Church of God which is all one with wasting it See Acts 8.3 and Acts 26.10 11. Hence plainly appeares the fury and madnesse of blind and bloudy zeale which is the only cause of persecuting and wasting the Church of Christ VERSE 14. Text. And profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine own nation being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of my fathers Sense And profited in the Jewes religion i. e. I advanced and propagated Judaisme My equals i. e. My contemporaries of the same age Reason An effect of his former conversation in persecuting and wasting the Church of God that by that meanes hee advanced and increased the Jewes religion and the reason of both was his zeal to the Jewish traditions Comment The effect of his persecuting And the cause of it AND profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine owne nation Hee seemes not heere to speake of his owne personall profiting eyther in the knowledge or in the observance of Judaisme as if therein hee exceeded his contemporaries but of the nationall advantage he brought unto the Jewes in defending and propagating their religion amongst others and making Proselites unto it For the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I increased the Jewish religion or made it to proceed for so elsewhere the word is rendred in our last English Translation See Luke 2.52 and 2. Tim. 2.16 and 2. Tim. 3.9 And this sense is very consequent to his persecuting and wasting of the Church of God for his persecution and vastation of Christianity must needs have this effect and fruit thereto consequent that by vertue thereof hee advanced and propagated Judaisme for those two religions being mainly opposite and contrary the decrease of Christianity must needs bee the increase of Judaisme as afterward the propagation of Christianity was the vastation of Judaisme q. d. I propagated and advanced the doctrine knowledge and observance of the Jewes religion by my activity and industry in defending it against all adversaries in gayning divers Proselites unto it and in spreading it somewhat among the Gentiles and heerein I exceeded and surpassed all my contemporaries that were of my time not only such as were Proselites reconciled to our Religion from other Nations but also such as were Native Jewes by discent and birth in mine owne Nation Being more exceeding zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers The reason why hee persecuted and wasted the Church of God was because hee was zealous of the Traditions of his Fathers and the reason why hee increased the Jewes Religion more then any of his contemporaries or equalls in time was because hee was more exceeding zealous then they By the Traditions of his Fathers Hee seemes to understand the whole body of Ceremonies then in practice among the Jewes as well the Ceremonies of Moses as the Traditions of his Ancestors whereof some are mentioned by Christ in the Gospel See Mat. 15.2.6 and Mat. 23.16.18.23.25 q. d. I was an exceeding Zelot above measure and above many of my equalls not onely for the Ceremonies of Moses instituted by the Law of God but also for the Traditions introduced and superadded by our Ancestours which by Antiquity of time were confirmed into Customes and carryed the force of Lawes And the reason why hee was exceeding zealous in the Jewish Religion was because hee was a Pharisee not onely by profession in living according to the Rules of that strict Sect but also by birth and education for he was the sonne of a Pharisee and might bee bred by his Father in the Traditions of his Fathers and the manner of the Pharisees was to bee exceeding strict and exceeding zealous See and compare Mat. 23.15 and Act. 23.6 and Act. 26.5 and Phil. 3.5.6 VERSE 15. Text. But when it pleased God who separated mee from my Mothers wombe and called mee by his grace Sense Who separated mee i. e. Designed or appoynted mee to the Ministery From my Mothers wombe i. e. During my time in the wombe And called mee Viz. To the Ministery to bee an Apostle Reason The meanes whereby hee was converted from his former conversation in the Jewish Religion to bee an Apostle and a Preacher of the Gospel whereby hee continues his Argument to prove and conclude his principall assertion that his Ministery and his Doctrine in the Gospel was not humane or after man but divine or after God For saith he Comment The prime cause of Pauls Apostleship whereto 〈◊〉 was preordained while he was in the wombe In a singular manner and afterward actually ordained Pauls whole Apostleship Divine Sanctifying put for separating Pauls calling The non-causes of it The true causes of it BUT when it pleased God These first words of this verse must have their coherence with the first words of the next verse following to reveale his sonne in me thus But when it pleased God to reveale his sonne in me for the subject or matter of Gods pleasure here mentioned was the revealing of Christ unto Paul which act he saith pleased God because he would declare that the originall or prime cause of all those meanes whereby he became a Preacher of the Gospell was onely the good will and pleasure of God q. d. There was no other motive or cause of my Conversion from my former conversation wherein I persecuted and wasted the Church of God and of my reduction to the knowledge of Christ who was so effectually revealed unto me that I became a member of the Church which I persecuted and a Preacher of the Gospell in it but onely the good will and good pleasure of God without any dignity or merit of mine and contrary to all dignity and merit in me for the indignities and demerits which I had done to his Church were such and so great that had he looked upon my actions and not upon his owne pleasure there could have been no cause why he should reveale his sonne to me Who seperated me from my mothers wombe A reason of his former words why the originall cause of all those meanes whereby he was ordained a Preacher of the Gospell was the sole and singular pleasure of God and no action of Pauls namely because God separated or designed him to the Ministery from his mothers wombe before he had yet done any action of his owne The words are an Hebraisme whereby is signified some excellent and singular benefit of nature in the composure or temper of the braine and heart wherewith God endowes some children from their first conception in the wombe especially those whom hee preordaines and prepares for some speciall purpose whereof in Scripture there are severall examples For although nature in her ordinary course hath divers degrees of goodnesse yet by the extraordinary hand of God she may bee and sometime is infinitely advanced and exalted when God is pleased to fashion a child for some singular service and curiously to worke it in the wombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e.
not humane or after man because he neyther received of man nor was taught it by man Comment The construction of the words Paul learned the Gospell not from Men. But immediately from Christ By way of Revelation At what time FOR I neyther received it of man neyther was I taught it The word of man interposed heer between the two Verbs received and taught must bee referred to both and follow both thus I neyther received it nor was taught it of man And the word taught is but explicative to specifie the generall word received and restraine it to the Gospel in reference whereto those two words make but one sense for to receive the Gospel and to be taught the Gospel is all one and in a sense somewhat like to this Paul requires the Thessalonians to hold the Traditions which they had beene taught 2. Thess 2.15 The meaning of the Apostle in this place is not simply to say that hee neyther received nor was taught the Gospel at all for in the words next following he acknowledgeth and confesseth that hee received and was taught it of Christ by revelation for that was the maine point which as he sayd in the former verse he would certifie or make knowne unto the Galatians But his purpose is to prove that his knowledge in the divine Gospel of Christ was not humane that hee neyther received nor was taught his knowledge therein by any Apostle nor by any other mortall man For although the Gospel which Paul preached were for the matter of it divine as being the same which Peter and the rest of the Apostles preached Yet his knowledge therein for the meanes whereby hee had it might by the false Teachers bee alleadged and pretended to bee humane which Paul heere denyes of himselfe But hee denies it not of Timothy who though hee preached that Gospel which was divine yet Timothies knowledge in that divine Gospel was humane because hee received and was taught his knowledge therein by Paul who was a mortall man for Paul both instructed Timothy in the Gospel and ordained him a Minister thereof by the imposition of his hands See and compare 1. Tim 4.6.14 and 1. Tim. 6.20 and 2. Tim. 1.6.13.14 and 2. Tim. 3.14 So is it in all the Ministers of the Gospel at this day for although the Gospel which they preach bee divine yet their knowledge therein is humane because they receive their knowledge by humane meanes But by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. A super-reason or confirmation of his former reason by an argument drawne from the contrary that the Gospel which hee preached hee neither received nor was taught it by man because hee received and was taught it of Christ by Revelation And heere againe Christ is opposed to man not that Christ was no way man but because when hee revealed the Gospel unto Paul hee was not at that time a mortall man nor at any time a meere man but alwayes both God and man And heereby also hee firmely concludes and proves his principall assertion that the Gospel which hee preached was not humane or not after man for if hee received and was taught it by the Revelation of Jesus Christ then certainely the Gospell so by Christ revealed unto him was no humane invention neither was his knowledge in it by any humane instruction q. d. For my knowledge in the Gospel which I preached unto you I was no Disciple nor Auditor to any of the Apostles nor to any other mortall man to bee taught it and learne it from man but my onely Master and Teacher in the Gospel was Jesus Christ himselfe who revealed it unto mee and his Revelation of it unto mee was not after an ordinary manner as hee taught it his Apostles and the rest of his Disciples while hee conversed upon Earth But after an extraordinary and miraculous manner for hee taught it mee since his ascention and revealed it unto mee from Heaven and this was the ground why I told you before that if an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Gospel unto you hee was to bee accursed because thereby hee preacheth a Gospell repugnant to that Gospel which was revealed by Christ from Heaven Hee useth the word Revelation because Revelation is an instruction teaching peculiar and proper to the Gospel and such an instruction as is also peculiar and proper to God to bee made by him for although men have and doe teach the Gospel yet the action of revealing the Gospel is never ascribed unto man but only unto God See Mat. 16.17 and Luke 10.21 and 1. Cor. 2.10 and Ephes 3.3 and Phil. 3.15 For the Gospel and the points therein contained are the sacred mysteries and secrets of God which of themselves are veiled and covered from the knowledge of man who by the course of nature or by force of his naturall understanding can never attaine to any knowledge therein unlesse first they bee revealed and discovered by God Because God and God onely is the revealer of secrets Dan. 2.47 The first Teacher of the Gospel who published the Doctrine of it was Christ who because hee was God was therefore a Revealer of it and his Instruction was Revelation But since Christs ascention his Apostles and their Successours have beene Teachers thereof yet not Revealers neither is their instruction Revelation because Revelation is that instruction which is immediate or proximous from God therefore the Instruction in the Gospel which Paul received immediately and proximously from Christ who is God hee calls it Revelation But the time when Paul had this Revelation from Christ can not bee certainely defined from Scripture Yet probable it is that hee had it at the time of his conversion when hee lay at Damascus in a Trance three dayes together blinde and fasting without sight or meat for when in his astonishment hee demanded of Christ what hee would have him to doe Christ answered hee must goe into Damascus and there it should bee told him what hee must doe Act. 9.6.9 c. And probable also it is that hee had this Revelation at the time of those Revelations which hee had in his rapture when hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words whereof hee writes 2. Cor. 12.1.2.3 because it is very probable that his trance after his conversion and his rapture for those Revelations were at one and the same time for in the sequele of this Chapter hee drawes immediate Arguments from his conversion to prove hee was taught by Revelation But this is certaine that Paul never preached the Gospel of Christ untill first hee was taught it by Christ and then immediately hee preached it See afterward in this Chapter vers 16. VERSE 13. Text. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewes Religion how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Sense Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse And wasted it i. e. Destroyed it Reason Another Argument to prove that the
glory for ever and ever Amen vers 5. 2. History Paul marvels that the Galatians are so soone removed from Christ who called them by his grace vers 6. 1. Because the Gospel wherto they were removed was not another but only there were some who troubled them and would pervert the Gospel of Christ vers 7. 2. Because though Paul himselfe or an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel then hee had preached to the Galatians he was to bee accursed ver 8.9 3. Because the matter which he therein perswaded was not man but God against whom he that shall seeke to please men cannot be the servant of Christ ver 10. 3. History The Gospel which Paul Preached was not humane or after man ver 11. 1. Because hee neither received nor was taught it by man ver 12. 2. Because he received and was taught it by the revelation of Jesus Christ ver eod 3. Because during his former conversation in the Jewish religion he excessively persecuted the Church of God and wasted it ver 13. 4. Because he prevayled for the Jewes religion above many his contemporaries among his owne nation being more exceedingly zealous for the ceremonies of Moses and the Jewish traditions ver 14. 5. Because it pleased God who designed him a separate Apostle from his mothers wombe and called him by his grace to reveale his sonne unto him that hee might preach among the Gentiles ver 15.16 4. History When Paul was called to preach Christ among the Gentiles he did not immediatly confer with flesh and bloud ver 16. 1. Because from Damascus where hee was called hee went not immediatly to Jerusalem to them who were Apostles before him ver 17. 2. Because immediatly hee went from Damascus into Arabia and from thence returned to Damascus v. eod 3. Because it was three yeares after he had preached the Gospel before he went to Jerusalem to see Peter with whom he abode but fifteene dayes and there saw no other Apostle save only James our Lords brother ver 18.19 4. Because he would take his oath before God that these things were true and that he lied not ver 20. 5. Because from Jerusalem hee came into the Regions of Syria and Cilicia for unto the Churches of Judea he was unknown by face but only they had heard of him that now he preached the fayth which before he wasted and they glorified God for him ver 21.22.23.24 GAL. CHAP. 2. VERSE 1. Text. Then fourteene yeares after I went up againe to Jerusalem with Barnabas and tooke Titus with mee also Sense Fourteene yeares after Viz. After my conversion Againe i. e. Besides my journy thither three yeares after my conversion Reason A prosecution of his former argument to prove the Divinity of his Ministery and Doctrine because in a solemne Synod or Assembly of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem whereat himselfe was present and wherein were made speciall Acts concerning the Ceremonies of the Law there was nothing added by the Apostles to the Doctrine which hee had taught nor any act done that declared his Doctrine in any one point either redundant or defective but rather both his Ministery and Doctrine received in that Synod a full approbation whereby hee would infer that he was inferiour to none of the Apostles Comment The tearme from these yeares are to be reckoned probably from Pauls conversion The eminency of Jerusalem Pauls several journies thither 1. To visite Peter 2. To carry almes 3. To call a Synod there concerning circumcision This last why mentioned and why Titus accompanied him THen foureteene yeares after The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Literally foureteene years betweene or the space of fourteene interposed but the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is heere put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies after and is truely so rendred for so yee have it Mat. 26.61 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. After three dayes and Mar. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. After some dayes and Act. 24.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. After many yeares But from whence or from what tearme of time these fourteene years are to bee computed whether from Pauls first conversion to the faith or from his former being at Jerusalem to visit Peter three yeares after his conversion which hee mentioned before cap. 1.18 it appeares not from Scripture neither is the knowledge thereof any way elementary or serviceable to the poynt heere prosecuted or to any other poynt elsewhere in Scripture heereby to bee illustrated Yet the greater probability of the two is that these yeares are to bee reckoned from Pauls conversion 1. Because Pauls conversion was a most memorable action especially unto Paul and fit to stand for an epocha unto him from whence hee had good cause to compute all the acts of his Ministery during his life for all epochaes are fixed at a time of some notable conversion in the World that from thence in the memory thereof future times may afterward bee computed 2. Because the yeares remaining betweene this journy to Jerusalem and his last thither when there hee was apprehended and afterward sent Prisoner to Rome will bee too few for those many actions and travells which by Luke are recorded of him especially if wee consider that of those few yeares hee was one and a halfe at Corinth and three at Ephesus See Act. 18.11 and Act. 20.31 Yet Paul heere mentions the space of time to bee fourteene yeares least his adversaries should quarrell at his words whereto all words of actions iterated and frequented are subject if by their severall times they bee not distinguished for by this space of fourteene yeares this journy to Jerusalem with Barnabas is distinguished from a former journy of his to Jerusalem with Barnabas which was before this and therefore lesse then foureteene yeares from his conversion See and compare Act. 11.30 and Act. 12.25 I went up againe to Jerusalem with Barnabas All travelling toward Jerusalem is called ascending or going up not for any locall altitude as if the City and Territory about it were a higher ground then other places but for the jurall eminency or jurisdiction of the Courts there seated consisting of eminent persons for Jerusalem was the Metrople of all the Jewes during the time of the Law and of all the Christians during the plantation of the Gospel and the time of the Apostles Unto Jerusalem Paul after his conversion made severall journies whereof this heere seemes the third 1. His first journey thither was from Damascus and therein either hee had no company at all or none that is named and specified in the Scripture and his businesse was only by way of visit to see Peter and that journy hee mentions in this Epistle cap. 1. vers 18. Because from thence he would have no man gather that hee went thither to learne from the Apostles that Doctrine which for the space of three yeares hee had already preached 2. His second journy thither
in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thankes to God and the father through him When I live thus ordering my humane actions in this maner and to this end then I may truly say of my selfe In that I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the son of God as it followeth in the next words Of the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the faith or religion in that faith or religion of the son of God The particle that being placed after faith doth emphatically determine and specifie the Author of that faith and religion wherein he lived namely in that of the Son of God And there is another emphasis in the article affecting the son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in that faith or religion of that Son of God that hee might lay out a singular designation of Christ in distinguishing him from other sons of God For he hath reference unto that person whom in this verse hee had before mentioned by the name of Christ in saying I am crucified with Christ and Christ liveth in me Heere therefore hee againe mentions the same person by another name in saying I live in the faith or religion in that of that Son of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me i.e. of Christ for these words are an eloquent and affectionat circumlocution or description of Christ Wherein are expressed two excellencyes or eminent qualityes of Christ the one of his Birth in relation to God that he was the Son of God the other of his death in relation to man whom he so loved that he dyed for his sake Every Angel every Prophet and every Believer is A son of God but Christ is The or That son of God in a most eminent and singular maner above all other persons that are sons of God whether they be men or Angels Because to omit all other reasons not serving to the Apostles scope in this place hee was begotten on a Virgin not by the power of any man or Angel but by the power of the Highest for as the Angel Gabriel certifies the Virgin Mary his mother Luke 1.35 hee was therefore called the Son of God And heere the Apostle understands no other filiation of Christ then that whereby he was a mortall man because hee argues from his death in saying who loved mee and gave himselfe to death for mee Hee describeth Christ by this attribute of the Son of God that thereby he might expresse another cause that moved him to forsake the Law and Religion of Moses to embrace the faith and Religion of Christ and thereby to regulate all the actions of his life namely because Christ is the Son of God Which first argues for his person that Christ is a person of farre greater dignity then Moses For although Moses were a great Prophet yet his ordinary stile in reference to God runnes but thus that hee was the servant of God and the man of God But the constant title and stile of Christ is to bee the Son of God For from this very difference of condition the Apostle argues the high prerogative of Christ above that of Moses Heb. 3.5 And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant c. but Christ as a sonne over his owne house And secondly heereby hee highly commends the Religion introduced by Christ beyond that which was setled by Moses as a Religion and service more agreeable to the will and pleasure of God For the Authour to the Hebrewes doth in this respect exalt the Religion of Christ in that God hath delivered the message thereof by his Sonne Heb. 1.1.2 God who spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his son Hence it will easily bee collected that the Religion of Moses being but the servant of God was but a servile Religion for the services thereof were very servile Heb. 9.10 which stood onely in meates and drinkes and divers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them untill the time of Reformation Hence that whole Religion is called Rom. 8.15 The spirit of bondage to feare because it wrought in the people a passion of slavish feare such as they commonly have who live under bondage or servitude Hence also the services thereof are called Gal. 4.3 the Elements or Rudiments of the World under which as under Tutors and Governours the Jewes though they were the adopted Children and Heyres of God were held in bondage in a condition nothing different from servants But the Religion of Christ who is that sonne of God is a filial liberall and noble Religion whose services are fitted for the sonnes of God according to the state and degree of sonnes in their plenage who are come to their perfect growth and fullnesse of time For so it followeth in the place fore-cited But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne to redeeme them that were under the Law in the condition of children and servants that they might receive the adoption of sonnes i. e. That they might receive their emancipation from the state of children to have their liberature according to the state and degree of sonnes in their plenage or full age The highest dignity which the Scripture ascribes to the Law or Religion of Moses is taken from the Publication of it in that it was ordayned and spoken by Angels and yet even in this respect she preferres the Religion of Christ before it because this was ordayned and spoken by that son of God who is the Lord not only of men but also of the Angels Heb. 2.2 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Heere hee addeth the other attribute or eminent quality of Christ expressing thereby another motive that caused him to forsake the Religion of Moses and to embrace that of Christ namely because Christ had thereto endeared him by dying for him who sayth he loved me and gave himselfe to death for me Whereby he would insinuate that Christ was far more excellent then Moses not only for the dignity of his person in being the Son of God but also for the dearenesse of his affection in dying for Beleevers for neyther of those are true of Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And delivered himselfe for me Yet heere and elsewhere it is well enough translated gave himselfe because the words give and deliver when they are used in this sense are many times interchanged and one put for the other But in the word Deliver standing thus single and applied to a person there is commonly an ellipsis or defect which is to be supplyed according to the exigency of the matter in hand and which for the most part is some evill
same act effected both these things for by his suffering on the Crosse hee confirmed the New Will and Testament for hence his bloud is called the bloud of the New Testament and the Wine at the Communion is the memoriall of that Bloud Mat. 26.27 And hee tooke the cup and gave thankes and gave it to them saying Drinke ye all of it for this is the bloud of the New Testament And by the same suffering hee cancelled the first Will and Testament Col. 2.14 Blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances which was against us which was contrary to us and tooke it out of the way nayling it to his Crosse Yet hee cancelled the first Will but onely Consequently i. e. upon his confirmation of the last Will it followed necessarily that thereby the first was cancelled and frustrated Am dead to the Law In respect of the Law I am putatively or as it were a dead person who am no way acted or moved at any thing in the Law not at her Promises nor her Judgements nor her Precepts in any kind whether for matter of Policy Ceremony or Morality For I regard neither what she promiseth nor what she threatneth not what she commands nor what she forbids And these words of mine are not presumptuous nor any way opprobrious or reproachfull to the Law because the Law it selfe is the cause why I am thus dead unto the Law namely because the Law it selfe is dead for through her death to me I to her am dead Yet my Person is not dead but my subjection to the Law is dead for my subjection was correlative to her dominion and Relatives as they mutually give being one to another so they mutually take away each others being for when either of the Relatives faile the whole Relation ceaseth the dominion therefore of the Law being dead doth make my subjection to dye with it As by the death of the Husband the Wife also dyeth Yet not in her person as she is a woman but in her relation as she is a wife for she ceaseth to bee a wife though still she remaine a woman For by this comparison the Apostle doth elegantly illustrate both the death of the Law and the death of the Jew unto the Law Rom. 7.2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as hee liveth But if the husband bee dead she is loosed from the Law of her husband i. e. Shee ceaseth to bee his wife And from hence hee inferres this conclusion vers 4. Wherefore my brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ That I might live unto God These words are a tacit prevention of an objection that might bee made against his former words For some man might say unto him if the Law bee dead and you dead to the Law and free from the dominion of it then you may freely sinne without controule Heereto his answer is I am not dead to the Law for that purpose that I might sinne But contrarily I am dead to the law that I might not sinne but might dye as well to sinne as to the Law For I am therefore dead unto the Law that I might live unto God by framing all my actions according to his grations Will his last Will and Testament which is the Will that hee hath surrogated to the deceased Law of Moses that was his former Will but is now infringed and which is the Rule whereby I am now to walke that my wayes may bee acceptable and pleasing unto God For to this very end the Old Law is dead and I am dead to the Law that I might become a new Creature to live a new life in the service of God To serve him not carnally after the old way in the Old Testament but spiritually after the new way declared in the New Testament Rom. 7.6 But now wee are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were held that wee should serve in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter A like expression to the words in hand wee have Rom. 6 11. Likewise reckon yee your selves to bee dead indeed unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And another afterward Rom. 6.13 Neither yield yee your members as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sinne but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousnesse unto God VERSE 20. Text. I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me Sense I am crucified i. e. Quasily or in a maner for my old man or the man that I was is mortified or put to death With Christ i. e. By way of resemblance as Christ was put to death and because he was put to death Neverthelesse I live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. But I live viz. a temporall life in this world Yet not I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. No more I or no longer the same man that I was before when sinne lived in me But Christ lived in mee i. e. Christ by his spirit and by his doctrine is the guide and rule of all my life And the life which I now live in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. But in that I now live in my mortall body or body of flesh I live by the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the Faith or in the Religion q. d. though I live in a body of flesh Yet my life is not fleshly but religious Of the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That of the Sonne of God q. d. the Religion wherein I now live is not that of Moses but that of Christ who is the son of God And gave himselfe for mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And delivered himselfe for mee viz. unto death or suffered death for my sake Reason This Verse is a Confirmation of his words in the former wherein hee affirmed that hee was dead unto the Law not to this end that hee might freely sinne but to this that hee might afterward live in the service of God the reason is saith hee because I am crucified with Christ For his being crucified doth argue or prove him dead because all Crucifying is dying and being crucified effectually is being dead though all dying bee not crucifying for crucifying is but one kinde of violent dying And his being crucified with Christ doth argue or prove that hee lived to God Because Christ though hee dyed on the Crosse yet now liveth unto God The rest of the Verse being a further Declaration of this first clause is adorned and varied with pathetick expressions arguing his divine and pious affections wherein by continuing his former Personation in transferring upon himselfe the person of a man
justified by Christ hee doth highly magnifie the benefit and religion of Christ thereby to manifest unto the Galatians their great rashnes and weakenesse in suffering themselves to be seduced from the Religion of Christ and reduced under the Law of Moses Comment Christian crucifying or mortification the Paterne of it the Ground of it the End or Effect of it Of self-love the Nature of it the Necessity of it the Facility and want of it the work of it the Order of that worke the nessity of it and Neglect of it Mortificatiō is true life and really is Sanctification by altering my life to the life of Christ Sense of the Text. Faith put for Religion To live in the flesh To live in the Faith Naturall actions may become religious and be subject to faith An attribute of Christ why given him heere The Religion of Moses servile But that of Christ is liberall and noble Another Attribute of Christ Delivering put for Dying The authors of Christs death Actions are morallized from their causes The end or purpose of it Christ dyed not in my stead But for my sake or for my good to certifie me of blessednes to justifie me to it to Sanctifie me for it to Exemplifie the way to it to glorifie me with it Christ dyed for me eminently More then any other person can Christs love caused his death not excluding Gods love which also caused it and not his Anger God then was not angry with Christ not with us but with the Jewes he was Christ dyed for Paul and for me by my name appellative of a Believer which kinde of Nomination is Certaine and Valid to the Inheritance of Heaven A Prayer unto Christ I Am Crucified The Crosse was an instrument for criminall executions whereon malefactors were put to death a punishment much practised and well knowne among the Romans Greekes and Jewes And to bee Crucified was to bee nayled hand and foot upon the Crosse to suffer thereby a shamefull paynfull and lingring death Hence by way of metaphor or resemblance the Faithfull when they renounce reject and crosse the motions desires and lusts of their carnall or fleshly appetite are sayd in Scripture to crucifie or mortifie the flesh and thereupon they themselves are sayd to bee crucified or mortified For when the Flesh or carnall appetite which is a kinde of Malefactor is so curbed and crossed that she cannot enjoy her former liberty and usuall motions unto sinne then she resembles a man crucified or nayled to the crosse who thereby loseth first his motion and at last his life The Apostle therefore would say My death unto the Law doth so far remove mee from living in sin that I am dead to sin also because I am as it were crucified For as a man that is crucified or nailed to the crosse doth dye a violent and paynfull death so my old man or that man that I was formerly is so bruised and crossed that it is dead not a naturall and easie but a violent and paynfull death For the denyall of my former selfe by crossing the motions desires and lusts of the flesh is unto my sensuall appetite not onely a simple death but a death with violence and torment because when my appetite is crossed she accounts her selfe vexed and tormented With Christ Not really and locally but putatively and quasively for I am mortified in a maner as hee was crucified and so I am for two reasons 1. Because his Crucifying is the Paterne resemblance or likenesse of mine For as Christ was crucified and dyed to his mortall life that he might rise to a new life and live unto God so I am mortified and dead unto sin that I might turne to a new life and live unto God as a new creature And as Christ was crucified but once dying no more but once for death had dominion over him no more but once so I am mortified and dead to sinne once for all and sinne shall never have dominion over mee more because I will never againe returne under the bondage of it For according to these resemblances the Apostle proposeth Christ unto every Christian as the true paterne of mortification Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne for he that is dead is freed from sinne And againe at the next verse following but one the other resemblance followeth Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him For in that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God Likewise reckon yee also your selves to bee dead indeede unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. Because his Crucifying is the cause ground or reason of mine For as through the death of the Law I am dead to the Law so through the Crucifying of Christ I am crucified with Christ i. e. his Crucifying and dying on the Crosse is the cause ground and bond why I must be mortified and dead unto sinne For seeing Christ by his death upon the Crosse did confirme and establish the last Will and Testament of God to the Legacyes and Promises whereof I by fayth am justified to have the same right in God with Christ or as Christ hath namely a right of alliance and inheritance to be the son and heyre of God as Christ is the son and heyre of God and consequently to be the brother of Christ and a co-heyre with him to eternall blessednes Are not these benefits by the death of Christ a cause ground and bond sufficient to engage and oblige mee to crucifie or mortifie my sin Shall I partake in the alliance and inheritance of Christ to bee a co-ally and a co-heire with him and shall I not partake in his obedience to be a sufferer with him especially in this holy suffering whereby my sin onely suffers death For seeing Christ for my sake layd downe his life shall not I for his sake lay downe my sinne Can I possibly doe lesse for his sake who suffered so much for mine then thus to conforme and plant my selfe into the likenesse of his death And can I possibly doe more for my owne sake when by thus conforming and planting my selfe into the likenes of his death Rom. 6.5 I shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection If Christ dyed for mee then must I dye to sinne because his death bindes mee to it 2 Cor. 5.14 For if one dyed for all then were all dead i. e. then were all to dye or then all ought or must dye to sin for in this place as in divers others the action past is put for the duty to come If Christ have any right in me I must bee thus dead Rom. 8.10 And if Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sinne i. e. the flesh or sensuall appetite is mortified or dead that thereby ye may