which is betwixt Christ and His Church for what was spoken historically of marriage is here applied mystically to Christ For this cause shall a man leave c. 3. As the Church of true Believers is the Bride the Lambs wife espoused already to Christ So never any man did more to purchase a Bride to himself than Christ hath done for His. He laid aside the glory which He had with the Father and became of no reputation as was mystically foretold in this history of the first marriage A man shall leave his father and mother 4. The great travel and trouble which Christ was put to for purchasing a Bride unto Himself doth not make Him regard her the lesse now when He hath her for He doth inseparably cleave unto her with most ardent and exemplary affection as was also mystically foretold And shall be joyned to his wife Vers. 32. This is a great mysterie but I speak concerning Christ and the Church THe Apostle concludeth this purpose concerning the spiritual conjunction of Christ and His Church here made use of to illustrate that near conjunction betwixt husband and wife with an observable acclamation that it is a great mysterie which word as it is usually taken in Scripture doth signifie a thing secret not obvious to every understanding and hid either in it self or in its cause and reason whether it be held out in plain terms or under the vail of some external sign or figure to represent it See 1 Tim. 3. 16. Eph. 3. 3. 1 Cor. 15. 51. Rom. 11. 25. 2 Thess. 2. 7. And lest by reason of his speaking all alongs of the bodily marriage betwixt husband and wife any had so far mistaken him as to think he called that a mysterie therefore he explaineth himself by shewing he was to be understood not of the bodily marriage but of the spiritual or that strict union or conjunction which is betwixt Christ and His Church Now he calleth this union a great mysterie because it is a thing hid in it self before it be revealed 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. yea and after it remaineth unsearchable by the light of reason how Christ now glorified in heaven can be one with us on earth and can only be acknowledged by faith Heb. 11. 1. Beside the bonds of this blessed union and conjunction are not naturall or bodily but spirituall even the Spirit of Christ Eph. 2. 18. and the grace of faith Eph. 3. 17. and therefore though the conjunction following upon these bonds be real Joh. 17. 21. operative Joh. 15. 5. and indissoluble Joh. 10. 28 29. yet the way of it is wholly spirituall and heavenly and consequently not so much to be searched into by reason what or how it is as to be believed that it is and improved for attaining and finding in our selves those blessed effects which do attend it where it is Doct. 1. That Papists have not ground from this place to make marriage a Sacrament properly so called is clear from the Apostle's own commentary whereby he sheweth by the mysterie here spoken of he doth not understand the bodily marriage but the spiritual beside that the word mysterie as we shew in the use of Scripture doth signifie a sacred secret not obvious to ordinary capacity and therefore every mysterie is not a Sacrament See 2 Thess. 2. 7. Rom. 11. 25. This is a great mysterie but I speak concerning Christ and the Church 2. The more a man doth attain to know of this mysterie of the mystical union and conjunction which is betwixt Christ and His Church the more he will be ravished with admiration at the unsearchable deepnesse and profundity of it so far will he be from thinking himself able sufficiently to comprehend it for even Paul who saw as far in this mysterie as any other Eph. 3. 4. doth stand admire and cry This is a great mysterie 3. As Ministers are bound to set forth to the Lords People that most near and blessed union betwixt Christ and believing souls and to presse upon them the study of the knowledge of it So both Pastors and People have need of much sobriety of spirit in diving into this subject not trusting to the quicknesse of their own wit nor judging of it by natural reason but resting upon what God hath revealed and made known concerning it and choosing rather to remain ignorant where he hath not revealed than curiously to search and pry further than is revealed for Paul while he is instructing them in this subject seeth it necessary to minde them of the profoundnesse of it this is a great mysterie 4. As we are ready through ignorance or inadvertence to mistake the right meaning and sense of Scripture So the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture hath carefully guarded against all such mistakes while he doth clear the right and genuine sense of a doubt some and dark Scripture by Scripture it self either in the same place or another for so doth Paul here while to obviate a possible mistake he saith But I speak concerning Christ and the Church Vers. 33. Neverthelesse let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband HE doth here by way of diversion from dipping further at this time in that spiritual conjunction of Christ and His Church exhort both husband and wife to learn from that forementioned law of marriage a short sum of their respective duties and first that every husband without exception or admitting any excuse would love his wife as himself that is seing she is a piece of himself as ver 28. otherwise if the particle as were only a note of similitude comparing different things and making a mans love unto himself the rule of his love unto his wife Then every man's neighbours should be equally loved with his wife for every man is to love his neighbour as himself in that sense Gal. 5. 14. And secondly he enjoyneth the wife that she reverence or as the word signifieth from love do fear her husband the meaning whereof is that she inwardly acknowledge that degree of honour which God hath put upon him 1 Cor. 11. 3. and give evident testimony of her inward esteem in words 1 Pet. 3. 6. actions and whole carriage and especially in her loathnesse to offend him 1 Pet. 3. 2. Doct. 1. Though there be some latent mysteries intended by the Spirit of God to be set forth by some plain histories recorded in Scripture besides their historicall and literall sense yet we are not upon that pretence to turn the whole Scripture into an allegory as if no more were intended in those Scriptures by the Spirit of God but only to set forth the spirituall mysterie We ought to look upon the historicall and literall sense of them also and mainly and make such use of them as being so taken they will afford for Paul having shown the mystical and allegorical use of Adam's words doth divert from that
acquaintance or such like This being Satan's aim herein that their sufferings may have so much the more of bitter gall and wormwood in them as they are inflicted by such from whom better things in reason might have been expected Psal. 55. 12 13. for Isaac is persecuted by his brother Ishmael But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit 3. Amongst those other persecutions which the Godly must endure the scourge of tongues is one and not the least especially when godlesse men taking occasion from their low condition do mock at their interest in God and labour to shame them from their confidence as if the Promise of God were of none effect for Ishmael's mocking of Isaac being yet a childe spoken of Gen. 21. 9. wherewith was doubtlesse joyned his mocking of the Promise made to Isaac is here called persecution He that was born after the flesh persecuted c. 4. Whatever wicked men may pretend yet the true rise of all their malice and opposition to those who are truly godly is their inward antipathy to the work of Grace in the Godly which they themselves want for so much is hinted at by the description here given of Ishmael the persecuter he was born after the flesh he had no more than what the power of nature did carry him to and of persecuted Isaac he was born after the Spirit or by the power of the Spirit of God wherby he did prefigure those who are truly regenerate which are born not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1. 13. Doct. 5. This may furnish with no small encouragement and comfort under hardest sufferings that nothing befalleth us but what is common to men and hath been the Churche's ordinary lot in former ages for this is Paul's scope even to comfort Christians under their present sufferings because Isaac did indure persecution as well as they But as then even so it is now saith he Vers. 30. Neverthelesse what saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman HE comforteth them secondly from this That the Jewish Synagogue and those who adhered thereto prefigured by Agar and Ishmael should be cast out of the Church of God from the society of the Saints and from the inheritance of life everlasting according as was shadowed forth by the like sentence of ejection from Abraham's family past upon Hagar and Ishmael at first by Sarab Gen. 21. 10. and authorized afterwards by God Himself Gen. 21. 12. Doct. 1. The Childe of God can have no solid comfort against nor yet be sufficiently guarded from stumbling at the outwardly prosperous state of the wicked or the afflicted state of the godly untill he consider what is God's mind revealed in Scripture either of the one or the other for the Apostle to comfort them against the wicked their prosperity and persecution flowing from it doth lead them to Gods mind in Scripture Neverthelesse saith he what saith the Scripture 2. Though God be slow to anger and is not easily provoked wholly to dissolve and cast off a Church or People who were once named by His Name even when they turn persecuting apostates yet if they be not gained by His long-suffering patience but notwithstanding go on to persecute truth and to maintain their damnable heresies He will quit them at the last by suffering them to make total apostasie from Him for the Jewish Synagogue though persecuting Truth and maintaining Justification by Works and several other Errors was not yet cast off by God but was to be rejected shortly after this as is not obscurely hinted at by the Apostle while he citeth this Scripture leaving the application of it unto themselves Cast out the bond-woman and her son c. 3. As it is no small disadvantage to Truth and to those who do maintain it when their persecuting adversaries do lurk under the mask of God's true Church and are generally taken for such So it is no lesse comfort when God taketh off that mask and maketh it appear unto the world that they are not the Church of God but the Synagogue of Satan for the Apostle's scope is to comfort the Christian Church that the Jewish Synagogue who for the time gave out her self and was generally taken for the true Church and thereby procured no small authority to her erroneous doctrine and way should shortly be cast out and not have so much as the face of a Church What saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman 4. There is no Salvation nor any hope of Salvation unto any who are without the true Church for the Jewish Synagogue being once un-churched her children and those who adhered in all things to her were debarred from the heavenly inheritance as Agar and Ishmael once being cast out of Abrahams family Ishmael was thereby debarred from having any part in the promised Land Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir c. 5. The Doctrine of Justification by Works when it 's not only doctrinally maintained but also practically walked in doth exclude the maintainer of it from having any part in the Kingdom of Heaven for so much was prefigured by the son of the bond-woman against whom a sentence is passed that he shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman Vers. 31. So then Brethren we are not children of the bond-woman but of the free HE comforteth them thirdly from this That they who for the time were persecuted by the Jewish Synagogue were not children of the bond-woman or members of that company and society which was prefigured by Hagar and so in no hazard from the former terrible sentence but being children of the free-woman or members of that Church which was prefigured by Sarah they had right to the heavenly inheritance whereby as by all which he hath formerly said he doth indirectly exhort those Galatians to quit their present error of seeking after Justification by Works and their tenacious adherance to that ancient Pedagogie of Moses as they would not exclude themselves from the heavenly inheritance Doct. 1. As a Minister must sometimes denounce most terrible judgments against the obstinate and godlesse So he ought most carefully to guard such denunciations as those lest they to whom they do not appertain make application of them and be discouraged by them for Paul doth guard the former denunciation while he saith So then we are not children of the bond-woman 2. The heavie denunciation of fearfull judgments to come upon any are speaking warnings unto us to flee from that way wherein those have walked who are so threatned for having shewn that the bond-woman with her son were to be cast out he inferreth So then we are not children of the bond-woman but of the free which hath the force of an indirect
Apostle 2. Faithful and called Ministers of Jesus Christ are to be so far from cowardly ceding or heartlesse fainting under the bold bitter and unjust aspersions of those who would labour to question their Calling and thereby weaken their Authority and render the truth of their Doctrine doubtsom Mat. 21. 23. that they ought so much the more for the credit of their Office Rom. 11. 13. and for the Truth 's sake which they preach 1 Cor. 7. 25. avow their Calling against all who do question it Thus Paul writing to these Galatians amongst whom by means of the false Apostles his Authority was questioned more than in any other Church chap. 2. 6 9 c. expresseth himself more largely in avowing his Call to the Apostolick Office than in any other Epistle not only affirming that he was called by Jesus Christ and God the Father but also denying that he was an Apostle of men or by man 3. The Apostolick Office had this common to it with all other Church-offices whether ordinary or extraordinary Eph. 4. 11. that it was not the invention of man or founded upon authority meerly humane but was instituted by Jesus Christ to whom only it appertaineth to appoint Office-bearers in His House 1 Cor. 12. 28. for which respect Paul affirmeth he was an Apostle not of man as the Ambassadors and Officers of Princes and States are Ministers are Ambassadors for Christ representing Him and having their Authority from Him 2 Cor. 5. 20. 4. The Office of an Apostle had this peculiar unto it self that the designation of the person to undergo that Office was not mediately by the election and suffrages of men as it is in the calling of ordinary Office-bearers Act. 14. 23. but immediately from God so that the Function of the Apostles ceased with them and did not passe by succession to a Pope or any other for in this respect Paul affirmeth he was an Apostle not by man to wit meer man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father He was called immediately by God Act. 9. 15. Doct. 5. That Jesus Christ is not meer man but God also appeareth from this that the Apostle here opposeth Christ to man and so He behoved to be more than man and this was not an Angel Heb. 2. 16. and therefore He was also God Neither by man saith he to wit meer man but by Jesus Christ. 6. When Scripture ascribeth an action to the Father the first Person of the blessed Trinity as done by Him it is not to be so understood as if the Son and holy Ghost were excluded from having hand in that action but that they are rather included in the Father as persons of the same Godhead for the calling of the Ministers of the Gospel which is ascribed to God the Father is ascribed to the holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. and Paul who is here said to be called by God the Father is by the holy Ghost separated and sent forth unto a particular imployment in his Calling Act. 13. 2 4. and the raising of Christ from the dead in like manner ascribed to God the Father here is ascribed to Christ also Joh. 10. 18. and to the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 11. And God the Father who raised Him from the dead All the external actions of the Godhead towards the creatures are common to the whole Trinity Joh. 5. 19. So that the ascribing of some actions to the Father is not as if any of the rest were not concurring But because of the order of working which is among the Three Persons the Father being the first fountain of working as doing all things from Himself 1 Cor. 8. 6. by the Son 1 Cor. 8. 6. and holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 6 8. because of this order those actions which are common to the whole Trinity are frequently ascribed unto the Father 7. As Jesus Christ who hath life in Himself Job 5. 26. and is the fountain of life unto others Joh. 6. 33. was once among the dead so He was raised again by the power of the Father from death unto life and is alive for evermore Amen Rev. 1. 18. it being impossible that He should be holden by death Act. 2. 24. and Divine Justice having received full satisfaction from Him for all which He undertook to do or suffer as our Cautioner Joh. 16. 10. Who raised Him from the dead saith he 8. So blinded are men usually with preposterous zeal towards their erroneous opinions that frequently they do alleage those things for to uphold them which of all other things are most contrary unto them Thus the false Apostles that they might shake the Truth preached by Paul and establish their own contrary Error did alleage that he was no lawful Apostle as for other reasons so it would seem mainly for this Because he had not seen Christ in the flesh 1 Cor. 9. 1. nor yet was called before His death and that therefore his Doctrine was not to be much regarded Which reason Paul doth here refute by shewing he was called by Christ after He was raised from the dead and had taken possession of His glorious Kingdom leaving unto them to gather that therefore his Callâ—ng had at least no lesse dignity and glory in it than if he had been called by Christ when He was here upon the Earth in the dayes of His flesh And God the Father who raised Him from the dead From vers 2. Learn 1. The moc they are whom God maketh use of to hold out the beauty of Truth and Holinesse unto us that we may imbrace and follow it or the deformity and danger of Error and Vice that we may fly from hate and abhor it We are the more to take heed how we reject or imbrace dispise or obey what is so pressed upon us as knowing there will be the moe to bear witnesse of our guilt and seek to the equity of God's judgment against us if we obey not Luke 9. 5. for Paul doth joyn the consent of all the Brethren who were with him unto what he writeth that so his Doctrine and Reproofs might have the more weight And all the Brethren which are with me 2. Though the sins of a Church whether in Doctrine or Manners are not to be reputed as no sins by us because they are connived at or pleaded for by a Church Jer. 5. 31. and though the sins of Churches are to be pleaded against by private Christians in their places and stations Hos. 2. 2. So far are they to be from following of a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. Yet we are not so to stumble at the many sinful failings yea grosse enormities which may be in Churches relating either to Faith or Manners as presently to unchurch them by denying them to be a Church or to separate from them by refusing to keep communion with them in lawful and commanded Ordinances being purely administrated according to the prescript of God's Word chiefly if their Error be not contrary to fundamental
suspect of favouring their Error and bearing down the rest with the pretended shew of their authority Thus Paul's adversaries did extoll Peter James and John as much preferible to him because of their personal prerogatives above him as appeareth from Pauls labouring so much to prove that they were no wayes superiour to him and to take off any prejudice which might rise against himself from their personal prerogatives of seeing Christ in the flesh and being Apostles before him But from those I learned nothing whosoever they were c. 3. In our esteem of persons and things our judgment ought not to be ruled by the approbation of men so as to put a price upon every thing which is commonly esteemed of among men Luke 16. 15. but by the approbation of God so that every thing may have more or lesse weight with us according as He esteemeth of it Thus Paul regarded not the personal prerogatives of the other Apostles as bearing any weight in the present businesse because God regarded them not It maketh no matter to me God accepteth no man's person 4. The Lord in passing judgement upon persons or things is not swayed with any thing which is extrinsecall and belongeth not unto the cause whereabout He judgeth He respecteth not the person of man that is He will not approve or disapprove of a man's cause for his person if it be not otherwise worthy of approbation or reproof because most frequently a man's cause and person come under different considerations for saith he God accepteth of no mans person whereby in this place is meaned that the personall prerogatives of the other Apostles did not bear weight with God to make Paul's Office or Doctrine more uncertain and lesse divine than theirs seing whatever other use those prerogatives did serve for Yet they appertained nothing to the present cause 5. Though some of Christ's faithfull Servants may be cryed-up by light wits or heretical spirits to the down-bearing of the deserved estimation of others Yet so far ought they themselves to be from being transported with groundlesse applause and from despising those others beyond whom they are so much esteemed of that they are to bear-up their credit so much the more by withholding no approbation of theirs from them which is their due although they should thereby contradict their own flatterers and make them lyars for those Apostles who were so much cryed-up by the false brethren to Paul's prejudice did throughly approve his Doctrine declaring him to be an orthodox Preacher and an Apostle of Jesus Christ as well as themselves contrary to what his adversaries and their flatterers affirmed of him In conference they added nothing to me and ver 9. They gave me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship Vers. 7. But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto me as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter 8. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles 9. And when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the Grace that was given unto me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should go unto the Heathen and they unto the Circumcision HEre is a second part of the event of that Meeting at Jerusalem to wit that when the Apostles James Cephas that is Peter Joh. 1. 42. and John had by certain evidences found that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision or the Apostolick-office to preach the Gospel among the uncircumcised Gentiles was concredited by God to Paul as well as the Gospel of Circumcision or the Apostolick-office to preach the Gospel among the circumcised Jews was committed unto Peter ver 7. which they did gather from this that the like divine assistance blessing and successe did accompany the labours both of Peter and Paul towards their respective Charges and so their Office behoved to be equally divine ver 8. and when those three Apostles who were commonly and no lesse deservedly reputed pillars of the Church as being under God the upholders of it by their Ministry gifts diligence and fidelity had seen the grace or gifts both ordinary and extraordinary which were bestowed by God upon Paul fitting him every way for the Apostolick-office they did without more ado acknowledge both Paul and Barnabas for their Collegues or fellow-Apostles giving them the right hand in evidence of the same as also of their mutual agreement in dividing of their Charge so as that Paul and Barnabas should go on to discharge their Apostolick-office among the Gentiles and the other three among the Jews vet 9. which paction is nothing contrary to what is held forth Act. 15. 7. for Peter speaketh not there that his ordinary Charge was to preach unto the Gentiles but of that one act of his mentioned Act. 10. whereby he was at one time imployed to preach to them at the first beginning of their conversion All which doth evidence that Paul was an Apostle immediately called and acknowledged to be such by the other Apostles Doct. 1. This Scripture doth many wayes refute that dream of the Papists concerning Peter's primacy or supremacy over the rest of the Apostles and over the Catholick Church and of the Pope's succeeding to Peter in that supposed illimited trust for 1. the Apostle's drift in all this is to shew that he was every way equal with Peter and the rest of the Apostles and no wayes inferiour unto them and that he was acknowledged to be so by Peter himself so that Peter was not supream over all When they saw that the Gospel of uncircumcision was committed unto me c. 2. Paul doth here compare himself mainly and particularly with Peter while he expresseth him by name even when he is speaking of these things which were common to Peter with the other two James and John as that the Gospel of Circumcision was committed to Peter and this because it seemeth Paul s adversaries did mainly cry-up Peter as superiour to him so that this of Peter's primacy above the other Apostles hath been an old plea but ill grounded and expresly confuted by Paul in this place As the Gospel of Circumcision was committed unto Peter 3. We find here a divine Ordinance that Peter should exercise his Office among the Jews as their Apostle of which Ordinance they can produce no change and so if the Pope plead to be Peter's successor he must challenge a superiority over the Jews and hath nothing to do with us As the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter 4. Paul by vertue of the same divine Ordinance was to exercise his Office among the Gentiles as their Apostle and endued with the same Authority in all points which Peter had over the Jews and therefore Peter was not supream But if the Pope give-out himself for universal Pastor over the whole World he must not plead his succession to Peter so much as
Gentiles 1 Cor. 16. 1. to supply the poor Jews who were turned Christians Rom. 15. 25. which they performed speedily and diligently See the places cited and 2 Cor. 8 and 9. chapters Doct. 1. It is frequently the lot of those who are rich in Grace to be poor in the things of a present life and who are heirs of a Kingdom Luke 12. 32. to be driven unto such straits as they are forced to live upon some charitable supply from others God seeing it convenient hereby to wean them from worldly contentments that Heaven may be the more longed after and more sweet when it cometh Thus the Christians in Judea for the most part were poor and such as needed supply from the Gentiles Only they would that we should remember the poor 2. Though those who are our own poor within the bounds where we live are chiefly to be relieved by us because of our nearer interest in such 1 Tim. 5. 8. Yet in cases of extremity even those poor who live remote from us because they are also of our own flesh Isa. 58. 7. and members of the same mystical body if Believers Gal. 6. 10. are also to be supplied by us for Paul was to stir up the Gentiles to contribute for the poor at Judea Only they would that we should remember the poor 3. The care of the poor and supply of the outward necessities of the Saints is an imployment not unworthy of the very chief Apostles and which Ministers and other Officers of the Church ought to make conscience of for the care of the poor was the last farewell of those Apostles Only they would that we should remember the poor which Paul also was forward to do 4. The Ministers of Jesus Christ ought to presse upon the People not only duties which are easie and cost them nought but also those that are burdensome and expensive especially that they would willingly give of those things which they enjoy for the supply of others which want and are to be as forward in pressing the one sort of duties as the other as being equally profitable to the Church and most evidencing of an inward work of Grace in the heart 1 Joh. 3. 17. Thus Paul was forward to presse upon the Gentiles to give some supply to the poor Jews The same which I was also forward to do or did speedily and diligently as the word signifieth Vers. 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed FRom this Verse to the 15. there is a further evidence of that Truth which he had formerly asserted concerning the authority of his Office and his divine Doctrine even in that point which was controverted betwixt him and his adversaries which he maketh appear from this That as an Apostle and by vertue of his Apostolick Office he did with Authority rebuke Peter one of the chief Apostles when in his practice at Antioch he declined from the Doctrine taught by him concerning the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law and that for any thing which appeareth to the contrary Peter in this debate did yeeld to Paul as having Truth for him This action of Paul's towards Peter is first summarly propounded in this Verse wherein Paul sheweth that boldly and freely he did oppose himself to Peter and that because his carriage as he doth clear more fully afterward was most blame-worthy Doct. 1. No band of friendship or confederacy which parties have entred no fear of occasioning the breaking-off of friendship whatever may be the consequences thereof ought to make those who are so conjoyned connive at others in a sinfull course or withhold a testimony against that which is sinfull in their friend when the hazard which may ensue from his sin to the Work and People of God doth call for it for though Paul had come to Jerusalem of purpose to purchase a good understanding betwixt him and Peter ver 1 2. and though they had given not long since mutual evidences of their harmony and agreement ver 9. and though their renting assunder was the thing which adversaries to Truth would have been most glad of as making much for the advantage of their bad cause Yet not long after this agreement was made when Peter falleth in a sin reproof-worthy which had dreadfull consequences to the People and Work of God as will appear afterward following upon it Paul doth freely and boldly give testimony against his sinful course But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face 2. As the Ministers of Jesus Christ are bound to reprove sin and vice so they are to reprove it first with much boldnesse and resolution not faintly as if they were more feared for the offence of man than grieved for the dishonour of God so Paul in reproving Peter withstood him In the Original it is a military word and signifieth to stand against whether it be by force of arms or arguments it is a word of defiance and combating as it were hand to hand face to face and foot to foot not yeelding a hair breadth to the adversary Rom. 13. 2. Eph. 6. 13. Secondly with ingenuity and candor so as not to conceal the man's fault only from himself and in the mean time to speak of it broad and wide unto others for his prejudice Lev. 19. 16. But they are to declare his sin even-down to himself and rebuke him for it Thus Paul withstood Peter to the face for the word in the Original doth not import that he withstood him only in shew and for the fashion making the beholders think they were serious when they were not as some of the Ancients did alleage such dissimulation had been most base in those two eminent Apostles and Paul had not here spoken truly affirming that Peter was worthy to be blamed and that he walked not uprightly so the word must read as it is here rendred to the face or to his face as 2 Cor. 10. 1. Thirdly with certainty and knowledge of the deed reproved both for the truth of the fact and the vicious quality of it Paul before he reproved was assured of both these Because he was to be blamed saith he Doct. 3. The most eminent Saints on earth are not free of their own sinful and blame-worthy failings that hereby they may be keeped humble and from being lifted up with their gifts graces and other excellencies 2 Cor. 12. 7. and others may hereby learn not to think of them above what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. for even the Apostles themselves and Penmen of Scripture though they could not erre in writing Scripture being therein guided by the infallible assistance of the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. Yet in other things they had their own sinful failings as is evident in Peter Because he was to be blamed 4. It is the part of every man though never so eminent and esteemed of by others when he meeteth with a just and deserved reproof to stoop to
from the strength of Nature or the Works of the Unregenerate and not the Works of the Regenerate also which are performed by the Grace of Christ he should have quite mistaken the question and not at all refuted his adversaries It doth therefore of necessity follow that the Apostle reasoneth against Justification by Works done in obedience to the Law in general and that he affirmeth we are justified only by Faith in opposition unto all Works of ours whatsoever which he proveth by two Arguments in this Chapter First because he himself and other Jews who though they enjoyed by birth and education as being born Members of the visible Church many priviledges beyond the Gentiles who were profane sinners and born aliens from God and therefore might have expected to be justified by their good works if so any could be justified that way Yet they knowing perfectly that all their Works done in obedience to the Law could never justifie or make them righteous before God and that only Faith in Christ would make them so righteous even they who had as much reason to boast of their Works as any other had renounced all confidence in their Works and betaken themselves only to Faith in Jesus Christ for Justification and hereby he leaveth unto them to gather what madnesse it were for those Galatians or any other of the Gentiles to rely upon the Works of the Law so as to be justified by them which he further confirmeth as it seemeth from Psal. 143. -2. affirming that no flesh whether Jew or Gentile shall be justified to wit by the Works of the Law which is here supplyed by the Apostle without adding to the sense The like addition of words for explication without wronging the sense is frequently used in the New Testament where Scriptures are cited out of the Old as Mat. 4. 10. compared with Deut. 6. 13. Heb. 10. 5. compared with Psal. 140. 7. Doct. 1. Though every man by nature is a childe of wrath and enemy to God Eph. 2. 3. as Nature speaketh that which is born with us and conveyed unto us from our parents by carnal generation Psal. 51. 5. Yet all those who are born within the visible Church have a right by nature unto Church-priviledges and to enjoy the external means of Grace and Salvation as Nature speaketh that which is born with us not of natural generation but of free-grace which God is pleased to honour His People with and to deny unto others for the Apostle here calleth himself and others come of Abraham who had been from that time upwards the only visible Church Psal. 147. 19 20. Jews by nature wherby he doth not simply design them to be men of such a Nation for that could make nothing to the Apostle's scope in the present argument besides that the Jew is here opposed to sinners of the Gentiles so it must relate some way to their spiritual state neither doth it import that much as if they had inherent holinesse and were altogether sinlesse by nature for this is contradicted by Scripture Rom. 3. 9. So the meaning must be that from their birth and because of God's love to them in making choice of them to be a Church to Himself above all Nations Deut. 7. 6. they were externally at least in covenant with God Deut. 29. 11. whereby they had a right to all Church-priviledges as of being under God's special care and government Isa. 4. 5 6. of enjoying the ordinary means of Salvation as they were capable of them Gen. 17. 12. And as it was with the Jews then so is it with those that are born within the visible Church now they are Christians by birth to wit in the sense presently mentioned for the visible Church under the New Testament and among the Gentiles hath succeeded to those priviledges which were enjoyed by the Church under the Old Rom. 11. 17. So that even young Infants are expresly called holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. to wit with an external and federal holinesse and on this account they have right to Baptism the seal of the Covenant which no Infidel can claim Act. 2. 38 39. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles 2. The Doctrine of free Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ and not by Works was early opposed by Satan and heretical spirits and no Doctrine so much opposed as it was and that because no Truth is more necessary to be keeped pure than this is it being such a Truth as if it be keeped pure several other Truths are keeped pure also and if it fall many other Truths do also fall with it Therefore is it that Satan did so much labour and yet laboureth to bear it down for the defacing of this Truth was mainly aimed at by the false Apostles among those Galatians as appeareth from the Apostle his setting of himself so much to defend it That we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law saith he 3. Concerning the nature of Justification we learn several things First That Justification is not the Lord 's making one who was before unjust to be just by working of habitual and inherent righteousnesse in him as the Papists do take it confounding Justification and Sanctification contrary to Scripture 1 Cor. 6. 11. But it is a judicial action whereby the Lord absolveth the sinner from death and wrath and adjudgeth him to life eternal for the word expressing this grace here is a judicial word taken from Courts of Justice which being attributed to the Judge is opposed to condemn Rom. 8. 33 34. and so signifieth to absolve and give sentence neither doth the Scripture ever make use of this word in any other sense where the justification of a sinner before God is spoken of Knowing that a man is not justified c. and that we might be justified Secondly The ground whereupon and the cause for which sinners are thus justified or absolved from wrath and adjudged to life eternal is not any Works which they do in obedience to the Law of God whether Ceremonial or Moral for Works are excluded while he saith A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ it is not except by the Faith c. as if Works were only excluded when Faith is not joyned with them as the Papists do read it but the word is well turned here by the adversative particle But as it is frequently in Scripture See chap. 1. 7. Mat. 12. 4. So that Works are simply excluded and Faith established as only having hand in this businesss which is more plainly asserted afterwards That we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law by which are meaned both the Works of the Moral and Ceremonial Law as we cleared in the Exposition Thirdly The Works which are excluded from having hand in Justification are not only those which are done before conversion but also
which follow after and flow from the working of God's Spirit in us even those Works are imperfect Isa. 64. 6. and so cannot make us compleatly righteous and we do owe them to God in the mean time Luke 17. 10. and so they cannot satisfie divine Justice for the failings of the bypast time They are the work of God's Spirit in us Philip. 2. 13. and so we can merit nothing at God's hand by them for He excludeth the Works of the Law in general now the good Works of the Regenerate are such as are commanded by the Law and done in obedience to the Law besides that those false Apostles did admit a mixture of Faith and Works in Justification so that if the Apostle had not excluded even Works which flow from Faith they might have quickly agreed upon the point Man is not justified by the Works of the Law Fourthly That through vertue whereof we are thus justified and absolved by God is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ performed by Himself while He was here on Earth both in doing what we should have done Mat. 3. 15. and suffering what we ought to have suffered Gal. 3. 13. which righteousnesse is not inherent in us but imputed to us Rom. 5. 17 18 19. as the sum of Money paid by the Cautioner standeth good in Law for the principal Debtor So we are said to be justified by the Faith of Christ or Faith in Jesus Christ as laying hold upon His righteousnesse which is imputed to us as said is and by which only we are made righteous Fifthly Though Faith be not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces for it worketh by Love chap. 5. 7. Yet Faith is that only grace which hath influence in our Justification for all other Works even those that flow from Grace are excluded and only Faith admitted to have hand in this businesse A man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law Sixthly Faith hath influence upon our justification not as it is a Work or because of any worth which is in it self more than in other graces or as if the act of believing whether it alone or joyntly with other graces were imputed unto us for righteousnesse but only as it layeth hold on Jesus Christ and giveth us a right to His Righteousnesse through the merit whereof alone we are justified for it is by the Faith of Jesus Christ or Faith receiving Joh. 1. 12. and resting on Jesus Christ Isa. 26. 3 4. that we are justified besides that all Works of the Law or commanded by the Law are here excluded and by consequence Faith it self as it is a work is excluded also Seventhly This way of Justification by Free-grace accepting of us for the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and not because of our own worth is common to all who ever were are or shall be justified whether good or bad the most eminent and best of men must quit the conceipt of their own righteousnesse and rely upon Him who justifieth the ungodly by Faith for even those who were Jews by nature Paul and the other Apostles betook themselves to this way Even we saith he have believed in Jesus Christ and the Scripture cited by Paul speaketh universally of all For by the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Eightly Before man be justified through vertue of this imputed Righteousnesse he must first be convinced of his own utter inability to satisfie divine Justice and so to be justified by any thing which himself can do So natural is it to seek for a righteousnesse of our own and in our selves that we will never seek in earnest to the Righteousnesse of Christ until we be made to despair of our selves Rom. 10. 3. for the Apostle sheweth that this conviction went before their Justification Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law Next he must be convinced also of a worth in Christ's Merit to satisfie divine Justice and that this Merit of Christ's is offered to all who shall lay hold on it by Faith so as that it shall stand good in Law for them in order to their Absolution as if they had given an equivalent satisfaction to God's Justice themselves for none will venture his immortal soul upon that the worth whereof he doth not know Hence the Apostle sheweth that the knowledge of this also did preceed their Justification Knowing that a man is not justified but by the Faith of Jesus Christ. And lastly being thus convinced he must by Faith receive and rest upon Jesus Christ and that most perfect Righteousnesse of His by making his soul adhere and cleave to the Word of Promise wherein Christ is offered Act. 2. 39 41. whereupon followeth the real Justification and Absolution of the man who so doth for Paul marketh this as a third thing going before their Justification Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified Doct. 4. The former practices of ancient Believers eminent for parts priviledges and graces who have quit their own righteousnesse and ventured their soul wholly upon this imputed Righteousnesse of Christ laying hold upon it by Faith ought to be looked on as a strong argument inforcing us to do the like for the Apostle's scope is to prevail with those Galatians by this argument We who are Jews by nature saith he have believed in Jesus Christ that we might bejustified 5. Though the approved practices of eminent godly persons may have their own weight in order to our encouragement to deny our selves and lay hold on Christ Yet it is the Word of the Lord which can only quiet a man's conscience in this matter and make his mind fully aquiesce to it for the Apostle unto their example subjoyneth a Scripture-confirmation of the Truth in hand By the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Vers. 17. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the minister of sin God forbid HE preoccupieth an Objection which might have been framed against the present Doctrine thus If the Doctrine of Justification by Christ doth suppose that even the Jews themselves who are sanctified from the womb are equally sinners with the Gentiles and that being unable to attain to Justification by the Works of the Law they must only rely on Christ by Faith as Paul had but presently affirmed ver 16. Then it would seem to follow that Christ were the minister of sin or that the Doctrine of the Gospel did make men sinners both by taking away that Righteousnesse of the Law which the Jews thought they had and were warranted as they conceived by the Scriptures of the Old Testament so to think as also by furnishing both Jew and Gentile with an occasion to cast-by all care of Holinesse and
apprehending of the Promise by Faith the sentence of our absolution and adjudication to life eternal is also renewed so this second Justification is not upon the account or for the merit of our good Works no more than the former It is alwayes Faith that justifieth for Abraham who was justified long before upon a renewed act of his believing hath his Faith of new and not his Works imputed to him for righteousness 7. The Godly under the Old Testament and the Godly under the New are justified one and the same way as we are justified freely Rom. 3. 24. so were they Isa. 43. 25. as we are justified fully and absolved both from the guilt and punishment of sin 1 Joh. 1. -7. Rom. 8. 1. so were they Isa. 53. 5. otherwise the Apostle could not argue from Abraham's Justification to ours as he doth here Know ye therefore saith he that they which are of the Faith c. 8. They who are of the Faith or who seek after Justification by Faith are Abraham's children and his seed they who are Members of the visible Church and profess the Doctrine of Faith are his children outwardly because they walk in the steps of their father Abraham by professing of and assenting to that Doctrine of Faith which he believed Rom. 4. 12. whereby they have title to the Covenant of Grace Act. 2. 39. Rom. 11. 16 17. which title of theirs to the Covenant implyeth a right to enjoy all divine Ordinances Act. 2. 38 39. whereof they are capable and from which they do not debar themselves by ignorance 1 Cor. 11. 28. or scandal Mat. 18. 17. It implyeth also all external Church-priviledges leading unto Salvation Rom. 9. 4. Yea and a right to Salvation it self upon God's tearms required in the Gospel Joh. 3. 16. In which respect Salvation is said to be of the Jews Joh. 4. -22. They again who do not only professe the Doctrine of Faith but also imbrace it in their hearts by the grace of saving Faith are Abraham's children inwardly because they have not only a title to the Covenant of Grace but also come up to the conditions required in it and so do walk in the steps of saving Faith and Repentance wherein Abraham walked who is held forth as a pattern and father for imitation unto others whereby they enjoy not only outward priviledges but also saving benefits and blessings and have not only a conditional but an absolute and actual right unto Heaven and Glory the covenanted Inheritance of Abraham's children Heb. 11. 12 13 14 15 16 This distinction of Abraham's children outwardly and inwardly is founded upon Rom. 2. 28 29. and is necessary as for the right understanding of other places of Scripture so of this They which be of the Faith are the Children of Abraham Vers. 8. And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 9. So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham BEcause the former consequence from Abraham's Justification to ours might be questioned to hold in the Gentiles who were not of Abraham's posterity therefore the Apostle doth clear it from the words of the Promise made to Abraham Gen. 12. 3. that in him or in his seed Jesus Christ who was to come of him Gen. 22. 18. all the Nations or Gentiles were to be blessed which Promise he sheweth was no other than the Gospel or glad tydings that all the blessings to be purchased by Christ Abraham's seed among which Justification by Faith was one were to be bestowed by God upon the Gentiles and that the Scripture or Spirit which speaks in Scripture fore-knowing to wit in the Decree that God was to do so did contrive the Promise in these words of purpose that it might bear so much ver 8. from which he inferreth that all Believers indefinitely the Nations not excluded but included do partake of all those saving blessings which Abraham did partake of by Faith among which free Justification was the chief for of that is the question ver 9. Doct. 1. That Scripture is not an invention of man but the Word of the all-knowing God appeareth from this that several things are foretold therein which had their accomplishment a long time afterwards according as they were foretold the knowledge of which things at so great a distance of time could not be in any but God Isa. 41. 22 23. for the calling of the Gentiles and their Justification by Faith was foretold about the space of two thousand years before it fell out And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith 2. The foreknowledge of future events at the greatest distance doth most properly and peculiarly belong unto God which doth alwayes suppose His Will and Decree that such things shall come to passe in which Decree of His He doth foreknow them Act. 2. 23. Whatever foresight of this kind is in any of the creatures they have it by borrowed light from Him and as we say by lighting their Candles at His Torch for the foreknowing that the Gentiles would be justified by Faith is attributed to Scripture or the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture And the Scripture foreseeing c. 3. The calling of the Gentiles and their attaining to Salvation by free-grace and all the spiritual priviledges of Abraham's seed was a thing hardly credible at the first breaking-forth of the Gospel the case of all Nations except the Jews seemed to be so desperate and damnable Eph. 2. 11 12. Hence the Apostle seeth it necessary upon all occasions almost to clear that the calling of the Gentiles had ground from Scripture as here The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith 4. Hence we learn several things tending to the right understanding of that Promise made to Abraham Gen. 12. 3. In thee or in thy seed Gen. 22. 18. to wit Christ all Nations shall be blessed As first That the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham whereof this Promise is one Article was extended not only to Abraham's carnal seed but to all Believers in every place even among the Gentiles for in thee all Nations shall be blessed Secondly All men by nature and considered without respect had to and as not having interest in this gracious Covenant made with Abraham in Christ are destitute of all blessings under the drop of God's wrath and curse Eph. 2. 3. and so are really cursed for this is imported while he saith in thee and not otherwise all Nations shall be blessed Thirdly That we who by nature are cursed creatures should be freed from the curse and do partake of the contrary blessing it cometh to passe by vertue of that gracious Covenant made with Abraham and more particularly it is through Jesus Christ Abraham's seed in whom we being ingraffed by faith are delivered from the curse ver 13. for In thee or in thy seed Gen.
22. 18. all Nations shall be blessed Fourthly The Blessings promised to Abraham's seed in the Covenant made by God with him were not only temporal carnal and appertaining to this life but heavenly and spiritual The former indeed were often inculcated upon the Ancient Church Deut. 28. 2 3 c. not as if these had been all or the main Blessings of the Covenant but as they were shadows only of things more heavenly Heb. 11. 14 15 16. for the Apostle explaineth one part at least of the Blessings promised to be Justification by Faith The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith saith In thee shall Nations be blessed Fifthly The man who is justified by Faith is a blessed man and there is no blessednesse under the Sun comparable unto this for a man to have his sin pardoned Psal. 32. 1. and the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him and so to be placed in a state of favour with God for the Apostle expoundeth the Blessing promised by being justified The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by Faith Sixthly This Promise made to Abraham containeth in it the summe of the Gospel to wit the glad tydings of all spiritual blessings and particularly of a free-gifted Righteousnesse purchased by Christ to be bestowed upon all who by Faith should be ingraffed in Christ and that the Gentiles should have accesse in the dayes of the Gospel to these Blessings among the rest for the Promise holdeth out all this and Paul calleth the revealing of this Promise the preaching of the Gospel The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Seventhly The Gospel therefore is no new Doctrine but the same in substance with that which was taught to Abraham and to the Church under the Old Testament for saith he The Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Eightly Though the Gospel or glad tydings of Salvation was not unknown to the Ancient Church yet it was but a very small glimmering light which they had of it in comparison with what we do now enjoy all that Scripture recordeth Adam and the Patriarchs to have had of it was in that obscure Promise Gen. 3. 15. and all that Abraham had of it was in this Promise here mentioned which though it was much clearer than the former because the day-light of the Gospel under the New Testament was then drawing nearer yet it was far short in clearnesse and plainnesse of these Gospel-promises which we do now enjoy as Joh 3. 16. Scripture preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Ninthly The blessing of Justification by Faith and of other spiritual favours promised to the Nations in Abraham was such as Abraham was not the author of it but a sharer in it with the rest of those to whom it was promised so he inferreth from the Blessing promised to Abraham That we are blessed with faithfull Abraham Doct. 5. Eminent Priviledges bestowed by God upon particular persons do not exempt them from walking to Heaven in the common path-way with others if so they look for it at all for Abraham though highly priviledged to be the father of Believers ver 7. in whom all Nations were to be blessed Gen. 12. 3. yet behoved to enjoy the Blessing not because of his own merit but freely and by Faith as well as others as is imported in the Epithet of Faithful given to Abraham We are blessed with faithful Abraham not with circumcised vertuous Abraham 6. God in bestowing of Blessings promised upon condition of Faith doth not so much look upon the greatnesse of Faith as the truth and sincerity of it for though every one who are of Faith believe not so strongly as Abraham did yet they are blessed with faithfull Abraham Vers. 10. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them HEre is a third Argument to prove that we are justified by Faith and not by Works because they who seek to be justified by the works of the Law are under the curse of God and so not justified which he proveth because according to Scripture Deut. 27. 26. the Law pronounceth the curse upon every man who fulfilleth not the whole Law in every tittle or jot of it now he taketh it for granted that none fulfill the whole Law and so doth leave unto them to gather that the Law doth fasten the curse upon all who seek Justification by it Doct. 1. That Paul doth mean the Works not only of the Ceremonial Law but also of the Moral all alongs this dispute while he excludeth Works from being the cause of Justification appeareth from the Scripture here cited which is verified mainly in the Moral Law as it appeareth from these sins in particular against which the Levites were to denounce the curse all of them being transgressions of the Moral Law Deut. 27. 15 16 c. to the end For it is written Cursed is every one 2. Fallen man is so far from attaining to a state of favour with God and happinesse here or hereafter by any Works which he can do that when he hath done the utmost even of what his natural strength or renewed faculties of grace can reach if he seek to be justified by it he remaineth under God's curse and wrath notwithstanding of all for the Apostle affirmeth universally of all that are of the works of the Law that is who seek to be justified by works done in obedience to the Law for therein was the great controversie that they are under the curse 3. The cursed estate of man by nature through sin and misery together with that impossibility he lyeth under to be recovered from that wofull estate and to regain a state of favour with God by any work of righteousnesse which he doth is a thing known not by the discoursing of natural reason which being blind in the things of God cannot judge aright neither of its own misery nor of the way of recovery from it 1 Cor. 2. 14. The knowledge of those is borrowed from Scripture-light whose sentence alone is to be stood to in this matter hence Paul appealeth to Scripture for probation of what he hath herein affirmed For it is written saith he Cursed is every one 4. Every sin even the least as being a wrong done against God Iam. 2. 11. who is infinit in all His Attributes Job 11. 7 8 9. and a transgression of His holy and righteous Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. Rom. 7. 12. deserveth no lesse than that the curse of God should light upon the sinner under which curse is comprehended all the miseries of this life Lam. 3. 39. death it self Rom. 6. 23 and the pains of Hell for ever Mat. 25. 41 46 for so the Scripture cited affirmeth Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that is
and no more spared than if we our selves who sinned had been in His place for the Text saith He was not only accursed but made a curse in the abstract to shew how greatly he was accursed in death neither was this execration only in respect of man who indeed did judge Him execrable Isa. 53. 3 4. but also in respect of God as appeareth by the testimony alleaged out of Deut. 21. 23. for though the Apostle intending the sense only and not the words omitteth the mentioning of God Yet in the place cited we have it thus He that is hanged is accursed of God 10. The malefactor among the Jews who was adjudged to end his life by hanging on a tree was pronounced by God to be a curse or accursed not as if every one who died that death even notwithstanding of their repentance had been rejected of God and condemned Luke 23. 39 43. but partly because that was a most odious and infamous death in it self as being aflicted only for atrocious and heinous crimes and partly because it was fore-ordained of God that Christ our Surety should end His life by that kind of death in order to our redemption and delivery from the Law 's deserved curse for which cause mainly God was pleased to pronounce that kind of death accursed above any other as appeareth from the Apostle's alleaging this Scripture to clear that Christ was made a curse for us It is written saith he Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree From Vers. 14. Learn 1. So wonderfull is God in working especially in that great work of our Redemption that He bringeth about one contrary by another He giveth life by death and the blessing by the curse and frequently in His way of working our choicest mercies do come through greatest miseries for Christ was made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles 2. The blessing promised to Abraham and to the Nations in Abraham or rather in Christ Abraham's seed Gen. 22. 18. was not of temporall things only as of Corn and Wine of a fat and rich soile these were only the shell but the kernell of that Promise were blessings of another sort even spiritual such as Grace here and Glory hereafter which appeareth from this that before this blessing could be conveyed to Abrahams believing seed a price of infinite value behoved to be paid for it a price too precious to purchase any temporal blessing by for even Christ was made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles 3. The spiritual blessing of Grace here and Glory hereafter promised to and in Abraham as it was purchased by Christ at a dear rate so it resideth and is exstant in Him who is as it were the storehouse wherin the blessing is laid up Col. 2. 3. and the dispenser of it unto Abraham's seed Act. 5. 31. in whom Believers are truly blessed Gen. 22. 18. and from whose fulnesse we do all receive and Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. for saith the Text That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ or as it is in the Original in Jesus Christ So that this blessing is still in Him as the fountain and dispenser of it 4. Though Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. -8. in so far as remission of sins and life eternal were bestowed upon Believers under the Old Testament through the merit of His death even before He actually died Rom. 3. 25. it being sufficient in order to these effects that it was transacted between the Father and the Son that He should die Isa. 53. 10. and that it was certainly known by God that He would die Act. 15. 18. Yet there were some effects of His death and those of great advantage to the Church both of Jews and Gentiles which were keeped in store and in Gods wise dispensation not to be actually bestowed untill the time of His death As first in relation to the Gentiles the real making-over of Abraham's blessing unto them whereby they were made one actual seed unto Abraham with the believing Jews was to follow upon Christ's death God having so provided and not to go before it for Christ was first made a curse by being hanged on a tree before the blessing of Abraham did come upon the Gentiles Secondly in relation to both Jew and Gentile the Covenant-promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. 7. which before Christ's death was vailed over with many carnal Ceremonies and lay hid under the many reiterated Promises of temporal blessings and an earthly Canaan Gen. 15. 7 c. was after Christs death to be made more clear the vail of Ceremonies and earthly blessings to be removed and the promised blessings of Righteousness and life everlasting to be held forth in their spiritual beauty and lustre for upon Christ's being made a curse he saith We to wit not only the Gentiles but the Jews also of whom Paul was one do receive the promise of the Spirit that is after the manner of speaking used by the Hebrews the spiritual promise in opposition to those external rites and shadows under which it did formerly lurk Doct. 5. Though by the grace of saving Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatever he knoweth to be revealed in the Word Act. 24. -14. and is in some measure especially when Faith is lively affected and doth practise according to what each Truth calleth for yeelding obedience to the Commands Rom. 16. 26. trembling at threatnings Isa. 66. -2. and imbracing the Promises of God for this life Psal. 23. 1. and that which is to come Heb. 11. 13. Yet the principal acts of Faith as it is saving and justifying are the accepting and receiving of the Promise and of Christ's satisfaction to the Father's justice held forth in the Promise for Paul speaking of Faiths part in Justification setteth forth the exercise of it thus That we might receive the promise by Faith 6. Faith doth justifie and make us blessed not for any worth in it self as if the work and merit of Faith were reckoned to us for righteousnesse but because it is the instrument and as it were the hand of the soul whereby we receive the Promise and Christ in the Promise whose satisfaction alone is our only righteousnesse before God Rom 5. -19. for that Paul is to be understood thus all alongs this dispute appeareth from these two Verses wherein he ascribeth our delivery from the curse and partaking of Abraham's blessing to Christ's merit or to His being made a curse for us giving unto Faith only the receeiving and imbracing of that satisfaction as it is offered in the Promise That we might receive the Promise through Faith saith he Vers. 15. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were
of the body 1 Thess. 5. 23. for saith he Because ye are sons He hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts 6. According as Beleivers do attain to a larger insight in this excellent benefit of Adoption and a greater measure of the fruits of it there will be a proportionable measure of the Spirit 's in-dwelling and manifesting of Himself in His gracious operations especially in His assisting and furnishing for the duty of Prayer for he proveth they had received a clear insight in this priviledge of Adoption and the more free use and fruition of it because the Spirit was more plentifully bestowed to dwell in their hearts And because ye are sons saith he God hath sent forth c. 7. Though the exercise of Faith Love Hope and other graces in the duty of Prayer and at other occasions doth flow from the renewed soul as the proper inward and vital cause of those actions so that properly we and not the Spirit of God are said to believe repent pray c. Rom. 10. 10. Yet because the Spirit doth not only create and preserve those gracious habits in the soul Ezek. 36. 26. but also exciteth the soul to act and assisteth it in acting according to them Philip. 2. 13. without which actuating exciting and assisting grace habitual grace in us could do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Therefore is it that the exercise of those graces is ascribed to the Spirit of God as the external efficient cause thereof for which reason our affectionate and believing Prayers are ascribed here unto Him God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son crying Abba 8. There is an holy vehemency and fervor required in Prayer opposit to carelesse formality and deadnesse for praying is here called crying which is an usual evidence of fervency and earnestnesse and the doubling of the word Father maketh for the same purpose Crying Abba Father or Father Father 9. This holy vehemency and fervor consisteth not so much in the lifting up of the externall voice as in the inward bensal and serious frame of the spirit it is a cry not of the mouth but of the heart Into your hearts crying 10. Besides this fervency and earnestnesse requisit in Prayer there would be also a confident familiar owning of God joyned with reverence to Him as a Father for the Spirit maketh them to call upon Him by the name of Abba Father Vers. 7. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. HEre he concludeth from what is said first That under the New Testament we are no more servants as being redeemed from that legal yoke of bondage under which the ancient Church was And secondly That we are sons and by consequence heirs of God which is verified mainly in real Believers under the New Testament in so far as they are sons come to age and heirs past tutory actually partaking of their father's inheritance in a larger measure than Believers did under the Old Testament as was explained ver 5. All which priviledges are bestowed upon us through Christ and through vertue of His coming unto the flesh Doct. 1. It is a safe way of reasoning upon the observation of the saving effects of God's Spirit in our selves to conclude that we are in a state of grace even the adopted Children of God for the Spirit of God by the Apostle doth so reason in this place Because He hath sent forth His Spirit into your hearts wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son 2. The rare priviledges which are bestowed upon Believers chiefly under the New Testament as they do exceed in some degrees those which the generality of Believers enjoyed under the Old so they are many and all of them so linked together as in one golden chain that where one of them is the rest are also and it is our duty having attained to know our enjoying of any one of them thence to gather that we have all the rest for the Apostle reckoneth a number of such priviledges which as to the degree wherein they are bestowed are proper to the dayes of the Gospel and doth alwayes from the former infer the latter Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God 3. Though the natural Son of God be only one even Jesus Christ the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1. 14. yet every man who hath the Spirit of God dwelling in his heart is His son by grace and adoption even they who by nature are children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. for from God's sending forth His Spirit into their hearts he concludeth Wherefore thou art a son 4. Our right to the heavenly inheritance as also the possession of it whether that which is begun here in the Kingdom of Grace or which shall be compleated hereafter in the Kingdom of Glory doth follow upon our sonship and adoption so that God of rebels doth first make up sons and then none can challenge Him of injustice for bestowing upon us the inheritance of children And if a son then an heir of God saith he 5. As none since the fall ever was or shall be lifted up to that high dignity of being sons and daughters to the Lord Almighty or could lay any just claim to Heaven and Glory as his inheritance but by vertue of Christ's obedience and death whereby all those high and precious priviledges being formerly forfeited and lost were again recovered So the actual exhibition of Christ in the flesh and the real payment of the price by Christ did bring with it God having so appointed a larger measure and higher degree of those priviledges to be bestowed upon Believers after that time than was ordinarily enjoyed by Believers formerly for he is speaking here mainly of that higher degree of freedom and of that more evident and clear fight of and right to the inheritance together with the fuller measure of its possession in the Graces of God's Spirit which is proper to the dayes of the Gospel and sheweth all this cometh through Christ to wit His actual incarnation obedience and death Vers. 8. Howbeit then when ye knew not God ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods 9. But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggerly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage THe Apostle having now sufficiently confirmed by Scripture and Reason the Churche's freedom from that ancient legal dispensation and more especially from the Ceremonial Law doth now in the second part of the chapter labour upon their affections to work them up towards the imbracing of this Truth both by sharp reproofs and most affectionate insinuations And first that he may fasten a reproof upon them for their begun defection the more convincingly he sheweth when that legal dispensation was in force they to wit the Galatians who were of
nature 5. As the power of God is engaged to give a being and subsistance unto every thing contained within the compasse of a Promise Isa. 46. 11. So it doth accordingly perform even when all ordinary means and second causes do fail and become uselesse for bringing about the thing promised for a promise being made to Abraham that Sarah should have a childe she conceiveth and beareth Isaac not after the flesh or according to the ordinary course of nature but through vertue of that Promise But he of the free-woman was by promise saith he Vers. 24. Which things are an Allegorie for these are the two Covenants the one from the mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage which is Agar 25. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children IN the third place the Apostle expoundeth the mystery which was lurking under and prefigured by the former history In order to which he sheweth that those things or the Scripture presently cited is an Allegorie that is besides the literal historical sense of the words God intended that the purpose contained in them should shadow forth the state of His Church in the following particulars So that Abrahams two Wives did represent the two Covenants to wit the old Covenant or the Covenant of Grace under the old Administration Heb. 8. 7. which Covenant was greatly mistaken and did degenerate unto a plain Covenant of Works in the sense of many who did adhere unto it 2. The new Covenant or the Covenant of Grace under the new Administration Heb. 8. 8. The first of which Covenants he sheweth was prefigured by Agar the bond-woman and he describeth it 1. from the place where it was first given to wit upon mount Sinai 2. From the like effect produced by it with that of Agar to wit that as Hagar so this Covenant especially as it was generally mistaken for a Covenant of Works did beget children unto bondage that is they who adhered to that Covenant so taken were not thereby freed from their bondage to sin Satan and God's wrath chap. 3. 10. and were of a servile mercenary disposition as doing whatever they did in God's service not from love but slavish fear and of purpose to merit Heaven by their good works Mark 10. 17. This is ver 24. And having as it were in a parenthesis shewen the fitnesse of the former resemblance because mount Sinai where the old Covenant was first delivered is also in God's providence called Agar by the Arabians he describeth this Covenant thirdly from those who in the time of the Apostles did tenaciously adhere to it by shewing that the earthly Jerusalem or the Jewish Church not as she was in her best times but in that present age did answer that is as the Original doth bear was in the same rank or did keep a kind of harmony and concord with that Covenant because that Church and the members thereof called here her children did remain in a servile condition which he shewed before was the fruit of adhering unto this Covenant as it was now adulterated and corrupted ver 25. Now though the Spirit of God maketh use of the history of Abraham's having two wives to set forth a spiritual mystery not condemning his fact yet this doth not justifie his polygamy no more than injustice in stewards is justified by the parable Luke 16. 1. it being sufficient that the Word of God doth condemn polygamy elsewhere Mà l 2. 15. and Mat. 19. 4 5 6. Doct. 1. Though there be only one genuine sense and meaning of every place of Scripture which is sometimes expressed in proper Gen. 1. 1. sometimes in figurative and borrowed speeches Luke 13. 32. otherwise if Scripture had moe meanings than one it should be ambiguous and doubtsom yet this hindereth not but that the sense of Scripture may be somtimes not simple but composed so that there is one thing signified immediately by the words and another thing immediately by the purpose comprehended in the words and but mediately by the words themselves as it is in types and allegories for this history did immediatly set forth the state of Abraham's family and the state of Abraham's family did shadow forth the state of God's Church in the particulars afore-mentioned Which things are an Allegory saith he 2. Though the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture giveth us expresse warrant to expound some places of Scripture as holding forth by way of type or allegory some further purpose than what the words do either in their proper or usual acception bear yet it doth not follow hence that we may without such warrant expound other Scriptures after the same manner or hold forth our witty inventions of that kind as a part of the meaning intended by the Spirit of God in those Scriptures for the Spirit of God expresly sheweth that this Scripture or those things are an Allegory 3. It is a very usual way of speaking in Scripture whereby the name of the thing signified is given to that which doth only signifie and represent that thing So is it in the words of the institution of the Lord's Supper Mark 14. -22. and so is it here where the Apostle speaking of Abraham's two wives saith Those are the two Covenants not that they were essentially such but because they did represent and prefigure them 4. Though the Covenant of Grace entred by God with sinners in Christ hath been but one for substance in all ages of the Church Heb. 13. 8. yet there hath been divers wayes of administrating it one especially under the Old Testament and another under the New hence is it that this one Covenant is held forth as differing from it self and as if it were not one but two for those are the two Covenants saith he 5. The Covenant of Grace as it was dispensed under the Old Testament because the Law and the curse of the Law was then much pressed and the grace contained therein but darkly propounded was therefore generally looked upon as a Covenant of Works and the most part did so rely upon it and expect life from it 〈◊〉 for the Apostle speaketh of the Covenant made on Sinai in this sense while he saith it did gender unto bondage to wit as it was mistaken for a Covenant of Works and how it is said in that sense to gender unto bondage is cleared in the Exposition The one from the mount Sinai which gendreth unto bondage 6. Hagar Sarah's bond-maid did fitly represent and prefigure the Covenant of Grace as it was delivered upon mount Sinai not only for the reasons contained in the Text but also because as Hagar was once a second wife to Abraham and Ishmael her son for a while Abraham's presumed heir Gen. 17. 18. yet after she began to contest with her mistris Sarah Gen. 16. 4. and her son to persecute Isaac the childe of promise both mother and son were cast out of Abraham's family and deprived
of all hope of any inheritance in the Land of promise Gen. 21. 9 10. So the Law of Moses or the Covenant given by God upon mount Sinai while it was rightly used as a Pedagogue leading to Christ it did bring forth children to God heirs of the heavenly inheritance such were all sincere Believers under the Old Testament but when it was abused and set up as a Covenant of Works in opposition to the Covenant of Grace it did then bring forth children unto bondage and those who did so adhere unto it were detained under damnable slavery and cut-off from Christ Gal. 5. 2. for the Apostle shewing that this Covenant was prefigured by Agar doth hint at one reason which leadeth us to seek after moe Which Covenant saith he is Agar for Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia 7. No Church or People hath Religion so firmly established which in progresse of time may not make such apostasie from it as that there will be a vast difference betwixt what they once were and what they now are for such a Church was Jerusalem once Psal. 76. 1. 2. but now her case was much altered Therefore saith he this Covenant doth answer or keepeth concord with Jerusalem not which once was but now is importing there was a foul change to the worse And is in bondage with her children Vers. 26. But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all THe Apostle having shewen that Hagar did prefigure the first or old Covenant doth now briefly describe that second or new Covenant which was prefigured in Sarah First by declaring where that Covenant did reside or who adhered to it to wit Jerusalem which is above whereby is not meaned the Church triumphant in Heaven for it is clear he speaketh of a Church whereof Believers upon earth are members even the Militant Church especially of the truly regenerate claiming to life according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace although the Catholick Church-visible be not excluded seing it is a Church begetting children to God by the use of Ordinances and is here called Jerusalem because that City was a type of the true Church for her compactnesse and order Psal. 122. 3. beauty Psal. 48. 2. and divine protection which did attend her Isa. 31. 5. and this Church is said to be above because her original is from Heaven Iam. 1. 17. and the lively members thereof have their conversation in Heaven Philip. 3. 20. Secondly by shewing the state wherein those who adhere to this Covenant are a state of freedom from sin Rom. 6. 18. the curse of the Law Rom. 8. 1. and the yoke of that ancient legal dispensation Ephes. 2. 15. Thirdly by declaring who are the children of this Covenant or members of the true Church adhering to this Covenant even all sincere Believers whether Jews or Gentiles Doct. 1. The Lord doth never so far give way to the spirit of error and rage of persecution but even in the worst of times He hath some who do keep their garments clean and hold up a banner for Truth notwithstanding of all contrary endeavours for the utter extirpation of it for though Jerusalem the usual place of Gods abode was at this time in bondage with her children a very receptacle of Christ's enemies Act. 8. 1. and chief head of all that opposition which was against the Gospel Act. 9. 2. yet God wanted not a Church even Jerusalem which is above 2. As freedom from God's wrath and curse may be attained and enjoyed under bodily bondage and oppression so being attained it maketh the attainer truly free so that all his other bondage is not to be valued much for the true Church though for the time heavily oppressed in her members ver -29. of whom some were also in a state of bodily servitude Col. 3. 22. yet because of her freedom from God's wrath and curse she is said to be free as if this bondage being removed there had been none remaining Jerusalem which is above is free 3. Though those who are regenerate do owe their new birth to God their Father only in so far as the vertue and power whereby they are brought from death to life is only His Eph. 1. 19. and neither Church-Ministry nor any created power whatsoever can by any proper efficiency reach this so divine and supernatural an effect yet the Church is the mother of all the Regenerate in so far as she is gifted with Ministers 1 Cor. 12. 28 whose office is to dispense the Word which Word being blessed of God is both the seed of this new birth 1 Pet. 1. 23. as also the food and milk 1 Pet. 2. 2. whereby the new-born children are nourished for in this sense the Apostle saith Jerusalem is the mother of us all 4. Though no Church no not the Church universall which is most properly our mother ought to be heard and obeyed further than her Commands do agree with the Commands of God our Father Act. 4. 19. yet we are still to give her respect and reverence as also to employ our parts and graces and all that is ours for the defence and advancement of her just interest in our places and stations and that because she is the mother of us all Vers. 27. For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many moe children than she which hath an husband THe Apostle in the fourth place confirmeth the truth of the former mysterie by a Scripture taken out of Isa. 54. 1. where the Prophet doth direct his speech to the Christian Church under the Gospel as she was to be in her beginnings and about the time of Christ's incarnation and sufferings whereof he had most clearly prophesied chap. 53. and having designed her by the name of a barren woman that beareth not and travelleth not because of the paucity of Converts to the Christian Faith at that time and of a seemingly desolate woman without an husband because of the crosse and persecution which she was then to be under he exhorteth her to rejoyce and to expresse her joy against all contrary discouragements and that because her state should be changed and she made a more fruitfull mother by a numerous accession of converts to the Christian Faith from among the Gentiles than the Jewish Synagogue her self who formerly had enjoyed God's grace and presence and at that time should seem to be more owned of God because of the great prosperity multitude of followers and outward beauty attending her beyond the Christian Church Doct. 1. The supream Judge by whom all controversies of Religion are to be determined and in whose sentence we are to rest is the holy Spirit speaking in Scripture for Paul in this present controversie appealeth to Scripture For it is written saith he 2. It is not the Churche's lot to be alwayes alike fruitfull in bringing forth children to God she hath her barren times wherein
safely approve his own work as the word signifieth and such a probation must be here meaned otherwise the Apostle's consequence should not follow upon a mans proving his work even that he shall have rejoycing in himself 3. Though Civil Magistrates and Church-guides are to prove even judicially the work of others who are committed to their charge Rom. 13. -3 -4. Tit. 3. 10. and though private Christians are also bound to prove all things by a judgement of christian discretion that so they may hold what is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. and be provoked unto love and good works Heb. 10. 23. but not that they have whereat to carp Psal. 56. 5 6. or whereby to be lifted up with an high and vain conceit of themselves above others 1 Cor. 5. 2. yet the great thing whereabout our most accurate and daily search and trial should be imployed is our own actions and by proportion our own spiritual state 2 Cor. 13. 5. and frame of heart Psal. 26. 2. Yea those and only those are to be the object of our trial when the end proposed in our trial is to find out matter of boasting in the testimony of a good conscience and from which we may conclude that we are approved of God for this is the end of the trial here enjoyned and therefore saith he Let every man prove his own work 4. This work of self-trying and proving of our own work being seriously and frequently gone about would tend exceedingly not only to curb those lofty thoughts which we have of our selves but also to divert from those uncharitable censorious and base thoughts which we have of others because of their infirmities and failings for the Apostle opposeth this duty as an antidote to that sin of self-conceit before reproved and by consequence doth presse it as an help to that duty of tendernesse and compassion towards those who are overtaken in a fault enjoyned ver 1 2. But saith he let every man try his own work 5. It is in some cases and respects lawful for men to glory and boast in themselves or in the good things of God bestowed upon them that is not only to rejoyce because of them but also to expresse their joy 2 Cor. 1. 12. and to expect approbation and applause from men because of them 2 Cor. 12. 11. providing they glory in them as evidences of God's love to them and so as they may thereby assure their hearts before Him of their interest in His favour and good-will 1 Joh. 3. 19. and as enduements fitting them to serve God by promoting His glory in their own salvation and their neighbours good and in every other duty which they are bound to in their station 1 Cor. 15. 10 and as they are fitting occasions to incite themselves or others to give that glory to God which is due Mat. 5. 16. providing also that they glory in them to wit in so far as this gloriation importeth a seeking approbation to themselves but sparingly 2 Cor. 11. -16. and for the most part as of necessity and to maintain their uprightnesse before men when it is unjustly called in question 2 Cor. 12. 11. Joh 27. 4 c. and that they be not puffed up with conceit of themselves as if those good things did proceed from themselves alone and not from God 1 Cor. 15. 10. and that the approbation which they expect be not endeavoured as their furthest design Mat. 6. 2. but as a mean of rendring them the more capable for promoting God's glory in their place and station 1 Tim. 3. 7. and most especially providing that they glory not in those things as if thereby they could merit the favour of God and eternal life which boasting is condemned Rom. 4. 2. In these respects and with these limitations it is lawfull for men to glory in themselves for the Apostle speaketh of this way of glorying as an allowed consequence of a man's proving of his own work Then saith he he shall have rejoycing or boasting in himself alone 6. That a man may warrantably and upon good grounds thus rejoyce in the good things of God bestowed upon him especially so as thereby to assure his heart before God it is not sufficient that he compare himself with others and find himself to be better than those but he must try himself by the rule of God's Word and after trial find himself approved by it else his boasting is nought and vain even a deceiving of himself for the Apostle speaking of this warrantable gloriation and boasting affirmeth it to be the consequence of a man's proving his own work and that it must be in himself and not in another Vers. 5. For every man shall bear his own burden HEre is a second argument inforcing upon every man the duty of trying his own work rather than to be narrowly prying into the infirmities of others because every man must bear his own burden or give an account of his own actions to God Rom. 14. 12. for the Lord will passe sentence upon men whether by absolving or condemning them not as they have been better or worse than others but as they shall be found in themselves absolutely considered and without any respect had unto others See 1 Cor. 3. -8. which doth not militate against the tenour of the Gospel affirming that Believers shall be reckoned with by God as they are clothed not with their own righteousnesse but with the unspotted righteousnesse of Christ their Cautioner Philip. 3. 9. for it is evident from the scope that the Apostle excludeth only the infirmities of other sinfull men like unto our selves from being the rule according to which God will passe sentence and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith Doct. 1. That a man may prove an happy interpreter of Scripture and find out the mind of God's Spirit therein it is necessary he do well understand the scope of the Spirit in that place the sense whereof he intendeth to find out the observing whereof will serve as a threed to conduct him in falling upon the genuine and literal meaning of the particular words sentences and wil preserve him from making the Scripture in hand thwart or contradict any other part of sacred Truth which without observing of the scope he may readily fall in for this verse seemeth at the first view to contradict that direction given ver 2. but the sense of both being collected from the scope that seeming contrariety will evanish for by bearing one anothers burdens ver 2. must be meaned a bearing by way of sympathy christian for bearance and diligent use of means for reclaiming the person fallen for that is it which the Apostle is pressing there as appeareth from ver 1. and in this sense every one ought to bear one anothers burdens But by bearing our burden in this verse is meaned a bearing by giving an account to God for our own actions otherwise it should not be a cogent argument to inforce the
exhortation propounded ver 4. Let every man prove his own work and in this sense every man shall bear his own burden 2. How light soever that mens sins do seem unto themselves when they are committed yet they will be found not light but heavy when they come to reckon with God about them for the giving an account of our actions to God goeth under the name of bearing a burden Every man shall bear his own burden 3. So righteous is God that He will call no man to an account for the sins of others but only for his own except he hath made those sins of others his own sins also by not doing his duty to impede the committing of them Ezek. 3. 18. or by following of and walking in them Exod. 20. 5. compared with Ezek. 18. 14 17. or by not mourning to God for them 1 Cor. 5. 2. for saith he Every man shall bear his own burden 4. It were our wisdom frequently to minde that great Accompt which we must give to God and to busie our selves most in and about those things whereof He will crave an account of us hence the Apostle maketh this a reason why men should be most imployed in proving their own work and not in accurate prying into the carriage and infirmities of others because it was their own work whereof they behoved to give an account to God For every man shall bear his own burden saith he Vers. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things IN the second place the Apostle exhorteth them unto beneficence which may be looked upon as another piece of that serving one another through love enjoyned chap. 5. -13. and because love to the Word growing cold among those Galatians by reason of their schism and the prevalency of error it is probable that the due respect which they did owe to their Ministers was much decayed except to such only as were of their own faction and way Therefore in the first place he exhorteth unto beneficence towards their Ministers directing his speech to those who were catechised that is taught familiarly by word of mouth as when children are taught the first principles of Religion for so the word rendred is taught doth signifie or more generally as the word is here rendred and taken elsewhere 1 Cor. 14. 19. Rom. 2. -18. those who are instructed or taught whether more familiarly and plainly or more profoundly in the Word whereby may be meaned either the Word of God in general or of the Gospel in particular which frequently is called the Word by way of excellency See upon Philip. 1. 14. Doct. 1. Those he exhorteth to communicate and to give a share unto their Ministers of all their temporal goods to wit so much as might serve for their creditable maintenance Doct. 1. The Lord Christ hath appointed two distinct ranks and sorts of people to be in His visible Church some who are to be taught fed ruled and watched over such are all private Church-members and some who are to be Teachers Pastors Guides and Watchmen over the Flock by vertue of their publick Office in the House of God the honour whereof is not to be taken by any man unto himself except he be called as Aaron Heb. 5. 4. And are all Teachers 1 Cor. 12. 29. Let him that is taught communicate unto him that teacheth 2. As it was necessary that some should be Teachers in the House of God so the wisdom of God hath thought it fit because of our weaknesse Deut. 5. 23 c. to teach us not by His own immediate Voice from Heaven nor yet by glorious Angels but by the Ministry of men like unto our selves and those not usually of the greatest sort but of such as stand in need of the peoples benevolence for their worldly subsistance and this that the glory of converting souls may be ascribed not unto creatures but unto God 2 Cor. 4. 7. for so much is imported while he saith Let him that is taught communicate unto him that teacheth 3. As it is the duty of Christ's Ministers to teach and instruct the Lord's People not so much by their writings as by vocal preaching and word of mouth So the thing wherein they are to be instructed is the knowledge not of humane writings but of the Word of God contained in Scripture there being no word or writing besides which hath a promise of such a blessing to accompany it as this Word hath See Rom. 1. 17. 2 Tim. 3. 15 17. Heb. 4. 12. for saith he Let him that is taught or instructed by word of mouth in the Word meaning the written Word of God 4. Seing Christ's Ministers are to bestow themselves wholly in the work of the Ministry 1 Tim. 4. 15. and not to be intangled with the affairs of this life 2 Tim. 2. 4. and seing they are the Lord's Instruments by whom He conveyeth the richest blessings even those which are spiritual unto His People 1 Cor. 9. 11. Therefore the People of God among whom they spend their strength are bound even by common equity to give them worldly maintenance that they may neither be diverted from nor discouraged in that most necessary and painfull work of watching over souls Heb. 13. 17. for saith he Let him that is taught communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things 5. This worldly maintenance which people are bound to give unto their Ministers though it should be moderate and such as may not through its abundance occasion pride luxury and prodigality in their Ministers yet it would be liberal and creditable even such as may not only supply their pinching necessities but also as thereby they may be sustained in a way creditable unto the Gospel whereof they are Ministers 1 Tim. 5. 17. and may have wherewith to supply the necessities of the indigent 1 Tim. 3. -2. and to educate their children so as afterwards they may sustain themselves and be profitable members both of Church and Commonwealth 1 Tim. 5. 8. for he commandeth the people to communicate to their Ministers in all their temporal good things he saith in all and therefore liberally though not lavishly 6. Though the Civil Magistrate be obliged to provide some set and publick allowance for upholding the Gospel and Ministry thereof this way coming nearer to the order appointed by God for maintaining the Priesthood under the Law Numb 35. 1 c. and being free of several inconveniences which can hardly be avoided in the way of giving voluntary contribution by every one who heareth the Gospel towards those who preach the same yet in case the Magistrate provide not such publick allowance for them or if turning persecuter he take that which is already provided by the Law for that use from them Then it is the duty of every one who is taught in the Word to maintain their Preachers by liberal contribution out of their own means so far as is necessary for him
past will not possibly return therefore are we to look upon them as a pressing call from the Lord to set about the duty and ought without delay or foreslowing close with that call for all this is imported by saying As we have opportunity let us do good seing as we shew this opportunity relateth in part to some pieces of our time in this life in which we have more ready accesse to the duties of beneficency than at other times and it hath the force of an argument to presse the duty as supposing it will not alwayes last 4. As all opportunities of this kind are confined within the narrow precinct of this present life there being no possibility of doing good in the way which we now do it or of being benificial unto others after this life the time of repentance of making sure our election by well-doing of making our peace with God is then past and where the tree falleth there it lyeth Eccles. 11. 3. So because the time of this life is uncertain Iam. 4. 14. therefore we ought to bestir our selves in the use-making of the present time as not knowing how soon our time may end and all opportunity of doing good come to an end with it for so much is imported in the words as this opportunity doth hold out the whole time of this life As or while we have opportunity let us do good 5. This duty of beneficency is to be extended unto all men even our very enemies nor excepted as their necessity doth require Exod. 23. 4 5. and our own ability may furnish 2 Cor. 8. 12. and that because of Gods own example Mat. 5. 45. and the ty of one common nature betwixt them and us Isa. 58. 7. for saith he Let us do good unto all men 6. As the Church is God's family and houshold whereof He himself is the head and master Eph. 3. 15. His Ministers are stewards to dispense the bread of life 1 Cor. 4. 1. and particular Christians are members of this family orderly conjoyned and knit together by the profession of one common Faith in Christ Jesus and therefore the Church is but a small number a family even an handfull in comparison of the world Luke 12. 32. And being Christ's family cannot but be cared and provided-for by Him 1 Tim. 5. 8. So the members of this family are in a special manner obliged to love one another and to evidence their love by being beneficial one to another under their necessities and straits in which God doth suffer often even those of His own family to fall for their own good 1 Pet. 1. 6. and that as for other reasons so because of that near relation under which they stand as being children and domesticks of one family which is the Lord's for saith he Do good especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith the designation which he giveth them of one houshold containing the force of an argument 7. There is an order to be keeped in the exercise of our beneficency And this first that it be exercised to those of our own family 1 Tim. 5. 8. Secondly to our parents 1 Tim. 5. 4. Thirdly to our kinred 1 Tim. 5. 8 And fourthly among strangers unto those who professe the same Faith with us and among those to such who do evidence most the reality of their Faith by the fruits of a good life 1 Tim. 5. 9 10. And lastly unto all men whosoever when occasion offereth for the Apostle doth expresse the two last links of this order and thereby giveth ground for searching out the rest from other Scriptures Do good unto all men but especially to them which are of the houshold of faith he saith especially because the comparison is among those who are strangers and not under any relation of kinred to us Vers. 11. Ye see how large a Letter I have written unto you with mine own hand THe Apostle in the second part of the Chapter being to conclude the Epistle doth first insinnate how much he truly loved them and desired their salvation As it appeareth 1. from his writing so large a Letter to them 2. from his writing of it with his own hand whether because his straits were such that he had not a Secretary to write for him whom he might trust or that he might hereby prevent the calumnies of the false Apostles who might have objected that this Epistle was not Pauls if he had imployed a Secretary or Scribe as he did in writing his other Epistles Rom. 16. 22. subscribing the Salutation only with his own hand 1 Cor. 16. 21. 2 Thess. 3. 17. So that though he wrote larger Epistles to some other Churches yet he never wrote with his own hand so large an Epistle unto any Church as unto these Galatians Doct. 1. The Minister of Jesus Christ ought to refuse no toil or pains whereby he may reduce a straying people and any way advance the good of souls committed to his charge for Paul in order to the reclaiming of those Galatians notwithstanding of his other manifold distractions and of the eminent hazard wherein he was for the time doth undergo the great trouble of writing so large a Letter with his own hand 2. It is nothing contrary to christian modesty and sobriety but very lawfull in it self and advantagious for the Lord's People that a Minister make known unto them sometimes though but sparingly and as it were occasionally what great pains he hath been at for bringing about their spiritual good providing this be not done from ostentation and desire of vain-glory 2 Cor. 10. 18. but from a purpose hereby to excite the people to bring forth fruits answerable to his pains for in order to this end the Apostle doth modestly and as it were on the by propound to their consideration what pains he had been at in writing this Epistle Ye see or consider ye for the word will read both wayes how large a Letter I have written unto you with mine own hand 3. The greater paiâ—s are taken upon a people in order to their salvation by Christ's Ministers they ought to be the more perswaded of their affection and love and take the greater pains in making use of the labours of such Ministers for working out their own salvation themselves otherwise the more laborious Ministers are the more inexcusable shall people be and their condemnation the greater Mat. 11. 22. for the Apostle to perswade the Galatians how much he loved them and that they might be excited to bring forth fruits answerable to his pains doth shew how large a Letter he had written unto them with his own hand Vers. 12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesâ— they constrain you to be circumcised only lest they should suffer persecusion for the crosse of Christ. SEcondly in the Conclusion of the Epistle the Apostle insinuateth that the false Apostles were not acted from love to those Galatians in their so much urging
to gain applause from them for that is condemned Mat. 6. 5. but that he might excite them unto prayer for themselves and to endeavour after those things which he sought Making mention of you in my prayers that God may give you c. 2. Though we are not of necessity to stint our selves unto a set form of words in prayer Rom. 8. 26. yet we would have set purposes condescended upon and a certain scope to aim at in prayer so as we may be able to give an accompt of what we pray for whether in behalf of our selves or of others otherwise we can neither expect nor observe the return of our prayers for Paul setting down the sum of his prayer sheweth he took notice of those things which he prayed for even that God may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom saith he 3. Our prayers would be directed unto God only and neither to glorified Saints who are ignorant of us Isa. 63. 16. nor yet to the Angels who though they be near unto us 1 Cor. 11. 10. yet know not the secrets of hearts Jer. 17. 10. and so are unfit to receive our prayers besides that there is no warrant in Scripture for praying unto any such but to God alone hence the Apostle directeth his prayer unto God Even that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give unto you 4. We ought to draw near to God especially in the duties of prayer whether for our selves or others with confidence and reverence the one not marring the other and in order hereto we are so to conceive of God and expresse such conceptions of ours concerning Him as may most strengthen our faith in the expectation of what we seek and may strike our hearts with reverence towards God from whom we seek for those epithets which Paul giveth unto God do tend to strengthen his faith while he calleth Him the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and to breed deep reverence in his own heart towards God while he calleth Him the Father of glory or glorious Father 5. That we may have accesse unto God with boldnesse through Christ in prayer it is necessary to renew that act of faith wherby we apply and appropriate Christ unto our selves that so being made one with Christ Eph. 3. 17. we may be looked upon by the Father as clothed with His righteousness Phil. 3. 9. whereby both our persons and imperfect prayers shall be accepted of by God through Him Heb. 11. 4. for Paul whose practice here is a directory for prayer doth appropriate Christ to himself as his own Christ The God of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. It is necessary also in order to the same end that in closing with Christ we do not part or divide Him but appropriate to our selves the fulnesse of all those perfections which are in Him this being an evidence of the sincerity of our closing with Him and no lesse than whole Christ being necessary to cover all those imperfections to bear us up under all those discouragements to help us under all those infirmities which we are incompassed with in our approaches to God for Paul doth appropriate Christ to himself under such titles as hold forth His compleat fulnesse to wit of Lord which implyeth His power and soveraignity over all things for the Believers good Philip. 2. 9. 10 11. Of Jesus which signifieth a Saviour and pointeth forth His great work and errand to the world to save sinners Mat. 1. 21. And of Christ which signifieth annointed and so pointeth at His threefold Office unto which He was annointed and furnished in order to that work Psal. 45. 7. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7. As wisdom or the saving knowledge of divine mysteries is necessary unto a Christian So even those who are effectually called and have a good measure of this grace already ought not to sit down upon the measure received but would constantly aspire after more of it as being yet ignorant of many things and not sufficiently rooted in the knowledge of those things which they already know 1 Cor. 13. 9. for while Paul prayeth for a greater measure of wisdom unto those Ephesians towards whom God had already abounded in all wisdom ver 8. he doth indirectly excite them to endeavour to grow in this grace May give unto you the Spirit of wisdom 8. The wisdom and knowledge which Christians are to seek after is not at all that carnal wisdom which is enimity to God Iam. 3. 15. nor yet chiefly that naturall wisdom or knowledge of the hid mysteries of nature Eccles. 1. 17 18. nor yet that wisdom or knowledge of divine mysteries which is only a gift and floweth from a common influence of the Spirit 1 Cor. 8. 1 but that whereof the Spirit of God by His special operation and influence is author and worker and is more than a gift even the grace of wisdom which is not acquired by our own industry and pains only nor yet puffeth up neither is it weak and coldrife not warming the heart with love to the thing known as the gift of wisdom is but this grace of wisdom cometh from above Iam. 3. 17. by the use of other lawfull means Prov. 2. 1 c. and must be sought from above Iam. 1. 5. It humbleth the man who hath it Job 42. 3 5 6. it is operative upon the heart and worketh love unto the thing known Joh. 4. 10. for the Apostle prayeth that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom that is whereof the Spirit of God is author by His spiritual grace 9. Spiritual things the object of this heavenly wisdom and knowledge are not for the most part conclusions drawn from natures light but are revealed and made known by the Spirit of God to wit either in an extraordinary immediate way without the help of humane means unto the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 3. 5. or in an ordinary and mediate way by the help of Scripture and blessing of God upon the pains of publick Teachers and such other means as He hath appointed for attaining to the mind of God revealed in Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15 c. for joyntly with the Spirit of wisdom he seeketh the Spirit of revelation implying that this wisdom cannot be had without revelation 10. The sum of all saving wisdom is to know Christ and what Scripture speaketh of Him as a compleat Mediator and so to know Him as that we acknowledge Him which speaketh somewhat more than our simple knowing of Him even a knowing of Him as our own and with special application to our selves and so as we give due honour respect and reverence unto Him for though we are said to know even strangers and those whom we contemn and despise yet we are not in strict phrase of speech said to acknowledge any but these of near relations or whom we prosecute with that respect and honour which is due unto them as the servant is said to acknowledge his master Now Paul giveth this
incarnate and cloathed with our flesh untill then having hid His divine glory so that very little of it did appear under the infirmities of the humane nature from His incarnation untill then Philip. 2. 7 8. but then He did manifest His divine glory absolute power and authority in a way incomprehensible by us in and through the vail of His glorified flesh for the Apostle sheweth those things were done in this order while he saith When He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand 5. Although the divine and humane nature in Christ are not confounded but remain distinct both in their essence and operations each nature doing that which is proper unto it self Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 18. yet so near and strict is that personall union of the two natures in Christ that those things which are proper only unto the one nature are ascribed unto and spoken of the whole person for here though this high honour and trust put upon Christ was in some things verified only in the divine nature in so far as it speaketh His manifestation of His divine glory and exercising His divine authority as God incarnate in and through the humane nature And though in some things it was verified only in the humane nature in so far as it speaketh His obtaining of glory and power from the Father which before He had not yet the whole of it is ascribed unto the whole person of Christ God-man while he saith And made Him to sit at His own right hand 6. Though Christ as Mediator be exalted to such high honour and authority as no meer creature is capable of yet so far is His humane nature from being made hereby omnipotent omnipresent and consequently equal with God That even whole Christ considered as Mediator is inferior and lesse than the Father Joh. 14. -28. as having received all this honour and authority from the Father Matth. 28. 18. and administrating His Kingdom in the Father's Name Joh. 5. 22. which He is also to render up unto the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. for not only do the Scriptures cited but also the phrase here used prove so much seing those whom the King setteth at his right hand do hold their dignity and trust from him and must be comptable unto him And set Him at His own right hand Vers. 21. Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come 22. And hath put all things under His feet THe Apostle in the second place insisteth upon that second effect of God's mighty power and explaineth what he meaned by the Father's setting of Christ at His own right hand even that which we formerly shewed to wit that transcendent glory and dignity with full power and soveraignity which was put upon Him And first he speaketh of that general power and eminency which He hath over and above all the creatures by shewing that He is exalted in glory not only above but far above the glory of all creatures whatsoever whether principality power might or dominion under which is comprehended every thing that is excellent among the creatures whether in Heaven Earth or Hell for sometimes good Angels are expressed by those titles Eph. 3. 10. sometimes bad Angels Eph. 6. 12. and sometimes Civil powers Tit. 3. 1. And lest any might apprehend some dignity besides not comprehended under any of these four he addeth a general clause comprising every name that is all things excellent or famous and worthy to be so named as famous men are called men of Name So that he hereby sheweth no creature can enter in competition with Christ in glory dignity and worth and withall he extendeth this glory put upon Christ in its duration not only unto this world but that which is to come and shall never have an end ver 21. And that he may exalt Christ yet further he sheweth that He is not only above all creatures in glory but also in dominion and soveraignity the Father having placed all the creatures in a state of lowest subjection unto Him even under His feet to be disposed of as He seeth fit From Vers. 21. Learn 1. The glory and splendor of things created hath some aptnesse in it if it be not rightly looked on or rather we are apt to take occasion from it to hide and undervalue the glory and excellency of Jesus Christ for otherwise the Apostle would not labour so much to set Him high up above them and His glory above theirs Far above all principality and power 2. Though Scripture give some ground to affirm that there are different degrees and dignities among the Angels Dan. 10. 13. and 12. 1. yet what are their different orders offices and dignities Scripture doth nowhere determine neither is there any ground for us to determine from this place for as we shew the Apostle's scope is under those titles and the general clause subjoyned to lay aside not only Angels but all civil powers and all created dignity whatsoever from competing with Christ in the point of power excellency and worth Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named 3. Even the humane nature of Christ and His glorified body by vertue of that unspeakable union which is betwixt the two natures of Christ in one person is lifted up so high in glory that the glory of Kings and Emperors of Sun Moon and Stars of the souls of just men made perfect yea and of glorious Angels is nothing to it and lesse than the light of a candle being compared with the Sun in his brightnesse for he is speaking here of that glory which Christ hath by sitting at the right hand of God which as to some pieces of it doth belong to Christ as man and of it he affirmeth that it is far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named 4. As we do then only think aright of that high glory put upon Christ when we look on it as matchlesse and not only above but far and infinitly far above all that glory which can be found in all or any of the creatures So the holding forth of Christ in his glory by the Lord's Servants is a point of great concernment for the good of God's People to make all created glory wax dim and bulklesse Dan. 3. 16 17 18. to draw their hearts up after and towards Him Joh. 4. 10. to hearten them against those discouragements they usually meet with in doing service to Him Act. 7. 55 56. and to make them more reverent in their approaches to Him Heb. 12. 25. for therefore doth Paul so much labour as he cannot well satisfie himself in setting forth that high glory wherein Christ is while he saith He is above and far above and then enumerateth four comprehensive particulars and addeth a general clause comprising all
6. Yet He imployeth His called Ministers and Servants as instruments under Him for carrying on this work among whom He did make speciall use of the Prophets and Apostles for laying the foundation in so far as they first did reveal and preach Jesus Christ and commit to writing such truths concerning Him as are necessary for salvation Joh. 20. 31. while other ordinary Ministers are imployed in the preaching of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in Scripture to build up the Elect upon the foundation which was laid by them 2 Tim. 2. 2. for he calleth Christ the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is whom they placed in the Church by their Doctrine and Writings by which He maketh them to differ from ordinary Ministers And are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 7. There is a sweet harmony and full agreement between the Doctrine and Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as in all other things so especially in holding forth Jesus Christ for a foundation and rock of salvation unto Believers the latter having taught and written nothing but what was partly prefigured in types and partly foretold in prophesies by the former Acts 26. 22 23. for Paul affirmeth that the same foundation Christ was laid by both while he saith Built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 8. How little ground the Papists have from this or any other Scripture blasphemously to teach that the Pope is the foundation of the universal Church visible in whose voice and sentence the faith of all Believers ought to be determined and built appeareth not only from the meaning of the words asserted in the exposition but also from this that all the Apostles are spoken of as having equal influence upon this foundation so that Peter whose successor the Pope doth plead himself to be had no privilege in this above the rest for he saith Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 9. Though men are easily moved to combine together in ill Psal. 83. 3. as being naturally inclined to it Gen. 6. 5. yet such is the antipathy of every man by nature unto that which is truely good Rom. 3. 12. and unto all other men in that which is good that nothing lesse was required for uniting all the Elect among themselves so as to make them joyntly endeavour the bringing about of Gods glory in their own salvation than that Jesus Christ should interpose as an arbiter with power causing the parties at variance to be at peace and become a center wherein all those scattered lines might meet and a corner wherein the severall walls and stones of the building are conjoyned for saith Paul it was necessary in order to this union that Jesus Christ himself should be the extream corner-stone Vers. 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together ' groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. THis stately edifice is described secondly from the artificiall and altogether divine structure and joyning together of all its parts which is the beauty of any building This orderly frame and curious structure of the Church consisteth in these two First That the whole edifice and all its parts are firmly joyned in him that is in Christ the foundation to wit by faith their life being framed according to His prescript and example Matth. 11. 29. and their faith imbracing Him according as He is held forth in the Word without addition or diminution Col. 2. 6. even as the whole frame of a materiall building is made conform to the foundation Next That all the parts of this edifice are strongly joyned together among themselves by the grace of love Col. 3. 14. and orderly situate every one acting towards the good of another in their severall stations 1 Corinth 12. 25. 26. in so far as they are regenerate and consequently are parts of this building 1 Corinth 12. 5 even as all the parts of a materiall building have a commodious correspondency one to another and thereby are fitly framed together This edifice is described thirdly from its perpetuall increase and growth flowing also from Christ the foundation which growth is to be understood not only with respect to the whole body of the Church which groweth by the addition of new converts Isa. 54. 3. but also and mainly to every member in particular which do increase and grow in gifts and graces 2 Pet. 3. 18. And lastly it is described from the end intended in rearing up this stately growing edifice even to be an holy temple unto God wherein He may manifest His presence and be perpetually served and glorified as it was in Solomons temple Psal. 132. 13. Doct. 1. Jesus Christ doth differ from the foundation of all other buildings in this that the whole building and every stone of it doth take immediate band upon the foundation all Believers being most intimately joyned to Him by faith and not by the interveening mediation of others as it is in materiall buildings for the Apostle sheweth that all the building no part thereof being excepted is in Him while he saith In whom all the building 2. As there is a strict conjunction and a kind of proportion between Believers and Christ as also among themselves even such as is branched forth in the exposition of this verse so a great part of the strength and beauty of the Church and of all its parts consisteth in this conjunction and proportion and nothing is more uncomely than for a Believer to be disproportioned unto Christ either in his faith or practice and to other Believers in his coldrife affection to them or his not acting orderly in his station for their good for the Apostle describeth this spirituall edifice from its divine structure and curious joyning of all its parts as that wherein a great part of its beauty and strength doth consist In whom all the building fitly framed together 3. As this spirituall edifice doth differ from other buildings that not only the whole edifice but also all the parts of it 1 Pet. 2. 5. are indued with life a life which is wholly spirituall and floweth from their union with Christ the foundation So this life of theirs is for the time but imperfect their spiritual graces having not as yet attained that fulnesse and strength which is required for the Apostle while he ascribeth a spiritual growth to all the building doth imply both those seing growth supponeth life and want of just stature and perfection In whom all the building groweth 4. As growth in grace is a priviledge which appertaineth to all the parts of this spirituall building who are yet on earth so this growth of theirs doth flow from their union and communion with Christ and the more their union with Him be improved to the dayly extracting of a renewed influence from Him they cannot choose but thrive the better in this their spiritual growth for the Apostle ascribeth growth to all this building and growth from their being in
captivity captive and gave gifts unto men THe Apostle secondly in this first branch of the second generall argument for union from the diversity of gifts doth confirm from Psal. 68. 18. what he presently said that Christ is the author and bestower of all graces and gifts with their different measures In which place of the Psalm David doth look through the ark a type and shadow to Christ the substance and in a prophetical way speaking of things to come as already past to point-out the certainty of their performance he doth foretell that Christ should in a triumphant manner ascend up on high or unto the heighest heavens See ver 10. and that at and by vertue of His ascension He should first lead captivity captive that is as he had upon the crosse foiled His many enemies and begun to triumph over them Col. 2. 15. So in His ascension He should continue the triumph evidently declaring that He had given a totall rout to all the spiritual enemies of His Church and Kingdom The expression used to set forth this purpose hath in it an allusion to conquerors who in their triumphing solemnities used to drive their captive enemies before their own triumphant chariots See this expression used in the same sense Judg. 5. 12. And secondly following the same allusion to triumphing conquerors who used to divide and scatter the spoil and other magnificent gifts among the applauding Citizens and Souldiers he sheweth that Christ should at and by vertue of His ascension pour-forth and distribute a large measure of gifts and graces upon His Church and severall members thereof which prophesie the Apostle citing the place with some variation of the words but keeping close to the sense and purpose doth shew was now fulfilled by Christ and consequently that Christ is the bestower of all graces and gifts with their different measures as was affirmed ver 7. Doct. 1. Ministers ought to hold forth nothing for truth or presse nothing as duty upon the Lords people but what they may confirm and prove to be such from the authority of God speaking in Scripture yea and it is their duty sometimes to bring forward their proof by making expresse mention of it for thus doth Paul confirm what he spake ver 7. by a testimony cited from the Psalms Wherefore he saith that is David or the Spirit of God speaking by David saith 2. As there was much of Christ revealed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament though but darkly and under a vail of types and ceremonial shadows So He was revealed and spoken-of in those Scriptures as true God and Jehovah for that which is said Psal. 68. was spoken of God even Jehovah as appeareth from ver 4. and all alongst which Paul sheweth here was fulfilled in Christ Wherefore be saith he hath ascended c. 3. Though the very words and phrase of Scripture are much to be thought of and closely adhered unto so far as is possible lest by our unnecessary casting of Scripture-purpose in an affected strain of words unknown to Scripture we lose at length the purpose with the words 2 Tim. 1. 13. Yet the sense and meaning of Scripture is mainly to be sought-after and kept in remembrance so that though we do not call to mind the very words of such a Scripture but only the sense meaning and purpose of it we may draw comfort or information from it or make use of it otherwayes for the Apostle here as oft elsewhere doth not so much adhere to the precise words as to the sense of that Scripture which he cites in so far as where in the Psalm it is said Thou hast ascended and received gifts for men to wit He received them to be given to men it is here When He ascended and gave gifts unto men 4. Our Lord Jesus Christ having finished the work which was given Him to do on earth Joh. 17. 4. did locally ascend unto heaven carrying His humane nature up thither Act. 1. 9. 10. that so He might be exalted in that glory which He had before the world was Joh. 17. 5. and take possession of heaven in our name Eph. 2. 6. and there prepare a place for us Joh. 14. 2. for saith he When He ascended up on high 5. As Christ did engage in a warfare on our behalf with many strong and potent enemies to wit the devil the world sin death and hell So He hath carried the day of all and gained an absolute compleat victory over all in so far as though the Godly must have a battel with these Eph. 6. 12. yet Christ the Head of Believers is now above the reach of hazard from enemies and consequently Believers in their Head yea and they themselves are above all hazard also in so far as all their enemies cannot mar their salvation Rom. 8. 35 c. Sin and Satan doth not reign in them Rom. 6. 12 14. death hath lost its sting towards them 1 Cor. 15. 55. and become a passage unto life Philip. 1. 23. for by this captivity which Christ led captive is meaned not those whom He delivered from captivity but whom He fought against brought in captivity and triumphed over even all His and our spiritual enemies He led captivity or a multitude of captives captive 6. The constant opposition which Satan raiseth against the Church and Kingdom of Christ doth not so much flow from any principle of hope in him to prevail in that wofull work as from his inveterate blinded malice against the salvation of sinners so that he cannot but malign and oppose it though he know he cannot mar it for at Christs ascension he could not but know that by all his malicious cruel actings against Christ he had effectuate nothing but his own eternal shame and confusion seing that Christ did thereby openly declare He had led captivity captive 7. As those for whom Christ did purchase any good or advantage by His death and did manifest His purchasing good for them by His ascension were men and not devils So not only saving graces which are given to the Elect only but also common gifts are a part of His purchase which are given sometimes to reprobates for the good and edification of His Church Matth. 7. 22 23. for both these are comprehended here under gifts which being purchased by His death He did at His ascension in a larger measure than formerly give unto men and to men indefinitly even to rebels Psal. 68. -18. Vers. 9. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth THe Apostle doth thirdly comment upon and apply the cited testimony And first he sheweth what Christs ascending unto heaven to wit by His own divine power otherwise the Apostle's inference in this place should not hold did presuppose as necessarily foregoing even His previous humiliation and abasement in all its steps expressed by His descending to the lowerparts of the earth where the lower parts are to be
speaketh here of a further discovery and manifestation of it by the light of reproof which was usefull and necessary All things that are reproved are made manifest 3. The Lord doth sometimes blesse not only publick preaching but also the word of reproof in the mouth of private Christians and the example of their holy life for making godlesse sinners take occasion thence to reflect upon themselves and therein as in a glasse to see the filthy vilenesse of their beloved sins and to judge themselves for them for he saith All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light to wit the light of verball or reall reproof held forth even by private Christians for he doth not speak here to Ministers only 4. The probable good which God may bring about to the party reproved by the means of our reproof should have more of weight to incite us towards the making conscience of this duty than the feared inconvenience to our selves arising from the parties displeasure should have to scare us from it for Paul will have us to set upon this dutie because of our neighbour's good which probably will be brought about by it reprove them saith he For all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light 5. As there is no duty of the successe whereof we use to be more diffident than that of reproving the sins of others So there is not any duty the successe whereof we have better ground to be perswaded of even than of this that discovery of sin to the sinners conscience either to his conversion or further obduration shall follow upon a timeous and well-guided reproof for he proveth that this effect shall follow upon reproof as natively as the discovery of things dark and hid doth follow upon light for that is light saith he which discovereth all things Vers. 14. Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light HEre is a second argument to enforce the duty of reproving those unfruitfull works of darknesse which also confirmeth the former to wit that by reproving them they should be made manifest The argument is taken from Gods own example who in His Word doth reprove the world of sin and thereby conveyeth the light of Jesus Christ unto them as the Apostle proveth by shewing what is Gods great work and design through His whole Word whereof this verse is a short sum though it seemeth more particularly to relate unto Isa. 60. ver 1. 2. from which this place is thought to be cited with some variation in the words but none in the purpose Which design is threefold The first branch whereof is here implyed even to convince all unrenewed men especially how wofull and dangerous their present case is and that it is a spirituall sleep and death 1. A sleep because the carnall man hath all his spirituall senses bound up Isa. 43. 8. having no spirituall fellowship with those who live a new life Ephes. 4. 18. doth dream and fancy that he seeth heareth and converseth with them Rev. 3. 17. which he will after find to be but a meer fancy when his conscience doth rouze him up Rom. 7. 9. neither hath he power over himself but is exposed as a prey to Satan or any who mindeth his spirituall hurt 2 Tim. 2. 26. for such is the case of those naturally who are in a naturall sleep And secondly a death because the naturall man hath not only his senses bound up as in a sleep but there is no spirituall power or faculty remaining in him to do any thing which is truly good Rom. 8. 7. as a dead man hath no principle of life or vitall action The second branch of this great design is here expressed which is to point out unto all such what is their duty in that case even to awake and rise from the dead that is in a word to turn to God to break off their sins by repentance and to set about all the duties of holinesse flowing from the principle of a new life Which duty is here and elsewhere enjoyned by God unto dead sinners not that it is in their power Jer. 13. 23. but because it is their duty so to do yea and such a duty as must be gone about otherwise they cannot be saved Luk. 13. 3. and because by such exhortations and commands as by an outward mean the Spirit of God doth effectually work that in them which He requireth from them Rom. 10. 17. The third branch of this great design is to encourage them unto this duty from the promise of a greater measure of the light of knowledge holinesse and comfort here all which are comprehended under the name of light See upon ver 8. and of glory hereafter called also light Col. 1. 12. to be given unto them by Christ upon their so doing Doct. 1. The pains which God doth take upon godlesse sinners yet in nature to awake them from the sleep of sin and to draw them unto Christ is a strong argument binding us to commiserate the case of such and from pity towards them to endeavour in our stations to bring them out of that wofull state wherein they are Our obligation to help them is greater than His besides that we are bound to work with God and to further His design for he inforceth upon them the duty of reproving those godlesse Atheists in order to their conviction and amendment from Gods example who doth the like Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest 2. That God hath appointed reproof of sin to be the ordinary mean of awakning dead sinners and of bringing them to Christ and that He maketh use of this mean Himself all alongs His Word in order to this end should encourage us as we have accesse in our stations to make use of that mean towards those with whom we converse as knowing God may and when He pleaseth will blesse the mean appointed by Himself whatever unliklyhood there be otherwise of successe for he exciteth them to practise this duty from this that God maketh use of reproof as the ordinary mean of bringing souls to Christ Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest 3. Scripture doth not consist so much in the formall words as in the sense and meaning of those words and therefore though we cannot keep in memory the very formall words of Scripture yet if we remember the sum of the purpose contained in those words we may make use of it as of the Word of God whether for confirmation of truth refutation of errour exhortation to duty or reproof of sin and vice 2 Tim. 3. 16. for the Apostle being to presse this duty of reproving upon them from Scripture doth not cite the very formall words of Scripture but giveth the generall drift of all Scripture in few words or the sense and meaning of one particular Scripture to wit of Isa. 60. 1 2. from which this verse seemeth to be cited Wherefore he saith Awake
of Christs body are by nature lost and gone even dead in sin and children of wrath Eph. 2. 1. -3. So there was no way for their recovery but by Jesus Christ His becoming man and suffering death and uniting Himself being now risen from death unto them as their head that so He may bestow the influences of spirituall life with a right to heaven upon them here and at last take them to Himself in glory hereafter for he sheweth that Christ is become the Churches head that He might be a Saviour of his lost body 6. The dominion and power which husbands have over their wives is not tyrannicall rigid or soveraign but loving gentle warm and amiable and such as the wife may look upon as a mercy to her self as well as a dignity unto her husband for it is compared here unto that sweet and naturall power which the head exerciseth over the body and Christ over His Church who maketh His people willing in the day of His power and it ought to be employed wholly for the good and safety of his wife as Christ is the Saviour of the body Vers. 24. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing THe Apostle secondly repeateth the exhortation as a conclusion from the former argument that wives should subject themselves unto their own husbands and addeth two things 1. The manner of this subjection to wit such as it may resemble the subjection of the Church unto Christ which is to be understood not in all things for wives are not to subject their souls and consciences to their husbands as Believers do to Christ trusting in Him for life and salvation but in some things only to wit so as they may subject themselves willingly chearfully lovingly chastly and dutifully unto their husbands for so doth the Church subject herself unto Christ. He addeth secondly the extent of this subjection and obedience even to all things which is not to be understood of all things absolutly and without exception Acts 5. 29 but all things lawfull godly honest and which are not forbidden in the Word of God even though they crosse the humour of the wives and argue little discretion in the husband who commandeth them Numb 5. 14 15. c. for nothing is excepted here but what is contrary to that subjection which is due to Him who hath commanded this subjection of wives to their husbands as Paul commenteth upon an expression like to this 1 Cor. 15. 27. Doct. 1. As subjection in wives unto their husbands is a most necessary duty So considering the inbred pride arrogance and self-willednesse which is in all the sons and daughters of Adam by nature it is a work of no small difficulty to get wives peswaded to give that hearty chearfull loving and dutifull respect and obedience unto their husbands which both the Law of nature and the written Word of God do require from them for to what purpose else doth he reiterate this exhortation and inforce it by so strong and convincing arguments Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the wives be unto their own husbands 2. Though there be much unmortified corruption in the Church of true Believers and a law in their members rebelling against the law of their mind Rom. 7. 23. yet God doth look upon them as true and loyall subjects to Christ in so far as with the Spirit and better part according to which God doth reckon with them they serve the Law of God Rom. 7. 25. and do groan after and long for the time when they shall be fully freed from the body of death and throughly subjected unto the will of God Phil. 1. 23. for while he saith as the Church is subject unto Christ it is supponed that the Church is subject unto Him and looked upon by God as such 3. The servants of Christ in pressing duties ought mainly to guard against that extremity which people naturally are most prone to fall into especially seing all the guards which can be used will have sufficient work to keep the heart from breaking over upon that hand for though there be some things excepted from coming under that obedience which wives do owe to their husbands as was cleared in the exposition yet because wives are more inclined to multiplie exceptions in this purpose than to diminish them Therefore he extendeth this obedience expresly to all things leaving them only to gather from the circumstances of the Text and other places of Scripture those few things which are excepted that thereby he may with one word cut off all unscriptural exceptions limitations and restrictions which imperious aspiring spirits impatient of the yoke are ready to bound and straiten this submission and obedience by Let them be subject in every thing saith he Vers. 25. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it THe Apostle doth now exhort husbands to their duty which he first proponeth summarily under the name of love to their wives whereby the heart and inmost affections of the husband ought to be so inclined and disposed towards his wife as that not only he do wish her good but also endeavour unto his utmost to bring it about which is not to be so understood as if the wife were not bound to love her husband also Tit. 2. 4. But he presseth love upon the husband in particular because he is most ready to fail in this duty of love and to abuse that superiority which God hath given him over his wife by proving rigorous and bitter against her Col. 3. -19. Now this love enjoyned to husbands is not that common Christian love which is extended unto all Christians of both sexes as unto brethren and sisters in Christ Joh. 13. 34. but a speciall and conjugall love which ought to be extended unto none but unto a mans own wife and it includeth cohabitation with his wife and contentation with her love only Prov. 5. 18 19. a patient bearing with her infirmities and frailties 1 Pet. 3. 7. with a fatherly care to defend her 1 Sam. 30. 5 c. to provide for her in all things according to his power which either her necessity or dignity of her rank doth require 1 Tim. 5. 8. lovingly to govern direct and instruct her 1 Cor. 14. 35. yea and to cherish her ver 29. Next he inforceth this duty by two arguments The first whereof is proponed in this verse to wit Christ's example who loved His Church and from love gave Himself for it See upon ver 2. Which example of Christ's love doth not only inforce the duty as an argument but also point forth the right manner of the duty as a pattern In so far as the husbands love ought to resemble Christs to wit in the chastity of His love who loveth none to His Church Joh. 17. 9. the sincerity of His love who loveth the Church not for His but
Christian courage under variety of afflictions your tractable disposition to receive wholsome counsels your willingnesse to be instructed in the way to life and in order to that end to attend publick duties beyond many of your equals your strengthening my hands in the work of my Ministery as by other means so especially by your good example amongst the People of my charge I should judge my self very unanswerable to God and exceeding much blame-worthy if I did not encourage your Honour to make progresse in that good way wherein ye are already engaged And if my present essay upon this Piece of sacred Truth do contribute any thing to this end it shall be matter of thanksgiving from me unto the Lord who alone doth teach His People to profit And finally I do professe unto you all Right Honourable and most dearly beloved in our Lord that those words 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 14 15. sound much in mine ears and do sometimes work upon my heart if so I may in some measure follow the example of that blessed Apostle who wrote them Wherefore saith he I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of those things though ye know them and be established in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance Knowing that ere long or not knowing how soon I must put off this tabernacle Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance Now it is the Lord alone who blesseth the endeavours of His Servants and giveth increase both to our planting and watering To whose rich and saving grace I commend your Honours most heartily and shall ever pray for all manner of blessings on you and all your rising posterity as is the duty of Your Honours obliged Servant who beggeth grace to approve himself your faithfull Pastor JAMES FERGUSSON To the Reader Christian Reader I Do here present thee with an Exposition of two of Paul's Epistles after the pattern so far as my weaknesse could reach held forth by those two Reverend Brethren Mr. David Dickson and Mr. George Hutcheson in their late Pieces of this kind upon other parcels of holy Scripture The Reasons of my undertaking besides what is held forth in the former Epistle were not any confidence I had to come up to my copie wherein I doubt not but as I my self am very conscious so the intelligent Reader will easily perceive that I come far short and that the superstructure by me is much unanswerable as to fulnesse of purpose accuracie and stile of language to the foundation laid by them But first an apprehension I had that as the compleating of such a work as this upon the whole Scripture is much wished for by many and would prove acceptable and profitable to the Church of Christ So many of greater abilities and fitnesse than I for such a task who did lie-by might be strongly induced to contribute their endeavours towards it if any essay of mine should be accepted Wherein I blesse the Lord I have not been in a mistake as may appear by what is sent abroad to the world since the publishing of my former Piece by a Reverend Brother my nearest fellow-labourer in the work of the Ministery upon the two Epistles of PETER And secondly I was one of those who some ten years ago without my knowledge were pitched upon by some Reverend Brethren of the Ministery for carrying-on this Work at which time I almost perfected the whole task then allotted for me but through some sad accident in those times of trouble all the Papers I had written upon that subject were destroyed and lost and so a great part of my time and life in a manner lost with them which notwithstanding did not so discourage me but the remembrance of what sweetnesse I tasted in that study and of the manifold advantage wherewith it did recompense my pains did make me full seven years after more easie to be wrought upon and perswaded by the earnest desires of others to make a new essay as being confident from former experience I my self at least should be no loser by it If any shall think this present Piece to be of greater length than my former and some others of this kind are I hope they will for satisfaction consider that seing the Apostle doth discusse a great and needfull controversie in the Epistle to the Galatians it requireth time and enlargement to find and follow the threed of an intricate dispute and to explain those excellent Truths which the Apostle doth so much labour to assert And as for the Epistle to the Ephesians it is well known to be so comprehensive as containing the whole substance of Christian Religion in so little bulk that hardly can any man at least not I satisfie either himself or his Reader without inlarging himself somewhat in opening up such a rich treasure and excellent subject I know there may be much coincidencie of Doctrines which do nativly arise from those Epistles and from those others to the Philippians and Colossians But the Reader may for his satisfaction consider that besides I have frequently referred him to those places where such Doctrines were formerly raised seing the Spirit of God hath thought it necessary to assert necessary truths oftner than once in severall Scriptures for our further confirmation it should not be thought an idle repetition in a Writer to draw out the same conclusions from the same truths when they occurr for hereby is given a proof of the sufficiency and fruitfulnesse of Scripture as furnishing many arguments to establish one and the same necessary truth To write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe saith our Apostle Philip. 3. 1. I trust it shall not offend that in some places I do not only hold forth the doctrine and conclusion which flow naturally from the text but also couch-in some explanations cautions reasons and somtimes some short uses for those serve to obviate mistakes about the truth in hand and to leave some impression of it upon the heart and affections If any take exception that Scriptures are too frequently cited and think they are hereby retarded from making progresse in reading the treatise They may be pleased to consider that I cite no Scriptures to confirm the Doctrines themselves which as I conceive are sufficiently grounded upon and confirmed from the text but only the cautions reasons and uses of those Doctrines which not being grounded upon the present Scripture I desired none to take off my hand upon trust However if any understand the purpose to be truth and grounded upon Scripture he needeth not stand to seek the particular passage which is brought to prove it except he please and judge it convenient that he may have some further ground of meditation upon the truth in hand thereby afforded And now
beloved Christians let me exhort you all and especially you to whom the Lord hath carved out such a lot in things worldly that ye have abundance of time and leasure from your other imployments Give more of your time to the searching of Scripture and labour to understand the mind of God concerning your Salvation revealed therein Hereby shall you be preserved from being led aside by Satans emissaries who do erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. 29. Hereby ye shall be made wise unto Salvation and rendered victorious over your strongest lusts and throughly fitted for the most difficult duties while the Lord by His Spirit shall make the Scriptures profitable unto you for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse and thereby make you perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim 3. 16 17. Only in order to the gaining of those rich advantages by reading Scripture ye would read not superficially but conscientiously attentivly and devoutly and do not slight to take what helps ye can get from the Labours of others for attaining to the increase of solid knowledge and sanctifying grace What humane frailties you discerne in this piece of mine which doubtlesse are not a few pitie them and so much the more pray for me that I may discern and amend them and if any will be so faithfull and free as to advertise me either immediately or by causing others to acquaint me with them I shall God willing be humbly thankfull and endeavour to make the best use I can of their freedom knowing that such reproofs will not break my head but be as a precious ointment The great and gracious God blesse all your endeavours for advancing your selves and your relations in knowledge and grace So prayeth Kilwinning Nov. 12. 1658. Your servant in the Lord JAMES FERGUSSON ERRATA Page Line Read 6 11 subscribe 10 24 5. 13 28 had deserted 1â— 28 their 20 7 believing â—1 6 their 24 15 dele to 36 9 wickednesse 37 15 32. 39 16 22. 40 23 went not up 52 5 our 53 23 acquired 54 28 2. 61 24 composing ibid 35 9. 19. 84 13 dele who 102 10 affections 131 10 inflicted 136 24 worth 163 20 doth succeed 166 3 ver 7. 171 7 17. 180 12 us sons 239 23 11. 283 11 may have 298 23 15. 315 7 sin and A brief Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians The ARGUMENT PAul having planted several Churches in Galatia Act. 16. 6. and 18. 23. a region of Asia the lesse and being now as it seemeth a prisoner at Rome chap. 6. 17. some false Apostles had seduced these Churches from the sincere doctrine of the Gospel preached by Paul chap. 1. 6. perswading them that the observation of the Levitical Ceremonies now abolished was necessary chap. 6. 13. and that justification and salvation were partly from faith in Christ and partly also from their own works chap. 3. 2. and 4. 21. and that Paul was no lawful Apostle no wayes to be compared with the other Apostles who had seen Christ in the flesh as may be gathered from chap. 2. 6 9. and therefore his doctrine was but false Upon which occasion the Apostle writeth unto them this Epistle wherein his scope is to convince those Galatians of their Errors to reduce them to the right way to confirm them in the Truth and to presse upon them the duties of an holy life chap. 3 and 4 c. which he laboureth to effectuate after prefacing to ver 6. chap. 1. First by asserting the truth of the Gospel preached by him and the Authority of his own Apostleship to ver 15. of chap. 2. Secondly by vindicating the true doctrine of justification by faith and of the temporary use and abrogation of the Levitical Law and of the whole legal dispensation of the Covenant of Grace to the end of chap. 4. Thirdly by instructing them in the right use of Christian Liberty having exhorted them to stand to it and pointing out and pressing upon them the exercise of several Christian Vertues to ver 11. of chap. 6. From whence he concludeth the Epistle to the end of chap. 6. CHAP. I. IN the first part of this Chapter is the preface to the whole Epistle containing the party who did write it ver 1 2 the party to whom it was written ver 2. the salutation ver 3. a description of Jesus Christ from the work of Redemption ver 4. and a thanksgiving to God for this work ver 5. In the second part he reproveth the Galatians for their defection from the Gospel ver 6. to Errors which did overturn it ver 7. In the third part that he may justifie this reproof he asserteth the divine authority of the Gospel preached by him First by cursing those who should hold out another Gospel differing from it ver 8 9. Secondly from the scope of his doctrine and his aim in preaching it ver 10. Thirdly because both the first saving knowledge which he had of the Gospel and his office to preach it were immediatly from God and not from men whether Apostles or any other ver 11 12. whereof he giveth several evidences As first that ever untill the instant of his conversion he was a learned but persecuting Pharisee ver 13 14. Secondly that being miraculously converted and called he went presently with no small pains and hazard to discharge his Apostolick Office without instruction or authority received from any Apostle ver 15 16 17. Thirdly that after three years he went to Peter but not to be informed by him or to receive ordination from him or from any other Apostle ver 18 19. The truth of all which history he confirmeth by an oath ver 20. Fourthly that he preached as an Apostle in Syria and Cilicia with the approbation of the Christian Jews whom formerly he had persecuted ver 21 22 23 24. Vers. 1. PAUL an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead 2. And all the Brethren which are with me unto the Churches of Galatia IN these two Verses is the Inscription of the Epistle holding forth 1. Who did write it to wit Paul described from his Office and his Call to that Office which were both wholly divine as being immediately from God ver 1. And the Brethren with him such were eminent Professors but especially publick Preachers who then were with Paul and did give their testimony to those Truths contained in this Epistle though they were not the immediate Pen-men of the holy Ghost in it as Paul was 2. To whom the Epistle was written ver 2. From ver 1. Learn 1. Free-grace doth often light upon the most unworthy not only by giving grace and salvation to themselves but also making them sometimes instrumental for the Kingdom of Christ and for bringing about the salvation of others for Paul once a wicked persecutor 1 Tim. 1. 13 is now made an eminent Apostle Paul an