edifying of the church 13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that hee may interpret Hee infers an exhortation to what was fore-spoken that they might bee zealous of the gift of Prophecie for the good of the Church and to that end that hee which hath the gift of an unknown tongue might pray that hee might have also the gift of interpreting that tongue Vers. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful Reason 7. If any one speak unto God praying publikely in an unknown tongue hee doth ill because though hee that prayes understands yet the understanding of him that prays shall bee unfruitful to those that hear and do not understand and hee doth ill much more who speaks publikely to men in a tongue not understood Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to that of Prophecie Vers. 15. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Hence hee draws forth his exhortation because amongst those who had the gift of strange tongues some had the faculty miraculously to reason in divine mysteries some had the faculty of praying others did sing in those strange tongues and others gave thanks these gifts were divers and for divers uses hee commands them so to use them all that they may bee understood by the hearers for if any one pray by the Spirit or from the gift of the Spirit what profit shall it bee to the Church unless hee pray also with understanding i. e. so that the hearers may understand him Vers. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall hee that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing hee understandeth not what thou sayest This hee confirms and adds the eighth Reason from the unprofitableness of it because when any one shall bless by the gift of the Spirit those that occupy the room of private men in the Church i. e. the rest of the hearers in the Assembly cannot joyn their prayers with him or say Amen unless hee speaks in a known tongue The matter is otherwise in Prophecying where all things are uttered in a known tongue Therefore c. Vers. 17. For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified Hee gives a reason because the hearers in the Church neither understand nor are edified although that which is spoken is most excellent Vers. 18. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all 19. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Reason 9. From his own example who was most inabled in the gift of Tongues and yet hee had rather speak a few words which might bee understood by the hearers than many in a tongue unknown to the people Therefore the gift of Prophecie excels that of Tongues Vers. 20. Brethren bee not children in understanding howbeit in malice bee yee children but in understanding bee men Reas. 10. Backed with a Precept because this abuse of the gift of strange Tongues being no way profitable to the hearers is a childish and foolish ostentation whereas it became them to bee children indeed in respect to innocency but not in respect to knowledge Vers. 21. In the Law it is written With men of other Tongues and other Lips will I speak unto this people and yet for all that will they not hear mee saith the Lord. 22. Wherefore Tongues are for a sign not to them that beleeve but to them that beleeve not but prophesying serveth not for them that beleeve not but for them which beleeve Reason 11. Out of Isa. 28.11 and Ier. 5.15 because to speak with Tongues not understood in the Church is set down of God as a threatning for a punishment of unbelief But Prophecie serves for the edification of Beleevers Therefore let unknown Tongues bee rejected out of the Church and let Prophecie bee preferred Vers. 23. If therefore the whole Church bee come together into one place and all speak with Tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbeleevers will they not say that yee are mad Reason 12. Taken from the avoiding of Scandal Unbeleevers or Professors of a private condition will bee estranged from the Faith and they will say that both the Preacher and the People are mad if the time appointed for publick worship bee spent in the hearing of an unknown Tongue Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to the gift of Prophesying Vers. 24. But if all prophesie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned hee is convinced of all hee is judged of all 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face hee will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Reason 13. From the special fruit which would ensue If laying aside the use of strange Tongues all the Prophets for hee denies that all the faithful in the Church were Prophets Chap. 12.29 should prophesie i. e. should propose the Oracles of the Prophets and their Doctrine to the edification of the Church For in this case if any unbeleever should come in or a private Christian one of their hearers should hear them prophesying hee is convinced of sin and condemned according to the sentence of the Law by all that prophesie and the secret sins of his heart are manifest unto him which when the hearer sees and observes the Grace of God laid open by the Prophets in the Gospel hee falls upon his face adores God and seriously gives testimony of Gods presence with the Prophets in the Church Therefore Prophecie is more excellent than the gift of Tongues The second Part. Vers. 26. How is it then Brethren when yee come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation let all things bee done unto edifying The other part of the Chapter in which hee gives seven Precepts concerning good order The first is that if the Spirit shall suggest to any one of the Prophets any godly Psalm to the praise of God or any Doctrine or expression of a strange Tongue for the use of the Church or revelation of a thing to come or of a mystery not observed before or the interpretation of a strange Tongue or of the Scripture Hee commands that the exercise of all these bee fitted to the edification of the Church that all may go out of the Assembly better than they came Vers. 27. If any man speak in an unknown Tongue let it bee by two or at the most by three and that by course and let one interpret Vers. 28. But if there bee no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church and let him speak to himself
and it is for your salvation which defend the Gospel that you are to engage with adversaries Therefore c. Vers. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Argum. 8. It is a singular gift bestowed upon you above many other beleevers and that for the merits of Christ that you are not onely to beleeve in Christ but also that yee now do suffer or hereafter shall suffer for the Faith of Christ. Vers. 30. Having the same conflict which yee saw in mee and now hear to bee in mee Argum. 9. You have mee for your companion and copartner in your afflictions who as you know have suffered many things both at Philippi and elsewhere and now do suffer bonds at Rome Therefore you ought without fear to continue in the faith and profession of the Gospel CHAP. II. THe Apostle before exhorted the Philippians to bee armed against their enemies here to bee at agreement with their brethren There are two parts of the Chapter The first contains an exhortation to mutual peace unto vers 19. The second their comfort To perswade them to peace hee propounds fifteen Arguments All which prove that they ought to imbrace agreement in faith love and the study of good works Vers. 1. If there bee therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies Argum. 1. Is very swasive and pathetical it runs thus I earnestly intreat that yee would maintain concord among your selves ingaging you thereunto by your duties and by what ever is most dear to you Therefore if either my Apostolical exhortation have any weight with you or if you have ever found any consolation in Christ if I who am bound may expect any comfort from you if there bee any communion of the Spirit betwixt mee and you if you will shew any mercy towards mee you must preserve mutual peace among you Vers. 2. Fulfil yee my joy that yee bee like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Argum. 2. You have already many wayes occasioned my joy as to what remains if yee maintain peace you will fulfill and compleat my joy Therefore let it bee your endeavour that yee beleeve the same things and will the same things or that being unamimous in love yee may approve the same thing and being alike affected you may bee united together in mindes and hearts Here the exhortation is expresly mentioned Vers. 3. Let nothing bee done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of minde let each esteem other better than themselves Hee subjoyns four Helps which will make the obedience to his Exhortation more facile and easie and which may bee reckoned as members of the Exhortation and may serve also as Arguments to prove the Position 1. That they would shun contention and vain-glory to which if any one give way he will presently discontinue peace Hence Arg. 3. If ye will shun contention and vain-glory you will preserve peace Therefore unless yee will profess these vices you must maintain peace But in 2. That they would study in lowliness of minde from their heart to prefer others before themselves as better than themselves which thought may consist with truth and bee without deceit because this our opinion of other our brethren doth not require an absolute judgement but is contented partly with a suspended partly with a negative judgement by which wee may say that happily one thing being compared with another hee is better than I or for as much as I know of him and my self I will not prefer my self before him but him before me because I am ignorant of the secrets of his heart but I know the perversness of my own heart Hence Arg. 4. If from the humbleness of your minde you judge others to excel you you may preserve concord Therefore unless you will manifest your pride you must preserve concord For the excellency of a man is not valued according to the measure of his gifts but according to the measure of his faithfulness sincerity and honesty Vers. 4. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others 3. The next Help for the maintaining of humility and concord That every one should consider not his own vertues onely and what makes for his own advantage onely but the vertues of others also and those things which conduce to the profit of all thus wee shall esteem others more and our selves less and bee less offensive in all things Hence Argum. 5. Iâ— yee will respect the vertues and good of others you will easily preserve unity Therefore unless you will bee envious and bee accounted so Follow peace Vers. 5. Let this minde bee in you which was also in Iesus Christ 4. The example of Christ which hee proposeth for imitation that they would learn humility and exercise a true love unto concord Here hee first generally requires that they would have the same minde which was in Christ. Hence Argum. 6. Yee ought to bee like-minded towards one another as Christ was minded towards us imitating his modesty and sweetness of behaviour Therefore c. Vers. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to bee equal with God Argum. 7. Here hee more particularly handles the imitating of Christs example before proposed in these six and seven verses to this purpose though Christ was equal to the Father yet hee abased himself unto the dâ—ath of the Cross that hee might procure a peace and concord betwixt the Father and us Therefore much more you ought to humble your selves for concords sake The excellency of Christ is described in this verse and his humiliation in the two following In the form of God The excellency of Christ before his assumption of the flesh is branched out into five particulars 1. That hee was a subsisting person 2. That he was in the form of God that is that he had the Essence of God endued with the natural properties of a Deity or that hee was true God 3. That hee was the substantial Image of the Father 4. That hee was equal to the Father in all things because hee had the same Deity which the Father had 5. That hee did fully know hee offered no injury to the Father in maintaining himself to bee equal with the Father nor should hee at all injure him supposing his humiliation had not been before decreed though hee had pleased to manifest himself to the world in the glory of his Deity This is the excellency of Christ. Vers. 7. But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men 8. And being found in fashion as a man hee humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. Here follows Christs voluntary humiliation which is called his exinanition or emptying of himself not
before I never used flattering words amongst you of which thing I call you to witness Nor Sign 6. I never did any thing for the sake of covetousness under the cloak of piety as the false Apostles were wont of which thing hee calls God to witness Vers. 6. Not of men sought wee glory neither of you nor yet of others when wee might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ. Neither Sign 7. I was so far from ambition and also covetousness that I never required the honour due to mee or an honourable stipend either of you or of others when as an Apostle of Christ I could have lawfully been burdensome unto you Vers. 7. But wee were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her children Sign 8. Whilst I was conversant amongst you I did carry my self gently as one of you yea as one equal to the lowest of you laying aside all haughtiness morosity and imperiousness and all respect either to the Nobility of my Kindred or the excellency of my office and gifts vouchsafed to mee and all other priviledges the consideration whereof uses to bee accounted of in civil conversation Vers. 8. So being affectionately desirous of you wee were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God onely but also our own souls because yee were dear unto us Sign 9. As a mother cherisheth her children warmeth them with her breath nourisheth them with her milk and if shee could is ready to communicate her soul to them So I affectionately taking care of all the concernments of the Church with the greatest satisfaction together with the preaching of the Gospel I was willing to impart unto you as it were my soul because of my vehement love towards you Vers. 9. For yee remember Brethren our laâ—our and travel for labouring night and day because wee would not bee chargeable unto any of you wee preached unto you the Gospel of God Sign 10. Explaining and confirming the former the whole time which remains to mee from the preaching the Gospel I did bestow labouring with my hands lest any one of you bee burthened by allowing mee maintenance as an Apostle Vers. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably wee behaved our selves among you that beleeve Sign 11. I carried my self amongst you in all things justly holily and unblameably whereof I call you to witness as to external things and I call God to witness of my more inward sincere love to you in all things Vers. 11. As you know how wee exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his children Sig. 12. As yee may remember I did exhort and comfort privately every one of you no otherwise than as a Father is wont to exhort and comfort his children Vers. 12. That yee would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdome and Glory Sig. 13. I left nothing undone that might shew greatest faithfulness and diligence that yee might lead an holy life and that yee might please God in all things who hath called you by his grace to a participation of his Kingdome and celestial Glory These are the Signes of Pauls celestial Ambassage and of his Apostolical Office faithfully administred by him amongst the Thessalonians The Second Part of the Chapter Vers. 13. For this cause also thank wee God without ceasing because when yee received the Word of God which yee heard of us yee received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve The Second part of the Chapter in which are contained manifest Signes of the Divine grace towards the Thessalonians in their conversion which afterwards hee publishes with Thanksgiving and confirms them against the scandal of the Cross and persecution which they suffered from the enemies of the Gospel which were of the same Tribe The Signes of the Divine grace towards the Thessalonians in their conversion are three Sign 1. That you have attentively heard sayes hee the word of the Gospel preached by mee not as the word of man but as the word of God and yee have received it with a true faith Which also Sign 2. That the word of God received by faith efficaciously works in you and testifies it self to bee Divine by its efficacy no less in you than it hath manifested it self in other beleevers Vers. 14. For yee brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus for yee also have suffered like things of your own Country-men even as they have of the Iews Sign 3. Confirming what was said before That hitherto yee have been constant in bearing persecutions from your friends kinsfolks those of the same Tribe for the Gospels sake and have shewn your selves like to the Christian Churches in Iudea who did constantly suffer persecutions from the other unbeleeving Jews of whom some are spiteful to you Vers. 15. Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men That hee may remove the scandal of persecution whereby the Christian Churches were vexed by the unbeleeving Jews who called themselves the people of God hee takes off the vizard from those perverse enemies of the Gospel setting out their sins with a most severe accusation whereof there are seven branches 1 The unbeleeving Jews killed Christ himself 2 They have not spared their own Prophets being their Country-men 3 They persecute us Apostles which say that the Thessalonians should receive consolation from the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings of his servants 4 They are adversaries unto God and then they think that they please God most when they persecute his servants 5 That as publick enemies of man-kinde they hinder as much as they can the common salvation of men Vers. 16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might bee saved to fill up their sins alway For the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost 6 They are enemies to the Gentiles to their utmost forbidding the Apostles to preach the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles lest they should bee saved so far as it lyes in them 7 By doing these and many other things they daily more and more fill up the measure of their sins Having recited their faults hee annexes the judgement and wrath of God which now had come upon them even to the utmost The Third Part of the Chapter Vers. 17. But wee brethren being taken from you for a short time in presence not in heart endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire The third part of the Chapter wherein lest they should think that they were neglected by the Apostle in their afflictions because hee did not come to them in the midst of such afflictions hee confirms his love and affection towards them in six Arguments Arg. 1. My absence from you
his eternal Generation of the Father hee hath this Prerogative 3. The Church is Christs own House and hee may dispose of it and of the service thereof as pleaseth him Men who are but servants must change none of the Ordinances of Gods worship in it But Christ â—ay change the Ordinances of his own worship and therefore alter the Ordinances of Levi and appoint a more simple form of external worship in place thereof 2. Hee expoundeth this House to be the company of true Beleevers Then 1. The Church of God under the Law and under the Gospel are one Church one house of God in substance and all the faithfull then and now lively stones of this house 2. The Church have God dwelling and conversing and familiarly manifesting himself amongst them 3. Hee addeth to a condition If wee hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end That is If wee continue stedfast in the Faith inwardly griping the promised glory by hope and outwardly avowing by confession Christs truth whereby hee neither importeth the possibility of final Apostacy of the Saints nor yet mindeth hee to weaken the confidence of Beleevers more than hee doubteth of his own perseverance or mindeth to weaken his own Faith for hee joyneth himself with them saying If wee hold fast But writing to the number of the visible Church of whom some not being sound might fall away and by their example make some weak ones though sound stumble for a time to the dishonour of the Gospel hee putteth a difference betwixt true Beleevers who do indeed persevere and time-servers who do not persevere to whom hee doth not grant for the present the Priviledge of being Gods House This conditional speech then importeth 1. That some Professors in the visible Church may make defection and not persevere to the end 2. That such as shall make final defection hereafter are not a part of Gods house for the present howsoever they be esteemed 3. That true Beleevers must take warning from the possibility of some Professors Apostacy to look the better to themselves and to take a better gripe of Christ who is able to keep them 4. That true Beleevers both may and should hold fast their confidence unto the end yea and must aim to do so if they would persevere 5. That true Beleevers have ground and warrant in the promises of the Gospel both to hope for salvation and to rejoyce and glory in that hope as if it were present possession 6. That the more a man aimeth at this solid confidence and gloriation of hope the more evidence hee giveth that hee is of the true house of God Vers. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if yee will hear his voice 1. In the words of the Psalm 95. vers 9. hee exhorteth them to beware of hardening their hearts in unbelief The words of the Psalm are called here The saying of the holy Ghost and of the God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. Then 1. The authority of the Scripture is not of man but of the Holy Ghost 2. The Scriptures are no dumb letter but the voice of the holy Ghost who by them speaketh 3. The Holy Ghost is God the inspirer of the Prophets that wrote the Scripture 4. The Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the God-head from the Father and the Son exercising the proper actions of a person inspiring the Prophets inditing the Scriptures and speaking to the Church 2. In the words of the Exhortation To day if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts Observe 1. That while men have the offer of salvation and the word preached unto them it is their day 2. That by the outward hearing God requireth the heart to be brought down and mollified 3. That hee requireth presenâ— yeelding To day while hee calleth without delay because wee cannot be sure how long God will spare or continue his offer beyond this present 4. Hee that studieth not to yeeld his heart to beleeve and obey Gods word sounding in his ears hardeneth his heart For what is it else not to harden their heart but heartily to beleeve and give obedience Vers. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted mee proved mee and saw my works forty years Hee proveth the danger of this sin in the example of their Fathers As in the day of provocation when your Fathers tempted mee Exod. 17.7 whence wee learn 1. That the evil of sin is not seen till the consequences thereof be seen what provocation it giveth to God and what wrath it draweth down on the sinner 2. It is safest to take a view of our danger by any sin in the person of others who have fallen in the like and have been punished 3. The sins that our Predecessors have been given unto wee should most carefully watch against 4. That Gods Bounty Patience and Means of Grace the longer they be abused aggravateth sin the more Vers. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that Generation and said They do alway erre in their hearts and they have not known My Waies God pronounceth the Offenders guilty and then giveth Sentence of Doom upon them for their guiltiness They erre in heart saith the Lord. Then 1. Mis-beleeving and disobeying of the Word preached is not reckoned with God for simple ignorance of the mind but for a wilful ignorance and erring of the heart which is worse For the ignorance of the mind simply is I know not but the errour of the heart is I will not know I care not I desire not I love not to know nor obey And such is the ignorance of those who have the Means of Knowledge and Reformation and yet remain in their sins 2. Such obstinate ignorance and wilful disobedience provoketh God to cast away the Sinner and not to deal any more with him Vers. 11. So I sware in My Wrath They shall not enter into My Rest. For their Doom God debarreth them from His Rest That is from all the Comforts of His Fellowship and giveth them Torment in stead of Rest. Then 1. Obstinate Disobedients of the Voice of the Gospel lye near hand final off-cutting 2. If God give over a man to such hardness of heart as still to work contrary to the light of Gods Word Hee hath apparently denounced and sworn to condemn and seclude from Heaven such a Soul 3. It is onely such obstinate ones as go on hardening their heart against Admonitions of the Word that God hath sworn to debar If a man bee found mourning for his former obstinacy the Decree is not gone forth against him Vers. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeleef in departing from the Living God 1. From the former Example hee warneth them to beware of an evil heart of unbeleef and so to eschew Apostacy Then 1. Mis-beleef is the main Root of Apostacy
follow by consequence that Beleevers do enter in This latter part is not expressed in the Text but left unto us to gather by consequence Whence wee learn 1 That God alloweth us to draw consequences from his Scripture 2 Yea traineth us on by his own example to draw them forth by reason 3 Yea hee will of necessity force us to draw consequences from his words or else not let us understand his meaning by leaving something not expressed to be collected by us Vers. 7 Again hee limiteth a certain daâ— saying in David To day after so long a time as it is said To day if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts In that he reasoneth from the circumstance of tâ—me when David uttered these words he teacheth us That oftentimes there is matter of great moment imported in the least circumstances of the scripâ—â—res writing and therefore that the circumstances of time place and person who speaketh and to whom and at what time c. should not be passed over in our consideration of a Text but diligently bee marked Vers. 8. For if Iesus had given them rest then would hee not afterwards have spoken of another day 9. There remaineth therefore rest to the people of God 10. For hee that is entred into his Rest hee also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his 1. This reasoning from the time of Davids speaking sheweth How infallibly thâ—â— were led that wrote the Scriptusre that they could not fail in setting down a word nor speak one word that could cross any otheâ— word poken by any other Prophet before or after 2. David taught of the Spiritual Rest in his time and so did Moses Then 1. The old Church was not straightned with earthly promises so but that they had heavenly and spiritual promises given them also as signified by the earthly and typical promises 2. Their types had some star-light of interpretation and they were taught to look through the veil of Ceremonies and Types 3. Hee saith Hee that is entred into his Rest ceaseth from his own works Then 1. Before a man bee reconciled to God by Faith in Christ hee is working his own works doing his own will and not Gods 2. Hee is working without ceasing his own unrest and his own torment which hee procureth by working his own will 3. The man that thinketh hee is entred into Gods Rest must be Gods Workman and no more work what pleaseth himself but what pleaseth God ceasing from sinful works and doing what is lawful and good in way of obedience unto him Vers. 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbeleef 1. In the third verse hee said The Beleevers entred into Gods Rest here bee exhorteth the Beleever to labour to enter into it Then 1. The Rest of God is entred into by degrees 2. They who have entred must study to enâ—er yet more going on from Faith to Faith and from obedience to further obedience and from grace to grace till they have gone all the way that leadeth unto glory 2. Hee requireth labour and diligence to enter in Then 1. Gods rest is no rest to the flesh but rest to the soul as Mat. 11.29 Christ promiseth 2. Without care and diligence a man cannot promise to himself to enter in For the way is called Straight which leadeth unto Heaven 3. Hee requireth this diligence lest a man fall as the Israelites did Then as some of the Israelites fell in a temporal mis-beleef and drew on temporal judgements upon themselves as Moses and Aaron so many Professors now also do even Elect. Again as some fell in unbeleef with hardened hearts yea in obstinate misbeleef and perished in their sin so yet amongst Professors some may fall into obstinate mis-beleef and perish except they give diligence to make progress towards their Rest. Vers. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharpeâ— than any two-edged sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Ioynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart 1. Leâ—t any one should shift off this threatning as expired with those to whom it was first spoken or cloak and dissemble their sins and purpose of defection when they should see thâ—ir time hee letteth them know the power of the Word and of God their adversary Then the use extent and nature of Gods Word must bee well studied lest through mistaking or ignorance hereof a man should mis-apply or mis-regard it 2. The first property of the Word it is Quick that is dieth not when those die to whom first it was directed but endureth speaking on with that same authority to all that hear it in all times after Then the Word is not a dead Letter nor expired with former Ages but the same to us that it was before to others fit for operation and working the work for which it is sent for convincing or converting the hearer alway 3. Again It is Powerful That is not fit to work onely but active and operative in effect actually binding the conscience to obedience or judgement make the sinner what opposition hee will Yea it falleth a working on the hearer if hee beleeve it presently to clear his mind rectifie his will and reform his life and to bring about his good and safety If a man beleeve it not it falleth a working also presently to binde him guilty unto judgement and to augment his natural blindness and his hearts hardness and to bring on some degree of the deserved punishment upon himself albeit not of its own nature but by the disposition of the object whereupon it worketh Then 1. The Word wanteth not the own effect whensoever it is preached but alwaies helpeth or hurteth the hearer as hee yeeldeth to it or rejecteth or neglecteth it 2. Wee shall do well to observe what sort of operation it hath upon us seeing it must have some that wee may bee framed to the better by it 4. Another property of the Word It is sharper than any two-edged sword because it peirceth speedily through a brazen Brow and dissembling countenance and a lying mouth and thrusteth it self without suffering resistance into the conscience of the most obstinate with a secret blow and maketh him guilty within his own breast Then 1. Let not Preachers think their labour lâ—st when they have to do with obstinate sinners The stroke is given at the hearing of the Word which will bee found uncured after 2. Neither let dissemblers please themselves with a fair countenance put upon the matter as if the Word did not touch them but rather give glory to God in time when they are pricked at the heart For if they dissemble the wound received of this Sword the wound will prove deadly 5. Peircing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and the Spirit That is those most secret devices and plots of the
are bound to follow after piety and the profession of grace Therefore c. Do not fashion Argum. 4. Seeing it cannot consist with the obedience of children that ye fashion your selves to the former lusts which ruled in you before conversion Vers. 15. But as he which hath called you 〈◊〉 holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 16. Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy Argum. 5. Ye ought to answer your holy vocation in all kinde of holy conversation Go forward therefore c. As Argum. 6. Confirming the former There ought to be some similitude betwixt you and the Holy God who hath called you Therefore ought ye to labour after this conformity He confirms this Argument from the testimony of Scripture Lev. 11.44 Mat. 5.17 Vers. 17. And if you call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Argum. 7. God is the Judge of every mans works and more severely requires holiness from those that draw nigh to him and call him their Father Therefore ye ought to pass the time of your sojourning here in this life in the fear of God Vers. 18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers Argum. 8. Ye are redeemed from all manner of vain conversation in Legal purifications separated from the thing signified and placed in humane traditions which are of no value although it may be commended to you by the example of your Fathers and by tradition Therefore unless ye would frustrate your redemption ye ought to endeavour after true piety and renounce a vain conversation Redeemed Argum. 9. By redemption ye are the hired servants of God that ye may no longer live according to your own will or the world or the Devil but according to the will of him that redeemed you Therefore ye ought to live in the faith and obedience of Christ. Vers. 19. But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Argum. 10. The blood of Christ the Son of God dying represented by the typical Lamb is of so much excellency that it far exceeds the most precious things in this world Therefore ye ought to stand in the grace of Christ and endeavour after holiness unless ye will vilifie this price Vers. 20. Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in the last times for you Argum. 11. Although Christ from eternity was fore-ordained to the work of Redemption yet he was not manifested until the last times and that especially for your sakes who were even as the lost sheep of Israel Therefore ye are chiefly bound to glorifie God by your holiness Vers. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Argum. 12. Christ was not onely manifested for your good that are believers but also by Christ or the merit and operation of Christ that same faith whereby ye believe in God is obtained and produced in you Therefore it is meet that ye should live to God in holiness Hath raised God by raising Christ the Redeemer from the dead and by glorifying him with that glory which he had with God from all eternity hath demonstrated unto you and to all the world that Christ is truly the Son of God or truly God that your faith whereby ye believe in Christ might be found to be faith in God and so the solidness of your faith might appear to you for your greater comfort and glory Therefore ye faithful Hebrews who live after Christ is risen are so much the more bound to follow after faith and holiness that ye may please God Vers. 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently The Second Exhortation more especially to brotherly love There are three branches of this Exhortation Branch 1. That they love fervently not coldly not remisly as if they were ready upon small cause to hate 2. That they love with a pure heart endeavouring the good of one another not onely aiming at private advantage 3. That without hypocrisie they follow after brotherly love loving not onely in word and tongue but shewing love in deed without dissimulation without deceit Souls There are three Arguments of the Exhortation Argum. 1. It is to be presupposed that ye being justified by faith in desire in purpose and an inchoate endeavour through the virtue of the Holy Spirit have purified your souls to the sincere love of the brethren Therefore ye ought exceedingly to love one another Vers. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Argum. 2. This brotherhood of believers is more excellent than that which is after the flesh in as much as it doth not rise from natural generation but from spiritual regeneration which requires a more firm mutual and excellent love Therefore ye ought to love one another fervently Word Argum. 3. Confirming the former This fraternity of believers as it hath its rise from an incorruptible principle so it will never perish The word of God which is the seed of our regeneration is not corruptible like the seed of natural generation Therefore ye ought exceedingly and carefully to love one another Vers. 24. For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away He confirms both parts of the comparison from the testimony of Scripture And first he proves the corruptibility of natural seed from Isa. 40.6 which declares the glory of all flesh and consequently all relation of fraternity founded in flesh to be corruptible Vers. 25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you He proves that the seed of Regeneration is incorruptible from the testimony of the same Prophet Isaiah because the Word of the Lord abides for ever But he affirms that this is spoken touching the word of the Gospel as the matter stands because the preaching of the truth concerning salvation by Christ vouchsafed to believers is operative for the bringing of believers to life eternal Therefore it is incorruptible CHAP. II. HE proceeds in his Exhortation to duties of Piety and Holiness This Chapter contains four Exhortations Vers. 1. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings The first Exhortation is to love and desire of the Divine Word which he had of late commended There are two branches of the Exhortation The first touching the shunning and laying aside the vices that are familiar to corrupt nature
them and by nature do some external works of the Law although they have not the written Law yet that Law within them is a Law and that really and indeed written upon their hearts as their consciences witness accusing them when they do ill and excusing them when they do well Therefore they have nothing to pretend why they should not undergo deserved condemnation when they sin much less the Jews Vers. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Reas. 5. Because in the day of judgement God will bring forth the secrets of the heart and according to this my doctrine in the Gospel will pronounce the condemnation of sinners to bee just whether Jews or Gentiles Therefore they cannot bee excused who sin but perish by their own just desert Vers. 17. Behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God 18. And knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law 19. And art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknâ—ss 20. An instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes which hath the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law The third Objection But something must bee allowed to the priviledges of the Jews that they come not into the like condemnation with the Gentiles And here hee seems to conflict with some principal teacher of the Law and Patron of Righteousness by works and brings forth seven props of his vain confidence by way of concession granting all 1 The first that hee grants is the external honour of a worshiper of God Thou art called a Jew which was a name not of Nation only but of a confessor of the true Religion 2 A submission of mind to the doctrine of the Law Thou restest in the Law and thou applaudest thy self in this as an eminent benefit 3 Thou makest thy boast in God viz. that thou art of that people chosen above all other Nations in Covenant with God vers 17. 4 The knowledge of Gods will taken out of the Law 5 The discerning of good and evil and of things that differ and controversies by the benefit of the same Law verse 18. 6 The confidence of such abundant knowledge and certainty that they could teach others 7 That they had a systeme and collection of that knowledge which was here and there contained in the Law and that all the rest besides this our Rabbi are infants and foolish verse 19 20. Vers. 21. Thou therefore that teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest idols doest thou commit sacriledge 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God The Apostle answers the Objection and all these being granted hee shews them insufficient to righteousness by two Reasons Reas. 1. Because thou doest not teach thy self i. e. thou dost not shew forth thy doctrine by thy deeds but either pollutest thy self with those vices or the like which thou forbiddest in others Therefore those things suffice not to free thee from condemnation Vers. 24. For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Reas. 2. Confirming the former Because through your fault the Gentiles speak evil of God as if hee had or could bear prophane worshipers Therefore the forecited priviledges make nothing to Righteousness This reason hee confirmes by the testimony of Ezekiel 36.22 who complains of the Hypocrites of his time boasting in the same priviledges Vers. 25. For Circumcision verily profiteth â—f thou keep the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy Circumcision is made uncircumcision The fourth Objection But because of the Covenant of God the sign whereof is Circumcision I shall not perish who am circumcised saith the Jew confiding in the outward Ceremony The Apostle answers and proves that Circumcision does not exempt us from condemnation or death by four Reasons Reas. 1. Because Circumcision if it bee joyned with perfect obedience to all the rest of the commandements if it could bee it would profit as a part of that obedience to justification by works for which the Jew did contend but if the transgression of the Law bee found in him that is circumcised as touching justification by works circumcision and uncircumcision will bee the same Therefore circumcision exempts not from condemnation Vers. 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision Reas. 2. Because the Gentiles uncircumcision joyned with perfect obedience to the Law if it could bee shall bee of the same account with the Jews circumcision If so bee God require to justification by works nothing but a perfect observation of the Moral Law Therefore circumcision frees not from condemnation Vers. 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfil the Law judge thee who â—y the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law Reas. 3. Because the Gentile being by nature uncircumcised if it was possible that hee could keep the Moral Law compared with thee who are outwardly circumcised and yet transgressest the Law by thy own judgement hee shall argue thee worthy of condemnation Therefore circumcision doth not free from condemnation Vers. 28. But he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh 29. But hee is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and noâ— in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Reas. 4. Because neither the outward profession of the true Religion long ago erected among the Jewes by God himself is to be accounted for a true profession of the true Religion nor outward Circumcision of the flesh is to bee reckoned for true Circumcision ver 28. But hee is a true Professor of the true Religion who is such an one in the Spirit and that is true Circumcision which is of the heart spiritual in the inward soul and not that which is outwardly in the body or the letter which is commonly called Circumcision He that is a Jew indeed and that which is true and spiritual Circumcision hath commendation and praise not only among men who only see things that are open and manifest but with God who looks into the heart Therefore outward Circumcision perfects not our righteousness nor frees any man from condemnation ver 29. CHAP. III. THere are two parts of this Chapter in the FIRST he answers five objections against the foresaid Doctrine to ver 9. In the SECOND part he proceeds to prove the POSITION touching JUSTIFICATION NOT BY WORKS BVT BY FAITH Ver. 1. What advantage then hath the Iew or what profit is there of
because wee are mutable as also the condition of works by reason of our infirmity is impossible but that which is of Grace that which is by Faith that which is in Christ is necessarily firm because it leans upon the unchangeable good pleasure of God and the Merit of Christ. Vers. 17. As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations before him whom hee believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calletâ— those things which bee not as though they were The third Part. The third part of the Chapter follows in which the Faith of Abraham is commended to the use and benefit of all Believers that they may learn by his example to believe more and more Tâ—e grounds upon which the Faith of Abraham is commended are six Reason 1. Because Abraham through his Faith by the special Sentence of God is declared the Father of many Nations and so the Father of us that believe according to the Faith For as Abraham begat Isaac by virtue of the Divine Promise and not by the power of Nature even so by virtue of the Divine Promise promising that hee should bee the Father of many Nations Abraham took all Believers into the number of his Children to bee reckoned amongst his Seed And thus in the virtue of the Promise hee begot or conceived the Faithful as Children of the Promise which hee shews more clearly by calling Abraham the Father of the Faithful not only before God or in the sight of God that is after a spiritual manner and in the account of God but also to the likeness of God by a kind of similitude answering to God whom hee believed for in the Act of Faith Abraham standing in the light of the countenance of God Almighty who spake unto him believed the Promise Those sons which God promised hee looked upon as present by Faith And thus after a sort hee became the Father of them after the similitude of God Quickning Reason 2. Because Abraham by Faith fixed his eyes upon the truth and Omnipotency of God effectually bringing life out of death and a beeing out of nothing and effectually calling things that were not yet as if they were or had a beeing to which Omnipotent Truth when Abraham believed his Faith put on a kind of similitude to the Truth of God Almighty Vers. 18. Who against hope believed in hope that hee might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed bee Reason 3. Because Abraham believed in Spiritual hope i. e. hee had in his heart a firm and invincible confidence with a lively and strong hope of the promised issue Against hope viz. of the flesh and natural reason which did object nothing but impossibility and as it were affirmed that they could not bee his Seed as God had spoken Vers. 19. And being not weak in Faith hee considered not his own body now dead when hee was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb Reas. 4. Because hee was not weak in faith hee did not consider or did not stand upon those impediments that lay before his Faith from himself and his wife as now dead in respect to natural generation but rather magnified the power and faithfulness of God which had promised Vers. 20. Hee staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God Reas. 5. Because hee disputed not against the Promise not was stopt by those objections which unbelief suggested but valiantly defended the Promise of God and set himself against temptations ascribing to God the glory of his truth and Omnipotency Vers. 21. And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was also able to perform Reas. 6. Because hee gave to God speaking the glory of his truth out of a most full perswasion of Gods power for the performance of his Promise For the Promise once made there is no doubt to bee made of his will to perform what hee promiseth But the question which remains is touching the Power of him that promiseth Which question being laid aside Abraham rests in the promise of him whom hee knew to bee Almighty Vers. 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness Reas. 7. Wherein the Faith of Abraham is commended in that his Faith by this act shewing it self to bee true such a Faith which uniteth humbled and emptied man in the sight of God to God that promiseth was imputed to him for righteousness Because hee imbraced for his righteousness the blessing promised in that Seed which was to come i. e. Christ. Vers. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him 24. But for us also to whom it shall bee imputed if wee believe on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead Now the Apostle shews forth the example of Abrahams Faith fitted to the common use of Believers giving a pledge as it were by this example promising that our Faith in Christ Jesus in like manner should bee imputed unto us for righteousness And that hee might invite us to believe hee first compares the Gospel ministred unto us in the Name of God touching the Death and Resurrection of Christ for us to the promise made unto Abraham And further hee requires of us Faith in God who offers us this grace by the preaching of the Gospel that wee might believe with Abraham And lastly hee affirms our Faith in God who hath willingly satisfied himself in the death of Christ whom hee hath raised also from the dead that hee might impute and apply to us the righteousness obtained by the death of Christ no less certainly to bee imputed unto us for righteousness than it is certain that Abrahams Faith was imputed to him for righteousness and so sure it is that this was not written for his sake alone but for us to whom in like manner this Faith was to bee imputed for righteousness Vers. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Iustification Hee layes the foundation of this certainty in a twofold judicial act of God towards Christ. The first act is the delivering up of Christ our Surety to death for our offences The other is the raising of him for our Justification In the first whereof God testifies that the sins of the Redeemed were translated upon Christ by Covenant And in the other that hee is abundantly satisfied for their sins and that the Redeemed in the person of their Surety are justified From whence it follows that to those who are Redeemed seeing they by Faith agree in this Covenant revealed in the Gospel Faith is imputed to righteousness or the Righteousness obtained by Christ is applyed to them that as in the person of their Surety they are justified so also they may bee justified in themselves CHAP. V. THe first Confirmation of this Divine ground of the Iustification of sinners by Faith in Christ you have had
her Husband liveth shee bee married to another man shee shall bee called an adulteress but if her Husband bee dead shee is free from that Law so that shee is no adulteress though shee bee married to another man As to the first part taking a comparison from Marriage hee shews that the Justified which are delivered from the conjugal Covenant of the Law and Espoused by a new Covenant of Grace to a new Husband Christ should bring forth the fruits of holiness in new obedience to the Law to the glory of our new Husband Christ. In the three first verses hee propounds the protasis of the comparison after this manner As no Law hath dominion over the dead as yee know but only over them that are alive ver 1. and particularly the Law of Marriage is dissolved the one being dead so that the Wife the Husband being dead without adultery may marry another ver 2 3. so you c. as it shall appear by and by Vers. 4. Wherefore my Brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that yee should bee married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that wee should bring forth fruit unto God The Apodosis of the comparison to this manner So you that were espoused formerly to the Law by a Covenant of Works Christ being dead for you that hee might satisfie the Law Justice and the Covenant of Works in our name you are judicially dead to the Law in the body of Christ for the Law or Covenant of Works hath slain Christ and you in him and by consequence you are delivered from the matrimonial Covenant of the Law so that without the breach of Justice you may enter into a new Covenant of Grace with Christ being raised from the dead To this end hee shews that the purpose of marriage being disannulled betwixt the Law of Works and us not that wee should live as wee list but being raised from a state of death by the Resurrection of Christ that wee should bee espoused to another Husband viz. to him which is raised from the dead i. e. to Christ who rose from the dead and hath raised us with himself to newness of life and hath espoused us to himself according to the Covenant of Grace that being married unto Christ wee might bring forth fruits of obedience to the glory of God There are five Arguments of consolation to the Justified who bewail the imperfection of their own obedience Become dead Argum. 1. You are freed from the Covenant of Works which admits no obedience besides what is perfect and every way compleat Therefore all you that are Justified have consolation which bewail the imperfection of your new obedience Of another Argum 2. You are now married to another Husband viz. to Christ who is raised from the dead who when hee could answer the imperfections of your obedience and according to the Covenant of Grace render your begun obedience acceptable unto God hee took it upon himself You have this consolation that mourn over the imperfections of your new obedience Fruit Argum. 3. Yeâ— are married unto Christ which is raised from the dead that you may not abide unfruitful but may bring forth fruit to the glory of God Therefore take yee comfort who bewail your imperfect obedience Vers. 5. For when wee were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Argum. 4. Confirming the former from the change of our condition while wee were unregenerate and by consequence under a Law-Covenant evil affections by the holy Law of God were stirred up and put forth themselves powerfully in our members and all our faculties both of soul and body to the production of the deadly fruit of actual sin Therefore it will follow when wee are now regenerated and under the Covenant of Grace holy desires stirred up by the New Covenant powerfully shew forth themselves in our members to the bringing forth the fruit of good works unto God that wee might not abide unfruitful Which is no small consolation for if wee by Faith would lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace and would stir up our souls by the promises thereof applyed unto us there is no doubt but wee should more plentifully bring forth good works That is it which Christ saith Joh. 15.5 I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abides in mee and I in him hee brings forth much fruit for without mee you can do nothing Vers. 6. But now wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were held that wee should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Argum. 5. Opening and confirming the former from the end of our changed condition Now to wit after Justification through the Grace of Christ wee are freed from the Law-Covenant that Covenant being dead in which wee were held or wee being dead in Christ in whom wee were contained judicially to that very end that wee should serve God by the power of the Holy Ghost bestowing new strength upon us by bringing forth new and spiritual fruit not superficial and hypocritical which the letter of the old legal Covenant now abolished at the most brought forth Therefore God will not fail of his end but will cause those that are justified bewailing their imperfect obedience to bring forth much fruit in the newness of the letter for the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Grace are truly new and arise from the regenerating Spirit furnishing us with new strength forthwith to good works But the fruits which are brought forth by virtue of the Covenant of Works either are open rebellion of corrupt Nature against Gods Law or counterfeit obedience onely in the outward performance such as the fruits of the Pharisees are who in the letter that is the outward shew and formality obeyed without any renovation of the heart The second Part. Verse 7. What shall wee say then Is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet The second part of the Chapter containing an Apology for the holiness of the Law in answering two Objections arising out of what was said before The first Objection seeing that evil and sinful motions are excited by the Law as was said the Law seems to bee sin or the cause of sin Hee answers by way of negation farre bee it from us to entertain any such thought hee gives three Reasons of his negation illustrated by his own experience wherein hee pleads for the Law The first Reason Because the Law discovers sin and manifests the evil that is in it which hee confirms by his own experience who had not known that lust which lurked in his heart to bee sin had hee not seen it forbidden by the Law Therefore the Law is holy Vers. 8. But
shew of good works and they that affect Justification thereby fondly desire to bee justified as it were by works or a shew of good works The third cause because they knew not Christ by reason of his humility and the infirmity of his flesh in whom they should believe that they might bee justified but despised him and to their own destruction set themselves against him stumbling at him as at a stumbling stone Vers. 33. As it is written Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not bee ashamed Both parts of this experience hee confirms from the Prophets prediction Isai. 8.14 and 28.16 after this manner Behold I will lay saith God Christ in the Church whose beginning is out of Zion a tryed stone a rock of offence as the incredulous Jews have experienced and whoever believeth in him in the expectation of him that is in his righteousness and life eternal hee shall not bee frustrated as the believing Jews have found by experience And thus the Apostle hath firmly proved that wee are justified by Faith CHAP. X. HEE further prosecutes the argument of the Jewes temporal rejection shewing this to bee the cause in that the Jews foolishly and stubbornly rejected the righteousness of God in Christ. There are two parts of the Chapter In the first hee shews the folly of the Jews to ver 14. In the other their stubbornness to the end of the Chapter Vers. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might bee saved The Apostle being about to shew the just causes of the Jews rejection hee prefaces as before from his good affection lest any thing should bee thought to bee spoken by him out of hatred Vers. 2. For I hear them Record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge Hee shews their preposterous zeal for God to bee the cause of his affection which zeal was worthy of humane commiseration though it was not to bee commended because it did not arise out of knowledge but ignorance therefore it was blind zeal the zeal of fools Vers. 3. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God Hee proves the folly of the Romans by six Arguments The first Argument Out of ignorance of the righteousness of God imputed to us by Faith in Christ they affected the inherent righteousness of their own works and proudly rejected the righteousness of Christ offered to them Therefore they betrayed their folly Vers. 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth The second Argum. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to him that believes i. e. the whole Law is therefore given that men acknowledging their sins manifested by the Law might flee unto Christ and might obtain righteousness by Faith Therefore the Jews did foolishly who making a shew of the Law did not acknowledge Christ which is the end of the Law Vers. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Argum. 3. The righteousness of the Law or Works as Moses testifies confers life upon none but those that perform all things that are commanded in the Law which is impossible Therefore the Jews foolishly affected such a kind of righteousness Vers. 6. But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above 7. Or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up again from the dead Argum. 4. The righteousness of Faith as the same Moses witnesseth forbids those that believe in God from being troubled for those things which are so difficult or impossible as to ascend into heaven or to descend into the deep Because seeing Christ hath already overcome those difficulties descending from heaven and rising from the dead to bee any further troubled how to attain righteousness life eternal and freedome from death is no less than to destroy the foundations of the Christian Religion and to enquire how it was possible to descend from heaven or rise again from the dead Therefore the Jews betray their folly who renounce this righteousness of Faith Vers. 8. But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which wee preach Argum. 5. The righteousness of Faith as it gives security to those that believe touching the difficulties in the way of salvation so also it holds forth an easie way to righteousness and salvation For the Word of God or the Word of the Gospel the same which the Apostles preached is neer us that receiving it into our hearts wee may acquiesce in it and confess the truth of it with the mouth As if hee should say to us Bee not troubled cast your care upon God and believe him that speaks in the Gospel and shew forth your Faith by your works Therefore the Jews rejecting this easie way of righteousness propounded are very foolish Vers. 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt bee saved Argum. 6. Opening and confirming the former The sum of the Gospel is propounded under this most sweet condition viz. If thou applyest with sincere affection to thy self the redemption procured by Christ and manifested in his Resurrection by the power of God and studiest to glorifie Christ with a sincere confession without doubt thou shalt obtain salvation Therefore the Jews refusing this condition of Justification and Salvation betray their folly Vers. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation This hee confirms with five reasons The first Reason is From the connection of Faith in the heart and confession in the mouth according to the order appointed by God which is that by Faith from the heart in Christ Jesus wee might obtain righteousness or Justification and that justified by Faith wee might proceed to the possession of Salvation glorifying Christ by confession of the mouth or outward works Therefore they ought to bee joyned Faith in Christ from the heart and confession of Christ in the mouth or inward Faith and outward works ought to bee joyned together Vers. 11. For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not bee ashamed Reason 2. Confirming the connection of true Faith and Salvation from the testimony of Isai. 28.16 which shews that they shall not bee frustrated in their hope or their expected salvation whoever believe in Christ Therefore the connection of Faith and Salvation is firm Vers. 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace through Christ is the Ministring of the Spirit because according to and by that the Holy Ghost is administred whereby the hearer is quickened and strengthened to embrace that which is propounded Killeth Compar 2. Confirming the former The Ministery of the Law of Works or the written Letter onely convinceth of sin and killeth the sinner by pronouncing to him the sentence of death But the Ministery of the Gospel or grace in the New Covenant sheweth liberty from sin absolves the sinner and so brings him life Vers. 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven on stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to bee done away 8. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit rather bee glorious In Stones Compar 3. The Law of Works which onely administers death for according to this Covenant no man doth obtain righteousness or life was engraven in stones to signifie that the heart by it cannot bee mollified nor renewed but remaineth dead But the Gospel of Grace is writ in the fleshy Tables of the heart i. e. in hearts by the power of the holy Ghost quickened and mollified it is so imprinted that the virtue of divine Grace may bee discerned in all the expressions of the heart Glorious Compar 4. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works which is the Ministery of death to all that have sinned was truly glorious as it appeared in Moses for justice is glorious in punishing of sin But the Ministery of the New Covenant which is the Ministery of the Spirit quickening is more glorious for as in Moses pronouncing the curse of the Law against sinners his bodily glory did shine but O how much spiritual glory doth shine in the face of Christ setting sinners at liberty by his Grace Vers. 9. For if the ministration of condemnation bee glory much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory Compar 4. The Ministery of the Law or the Old Covenant of Works is a Ministery of condemnation for sin therefore indeed glorious But the Ministry of the Gospel or the New Covenant is the Ministery of the Righteousness of Christ and absolution from sin and therefore so much the more glorious by how much absolution and justification do excel condemnation and sin Because by the Covenant of Works wee are all accused of sin wee are all condemned and made obnoxious to death Therefore its Ministery is called the Ministery of sin condemnation and death Vers. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glery that excelleth Compar 5. The Ministery of the Law although it was glorious was exceedingly excelled by the glory of the Ministery of the Gospel or of Grace that it not deserves to bee called glorious but let it vanish rather in comparison as the glory of the Stars when the Sun appears is obscured But the Ministery of the Gospel is simply and by way of excellency glorious Vers. 11. For if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious Compar 6. The Ministery of the Covenant of Works in respect to the annexed ceremonies hath onely the glory of temporal dispensation because so long it was to endure whilst men in the infancy of the Church convicted of sins and of their own impotency to deliver themselves were taught to fly unto Christ and as it were by the hand of a School-master might bee led to him which manner of instructing the Church being now at its full growth and continuing under the brightneâ—s of the revealed Gospel is abolished as unprofitable But the Ministery of the New Covenant hath permanent glory until the glorious coming of Christ. Vers. 12. Seeing then that wee have such hope wee use great plainness of speech 13. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that thâ— children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Compar 7. The Ministery of the New Covenant is plain and perspicuous so that the Ministers thereof can plainly and confidently preach the way of Salvation having Christ now revealed who in times past being to come was hoped for But the Ministery of the Law as it did appear in the type of the Mosaical ministration was obscure and wrapped up in types Put Hee follows this comparison to the end of the Chapter illustrating the latter part thereof to the last verse in this sense Moses the Minister of the Law turned from the Tabernacle from the Altar from the Ark and the Propitiatory speaking with his face veiled signified to the people and typically related the nature of the legal Covenant of Works and of its Ministery divided from Christ and did also figure out the blindness of the people under the legal Covenant because they did not perceive Christ to bee the end of the Law and temporal ceremonies now abolished Vers. 14. But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which veil is done away in Christ. 15. But even unto this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their heart The Apostle observes that now blindness also may bee perceived in the Iews who while they read the Old Testament they see nothing besides the veil of ceremonies because the veil of ignorance and infidelity remaineth upon their minds which veil represented by the type of the external veil covering Moses his face by Christ is taken away from all the Faithful for righteousness life virtue and lastly all grace and glory is published and communicated to the Faithful in Christ But hitherto this veil doth remain upon the hearts of the unbelieving Iews Vers. 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the veil shall bee taken away Hee hath hope of the Iews Conversion when by the Grace of God the heart of the Israelites or the Doctrine of Moses now veiled should bee turned by them to God i. e. should bee brought according to this typical signification to Christ who is the end of the Law Then the veil of ignorance and of the darkness of ceremonies should bee taken from them as the veil was taken from the face of Moses when hee entred in unto God sitting betwixt the Cherubins chiefly that they might see God their Lord and their Saviour Christ and might acknowledge him to bee the true end of the whole Law Vers. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The reason of this is given Because 1. Christ is the Spirit or the Soul of all ceremonies that a spiritual thing is signified by them 2. Christ is also the Spirit or the Soul of the Moral Law because hee fulfilled the Law in whom alone the perfect righteousness of the Law is to bee found 3. Christ
is the Spirit because hee quickens those that believe to new obedience and life everlasting and hee delivereth those from sin and misery for when it is said Where the Spirit of Christ the Lord is or where Christ is there is liberty the liberty is to bee understood not from the obedience of the Commandments but from the ceremonial yoke from the bondage of sin and yoke of the Legal Covenant and all evils which do follow from its violation Liberty I say was given to the Faithful by the Spirit of the Gospel at leastwise that which belongeth to them of right although not alwayes according to sense nor ever before the end of life as to a full possession For although the Spirit with a loud voice proclaimeth that there is a gate opened unto us that wee may go out of prison yet wee by reason of the weakness of Faith do go slowly forth And this is the Explication of the first part of the Comparison concerning the Ministery of the Law Vers. 18. But wee all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here followeth another branch of the Comparison concerning the Ministery of the Gospel in those that believe which is propounded in this sense But wee that by the Ministery of the Gospel believe in Christ the veil of ceremonies and ignorance the veil of infidelity and hardness of heart also being removed are freely admitted to the clear beholding of Christ and the glory of the grace of God shining in the Gospel as in a glass and beholding Christ by Faith wee are sanctified and more and more made happy in conformity with Christ encreased daily by degrees from one measure of glory and sanctity to another and that by the powerful working of the Holy Ghost Sanctification is called glory because Sanctification is the beginning of Glorification for by that the Image of God is repaired in us which is our glory CHAP. IV. HEE goes on to defend his Ministery There are two parts of this Chapter in the first hee proveth his faithfulness or sincerity in the Ministery by seven Arguments to the sixth verse In the second hee confirms the seventh Argument by answering the objections concerning the scandal of the Cross lying upon him to the end Vers. 1. Therefore seâ—ing wee have this Ministery as wee have received mercy wee faint not Argum. 1. The inward testimony of so glorious a Ministery committed unto mee by the mercy of God is effectual to sustain mee lest I bee overcome in the doing of my duty with the hurthen of evils and that by the measure of grace given to mee I go forward valiantly From hence therefore it appeareth that I am sincere and faithful For modesty sake hee joyneth others but hee himself in the conflict was especially aimed at by his Adversaries Vers. 2. But having renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Argum. 2. I have renounced ambition covetousness and the other shameful lusts which some secretly indulging do cover this their disgrace in corners under other or the like veils and pretences Therefore I am faithful Not with Argum. 3. I have not walked in craftiness deceitfully handling the Word of God or bending and fitting that to the dispositions of men as the false Apostles do Therefore I am faithful By manifestation Argum. 4. I have carried my self so mildly in the cleaâ— preaching of the Word of God that the consciences of all men are compelled to acknowledge my integrity of which thing also I have God to my witness Therefore I am faithful Vers. 3. But if our Gospel bee hid it is hid to them that are lost 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not leâ—t the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Object But how comes it to pass that thy Doctrine is not understood by so many wise and potent men if it bee so clearly taught Hee answers that the ignorance of the Gospel so plainly unfolded to them was no argument of the obscurity of the Doctrine but of the incredulity of the hearer and his future perdition from the blindness of unbelievers blinded by the Devil whom the world serves For the Devil further blindeth the blind Infidels lest they should see God offering himself in Christ lest they should behold Christ to their Salvation shining in the Gospel who hath brought forth the invisible God as to our view by his Doctrine and Power manifested in the flesh that wee may behold God in Christ the true Image of God the Father Vers. 5. For wee preach not our selves but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Iesus sake Argum. 5. Of the Apostles fidelity I saith hee seek the glory of Christ alone and acknowledge Christ only Lord in the Church Truly I declare my self and other Teachers not only Ministers of Christ but also of his people that Christ alone may bee exalted Therefore I shew my self faithful Vers. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Argum. 6. Confirming the former wherein hee compares his Conversion from Pharisaism to the creation of light out of darkness God who by his Omnipotent Word hath produced light out of darkness by no less efficacy hath hee brought mee lost sinner out of the darkness of Pharisaism and sin and hath so powerfully enlarged my heart illuminated by the light of Christ his glorious Son that I cannot but communicate to others this glorious knowledge of the grace of God given to mee manifestly shining in Christ Therefore it behoveth mee to bee faithful Vers. 7. But wee have these treasures in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may bee of God and not of us Argum. 7. God by shewing my infirmity in all exercises and also by maintaining his strength in mee under frequent afflictions and by keeping mee constant hitherto hath rendred my faithfulness commendable with all men Therefore I can affirm my self faithful The Second Part. Hee so handles this argument that in the mean while hee solves two objections that hee might take away the scandal of the Cross. Earthen Object 1. In the mean while thy condition of life is miserable and contemptible as a certain earthen vessel Hee answers four manner of wayes 1. That it is true that hee is an earthen vessel frail and contemptible but not withstanding hee contains the Treasure of Grace and the knowledge of the Gospel May bee of God Furthermore hee answers that that happened by the Wisdome of God lest the glory of the
themselves fairly before men Onely Sign 2. That they compel the Galatians to admit of Circumcision not out of love but onely lest they should suffer persecution by the Jews for the Doctrine of the Cross or free justification by the death of Christ and not by the works of the Law Vers. 13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh Sign 3. That although they were circumcised long since yet they little care for the observance of the Law which they required of others But desire Sign 4. That they seek occasion from the circumcision of the Galatians to glory amongst the Jews that they had converted many Proselytes to the Law Vers. 14. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto mee and I unto the world In the other part of the comparison the sincerity of the Apostle is shewn in these two things 1. That hee onely glories in his free Redemption by Christ crucified and in his sufferings for the Doctrine 2. That hee doth not affect earthly pomp but contemn the world with all its pomp and glory which persecuted and despised him for the Doctrine of the Cross sake and by the Cross learnt daily more and more to contemn the world Vers. 15. For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Hee gives four Reasons of his endeavour which are so many signs of his sincerity Reason 1. I know that in the Kingdome of Christ neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision is respected by God but a new creature i. e. I know that it is necessary when any one is admitted by faith into the Kingdome of Christ and justified that hee should bee more and more renewed and sanctified but other priviledges are of no value without newness of life Therefore I will onely glory in the Cross of Christ. Vers. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule peace bee on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Reas. 2. The rule of my intention is the summe of the whole Canonical Scripture to which as to one onely rule or one onely Canon the Doctrine and life of all is to bee conformable Therefore I will only glory in the Cross of Christ c. Peace Reas. 3. I am perswaded that whosoever shall order their faith and life by this rule they shall also obtain peace i. e. a sense of their reconciliation to God all kinde of blessings or an accumulation of good things and mercy or a remedy for the purging away all evills Therefore I will onely glory in the Cross of Christ. Israel Reas. 4. They are alone the true Israel of God that follow this Rule Therefore all things laid aside I will onely glory in the Cross of Christ by c. Vers. 17. From henceforth let no man trouble mee for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus After the Comparison as a Conquerour hee triumphs over his Emulators forbidding them to make him any further work either by gain-saying his Doctrine or by detracting from his Authority because hee bare the ensign of his Felicity towards Christ viz. the mark of a servant most devoted to Christ i. e. Hee hath all the signes of an Apostle and a faithfull Witness clearly to bee seen in him Vers. 18. Brethren the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with your spirit Amen Hee shuts up the Epistle with his accustomed seal wishing that the Grace of Jesus Christ manifested beleeved and effectual might abide in their mindes hearts and whole life that from thence they may draw consolation both in life and death to which Amen is subjoyned as a testimony of his vote and the faith of an Apostle and for a seal of the truth of the precedent Doctrine The Epistle of Paul to the EPHESIANS Analytically expounded The Contents THe City of the Ephesians was the Metropolis of Lesser Asia in which the Apostle two whole years preached the Gospel Act. 19. And when lastly hee went up to Jerusalem hee fore-told a change of the Church to the Ephesians Act. 20. Against which hee fortifies them by this Epistle when hee was now held captive at Rome and plainly despaired of his return hee endeavoureth diligently to confirm their minds in Faith and Truth There are two principal parts of the Epistle besides the Preface and the Conclusion The first is The Doctrine of Grace for the confirmation of their Faith to Chap. 4. The other is the Doctrine of gratitude and thankfulness tending to holiness of life to the end of the Epistle That which belongeth to the first part First of all hee shews that the whole reason of our salvation is free and solidly founded on Christ in the first Chapter Furthermore hee amplifies this Grace from the former misery of the Ephesians Chap. 2. Thirdly The scandal of the Cross lying upon him being taken away hee exhorts them to constancy and progress in the Faith by the glorious commendation of his Ministery and by manifesting the cause for which hee suffered Chap. 3. In the second part hee gives Precepts of keeping the unity of the Church of holiness of life as well in general as in particular in the shunning of evil and following after virtue by which the life of every one is ordered in a Christian manner Chap. 4. and in the former part of Chap. 5. After these hee descends to houshold duties to which and all other Christian duties that are to bee performed hee arms the faithful in the latter part of Chap. 5. and in the former part of Chap. 6. CHAP. I. THis Chapter besides the Preface contains two parts In the first is a thanksgiving tending to prove that the whole business of salvation both of Iews and Gentiles is meerly of Grace and wholly built on Christ to vers 15. In the other is a commemoration of the Apostles continual thanksgiving and prayer offered to God for the Ephesians tending to the confirmation of Faith the assurance of their salvation and of the perseverance of all truly faithful unto the end The Preface in the two first verses contains a direction of the Epistle and a salutation of the Ephesians which is very short because hee hath not to do here with envious persons or enemies but with conformable and obedient men to whom it would bee sufficient briefly to intimate his divine authority in writing this Epistle and the Apostles good will towards them and opinion of them Vers. 1. Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the Will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Iesus In the direction of the Epistle wee have the description of the Writer from his Name Office and Authority And then of those to whom hee writes from the condition in which they stood towards God and from the place which they did inhabit on the
Father Argum. 2. Your sincere Faith which hath shewed it self lively and efficacious by works your indefatigable charity visible in your daily labours and diligence especially in your liberality towards the Saints And lastly your lively hope shewn in patience and suffering afflictions for Christ have left in mee an indeleble impression that I cannot but make mention of them before God and man Therefore it is meet that yee bee strengthened in Faith But hee calls them the virtues of Christ because they did spring from Christ and tend to him But hee saies in the sight of God because they were of that sort which were in the sight of God genuine and no waies counterfeit Vers. 4. Knowing Brethren beloved your Election of God Argum. 3. I know certainly by certain signs that yee are elected and my genuine Brethren in Christ Therefore it is that yee ought to bee strengthened in Faith Vers. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in word onely but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as yee know what manner of men wee were among you for your sake Argum. 4. Confirming the former I plainly perceive that my Gospel hath been efficacious amongst you for there did accompany my preaching unto you 1 Strength and spiritual virtue to the begetting of Faith in you 2 The Holy Ghost by his inward testimony and gifts withal bestowed upon you did seal the truth received by you 3 Much assurance and perswasion in your hearts did ensue which hath freed you from all doubting 4 Such was the work and presence of God in you that heard as was to bee seen in us Apostles that taught as yee your selves have known Therefore it is that yee ought to bee strengthened in Faith Vers. 6. And yee became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost Argum. 5. Illustrating the former Yee by imbracing the Gospel and firmly retaining it with joy are made in the midst of afflictions both like unto the Lord Christ and us his servants preaching that Gospel with joy in the midst of oppressions Therefore yee ought to bee strengthened in Faith Vers. 7. So that yee were ensamples to all that beleeve in Macedonia and Achaia Argum. 6. Confirming the former Yee were made exemplary to all inhabiting the neighbouring Countries both of invincible Faith and great alacrity and patience in receiving and holding fast the Gospel Therefore it is that yee ought to bee strengthened in Faith Vers. 8. For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your Faith to God-ward is spread abroad so that wee need not to speak any thing Argum. 7. Your Faith became most famous not onely in the neighbouring Countries but also in those that are far distant that there is no need of any larger proof Therefore it is that yee ought to bee confirmed in the Faith Vers. 9. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entring in wee had unto you and how yee turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Argum. 8. The wonderful power of God appeared in your conversion that the faithful in every place have published the history of the Thessalonians conversion viz. how the Apostle with manifest peril of his life preached the Gospel amongst you and how yee hearing him after a wonderful manner renounced feigned Idols and addicted your selves to the service of the true and living God Therefore it is that yee ought to bee strengthened in Faith Vers. 10. And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom hee raised from the dead even Iesus which delivered us from the wrath to come Argum. 9. Your conversion to God was not without his Son Christ as the unbeleeving Jews falsely boast of their conversion But to God in Christ or to the Father and to Christ as the incarnate Son of God the Redeemer dead and risen for us who shall come from Heaven a Judge to destroy all unbeleevers and to deliver his own from the wrath which is to come upon the rest which Faith alone is saving Therefore yee ought to bee confirmed in Faith reminding those works of God in you CHAP. II. HEE proceeds for the confirmation of their Faith to commend the sincerity of his Ministery and the efficacy of it amongst them and to shew his kind affection towards them There are three parts of the Chapter In the first hee puts them in mind of the manifest signs of his embassage to them to vers 13. In the second hee shews the clear marks of divine Grace in their conversion to vers 17. In the third hee confirms his kind affection toward them lest they should think themselves not enough regarded by the Apostle Vers. 1. For your selves Brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain Hee recites thirteen signs of his spiritual sincere and divine embassage to them and the faithful administration of his office from the whole time wherein hee first of all preached the Gospel among them Sign 1. Yee your selves are witnesses that our entrance unto you had nothing of vanity nor my Ministery was not without fruit when I began to preach the Gospel amongst you Vers. 2. But even after that wee had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know at Philippi wee were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention Sign 2. The great persecution which not much before I suffered at Philippi hath not hindred but that I dare preach to you in this present danger For I boldly use liberty of speech trusting in the power of God alone striving earnestly against all enemies Vers. 3. For our exhortation was not of deceit not of uncleanness or in guile Sign 3. Confirming the former The Doctrine Exhortation and Consolation administred by mee was not like the Doctrine of the false Apostles for 1 It was not adulterate and framed to deceive but sincere without any imposture I did neither use nor suffer impurity as the false Apostles in their Doctrine but my Doctrine was without all mixture not handled after a deceitful manner as it uses to bee handled by them which in their preaching endeavour their own glory and advantage Vers. 4. But as wee were allowed of God to bee put in trust with the Gospel even so wee speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts Sign 4. From the knowledge of my Election and Vocation to so excellent an office wherein the preaching of the Gospel was committed unto mee I have determined to preach the Word of God with an holy and sincere mind and not to please men but God who searcheth the hearts and doth bear mee witness as his faithful servant Vers. 5. For neither at any time used wee flattering words as yee know nor a cloak of covetousness God is witness Sign 5. More especially explicating that which is
was no less troublesome to mee than the absence of any father uses to bee from his children Truly I sympathized with you as an orphane brother is wont to symphatize with his orphane brethren For a short Arg. 2. I hope I shall not bee absent from you long but onely for a little time Not in heart Arg. 3. I was not absent from you in heart and affection although in body More abundantly Arg. 4. By how much the more I am troubled for my absence from you so much the more abundantly I desire to see you Vers. 18. Wherefore wee would have come unto you even I Paul once and again But Satan hindred us Arg. 5. I was ready to come once and again that you might bee confirmed in faith but Satan prevented my business and cast many impediments in the way of my coming Vers. 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming 20. For yee are our glory and joy Arg. 6. Confirming the former My hope concerning your perseverance is so great my joy concerning your conversion is so great the crown of my glorying in the fruits of my Ministry and in you is this that yee may bee accounted with the chiefest Churches converted to the faith by my Ministry And unless yee were to bee esteemed such of whom I pray you could I hope well rejoyce or glory Truly yee shall bee esteemed the chief amongst those that are converted by mee in the sight of our Lord at his coming which I confirm to you with a frequent affirmation Therefore bee yee very fully perswaded of my friendly love towards you CHAP. III. IN this Chapter hee goes on to confirm his love towards them and to establish them in the faith which hee had taught them Vers. 1. Wherefore when wee could no longer forbear wee thought it good to bee left at Athens alone For this end hee produces ten Arguments All which prove that the Thessalonians were most dear to the Apostle Arg. 1. By reason of my desire of confirming you in the faith I had rather tarry alone at Athens in many storms of afflictions than that yee should be longer destitute of consolation and confirmation Therefore yee are most dear to mee Vers. 2. And sent Timotheus our brother and Minister of God and our fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your Faith Argum. 2. I have sent unto you Timothy my very familar friend who although hee is my most intimate Brother and a faithful Minister of God and my fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ yet I am willing to bee deprived of his company That yee might receive comfort and confirmation in the Faith Therefore yee ought to bee most dear unto mee Vers. 3. That no man should bee moved by these afflictions for your selves know that wee are appointed thereunto Argum. 3. I was more affraid lest yee should bee offended at my afflictions for the Gospel than I regarded my own trouble Therefore I would have you now strengthened against this scandal 1 Because yee have learned out of the Gospel how it is appointed of God that wee Apostles before all others should suffer many afflictions for the truth of the Gospel Vers. 4. For verily when wee were with you wee told you before that wee should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and yee know 2 Because I had told you before that afflictions for the Gospel did abide for mee as the event hath made it manifest Vers. 5. For this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your Faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labour bee in vain Argum. 4. I feared lest the Devil by some of his arts had moved you from the Faith and so my labour had been lost Wherefore I have sent to you Timotheus who might understand your constancy in the Faith Therefore c. Vers. 6. But now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your Faith and Charity and that you have good remembrance of us alwaies desiring greatly to see us as wee also to see you Argum. 5. I much rejoyce upon the message that Timotheus brought of your Faith towards Christ of your love towards the Saints and of your desire of seeing my face Therefore c. Vers. 7. Therefore Brethren wee were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your Faith Argum. 6. The consolation arising to mee from your Faith hath allayed and excelled all my grief which I took from the afflictions and necessities either lying upon or hanging over mee Therefore c. Vers. 8. For now wee live if yee stand fast in the Lord. Argum. 7. It shall bee certain happiness if you abide constant Therefore it is necessary that yee bee most dear to mee Vers. 9. For what thanks can wee render to God again for you for all the joy wherewith wee joy for your sakes before our God Argum. 8. Confirming the former so great occasion was offered mee of sincere rejoycing in the presence of God for your perseverance that I know not how great thanks to render to God Therefore c. Vers. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly that wee might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your Faith Argum. 9. I continually pray God that I may see your faces and amend the defects of your Faith and encrease the measure of it by opening to you more fully the mystery of the Gospel Therefore c. Vers. 11. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ direct our way unto you Argum. 10. How dear yee are to mee yee may gather out of the summe of my prayer for you There are three Articles of my prayer 1 I alwaies pray that God would grant mee a prosperous journey to you whereby I might confirm you in the Faith Vers. 12. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as wee do towards you 2 Also I pray that God would grant you encrease and abundance of love one towards another and towards all as my love abounds towards you Vers. 13. To the end hee may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints 3 Lastly I pray that God would stablish your hearts and make your consciences unblameable in true holiness which is required before God and our Father that at length at the comming of our Lord with all his Saints that is Angels and men yee may not bee ashamed Therefore do none of you doubt but that yee are most dear to mee CHAP. IV. HEE passes from his praying to God in the end of the former Chapter to the second part of the Epistle which containeth Exhortations and Precepts to duties of holiness The
death that is the Devil Argum. 10. Christ out of his love to the Elect the Children of God would partake of the same humane Nature with them that hee might by his death satisfie for them and so abolish the power of the Devil which hee as an exeâ—utioner hath by the Law against all sinners Therefore the reputation of Christ is not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Argum. 11. Amongst the fruits and ends of Christs death this is one that hee might deliver his from the fear of death both temporal and eternal under which fear all sinners are held all their life long till they see themselves freed from sin and death upon the merit of Christ dying for them Therefore c. Vers. 16. For verily hee took not on him the nature of Angels but hee took on him the seed of Abraham Argum. 12. Christ by assuming the seed of Abraham or humane nature into the unity of his person wherein from eternity hee subsisted heâ— advanced the humane nature in respect to priviledges dignity and honour above the Nature of Angels which hee took not Therefore the reputation of Christ is noâ— to bee lessened because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his Brethren that hee might bee a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Argum. 13. Christ ought to bee made like his Brethren the Elect in Nature Properties Affections and all infirmities except sin that his Brethren might bee the more certain and assured of his faithfulness and mercy in the exercise of his Priestly Office and perpetual intercession with God for them Therefore the excellency of Christ ought not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh Vers. 18. For in that hee himself hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted Argum. 14. Confirming the former Christ by his suffering afflictions and temptations in the humane Nature was fitted by his experience of sufferings in whom wee may trust to bee able and willing to succour us under the like trials Therefore his reputation is not to bee diminished because of his sufferings in the flesh And thus as in the former Chapter it was demonstrated that Christ is the true Son of God so in this Chapter hee hath demonstrated him to bee the son of man The one true God-man and hath removed the scandal of infirmities and sufferings of Christ in the flesh which all the beleeving Hebrews did dash against CHAP. III. THe excellency of the Prophetical Office and person of Christ being vindicated in the fore-going discourse even under all his sufferings in the flesh Hee exhorts them now to a consideration of this excellency that they may hold fast the profession of the Christian Faith and not apostatize from it to this end producing fifteen Arguments Vers. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus The Proposition concerning the holding fast their Profession of the Faith is contained in an Exhortation to a serious consideration of Christ the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Argum. 1. Yee are sanctified and by Faith made partakers of an effectual calling to heavenly things Therefore you ought to hold fast the Profession of this Faith Apostle Argum. 2. Yee have Jesus Christ the Son of God the Apostle or Teacher of your Faith sent from God and our High Priest who hath expiated our sins by his blood You have him I say the Author of this Profession Therefore it is to bee held fast Vers. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house Argum. 3. Christ in the administration of his Apostleship and Priesthood committed to him is not less faithful than Moses who obtained testimony from God that hee was faithful in all his house Therefore ought yee to hold fast your Christian Profession Because the Hebrews ascribed too much to Moses and could hardly bee drawn away from Mosaical Ceremonies that they might bee brought to Christ Therefore here on set purpose hee compares Christ with Moses Vers. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as hee who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house Argum. 4. Christ is so much more excellent than Moses and the whole Church also by how much the builder of the house is more excellent than the house it self or any part of it Moses also is but a member of that Church and a part onely of that house Therefore the Profession of your Faith is to bee held fast Vers. 4. For every house is builded by some man but hee that built all things is God Argum. 5. Confirming the former under the same comparison As no house not part of an house is built by it self but by another man so neither the Church nor Moses who is a member of the Church is built by himself but owes his building to some higher Architect But Christ who is proved God is the builder of the Church and of every member of it and also of all things Therefore hee is more excellent than Moses and the Faith and Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast Vers. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to bee spoken after 6. But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are wee if wee hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Argum. 6. Moses was faithful as a servant in anothers family to testifie and that indeed darkly which afterwards more fully and openly was to bee spoken of Christ and his dominion But Christ is faithful as Son and Heir who is over his house and speaks from his own authority Therefore Christ is more excellent than Moses and the Profession of his Doctrine is to bee held fast Whose house Argum. 7. If wee firmly hold fast the confidence and hope of eternal life procured for us by Christ and to bee communicated in which hope wee now make our boast wee shall declare our selves to bee his house or his true Church in which the Lord will dwell Therefore the Profession of our Faith is to bee held fast Vers. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith Today if yee will hear his voice 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted mee proved mee and saw my works forty years Argum. 8. From Psal. 95.8 9 c. unless you hold fast the Faith of Christ you will disobey the Holy Ghost who in the Scripture forbids you to harden your hearts when you hear the Word of God
another World in effect of that which was of old changing the holding and nature and use of all things to his Subjectâ— For a man ere hee come in to Christ is Gods enemy and to him all things in the World are enemies the Host and Souldiers of his dreadful Judge But after a man is made Christs Subject they turn all to bee his Friends and his Fathers servants working altogether for his good That is another and a new World indeed 2. It is called the World to come because albeit this change began with the work of Grace before Christ came yet it was nothing in comparison of the World iâ— come under the Messias And that which is now under the Gospel is little or nothing in comparison of that glorious change of the nature and use of all things unto Christs Subjects which is to bee revealed at his last coming Then whatsoever thing wee have hitherto found to our good since wee knew Christ it is but little to what shall bee our World is but to come 1 Cor. 15.19 3. The World is put in subjection to Christ that hee may dispose of it at his pleasure Then Christ is twice Soveraign Lord of the World once as Creator again as Mediator in his Manhead to make all the creatures in heaven and earth serve nill they will they to farther the work of full Redemption which hee hath undertaken 4. Hee excludeth the Angels from this honour Then In Christs Kingdom the Angels are in subjection to Christ for the good of his Subjects no less than sheep and oxen as the Psalm saith and not to bee adored with him as Soveraigns over us Vers. 6. But one in a certain place testified saying What is man that thou art mindful of him Or the Son of man that thou visitest him 7. Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels Thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the works of thine hands 1. Being to prove by Scripture his purpose hee citeth neither Book nor Chapter but the words which are of the eighth Psalm and fourth Verse Then The Apostle will have the Church so well acquainted with text of Scripture that at the hearing of the words they might know where it is written though neither book nor verse were cited 2. The Prophet looking on man even on Christs manhead wherein hee was humbled hee wondereth to see mans nature so highly dignified above all creatures Then 1. The baseness of mans natural being compared with other more glorious creatures maketh Gods love to us above all other creatures so much the more wonderful 2. Christs Humiliation and Exaltation were both foreseen and revealed by the Prophets Vers. 8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet For in that hee put all in subjection under him hee left nothing that is not put under him But now wee see not yet all things put under him 1. Hee proveth that Angels are in subjection to Christ because the text of the Psalm saith All is put in subjection and so neither Angels nor other creatures are excepted Then 1. For understanding of the meaning of Scripture it is necessary to consider not only what it saith expresly but also what it saiâ—h by consequence of sound reason 2. And whatsoever is rightly deduced by evidence of sound reason of the words of Scripture is the meaning of the Scripture as if it were spoken expresly 2. Hâ—e saith There is nothing left that is not put under Christ. Then Not good Angels only but all Spirits and all that they can do also are subject to Christ and hee can make them nill they will they contribute to the furtherance of his own purpose for the good of his Subjects and hurt of his foes 3. Because Christs enemies are still troubling his Kingdome hee moveth a doubt saying Wee see not yet all things put under him Then 1. The troubles of Christs subjects hinder the natural mind to perceive the Glory of Christs advancement 2. Carnal reason the Proctor of mis-belief will admit no more of divine truth than it is capable of by sense Vers. 9. But wee see Iesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with Glory and Honour that hee by the Grace of God should taste death for every man 1. Hee answereth the doubt saying Wee see Jesus crowned with glory and honour and so a course taken for putting all that oppose him farther and farther under him Then 1. The subjection of all things to Christs Throne cannot bee seen but in the exaltation of his person 2. When wee see his person exalted to such high dignity in heaven it is easie to see him put all under that riseth up against him 3. That which may bee taken up of Christ partly by his word and doctrine partly by his miraculous works and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit powred out upon the Primitive Church partly by his ordinary and powerful working upon the souls of his own since that time unto this day humbling and comforting changing and reforming mens hearts and lives I say these evidences of his Power do make a spiritual eye in a manner to see Jesus the worker of these works crowned with glory and honour 2. Hee meeteth another doubt arising from the abasement of Christ in his sufferings and death to which hee answereth in the words of the Psalm first that it was fore-told in that same Psalm that hee was to bee made for a little lower than the Angels to wit by suffering of death Then 1. The Cross of Christ is a ready stumbling block for a carnal mind else what needed the removing of the scandal 2. It is true indeed Christ in his humiliation was abased under the Angels and emptied 3. This abasement was but a little and for a short time 4. It was fore-told in the Psalm that speaketh of his Exaltation 5. If wee look to the Scripture fore-telling wee shall not stumble at Christs Humiliation 3. Hee giveth a farther answer by shewing the end of Christs Suffering to bee for our cause in the favour of God to us That hee should by the Grace of God taste Death for every one of us Then 1. Christs suffering was not for his own deserving but for ours and therefore should bee glorious in our eyes 2. Every Believer and Elect Soul hath interest in that death of his and so every man bound to love him and magnifie him for it and to apply the fruit of it to himself 3. This death was but a tasting of death because hee continued but a short time under it for his short suffering was so precious that hee could not bee holden by the Sorrows of Death but Death for a little was sufficient and therefore should diminish no mans estimation of him 4. It was by the Grace of God that his Death for a short should stand for our Eternal and therefore gracious and glorious should these his sufferings bee
from Gods Rest Vers. 1. For wee have the offer of it as well as they only here are the odds They beleeved not Vers. 2. But wee who do beleeve enter into a Rest as Davids words import For there are three Rests in the Scripture which may be called Gods Rest. 1. Gods Rest upon the first Sabbath 2. The Rest of Canaan typical 3. The Spiritual and true Rest of Gods People in Christs Kingdome which is a deliverance and ceasing from Sin and Misery David doth not mean of the Rest of the Sabbath in his threatning because albeit the Work of Creation was finished in the beginning of the World and that Rest come and gone yet David speaketh of another Rest after that in the word of Threatning Vers. 3. That Gods Rest was past at the founding of the World is plain from Moses words Vers. 4. After which Rest David speaketh here of another Rest Vers. 5 Wherein seeing Unbeleevers entred not Beleevers must enter Vers. 6. Again David meaneth not of the Rest of Canaan For after they had a long time dwelt in Canaan David yet setteth them a Day during which they might enter into Gods Rest Vers. 7. For if the Rest of Canaan which Iesus or Ioshuah gave unto them had been this true Rest then David would not have spoken of another Rest after that Vers. 8. But speak he doth Therefore there is a Rest besides these even that Spiritual Rest proper to Gods people Vers. 9. I call this a Rest because when Gods People cease to do ther own works and will it is like Gods Rest Vers. 10. Therefore let us beware to bee debarred from this Rest by Unbeleef as they were Vers. 11. For Gods Word is as effectual now as ever it was to discover the lurking Sins of the heart howsoever men would cloak them Vers. 12. And God with whom wee have to do seeth us throughly Vers. 13. But rather seeing wee have so great encouragement to get entry through Jesus Christ so merciful and pittiful an High-Priest Vers. 14 15. Let us bee stedfast in our faith and come confidently to get Gods Grace to help us through all Difficulties in the way to that full Rest Vers. 16. The Doctrine of Chap. IV. Vers. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entering into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it 1 In the Exhortation hee layeth down this ground That â—here is a Promise of Entry into this Rest left unto us Then 1 The entry into Gods Rest is â—ast open to the Christian Church and incouragement given by offer and promise of entry 2 While it is to day this promise and invitation to it is left unto us notwithstanding that many by-gone occasions of getting good and doing good bee spent and away 3 As long as this merciful Offer and Promise is kept to the fore unto us wee should stir up our selves to lay hold on it in time 2. Therefore let us fear lest any of you seem to come short of it The similitude is borrowed from the prize of a Race Then 1 A Race must bee run erre wee come to our full rest 2 The constant Runner to the end getteth rest from sin and misery and a quiet possession of Happiness at the Races end 3 The Apostate and hee who by misbeleef breaketh off his Course and runneth not on as may bee commeth short and attaineth not unto it 4 The Apostasy of some and possibility of Apostasy of more Professors should not weaken any mans Faith but rather terrify him from misbeleef 5 There is a right kinde of fear of perishing to wit such as hindereth not assurance of faith but rather serveth to guard it and spurreth on a man to perseverance 6 Wee must not only fear by misbeleeing to come short but to seem or give any appearance of comming short Vers. 2. For unto us was the Gospel Preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them nor being mixed with Faith in them that heard it 1 To make the example the more to urge them hee saith The Gospel was Preached to them whom God debarred for misbeleef from his Rest. Then 1 The Gospel was Preached in the Wilderness for substance of Truth albeit not in such fulnesse of Doctrine and clearnesse of Truth as now The Preaching of it in clearnesse now must make the Mis-beleevers of it in no less danger of being debarred from that Rest than the old Israelites yea rather in more 2 The cause of their debarring is The Word was not mixed with Faith in them and so profited them not Then 1 As a Medicinal Drink must have the true Ingredients mixed with it so must the Word have Faith mixed with it joyning it self with all the parts of the Truth closely 2 Faith can wall with nothing nor bee mixed with any Truth but the Word and the word will not joyn nor wall nor mix with Conceits Opinions Presumption but with Faith that is it will bee received not as a Conjecture or possible Truth but for Divine and infallible Truth else it profiteth not 3 Hearers of the Word may blame their mis-beleef if they get not profit 4 Albeit a man get light by the Word and some tasting of temporary Joy and Honour and Riches also by professing or preaching of it yet hee receiveth not profit except hee get entry into Gods Rest thereby for all these turn to Conviction Vers. 3. For wee which have beleeved do enter into Rest As hee said As I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest although the werks were finished from the foundation of the World Read the sum of this Chapter vers 2 3 5. for clearing of his reasoning Hee proveth that Beleevers enter into Gods Rest because God excludeth by his threatning mis-beleevers only Then 1 Fearful threatnings of the wicked carry in their bosome sweetest promises to the godly and the Faithfull 2 Beleevers get a beginning of this rest in this world and a possession of it in some degrees by faith Their delivery from sin and misery is begun Their life and peace and joy is begun Vers. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his works 5. And in this place again If they shall enter into my Rest. He compareth places of Scripture and sheweth the significations of Rest. Then 1 Words in Scripture are taken in sundry places in sundry significations 2 Comparison of places will both shew the divers acceptions of any word and the proper meaning of it in every place Vers. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein and they to whom it was first Preached entred not in because of unbeleef The full sentence of the sixt vers is this Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter in and they to whom it was first preached entered noâ— in because of unbeleef It will
Vers. 14. wee learn That Christs Genealogy was well known in the Apostles times and no controversie about it And it sufficeth us that wee know this by the Apostles Testimony albeit wee could not lineally deduce the same 3. Observe how hee reasoneth That none of the Tribe of Juda attended the Altar because Moses spake nothing of that Tribe concerning the Priesthood Then Negative Conclusions in Matters of Faith and duties follow well from the Scriptures silence It is not warranted from Scripture therefore I am not bound to beleeve it The Scripture doth not require any such thing of mee therefore God accounteth it not service to Him to do it is good reasoning 4. From Vers. 15. The Apostle comparing the Proofs of his Argument calleth this last in plain tearms Far more evident Then Of Reasons drawn from Scripture by Consequence some will be less evident some more evident and yet all be good Reasons and prove the purpose strongly Vers. 16. Who is made not after the Law of a carnal Commandement but after the power of an endless life Hee entreth into a more particular comparison of the Levitical Priesthood and Christs to shew the weakness of the one in comparison of the other The Levitical Priests in their Consecration got a commandment for the exercise of bodily and carnal Rites some few years of their mortal life without power to convey the Grace signified by those bodily Rites But Christ in his Consecration is endued with power to confer grace and life eternal from Generation to Generation to all that seek the Benefit of his Priesthood Then wee may be assured of Christs power to make the means which hee useth for our salvation effectual as wee may be assured of his endless life Vers. 17. For Hee testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec He proveth this by Scripture because God calleth him a Priest for ever Therefore Hee hath power for ever as living for ever to make his own Priesthood effectual So The eternity of Christs Priesthood proveth it to be forcible to give eternal life For if it did not endure in his person it could not give eternal life and peoples hearts would not rest upon it with any ground And so it behoved to be renounced and another Priesthood sought But seeing it is not to be changed but shall endure Then of necessity it hath the thing to give us which wee are seeking that is eternal life Then As long as Christ endureth we want not a Priest to hear confession of sin to give absolution to bless us give us eternal life Vers. 18. For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandement going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof 1. By the same words of establishing Christs Priesthood Psal. 110. hee proveth that the Levitical Law was to be abolished when Christ came Because the establishing of Christs Priesthood and bringing it to light is the disanulling of the Levitical Then There needeth no more to declare That the Levitical Priesthood and Law is abolished and wee freed from the Ceremonies thereof but the coming of Christ and His entring to his Office of Priesthood 2. Hee giveth a reason of the abolishing of this Priesthood Because it was weak and unprofitable Quest. How can that be seeing it was ordained to strengthen the Beleevers then and was profitable for that end I answer It is called weak and unprofitable in regard of any power to make satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins or to purchase any salvation unto us For other waies as a mean to lead men for that time unto the Messias who should satisfie for us it was not weak nor unprofitable But to pacifie God and purchase salvation as the misbeleeving Iews did use it it was weak and unprofitable altogether Again being considered as a mean to prefigure Christ it was profitable still till Christ came namely for that end and use But when He is come no end nor use more for it but that it should be abolished having served the turn whereunto it was ordained Then 1. Levitical Ceremonies whatsoever use they might have had before Christ are weak and unprofitable after His comming 2. It is evil reasoning to say such Rites and Ceremonies were used before Christ came therefore they may be used now also Vers. 19. For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God He proveth That those Rites were weak Because the Law whether Moral or Ceremonial could not perfect any thing that is justifie sanctifie and save any man 1. They served as a Pedagogue to lead a man to Christ for expiation of sin and purchase of salvation but could not effectuate this by themselves And this maketh good the Answer to the Question in the former Ver. Then To seek to bee perfected justified and saved by works is to seek that by the Law which could never bee brought to pass by it 2. What then doth perfect all Hee answereth The bringing in of a better Hope perfecteth all That is Christ then hoped for and looked unto who is that Better Thing even the End and the Signification of those Legal Ordinances being brought in unto Beleevers Hee doth perfect all Then 1. What the Beleevers could not get under the Law by their outward service they got it by Christ hoped for and beleeved into 2. The Beleevers of old rested not on the shadows but had the Eye of their Hope on Christ. 3. Hee commendeth this Better Hope that is Christs Priesthood hoped for under the Law Because by it wee draw nigh unto God Now Drawing nigh importeth a distance before drawing nigh and again Drawing nigh was the Priests prerogative under the Law Then By Nature and without Christ wee are Aliens from God and far away from Him But by Christ wee get Liberty to come nigh not onely as Gods people but as Priests through Christ to offer our Spiritual Oblations The Priests Priviledge of old is common to beleevers now Ver. 20. And inasmuch as not without an Oath He was made Priest 21. For those Priests were made without an Oath but This with an Oath by Him that said unto Him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec 22. By so much was Iesus made a Surety of a better Testament 1. Hee goeth on to compare the Levitical Priesthood with Christs· Two Comparisons are here conjoyned First Levitical Priests were made without an Oath only by way of simple Ordinance and Direction God leaving room to himself how long hee pleased to hold on the Direction and when hee pleased to change it But Christ was made Priest with an Oath that hee should never be changed Then 1. When God gave forth the Ceremonial Law hee reserved room to himself to change it yea gave evidence that hee was to change it for hee obliged the people during his will but not himself
Types is more excellent than all their offerings 2. This Ministery is proper unto Christ onely in his own person 2. From this hee preferreth the Mediatorship of Christ to the typical The Promises and the Covenant now to the Covenant then His reasoning is As the Ministery is so is the Mediatour The Ministery is more excellent in offering up himself than the shadows Therefore the Mediatour is more excellent now than the typical of old Then The offering of Christs Body which is the more excellent Ministery is still annexed to the Person of the Mediatour onely And whosoever intrudeth himself in that excellent Ministery of offering up Christs Body intrudeth himself also into the Office of the Mediatour 3. In comparing the Covenant then and now hee maketh this the better Because the Promises are better Whence wee learn 1. That there was a Covenant betwixt God and his Church of old under the Law And so Reconciliation to be had with God then 2. That howsoever in substance of Grace both the Covenants agreed yet the form of this Covenant under the Gospel is better Because the express conditions are better the Promises are more spiritual and more free of straight conditions Vers. 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second To clear the abolishing of the Old Covenant hee proveth it not to be faultless Because a New Covenant was promised in place thereof Not that any thing was wrong in that Covenant but because it was imperfect and all things needful not expressed in it clearly Whence wee learn 1. That the Lords proceeding with his Church hath ever been from the less perfect to the more perfect till Christ came 2. That where-ever God addeth or altereth what hee once did institute by so doing hee sheweth that before his Addition hee had not expressed all his Mind as in the time of the Old Testament 3. When once hee hath perfected his course taken with his Church as now hee hath done under the New Testament hee altereth the matter no more Vers. 8. For finding fault with them hee saith Behold the daies come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah 1. Hee proveth That there was an imperfection in the Old Covenant Because God found fault with the people under it Then The imperfection of the Covenant of Old was especially in default of the parties with whom it was made who by their inability to fulfil it or behold the drift of it made it unable to save themselves 2. In the words of Jeremiah 31.31 the Lord promiseth to make a Covenant afterwards with the House of Israel and Judah Then 1. The party in the New Covenant is not all Mankind but the Church of the New Testament the spiritual Israel and Iudah 2. This Covenant was not brought to light of old but had its own time of manifestation 3. Even then the Church was made wise of the imperfection of the Old Covenant that they might learn to look through the outward form of it to a better 4. The Hope and Too-look which they had towards the New Covenant held up their heart that they without us and our Priviledges should not be perfected Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. 1. The Prophet distinguisheth the Old Covenant from the New by describing the Old what it was how broken and how punished For the first the ten Commandements and the rest of the Law delivered unto them when they came out of Aegypt was the Covenant of Old wherein God promised To be their God upon condition That they did all that hee commanded them and they accepted the condition So albeit there was Grace here in sundry Articles covenanted yet the form of the Covenant was like the Covenant of Works Compare Ier. 17.23 with Ier. 31.31 32 33 c. 2. For the next They continued not in it through leaning to their own strength and seeking to establish their own Righteousness being ignorant of the Righteousness of God They dealt deceitfully in the Covenant and fell to open Idolatry from time to time So By the Covenant of Works no man will be found stedfast 3. For the punishment of it I regarded them not In the Hebrew it is as much as I Lorded it over them That is used My Husbandly and Lordly Authority over them and so mis-regarded them Whereof wee have to learn 1. That as Gods Lordship and Husbandship is an Obligation of doing well to the Covenant-keeper So is it a Declaration of his just Freedome and Authority to punish the Covenant-breaker 2. That when God is pleased to exercise his Dominion and Authority over Covenant-breakers the transgressour falleth in mis-regard with God that is As little account is made of his life as of one without the Covenant 3. That to be mis-regarded of God is the sum of all judgement 4. That the impotency of the people to keep the Old Covenant did not exempt them from the punishment due to the breaking of it 4. The Lord maketh their instability in the Old Covenant the Reason of his making of a New one Wherein the Lords bounty is very remarkable Who out of our evil taketh occasion to do us so much more good And because of mens instability in the Old Covenant maketh another Covenant whereby hee maketh us to persevere in obedience Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put My Laws into their mind and write Them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to Mee a People This is the better Cevenant containing better Promises whereof Christ is Mediatour and Surety unto all them that beleeve in Him Wherein consider 1. That all the Articles are Promises and so do require in the party that will joyn in the Covenant Faith to embrace the Promises that the Covenant may be agreed unto on both sides God promising and the needy Sinner heartily accepting 2. That what is required in the Old Covenant as a Condition is here turned into a Promise by God in the New In the Old Covenant hee required obedience to his commandements and here hee promiseth to write his Laws in our hearts God undertaketh to do our part in us if wee will beleeve in Him 3. That the sense of Wants and the feeling of our Imperfections yea of our hearts wickedness and carefulness both of heart and mind yea the feeling of the inlacks or defects of Repentance and Faith are not just hinderances to make a soul that gladly would be reconciled with God in Christ stand back from embracing this Covenant But by the contrary the feeling of
hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool that is his Manhead being no more on earth now subject unto suffering is entred into the Fellowship and Fruition of the glory of his Godhead to exercise his power and authority for the good of his Church and overthrow of his Enemies Then 1. Albeit all Christs personal sufferings are ended yet the warfare of the subjects of his Kingdom endureth still against enemies such as are Satan and the wicked of the World and Sin and Death 2. That battel is CHRISTS he is adversary to all the foes of his Kingdom They are his Enemies 3. He is not alone in the battel the Father is joyned with him and set on work to subdue his Enemies as it is said Psal. 110. vers 1 2. whereunto this place hath reference His enemies shall be made his footstool 4. Albeit this victory be not compleated for a time yet it is in working and shall surely be brought to pass 5. As our Lord expecteth and waiteth on patiently till it be done so must we his subjects do also 6. At length the highest of his enemies shall be made lower than the basest of Christs Members They shall be made his footstool subdued under him and trampled upon Vers. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He giveth a reason why Christ now hath no more offering to make nor no more suffering to endure but onely to behold the fruit of his sufferings brought about by the Father and to concur with the Father on his Throne for that end Because by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified that is by that one offering on the Cross done and ended before he sate down on the right hand of God he hath paid the full price for ever of the purchase of remission of sins and salvation to those that are consecrated to GOD in holiness Then 1. Whosoever will have any more offering up of Christ than that one once offered before his Ascension denieth that Christ by once offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. Howsoever you take the word Sanctified whether for those that are separated from the world and dedicated unto God in Christ in Gods purpose and decree comprehending all those whom the Father hath given unto Christ out of the world that is the elect or whether you take it for the renewed and sanctified in time the offering of Christ is not but for the sanctified that is for such as are consecrated and separated out of the world and dedicated to be vessels of honor unto God 2. They for whom Christ hath made that offering once those saith he he hath perfected for ever Then 1. He hath not made purchase of a possibility of their salvation onely But he hath perfected them in making purchase of all that they need to have even to their full perfection 2. He hath not purchased unto them the remission of some sins and left the satisfaction to be paid by themselves for other some but hath perfected them perfectly satisfied for them and perfectly expiated all their sins 3. He hath not made purchase of some graces unto them onely for a certain time so as he will let them be taken out of his hand afterwards and perish but he hath perfected them for ever 4. He hath not appointed any offering for them to be made by any other after him but hath made one offering Himself for them which satisfieth for ever so as the Father craveth no more offering for expiating their sin for ever For God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 that is God maketh it manifest by his Gospel that he is pacified in Christ towards them that believe in his blood that believe in him crucified Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us For after that he had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more He proveth that it is needless there should be any repetition of a sacrifice for sin in the New Testament because remission of sins purchased by Christs death who is the Testator is still in force continually in Christs Kingdom there being an Article of the Covenant for remission of sins to be consecrated And if remission of sins be no oblation for sin can be vers 8. 1. He saith that the Holy Ghost is witness unto us of this truth That Christ cannot be offered again Then 1. We who do teach this doctrine and deny any more offering of Christ as a sacrifice have the holy Ghost testifying for us 2. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scripture and doth speak unto us thereby 2. He declareth the New Covenant to be of the Holy Ghosts making and calleth him THE LORD Wherein he teacheth us 1. That the Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead bearing witness by himself to the Church of the Truth 2. And one in essence with the Father and the Son even the LORD JEHOVAH author of the New Covenant with the Father and the Son Vers. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin From this Article of remission of sins in the New Covenant he concludeth No more offering for sin but once under this Covenant because sin is expiated Quest. How then could there be remission of sin under the Law where there was daily offering for sin Or if there was remission how could there be offering for sin I answer There is a remission granted upon surety given for satisfaction to be made for the party remitted and there is a remission granted for satisfaction already made for the party remitted The remission that the Fathers under the Law had was of the first sort upon promise of the Mediator to come and to satisfie And with remission of this sort a typical sacrifice might stand for signifying that the true expiatory Sacrifice was not yet paid but was coming to be paid But the remission that we get under the Gospel is upon Satisfaction already made by the true Expiatory and Satisfactory Sacrifice of Jesus Christ done and ended with the personal suffering And this sort of remission is it whereof the Apostle here speaketh and it admitteth no manner of offering for sin neither typical offering because Christ is come and hath fulfilled what the typical sacrifice did signifie neither the repeating of true Expiatory Sacrifice of Christs Body because then Christ behoved to suffer daily and dye daily after that he hath made satisfaction And besides these two sorts of offering the Iewish bloody sacrifices typical and the true Expiatory bloody Sacrifice of Christs Body on the Cross the Scripture acknowledgeth none So the meaning of the Apostle
for ever to help them all to Heaven who seek unto God through him onely 2. Because life is here in Christ as in the fountain that hee may give life to whomsoever hee will that is unto all that come unto him 3. Because it giveth life and refreshment to the weary passenger and quickneth his dead and dumpish heart when hee considereth that his Saviour is a man indeed so earnest to have us saved that hee hath yoaked himself in communion of nature with us thereby to save us It is meat indeed to his soul that the Word is made flesh It is drink indeed to consider that hee hath suffered for our sins As Elias Chariot so is Christs Man-head and sufferings Get up here by Faith in him and thou shalt go up to God This way is that of Eagles wings Lay first hold upon Jesus Christ God manifested in the flesh and hee will mount up with thee and carry thee through the wilderness to Canaan from the natural misery and sins which thou lyest in unto Heaven 6. This Way leadeth through the Veil to teach us That wee comming to Christs Man-head must not subsist there but by this mean seeking to God who dwelleth in him that our Faith and Hope may be in God Wee enter by the Man Christ and do rest on God in Christ on the fulness of the God-head which dwelleth bodily in Christ. This is to distinguish the Natures of Christ and to keep the unity of his Person rightly Vers. 21. And having an High Priest over the House of GOD. For our further satisfaction he giveth us Christ over again to make yet more use of him to direct guide and convoy us in the way to lead us to the Father in Heaven through the Courts of his Dwelling and to bring us in to him and make us welcome there 1. We have Christ for a Priest to us whose lips do always preserve knowledge in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge who will inform our mindes and perswade our hearts to believe and obey who will reconcile by his once offered sacrifice the Believer will intercede for the reconciled to keep him still in grace will bless us with all spiritual blessings will take our prayers thanksgiving and the spiritual sacrifice of all the good works of our hands and wash the pollutions from them will offer them in our name with the incense and perfume of his own merits and lead our selves in where our Lamps shall be furnished and our Table filled till we go into Heaven and there he will welcome us in a Mansion prepared for us 2. He is a High Priest adorned with all Authority and all Perfections having all in substance which the types did signifie who beareth our names yea our selves on the shoulders of his power and in the breast of his hearty love who beareth the iniquity of the holy things and holiness in his forehead for us In whom the Father is well pleased with us and hath made us acceptable as in his well-beloved 3. He is over the House of God He hath authority and power to bring in whom he pleaseth and to give forth of the Treasure as much as he will All the Mansions in his Fathers dwelling Hoâ—se are his and all at his disposing to open so as none shall shut To him belongeth to give forth the sentence of Admission to Heaven and to say Come you blessed of the Father Yea to make this his authority manifest he will come again and take us unto himself that where he is we may be there also 4. We have this High Priest that is he is ours because 1. Taken out from amongst us one of our number albeit not of our conditions of our nature but separate from our sinful manners holy and harmless 2. Because he is for us in things appertaining to God to imploy his means and power for our behoof towards God 3. Because bound in all bands with us of nature of grace and good will of the Fathers gift and appointment and his own Covenant and special Contract with us So that albeit an uncouth man may possible leave a stranger in his journey alone yet Christ cannot chuse to do so to us but for the Bands betwixt him and us he will never leave us nor forsake us Vers. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water From these Priviledges he presseth an exhortation To draw near to God and prescribeth the disposition required of us in our drawing near 1. This exhortation sheweth 1. That true Christians are oftentimes so sensible of their own unworthiness that under that sense they are inclined of themselves to stand afar off and have need of encouragement and invitation to draw near 2. That such as are most sensible of their own unworthiness are most called to come forwards unto GOD for he giveth grace to the humble 2. He layeth down the Priviledges in the former verses and in this draweth on the Exhortation To teach us 1. That such priviledges as are granted unto us in Christ must be received and believed as truth 2. That we must study to make use of our priviledges and challenge them for our own 3. That the weakest of true believers in Christ may thrust in themselves at the doors of grace amongst the holy Apostles For the Apostle putteth the Hebrews with himself in the exhortation for this end 3. For our disposition and sitting to draw near he requireth first That we have a true heart He saith not a sensless heart but a true heart that is such a heart as in the matter of believing mindeth no confidence but in Gods grace through Christ onely And in the matter of Gods service mindeth onely his will in its aim and alloweth onely that which is his will in its câ—nsure Then an honest heart which honestly acknowledgeth its own sins and flyeth to Christs blood for sprinkling whose aim is upright endeavours upright and censure of it self upright allowing in itself nothing but what God alloweth and displeased with that which displeaseth God albeit many ways weak and imperfect yet hath liberty to draw near unto God 4. The next thing he requireth is full assurance of faith That is a settled and full perswasion to be accepted even through Jesus Christ. Then albeit the Lord will not despise the weakest measure of faith and will not quench the smoaking flax yet it pleaseth him better yea it is his commandment that men study unto the full assurance of faith for the more thou restest on Gods Covenant with thee in Jesus Christ the more thou sealest his truth glorifiest him becomest the more like unto faithful Abraham and gettest the deeper rooting in Christ. 5. The third is That the heart be sprinkled from an evil conscience The heart is sprinkled when a sinner sensible of sin maketh hearty application to himself
Yea now under the Gospel coming unto Christ we are in better case than they who lived before Christ because they were bound to all the Ceremonial and Typical Ordinances of the Law under the Old Covenant But we are exempted from that Old Covenant and are entred into the New which freeth us from that yoke which the Israelites could never bear 16. Without Christ we stand alone and none to plead for us before our Judge But when we come to Christ we finde him a Mediator both to deliver us from the Old Covenant and to take burthen for us for keeping of the New Covenant 17. Without Christ unrighteous and unholy When we come to Christ we come to be sprinkled with his blood for Justification and Sanctification also and for receiving of all other benefits bought by that blood He compareth this blood with Abels as speaking better things For albeit we by our sins have made our LORD to serve yea and to dye also ye doth his blood not speak against us as Abels did speak against Cain and the Earth for drawing down of a curse on both But speaketh to GOD still to pacifie his wrath and to pardon us and to our conscience to cleanse it and make it quiet within us From this comparison of men under the Law and under Grace we learn 1. That the impenitent and unrenewed man how secure soever he â—it yet he is in a fearful estate the wrath of the Judge from his Justice Seat being ready to break out upon him 2. That the wakened conscience lying in the sense of its own sins and fear of the offended Iudge is much to be pitied 3. That the holiest man on earth if GOD reveal unto him the terror of his Justice he will be shaken with fear 4. That the onely remedy against the challenge of the Conscience and fear of the Law and Wrath is to have recourse to JESUS CHRIST 5. That he who is fled as a true penitent to JESUS CHRIST for refuge to be saved and directed and ruled by him is a true Member of the true Catholick Church of the Elect whatsoever be mens estimation of him 6. That the more graciously we be dealt with under the Gospel the more must we beware of Fleshliness and Prophanity For to this end all his speech doth tend Vers. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven From these considerations he chargeth them to beware leâ—t they make light account of Christs Doctrine The word importeth a shifting off Christ speaking by some excuse or pretence Then 1. The way to eschew Prophaness and Apostasie is to embrace and make much of Christs speaking unto us in his Word 2. Whatsoever pretences and excuses a man use to cloak his not-giving hearty obedience to the Doctrine of Christ it is but a refusing of him and a turning away from him make of it what he will 2. Hee urgeth this by threatning more certain and heavy judgements than upon the despisers of Moses who is said to speak on Earth because he was but the earthen vessell which carried Gods will to his people and by earthly Types and Figures made offer of Grace unto them But Christ as God by his own Authoritie casting Heaven open in the plainness and spirituality of the Doctrine is said to speak from Heaven Then As much as Christs person is more excellent than Moses and His Authority above his and the Heavenly clearness of Christs gracious Offer above his dark Types As much more heavy and certain Wrath shall overtake the despisers of his Doctrine than the despisers of Moses Law 3. Hee joyneth himself in the same danger with the people if He should turn away or refuse Then Preachers shall do well to lay the edge of their threatnings to their own hearts and to enroll themselves amongst the threatned That bitterness towards the people may be seen to be removed and their own sluggishness may be roused up seeing they have none to preaâ—h unto them but themselves Vers. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth But now Hee hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth onely but also Heaven To put an edge upon the Threatning he sheweth how terrible Christ is in shaking of the Earth by His Voice at Mount Sinai and by the shaking of Heaven and Earth at the Day of Iudgement Then 1. The terrible quaking of the Earth and burning of the Mount Sinai was pronounced by the Voice of Christ who therefore is declared to be the Lord God for so Exod. 19. is he called 2. His Terrour at the Day of Judgement may be seen in that little resemblance of Mount Sinai 3. The Terribleness of Christ should make us stand in awe of His Word Vers. 27. And this Word Yet once more doth signifie the removing of those things which are shaken as of things which are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Hee commenteth upon the testimony of Haggai Chap. 1. 6. and from this word Once concludeth that Heaven and Earth shall passe away and be changed at the power of Christs uttering of his voyce That these changeable Heavens and Earth being removed he may make a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein his Subjects and his Kingdome over them may remain for ever setled Then 1. It is a good mean to get the understanding of Gods mind in the Scripture to consider and weigh the force of the words thereof and what they do import by due consequence 2. No more change shall be of any thing after the day of Judgement because Once more and no oftener is Christ to shake the same 3. It is for the standing of Christs Kingdome that the creature is moved shaken and chanâ—ed yâ—ed All things made shall be shaken But Christs Kingdome and the salvation of his subjects shall never be shaken Vers. 28. Wherefore wee receiving a Kingdome which cannot bee moved let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear From the nature of this Kingdome granted unto us in Christ and from his terribleness he exhorteth us to stedfastness of Faith and humble obedience Hee saith Wee have received it because wee have received the Right and Title by the Gospel and some beginning of it Then As we receive Christ in the Gospel wee receive the Kingdome of Heaven with him in Right and Title yea in begun possession which groweth by degrees 2. Hee requireth of a receiver of this Kingdome a reverent serving of God Then right is given to this Kingdome before our service be done Not because we have seâ—ved heretofore but to oblige us to serve God hereafter 3. Hee will have us to serve God acceptably that is pleasantly and chearfully Next with reverence or shamefastness and godly fear Then 1. It is not enough that wee do
applying of the Promise made to Joshua he concludeth Warrant to apply Davids gloriation against all perils Psal. 118.6 Then 1. He that can apply one Promise to himself may confidently apply another also 2. The weakest true Believer hath as good ground of confidence in God for every good needful for soul or body as the Lords chief Prophets and as good Warrant to apply the Scriptures to their own use which speak of them 3. He who believeth in God needeth not to fear what flesh can do unto him 4. Faith then doth its part duly when i◠glorieth in the Lord against all opposition Vers. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation That they may be stedfast in the Faith he setteth before them the Example of Gods Messengers who had instructed them in the Truth and led a life conformable thereunto Wherein he teacheth us 1. Who is worthy to be a Guide to a People to wit the man who speaketh the Word of God and not his own Dreams believeth the Truth which he teacheth and hath his conversation answerable 2. The best respect that a Preacher can crave or that a People can give to a Preacher either in his life time or after is to remember the Truth of God taught by him and to make use thereof 3. In as far as Preachers have spoken the Word of God and made it the end of their conversation People are commanded here to remember them and imitate their Faith but no further Vers. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and today and for ever This Sentence serveth First To shew the eternity and immurability of Jesus Christ in himself and all his Properties of Truth and Love and Pitty c. Again It serveth for a reason of keeping fast the Doctrine taught from him by our faithful Leaders because JESUS CHRIST will still allow and maintain that Truth once given out by himself and cannot chuse to change his Truth being First and Last like himself And thirdly It serveth to encourage us to be constant in the Faith because JESUS CHRIST is unchangeably the same in love and care towards those who believe in him in all ages for their preservation and deliverance in all cases wherein they can fall for his Truth as he hath given proof in former times towards others Vers. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein That they may be stedfast in the Faith he warneth them to beware that they be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines Then 1. Doctrine which agreeth 〈◊〉 with the Word of God uncouth and strange Doctrine which the Apostles did not acknowledge and recommend unto us must be rejected 2. There was such uncouth Doctrine beginning to creep into the Church even in the Apostles time 3. Apostolick Doctrine such as they acquainted the Church with must be stedfastly believed and stood unto and not loosly laid hold upon lest we lye open to the wind of false Doctrine 2. He bringeth i◠for example the Doctrine of Distinction of meats wherein the Iewishly affected did place some holiness and help to salvation and yet they who most leaned to the same were least profited thereby Then 1. To place some holiness in Distinction of meats and to count the observation thereof helpful to salvation is an old errour which even in the beginning did trouble the Church 2. Never man got profit by leaning any thing to the observation of Distinction of Meats For under the Law distinction was commanded for the leading of men to some Duties signified thereby but never did God give way that men should esteem of this observation as a thing conferring any whit to the purchase of salvation 3. To keep out this errour of leaning to Ceremonial observations he opposeth the Doctrine of Grace wherewith he will have the heart established and not with meats Then 1. The ground of devising and urging of superstitious ceremonies is the unquietness and unstableness of mens hearts wanting satisfaction in God and his Ordinances and therefore seeking to support themselves by means of their own devising 2. It is the Doctrine of Justification by Grace onely and nothing of our doings which getteth true rest to our hearts and quiet setling to the consciences Vers. 10. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Such as pertinaciously did plead for the standing of the Levitical Service and ceremonies thereof he secludeth from the enjoying of Iesus Christ who is our Altar Then such as maintain the Levitical Ceremonies and do urge them on the Christian Church do cut themselves from right to Christ. 1. Because they deny in effect that he is come seeing they will have those Figures to remain which did serve to Prefigure his coming and will have his Church still under Ceremonial Pedagogie as it was under the Law 2. Because they joyn unto Christ their own devices as if either JESUS were not sufficient for salvation or his Ordinances were not sufficient for means to attain thereunto 3. The observation of the Distinction of meats is a point of serving the Tabernacle for so doth the Apostle reckon 4. Such as will eat of JESUS and be partakers of him must beware to serve the Iewish Tabernacle by keeping on foot and continuing the Ceremonies and appurtenances annexed thereunto such Feasts such Iubilies such Altars such Sprinklings and Holy water such Priests and Vestiments c. as Levi had 2. He calleth Christ by the name of the Altar because he is the thing signified by the Altar and by the Sacrifice and by the rest of the Levitical Ceremonies Then 1. Those Ordinances of Levitical Service were Figures of Christ some in one part and some in another and he is the accomplishment of them even the Truth of them All The true Tabernacle the true Priest the true Sacrifice the true Altar c. 2. Christs self is all the Altar that the Christian Church hath Our Altar is he onely and nothing but he The Apostle knoweth no other 3. In that he saith They have no right to eat learn 1. That Jesus is our food who believe in him by whom our souls are kept alive and maintained every day spiritually as the Priests were maintained by the old Altar bodily 2. That before a man attain to eat or draw benefit from Christ he must have a right unto him There is a possession following the right and the right tendeth to the possession 3. He who loveth to have the right must take the course which Christ prescribeth without mixing any thing therewith Vers. 11. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin are burnt without the Camp He sheweth that
not work the love of God without love of the Brethren Therefore c. For hee Hee confirms this Argument by this Reason Because wee are more moved to love by sight than by hearing hee that loveth not his Brother whom hee hath seen and the Image of God in him hee cannot love God whom hee hath not seen Therefore the boasting of love towards God is vain where love of the Brethren is wanting Vers. 21. And this commandement have wee from him that hee who loveth God loveth his brother also Argum. 20. The same authority of God hath conjoyned the command of both requiring of all that love God that they love their Brethren also Therefore yee ought to love the Brethren CHAP. V. THe principal scope of the whole Epistle and especially of this Chapter is propounded vers 13. viz. that those who beleeve in Christ may know that they have eternal life and that knowing they have life they may more and more believe in Christ. Of the Chapter there bee two parts In the first hee describes the marks of those that are true beleevers or born again who have right to eternal life with an inchoate possession thereof to vers 6. In the second hee propounds the Arguments to move us to beleeve in Christ. Vers. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him The marks of those that are true beleevers or born again and live sincerely are six Note 1. Hee that is truly faithful or begotten of God beleeves seriously that Jesus is the promised Christ viz. the Redeemer of the world for whosoever solidly receives this truth and applies it to himself acknowledges it in his heart as the Scripture requires is born of God And every one Note 2. Hee so loves God that hee loves the Brethren or those that are begotten of him Vers. 2. By this wee know that wee love the children of God when wee love God and keep his commandements Note 3. Those that are truly faithful do so love the Brethren that they also love God and out of love to God they endeavour to keep his commandements Vers. 3. For this is the love of God that wee keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous Note 4. Explicating the former They that are truly faithful demonstrate the sincerity of their love in endeavouring to observe Gods Commandements out of love to him so that his commandements how much soever they bee hard and unpleasant to the flesh yet they are not grievous but such as they desire most willingly to perform Vers. 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Note 5. Giving the reason of the former They that are truly faithful or born again do overcome the world that is they overcome whatsoever opposes it self to the Spirit of God viz. deceits inticements and the terrours of the world and all hinderances which may draw them from obedience to Gods commandements so that their conflicts bee daily yet they do not yeeld but are sure to triumph as conquerors as often as their enemies oppose them And this Note 6. Explicating the former They that are truly faithful do not lean to their own strength in warring against the world but on Christ by Faith who hath overcome the world in their behalf and doth administer strength to them for the overcoming the world which is the most certain excellent and compleat way to conquer Vers. 5. Who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that beleeveth that Iesus is the Son of God The reason of the victory got over the world by Faith is because it is impossible that any one should overcome the world unless it bee hee that despairing of himself by Faith leans on the sole truth and strength of Jesus Christ as of the omnipotent Son of God who hath not onely overcome the world for his but doth also make all his conquerors The Second Part. Vers. 6. This is â—ee that came by water and blood even Iesus Christ not by water onely but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth The other part of the Chapter follows wherein hee proves that wee ought to beleeve in Christ as in the Son of God The Arguments are fourteen Argum. 1. Because Jesus Christ is hee who when hee came brought with him the solid substance of Legal Ceremonies as to that which chiefly belongs to the abolishing of sin For hee came with water or with that holiness in himself and virtue for the sanctifying his which was signified by water and washings in the old Law to be in the Messias that was to come when he came And hee came with blood or with a full expiation of their sins by the propitiatory Sacrifice of his blood offered on the Cross for the taking away of the sins of his people Not by water Hee confirms that because Christ came not with one propriety of a Mediatour which is the Sanctity of his Person and virtue of sanctifying his signified by water or legal washings but hee comes also with another propriety which is expiation and full reconciliation signified by the sprinkling of blood or by the slaying of beasts The admirable symbole of which conjunction was the flowing of water and blood out of his side on the cross as our Apostle hath diligently observed in his Gospel Chap. 19.34 That wee may all know that whom Christ justifies hee also sanctifies and on the contrary those whom hee sanctifies the same hee also justifies Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ. The Spirit Argum. 2. The spirit witnesseth the same i. e. the manifestation of the spirit in divers gifts poured forth upon Christs Disciples witnesseth that Christ is the Son of God and by its dictate makes this firm in the hearts of those that are faithful Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ. Truth Hee confirms this Argument that the Spirit in these operations is true and far from all deceit because it commends nothing to us besides the Word of God or Truth it self Vers. 7. For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Arg. 3. Because as the three persons of the God-head the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are one in essence so they also consent together in witnessing to confirm this one thing That Jesus Christ is the Son of God For the Father witnesseth of him 1 Pronouncing with an audible voice both in Christs Baptism and Transfiguration that he was his beloved Son in whom hee was well pleased 2 In the works which hee gave to Christ to finish Iob 5.16.36 Furthermore the word bears record of Christ that is Christ wherein hee is God bears record of himself being incarnate that hee is the Son of God partly affirming that very
often with a lively voice partly making it manifest in his whole doctrine that hee is the same which came out of his Fathers bosome and laid open his counsel touching mans salvation Hee that cometh from above hee that cometh from Heaven is above all Ioh. 4.31 3 The Holy Ghost bears record that Jesus Christ is the Son of God partly by his descending upon him in his Baptism partly by his descending upon his Apostles and Disciples in the day of Pentecost partly by inspiring the doctrine of Christ into the Pen-men of the Scripture and by commending it to the world that it might teach men and perswade and confirm them touching that truth as truly divine By which hee may gather a Church and lead it into all truth to eternal life These three are said to bear record in Heaven 1 Because they immediately bear witness from Heaven as from their Throne 2 Because the Majesty of these witnesses chiefly shines in Heaven 3 Because this testimony is not heard observed acknowledged unless by souls lifted up to Heaven Lastly Because this testimony for the most part is perfected in Heaven although it should never bee received on earth Therefore yee ought to beleeve in Christ for his testimonies sake Vers. 8. And there are three that bear witness in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one Argum. 4. Because three witnesses in earth consent together to prove that Christ is the Son of God viz. the Spirit and the Water and the Blood which are called witnesses in earth 1 Because this testimony is mediate and is produced out of the works which are to bee seen in the earth 2 Because uttering of this testimony is written in men that are in the earth and is acknowledged by the Visible Church Lastly Because this testimony doth not onely sound in the Church but also utters its voice amongst the men of the world and is heard of them to their conviction For 1 The Spirit or manifestation of the Spirit partly in miraculous gifts which are shed abroad in the Church even to the amazement of the world for many years after Christs ascention Partly in ordinary gifts which as yet flourish in the Church and suffice both to testifie that Christ who is preached amongst us is God and to draw an acknowledgement from them who are without the Church that God is in us who beleeve in Christ 1 Cor. 14. Furthermore the operation of the Spirit in the hearts of the faithful doth so quicken the words of Christ and by them doth so instruct comfort and confirm the elect that it leaves no doubt as touching the Divinity of Christ. As for Water which is the virtue of Christ sanctifiing his it so expresly speaks of Christ that those also who are without the Church seeing the light of good works in Christians are forced to glorifie our Father and the Father of Christ who is in Heaven so that also being even perceived in women it brought their unbeleeving husbands to God who at the first did not acknowledge the Word of God 1 Pet. 3.1 Lastly As for Blood which is the price of redemption and the virtue of Christ expiating sins and reconciling men to God that blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel so that it makes the consciences of the faithful quiet and peaceable and opens a way to the Throne of God and so confirms their hearts against the world and all things which are evil in it that they may bee bold and able to resound even with their own blood this testimony to those enemies that hear them in the midst of torments with joy Rev. 12.11 Therefore wee ought to beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 9. If wee receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater For this is the witness of God which hee hath testified of his Son Argum. 5. For the sake of the testimonies of faithful and true men wee beleeve their assertions Therefore for the sake of the testimony of God which is greater testifying of his Son we ought to beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 10. Hee that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself hee that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyer because hee beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son Argum. 6 Hee that beleeves in Christ as the Son of God is so much rectified that hee rests in the witness of the Spirit inâ—ardly confirming this truth of the Divine Word Therefore c. Hee that beleeveth not Argum. 7. Hee that doth not beleeve in â—hrist as the Son of God doth really accuse God of a lye because hee rejects the testimony concerning his Son as if it were false Therefore wee must beleeve in Christ as the Son of God Vers. 11. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son Argum. 8. Those that beleeve in the Son have right to eternal life which is in the Son as in the Fountain Procurer Giver and Conserver given to them by grace and confirmed by the constancy of Gods testimony Therefore c. Vers. 12. Hee that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life Argum. 9. Hee that truly embraces the Son by Faith hath also eternal life not onely as to the right of it but also to 〈◊〉 inchoate possession and hee that hath not the Son by Faith or seeks life in another rather than in him is destitute and shut out from all spiritual life Therefore c. Vers. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Son of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God Argum. 10. For this end all these things are written to the faithful from the Holy Ghost by the Apostle the Pen-man that they might bee certain that they have eternal life already and might more and more beleeve in the name of the Son of God Therefore yee must beleeve in Christ. Vers. 14. And this is the confidence that wee have in him that if wee ask any thing according to his will hee heareth us Argum. 11. Hee that beleeveth in Christ hath confidence in his approaches to God in prayer and that hee shall have Gods favourable ear in every petition which is put up according to the will of God Therefore c. Vers. 15. And if wee know that hee heareth us whatsoever wee ask wee know that wee have the pâ—titions that wee desired of him Argum. 12. Explicating and unfolding the former Hee that beleeves in Christ by knowing that God will bee propitious to him in his lawful or well-ordered petitions hee may also bee certain that the petitions which hee hath offered according to the Promises of God are already granted by him before they bee finished and so hee may bee assured of the success