the Lord our God as he hath commanded us Thus speakes the Law it selfe Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my Judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. By keeping my Lawes you shall continue your right and state of life to prolong the course of it and to secure it from any violent death to be inflicted by the Law Thus the Prophet Ezech. 18.9 He that hath walked in my statutes to deale truly he is just he shall surely live i. e. by his walking in my Lawes hee becomes upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue and prolong his temporall life which hee not transgressing the Law shall not by the Law bee cut off And thus also the Apostle Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. shall continue to bee justified for that by the deeds of the Law they could not begin to be justified hee meanes to prove at large in the following chapters of that Epistle And for default of these workes the ten tribes forfeited their right to that Land for ever and the other two tribes were sequestred for the tearme of 70 yeares under their captivity in Babylon But the tenure whereby under the Gospel I hold my state of alliance with God and continue my right of inheritance to the kingdome of Heaven are not the workes of the Law in the literall sense Not her Ceremonies as her Feasts in observing dayes and months and times and yeares and her Fasts in not touching not tasting not handling and her Capitall Ceremony of Circumcision which in Christ Jesus availeth nothing Not her Moralities as to bee no Idolater no perjurer no Sabbath-breaker no murderer adulterer thiefe lyar nor deceiver For a profession of my selfe to bee no sinner will not continue my Justification nay a confession of my selfe to bee a sinner will rather justifie mee then a justifying of my self to be no sinner for upon this ground as I am taught Luke 18.14 The Publican went downe to his house justified rather then the Pharisee But because that Pharisee was an Hypocrite let us heare another kinde of Pharisee who was no Hypocrite and yet confesseth of his Innocency that it justified him not 1. Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therefore justified I observe the Moralities of the Law because otherwise I should make my selfe a transgressor and thereby destroy my justification for although my innocency in being no Idolater no perjurer no Sabath-breaker c. will neither constitute nor continue my divine alliance and inheritance yet my Transgression in being an idolater a perjurer a murderer or adulterer or the like will discontinue and destroy it The Moralities of the Law therefore I doe and must observe yet I observe them not in duty to the Law because she commands them nor for feare of the Law because she threatens the breach of them For I am not under the Law but am dead to the Law and it is a part of my Justification to bee free from the Law But the workes which continue my Justification are the works of Grace For seeing God hath so highly Graced mee as to make mee his sonne and heyre therefore to shew my gratefulnes and thankefulnes to God for his grace I observe those duties offices and services whatsoever they be whereto not the letter of Gods Law but the spirit of his grace doth move and draw mee those workes which the grace of his Gospel commands and requires from mee for I am under his Grace And the workes which Gods grace causeth in me and requires from me are the acts of Love exercising it selfe in the offices of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse For seeing God hath so loved and graced me as to make me his son and heire what other workes should his love and grace produce in me but the workes of love for what should love beget but love and what duties should the son doe to his father but the duties of love And these workes of Love have two strange properties for 1. They are super-legall i. e. above and beyond the Law of Moses not only fulfilling but transcending and exceeding it As to feed the hungry and cloath the naked to entertaine the stranger to visit the sicke and releeve the prisoner 2. They are super-naturall i. e. above and beyond the law of Nature for as there is a miraculous faith so there is also a miraculous love which in a maner worketh miracles surpassing the common course of naked nature As not to be Angry not to resist or revenge evill to suffer persecution gladly and joyfully to lay down my life for my brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father to love mine enemies who hate revile and persecute me and in some case to hate my friends as my father and mother my wife and children my brothers and sisters Luk. 14.26 These and the like workes of Love are not the commands of the Law for they are not there manifested though some of them be there testified But they are the Commands of Grace for they are manifested in the Gospel which contayning the precepts and rules of equity mercy courtesie and kindnesse whereto Gods Grace obligeth and enableth me is therefore called the word of his Grace Hence Christ calls Love a new Commandement John 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his commandement John 15.12 This is my Commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you And these workes offices and services of Love are the tenure to continue and maintaine my state of Justification For sayth Paul Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love i. e. The only thing which availeth to make mee continue and abide in Christ is faith working by love And 1. John 2.10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light i. e. Continueth in his state of light and life And 1. John 4.16 He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him i.e. Hee that continueth in the workes of love continueth in that alliance which is between God and him And when James affirmeth that a man is justified by works he meanes not works of the law but works of love and of such love as is both super-legall and supernaturall according to the two strange properties formerly mentioned For sayth he Jam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar Did not Abraham continue justified by his worke in offering Isaac Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not a service of love whereby at Gods immediate command he offered unto God his onely sonne in sacrifice Was not his love super-legall above and beyond the Law For did any Law command that a father should sacrifice his son And
death then it must needes follow that hee had dyed for the Gentiles And 2. Tim. 2.10 That hee endured all things for the Elects sake that they may also obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternall glory And this was not the singular charity of Paul alone But it is also the duty of every Believer to lay downe his life for his brethren especially when the matter concernes their salvation for heereof the death of Christ is both the reason and the example 1. John 3.16 Heereby perceive wee the love of God because hee layd downe his life for us and wee ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren Likewise of every true Martyr by whose constancy I finde my selfe confirmed in the truth it may bee truely sayd that hee dyed for the good of my salvation Yet notwithstanding all other persons besides Christ are in this kinde onely subservient unto Christ and the benefit which I have by their death doth onely second my blessing by his Who loved mee The Motive that induced Christ to give himselfe for mee was his Love to mee For as the fruit of his death was my good So the roote of it was his love for because hee loved mee therefore hee dyed for mee Certainely a reall love not in word or in tongue but in deede and in truth testified and certified by his death for by the outward passion of his death hee declared the inward affection of his love And certainely a liberall love for seeing love delights to give what could hee give mee more then to give himselfe for mee For the greatnesse of his love unto mee is heere signified by two circumstances that inclose and stand about his Love One before it by the greatnesse of his person in that hee was the sonne of God for what greater person was there in the world who was mortall and able to dye for mee The other after it by the greatnesse of his passion in that hee gave himselfe to death for mee for what could hee possibly doe more for my sake then to lay downe his life for mee Seeing beyond this there can bee no greater love and hence hee himselfe commends the greatnesse of love John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends His love therefore was the Cause of his death and his death was the Effect of his love For hence in severall passages of Scripture his Love and his Death go hand in hand as the Cause with the effect As Ephes 5.2 Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himselfe for us And Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it And 1. John 3.16 Heereby perceive wee the love of God because hee layd downe his life for us Yet the love of Christ unto mee was not the sole and onely cause of his death for mee so as to exclude the love of the Father from being concurrent with the love of Christ For God the Father also loved mee and loved mee so eminently and so principally that his love was the cause why Christ loved mee and therefore consequently Gods love unto mee must needes bee the cause why Christ dyed for mee and must needes bee also the supreame cause that hath no higher cause above it For Christ therefore dyed for mee because hee loved mee and hee therefore loved mee because God loved mee But why God loved mee I know no cause beside his love Yet that Gods love to mee is the cause why Christ dyed for mee is manifest from severall passages of Scripture as John 3.16 For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne i. e. Gave him to dye for his love to the World was the cause why hee exposed his sonne to death And Rom. 3.25 God hath set forth Christ to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse i. e. His kindnes which is the effect of his love And Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us And 1. John 4.10 Heerein is love not that wee loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins And the greatnesse of Gods love heerein is manifest also by two circumstances One of the Person dying a person of that Majesty and of so neare alliance unto God that hee was the sonne of God and his onely begotten sonne Which must needs argue in God an excesse and high degree of love For hee that is so free as to give up his owne sonne for mee doth thereby further give mee to understand that hee would willingly give mee all that ever hee hath And beyond this can there bee any greater love or can any love bee more free Yet such was Gods love to mee in the death of Christ Rom. 8.32 Hee that spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall hee not with him also freely give us all things The other Circumstance is of the persons for whom Christ dyed for they were sinners and ungodly wretches persons deserving death themselves and altogether unworthy that any one should dye for them and therefore much lesse the sonne of God Peradventure for good and godly men some man would dye but would any man dye for sinners and ungodly wretches But Christ dyed for us while wee were yet sinners and ungodly and therein God commended the greatnesse of his love to us Rom. 5.7 Peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye but God commendeth his love towards us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Hence there will follow these three verities 1. Gods wrath was not the cause of Christs death For wee cannot finde any such Doctrine delivered in the Scriptures But from severall expresse Scriptures wee have clearely shewed that the cause of Christs death was Gods love unto us and that love was not ordinary and vulgar but singularly and intirely the greatest that ever was in the world Wee were indeede the children of wrath i. e. lyable to Gods wrath and worthy of it Yet it doth not thence follow that God was then actually wrath with us for God who is rich in grace and mercy may in a divers respect actually love them who actually deserve his wrath And when Christ dyed for us wee were then dead in sinnes i. e. guilty of death by reason of our sinnes Yet it thence followeth not that our sinnes were punished in the death of Christ for God may actually pardon their life who actually are guilty of death This God may doe de jure and hath already done it de facto and hee hath done it for this end that thereby hee might shew the exceeding riches of his love and grace in his mercy and kindnesse towards us through Christ Ephes 2.3 Wee all had our conversation in times past
remit or forgive our sinnes by doing all such acts whereby we might finally enjoy the benefit thereof when hee shall rayse us from death to give us the possession of eternall life That he might deliver us Heer is another end or effect of Christs death subordinat to the former and therefore somewhat more remote from it namely our deliverance from the servitude of sin which though causally on his part it be a deliverance yet effectually on our part it is our Repentance The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to exempt take out or pluck out in delivering from some sodain danger and delivering in a speciall maner namely powerfully and hastily plucking or snatching away the party by force and speed As Peter was delivered by the Angel out of prison from the hand of Herod the night before he should have been slaine wherof Peter making relation useth the same word Act. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod Or as Paul was delivered by Lysias the Colonel who with an army or band of men rescued him from the Jewes when they were about to kill him as Lysias relates Acts 23.27 where he useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he which in our last English Translation is there rendred rescued To the same sense the Scripture useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exempt redeeme or rescue From this present evill world The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. out of the sinfulnesse that he might deliver or pluck us out of that sinfulnesse which reigneth in the men of this present world For evill is heer put for sinfulnesse and the world for the men of the world or worldly men whose maners conditions and actions are evill sinfull or wicked If our deliverance be good as comming from Christ it must needs be then the terme or state from whence we are delivered must needs be evill Yet the evill heer meant is not the evill of punishment because thence we are delivered by the Remission of sinnes whereby the punishment is taken away as was intimated in the former clause of this verse Nor the evill of Affliction from which we are many times delivered and from which we pray for deliverance as 2. Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men i. e. From the afflictions and violences which we suffer under them But Affliction cannot be heer meant because that is not an end or effect of Christs death for he died not to deliver us from affliction but rather to animate us against it and to encourage us to suffer it But the Evill heer intended is the evill of sin or rather that degree of sin which is wickednesse as it is opposed to sins of Errour and Frailty such wickednesse as Idolatry Murder Adultery c. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in King JAMES his Translation is constantly Englished Wickednesse Wherefore To be delivered from this present evill world is not meant locally as if we should be taken away from being in the world or be so separated from worldly men as not to feare any affliction from their violences or any corruption from their examples for then we must altogether go locally out of this world But the words are to be understood Morally for a separation from their wicked courses by abstayning from all wickednesse and in undergoing a course of life contrary to the common course of this present evill world framing our selves to the workes of love and to the wayes of holinesse according to the precepts and rules of Christ This distinction betweene a locall and a morall separation is taught us by Christ when he prayed to his Father for his Disciples Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evill i. e. From doing that evill which is wickednesse And so I understand Christ when he taught us to pray Matt. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from evill i. e. Not only from suffering of that evil which proceeds from the wickednesse of others but chiefly from our doing of any evill which is wickednesse For we pray that God would not lead us into temptation now when we are tempted whether by meanes of affliction or otherwise the purpose whereat the temptation aymeth is not our suffering of evill but our doing of it See heere the nature of true Repentance Repentance is a separation from wickednesse For it is a deliverance or separation or turning from evill not from that of affliction which is the suffering of evill but from that of sin which is the doing of evill Yet not from all sin in every degree of it as errours and frailties for unto such a Repentance as to bee wholly sinlesse no sinner ever yet did or ever can attaine in this life But it is a separation from that degree of sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malignity malice or wickednesse which consisteth either in a wilfull custome of sin or in the act of some one sin whereof the pravity amounts to a custome Repentance then is a liberty or freedome from wickednesse for when Christ by forgiving our wickednesse delivereth us from it then he causeth our repentance and when we by forsaking wickednesse are delivered from it then are wee come to Repentance Unto this Repentance many have attayned and thereto every Beleever may and must attaine in this life or else his faith is not effectuall unto salvation And this Repentance is really one and the same thing with holinesse though betweene them there may bee some rationall differences as the words in divers mens understandings may bee diversly dilated or restrayned For holinesse may bee in a person who never sinned as is that of God of Christ and of Angels but when the subject of holinesse is a person that was a sinner and the terme from whence it began was sin then such holinesse is repentance and in this life the holinesse of Beleevers is no other although therof there are diverse degrees wherein some far exceed others The Motive unto repentance or holinesse of life or the cause that should invite and draw us unto the workes worthy thereof or which is all one the Means whereby Christ delivereth us from the evill or sinfulnesse of this present world is the remission or forgivenes of our sinnes For to what end or effect did Christ die for us It was to this end to testifie and confirme the New Testament that it might be in force unto us and that we might have a present right to the Legacies therein devised or promised whereon one is the Remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes And to what end or effect are our sinnes forgiven
of them The Termes or words whereby these Legacies or promises are disposed and conveyed unto Beleevers are imputing ordayning and predestinating which in this respect signifie no more then what men commonly understand by the two usuall Testamentary words of Devising and bequeathing The Conditions or precepts whereto these Legacies or promises are limited and without which they shall never be possessed are the Duties of Repentance or holines in the works of love towards our selves toward our neighbour and toward God which workes who so performeth that person is truly sayd to be delivered from this present evill world according to the will of God And our Father i. e. who is our Father For the particle and is not heer copulative as if it joyned and argued divers persons whereof God is one and our Father another but explicative to specifie divers attributes of the same person because the person according to whose will Christ died for our sinnes the same is both God and our Father Wherefore the particle and is heere put for that is or rather for the pronoune relative who is And heerby Paul doth tacitly insinuate the fundamentall Legacy of Gods last Will and Testament which is the grace of divine alliance by adoption whereby God makes over unto us the donation of himselfe to become our Father and whereby hee accepts us for his sonnes and heirs and co-heirs with Christ who was his only native sonne For our Adoption whereby wee acquire this divine alliance that God is our father is the Testamentary foundation whereon are grounded and setled all the subsequent Legacies whereto wee are justified as the Sanctification of the spirit the Remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and life everlasting For because initially in the first place God gives himselfe unto us to become our Father therefore consequently hee will doe all further acts which become a father to doe for his sonnes and will impart unto them the fulnesse of his blessings And further he attributes unto God this title of being our father as a Motive unto us for our holines Because our deliverance from the evill and sin of this world which makes our holines is according to the will of God our father who is himselfe holy in all his works and requires from us works of holines and enableth us to performe them For by his last Will and Testament hee promiseth and covenanteth with us to regenerate or sanctifie us with his holy spirit and to write in the tables of our hearts those lawes and rules which containe in themselves and require from us a greater measure and degree of holines then ever were in those lawes which once he wrot in the tables of stone See and compare Jer. 24.7 and Jer. 31.33 and Ezech. 11.19 20. and Ezech. 36.27.28 and 2. Cor. 3.3 and Heb. 8.10 And because by our holines of life God becomes most really and properly our Father for upon our adoption God is but our jurall father whereby we have a right to blessednes even the same right with Christ to be co-heirs with him thereunto but upon our holines of life God becomes our morall father after whose likenes we doe right wherein we most resemble God for thereby we put on the new man which after Gods image is renewed in righteousnes and true holines Thus our most gracious God who before vers 1. was by the Apostle stiled the father by way of community in generall is now by vertue of his last Will and Testament related to us in particular and stiled our father Although by vertue of Gods first testament God became a father unto the Jewes and they to him were children yet in that testament God doth not ordinarily stile himselfe their father but their God and their Lord. Because though hee were their father yet he caryed himselfe toward them not in the condition or quality of a Father but of their Lord and Master and they though they were his heires yet because they were children in their non-age they differed nothing from the condition or quality of servants for they were held in bondage under the worldly elements of carnall commandements as will appeare afterward Cap. 4.1 of this Epistle But by vertue of his last will and testament God becomes unto Christians not onely a Father indeed and condition but also in title and appellation stiling himselfe constantly by the name of our Father and commanding us to petition or pray to him by the title of our Father which title argues a relation of more comfort favour love and grace then that of Lord. They therefore are in an errour who in their Prayers Sermons or other discourses esteeme it a higher honour to God and affect it as a greater grace to themselves to mention God by the name of the Lord according to the Jewish forme under the Law then by the name of our Father which is the Christian forme under the Gospell VERSE 5. Text. To whom bee glory for ever and ever Amen Sense To whom i. e. To God our Father Bee glory i. e. Bee given the Supreme and highest degree of honour For ever and ever i. e. Throughout all ages in this world and also in the world to come Amen i. e. so be it or God grant it may be so Reason These words returne a Devotion by way of doxology benediction or thanksgiving unto God for his grace unto us by Christ For seeing Christ hath died for the remission of our sinnes and for our sanctification to deliver or withdraw us from the sinfulnes of this present world and seeing this is done according to the will and testament of God who is thereby become our father therefore what lesse thankfulnes can we return for these blessings then to glorifie our heavenly Father Comment Christ must bee glorified by us Amen an adverb not of swearing but of affirming and of wishing TO whom be glory Though Grammatically the Relative to whom be of the singular number and referred to the person last mentioned who is God our Father yet Theologically it must also be referred more antecedently to the person mentioned further off who is Christ our Lord. Because we must not by any meanes exclude Christ from the right and due of glory for as the blessing unto us comes primarily from God and derivatively by Christ so our Blessing or thanksgiving for it must be derived or conveyed unto God by Christ who brought this grace from God unto us and who is the Person by and through whom we must glorifie God See Rom. 16.27 and Ephes 3.21 and Heb. 13.21 For how can we containe our selves from blessing and glorifying of God our Father by Christ our Lord when we apprehend and consider that God is become our Father at so deare a rate as the death of his only Son Jesus Christ our Lord For ever and ever Because God and Christ doe live and reigne for ever and we who are true Christians shall live with them for ever for everlasting
the reproof is by way of Interrogation which therefore redounds to the sharper reprehension for in demanding a reason of his action why he being a Jew compelled the Gentiles he seems to tell him that he had no reason at all for his action but rather his action was against all reason Yet the Interrogatory of his reproofe is but one and that one so concise that the language and the argument of it is contained and couched under a marvelous brevity q. d. seeing thou art a Christian Jew and by vertue of thy Christianity hast relinquished Judaisme and hast hitherto lived after the liberty of the Gentiles eating all sorts of meats after their maner for so thou didst eate till certaine Jewes came from James why art thou now become so contrary to thy selfe as to relapse back againe into Judaisme and in one fact to commit three offences for therein thou dissemblest with thine owne soule seeing thou hast declared thy judgement to the contrary and therein thou confirmest the Jewish Christians in their infirmity for by thy fact they will be hardened and therin thou compellest the Gentile-Christians to Judaize for thereto they are forced by the example of thy fact and for feare of thee Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as doe the Jewes Why some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. how but it matters not at all what the Interrogation should be for although the words be Interrogatory yet the sense is reprehensory thus certainely thou art too blame in compelling c. Compellest thou The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. necessitatest not by way of violence but by way of example whereby thou dost occasion and move them and by thy fact dost impose a kinde of necessity upon them to doe the like or at least that for fear of thee and of thy authority that dare not do otherwise For he is sayd to necessitate or compell who by force of reason or of example doth vehemently perswade or urge a thing to be done for in this sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used See afterward cap. 6. vers 12. and Luke 14.23 and Mat. 14.22 and Marc. 6.45 and Act 28.19 and 2 Cor 12.11 The Gentiles to Judaize i. e. The Christian-Gentiles to abstaine from certaine meats after the Jewish manner seeing neither that Ceremony nor any other part of the Law of Moses was ever by God imposed on the Gentiles for that Law to them was never given nor never binding q. d. Why dost thou now contrary to thy declared judgement and to thy former custome force the Gentiles to forsake their liberty and to apply themselves to the Ceremonies and observances of the Jewish Lawes whereto the Gentiles were never obliged this is not onely against all equity but against the liberty of the Gentiles and against the freedome of the Gospel The Law of Moses did not now binde the Jewes for by the accesse of the new Testament the old ceased and was expired much lesse should the Gentiles be compelled to it now being expired seeing formerly while it was in force it never obliged them But so great was the authority of Peter that any notable act of his was in a maner compulsory to prescribe and impose upon others especially when the rest of the Jewish Christians and even Barnabas himselfe followed the example of it Neither could all know that Peter herein dissembled for they might believe that he did it as moved in conscience and that now he corrected that errour whereinto before he somwhat swerved in love and courtesie to the Gentile-Christians Seeing then this fact of Peter might have occasioned great troubles seeing it might have disquieted the consciences of many and have much hindred the liberty of the Gospel therefore Paul had great reason to pluck off the vizard in publicke and to discover before all men the person which Peter had assumed For necessary it is that even great Persons when their example grows to a publick offence should undergoe a publick reproof yea the greater they are and the greater the danger that may arise from their example so much the greater should our care be that their authority which otherwise is to be maintained for the publicke good be not turned to the publicke ruine Hence for our better understanding of the former foure verses and of divers passages in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles wee may and must observe that in the Church of Christ there then were and still are and ever will bee three sorts of Christians or three severall parties which agreeing all in the faith of Christ differed much among themselves 1. The sincere Christian who was intirely and wholly a Christian believing in Christ and walking in Christ or as from Pauls words in this verse they may bee described who believed uprightly and walked uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel edifying their faith and composing their life according to the Doctrines Precepts and Rules delivered by Christ and his Apostles These laboured for the sincerity and purity of the Gospel to preserve the truth therof clean and free from the admixture leaven of all Religions Opiniōs whatsoever that therunto were alien and forraine These were inoffensive peaceable and quiet giving no scandall to any party who differed from them in judgement or practice not busying their mindes with foolish questions and fruitlesse disputes to no profit but exercising themselves not in the workes of the Law but in the workes of their callings and in the good workes of the Gospel by doing all Offices and Services of Love Charity Equity Mercy Courtesie and Kindenesse towards all men but especially towards the houshold of faith and chiefely one toward another These were the children of the Kingdome the good seede which Christ sowed in the field of the world and they were the Wheate among which his Enemy sowed Tares Of this sort were the Friends Landlords and Companions of Paul to whom and from whom in his Epistles hee sendeth salutes also Aquila and Priscilla and the Church in their house also the houshold of Cloe of Crispus Gaius and Stephanas in the Church of Corinth also the house of Onesiphorus and all those in the Church of Ephesus whom Paul salutes in these words Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and also those in the Church of Philippi to whom hee writes thus Phil. 1.9.10 And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that yee may approve things that are excellent that yee may bee sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 2. The second party of Christians were the Judaizers for by that name Paul seemes to denote them heere by using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to judaize or to live as doe the Jewes These in respect of their faith were Christians but by their life they were Jewish for they did believe
verses 21.25.26 For the Apostle in other of his Epistles speaking to the same purpose doth expresse the very same thing by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English Translations render kindenesse as Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come hee might shew the riches of his grace in his kindenesse towards us through Jesus Chrisi now that of God which unto the Romans hee called Revealing manifesting and declaring of Gods righteousnesse heere hee termeth Shewing of his kindenesse And Tit. 3.4 But after that the kindenesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared kindnesse appeared heere is the very same with righteousnesse revealed and manifested before And againe 2. Cor. 9.10 Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower c. increase the fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your righteousnesse i. e. of your kindnesse in contributing and ministring to the poore Saints of Jerusalem Hence also that Chest of the Temple at Jerusalem which stood in the Treasury whereinto the people cast that money which they offered for the necessities and services of the Temple was by the Jewes called Cuphah Schel Zedakah the Chest of righteousnesse i. e. of kindenesse because it contained that money which was contributed by the voluntary kindnesse courtesie or bounty of the people Moreover that wee may bee no way imagined to enforce or obtrude this sense of kindenesse upon the word righteousnesse it is yet further observable that the Hebrew word Zedakah which ordinarily signifies righteousnesse is in severall passages of the Old Testament rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies kindenesse See or consult the Learned for these passages Deut. 6.25 and Deut. 24.13 and Psal 24.5 and Psal 33.5 and Psal 103.6 and especially Dan. 4.27 And the Hebrew word Chesed which properly signifies kindenesse is always by the Septuagint rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies mercy But where the Hebrew hath Chesed and the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there our last English Translation doth render it two wayes indifferently sometime mercy sometime kindenesse and loving kindnesse But the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it properly signifie kindenesse yet wheresoever it is used in the New Testament and used it is there not infrequently yet onely by Mathew and Luke is perpetually in our last English Translation rendred Alms but in the Old Testament where it is also frequently mentioned it is never rendred Almes for there the word Almes is never read and the word Almes is not the Native English but the Grecisme of it to signifie that act or gift which proceedes from kindenesse for betweene these three words Mercy Kindenesse and Almes there is so neare an affinity that either may well bee put for the other seeing Mercy is that inward affection which exercising it selfe outwardly in the acts and deedes of Almes doth produce the habit and vertue of Kindnesse from which afterward proceede the morall acts and deedes of Almes for those acts are properly morall not which produce the habit but which the habit doth produce Because they proceede from such a person whose maner it is to use such acts and to use them frequently Hence by the way it may appear that about these words Mat. 6.1 Take heede that you doe not your almes before men there needs no great dispute what should in the Originall bee the word for almes whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly because it is far the more probable that the right Originall was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the most ancient Manuscripts have it so and apparent it is that so it was read by the Syriake and Arabick Interpreters so by the most Ancient Greeke Fathers so by almost all the Latine so translated by the Vulgar Latine and so by Beza a learned and diligent Interpreter And partly because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are unto a Greeke eare so concurrent in sense that they are but two words to signifie one and the same action either word being a glosse to explicate the other For unto the Orientall or Easterne Greekes living in Asia after whose language the New Testament is written the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was very usuall and familiar to signifie that kindenesse whose acts are Almes But unto the Westerne Greekes living in Europe that word in that sense was somewhat strange and was better expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense whereof was unto them better knowne And very probable it is as Grotius well conjectures that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was first adjoyned in the Margin and was afterward translated into the Text to exclude the other But of the word Zedakah which St. Mathew there followes the Syriake Interpreter notes thus on the place It is worth our observation saith hee that the word Zedakah which among the Hebrewes Caldyes and Syrians signifies Righteousnesse doth also signifie Almes And we may further observe that the Greeke phrase in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies to doe a kindnesse which is eminently done in doing of almes is but an expression of the Hebrew phrase frequent in the Old Testament gnasoth zedakah which in our last English is rendred sometime to doe justice sometime to doe righteousnesse viz. in a morall sense as justice and righteousnesse signifie kindnesse For an instance or two heereof see or consult the learned for these places Psal 15.2 and Psal 99.4 and Psal 106.3 and Proverbs 21.3 and Esay 32.17 and Esay 56.1 and Esay 58.2 and Jerem. 9.24 and Jerem. 22.3 and Jer. 33.15 And the Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth this of the Hebrew Gnasoth chesed frequent in the Old Testament which in our last English is rendred to shew mercy See Psal 18.50 and Psal 109.16 Now to doe kindnesse and to shew mercy are all one Really and differ onely verbally because the doing of kindnesse is a shewing of mercy for mercy is that inward affection which is shewed outwardly by the deeds of kindnesse Thus we have shewed two senses of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the just or righteous man first the legall for the upright or innocent man and then the morall for the kinde or courteous man and consequently for the abstract that justice or righteousnes doth signifie both uprightnes and kindnes If now we compare these two senses one with another we may observe foure things 1. That very frequently in Scripture they are coupled and joyned in one sentence not alwayes under these names but under words equivalent bearing these senses the places are too numerous for us to make instance yea that solemne Oath which Princes at their Coronation do ordinarily take to doe Justice and Mercy containes nothing else but uprightnes and kindnes in the senses premised for Justice and Mercy are not natively English but Latinismes 2. That these two Virtues are not opposite
bestowes upon man for the acts of kinde persons are also called kindnesses are divine blessings beseeming the goodnes and greatnes of God as a right of heavenly freedome a right of Alliance with God and a right of inheritance in his kingdome For God is so free that his will is to make man free of heaven by giving him a right of divine freedome as a Denizen or Citizen of the Kingdome of Heaven See John 8.32 36. and Rom. 6.22 and Rom. 8.2 and 1 Cor. 7.22 and Ephes 2.19 and Heb. 8.10 And God is so kinde as to make man his Kinsman by giving him a right of divine alliance in making him his Son and becomming a father to him which makes not a remote and distant alliance but the nearest and best degree of kindred See John 1.12 and Rom. 8.14 and 2 Cor. 6.18 and Phil. 2.15 and Gal. 4.5 and 1 John 3.1 2. So fatherly kinde as to make man his heire by giving him a right of inheritance in Heaven where God hath provided for him many Manors and Mansions so goodly and so glorious that the Manors and Mansions on earth are but the figures and shadowes of those in Heaven for God who hath feared man here upon earth will hereafter most gloriously settle him in Heaven whereof he hath already made him the Heire by giving him a present right to the future possession of it for this kinde of right makes the nature of an Heire See Mat. 5.3 and Mat. 25.34 and John 14.2 and Rom. 8.17 and Gal. 4.7 and Ephes 1.3 and Ephes 2.6 and Tit. 3.7 and James â— 5 and 1 Pet. 1.4 But for the better conveyance and settling of these Heavenly kindnesses God frames his Will into a Testament wherein more blessings are devised and bequeathed unto man by way of gifts and Legacyes for hence the holy Scriptures both New and Old are called Gods Testaments though at the first making neither of them were written but were nuncupative because God at first declared his will by the word of his mouth for hence the same Testaments are called the word of God but his Will being afterwards written became the Scriptures And God by publishing of his Testament reveales the Gifts and Legacies thereof into promises for Gods promises are but his Gifts and Legacyes declared he covenants with man for the performance of those Promises and confirmes his Covenant that it may be irrevocable Now the proper virtue and effect of Testaments Promises and Covenants especially being once confirmed is to constitute ordaine impute and convey unto the persons concerned rights interests and claymes to the things therein specified And the rights and claymes constituted ordained and conveyed in Gods Testament are no lesse precious then the inheritances of Heaven whereto man is instituted Heire for although among men here on earth some Lands and inheritances cannot be disposed by Will and Testament yet all the inheritances of Heaven are deviseable by the Will and Testament of God And Gods Testament argues Gods marvellous loving kindnes for can a man possibly shew greater love and kindnes then first to give away all his estate and at last to confirme that gift give up his life all which is done in the making of a Will because a Will is a Deed which makes away all and yet it selfe is not fully made at least not made of force untill the death of the maker And Gods Testament for the purpose of it is a Will ad pias causas i. e. for godly and charitable uses wherein Gods goods are all distributed for the reliefe of impotent poore and needy wretches for all the parties instituted in Gods Testament are miserable persons such as are the blind and lame the deafe and dumbe the dead and buried such as are strangers unto God as aliens bondslaves captives and prisoners unto Satan such as are Sinners against him as offendors and malefactors For hence the publishing of Gods last Will and Testament is called by Christ Luke 4.18 preaching of the Gospel to the poore sending to heale the broken-hearted preaching deliverance to the captives recovering of sight to the blind setting at liberty them that are bruised And this againe doth magnifie Gods marveylous loving kindnesse for can a Testament shew greater love and kindnesse then when it is all for charitable uses And the better to qualifie these miserable persons and to inable them for the possession of these blessings Gods will is yet further to performe all acts thereto conducing as to Illuminate and instruct them in heavenly knowledge that they may know God to be their gratious Father to Regenerate and sanctifie them by writing his divine Law in their hearts that they may carry themselves as the sons of God to Expiate pardon and forgive all their sins in generall past present and to come to Redeem from the grave their dead and vile bodies transforming them into heavenly and glorious bodies and lastly to Glorifie them at their entrance into their Lords joy where they shall be partakers of his divine nature and the freeholders of eternall blessednesse For such clauses there are in Gods will See Heb. 8.10 11 12. and Phil. 3.21 and 2. Pet. 1.4 Hence the nature of Justifying may easily appeare For when unto a Sinner and a stranger God by his Will and Testament deviseth or imputeth a present right to a future blessing then God justifieth the ungodly and when a Sinner hath that right then a man is justified And therefore actively and factively all the gifts and Legacies of Gods Will and all the promises of God doe justifie because it is the nature of a Legacy and of a promise to impute a present right to some future benefit or blessing And therefore againe passively and effectually all the free men of Gods kingdome and all the sonnes and heyres of God are justified because it is the nature of a freeman of a son and of an heyre to have a present right to a future estate When unto Abraham who at first was a sinner and a stranger God by his Will and Testament devised these earthly blessings That he should have an heyre from his owne body and should have the Kingdome of Canaan for his inheritance Gods will was that Abraham should have a present right to those blessings and when effectually Abraham had that right then was he justified When unto Rahab who was an harlot and a stranger God by the same Will imputed a present right to her future safety and consequently to make her free in Israel then was Rahab justified When unto the Jewes who were sinners God by his last Will and Testament which is his new Covenant devised and ordayned the kingdome of Heaven and those heavenly blessings wherof the Earthly kingdome of Canaan and her blessings were but figures and shadowes as their exemption from the Law the Priviledge and benefit of Repentance the Renovation of their mindes the Remission of their sins the Resurrection of their bodies and the Inheritance of
was not his love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when his love to God with whom he had alliance only by faith surpassed his love to his only son with whom hee had alliance by nature and in whose behalfe he had received the promises Againe Jam. 2.25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when shee had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Did not Rahab continue justified by her worke in receiving rhe Messengers Was that worke a duty of the Law or was it not an office of love or as she called it Jos 2.12 a shewing of kindnesse whereby she entertayned and lodged strangers Was not her love super-legall above and beyond the Law for did any Law command that a woman of the City should entertain Spies who came to prepare the destruction of the City And was not her love super-naturall above and beyond the Law of nature when she shewed kindnesse to her enemies in housing hiding and sending them out another way These Offices of love at least the super-legall are the workes whereby at the day of Judgement my Justification must take effect for my salvation or finall possession of that inheritance whereto I am justified For according to these works the finall sentence of Blessednes is formed and pronounced by Christ for the righteous Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye tooke me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And although to me in my owne person ye did not this yet in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me And for default of these workes my present Justification will then at that day become of no benefit unto mee but will prove frustrate voyd and of no effect For according to the contrary of these workes the contrary sentence of eternall death is framed and pronounced upon the wicked whether they were ever justified or not justified as appeareth in the following part of that Chapter VERSE 19. Text. For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Sense Through the Law i. e. Through the death of the Law which is expired and dead I am dead to the Law i. e. I have left my old carnall life according to the letter and rules of the Law and doe not the workes thereof That I might live unto God viz. In a new spirituall life aceptable and pleasing to God Reason Heere begins a second Argument to prove the Negative of his principall assertion concerning Justification namely that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law and consequently that he himselfe was not so justified for having translated his discourse unto his owne person hee continueth his argument accordingly For because the Law it selfe is expired and dead therefore it can produce no such effect as to justifie mee for a thing that is dead is without effect And because I am dead to the Law not living by her rules nor doing her workes therefore by them I cannot bee justified for no man is justified by an act which hee doth not And his purpose heerein is that this argument should conclude much more for the Gentiles for if the Law bee dead unto Paul who was a Jew by nature and for whom it was enacted much more was it dead unto the Gentiles upon whom it was never in force and therefore much lesse should they bee forced to the workes of it This verse seemes to bee the summe of the first sixe verses in the seventh Chapter to the Romans Comment The Law ordayned as perpetuall Not limited to a time certaine Yet limited to a time uncertaine But is now expired how far and why so and to what effect and sub-effect FOR I through the Law There must heer be made a supply of the word Death or some such like to that sense thus For I through the death expiration or cessation of the Law am dead expired or ceased to the Law The Law of Moses in respect of the duration how long it should continue and remaine in force was ordayned by God to be perpetuall for unto many ordinances thereof there are annexed expresse words of perpetuity So Circumcision which was the soveraigne ordinance and the chiefe Ceremony of the whole Law was enjoyned for an everlasting covenant Gen. 17.13 And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant So the Passover was to be observed as an Ordinance for ever Exod. 12.14 And you shall keepe it a Feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keep it a Fevst by an Ordinance for ever So the Sabbath was to be observed for a perpetual covenant Exod. 31.16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant So the Fast of Expiation was to bee an everlasting statute Levit. 16.34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an attonement for the Children of Israel for all their sinnes once a yeare So the holy Assemblies or Festivals of the Lord mentioned Levit. 23. were to bee statutes for ever throughout their generations in all their dwellings So the Lamps for the Sanctuary Lev. 24.3 must burne before the Lord continually it shall be a statute for ever in your generations And the like is sayd for the Shewbread Levit. 24.8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant Notwithstanding all these severall expressions of Perpetuity yet the Law of Moses was not ordayned to bee so everlasting that it should last as long as the World lasteth and have no end till the Worlds end For this opinion was and is the errour of the unbeleeving Jewes and of the beleeving Judaizers But the Law of Moses though it was ordayned to bee perpetuall and everlasting yet withall it was ordayned also to bee transitory mutable and ceaseable For the understanding whereof wee must observe that the duration of the Law was ordered two wayes 1. The duration of it was not limited to any time certaine or to a set number of yeares And in this respect it was perpetuall or everlasting especially because as the event shewed it lasted for the space of fifteene hundred yeares and according to the phrase of the Scripture any long space of time or any thing lasting long is called everlasting as Psal 24.7 And bee yee lift up yee everlasting doores i. e. Ye doores of Cedar which is a long lasting wood For the Perpetuity or everlastingnesse of a Law implieth not a duration infinite that should never have an end but consisteth in a duration
Italian in the Vulgar French and in our former English Translation in use before that of King JAMES which leaveth the Greeke and followeth the Latine of Beza Yet in the Translation of King JAMES the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places of the New Testament is rendred in that as Rom. 6.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for in that hee dyed I live by the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the faith for so the Vulgar Latine Italian and French render it The Greeke Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though many times it signifie by or through Yet heere it doth not so for the Apostles meaning is not to shew the meanes whereby hee lived but the manner wherein hee lived And the word faith by way of metonymy or transnomination is heere put for Religion which is the proper and due effect of faith for so faith is taken in divers places as Gal. 1.23 Now preacheth the faith which once hee destroyed i. e. the Religion which once hee destroyed And 1. Tim. 4.1 In the latter times some shall depart from the faith i. e. from the Religion And 1. Tim. 5.8 If any man provide not for his owne especially for those of his owne house hee hath denyed the faith i. e. the Religion of Christ To live in the flesh is to performe the naturall and civill acts of a mortall man who is compassed with flesh and blood as to eate drinke and sleepe to labour traffick or otherwise follow the workes of my worldly calling But to live after the flesh is another and a contrary thing not allowable to any Christian not compatible with mortification nor consistent with salvation For living after the flesh is a continuance in those sinnes which will for certaine exclude the sinner from his divine inheritance in the Kingdome of God as will appeare afterwards in this Epistle cap. 5. vers 19. c. To live in the faith or Religion of Christ is to performe those workes of Love which belong to a Believer professing the faith of Christ as workes of love to himselfe by Patience Temperance Chastity and Humility Love to his brother by Equity Mercy Meekenesse and Kindnesse Love to God by Piety and Devotion in his Worship and Service Or to live in the faith as the Apostle expresseth it in other words Ephes 4.1 Is to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith wee are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love And againe Coloss 1.10 It is to walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke c. In a word it is to live a religious and holy life according to the profession and obligation of my faith for if my faith have not this effect upon mee to make mee live thus my faith is dead I were as good have no faith as have the Divels faith which justifies not And I were as good againe have no faith as to have such a bare semblance or shadow of a justifying faith which sanctifies me not For my Justification is before my Sanctification not onely in nature and time but also is or ought to bee the cause of it and will bee frustrate unlesse it have that effect An Objecti ∣ on The words then of this clause are another prevention of a tacit objection that might bee made against his former words immediately preceding For some man might thereupon say Seeing you and all other Christians are mortall men cloathed with flesh yee must needes therefore live after the manner of other men by performing those actions which belong to flesh and blood as actions naturall in eating drinking and sleeping and actions civill in discoursing buying selling and negotiating in the works of your calling All which actions and the like seeme nothing pertinent unto Christ and to life spirituall but carnall the Answer To this Objection his Answer seemes to bee thus as for my former sinfull actions they are wholly crucified and mortified for I have utterly renounced them and live not in them at all And as for my naturall and civill actions they are altered and changed for they are not now wholly the same that they were before but are all done in faith for they are as it were animated and quallified with my faith which governeth and ordereth them after a religious way For while I performe those naturall and civill actions which belong to flesh and bloud as necessary to the course of this mortall life I have alwayes a respect to the Faith and Religion of Christ which I professe thereby moderating ordering and ruling all my actions that I may walke worthy of the vocation whereto I am called carrying all things in a due conformity thereto and avoyding all tnat eyther may bring a scandall upon it or bee any way unworthy thereof For even my naturall and civill actions are now all referred unto God and being done in thankefulnesse to him for his grace they serve to declare and advance his glory Whether I eate or eat not to the Lord I eate or eate not and give God thankes Rom. 4.6 Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thankes and hee that eateth not to the Lord hee eateth not and giveth God thankes This clause therefore of Living in the flesh and yet living in the Faith seemeth to be the same with that 2. Cor. 10.3 Though we walk in the flesh we doe not warre after the flesh Hence it appeeres that Our naturall and civill actions as far as they are capable of morality doe belong unto fayth For even upon such actions faith may have such an influence that they may be done in faith and that action which in one man is meerely naturall may in another be both naturall and religious being cloathed with some circumstance which may make it a service acceptable unto God Although my Faith and Religion oblige me not to undertake every kinde of action yet faith must moderate the maner of every action which I undertake that it be suitable to the will of God and faith must direct the end of every action that it tend to the glory of God Hence the Scripture is copious in her Exhortations that all things be done in a due maner nothing uncharitably Rom. 14.15 If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Nothing offensively 1. Cor. 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Nothing contentiously Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory c. And that all things bee done to the right end All unto the Lord Rom. 14.8 Whether wee live wee live unto the Lord or whether wee die we die unto the Lord. All unto his glory 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glory of God All in thankfulnesse to him Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye doe in word or in deed doe all
man much lesse can hee bee certaine that any thing is doubtfull This nomination of mee by the common name of a Believer is fully sufficient to convey unto mee a proper right to everlasting blessednesse My Father by his last Will setled his estate upon my elder Brother and upon his heires but my Brother dying without issue I came to enjoy my fathers estate Because I was named to it in his Will yet not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of Heire for collaterally by my birth I was heire to my Brother But because this is a parable therefore it is not necessary that the Argument of it should agree with the thing it should argue in every particular circumstance but it shall suffice that it hold in the maine purpose and scope of it My heavenly Father by his last Will setled the Kingdome of Heaven upon Christ my elder Brother and upon his Heires and heereby the inheritance of Heaven is assured unto mee Because in Gods Will I am named to it not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of heire to Christ for having God my Father by faith I consequently become Brother to Christ and co-heire with him And an heire by faith when the Testator is pleased so to assigne it is jurally as sure as an heire by birth and in the case present much surer because the assignation is universall to all in generall Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life And the righteousnes of God unto all and upon all them that believe If therefore a common name written in mans will be of force to convey and assure an estate much more shall it doe the like in Gods Will. Oh my deare and blessed Lord who hast loved mee and given thy selfe for mee and therefore wilt give mee any thing else beside grant mee the spirit of thy love that thine to mee may beget mine to thee But let mine bee a soveraigne love to adhere to thee against all the world and let it bee a diligent love not in word but in deed to serve thee faithfully in all thy commands Grant mee also the virtue of thy death to worke in mee my death to sinne that as thou for my sake didst lay downe thy life so I for thy sake may lay downe my sinne Let the sprinkling of thy blood fall upon my heart to withdraw mee from the course of the world to cleanse mee from all vaine conversation to purifie mee from sinne and iniquity to consecrate and dedicate my soule to holynesse that as Adams sinne made mee guilty so thy death may make mee holy And when my naturall death approacheth seeing thou hast tasted death for mee bee pleased to succour mee at the houre of mine Let mee not feare or grieve or grudge to dye but answering the way of thy love let mee give my selfe for mee and then Lord Jesus receive my spirit for which thou didst vouchsafe to dye VERSE 21. Text. I doe not frustrate the grace of God For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine Sense I do not frustrate the grace of God i. e. I make it not vaine or voyd by despising or rejecting it in attributing that blessing unto Gods Law which proceedeth from his grace For if righteousnesse come by the Law i. e. If the Right whereto Gods righteousnesse or kindnesse justifieth come by the Law or if Justification come by the Law as an effect of the Law Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dyed without a cause then Christ who dyed on the Crosse to settle that Will and Testament of God whereby this Right was conveyed dyed without a cause or there was no sufficient reason why he should so dye Reason These words containe the third and last Argument in this Chapter whereby he proves the Negative of his principall Assertion concerning Justification that A man is not Justified by the works of the Law and consequent y that he himself was not so justified For the Apostle according to his former personation continueth his argument in his owne person concluding his Negative from an absurdity which must necessarily follow upon the contrary Affirmative of it For if I am justified by the workes of the Law then it must needs follow that thereby I doe frustrate or made voyd the grace of God because the Law of God and the Grace of God make such opposite titles that if I claime by his Law I must needs disclaime his Grace The Necessity of this consequence he further declares and confirmes by instancing in the gracious Meanes whereby this divine Right of Inheritance to Blessednes is conveyed and setled upon me namely by the bitter death of Christ upon the Crosse wherein God shewed the riches of his grace when by the death of his owne Son he testified and confirmed that Will and Testament wherein this Inheritance was devised unto mee For if my Right of Inheritance came by reason of the Law then Christ who died to settle this Right upon me dyed without any cause on Gods part and there was no sufficient reason why his Father who so dearly loved him should expose him unto death much lesse unto such a bitter death if therefore I frustrate the death of Christ I thereby also frustrate the grace of God And for this argument from Gods grace hee seemes to take occasion from the last words of the former verse wherein hee mentioned the love of Christ because all grace is love Comment Frustrate ampliated to 4 senses which really are the same Grace put for it selfe and for all the effects of it Of Justification the Matter the Title the Tenure the Author the Motive is meere Grace The Nature of grace in 2. things Testimonies for it No causes for it Yet reasons 5. 1. From Gods gift 2. from his good pleasure 3. from his goodnes or kindnes 4. from his Mercy 5. From his Will and Testament Gods grace is rich Testimonies hereof and Reasons 3. 1 It is without cause Not from Merit nor Request nor Inquiry But from Gods proper motion According to his owne will which otherwise were not his but ours 2. Rich for the Effect of Alliance and Inheritance seated most gloriously 3. For the Meanes which was costly precious Why Grace is not caused by my Works nor by my Will but is onely Gratis for Thankes 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 are Yet they follow not necessarily why not Grace how frustrated Righteousnesse put sometime for Uprightnes Faithfulnes Kindnes Heere for a Right For so it is taken in the Old Testament So in the New And sometime is so Englished So also here and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies without desert here without cause Christs death ampliated to his other actiōs Especially to his Resurrection Causes of Christs death fit to be knowne the ◠Causes humane the Divine which must be 1. Consequent to Gods