avoyd sinn as a man is sayd to flye because of his enemyes i. e. to avoyd his enemies And lastly if I have any right in Christ I must be thus Crucified with Christ Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts i. e. have vowed and are bound to crucifie the flesh and must performe it for heere againe the action is put for the duty The End for which I am crucified or mortified is to continue my Justification to preserve and maintaine my divine state of allyance and inheritance with God For as formerly hath beene shewed my Justification is continued by good workes especially workes of love but unto such workes my mortification must needs be antecedent as a necessary preparative without which I can performe no good workes at all For unlesse I first bee dead unto sinne how can I possibly live unto holinesse whose actions are good workes unlesse the old creature first dye how can I become a new creature to bring forth the fruits of the spirit Doe men gather Grapes of thornes or Figs of thistles â—or can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Our Saviour Christ sayth John 12.24 Except a corne of wheat fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone or is without fruit but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit So except a man justified become also mortified there comes no fruit of it but if hee bee mortified much fruit will come of it And the end for which I am crucified or mortified with Christ as hee was and because hee was is to Continue my Communion or fellowship with Christ For as my Justification to be the son and heyre of God doth make mee to communicate or partake in the alliance and inheritance of Christ to bee a co-ally and a co-heyre with Christ who is eminently and supreamely the son and heyre of God so my mortification to be dead unto sinne doth make mee to communicate or partake in the suffering and glorifying of Christ that suffering as hee did I may be glorified as he is Rom. 8.17 And if children then heyres heyres of God and joint-heyres with Christ if so be that wee suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together But because upon the eighteenth Verse of this Chapter I shewed that my state of Justification is mutable and therefore requires a tenure to maintaine it that the tenure maintayning it are good works and that those good workes are acts of love therefore correspondently unto those verities I shall heere subjoine these two following 1. The first worke of my love is to love my selfe For the objects upon whom my love is exercised are God my neighbour and my selfe but because the acts or workes of my love toward these three objects must not bee practised in a disorderly way but in a right and due course therefore they must commence and begin at my selfe Yet by my self e-love I meane not my Lust which is a sensuall desire of the flesh to have worldly good as pleasure profit and credit for my Lust is an inordinate improbous and malignant motion of my flesh or sensuall appetite condemned in the holy Scriptures and therefore is that man in me that must be mortified and that sinne that must bee put to death or whereto I must die But by my self e-love I meane that effect of my faith which is a rationall affection of my will doing service to the spirit and moving so contrary to my lust that by meanes of my Love my lust must bee mortified for my self e-love is my Will to doe and also my doing of that good which is decent honest and holy and for the doing whereof the spirit sanctifies mee as the seeking of mine owne salvation my neighbours edification and Gods glory which last is the first in my intention though it come the last in execution For if I conceive it a thing possible for mee truly to love eyther God or my neighbour before I have truely loved my selfe I greatly deceive mine owne soule Because my Love to my selfe is the standerd canon or rule of that love which I owe to my neighbour for the law of Love commands mee to Love my neighbour as my selfe i. e. As I love my selfe so must I love my neighbour if therefore I doe not really and truly love my selfe how and whereby should I proportion regulate or measure out any true love unto my neighbour And because my Love to my selfe is also the standerd canon or rule of that love which I owe to God for the law of Love commands me to Love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soule and with all my mind i. e. Really and truely to the utmost of my power not barely as I love my selfe but much more and in a greater measure If therefore in my heart soule and minde I have no true love at all how can I love God with all that love which is in my heart soule and mind or when I have no measure of love to my selfe how can I be sayd to love God in a greater measure then I love my selfe True it is that my love to God is the first Commandement i. e. the first for dignity but the first for practise is love to my selfe and therefore my love must begin at my selfe that thence proceeding to my neighbour it may determine in God who is the chiefest highest and finall object of it That rebounding backe againe from him it may for his sake bee increased upon my neighbour and for my neighbours sake upon my selfe And my love to God is the greatest Commandement i. e. the greatest for performance but the least for performance is love to my selfe and therefore againe my love must begin at my selfe Because I am to begin at things least and most easie for if I can not truely love my selfe which is the least and easiest performance how shall I love my brother which is greater and harder and consequently how God which is the greatest and hardest taske of love For seeing God is invisible whom I see not and my brother is visible whom I see it must needes bee a matter of greater difficulty to love God then to love my brother for 1. John 4.20 Hee that loveth not his brother whom hee hath seene how can hee love God whom he hath not seen Doth it not from hence plainely appeare that hee is but an hypocrite who professeth to love God and yet loveth not his brother for too manifest it is that many Christians who professe the love of Christ are so farre from brotherly love that they hate their brother for whom Christ dyed and hate him more then doe many Jewes who professe themselves enemies unto Christ And my soule bleeds to consider the bloody Warres that for many yeares have raged and still continue in most parts of Christendome wherein more Christian blood hath been spilt by Christians then ever was shed
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
calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the spirit of the Law according to the tacit intent true meaning and purpose of the Law-giver for times and things future above and beyond the common construction which the words and clauses of the Law afford This mysticall sense for the spirit of the Law was not understood at least not plainly and fully by the people of Israel to whom the Law was given neither could it be understood of any unlesse God revealed it from Heaven in a way extraordinary as privately was done in some measure unto some speciall persons but publickly it was never revealed untill it was Preached and published by Christ who was the first that did away the vaile of the Law and brought to light that true sense and minde of the Law whereof the former sense which even unto this day 2. Cor. 3.15 is a vaile upon the heart of the Jew was a figure and a shadow in foreshewing some representment of those things which should have a future existence under the new covenant which is little else but the new and true sense of the old For according to this sense of the spirit the Promises of the Law were to be Celestiall and eternall blessings in the Kingdome of Heaven whereof the principall and finall is a divine holinesse like that of the Angels pure and perfect without any spot or staine of sin and the accessories to that blessed state in Heaven are eternall life eternall rest eternall joy and eternall glory in the eternall company of eternall persons The judgements penalties or curses of the Law for the spirit of it were to be infernall and eternall death with all the losses and miseries thereto incident quite contrary to the former blessings The Precepts of the Law for the spirit of it were to be all Moralities for the legall moralities and all the ceremonies excepting onely those which were especiall figures of Christ were to be refined and exalted into the evangelicall moralities of poorenesse of spirit purenesse of heart mourning meekenesse hunger and thirst after righteousnes mercifulnes peaceablenes and gladnes under persecution for none of all these are Counsels or advises left unto mans choyse to be done or not done but all of them are Precepts or commands injoyned by Christ who thereupon assureth heavenly blessednes Mat. 5.3 And unto all these the generall or capitall morality is the new Commandement of Love refined also and exalted above and beyond the legall love yea above and beyond that love which moves and workes by the Law of nature as to love mine enemies to blesse them that curse me to benefit them that hate me to pray for them that despite me and persecute me to lay downe my life for my Brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father whensoever a just cause shall require it Lastly the workes of the Law for the spirit of it were to be Cordiall wrought inwardly in and upon my heart by Circumcising of my heart by Sacrificing of my heart by Expiating of my heart in cutting killing and cleansing away the lusts motions and affections of sin And the workes were to be Liberall done in the free and noble way of love answerable to that love and kindnes which appeareth in God in condescending to this divine alliance of being my heavenly Father and of promising me an heavenly Inheritance and answerable to that love and duty which is due from me who am made the son of God and his heyre to eternall blessednes And finally the works were to be Perfect so exact and compleat as to performe an universall and perpetuall obedience to every precept not transgressing any one at any time so sinlesse and blamelesse that none of them should need any pardon or forgivenesse so upright and holy in the sight of God as to merit and deserve those divine and heavenly blessings as their proper and due wages The full meaning therefore of the Apostles Negative in this verse is this A man is not justified by any workes whatsoever no not by the spirituall workes of the Law i. e. his Moralities or morall workes by poorenes of spirit meekenes purenes of heart meeknes mercifulnes c. being measured by the spirituall sense of Gods Law are not cordiall liberall and perfect enough to make him a title whereby to acquire and have a true right of divine alliance with God and of the heavenly Inheritance consequent to that state This Negative the Apostle proves in this Chapter by three severall arguments which are not to be here anticipated but shall be specified in their due places in all which he mentions workes with restraint of them to the Law but his arguments hold against works in generall and in his Epistle to the Romans he handles the very same Doctrine of workes in generall without any restraint of them to the Law proving it there by the same arguments alleaged heere yet because there he produceth two arguments which here are omitted I shall therefore mention those two and but onely mention them One is Rom. 3.27 and the same is also alleaged Ephes 2.9 If mans title or cause procreant whereby he acquireth or hath a right of divine alliance and inheritance with God come by his owne workes then all boasting on mans part cannot be excluded for man doth naturally boast of his works particularly of such workes whereby he acquires some great alliance and inheritance especially of such as would make him a divine alliance to be the son and heire of God The other is Rom. 4.4 If mans title c. be by his workes then by the Law of equity heavenly blessednes becomes a debt and is due unto him as his wages which he hath earned by his worke Now these two respects that man should be able either to boast of his blessednes or to earne it are both derogatory to the love grace mercy and kindnes of God for where is Gods grace and his kindnes when either I can boast of my earnings or he is drawne to pay his debt But concerning the literall workes of the Law there may hereupon be inferred these two consequences 1. That the literall workes of the Law are no title whereby a man is justified procreantly or acquisitively to the spirituall promises thereof For if the spirituall workes which are farre more sublime and more pleasing to God make man no title to the spirituall promises as was proved before much lesse can the literall workes doe it which are farre lesse 2. That the literall workes of the Law were no title whereby the Israelites were acquisitively justified to the temporall promises thereof For when God gave them the Land of Canaan to possesse it hee utterly disclaymes their workes and their uprightnes from being any title whereby they acquired their right of possession Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thy heart doest thou goe to possesse their Land but for the wickednesse of these Nations the
to give an intire and true definition of Faith because Faith is a thing so indefinite and so generall that it hath no genus which will comprehend it and it is a thing so notable so well known that there are not other words more knowne whereby to expresse and teach the nature of it They therefore who define Faith to bee a Confidence in God are peccant against the nature of a definition two wayes 1. Because Confidence is a word more obscure then Faith and therefore cannot teach the knowledge of it for hee that knowes not what Faith is will never bee made to know it by telling him that it is a Confidence because the word Confidence is more unknowne unto him and leaves him more to seeke then the word Faith doth 2. Because Confidence is a word more narrow for all Confidence is Faith but all Faith is not Confidence seeing Confidence is but one kinde of Faith or rather a degree of it the like defect may bee found in the word Affiance Other definitions of faith commonly exhibited by Divines are either so wide that they will not justifie at all or else so narrow that they will justifie onely under the Gospel Yet because divine faith is an act so acceptable to God and so desirable to bee understood I shall sutably to our present purpose declining all definitions and other significations of the word which in divers learned Writers are sufficiently layd out propose two Notions designes or cases thereof one in generall as it magnifies God the other more particular as it justifies man Both which added together may serve as signes and markes to breed a competent and comfortable knowledge thereof 1. The first notion is this An high esteeme of Gods existence greatnesse and goodnesse is Faith in God For Believing is opposed to Dispising as therefore when wee have a base and low esteem of the weakenesse and badnesse of any person wee are sayd to despise him So contrarily when wee have a rich and high esteeme of that greatnesse and goodnesse which wee conceive in any person then wee have faith in him and when God is the person whom wee so esteeme then wee have faith in God But although such a faith bee acceptable and pleasing unto God because it is agreeable to his will and to the truth that hee should bee esteemed as hee is Yet this kinde of faith is not Justifying to acquire any right unto the believer because it is generall and common to persons justified and to some not justified in whom this faith is onely servile to breed in them feare and trembling Such a faith was in the people of Nineveh for at the preaching of Jonah that within forty dayes Nineveh should bee overthrowne the people Jon. 3.5 believed God i. e. They had such an high esteeme of Gods greatnesse and goodnesse of his power and justice therein included that hee could and would execute the judgement threatned against them and this faith bred in them a feare of God and that feare bred a Fast whereby they declared their Repentance And such a faith is in the Divels Jam. 2.19 The Divels also believe and tremble i. e. They have an high esteeme of the greatnesse of Gods Power and the goodnesse of his Justice that hee can and will execute his vengeance upon them for their Rebellion and this their faith is onely servile for it breeds in them feare and makes them to tremble 2. The second notion of faith is this An acceptance of Gods promise is Faith The difference betweene Gods Promise and his Precept will cleerely teach us the nature of faith and workes and consequently the true difference betweene them The right to a thing and the possession thereof are distinct respects that may bee transferred either joyntly both at once at the same time as is done in a Donation or they may bee transferred severally one after another by conveying the right at one time and respiting the delivery of possession till another as is done in a Promise Gods Promise therefore is his declared Will to impute unto thee a present right to the future possession of some blessing For God in his Promise willeth unto thee two distinct things 1. That thy right to the blessing should bee in present 2. That thy possession of that blessing should bee future And then according heereto hee requires from thee two distinct acts of thy will in corresponding and consenting to his 1. Thy Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing 2. An Expectance or trusting to the future possession of it I say God requires thy acceptance because Gods promissory will is not compulsory to will and command thy acceptance by necessitating or binding thee thereto for in so thinking thou destroyest the nature of Gods promise by turning it into a Precept whereof the effect is compulsory and binding But Gods promise is only Invitatory to will and require thy acceptance by calling moving and drawing thee thereto in using all the gratious and proper meanes conducing to that end Yet leaving thee free at thine owne choice either to accept or refuse it A refusall or Rejecting of Gods Promise is Unbeliefe an Acceptance or taking of the present right to the blessing promised is Faith and an Expectance or trusting to the future possession of the blessing is Hope for Faith and Hope are the acts of mans will answerable and agreeable to the will of Gods promise Contrarily Gods Precept is his declared Will to impose upon thee a present bond to the future observance of some duty And herein Gods Will is that thy bond to this duty should be present and thy observance of the duty should be future from thence forward But Gods Preceptory Will is not Invitatory to will and require thy observance or to leave thee free at thine owne choyse either to observe or transgresse it for in thinking so thou destroyest Gods Precept whose nature it is to will and command thy observance by laying upon thee a necessity thereof yet that necessity is not fatall but legall A transgression of Gods Precept is sin an observance thereof is workes and when the workes are cordiall and liberall done heartily and freely with all the heart and all the soule then the workes are Love For workes and love are acts of mans will answerable to the will of Gods Precept and therefore are different from faith and hope which answer to the will of his promise because his promise and his Precept are Wills different and opposite This last notion of faith may be further illustrated from three grounds 1. From the common definition of Faith That faith is an assent to every revealed word of God which kind of faith is so large and wide that it may aswell condemn as justifie yet it will serve to enlighten our notion For Gods Precepts are his revealed word but these because they proceed from his holines and uprightnes are but hard words and so hard that when they
man much lesse can hee bee certaine that any thing is doubtfull This nomination of mee by the common name of a Believer is fully sufficient to convey unto mee a proper right to everlasting blessednesse My Father by his last Will setled his estate upon my elder Brother and upon his heires but my Brother dying without issue I came to enjoy my fathers estate Because I was named to it in his Will yet not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of Heire for collaterally by my birth I was heire to my Brother But because this is a parable therefore it is not necessary that the Argument of it should agree with the thing it should argue in every particular circumstance but it shall suffice that it hold in the maine purpose and scope of it My heavenly Father by his last Will setled the Kingdome of Heaven upon Christ my elder Brother and upon his Heires and heereby the inheritance of Heaven is assured unto mee Because in Gods Will I am named to it not by my single or proper name but by my appellative or common name of heire to Christ for having God my Father by faith I consequently become Brother to Christ and co-heire with him And an heire by faith when the Testator is pleased so to assigne it is jurally as sure as an heire by birth and in the case present much surer because the assignation is universall to all in generall Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life And the righteousnes of God unto all and upon all them that believe If therefore a common name written in mans will be of force to convey and assure an estate much more shall it doe the like in Gods Will. Oh my deare and blessed Lord who hast loved mee and given thy selfe for mee and therefore wilt give mee any thing else beside grant mee the spirit of thy love that thine to mee may beget mine to thee But let mine bee a soveraigne love to adhere to thee against all the world and let it bee a diligent love not in word but in deed to serve thee faithfully in all thy commands Grant mee also the virtue of thy death to worke in mee my death to sinne that as thou for my sake didst lay downe thy life so I for thy sake may lay downe my sinne Let the sprinkling of thy blood fall upon my heart to withdraw mee from the course of the world to cleanse mee from all vaine conversation to purifie mee from sinne and iniquity to consecrate and dedicate my soule to holynesse that as Adams sinne made mee guilty so thy death may make mee holy And when my naturall death approacheth seeing thou hast tasted death for mee bee pleased to succour mee at the houre of mine Let mee not feare or grieve or grudge to dye but answering the way of thy love let mee give my selfe for mee and then Lord Jesus receive my spirit for which thou didst vouchsafe to dye VERSE 21. Text. I doe not frustrate the grace of God For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine Sense I do not frustrate the grace of God i. e. I make it not vaine or voyd by despising or rejecting it in attributing that blessing unto Gods Law which proceedeth from his grace For if righteousnesse come by the Law i. e. If the Right whereto Gods righteousnesse or kindnesse justifieth come by the Law or if Justification come by the Law as an effect of the Law Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dyed without a cause then Christ who dyed on the Crosse to settle that Will and Testament of God whereby this Right was conveyed dyed without a cause or there was no sufficient reason why he should so dye Reason These words containe the third and last Argument in this Chapter whereby he proves the Negative of his principall Assertion concerning Justification that A man is not Justified by the works of the Law and consequent y that he himself was not so justified For the Apostle according to his former personation continueth his argument in his owne person concluding his Negative from an absurdity which must necessarily follow upon the contrary Affirmative of it For if I am justified by the workes of the Law then it must needs follow that thereby I doe frustrate or made voyd the grace of God because the Law of God and the Grace of God make such opposite titles that if I claime by his Law I must needs disclaime his Grace The Necessity of this consequence he further declares and confirmes by instancing in the gracious Meanes whereby this divine Right of Inheritance to Blessednes is conveyed and setled upon me namely by the bitter death of Christ upon the Crosse wherein God shewed the riches of his grace when by the death of his owne Son he testified and confirmed that Will and Testament wherein this Inheritance was devised unto mee For if my Right of Inheritance came by reason of the Law then Christ who died to settle this Right upon me dyed without any cause on Gods part and there was no sufficient reason why his Father who so dearly loved him should expose him unto death much lesse unto such a bitter death if therefore I frustrate the death of Christ I thereby also frustrate the grace of God And for this argument from Gods grace hee seemes to take occasion from the last words of the former verse wherein hee mentioned the love of Christ because all grace is love Comment Frustrate ampliated to 4 senses which really are the same Grace put for it selfe and for all the effects of it Of Justification the Matter the Title the Tenure the Author the Motive is meere Grace The Nature of grace in 2. things Testimonies for it No causes for it Yet reasons 5. 1. From Gods gift 2. from his good pleasure 3. from his goodnes or kindnes 4. from his Mercy 5. From his Will and Testament Gods grace is rich Testimonies hereof and Reasons 3. 1 It is without cause Not from Merit nor Request nor Inquiry But from Gods proper motion According to his owne will which otherwise were not his but ours 2. Rich for the Effect of Alliance and Inheritance seated most gloriously 3. For the Meanes which was costly precious Why Grace is not caused by my Works nor by my Will but is onely Gratis for Thankes 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 are Yet they follow not necessarily why not Grace how frustrated Righteousnesse put sometime for Uprightnes Faithfulnes Kindnes Heere for a Right For so it is taken in the Old Testament So in the New And sometime is so Englished So also here and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies without desert here without cause Christs death ampliated to his other actiōs Especially to his Resurrection Causes of Christs death fit to be knowne the ◠Causes humane the Divine which must be 1. Consequent to Gods
more firme and sure then that which is setled by the meanes of a Testament an instrument which naturally requireth all favourable construction that things may take effect according to the best meaning of the Testator And was it not the richnesse of Gods grace that hee would settle this Testament by the death of Christ who was his owne and onely son whom he made his substitute to dye in his stead for the testifying confirming and executing of his Testament that it might be in force and take effect whereby I might finally enjoy the benefit of it For could not God have setled his Testament by meanes lesse chargeable and costly to him then the precious bloud of his owne Son And lastly this richnes and abundance of grace was it not grace onely for grace onely for my thankes i. e. onely for my fayth to accept the present right to it for my hope to expect the future possession of it and for my love to performe the condition of it For is not the richnesse of this grace abundant enough to draw these thankes from mee Is it not rich enough to perswade my faith to accept the present right to my Legacy and to embrace it with all my heart and all my soule Seeing Christ hath dyed to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee For is faith to bee given to any thing which I have not seene if this bee not credible and to bee believed Is not this grace rich enough to assure my hope to receive the future possession of my Legacy for when the Executor of the Testament so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake that the Will might bee in force for which hee dyed can I imagine that hee will deny mee my Legacy For what will not hee give me who gave himselfe for mee When the Executor sitteth at the right hand of the Testator upon his Throne in Heaven where he hath all honour and power to doe all things can I imagine that hee can bee either unwilling or unable to performe the whole Will of the Testator For will such an Executor in such a condition wrong the Testator or defraud any Legatary who is co-heire with him Is not this grace rich enough to procure my love to performe the condition of my Legacy For seeing the Executor so loved mee that hee dyed for my sake to performe the condition of his Executorship Is it not reason that I should love him againe and chearefully addresse my selfe to the workes of love in all the waies of holynesse which is the condition of my Legacy If therefore I conceive that this grace of God comes to mee by the Law and claime my right to it by the Law Doe I not heereby wave the death of Christ and suppose that hee dyed without a cause that there was no neede of his death to testifie confirme and execute the New Testament And consequently doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God and disanul the gratious meanes whereby it was conveyed and finally debarre my selfe from the benefit of it For what right have I to this grace of God if that Testament wherein it is devised unto mee bee of no force and have no effect For what force or effect can any Testament have which is not testified confirmed and executed But contrarily if I meane that Gods grace shall bee effectuall and will hope to enjoy the blessing of it I must acknowledge the gracious meanes whereby it was conveyed unto mee namely through the death of Christ who shed his pretious blood to testifie confirme and execute that Testament wherein it was conveyed For this grace was not given by meanes of the Law but it came by the meanes of Jesus Christ John 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Hence the New Testament is called the Gospel of the grace of God Act. 20.24 So that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And afterward it is called the word of his grace in the same Chapter vers 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace But unto the Law grace is contrary for they are things in themselves opposite Rom. 6.14 Yee are not under the Law but under grace Thus the causes of Christs death were repugnant to the effect of the Law and were consequent to the effects of Gods Love and Grace The Contents of this Second Chapter are 1. History Paul went not to Jerusalem to learne the Gospel vers 1. 1. Because fourteene yeares after his Preaching of it he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and tooke Titus with him also vers eod 2. Because he went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which hee Peached among the Gentiles vers 2. 3. Because Titus who was with him was not compelled to bee circumcised although and because it was urged of false brethren to whom he gave place by subjection no not for an houre vers 3 4 5. 2. History Paul was no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles vers 6. 1. Because from those who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were he differed nothing vers eod 2. Because they who semed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to him vers eod 3. Because they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter vers 7. 4. Because hee that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in Paul towards the Gentiles vers 8. 5. Because when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto Paul they gave to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship onely desiring them to remember the poore vers 9.10 3. History At Antioch Paul withstood Peter to his face vers 11. 1. Because Peter was to be blamed vers eod 2. Because before that certain came from James Peter did eate with the Gentiles But when they were come he withdrew fearing them of the circumcision vers 12. 3. Because the other Jewes dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation vers 13. 4. Because when Paul saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel hee sayd unto Peter before them all if thou being a Jew livest as the Gentiles and not as the Jewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as the Jewes vers 14. 4. Doctrine A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ vers 16. 1. Because by the workes of the Law shall no flesh bee declared righteous v. eod 2. Because through the death of the Law I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God for I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet no more I the man that I was but Christ liveth in mee And though I now live in a body of flesh yet I live in the Faith or Religion not of Moses but of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me vers 19.20 3. Because I doe not frustrate the grace of God for if the right whereto I am justified come by the Law then Christ dyed without cause vers 21. 5. Duty While wee seeke to bee justified by Christ we must not bee found sinners to continue in sinne vers 17. 1. Because God forbid that Christ should bee or be thought to bee the Minister of sinne vers eod 2. Because if I build againe the things or sinnes which I destroyed I make my selfe a transgressour vers 18. FINIS O My Heavenly loving Father that hast justified mee to bee thy sonne and hast given mee faith to accept the grace of it Circumcise my heart of flesh and cut away from it all carnall love operate and polish it with thy spirit and engrave therein thy Law of love that with all reverence and obedience I may worship and serve thee in all the offices and duties of a sonne lest I prove an ungracious wretch unworthy of so gracious a Father And thou my deare Lord and Saviour that hast dyed to buy mee with thy bloud to make me thy Brother and Co-heire make mee thy Disciple in love that from thee I may learne the wayes of love and for thy sake love them that are thine doing to all men as I would they should doe unto mee