall easily perceive that Gods anger against the Jewes was not the cause of Christs death but contrarily Christs death was the cause of Gods anger against the Jewes For God whose anger caused not the worke was justly angry with the workemen who did it because they on their part made it a wicked worke for they did it not as Gods worke not as his Will not for his sake not for his end nor by his authority Gods anger therefore against the Jewes for the death of Christ maketh nothing against the verities by mee premised that his anger was not the cause why Christ dyed For the like may bee sayd of every Martyr whose death is a just cause of Gods anger against his Persecutors though Gods anger bee no cause at all of his death But some man may say that the truth of these words who loved me and gave himselfe for me being spoken by Paul of himselfe and in his person of every Christian might be certainely knowne unto Paul Because hee might bee assured of this truth by the meanes of some revelation made unto him thereof for either Christ whom hee had heard and seen or God who revealed Christ unto him might also reveale this truth unto him But you that were borne some hundred yeares since the death of Christ and have no revelation touching any such love of Christ toward you how can you for your part certainely know and bee assured concerning your selfe that Christ loved you and gave himselfe for you Hereto I answer That this saying is also true of mee I certainely know and am assured from hence because my name is written in Gods last Will and Testament that Christ loved mee and gave himselfe for mee Yet I find not my name written there by my proper Christian and sir-name but by an appellative or common name of mine which unto mee is farre better and more certaine then my proper name For I certainely know of my selfe that I am a Believer in Christ and am truely called by that name and under that name I finde it written of mee that Christ loved me and dyed for me John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave to death his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And againe Rom. 3.21 But now the righteousnes i. e. the kindnes of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse or kindnes of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Christ then dyed for all Believers whatsoever of what Nation and what age soever not onely for those who lived in that age wherein hee dyed but for all those also who should afterwards live in any age whatsoever Now because Christ for certaine dyed for all Believers and I for certaine am a Believer therefore for certaine Christ dyed for mee And if this Reasoning be not right there is no reason why man should bee accounted a reasonable creature or if this Reasoning breed not certainty man can have no certainty in any knowledge and consequently he cannot bee certaine that himselfe is a
man much lesse can hee bee certaine that any thing is doubtfull This nomination of mee by the common name of a Believer is fully sufficient to convey unto mee a proper right to everlasting blessednesse My Father by his last Will setled his estate upon my elder Brother and upon his heires but my Brother dying without issue I came to enjoy my fathers estate Because I was named to it in his Will yet not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of Heire for collaterally by my birth I was heire to my Brother But because this is a parable therefore it is not necessary that the Argument of it should agree with the thing it should argue in every particular circumstance but it shall suffice that it hold in the maine purpose and scope of it My heavenly Father by his last Will setled the Kingdome of Heaven upon Christ my elder Brother and upon his Heires and heereby the inheritance of Heaven is assured unto mee Because in Gods Will I am named to it not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of heire to Christ for having God my Father by faith I consequently become Brother to Christ and co-heire with him And an heire by faith when the Testator is pleased so to assigne it is jurally as sure as an heire by birth and in the case present much surer because the assignation is universall to all in generall Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life And the righteousnes of God unto all and upon all them that believe If therefore a common name written in mans will be of force to convey and assure an estate much more shall it doe the like in Gods Will. Oh my deare and blessed Lord who hast loved mee and given thy selfe for mee and therefore wilt give mee any thing else beside grant mee the spirit of thy love that thine to mee may beget mine to thee But let mine bee a soveraigne love to adhere to thee against all the world and let it bee a diligent love not in word but in deed to serve thee faithfully in all thy commands Grant mee also the virtue of thy death to worke in mee my death to sinne that as thou for my sake didst lay downe thy life so I for thy sake may lay downe my sinne Let the sprinkling of thy blood fall upon my heart to withdraw mee from the course of the world to cleanse mee from all vaine conversation to purifie mee from sinne and iniquity to consecrate and dedicate my soule to holynesse that as Adams sinne made mee guilty so thy death may make mee holy And when my naturall death approacheth seeing thou hast tasted death for mee bee pleased to succour mee at the houre of mine Let mee not feare or grieve or grudge to dye but answering the way of thy love let mee give my selfe for mee and then Lord Jesus receive my spirit for which thou didst vouchsafe to dye VERSE 21. Text. I doe not frustrate the grace of God For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine Sense I do not frustrate the grace of God i. e. I make it not vaine or voyd by despising or rejecting it in attributing that blessing unto Gods Law which proceedeth from his grace For if righteousnesse come by the Law i. e. If the Right whereto Gods righteousnesse or kindnesse justifieth come by the Law or if Justification come by the Law as an effect of the Law Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dyed without a cause then Christ who dyed on the Crosse to settle that Will and Testament of God whereby this Right was conveyed dyed without a cause or there was no sufficient reason why he should so dye Reason These words containe the third and last Argument in this Chapter whereby he proves the Negative of his principall Assertion concerning Justification that A man is not Justified by the works of the Law and consequent y that he himself was not so justified For the Apostle according to his former personation continueth his argument in his owne person concluding his Negative from an absurdity which must necessarily follow upon the contrary Affirmative of it For if I am justified by the workes of the Law then it must needs follow that thereby I doe frustrate or made voyd the grace of God because the Law of God and the Grace of God make such opposite titles that if I claime by his Law I must needs disclaime his Grace The Necessity of this consequence he further declares and confirmes by instancing in the gracious Meanes whereby this divine Right of Inheritance to Blessednes is conveyed and setled upon me namely by the bitter death of Christ upon the Crosse wherein God shewed the riches of his grace when by the death of his owne Son he testified and confirmed that Will and Testament wherein this Inheritance was devised unto mee For if my Right of Inheritance came by reason of the Law then Christ who died to settle this Right upon me dyed without any cause on Gods part and there was no sufficient reason why his Father who so dearly loved him should expose him unto death much lesse unto such a bitter death if therefore I frustrate the death of Christ I thereby also frustrate the grace of God And for this argument from Gods grace hee seemes to take occasion from the last words of the former verse wherein hee mentioned the love of Christ because all grace is love Comment Frustrate ampliated to 4 senses which really are the same Grace put for it selfe and for all the effects of it Of Justification the Matter the Title the Tenure the Author the Motive is meere Grace The Nature of grace in 2. things Testimonies for it No causes for it Yet reasons 5. 1. From Gods gift 2. from his good pleasure 3. from his goodnes or kindnes 4. from his Mercy 5. From his Will and Testament Gods grace is rich Testimonies hereof and Reasons 3. 1 It is without cause Not from Merit nor Request nor Inquiry But from Gods proper motion According to his owne will which otherwise were not his but ours 2. Rich for the Effect of Alliance and Inheritance seated most gloriously 3. For the Meanes which was costly precious Why Grace is not caused by my Works nor by my Will but is onely Gratis for Thankes 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 are Yet they follow not necessarily why not Grace how frustrated Righteousnesse put sometime for Uprightnes Faithfulnes Kindnes Heere for a Right For so it is taken in the Old Testament So in the New And sometime is so Englished So also here and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies without desert here without cause Christs death ampliated to his other actiōs Especially to his Resurrection Causes of Christs death fit to be knowne the ◠Causes humane the Divine which must be 1. Consequent to Gods
first loved mee therefore I must and doe love him 1. John 4.19 Wee love him because he first loved us And it goeth very well and happily with mee if Gods grace have this effect upon mee to bee seconded and followed with my workes of holinesse by way of gratefulnesse for his grace For this effect doth not follow necessarily but onely contingently which may bee or may bee not Seeing too manifest it is that in some men it followeth not Because otherwise Gods grace could not bee frustrated which the Apostle heere supposeth Yet I must constantly note that although my workes of holinesse bee not the cause procreant to produce the existence of Gods grace towards mee Yet they are the cause conservant to maintaine the continuance of it because otherwise his grace will bee frustrated Seeing then Gods grace is on Gods part the cause of my Justification unto this divine alliance and inheritance with him if therefore unto my workes I ascribe that cause which belongs unto his grace doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God by denying it that effect which properly it doth produce Am I not heereby a Rejector and a Despiser of Gods grace as a thing superfluous and needlesse And consequently am I not an ungratefull and an ungracious wretch to magnifie the poorenesse of my workes above the richnesse of his grace Seeing unto workes of holinesse I stood bound before by the Law of nature as I am Gods Creature though hee had conferred upon mee no such grace of alliance as to make me his son and heir For if righteousnesse come by the Law A further confirmation and illustration of this last argument in the former clause of this verse comprising withall a prevention of a tacit objection An Obje ∣ ction For by reason of his former words some man might say why doe you speake of frustrating the grace of God Should you frustrate his grace if your right of inheritance should bee conveyed unto you by Gods Law and not by faith in Christ The An ∣ swer Heereto his Answer is affirmative that thereby he should frustrate Gods grace for saith hee if the right of inheritance come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause and consequently the riches of Gods grace which appeared by the meanes of Christs death should bee made frustrate and void The word Righteousnesse in reference to God doth often signifie that vertue of God which is his Uprightnesse whereby all his actions are just and right according to that holinesse which unto him is naturall Sometime it signifieth his faithfulnesse in keeping and performing that promise which hee hath made But more frequently it signifieth his kindnesse which went before his promise and was the cause why hee made it For why doth God keep his promise The reason is because he is just faithful but why did he first make his promise the reason is because he is kind and gracious Of the word Righteousnesse in this latter sense we spake somewhat largely before in this Chapter verse 16. But heere in this verse the word signifies jurally for that right of alliance and inheritance which on my part is the effect or consequent of Gods kindnesse to mee and whereto his righteousnesse or kindnesse doth justifie mee All which amount in one word unto Justification as if the Apostle had expressed it thus if my Justification or the right whereto Gods kindnesse doth justifie come by the Law For Gods kindnesse his Justfying and my Right thence resulting are in this respect either put for the other Because they are all concurrent unto one and the same purpose for his righteousnesse or kindnesse is the cause whereof my Right is the effect and his Justifying is the act whereby through the meanes of my faith his kindnesse doth convey this Right unto me That therefore wee may heere performe what was before intimated in this Chapter vers 16. Wee are to observe that the Hebrew word Zedakah in the Old Testament and the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New which in our Translations are commonly Englished by the word Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime As Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed in the Lord and hee counted it to him Zedakah for righteousnesse or a Right i. e. God upon Abrahams faith conveyed unto Abraham a right to the blessing which God had promised And Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse or right answer for mee in time to come when it shall come for my hire before thy face q. d. All the yong ones of the flock which shall fall out to bee spotted shall bee my hire for keeping the flock and my Right to these shall answer your question concerning my future wages for if you finde with mee any other then such let it bee theft in mee And Psal 35.27 Let them shout for joy and bee glad that favour Zidki my righteousnesse i. e. my right or as it is there translated my righteous cause And Proverb 16.8 Better is a little Bizdekah with righteousnesse i. e. with right for the words following require that sense then great revenues without right And Esay 5.23 Which justifie the wicked for reward and take away Zedakah Zaddikim the righteousnesse of the righteous from him i. e. the right of the righteous from him for no man can take away the uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse of the righteous from him but his jurall right may be and many times is taken from him Likewise in the New Testament the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth many times signifie a right As Heb. 11.7 And Noah became Heire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse which is by faith i. e. of the right which hee accepted by his faith For the matter whereto a man becomes heire is some right interest or claime and not uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not inheritable or deviseable to bee conveyed from one person to another as Rights and Interests may and doe And Rom. 4.4.5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for righteousnesse i. e. for a Right for it hath reference to the thine former words Reward Grace and Debt which are jurall tearmes concerning matters of Right and plainely teach us this comparison betweene the Laborer and the Believer who agree in this that both have a good right interest or claime the Labourer to his wages and the Believer to his promise But in this they differ that the Labourer by title of his worke hath a right to his wages and his right is of debt But the Believer by title of his faith hath a right to his promise and his right is of grace And in the same Chapter vers 11. And Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse of the faith which hee had being uncircumcised that hee might bee the Father of all them that believe i. e. A seale of the right which hee had by faith being uncircumcised for a seale is not a signe of uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse but of a right interest or claime and the right sealed unto Abraham is heere specified That hee might bee the Father of all them that believe which condition in Abraham was not a morall righteousnesse but a jurall right of dignity And againe vers 13. For the promise that hee should bee the Heire of the World was not to Abraham or to his seeds through the Law but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the righteousnesse of faith i. e. through the right which hee had by faith for it hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heire which are jurall tearmes proper to matters of right for a Promise is an act which maketh a Right and an Heir is a person who hath a right The like sense the word Righteousnesse beareth in divers passages of that Epistle the recitall whereof would prove too numerous and tedious Yet for our further confirmation heerein wee may take notice that in the Old Testament the Hebrew word Zedakah doth not onely signifie a right but in King JAMES his translation is sometime so Englished As 2. Sam. 19.28 For all my Fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eate at thine owne table mah iesh li Zedakah what right have I therefore yet to cry any more unto the King The Right heere mentioned is the right of Inheritance which Mephibosheth had to his Land whereof he stood then disseised by the treachery and calumny of Ziba as it appeares by the words following And Nehemiah 2.20 Then I answered them and sayd unto them the God of Heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion Uzedakah nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem The Right heere mentioned was a Right of Inheritance or of some speciall Priviledge which the three persons to whom hee spake could not clayme because they were not Jewes but Strangers for Sanballat was a Samaritan Tobiah an Amonite and Geshem an Arabian And Psal 9.4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou satest in the throne Judging Zedek right And Psal 17.1 Heare Zedek the right O Lord attend unto my cry Thus the Hebrew word Zedakah the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the English righteousnesse doth many times signifie a Right and is sometime so Englished Now that the same word doth also signifie a Right here in the Text which we have now in hand though here it be not so Englished it playnly appeares from a parallell place in the next chapter following verse 18. For if the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise For first both these sayings carry the same sense because every Inheritance is a Right though not contrarily every Right is not an Inheritance for there be divers other Rights besides Inheritances But an Inheritance is one speciall kind and indeed the best kind of Right when it comes to be in possession because it is an universall and perpetuall Right extended to a whole estate for ever What therefore in one place is meant by the generall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Right the same is expressed in the other by the speciall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Inheritance Secondly both these sayings carry the same reason because in both places hee argues for one and the same conclusion namely that a man is not justified by the Law which hee proves from the severall absurdities which upon a supposall of the affirmative will necessarily follow for if a man be justified by the Law or if his right come by the Law or if his Inheritance be of the Law for all these sayings are all one in effect then all is frustrate voyd without cause and of no effect for the grace of God is frustrate faith is made voyd the death of Christ is without cause and the promise is of no effect For when he saith It is no more of Promise hee seemes to say The Promise is of no effect for so hee sayth expresly in a place paralell to both these Rom. 4.14 For if they which be of the Law be heires fayth is made voyd and the Promise made of no effect Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Dyed without cause This is the absurdity which will necessarily follow upon the former supposition that the right to blessednesse commeth by the Law The Greeke Adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie in vaine for that is in vaine which is without effect neither is it elswhere in the New Testament ever translated in vaine neyther is that sense the minde of the Apostle heere though that sense be a truth and will follow upon the former supposition But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies gratis i. e. for nothing or of gift without desert reward or recompence and in this sense it is commonly translated by the word freely as Rom. 3.24 being justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace Yet sometime and so heere in this place it signifieth causelesly or without cause and that is done causlesly or without cause for which there is no reason or at least no just weighty or sufficient reason So the word is rendred John 15.25 they hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause and so in this place it stands rendred in that English translation which was here in use before that of King JAMES q. d. If the Right of Inheritance unto blessednesse bee Legitimate and come by the Law then there was no just cause nor no sufficient reason can be given why God should deliver Christ and Christ should deliver himselfe up to death But heere in the Death of Christ must bee tacitly comprehended by way of Synecdoche all those other actions of his without which his death would have failed of that due effect for which it was purposed as his Doctrine before it and especially his Resurrection after it For when the Apostle declares the causes of his Death hee commonly also makes expresse mention of his Resurrection joyning it with his death in respect of causality As Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification And Rom. 6.4 Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father Even so wee also should walke in newnesse of life And Rom. 8.34 Who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe And Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and the living And 2.
Cor. 5.15 And that hee dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe And 1. Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Jesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him Yet heere and sometimes elsewhere the Apostle doth mention onely the death of Christ Because above all his other actions his Death was the hardest worke and the greatest argument of his love and therefore his death should most strongly move us to the workes of love and waies of holinesse The Effects and Benefits of Christs death were specified before upon these words of the former verse Who gave himselfe for mee Heere therefore wee shall mention the Causes or Reasons of his death Partly because there is much difference betweene the causes and the effects of the same thing though sometime these to them may bee subordinate Partly because it much conduceth to our understanding and beliefe of a thing to know the causes and reasons of it especially a thing of such moment as is the death of Christ But chiefely because the force of the Apostles argument lyeth in these words that then Christ dyed without a cause Yet heere wee intend not to meddle with the Naturall cause of his death for manifest it is that naturally his Crucifying caused it Nor yet with the voluntary causes of it on the Jewes part For so the causes of it were partly the sentence of Pilate whose will it was to condemne him partly the Malice of the Jewes whose will it was to importune that sentence and partly the Treachery of Judas whose will it was to betray him But our meaning is to declare the voluntary causes of it on Gods part why God had a will to decree the death of Christ and actually to subject him thereunto And the Causes thereof on Gods part if they bee rightly alleadged according to the Scriptures must needes have in them these three qualities 1. They must bee repugnant unto Justifying by the Law for otherwise wee lose the force of the Apostles argument which runnes thus For if righteousnesse or the right whereto a man is justified come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause i. e. If the Law have this effect to justifie then there is no just cause why Christ dyed and therefore there must bee such a repugnancy betweene that effect of the Law and the cause of Christs death that hee who supposeth the former doth thereby overthrow the latter and contrarily if there bee a cause of Christs death the Law must needes bee without that effect 2. They must bee Consequent to the love and grace of God for otherwise againe wee lose another force of the Apostles reasoning whereby hee inferreth that if Christ dyed without cause then I frustrate the grace of God But I doe not frustrate the grace of God who by the death of Christ conveyeth that grace unto mee For indeede the supreame inward impulsive cause or prime motive of Christs death was the love and grace of God towards us and not his hatred or wrath but of this remote cause wee spake before upon the former verse and therefore shall not insist upon it any further 3. They must bee Respective unto the New Testament Partly because the New Testament is both repugnant to Gods Law and also consequent to Gods grace Partly because the New Testament is that solemne Will and Act of God wherein his love and grace is conveyed and whereon all the actions of Christ reflected Repugnantly therefore to the effect of the Law and consequently to the love and grace of God and respectively to the New Testament the immediate proper finall causes or reasons of Christs death are chiefely three 1. To testifie or prove the truth of the New Testament Every Testament ought to bee sufficiently and solemnly testified for hence by way of eminency it is called a Testament Partly because actively it doth testifie the minde or will of the Testator as the Civill Law delivers it which thereupon saith Testamentum ex eo appellatur quod sit testatio mentis But chiefely under correction because passively it is solemnly testified by the Testimony of severall testable persons who are to attest the truth of it and in case it bee a written Testament actually doe attest it under their hands and seales For the ancient solemnity whereof there are extant severall rules in the Civill Law But unto the New Testament a solemne Testimony was especially requisite Because it was to encounter with strong opposition which Gods people would and did raise against it in defence of the Law which was Gods Testament also and had a solemne Testimony on Mount Sinai wherewith lightning and thunder and the shrill sound of a Trumpet it was testified by an Angel in the audience of all the Nation And besides this solemne testimony the Law had the prescription of being in force for the space of fifteene hundred yeares The New Testament therefore which was to infringe the Old wherein a whole Nation had beene so long interessed had neede of good testimony because men will struggle hard for their Lawes Customes and Religion wherein the graver sort will hardly endure any change And the New Testament though it were not written as was the Old but was nuncupative declared by God onely to Christ Yet it had very sufficient testimony as good and better then the Old For the certainty and truth therof was testified by the Son of God a greater person then any Angel and hee testified it by greater meanes not with lightning and thunder but with workes of wonder such as never were done in the World before such as had they been in Sodome it would have remained untill this day as the strangenesse of his Miracles the holinesse of his life and the solemnity of his death Which solemnity was performed upon Mount Calvary in the view of all the Nation then assembled to eate the passover in a greater Congregation then was at Mount Sinai And that solemnity was attended with greater wonders then were at Mount Sinai for there onely the Ayre was rent with lightnings thunders and the sound of a Trumpet But at the death of Christ there were farre greater and stranger rents for Mat. 27.51 The vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the toppe to the bottome and the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose For because Christ could not gaine beliefe for Gods New Testament neither by the constancy of his Doctrine nor by the strangenesse of his Miracles nor by the holinesse of his life therefore hee testified it by the solemnity of his death and afterward further attested it by the glory of his Resurrection for thereby his Disciples who stood doubtfull before gave full faith to his testimony and have since co-attested it over all the World Hence Christ
and gave gifts unto men and partly by the words immediately following vers 11. And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Now to doe these things was to execute and fulfill the last Will of God Hence the Apostle teacheth the conveniency of Christs death through the meanes whereof hee was fitted and perfected for the executing and doing of those things which according to the last Will of God conduce to our finall salvation For hence is our Expiation whereby wee are absolved and acquitted from our sinnes for Christ through his death was made a mercifull and faithfull high Priest to performe this gracious Office unto us Heb. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that hee himselfe hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted And whereas at the Legall Expiation the Priest entred the Tabernacle after hee had shed the blood of Goates and Calves But Christ first shed his owne blood and thereupon entred the Sanctuary of Heaven once for all to make an eternall Expiation Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goates and Calves but by his owne blood hee entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption Hence is our Consolation whereby wee are succoured in all our sufferings and distresses for seeing Christ suffered and was tryed in all poynts as wee are therefore hee hath a sense of our infirmities and thereupon wee may confidently come to him for helpe in time of neede Heb. 4.15 For wee have not an high Priest which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted as wee are yet without sinne let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that wee may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede Hence is our Resurrection whereby wee are raised from death for Christ through his death destroyes the Divell who had the power of death and delivers us from our death whereof though wee feele the pressure yet wee need not feare the bondage that it will bee eternall Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood hee also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell and deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage And hence is our Glorification whereby the possession of our eternall inheritance is delivered unto us for Christ was the Executor of the New Testament for this very cause that through the meanes of his death wee might receive the possession of that eternall inheritance to the present right whereof wee are called and justified Heb. 9.15 And for this cause hee is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise the promised possession of eternall inheritance Hence also Christ himselfe before his death taught his Disciples the Expediency of his death that it was expedient for them hee should dye for otherwise the Comforter which was the holy Ghost would not come unto them John 16.7 Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you But if I depart I will send him unto you By his going away and departing hee meanes his dying for wee commonly expresse dying by the words of going away and departing And after his death hee taught them the Necessity of his death that it behoved him to die and rise again from the dead that thereupon the Gospel might be preached in his name Luk. 24.46 And hee sayd unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Thus the immediate proper finall causes or reasons why Christ dyed are chiefely three namely to Testifie the truth of the New Testament to Confirme the force of it and to Execute the decrees of it for unto a Testament once constituted what acts more do necessarily belong then the Testification the Confirmation and the Execution of it But the remote causes of his death might bee many and various For all the actions done by Christ as Mediatour of the New Testament were causes of his death whether wee respect his Prophetick Office in publishing Gods Will preaching his Doctrine and working Miracles or his Priestly Office in sanctifying Believers and expiating their sinnes or his Kingly Office in governing his people and subduing their enemies And all benefits redounding to Believers as the Legacies and Promises of the New Testament were causes of his death as their Justification the Remission of their sinnes their Resurrection and Glorification And all Duties to bee done by Believers as the conditions without which they are not to enjoy their Legacies are the causes of his death as their sanctity or holynesse their dying to sinne and newnesse of life in all the good workes of love But all these and the like are not opposite or repugnant to the three causes by us assigned but are comprehended and included in them are subordinate and consequent to them are collected and inferred from them For because Christ dyed to testifie confirm and execute the New Testament and my sanctity or holinesse is a Precept thereof and a duty by me to be done therefore Christ dyed for my Sanctification that I might dye unto sin and live unto holinesse and consequently he dyed for my patience temperance mercifulnesse c. because these and the like are branches of holinesse And because Christ dyed to testifie confirme and execute the New Testament wherein Remission of sins the Resurrection from the dead and Glorification were devised and promised as Legacies unto Believers therfore Christ also dyed for the Remission of my sins for my Resurrection and Glorification Yet among the remote Causes of Christs death the Scripture doth most frequently mention the Remission of sins Because my sins have the greatest force upon me to bereave or at least to hinder me from the hope of their forgivenes For according to the evidence of reason if I looke upon my sins to consider the custome and foulenesse of them how can I chuse but feare that I have deserved a fearfull punishment and that God in his Justice will inflict it on me Or if I looke upon my death to consider my dissolution and rottennesse in the Grave how can I hope that God whom I