5.12 By one man sinne entred into the World and Death by sinne and so Death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned i. e. for that in him all dyed for of the word sinned in this place that in effect is the sence Or to speake a little nearer to the letter of the word it will bee thus for that in him all quasi-sinned not actively by transgressing in his transgression but passively by being prejudicated in his Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in his one doome all were condemned and all cast into the state of transgressors to suffer misery and death like unto that which was inflicted on him as a judgement for his transgression For for the tense none of the Verbes in that verse are of the Preterperfectense but all are aorists or indefinite and accordingly the two first are rendred indefinitely Sinne entred and Death passed not Sinne hath entred and Death hath and therefore the Translation had beene more sutable if the last Verbe also had not beene rendred preterperfectly all have sinned but indifinitely thus all sinned And for the sense these words In whom all sinned signifie in effect the same thing with these ver 15. Through the offence of one many bee dead or many dyed and with these words vers 16. The judgement was by one to condemnation and with these vers 17. By one mans offence death raigned by one and with these vers 18. By the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation and with these vers 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and with these 1. Cor. 15.22 In Adam all dye All which sayings amount to no more but this That by the sinne of Adam hee and all his children were made mortall as by the sinne of the Gibeonites they and all their Children were made bondslaves and by the sinne of Gehazi hee and all his Children were made lepers For the Judgement given upon Adam for his offence was Banishment from Paradise a Curse upon the ground for his sake a Miserable and painefull Life and at last an everlasting Death And this judgement was not personall onely to determine the effect of it upon Adam onely and passe no further then his person but it was also real and hereditary to him and his Heires for ever First falling upon him and then descending to them For as by his offence his Innocency was corrupted So by this Judgement upon him his Posterity was corrupted or as a common Lawyer would expresse it By his Attainder his blood was corrupted i. e. First none of his Children shall bee Heires to that immortality and blessednesse which hee once enjoyed in Paradise for that was forfeited and extinguished Secondly all his Children shall bee blemished distressed and tainted to inherit that Banishment Malediction Misery and Mortality which hee incurred Thirdly this Corruption shall not bee remedied or salved by any ordinary mercy of God but by the extraordinary Mystery of Jesus Christ Thus the Calamitous who are jurall or quasi-sinners are of foure sorts viz. the oppressed the blemished the distressed and the tainted If wee compare together the three first sort of sinners viz. the Transgressor the Improbous and the Calamitous we may observe 1. That the difference between them is not essentiall and necessary but accidentall and contingent for they are not so opposite and contrary as that when the word is taken in some one sense all the rest should be excluded But they are onely diverse i. e. so different that one sense may be without the other and yet so complyant and consistent that they may all concurre and meet in the same word For the word Sinner doth carry sometime onely one of those senses sometime two and sometime all three and when the senses are plurall sometime they are equall sometime one above the rest is more eminent so that one and the same person may be at the same time a transgressor improbous and calamitous 2. That the Gentiles generally were sinners all these three wayes for they were sinners legally and morally being transgressors and improbous Rom. 1.29 Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murder debate deceit malignity whisperers backbiters haters of God despitefull proud boasters inventers of evill things disobedient to parents without understanding covenant-breakers without naturall affection implacable unmercifull And they were sinners jurally for they were calamitous blemished with the state of ignorance and of enmity to God Ephes 2.12 Being aliens from the common Wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world 3. That in the sight of God the Jewes generally were as great sinners as the Gentiles both legally and morally in respect of transgressions and improbities For of the Jewes the Apostle testifieth Rom. 3.9 that they were in no wise better then the Gentiles for he had proved both Jewes and Gentiles that they were all under sinne Yet jurally the Jewes were not such sinners nor so calamitous as the Gentiles because they were not such aliens and strangers from God as were the Gentiles but had many jurall rights priviledges and prerogatives as the true Israel and peculiar people of God as was shewed before in the former clause of this verse Yet the Right which the Jew had in God was but a puerile and servile right to be the children of God in the condition of servants in a state of nonage and wardship under the Law From which state Christ came to emancipate and deliver them that hee might advance and invest them into a filiall right of being the sons of God in a perfect plenage and fulnesse of yeares as shall be more fully explicated in this Epistle cap. 4. ver 2.3 Thus men are sinners three severall wayes for most men generally are transgressors and improbous and all men universally are calamitous for in Adams attainder all were tainted Wherefore this last way Man as he is Man is a sinner and this Sinner is the Man who in the next verse shall bee justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ for so it there followeth VERSE 16. Text. Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the fayth of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that wee might be justified by the fayth of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Sense A man is justified i. e. Made jurally righteous to have a present right and clayme to the Legacies and future blessings promised and devised in Gods last Will and Testament Not by the works of the Law His title to that right and claime is not by any workes done in observance of the Law nor by any effect or work of the Law in consideration of his works But by the fayth of Jesus Christ i. e. His title to that right and clayme is by his Acceptance
such a latitude of sense as may also include the presence of the person as opposed unto his absence for the word taken in this sense is elsewhere rendred presence in our last English Translation See Act. 3.13 and Act. 5.41 and 2. Cor. 10.1 and 1. Thess 2.17 and 2. Thess 1.9 and Heb. 9.24 Unto the Churches of Judea i. e. unto the Churches in the Regions of Judea both at Jerusalem and other Countrey-Townes and Judea must not heere bee taken strictly as sometimes it is when it stands opposed unto Galilee and Samaria but largely as it contayns the whole land of Israel including Galily and Samaria and as Judea is opposed to Syria and Cilicia For the persecution at Jerusalem arising upon the dispute of Stephen with the Synagogue of the strangers there grew so fearful and bloudy for divers were put to death that the faithful were scattred all abroad not only throughout the Regions of Judea strictly taken but of Samaria also Act. 8.1 And the good providence of God by the scattering of the faithfull scattered also the Gospel for they who from Jerusalem were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Gospel Act. 8.4 Hence Philip to whom Peter and John soone after adjoyned themselves planted the Gospel in Samaria and preached it in many Villages of the Samaritans Act. 8.25 And after the baptisme of the Eunuch he preached in all the Cities of Samaria till he came to Cesarea which frontiers upon Syria Act. 8.40 As for Galily the Gospel had her beginning there and thither it redounded about this time with peace and rest from persecution which was now fully ceased throughout all the Churches of Judea Galily and Samaria Act. 9.31 Yet Paul departing from Jerusalem makes not his addresse to any of the Churches in the Regions of Judea Galilee or Samaria where hee might have rested with safety and security for it was now a time of tranquility from the tempest of the former persecution but he proceeds into the Regions of Syria and Cilicia because unto the Churches of Judea Galilee and Samaria he was altogether a stranger unknowne by his bodily and personall presence neither the teachers nor members of those Churches had ever seen his face to his knowledge And the reason heereof might be because in a maner Paul was a stranger in the Countreyes of Judea Samaria and Galilee for he was then but a yong man who was borne at Tarsus and brought up at Jerusalem where he had alwayes lived till about three yeers before during which time he had preached in Arabia and at Damascus in Syria Which were in Christ A note of distinction whereby to discerne the Churches of Christ from the Synagogues of Moses for heerby hee would specifie what Churches of Judea hee understood namely not the Jewish Synagogues but the Christian Congregations because in all the Regions of Judea Galilee and Samaria the Churches of Christ were intermingled with the Synagogues of the Jewes for heereby it came to passe that the Christians were subject to so many persecutions from the Jews who for their abode were their Countrey-men as Paul intimates to the Thessalonians where he expresseth the Churches of Judea with the like note of distinction of being in Christ 1. Thes 2.14 To be in Christ beares two senses 1. Generally and so to bee in Christ is to be a Christian and hee is a Christian who hath taken the new Covenant whereof Christ was and is the Mediator and he hath taken that Covenant who beleeves the truth of it and accepts the grace of it for in this sense to be in Christ is taken heere and so the word is opposed to a Jew and a Heathen 2. Specially and so to be in Christ is to be a reall sincere and true Christian in opposition to the hypocrite the carnall and false Christian and he is a reall Christian who puts on Christ and lives according to the life of Christ who not only beleeves the verities of the new Covenant and accepts the promises of it but also obeyes the precepts of it by being a new creature according to the new Covenant for thus to doe and be is to be in the spirit and to have the spirit of Christ which if any man have not he is not in Christ See and compare Rom. 8.9 and 2. Cor. 5.17 and Gal. 5.24 and 1. John 4.13 The reason of the words in this verse for the History was shewed before in the context but the reason for their argument is thus q. d. I was so far from learning any point of doctrine eyther from the Apostles at Jerusalem or from any other Teachers amongst the Christian Churches of Judea that they never saw my face but my person was wholly unknowne unto them for to my remembrance I never was in presence with any of them VERSE 23. Text. But they had heard only That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed Sense But they viz. The Churches of Judea Heard only Supply Some men say That he c. The faith i. e. The doctrine of Faith or the Gospel Which once Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. In times past He destroyed Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. He wasted Reason An Illustration of his former saying or a Limitation of the generality therein by specifying in what sense and how farre hee might be or sayd to be known unto the Churches of Judea Comment The believing Jewes heard of Paul That from a Persecutor hee was become a Preacher BUT they had heard onely The Greeke placeth the enclusive particle onely in the first place reading it thus But onely they had heard viz. men say for the words must bee supplyed with some impersonall or indefinite tearme to perfect up the sense thus But onely they had heard say or men say That hee who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith for so it is supplyed in the French Translation They had heard The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. they were hearing which is both an Hebraisme and a Grecisme used heere by way of elegancy to encounter his former words of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I was unknowne to them but they were hearing of mee Some knowledge therefore the Churches of Judea had of Paul yet none by sight or view of his person for they had not seene his face but their knowledge of him was onely by report and hear-say for they had heard of his actions two wayes whereof the one was extreamely contrary to the other for first they had heard that hee had persecuted and wasted the faith and secondly they had heard the quite contrary that now hee preached that faith which formerly hee had persecuted and wasted Yet these two contrary reports of him were both true for hee had done both not at one and the same time but successively one after the other in times different Of his former action they had heard long
or clayme in the Lord that he is their God and thereof they shall not boast in themselves but shall glory in him And Esay 53.11 By his knowledge my righteous servant jizdik shall justifie many i. e. Christ who shall be upright in executing my will and obedient even to the condition of a servant shall by the knowledge or Doctrine by him taught make many to have a right interest and clayme in God as his sonnes and heires to everlasting life for Paul expressing the sense of this place doth instead of the words shall justifie many use these many shall bee made righteous Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous i. e. Many shall bee jurally justified or made to have a right in God which before they had not for the word made heere doth not signifie Declaratively but Efficiently Because the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies constituted ordained or appoynted and in some places of our last English Translation is so rendred See Act. 6.3 and Tit. 1.5 and Heb. 5.1 And Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being justified freely by his grace i. e. procreantly jurified or made to have our right in God without any deserts any workes or any suit on our part but onely by grace on Gods part him thereto especially moving And Roman 4.2 if Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were justified by workes hee hath whereof to glory i. e. if Abraham were procreately or initially jurified or made to have his right of inheritance to the Kingdome of Canaan by the title of his workes he may well boast of them for certainely they must bee mighty workes that could entitle him to a Kingdome or make him to bee the Heire of the World as Paul phraseth it afterward ver 13. And to instance in the first clause of the present Text Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law i. e. Procreantly jurified or made to have a right to bee constituted or initiated by the workes of the Law 2. Conservantly and so hee is justified or rather jurified who is made to hold his right when that right which hee was made to have before is afterward and moreover preserved continued and maintained unto him for by this efficiency his right is made to subsist and remaine according to the former creation or constitution of it and consequently is kept from escheating reverting revoking forfeiting or otherwise losing for in vaine a man is made to have a right if hee bee not also made to hold it In this sense the word is taken James 2.21 Was not Abraham our Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne upon the Altar i. e. That right of Inheritance to the Land of Canaan which Abraham was first made to have by his faith or which was created constituted imputed or initiated unto him upon his faith was it not afterward held continued preserved and maintained by his workes in offering up his son And againe vers 24. Yee see how that by works a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is justified and not by faith onely i. e. that right unto salvation which a man is first made to have by his faith is held or continued by his workes for though his faith onely without workes doth first create constitute and commence that right in making him to have it yet faith onely without workes doth not preserve continue and maintaine that right in making him to hold it and though his workes have no efficiency procreant in making him to have that right yet they have an efficiency conservant in making him to hold it And againe vers 25. Was not Rabah the harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified by workes when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way i. e. the right to be saved at the sacke of Jericho which was first created constituted and imputed unto Rahab by her faith in God was it not afterward preserved continued and held by her workes in receiving the messengers and dismissing them another way Yet this jurall efficiency of the Verb justified doth not necessarily exclude the declarative sense but is so compliant and consistent therewith that it doth advance and further it For if the right which is made us be declared it becomes thereby the more manifest before men and consequently the lesse questionable and therefore in all the places formerly quoted out of James the Verb justified may and doth carry a declarative sense yet not principally but secondarily and accessorily for that our right should be conserved and continued unto us is of absolute necessity to salvation because otherwise wee cannot be saved but that it should be declared and manifested otherwise then Gods Will and Testament declares it we find no such necessity in Scripture And certainly our workes doe declare our right yet not assertorily to pronounce it for workes cannot doe so but illatively and consequently to argue or inferre it by the meanes of our fayth for workes by declaring our fayth doe consequently declare that right which by our fayth wee are made to have For faith being an inward thought of the heart lies of it selfe covered and concealed untill by some outward meanes it be declared or manifested and the proper meanes for that act are not words for a man may easily say hee hath faith but workes for workes are the proper evidence which shew it Hence sayth the Apostle Jam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith without thy workes i. e. Declare or manifest unto mee thy faith which is without workes not by thy words in bidding the poore Depart in peace but by thy workes in giving them those things which are needfull to the body as it is in the former verse before but shew it by thy workes thou canst not because it is solitary alone and without workes as thou sayst it may bee and is Workes then justifie not only efficiently to conserve our right but declaratively also to manifest it by declaring that faith whereby we are made to have it See heere a solid and easie way to cleere that seeming contradiction which some have conceyved betweene Paul and James in the point of Justification for although both these Apostles have the same word justified and both use it in a jurall sense and both in a consignification of efficiency yet apparant it is that both understand not the same kind of efficiency For Paul understands that efficiency which is procreant in making us first to have a right by creating producing and constituting of it which kind of efficiency is proper wholly and only to fayth but no way to workes which are altogether excluded from it But James understands that efficiency which is conservant in making us afterward to hold our right by preserving continuing and maintayning it unto us which kind of efficiency is proper to works yet not wholly and only so as to exclude fayth for fayth is also conservant
to bee and bee called the friend of God was it not afterward continued by his worke in offering his son for was not that worke wrought by his faith and was not his faith and the Scripture mentioning it fulfilled by that worke The other example is of Rahab Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way i. e. The Justification of Rahab constituted long before by her faith whereby she became a Proselyte and an Israelite in beleeving that the God of Israel was God in Heaven above and in earth beneath was it not afterward continued by her worke in Receiving the Messengers For was not that worke wrought by her faith and at the sacke of Jericho was not she and her family preserved by that worke and thereby continued Proselites unto Gods People Now from these Examples and Similies of James but especially from his two reasons it evidently followes that workes doe justifie in the sense alleadged namely conservantly For because Faith without workes is dead and working with workes is by workes made perfect or effectuall therefore workes doe preserve and continue the life perfection and efficacy of Faith and consequently they preserve and continue the state of Justification which is the effect of faith and whatsoever doth preserve and continue Justification that doth Justifie True it is that Neither faith nor works are the principall and prime efficients of my Justifying because God is the personall principall and prime efficient who makes mee to have my right and who makes mee to hold it but faith and workes are the reall mediall or meane efficients on my part For God willeth and ordayneth that fayth should bee my title whereby I acquire and have this right and that workes should be my tenure whereby to continue and hold it From my title I wholly exclude my workes allowing them neyther efficiency to justifie nor presence in my person at my Justifying For faith alone without any efficiency or any presence of workes within mee doth make me to have this right Because when I am to bee justified I have not within me any workes at all that any way qualifie me or can bee truely sayd to be resident in mee For manifest it is that I am then in the state and condition of a sinner if not legally of a transgressor against the Law yet morally of one somewhat improbous who was many wayes peccant in the rules of morality equity decency and mercy and jurally of one calamitous who must suffer and die like a sinner for the proper subject of Justification is a sinner But from my Tenure I exclude not faith but include and suppose it adding and adjoyning my workes unto it Because in my Justification faith hath a double efficiency first a procreant to constitute it and secondly a conservant to continue it Yet that degree of conservancy which flowes from faith is so imperfect that unlesse it be perfected by the accesse of works fayth alone is not able to conserve it selfe for without workes shee is dead Yet from my Tenure I exclude the solitarinesse both of my faith and of my workes for neither faith alone without workes nor workes alone without faith but both concurring and joyned together viz. faith conducting and co-operating with workes and workes accompanying and seconding faith doe justifie me conservantly as my Tenure making mee to continue and hold that state of divine alliance which faith alone did create and constitute And heerein I give the preeminence to faith for I say not thus Workes with faith but thus Faith with workes doth make up my Tenure faith as the principall and workes as accessories thereto to animate enable and render faith effectuall unto that effect which alone without workes it can not performe Because faith without workes is imperfect and dead but working with workes is by workes made perfect and effectuall And true it is that Workes doe also justifie declaratively because they declare manifest and shew that faith which doeth justifie efficiently and which alone without workes is efficient procreantly and which being alone without workes can not be declared For words will not serve the turne to declare the existence of faith but this service must be done by works And therefore the existence of that faith which is solitary alone and without workes can by no meanes bee sufficiently declared Hence saith the Apostle Jam. 2.18 Shew mee thy faith without thy workes Shew me if thou canst or thou canst not shew mee that faith of thine which is without workes or which is solitary or alone by it selfe for by thy words in saying thou hast faith it is not sufficiently shewed and by thy workes it cannot possibly be shewed because as thou acknowledgest it is a solitary faith which is alone by it selfe destitute of workes And I will shew thee my faith by my workes i. e. But I will shew thee my operary faith which worketh with workes for I will and doe declare it by my workes because I acknowledge that my faith is seconded and accompanied with workes Now because faith is declared or shewed by workes therfore workes are a Signe of faith and consequently they are a Signe of Justification to declare and shew the state of it because faith is a cause whereof Justification is the effect and whatsoever is a Signe of the cause is also a Signe of the effect Yet this is not all and the whole influence which workes have unto Justification that they are a Signe of faith to declare it But moreover workes are a cause of faith to effect it yet not a cause procreant to constitute and produce it but a cause conservant to continue and maintaine it For Jam. 2.26 As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Now the Spirit whereby the body respireth and breatheth is a cause of the body yet not a cause procreant to give the body life and being but a cause conservant to continue and maintaine the life and being of it And consequently workes are also a cause conservant of that Justification whereof faith is a cause wholly procreant and partly conservant and to conserve Justification is to justifie For seeing that unto many words I willingly allow severall senses not only modall but reall I cannot with equity deny the like courtesie unto the Verbe Justified for the honour of those two great Apostles Paul and James who were planters of the Gospel and pillars of the Church especially when I consider the severall parties with whom they had to deale For Paul by his assertion opposeth the Judaizers who as was formerly shewed upon the 14. verse of this Chapter were Operaries and Rituaries standing so much for the workes and Ceremonies of the Law that they made workes the sole and whole efficient cause of Justification both the cause conservant to continue and maintaine the state of it and also the cause procreant to
God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Hence also it appeares that the divine service of invocation or prayers is due unto Christ Because this salutation heere is an invocation though indirectly framed wherein Paul prayes for grace and peace unto the Galatians from God and from Christ For Christ as it is evident from these words and from the like in other places wherein the government and care of Gods Church is ascribed unto him doth know the wants and the desires of the faithfull and therefore also doth heare their votes and prayers Now the knowledge and the audience of such things is a ground sufficient for invocation or prayer to bee made unto Christ especially seeing his knowledge and audience are seconded with a power and a will whereby hee is able and ready to helpe and to save those Believers who call upon him Hence Christ commands his Disciples to pray in his name and promiseth to effect their prayer John 14.13 Whatsoever yee shall aske in my name that will I doe that the Father may bee glorified by the Sonne If yee shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it This Invocation was preached by Steven when hee was stoned Act. 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit And practised by Paul when there was given him a thorne in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me They therefore are in an errour who to barre Christ from the honour of Invocation doe read this Text thus From God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ referring the Pronoune Our unto God the Father and thereupon construing the words as if the Apostle prayed for grace and peace from the Father onely and not from Christ But would onely intimate that God is the common Father of us and of Christ But this construction is not onely against the sense of the words but also against reason For it is not reason that when the Apostle would call God the Father of Christ and also our Father hee should then first call him our Father before hee called him the Father of Christ Especially in a passage where he intends to magnifie the honour of Christ as by the verse following where he expresly calls God our Father it appeares he intends it This place therefore and the like wherein the Pronoune Our in reference to the Father is omitted doth wholly oppose this construction VERSE 4. Text. Who gave himselfe for our sinnes that hee might deliver us from this present evill world according to the will of God and our Father Sense Who gave himselfe viz. Unto death and died For our sinnes i. e. For the remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes by confirming through his death Gods last Will and Testament wherin the Remission of sinnes was devised unto us That he might deliver us i. e. That he might separate or withdraw us From this present evill world i. e. From the evill of this present world or from the present sinfulnesse or wickednesse commonly practised by the men of this present world In a word That he might draw us to Repentance or holinesse of life or sanctifie us According to the will of God i. e. According to the last Will and Testament of God who therein had expressed his mind and purpose for the Death of Christ for the Remission of our sinnes and for our repentance Of God and our Father i. e. Of God who is our Father viz. By vertue of his last Will and Testament wherein he hath adopted or justified us to be his sonnes and heires Reason Having in the former verse stiled Christ our Lord hee gives heere a tacit reason why hee stiled him so shewing by what right or title he is so namely by right of Redemption Because Christ through his death wrought for us a double deliverance one from the punishment of our sinnes by the remission or forgivenesse of them the other from the servitude of sinne by our Repentance and forsaking of them And further he declares that these three things viz. the Death of Christ the Remission of our sinnes and our Repentance are consequent suitable and according to the last Will and Testament of God wherein these things were thus ordayned Heere therefore are described two finall causes ends or effects of Christs death first the Remission of our sinnes and secondly our Repentance from sin Yet so as the latter is an end or effect subordinate to the former and the condition of it for our sins are remitted or forgiven to this end and upon this condition that wee should Repent and forsake them And unto these finall causes is annexed the efficient cause of Christs death that it was not meerely according to the will of the Jewes who put him to death but it was according to the will of God who in his last Will and Testament had decreed his death for the ends and effects heere specified By all which he would intimate unto the Galatians that for their salvation they were not to adhere unto Moses and to the Ceremonies of the Law according to Gods old testament but must depend upon Christ and the benefits by his death according to Gods last Wil and Testament For Paul intends these words as an Evangelicall attribute or description of Christ our Lord as before ver 1. the words who raysed him from the dead were an Evangelicall attribute unto God the Father Comment Giving is put for Dying The word Remission is sometime silenced sometime expressed sometime implied by Taking away and Bearing away Christ was not punished for our sinnes but onely tooke and bare away the punishment from us as hee tooke away sicknesses and diseases Christs death causeth the forgivenesse of our sinnes and our Repentance which is a Deliverance from sinfulnesse which is wickednes not Locally but Morally Deliverance from evill in the Lords Prayer The nature of Repentance which is really all one with holynesse The Motive to it is our Forgivenes 2 Reasons of it 1 Repentance is the purpose of Forgivenes 2 Repentance is the condition of it and an adequate condition of it Examples of the former Christ is to be Judge of our Repentance Yet he will judge of it in mercy The Alliance between remission and Repentāce Gods will is his Affection Decree Purpose Covenant and Testament Yet so taken chiefely in the Gospell And so here for 3 Reasons And is the efficient cause of Christs death But the principall efficient is God by meanes of the New Testament 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the Testator the Executor the Forme the Apparance the Legataries the Legacies and Conditions God is our Father Jurally and Morally and to be stiled our Father VVHO gave himselfe Wee must heere supply the word unto death which many times in Scripture is silenced but is supposed and must bee understood when the words of giving himselfe are ascribed unto Christ Of whom they signifie that his death was not wholly
compulsory on the Jewes and Pilates part but also voluntary on his own part by yeelding himselfe unto death From which if he would have shunned it he could easily have rescued himselfe not only by his owne single power but Matt. 26.53 by the ayd of more then twelve Legions of Angels which at his request his Father would have presently given him but hee willingly yeelded and gave himselfe up to death So the word unto death must be understood Ephes 5.2 Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us viz. unto death as the words immediatly following declare it And Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it viz. unto death And 1. Tim. 2.6 Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all i. e. Gave himselfe unto death And Tit. 2.14 Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity i. e. Gave himselfe unto death For our sinnes Heere againe another word must be supplied which in many places of Scripture is silenced but yet supposed and understood because in other places it is mentioned And that word is Remission or forgivenesse that Christ gave himselfe unto death for the remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes So the word Remission must be understood Rom. 4.25 who was delivered for our offences i. e. Was delivered unto death for the remission or forgivenesse of our offences for this sense is declared by the words immediatly following and rose againe for our justification And 1. Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you how that Christ died for our sinnes i. e. For the remission of our sinnes And Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever i. e. For the Remission of sinnes for ever For when in other places of Scripture our sinnes are referred to the death of Christ or unto his bloud being put for his death the word Remission is mentioned expresly As Matt. 26.28 This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes And Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past And Ephes 1.7 In whom wee have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace All which sayings and the like are explications or comments upon these words of Paul heer who gave himselfe for our sinnes Sometime the word Remission is not mentioned expresly but implicitly by substituting in stead thereof some other word therto equivalent as the word Taking away for the Remission or forgivenesse of sinnes is nothing else but A taking away of that punishment which by the Law is due unto sin Hence John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Heere Christ is compared to a Lamb in respect of his death for sin which by his death is taken away i. e. is remitted or forgiven And 1. John 3.5 Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes i. e. To remit or forgive our sinnes And the word Bearing which when it is applied unto Christ in respect of sin signifieth bearing away i.e. taking away from us the punishment of sin which is all one with Remission or forgivenesse As Esay 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many and shall beare their iniquities And againe in the next verse following Hee was numbred with the transgressors and bare the sin of many i. e. He shall and did beare away or take away from many the punishment of their iniquities and sinnes which in one word is the Remission or forgivenesse of their sins And 1. Pet. 2.24 Who his owne self bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree i. e. Tooke away from us the punishment of our sins Yet Christ did not take the punishment of our sinnes upon himselfe to beare and suffer in himselfe the punishment due to us for our sinnes for he was not punished in our stead for our sinnes but he only tooke away or bare away from us the punishment of them without inflicting it upon himselfe The certainty of this truth for this sense of these two words taking and bearing is taught us by Matthew for when the Prophet had sayd Esay 53.4 Surely he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes Matthew cites this upon the miracles of Christ in healing all that were sick saying Matt. 8.17 Himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sickenesses Now in healing the sicke Christ did not so take their infirmities and beare their sicknesses as to be infirme or sicke himselfe but he only tooke away or bare away from the sick their infirmities and sicknesses For when a Physitian cureth a disease he doth not take it unto himself to be sick of it himself but he only takes it away from the Patient So Christ in dying for our sins took not unto himself the punishment of thē to beare or suffer the punishment himself but he only took away and bare away from us the punishment of our sins And when by the meanes of the Physitian the disease is taken from the Patient it is not necessary it should be layd on the Physitian or on any body else for it sufficeth if the disease be abolished So when by the means of Christ the punishment of sin is taken away from sinners it is not necessary it should bee layd upon Christ or on any else because it is finally abolished For the punishment of sin is eternall death which is already abolished in grant or promise and shall be abolished in esse at the Resurrection for death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed Our sinnes then are not the efficient cause of Christs death for Christ died not to be punished for them but his death is an efficient cause of the Remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes for by the meanes of his death the punishment of our sinnes is taken away or borne away And consequently the Remission of our sinnes is a finall cause end or effect of Christs death yet not immediat or proximous but a remote effect For as shall bee more largely declared cap. 2. ver 21. the immediat or proximous finall causes ends or effects of Christs death were to testifie to confirm and to execute the last Will and Testament of God whereof one article is the Remission of our sinnes which by way of Legacy is therein devised or promised unto us Christ then gave himselfe to death for our sinnes partly because by his death he testified and confirmed the new Testament wherein the right of Remission of sinnes is given us for that Testament being confirmed becomes of force and we by meanes of our faith have a present right to the future forgivenesse of our sinnes And partly because through his death he was made perfect with power to execute that Testament that he might actually
remit or forgive our sinnes by doing all such acts whereby we might finally enjoy the benefit thereof when hee shall rayse us from death to give us the possession of eternall life That he might deliver us Heer is another end or effect of Christs death subordinat to the former and therefore somewhat more remote from it namely our deliverance from the servitude of sin which though causally on his part it be a deliverance yet effectually on our part it is our Repentance The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to exempt take out or pluck out in delivering from some sodain danger and delivering in a speciall maner namely powerfully and hastily plucking or snatching away the party by force and speed As Peter was delivered by the Angel out of prison from the hand of Herod the night before he should have been slaine wherof Peter making relation useth the same word Act. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod Or as Paul was delivered by Lysias the Colonel who with an army or band of men rescued him from the Jewes when they were about to kill him as Lysias relates Acts 23.27 where he useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he which in our last English Translation is there rendred rescued To the same sense the Scripture useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exempt redeeme or rescue From this present evill world The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. out of the sinfulnesse that he might deliver or pluck us out of that sinfulnesse which reigneth in the men of this present world For evill is heer put for sinfulnesse and the world for the men of the world or worldly men whose maners conditions and actions are evill sinfull or wicked If our deliverance be good as comming from Christ it must needs be then the terme or state from whence we are delivered must needs be evill Yet the evill heer meant is not the evill of punishment because thence we are delivered by the Remission of sinnes whereby the punishment is taken away as was intimated in the former clause of this verse Nor the evill of Affliction from which we are many times delivered and from which we pray for deliverance as 2. Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men i. e. From the afflictions and violences which we suffer under them But Affliction cannot be heer meant because that is not an end or effect of Christs death for he died not to deliver us from affliction but rather to animate us against it and to encourage us to suffer it But the Evill heer intended is the evill of sin or rather that degree of sin which is wickednesse as it is opposed to sins of Errour and Frailty such wickednesse as Idolatry Murder Adultery c. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in King JAMES his Translation is constantly Englished Wickednesse Wherefore To be delivered from this present evill world is not meant locally as if we should be taken away from being in the world or be so separated from worldly men as not to feare any affliction from their violences or any corruption from their examples for then we must altogether go locally out of this world But the words are to be understood Morally for a separation from their wicked courses by abstayning from all wickednesse and in undergoing a course of life contrary to the common course of this present evill world framing our selves to the workes of love and to the wayes of holinesse according to the precepts and rules of Christ This distinction betweene a locall and a morall separation is taught us by Christ when he prayed to his Father for his Disciples Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evill i. e. From doing that evill which is wickednesse And so I understand Christ when he taught us to pray Matt. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from evill i. e. Not only from suffering of that evil which proceeds from the wickednesse of others but chiefly from our doing of any evill which is wickednesse For we pray that God would not lead us into temptation now when we are tempted whether by meanes of affliction or otherwise the purpose whereat the temptation aymeth is not our suffering of evill but our doing of it See heere the nature of true Repentance Repentance is a separation from wickednesse For it is a deliverance or separation or turning from evill not from that of affliction which is the suffering of evill but from that of sin which is the doing of evill Yet not from all sin in every degree of it as errours and frailties for unto such a Repentance as to bee wholly sinlesse no sinner ever yet did or ever can attaine in this life But it is a separation from that degree of sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malignity malice or wickednesse which consisteth either in a wilfull custome of sin or in the act of some one sin whereof the pravity amounts to a custome Repentance then is a liberty or freedome from wickednesse for when Christ by forgiving our wickednesse delivereth us from it then he causeth our repentance and when we by forsaking wickednesse are delivered from it then are wee come to Repentance Unto this Repentance many have attayned and thereto every Beleever may and must attaine in this life or else his faith is not effectuall unto salvation And this Repentance is really one and the same thing with holinesse though betweene them there may bee some rationall differences as the words in divers mens understandings may bee diversly dilated or restrayned For holinesse may bee in a person who never sinned as is that of God of Christ and of Angels but when the subject of holinesse is a person that was a sinner and the terme from whence it began was sin then such holinesse is repentance and in this life the holinesse of Beleevers is no other although therof there are diverse degrees wherein some far exceed others The Motive unto repentance or holinesse of life or the cause that should invite and draw us unto the workes worthy thereof or which is all one the Means whereby Christ delivereth us from the evill or sinfulnesse of this present world is the remission or forgivenes of our sinnes For to what end or effect did Christ die for us It was to this end to testifie and confirme the New Testament that it might be in force unto us and that we might have a present right to the Legacies therein devised or promised whereon one is the Remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes And to what end or effect are our sinnes forgiven
life is the finall Legacy devised unto us in Gods last testament therefore our divine service of thanksgiving must continue for ever and ever to glorifie God and Christ not onely in this world but in the world to come for there both Saints and Angels shall glorifie both for ever and ever See Revel 4.9 10. and Revel 5.13 and Revel 7.11 12 and Revel 19.1 4. Amen An acclamation setting our fiat to testifie and ratifie the sincerity of our devotion in glorifying God our Father and Christ our Lord. The word Amen is no wherein Scripture used as a forme of swearing for it signifies no divine attribute whereby God is invoked as a Witnesse of verity or an Avenger of perjury But in the new Testament where it is joyned or referred to a verb Indicative there it is an adverb of Affirming or Assevering and then it is the same with the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies verily for in this sense we frequently meet with it in the Evangelists who use indifferently the words Amen and verily and the thing which in one Evangelist is assevered by Amen is by another especially by Luke expressed by verily this forme of asseveration was very frequent in the speeches of Christ because he assevered and assured the greatest and strangest truth that ever was published on earth and which for the substance and certainty thereof is by way of eminency called the Truth But where Amen is joyned or referred to a verbe Optative there it is an adverbe of wishing or praying and then it is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Vtinam i. e. God grant in which sense it is a Petition to God wherein we pray for some desired good redounding either to God our neighbour or our selves and in this sence Amen is opposed to the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an adverbe of forbidding and signifies absit i. e. God forbid which is a supplication to God wherein we pray against some impending evill which concerneth either God our neighbour or our selves See afterward Cap. 6. vers 14. Hitherto is the Proeme or Preface of the Apostle VERSE 6. Text. I marvell that ye are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel Sense Removed i. e. Changed or turned away From him that called you i. e. from Christ who called you Into the grace i. e. with or by his grace Vnto another Gospel i. e. pretended so to be Reason These words are an Entrance upon the body of the Epistle wherein hee obliquely and gently reproves the Galatians for their levity in suffering themselves to bee turned from the sincere doctrine of the Gospel containing the grace of Christ unto a counterfeit and pretended Gospel Comment A gentle reproof of the Galatians for their relapse and the suddainesse of it The construction of the words for the least difficulty and for the most plainesse Calling is a declaring of Gods will and a Metaphor taken from inviting which is effectuall by our acceptance Our title to salvation is by grace which is a word Evangelicall opposed to Nature and to our Workes and to the Law There is but one Gospel I Marvell that yee are so soone removed His words are a reproofe of their fact in that hee marvelleth at it yet his reproofe is but gentle in that hee doth but marvell for hee that saith hee marvelleth at a fact that is foule doth not reproove it sharpely but onely declares that hee hoped farre otherwise of them then by their fact appeares which was so inconsiderate and rash that it was altogether besides his expectation But the things whereat the Apostle marvells and thereby reproves are two whereof the one is the nature of their fact that they were removed or turned from the Gospel of Christ wherein hee againe mollifies his reproofe partly by using a Verbe of the passive voice of their being removed whereby hee seemes to remove the fact from themselves and to translate the fault of it upon their false Teachers who had troubled and perverted them as more plainely hee declares himselfe in the next verse following and partly by putting the Verbe passive in the present tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if hee did not conceive them yet perfectly and fully removed in facto esse but onely upon a Remove in fieri The other thing whereat hee marvells is the suddainenesse of their fact that they were so soone removed which argued much inconstancy and levity of minde for this suddaine removall must not bee understood in respect of time onely but also of their judgement in that after Paul had planted the Gospel amongst them and once watered it by a visitation they while yet it was but greene and as it were in the blade should suddainely and rashly bee removed from it without expecting any fruit of it or without consulting him who planted it From him that called you into the Grace of Christ. The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the construction seemes to bee thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. from Christ who hath called you by Grace or by his Grace For although the Genitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee not in construction governed by the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in sence the matter of grace must needes bee referred unto Christ But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee governed by the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then wee shall have in the Text a Substantive for the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not bee forced by way of supplement to seeke for such a Substantive out of the Text either in God or Paul because wee shall runne into greater difficulties before wee shall determine and agree upon the right Substantive to bee understood The reading wee have proposed hath of all others least difficulty and besides is no novelty for so are the words read by the Syriack Interpreter so by Jerome and so by Erasmus so also by the Vulgar French Translation But if wee take them in their literall order and referre Christ unto Grace then wee shall hardly determine of him that called who that person should bee whether God or Paul for betweene those two the different opinions lye and each of those opinions hath his difficulty For although sometime God bee wholly understood in and by the single Participle Calling as hee is afterward cap. 5.8 see also Rom. 9.11 and 1. Thess 5.24 And although for the most part in the writings of the Apostles our Calling bee attributed unto God as see Rom. 8.30 and 1. Cor. 1.9 and Act. 2.39 and 1. Cor. 7.15 and 1. Thess 2.12 and 2. Thess 2.14 and 2. Tim. 1.9 and 1. Pet. 5.10 Yet if in this place the Apostle had understood the Calling heere of God hee would hardly have said that God had called them by the Grace of Christ but rather by his grace as afterward in this cap. ver 15. Paul speaking of God calling
him to his Apostleship saith who called mee by hâ—â— grace And besides to speake properly and truely the Galatians were not removed from God for they continued still zealous towards God and really adhered to the Law of God but they were removed from Christ unto Moses i. e. from that Discipline which God delivered by Christ unto that which God delivered by Moses And as for Paul the action of calling is no where in Scripture ascribed unto him nor to any other of the Apostles And it seemes somewhat too much for Paul to say of himselfe that the Galatians were removed from him or from his Gospel unto another Gospel for the Gospel is really and truely the Gospel of God and of Christ and is constantly so called albeit in some passages Paul in reference to his Ministery and preaching of the Gospel calleth it his Gospel See Rom. 2.16 and Rom. 16.25 and 1. Thess 1.5 and 2. Thess 2.14 and 2. Tim. 2.8 Yet so hee calls it onely in respect of the line or circuit where hee was to preach it because the Ministery thereof unto the uncircumcision or Gentiles was committed unto him as afterward in this Epistle hee expresseth it cap. 2.7 Where hee opposeth the Gospel of uncircumcision committed unto him to the Gospel of Circumcision committed unto Peter The plainest sense therefore of these words is to referre the Calling unto Christ and that for these three Reasons 1. Because Christ is named in the Text under a Genitive that may governe the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may bee governed as well by the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Because Christ is the person who under God calleth us and by whom God calleth us for hence the faithfull are sayd to bee the called of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.6 3. Because the Galatians were removed from Christ and his Gospel unto Moses and his Ceremonies especially unto that of Circumcision as Paul plainely intimates afterward cap. 5. vers 2.4 Where hee professeth to the Galatians that if they bee circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing and Christ is become of no effect unto them That called you In the word called is expressed the manner of our accesse to the Right and Priviledge of Blessednesse which is our Heavenly Inheritance for unto this Right or Priviledge we are called i. e. the will and good pleasure of God to give and grant us a right thereto is revealed or signified unto us for by this calling wee have our first notice or knowledge of Gods good will towards us to justifie and adopt us for his Sonnes and Heires as Co-heires with Christ whereby wee have a right to the Inheritance of Blessednes This will of God was revealed or signified to men first by Christ after by his Apostles and ever since successively by Gods Ministers who by preaching and publishing the word of his will doe dayly invite and call men to become the Sonnes of God and Heires unto Blessednesse For this Calling is a Metaphor taken from a publick Feast whereunto divers Guests are invited called or bidden who before they are invited have of themselves no right to come no desert to come no desire to come nor no will to come for in being invited they are entreated to come as it were against or beyond their will and many will not come at all but request to bee excused because they have other businesse in the world which as they conceive is of more importance then to come to a Feast According to this manner is our Calling to become the Sonnes of God and Co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Heaven for before wee are thereto called wee are in the condition of Guests before they are invited to the Feast for wee to that Inheritance have of our selves no right no desert no desire no knowledge and therefore no will For wee are invited or called i. e. entreated to it as it were against besides or beyond our will and many will by no meanes accept it but desire to bee excused that they may follow their worldly businesse as appeares in the Parable of the Wedding whereto the Guests were invited or called Mat. 22.2 When an invitation or calling to a Feast is accepted by the Guest then the invitation or calling is effectuall because according to the will and purpose of the Inviter it taketh effect and that effect consisteth in this that the Guest hath a right to come to the Feast for the will and purpose of the Invitor is that upon the invitatioÌ„ the Guest should have a right to come and the Guest by his acceptance of the Invitation hath a right to that whereto he was invited And the title whereby the Guest hath this right to come to the Feast is only by the grace favour or courtesie of the Invitor and not by any works in the guest meriting that right nor by any Law constraining the Invitor to give it for invitations are not ordered by any such Rules as works and Lawes neither are or can be any Lawes extant in the World to regulate Invitations So we when by the Ministery of the Gospel we are invited or called to the inheritance of blessednes if we accept of it our calling is effectual and thereby we have a right to it for the son heir hath a right to his Inheritance Yet our title to that right is neither by birth nor by works nor by law but only by Grace Into the Grace The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. By with or through Grace for all these make but one sense and one of these wayes the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned elsewhere are alwayes rendred by our last English Translation See 2. Cor. 1.12 Col. 3 16. Col. 4.6 2. Thes 2.16 And so it is rendred here by the Syriak Interpreter and by the vulgar French Translation For the word by Grace doth declare our title specifying what kind of right wee have to that Inheritance whereto we are invited or called that on Gods part our title thereto is only by grace not by any act of Justice or Duty wherby God stands bound to cal us as by grace only it is that a Guest is invited or called to a Feast And Grace is not the tearme or state whereinto wee are called but the motive or meanes whereby wee are called for Grace is the originall ground or prime cause of our calling and our calling is in order of Nature after Grace because it is an effect of Grace But Grace is on Gods part the title to our right in the state of filiation or Christian Liberty whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse for unto that right wee are called by no other title on Gods part but by his Grace though the title on our part bee our acceptance of that right which is our Faith as when a Guest hath
a right to come to a Feast his title to that right on the Feasters part is onely by the Grace Favour or Courtesie of the Feaster and the title on the Guests part is his acceptance of the invitation or calling to the Feast Now Grace is not a legall word belonging to the Old Covenant of the Law for in the Old Testament wee shall very rarely finde the word at all in any sense but never in the genuine sense But Grace is a word Evangelicall belonging to the New Testament or Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediatour for hence the Gospel and the subject thereof which is the New Covenant is called the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace and in that Evangelicall sense wherein the word stands in this place for to take the word in the whole latitude would bee tedious and needelesse Grace is the will and act of God whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and co-heires with Christ to the Inheritance of Blessednesse For hence Grace is opposed to Nature which is an act of God whereby wee are made men to have an earthly dominion and inheritance after the Image or likenesse of God So Grace is an Act of God whereby wee are made Christians to have an Heavenly Dominion and Inheritance after the Image and Likenesse of Christ who was the naturall sonne of God borne to that Inheritance whereto wee after his likenesse as co-heires with him are adopted And hence Gods Grace is opposed to our Workes which as a title to that Inheritance are incompatible with Gods grace for if wee have a right to that Inheritance by grace wee cannot have it by workes no more then wee have by nature or birth Yet our workes are a tenure consequent and according to Gods grace whereby wee hold the right wee have by grace for because of Gods grace to make us his sonnes wee must bee gratefull and thankefull to carry our selves as his sonnes by the workes of obedience to so gracious a Father for otherwise wee are ungracious sonnes And lastly hence Gods grace is opposed contrarily to his wrath and his Law extreamely contrary to his wrath and meanely to his Law because Gods Law is a meane betweene the two extreames of his grace and his wrath for when God doth us more good or lesse evill then his Law allowes this is grace but when hee doth us more evill or lesse good then his Law provides this is wrath and his wrath hee many times executes upon us by taking judgement into his owne hands and punishing our sinnes by himselfe when the Ruler is negligent of his duty in laying upon us the punishment assigned by Law and extreame grace is when God without any Law or equity obliging him thereto bestowes upon us the supreame favour of making us his sonnes and co-heires with Christ unto the Inheritance of eternall Blessednesse Now the Apostle doth therefore tell the Galatians that they were removed from Christ who had called them by grace because hee would acquaint them with the admirable benefit or blessing whereof by that removall they had voluntarily deprived themselves that seeing and acknowledging the rashnesse of their fact they might repent of it and turn to the Gospel of Christ by whose grace they had been called Unto another Gospel Another i. e. a forraigne or strange Gospel pretended so to be These words shew the terme of accesse whereto they were removed and are opposed to the former words from Christ who called them by grace as the terme of Recesse from whence they were removed The new doctrine which they had exchanged for the doctrine of Christ who called them by grace he calls another Gospel not that it was so indeed but only in the opinion of the Galatians and of their false teachers who obtruded upon them this counterfeit Gospel and thereby taught them another way of obtayning a right to blessednes then by the grace of God The summe of which counterfeit and pretended Gospel was this that the right and title to the inheritance of blessednesse was to be had by the Law of God formerly given by Moses that the inheritance was due unto them for the service and desert of their works performed according to that Law and that God was to give them that inheritance by an act of his Justice in consequence to his Law for their obedience unto it For these seeme to bee the principall points in the confutation whereof the Apostle bends his arguments prosecuted in this Epistle VERSE 7. Text. Which is not another but there bee some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ Sense Which is not another i. e. Eyther is not another Gospel or which is nothing else but that some trouble you Some that trouble you i. e. Disquiet your consciences Pervert the Gospel of Christ viz. By compounding and mingling it with the Law of Moses Reason The words are a further mollifying of his former reproofe by shewing the true cause of their removeall from Christ and translating the fault of it upon others who drave them into it by troubling them Comment The cause of the Galatians revolt and the event of it VVHich is not another The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words may beare a twofold sense A first sense 1. Thus which is not another Gospel for if the Relative which be referred to the word Gospel in the former verse then this saying is a correction of his former reproofe for that clause of it in saying they were removed to another Gospel q. d. Though I sayd you were removed to another Gospel yet indeed there is no other Gospel at all besides that which I preached amongst you but only some trouble you with another doctrine and perswade you that their doctrine is the true Gospel A second sense 2. Thus which is nothing else but that there be some who trouble you for if this whole sentence with the rest of this verse bee referred to the whole reproofe in the former verse then it is an excuse of the Galatians revolt by discovering the true cause of it and by translating the fault of it upon some others who troubled them q. d. This your removeall from the Gospel of Christ unto another Gospel is nothing else or the cause of it is no other but that there be some who trouble you Either of these two senses is so allowable that neither of them is to bee maintained or pressed against the other because neither of them is of such consequence as to be elementary and serviceable for the illustrating or concluding of any other verity in the New Testament But there be some that trouble you The true cause of their revolt from the true Gospel The false teachers amongst the Galatians to avoyd persecution for preaching the true and sincere Gospel of Christ troubled and disquieted the consciences of the Galatians constrayning them to Circumcision and other Legall ceremonies The truth many times may and sometime doth breed trouble
Doctrine of the Apostles for shee her selfe distinguisheth them from the Precepts of the Apostles For if Pauls Doctrine which contained not those Traditions of the Church were sufficient to salvation with wâ—â—â— authority can those Traditions bee urged as necessary and by what meanes shall they who urge them escape the curse heere menaced But if they alleage that their Traditions are not contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles but onely additionall even the concession of this is enough for their conviction for in adding to the Doctrine of the Apostles and urging their additions as necessary to salvation they thereby teach besides the Doctrine of Paul as much as they did who unto the faith of Christ would adde the legall Ceremonies which is the maine point in this Epistle condemned because those legall Ceremonies though they were not contrary and against yet were different and besides those things which Paul affirmed as sufficient to salvation But the Galatians by necessitating of their additions must needes deny them sufficient and therefore the Churches of Rome joyne heerein with the Churches of Galatia that unto the Gospel of Christ they make additions though the additions bee not the same Let him bee accursed The censure and doome upon the former presumption that whosoever shall attempt it shall become a curse i. e. an abominable and execrable and devoted thing which no man may or dare touch In poynt of false Doctrine urged against or besides the Gospel of Christ no respect is to bee had to the Dignity or quality of the Person though hee bee an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven for if such Persons as these may by no meanes corrupt the Gospel what person else shall dare to doe it Whosoever therefore shall wittingly and purposely with arrogance and pertinacy attempt this corruption directly or indirectly against or besides the Gospel that person cannot escape the thunder of this curse but hee may escape it who out of ignorance or errour teacheth somewhat which hee thinkes consequent to the Doctrine of the Gospel though indeed it bee repugnant or different from it if afterward upon the sight of his errour hee forsake it and submit to the truth for such a one is not forthwith to bee accursed but must first bee refuted and instructed in the truth VERSE 9. Text. As wee sayd before so say I now againe If any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that you have received let him bee accursed Sense Then that yee have received Viz. from mee who first planted and afterward confirmed it amongst you Reason A Repetition of the former sentence to the same sense yet expressed in words somewhat more generall and full lest any man should thinke that the former clause was too severe and fell from him rashly or unawares VERSE 10. Text. For doe I now perswade men or God or doe I seeke to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Sense Doe I now viz. Since I was made an Apostle Perswade men i. e. Doe I teach humane doctrines or the opinions of men Or God Doe I not teach divine doctrine proceeding from God For if I yet viz. Since I became the servant of Christ Pleased men viz. Against or besides the pleasâ—â—e of Christ I should not be the servant i. e. I would not have been the servant Reason An entrance upon the third part of this Chapter wherein he vindicates the authority both of his Ministery and Doctrine and whereby he will conclude that such a person is worthy to be accursed who shall presume to oppose or corrupt his doctrine by teaching any thing against it or by adding somewhat besides it because his doctrine was altogether divine for he was taught it by God from heaven and by God from heaven he was commanded to publish it Comment The word Now. Men put for humane Doctrines and God for Divine Doctrine Paul was no Men-pleaser The particle yet How farre Men may must bee pleased and how far not Ministers are the servants of Christ FOR doe I now perswade men or God The particle now and the particle yet in the words following though sometime they be taken for the very instant and moment of the time present yet heere in this place they must bee ampliated or extended to a greater latitude to signifie such a time present as comprehendeth some compasse and includeth a certaine state and condition of things which state as long as it lasteth the same is so long accounted the time present See Matt. 3.10 and John 12.31 and Rom. 13.11 and 1. Cor. 13.12.13 and 2. Cor. 6.2 In this place therefore the particle now signifies that space of time from whence the Apostle being made a Minister of Christ did begin to preach the Gospel and yet continued to preach it for it is opposed to that former time when he was a Pharisee and a vehement maintayner of the Law He demands therefore whether now during his Ministery of the Gospel hee perswade men or God which he proposeth by way of Interrogatory signifying thereby that the matter was so evident to the Galatians that they must needs be forced to confesse the truth of it for this Interrogation must bee resolved and construed for two vehement assertions one a Negation thus I doe not now perswade men the other an affirmation repugnant to the former negation thus I doe now perswade God The word Men is here figuratively put for humane doctrines or for those opinions whereof men are the Inventors as wee often use the words Plato and Aristotle for the opinions or writings of Plato and Aristotle And in like manner the word God is put for divine Doctrines and for those verities whereof God is the Authour and Revealer so Christ is sometimes put for the Doctrine of Christ and the preaching of Christ is put for the preaching of his Doctrine See Act. 5.42 and Act. 8.5 and 2 Cor. 4.5 and Phil. 1.15 q. d. When I was a Pharisee zealous of the Law I perswaded and pressed humane Doctrines as the traditions of our Fathers and other opinions of men but now since I was ordained an Apostle and a Minister of Christ I dare urge no humane Doctrine but contrarily the Doctrine which now I urge is wholly Divine whereof God is the Authour and Revealer unto mee This Phrase to perswade men is taken in another sense 2 Cor. 5.11 for there he affirmes that he perswades men which heere he flatly denyes and the reason is because there men are taken for the personall object of his perswasion to whom the matter which he perswaded was piety but heere Men are put for the reall matter of his perswasion that the matter which now he perswaded unto men was not the Doctrine of men Or doe I seeke to please men A reason of his double assertion contained in his former interrogation by removing the cause impulsive which might seeme to move him to perswade humane Doctrines and
not humane or after man because he neyther received of man nor was taught it by man Comment The construction of the words Paul learned the Gospell not from Men. But immediately from Christ By way of Revelation At what time FOR I neyther received it of man neyther was I taught it The word of man interposed heer between the two Verbs received and taught must bee referred to both and follow both thus I neyther received it nor was taught it of man And the word taught is but explicative to specifie the generall word received and restraine it to the Gospel in reference whereto those two words make but one sense for to receive the Gospel and to be taught the Gospel is all one and in a sense somewhat like to this Paul requires the Thessalonians to hold the Traditions which they had beene taught 2. Thess 2.15 The meaning of the Apostle in this place is not simply to say that hee neyther received nor was taught the Gospel at all for in the words next following he acknowledgeth and confesseth that hee received and was taught it of Christ by revelation for that was the maine point which as he sayd in the former verse he would certifie or make knowne unto the Galatians But his purpose is to prove that his knowledge in the divine Gospel of Christ was not humane that hee neyther received nor was taught his knowledge therein by any Apostle nor by any other mortall man For although the Gospel which Paul preached were for the matter of it divine as being the same which Peter and the rest of the Apostles preached Yet his knowledge therein for the meanes whereby hee had it might by the false Teachers bee alleadged and pretended to bee humane which Paul heere denyes of himselfe But hee denies it not of Timothy who though hee preached that Gospel which was divine yet Timothies knowledge in that divine Gospel was humane because hee received and was taught his knowledge therein by Paul who was a mortall man for Paul both instructed Timothy in the Gospel and ordained him a Minister thereof by the imposition of his hands See and compare 1. Tim 4.6.14 and 1. Tim. 6.20 and 2. Tim. 1.6.13.14 and 2. Tim. 3.14 So is it in all the Ministers of the Gospel at this day for although the Gospel which they preach bee divine yet their knowledge therein is humane because they receive their knowledge by humane meanes But by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. A super-reason or confirmation of his former reason by an argument drawne from the contrary that the Gospel which hee preached hee neither received nor was taught it by man because hee received and was taught it of Christ by Revelation And heere againe Christ is opposed to man not that Christ was no way man but because when hee revealed the Gospel unto Paul hee was not at that time a mortall man nor at any time a meere man but alwayes both God and man And heereby also hee firmely concludes and proves his principall assertion that the Gospel which hee preached was not humane or not after man for if hee received and was taught it by the Revelation of Jesus Christ then certainely the Gospell so by Christ revealed unto him was no humane invention neither was his knowledge in it by any humane instruction q. d. For my knowledge in the Gospel which I preached unto you I was no Disciple nor Auditor to any of the Apostles nor to any other mortall man to bee taught it and learne it from man but my onely Master and Teacher in the Gospel was Jesus Christ himselfe who revealed it unto mee and his Revelation of it unto mee was not after an ordinary manner as hee taught it his Apostles and the rest of his Disciples while hee conversed upon Earth But after an extraordinary and miraculous manner for hee taught it mee since his ascention and revealed it unto mee from Heaven and this was the ground why I told you before that if an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Gospel unto you hee was to bee accursed because thereby hee preacheth a Gospell repugnant to that Gospel which was revealed by Christ from Heaven Hee useth the word Revelation because Revelation is an instruction teaching peculiar and proper to the Gospel and such an instruction as is also peculiar and proper to God to bee made by him for although men have and doe teach the Gospel yet the action of revealing the Gospel is never ascribed unto man but only unto God See Mat. 16.17 and Luke 10.21 and 1. Cor. 2.10 and Ephes 3.3 and Phil. 3.15 For the Gospel and the points therein contained are the sacred mysteries and secrets of God which of themselves are veiled and covered from the knowledge of man who by the course of nature or by force of his naturall understanding can never attaine to any knowledge therein unlesse first they bee revealed and discovered by God Because God and God onely is the revealer of secrets Dan. 2.47 The first Teacher of the Gospel who published the Doctrine of it was Christ who because hee was God was therefore a Revealer of it and his Instruction was Revelation But since Christs ascention his Apostles and their Successours have beene Teachers thereof yet not Revealers neither is their instruction Revelation because Revelation is that instruction which is immediate or proximous from God therefore the Instruction in the Gospel which Paul received immediately and proximously from Christ who is God hee calls it Revelation But the time when Paul had this Revelation from Christ can not bee certainely defined from Scripture Yet probable it is that hee had it at the time of his conversion when hee lay at Damascus in a Trance three dayes together blinde and fasting without sight or meat for when in his astonishment hee demanded of Christ what hee would have him to doe Christ answered hee must goe into Damascus and there it should bee told him what hee must doe Act. 9.6.9 c. And probable also it is that hee had this Revelation at the time of those Revelations which hee had in his rapture when hee was caught up into Paradice and heard unspeakeable words whereof hee writes 2. Cor. 12.1.2.3 because it is very probable that his trance after his conversion and his rapture for those Revelations were at one and the same time for in the sequele of this Chapter hee drawes immediate Arguments from his conversion to prove hee was taught by Revelation But this is certaine that Paul never preached the Gospel of Christ untill first hee was taught it by Christ and then immediately hee preached it See afterward in this Chapter vers 16. VERSE 13. Text. For yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewes Religion how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Sense Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse And wasted it i. e. Destroyed it Reason Another Argument to prove that the
Gospel which hee preached was not humane but divine drawne from a narration of his conversion from the Jewish Religion to the Christian and first hee puts them in minde of his carriage in Judaisme and of his zeale to the Law while hee lived a Pharisee that from thence they might collect that hee would by no meanes ever have forsaken the Ceremonies of Moses and the Traditions of his Fathers unlesse God or Christ himselfe had withdrawne him from them after a miraculous and manifest manner and further that in preaching of the Gospel his present asserting of faith against the workes of the Law proceeded not from any hatred of the Law whereto once hee was so wholly addicted but onely from the Authority and command of Christ Comment Pauls former conversatioÌ„ was not his piety But his Activity In persecuting the Church and in wasting it which is a Metaphor taken from Warre or from a cursed Judgement And argues Pauls former fury and his excesse FOR yee have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewish Religion By his former conversation in the Jewish Religion wherein after the most straitest Sect hee lived a Pharisee hee understands not his piety towards God in any acts of devotion for the worshippe and service of God whereto the Pharisees above the rest of the Jewes were great Pretenders especially for the acts of fasting and praying for as it appeares by the description of their Devotions recorded in the Gospel they fasted thrice in the weeke they prayed publickly in the corners of the streetes and they prayed tediously by making long prayers although all this were Hypocrisie Yet Paul by his conversation in this place hath reference to none of these But hee meanes his activity or madnesse as himselfe calls it in being wholly transported with fervency and zeale to defend the Law and oppose the Gospell by persecuting and destroying the Professours thereof as himselfe intimates in the words following For all the conversation of some men in their Religion especially of those who professe themselves the strictest is onely a blinde and bloody zeale to persecute and destroy all Dissenters from them and the murders they commit by the fury of this zeale they account the worshippe and service of God as Christ foretold it unto his Disciples John 16.2 Of Pauls former conversation this way the Galatians must needes heare either before or at least upon his planting of the Gospel amongst them because his persecution was very generall entering into every house haling men and women to prison and because the dispersion of the Disciples therupon was very generall also for they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word See Act. 8.3.4 And because of the fearfull accident that fell upon him in his journey to persecute at Damascus neare whereunto hee was strucken to the ground with lightning from Heaven the fact whereof was so notorious and publick that the fame of it must needes spread to the hearing of the Galatians seeing the confines of Galatia lay not farre remote from the confines of Syria whereof Damascus was the chiefe City How that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God An instance or example of his conversation in the Jewish Religion namely that beyond measure he persecuted the Church of God and beyond measure wasted it Beyond measure i. e. Beyond all excesse even unto extremity for Beyond measure is an expressâ—on too flat and too dry to utter the sharpnesse and bloudinesse of that persecution wherewith Paul once wasted the Church of God for therein he exceeded unto all extremity Into the profession of persecution Paul as it seemes had his initiation at the martyrdome of Stephen with whose bloud his zeale was fleshed for he was accessory to Stephens death by consenting thereto and by keeping the rayment of them that stoned him See Acts 7.58 and Acts 22.20 Of the bloudy persecution against the Church at Jerusalem whereby all the Saints were thence scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea and Samaria though the chiefe Priests were the chiefe authors yet Paul was the chiefe actor for hee entred not only into every Synagogue but into every house and haling out men and women committed them to prison See Acts 8.3 and Acts 26.11 Hee sollicited the high Priest for authority and obtayned a commission from him to commit the like outrage in the Synagogues at Damascus as he had executed before in those at Jerusalem See Acts 9.1.2 and Acts 22.5 and Acts 26.12 And wasted it The degree of his persecution was that it proceeded unto wasting of the Church for that word expresseth the extremity of his persecution that it advanced and increased not only beyond measure but beyond all excesse The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred elsewhere in our last English Translation destroyed See Act. 9.21 and afterward in this cap. ver 23. which expression is too generall and flat coming short of the full sense of the word but in this place it is fully and properly translated wasted For wasting is a speciall kind of destruction executed with fury and excesse not only upon mens persons but upon their lands and goods and properly signifies a vast destruction For Wast is a metaphor taken from War by the fury wherof a Countrey is depopulated the people slaine with the sword the Towns burnt downe by fire the cattell driven away and all the goods made a prey such a Wast was done upon Jericho Jos 6.21.24 Or rather Wast seemes to be a metaphor taken from the Execution of a heavy Judgement upon a cursed person who to be made an example unto others is put to a fearfull death his wife and children turned out of doores and his house pulled down to the ground his gardens supplanted his meadowes plowed his trees digged up by the roots and all his goods forfeited Such a wast was by the judgement of God executed upon the house of Jeroboam upon the house of Baasha upon the house of Ahab and upon the house of Baal which was turned into a draught-house See 1. King 15.29 and 1. King 16.3.4 and 1. King 21.22 and 2. King 10.27 Such a Wast in a maner Paul laboured to bring upon the Church of God as it may easily appeare from two grounds 1. From the fury of his mind for hee was exceeding mad against the Church of God and his mind was so bloudy that his very breath was bloud in breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord. See Act. 9.1 and Act. 26.11 2. From the excesse of his actions for he haled men and women out of their houses into prison he forced divers into banishment persecuting them even unto strange Cities hee punished the Saints in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and when they were put to death hee suffraged or gave his voyce against them in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word explicates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he made havocke of the
infused internally into his soule by an act immediate without any meane externall as because our future glory shall totally penetrate into our whole person therefore it is sayd of it that it shall be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. into us Rom. 8.18 Yet elsewhere in the New Testament the word revealed is expressed with a single dative governed from the Verb it selfe without any preposition intervening See Matt. 11.27 and Matt. 16.17 and 1. Cor. 2.10 and Eph. 3.5 and Phil. 3.15 The Syriak Interpreter renders it by me which sense is very sound and must needs follow upon the former in respect of the end for which Christ was revealed to Paul namely that by Paul he might be preached among the Heathen as appeares by the words following q. d. When it pleased God by his speciall grace to call me to the sacred office of an Apostle I at that time was no way qualified for the Function of it for Christ whom I was to Preach was to me a meer mystery and a stumbling block of whom I was wholly ignorant that he was the son of God having not only no true knowledge thereof but a wicked misknowledge for at the very time of my calling I was persecuting him whom I was to Preach but God who called mee by his grace did also by his grace qualifie and enable me for hee cleerely inlightned my thick darknesse by removing the veile of Christ and revealing the mystery of his son unto me infusing the knowledge of him into my soule That I might Preach him among the Heathen Preach him i. e. Christ and the Gospell containing his Doctrine Among the Heathen i. e. among the Gentiles for so the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for the most part rendred in this Epistle and so alwayes in all the rest excepting onely one place namely 2 Cor. 11.26 The end and purpose for which God revealed Christ unto Paul was this that Paul might preach the Doctrine of Christ among the Gentiles In which words he describes his peculiar and proper office for the line or circuit of it that he was to â—e a separate Apostle to exercise his Ministery apart from the rest in preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles The Jewes had already designed unto them their peculiar Apostles namely the twelve whom Christ had chosen and called before during his owne Ministery here on earth as we shall see in the Chapter following This he therefore mentions that no man might surmise he exercised his Apostleship among the Gentiles by meere chance or by his owne private motion or to procure their favour by exempting them from the Law of Moses thereby to make them more willing to embrace the Gospel of Christ but he did it in obedience to the will and command of God who from his Mothers wombe had designed him for a separate Apostle and called him by his grace and revealed his sonne unto him for that very purpose Hence it appeares that when Paul preached Christ at Damascus to the Jewes in their Synagogues Act. 9.20 he did but make as it were an Essay or preparative to his Ministery which three yeares after his first calling he fully and wholly undertooke when because the Jewes would not endure his preaching at Jerusalem therefore Christ in a vision commanded him speedily to depart thence and gave him his Commission for a Preacher to the Gentiles and this was done then when hee was praying and in a trance in the Temple at Jerusalem See Act. 22.17.22 Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood Flesh and blood is a phrase in Scripture put for any mortall man because every man while hee remaines under that constitution is in the state of mortality and in this place Paul opposeth mortall man to God and Christ his onely Masters and Teachers in the Gospel for hee made the like opposition before in this Chapter vers 1.11.12 The like sense this phrase beares Mat. 16.17 Where it stands opposed to God the Father and the like againe Ephes 6.12 Where it is opposed to wicked spirits who notwithstanding their wickednesse are immortall I conferred not The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I discovered it not related or imparted it not to any mortall man that I was called to the Gospel and was to preach it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where used in all the New Testament but onely in this Epistle and in this but twice viz. heere and againe cap. 2.6 in both which places it signifies to discover relate or impart some secret to make it knowne to some other who had no knowledge thereof before with intent either to ease the Relaters minde or to consult the Hearers judgement or to informe and increase the Hearers knowledge and in this sense to this last intent the word shall bee taken cap. 2. vers 6. â—s there shall bee shewed For the word is materially the same with revealed from which it differs onely modally in reference to the person making the Relation for when God is the Relator of the secret then in the sense of the Scripture the Relation is called a Revelation But when man is the Relator it is called an Information Communication or Discovery And it is the very same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which it differs onely terminally for that knowledge which in respect of the Speaker who utters it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. expounding the same in respect of the hearer who receives it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. imparting or communicating for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred in our last English Translation cap. 2. vers 2. And it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to conceale or keepe secret which word is used of the Virgin Mary that shee concealed or kept secret pondering in her heart the things which shee heard from and concerning Christ See Luke 2.19.51 So in this place Paul in a manner saith the very same thing of himselfe in a negative forme of speech that what God had revealed in him concerning his sonne that matter hee discovered not or imparted not to any mortaâ—l man which is all one with concealing or keeping it in his heart Immediately must bee referred two wayes first backward to his Revelation when Christ was revealed in him and then forward to his going into Arabia whither hee went immediately after his Revelation before hee discovered or related it to any mortall man and before he went to Jerusalem to the Apostles But then wee must marke the time whereto hee applyes the denyall of this discovery namely that at no time betweene the time of his calling and his going into Arabia hee discovered the Revelation hee had to any mortall man but afterward and in times following hee at divers times discovered it to divers persons as appeares from severall passages in his Epistles The maine sense is Paul mentions this his Concealement of
his Revelation and calling to preach the Gospel not onely Historically but Argumentatively that by an Argument a minori hee might firmely prove his principall assertion that his Gospel was not humane or taught by man because hee discovered not his calling thereto to any mortall man and therefore much lesse did hee consult any man for instruction therein and therefore againe much lesse durst any man attempt to instruct him q. d. When God at Damascus had revealed his sonne in mee and designed mee to preach him among the Gentiles immediately thereupon at least after my baptisme there I went from Damascus into Arabia to preach him among the Gentiles and thence I returned againe to Damascus but during all that time I discovered not the Revelation to any mortall man that I was called to the Gospel much lesse did I consult or confer with any man for any further instruction in the knowledge of Christ or for my proceeding in the exercise of my Ministery among the Gentiles as if in any poynt I were either ignorant or doubtfull and much lesse durst any man attempt to instruct mee for no man knew that I was called to the Gospel excepting Ananias of Damascus but all other men knew that I had authority to binde all that professed it and all men must needes imagine that I still continued in the same minde and therefore all must needs be afraid and actually were afraid of me But for my knowledge in Christ and his Gospell I did wholly acquiesce and rest upon God as abundantly instructed by his Revelation and fully satisfied with his Commission by the sole vertue whereof I preached the Gospel before I made any discovery of my calling to it otherwise then by my preaching of it VERSE 17. Text. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before mee but I went into Arabia and returned againe unto Damascus Sense Went I up The Greeke is neither returned I. Apostles before mee i. e. Ancienter then I or before mee in time And returned i. e. Retired secretly Reason An illustration in particular of that whereof hee mentioned before in generall namely how hee disposed of himselfe immediately after his calling to the Apostleship Comment Paul being made an Apostle went not to Jerusalem to consult the Apostles there But went into Arabia and why so Thence unto Damascus and why so NEither went I up to Jerusalem Went I up The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Neither returned I to Jerusalem for from Jerusalem hee came when hee made that journey to Damascus wherein by the way hee was converted and called to his Apostleship and therefore his not going to Jerusalem at that time must needes bee a not returning thither And thither hee returned not from Damascus immediately after his calling and baptisme there by Ananias although three yeares after that time hee returned to Jerusalem as will appeare in the next verse following To them which were Apostles before mee At Jerusalem was the Oracle as formerly of the Law so then of the Gospel seated in the Apostles of Christ whom Christ before his ascention had personally inspired with his Spirit and ordained by his owne hand Hee denyes therefore that hee went to the Apostles either because his adversaries who magnified them so much for divine men exempted from the ranke of ordinary persons might also remember that they were not yet exempted from the appellation of flesh and blood although they were qualified with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost or because the chiefe suspicion against Paul might arise concerning the Apostles that hee to them made some addresse and by them was instructed in the doctrine of the Gospel This suspition therefore Paul cleares by these words that by this his denyall no man might affirme that ever hee was a Disciple to the Apostles thereby to diminish his reputation especially if in any poynt his Doctrine seemed different from theirs as was the suggestion of his adversaries Before mee i. e. For their time or standing in the Apostleship which hee mentions therefore because from their seniority and Antiquity in their Apostleship Pauls adversaries had taken occasion to disparage him as a novice and a puny or a pupill to some of the Apostles who for their standing in the Ministery were all his Seniors and Ancients This objection hee refells by declaring that although the Apostles were all his Seniors yet hee was Disciple or pupill to none of them for hee never came at them to learne any thing from them neither immediately after his calling nor at any time afterward for when afterward hee was at Jerusalem with them about the controversie of circumcision the chiefest of them who seemed to bee somewhat in conference added nothing to him as it is expressed in the next Chapter following vers 6. But I went into Arabia These words as was noted before must cohere in sense with the word immediately in the former verse for the affirmative of Pauls first action after his conversion for the two clauses intervening betweene that word and these are both negatives of what actions hee did not q. d. When it pleased God to reveale his Sonne in mee and to give mee my charge for preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles then after my baptisme and a little refreshment in Damascus to recover my strength whereof the Lord by my dejection had deprived mee the first action which I did was this that immediately I went into Arabia where certainely I could finde no instructions for the Gospel to bee gathered from a people uncivill and wild who were wholly ignorant of the Gospel who had never heard any thing of Christ and who excepting some Proselites who came yearely to Jerusalem were all wholly devoted to idolatry and superstition By the adversative particle but he plainly declares that unto his not going to Jerusalem hee opposeth his going into Arabia whereby hee seems to prefer Arabia the basenesse of the Gentiles before Jerusalem the glory of the Jews that by this intimation hee might either abolish or abate the boasting of his adversaries who imagined that the truth of the Gospel was topicall and calculated onely for the Meridian of Jerusalem and therefore afterward againe Arabia and Jerusalem are compared together in a matter of higher moment and are both made equall to stand in the same ranke of basenesse and bondage The end why immediately hee went into Arabia was this that being made a seperate Apostle from the rest hee might according to his calling and the charge layd upon him preach the Gospel among the Gentiles or Heathen and of all the Gentiles they of Arabia were in a manner most Heathenish But why hee chose to preach the Gospel there rather then elsewhere the reason might bee because Arabia was much remote and quite contrary to Cilicia wherein stood the famous Tarsus where Paul was borne and well knowne for hee was a Citizen of that City but Arabia was as it were an Angle of
the World and a Country of obscure and base condition wherein hee might bee latitant in his preaching and live somewhat secure from the fury of that persecution which himselfe had partly raised and at that time flamed in all places round about Jerusalem from whence the Saints were then all scattered abroad except the Apostles who there lay hid for it was the manner of Paul who himselfe had beene a persecutor to bee alwayes subject to persecution and yet alwayes to shunne it by all the shifts hee could make as farre as hee obtained licence and warrant from God This journey of Paul from Damascus into Arabia is not mentioned by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles yet it is not therefore not a truth but therefore it is a truth because Paul mentions it heere for whatsoever is any where mentioned in Scripture is a truth and many a truth is no where mentioned especially in poynt of History And returned againe unto Damascus I returned The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I was forced or made to returne secretly and privately i. e. in one word I retired For the Verbe affected with that Preposition doth consignifie both compulsion and warinesse or secresie imitating those Conjugations of the Hebrewes which consignifie passively and causally in being made to suffer the doing of something which the Latines expresse by compounding the Verbe with fio And the word though frequently used in Scripture in a vulgar sense is originally a military word borrowed from a Retreate in Warre where a Party or an Army that hath marched into some danger or disadvantage is forced to retire or necessarily and warily to returne for feare they should bee enclosed or bee beaten by the enemy The returne then of Paul from Arabia was not voluntary free and open but necessary wary and secret by way of retire But the cause that necessitated him to retire from thence is not expressed in Scripture either heere or elsewhere yet the reason might bee because that persecution which lately began at Jerusalem and was by him extended to Damascus might now bee spread into Arabia and threatned to him who had before threatned it to others and who now for feare of it retired from thence for persecution when once raised against the Gospel of Christ though it spare no Professor of the Truth yet it aymeth most at the Preachers of it But why hee retyred back againe to Damascus the reason is manifest from the Scripture because hee was to preach the Gospel there for after hee had rested at Damascus a few dayes with the Disciples there hee straitway preached Christ in the Synagogues that hee was the Sonne of God Act. 9 19.20 Hence it appeares that in the middle of that 19. verse 〈◊〉 the place where Luke hath omitted Pauls journey into Arabia which omission may easily bee harmonied and supplyed by inserting that journey into that Verse thus And when hee received meat hee was strengthned and immediately hee went into Arabia and retyred againe unto Damascus Then was Saul certaine dayes with the Disciples which were at Damascus and straightway hee preached Christ c. And there hee preached Christ to all their amazement that heard him because hee now preached that Truth which before hee persecuted and preached it there where hee most persecuted it or most intended to persecute it for God to shew his power upon Paul and to comfort those Saints whom Paul had terrified would make Paul there build againe the things which there hee had destroyed And there hee preached Christ till hee was persecuted thence for Damascus was a Garison-City whose gates were watched day and night where the Governour minded to apprehend Paul and the Jewes layd wait to kill him but by night hee was let downe by the wall in a basket by meanes whereof hee escaped thence See Act. 9.24.25 and 2. Cor. 11.32 Heere was another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in departing from Damascus by way of a forced and secret retyre for although in the whole course of his Apostleship hee travelled more then the rest of the Apostles yet in the beginning of it he never travelled otherwise then as the storme of persecution blew him and as the spirit of God steered him VERSE 18. Text. Then after three yeares I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteene dayes Sense After three yeares viz. From my conversion or calling to my Apostleship Went up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I returned To see Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. To visit or be acquainted with Peter Reason A Narrative of his first returne to Jerusalem and the time of his stay after his going from thence with authority from the high Priest to persecute the Saints at Damascus Comment Pauls return to Jerusalem the cause of it his short stay there THen after three yeares I went up to Jerusalem Then The Grek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. After that or afterwards for so the word taken as an adverb of Order is rendred elsewhere in our last Translation See afterward in this cap. ver 21. and 1. Cor. 12.28 and 1. Cor. 15.6.7.23.46 and Heb. 7.2 When he was persecuted from Damascus the next City whereto hee came afterwards was Jerusalem from whence hee had now beene absent for the space of three years For the three yeares must not be computed from his retire out of Arabia unto Damascus as if he had preached three yeares at Damascus for how could he possibly preach so long in a City so populous and so neer to Jerusalem with such astonishment to all that heard him in then Preaching Christ whom before he persecuted and yet all this while no report of his Conversion should come to Jerusalem Now that no certainty thereof came thither is from hence evident because when at the end of three yeares Paul himselfe returned to Jerusalem his present condition of being an Apostle was so unknowne to the Disciples there that they beleeved him not a Disciple and when hee assayed to joyne himselfe with them they were all afrayd of him as if he had yet persisted a persecutor untill he was necessitated to procure the curtesie of Barnabas to introduce him to the Apostles and to make the report as well of his conversion to the fayth as of his Preaching Christ at Damascus See Act. 9.26.27 Hence it appeares 1. That although his Preaching at Damascus were many dayes as Luke expresseth the time of it Act. 9.23 yet it lasted not for the space of three yeares and therefore the three yeares must be computed from the time of his conversion or calling to his Apostleship or which comes all to one from the time of his journey from Jerusalem toward Damascus because his conversion fell out in that journey 2. That the greatest part of the three years was spent in Preaching in Arabia from whence the news of his conversion came not to Jerusalem eyther because the Countrey of Arabia was
somewhat obscure and farre remote from Jerusalem or because all commerce and passage of Letters was stopped by reason of the persecution then reigning about Jerusalem I went up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I returned which hee therefore sayth because Jerusalem was the place of his habitation or ordinary residence from whence he set forth with authority to persecute the Saints at Damascus and now after three yeares he returned from thence to Jerusalem q. d. When I had already executed my Apostleship for the space of three yeares in Preaching the Gospel for the most part of that time in Arabia and for some dayes at Damascus and had thereby given sufficient proofe both of my Apostleship and of my knowledge in the mystery of Christ then after those three years were expired because I was persecuout of Damascus I returned to Jerusalem Wherby he necessarily concludes that he returned not to Jerusalem for any instruction to preach the Gospel because for the space of three yeares he had already Preached it To see Peter The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to visit Peter the word is no where else used in all the New Testament and properly signifies that kind of seeing which by the Opticks is tearmed â—â—â—ustus i. e. insight which is a diligent and ferious observance of a thing eying the whole and every part and marking all that is to be seene thereby to get an exact and perfect knowledge thereof as if we meant to write a history of it The practise of this insight made upon Cities and Countries is called Surveying but done upon persons out of civill respect is tearmed visiting Yet the visit heere given by Paul unto Peter was not a visitation by way of authority but a Salutation by way of observance or brotherly kindnesse to know and bee knowne unto that Apostle who was of singular authority and eminency not only in Jerusalem but in all that part of the Church which lay within the Jewish pale and of extraordinary fame throughout the whole Church For what could bee more comfortable to all the Disciples of Christ and more sutable in it selfe then that two such great Apostles of Christ who were the two principall Doctors and as it were the two pillars of the Church should joyne their eyes and hands in the mutuall knowledge and acquaintance one of another The cause therefore of Pauls departure from Damascus was his persecution from thence by the Governour and the Jewes who insidiated his life and the cause of his accesse unto Jerusalem at that time was only to give Peter a visit and to bee known unto so great an Apostle q. d. The end of my then going to Jerusalem and personally to Peter was not for Instruction to learne any thing of him but for acquaintance to visit him and to be known unto him And abode with him fifteene dayes The space of time how long for that time he abode at Jerusalem was only a for might which saying heere although in the letter it be History yet in the purpose of the Apostle it is a Reason to prove the truth of his former words that his comming to Jerusalem to see Peter was only to see and visit him because hee abode with him but fifteene dayes and further he thereby also concludes his principall point that the Gospel which he preached was not humane but divine q. d. The space of a forâ—ight was a time too narrow for mâ—… learne divine mysteries by the meanes of humane instruction and therefore my knowledge in the Gospel whereby I became a Teacher of the Gentiles could not be acquisitive to bee gayned by study or by the help of man no not of Peter himselfe the most eminent person in the Church of Christ but must needs be infusive to be operated in me only by the pleasure of God and to be wrought in my soul by revelation What the Apostle did besides at Jerusalem during those fifteen dayes namely how hee exercised his Ministery privatly yet boldly in disputing against the Grecians or Proselites of Jerusalem till they went about to kill him is related by Luke Act. 9.28.29 But why the Apostle abode at Jerusalem no longer then fifteen dayes and why he preached not there publikely to the Jewes during that time himselfe gives the reason elsewhere namely because the Jewes of Jerusalem would not receive his testimony concerning Christ as Christ in a vision had revealed it unto him in the Temple at Jerusalem where during his abode of fifteene dayes hee was praying and in a trance for because of this malignity in the Jewes of Jerusalem he neyther preached nor stayed there but was commanded to make haste and get him quickly out of Jerusalem Act. 22.17.18 VERSE 19. Text. But other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lords brother Sense The Lords brother i. e. Cosin-germane Reason An answer to a tacite objection that might bee made against his former words concerning Peter q. d. If any man shall heereupon object against me that although at that time I received no instruction from Peter yet I might have it from some other of the Apostles To this I must further professe for a truth that during my abode at Jerusalem those fifteene dayes I saw no other of the Apostles save James the lesse our Lords kinseman and cosin-germane and him I saw no otherwayes then by way of visit as I did Peter James the Brother of Christ This James is called the Lords brother by an Hebruisme because he was his cosin-germane being the son of Alpheus alias Cleopas by his wife Mary who was sister to Mary our Lords mother See and compare Mat. 10.3 and Mat. 13.55 and Marc. 3.18 and Marc. 15.40 and Luke 6.15 and John 19.25 and Act. 1.13 And this title of being our Lords brother was given him for distinction to notifie him from James the son of Zebedee and brother of John At that time of Pauls being at Jerusalem he saw no other of the Apostles but Peter and James but at another time many yeares afterward being at Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus he mentions John also as it will appeare in the next Chapter verse 9. VERSE 20. Text. Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not Sense Which I write unto you Supply the sense thus are true or certaine Reason A Confirmation of all his former Narrative by testifying his words upon his Oath or rather by his Oath calling God to testifie them Comment A solemne Oath ascertory NOw the things which I write unto you These words must have the supply of some predicate or attribute to compleate or perfect the sense of them which may be thus the things which I write unto you are not faigned but most true and certaine and the words for their proper antecedent must be referred to the words at the beginning of the 15. verse before But when it pleased God c. for the things wherto he
and although they seemed to urge but the act of circumcision and that to continue but for a time yet we gave no way nor yielded not for the least moment Hence it appears that in things indifferent and in themselves lawfull at some time to be done we need not then gratifie an opposite party when some lust her inconvenience is to be feared but we must therein have a consideration not onely for the time present but for the future That the truth of the Gospel might continue with you The end or purpose of Parts opposition against the false brethren urging the circumcision of Titus namely to preserve and continue the Gospel in the sincerity and purity thereof unto all the faithfull and consequently unto the Galatians The truth i. e. the sincerity or purity for Truth here is opposed to all that falshood or forgery which is done by any adulteration corruption depravation subornation or admission of any thing with the Gospel which unto the nature of the Gospel is alien or contrary and in this sence the word is often taken elsewhere See Psal 51.6 and Esay 59.14 15. and 1 Cor. 5.8 and afterward here in this cap. vers 14. and cap. 3. vers 1. Now circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies were so alien and contrary unto the Gospel that they did wholly corrupt and falsifie the nature of it nullifying all the efficacy thereof and rendring it frustrate voyâ— and of no effect for if Christians be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing he shall become of no effect unto them for thereby they are fallen from his grace as Paul will tell the Galatians afterward cap. 5. vers 2 4. Paul therefore opposed the false brethren urging the circumcision of Titus that he might preserve the nature of the Gospel intire and sincere in the purity thereof free from all compliance with the legall ceremonies that by thus maintaining it first at Jerusalem he might so continue it among the Gentiles untill it arrived so unto the Galatians For if Paul had given way to the circumcision of Titus at Jerusalem would not the false teachers in Galatia have thence afterward drawne an argument for it alleaging to the contrary of Pauls Doctrine there that at Jerusalem by the Apostles themselves circumcision and the rest of the legall ceremonies were adjudged necessary to salvation and thereupon Titus was compelled to be circumcised With you i. e. You the Galatians or rather with you Gentiles for although in those words he speakes only to the Galatians yet in them he understands all others of their condition in respect of Religion especially the Gentiles to whom his Ministery was peculiarly ordained and to whom the benefit of that action at Jerusalem â—edounded VERSE 6. Text. But of these who seemed to be somwhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they who seemed to bee somwhat in conference added nothing to me Sense Of these Read From those Who seemed to be somwhat i. e. Who were the chiefe persons at Jerusalem Whatsoever they were viz. In times past or heertofore It maketh no matter to me i. e. There is no difference from me or I differ nothing In conference added nothing i. e. Discovered no further light or knowledge in the Gospel to me Reason Having formerly shewed a Difference betweene him and the false brethren at Jerusalem and his superiority above them in yeelding nothing unto them hee now passeth to the chiefe persons there shewing that between them and him there was no difference or inequality and therefore their authority ought not to be objected against his much lesse preferred before it Comment To be somewhat The dignity of the Apostles was no disparagement to Paul who to theÌ„ was no way inferiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A mans person Why Paul differed nothing from the chiefe Apostles who unto his doctrine added nothing but in all poynts confirmed it BUT of these who seemed to bee somwhat i. e. Of these who were the chiefe Apostles for these words are but a circumlocution of the chiefe persons at Jerusalem and they are the same in sense with the words mentioned before verse 2. which were of reputation for the Greek of the Originall is the same Yet by reason of the Infinitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to bee somwhat which followes heere they are heere translated by the way of a Verbe who seemed to be somwhat but the sense returns still unto the same because to be somwhat signifies to be some eminent and excellent person above other men for as when we would debase a man we commonly say he is nothing so contrarily when we would extoll him we sometime say he is somwhat or some body i. e. some extraordinary or singular person For in this forme of speech the Greek particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie indefinitly and really for some what or some thing in generall but eminently and personally for some person extraordinary eyther in deed or in repute for hence of Theudas who made an insurrection it is sayd that he boasted himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to be some body Act. 5.36 And the like was given out by Simon Magus of himselfe Act. 8.9 but hereof see more afterward cap. 6. vers 3. And when Paul saith heer of the chiefe Apostles that they seemed to be somewhat his meaning is not that they seemed great and eminent persons to others onely and not so to himselfe also but hee also himselfe had the like esteeme of them for afterward in this cap. vers 9. he acknowledgeth them to be pillars of that building whereof Christ is the head and corner stone But his meaning is that he did not acknowledge in those Apostles or attribute unto them things in that sense and maner which others especially his Adversaries boasted of them and urged against him to disparage his Doctrine For his adversaries after whose minde and sense he seemes to use these words did use and urge them as if those Apostles were some extraordinary persons for knowledge and power farre above Paul and that Paul to them was no body Whatsoever they were The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. how great soever they were sometime or in times past In our last English translation the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not expressed but should have been expressed for it is very significant to compleate the sense of the words and it is expressed in the Italian and French translations so also in our former English translation compiled at Geneva by our Countrimen who render the words thus Whatsoever they were in times passed But the parenthesis wherewith the words of this clause and of the clause next following are included seemes superfluous and needlesse neither is there any in the French translation yet if wee doe as wee may admit of a Parenthesis in this verse then this clause onely Whatsoever they were in times past
is therewith to bee included and the clause following is not to bee co-included The words then seeme to bee an answer to a tacite objection made to Pauls disparagement for very probable it is that his adversaries with intent to disparage him had magnified Peter and the rest of the Apostles as that they were the Disciples of Christ had beene conversant with him and instructed by him when Paul was but a Pharisee To this Paul seemes to answer q. d. Whatsoever or how great soever the Apostles were formerly in times past doth not necessarily inferre my disparity now for things are not alwayes the same that formerly they were in times passed Although then formerly in times past the Apostles were familiar with Christ were instructed by him and ordained by him and all this then when I was a Pharisee though they were Preachers of the Gospel then when I was a persecutor of 〈◊〉 yet all this then makes no matter now either to the truth of the point in question or to argue that now betweene their Doctrine and mine there is any disagreement or betweene their persons and mine any disparity It maketh no matter to mee The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I differ nothing or am nothing different viz. from those who seemed to bee somewhat for unto those former words these heere must bee referred for the construction and sense of both which seemes thus that betweene them and Paul there was no difference or disparity in any thing But then the parenthesis which doth shadow and obscure the sense must bee wholly removed Howsoever the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie in humane Writers among the Greekes yet in the holy Scriptures it signifies to differ viz. in such a manner that one thing is either better or worse then another and so it is rendred elsewhere in our last English Translation So 1. Cor. 15.41 One Starre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. differeth from another Starre in glory and so afterward in this Epistle cap. 4.1 The Heire as long as hee is a childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. differeth nothing from a servant and so the French Translation reades it heere and this sense seemes to bee intended though not rightly expressed in our former English Translation made at Geneva q. d. Whatsoever or how great soever the difference or disparity betweene mee and the chiefe Apostles hath beene heeretofore in times past which I confesse was very remarkeable when they were first Apostles to preach the Gospell and I a Pharisee to persecute it but now since the time that God revealed Christ unto mee and trusted mee with the preaching of him unto the Gentiles there is no difference or disparity at all betweene the greatest of them and mee either in respect of the Doctrine which I preach or of my knowledge in the Gospel or of my dignity in the Apostleship Not that they now are any thing lesse then formerly they were but that I by Gods grace am so much greater that I am now their equall for it hath pleased God so highly to advance mee in the Ministery that now they have no advantage above mee that they in any thing should bee my betters and I their inferiour God accepteth no mans person Or accepteth not the person of man The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sometime any single person sometime the face and presence of man but heere and in such like formes of speech it is taken for those outward qualities of man which make nothing to the merit of his cause or to the poynt of the matter in question to argue the truth from any such qualities and therefore the French Translation renders these words thus God accepteth not the outward appearance of man and the Italian thus God hath no regard to the quality of any mans person These words or the like to this sence are somewhat frequent in the New Testament See Act. 10.34 and Rom. 2.11 and Ephes 6.9 and Col. 3.25 And they seeme to bee a speciall attribute unto God in respect of the integrity and equity which hee perpetually useth not onely in the administration of his justice and judgement but also in the distribution of his grace and mercy For God is no way partiall to respect mens dignities or other outward qualities which conduce nothing to the merit of the cause or to the poynt of truth but God is a most just and equall Judge who regards onely the genuine and inward truth And therefore in the debate of true Doctrine no argument is to bee drawne from mens persons Hence Paul would heere infer that betweene him and the rest of the Apostles there was now no difference or disparity either for knowledge or authority in the Gospel notwithstanding those outward qualities in the Apostles that formerly in times past they were the proper Disciples of Christ instructed and ordained by him seeing God regardeth no such qualities For they who seemed to bee somewhat in conference added nothing to mee A reason of his former negation that betweene the chiefe Apostles and him there was no difference or disparity namely because the chiefest of them added no knowledge or power unto him Added nothing The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Discovered nothing or opened no further light or knowledge in the Gospel unto mee as if therein God had revealed any thing to them more then he had to me for to this sense the word was used and rendred before See cap. 1. vers 16. q. d. How great soever the Apostles seemed to whose judgement the difference about Circumcision and the legall Ceremonies were referred or how meane soever I seemed who was sent to require their judgement therein yet in the Gospel I learned from them no manner of knowledge which before was not revealed unto mee For when the question was agitated and determined they altered nothing in my Doctrine as if it had beene any way erroneous they added nothing to my preaching as if in any poynt it had beene defective or insufficient unto salvation An Objection The Apostles in that Synod added severall things as namely these abstinence from fornication from meals offered to Idolls from blood and from things strangled as it plainely appeares Act. 15.29 The Answer These things were not then added unto his Doctrine but his former Doctrine of these things was then confirmed For Paul in his preaching did expresly and constantly forbid fornication as it may appeare in divers passages of his Epistles and particularly required abstinence from things offered unto Idolls See 1. Cor. 8.1.7 and 1. Cor. 10.20 And in generall words hee restrained men from blood and things strangled in all his Doctrines of avoyding scandalls especially in regard of those things which unto the Jewes were abominable as was the eating of blood and things strangled which the Jewes abhorred as much as they did meates offered unto Idols See Rom. 14.13.14 and 1. Cor. 10.23 and 1. Cor. 11.2 VERSE
7. Text. But contrariwise when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto mee as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter Sense They. i. e. The chiefe persons at Jerusalem who were of reputation and seemed to be somewhat The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles Was committed Greek was entrusted unto me The Gospel of the Circumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes Reason A further Illustration of his former negative that between the chiefest persons and him there was no difference nor disparity by an argument from the contrary that there was equality and so acknowledged by the chiefest Apostles who gave him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship as their fellow-Apostles but first he shewes the occasion how that acknowlegement came to passe namely when it appeared that Peter and he had severall and equall Commissions for preaching of the Gospel the one to the Jewes the other to the Gentiles Comment Paul an Apostle chiefly to the Gentiles but Peter chiefely to the Jewes BUT contrariwise This paricle of Contrariety must bee referred backward unto these words in the former verse from these who seemed to bee somewhat I differ nothing for that negative of Inequality shall be proved by the contrary affirmative of equality and therefore the same particle must also bee referred forward by carrying the coherence of it to these words in the 9. verse following they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship q. d. The chiefest persons at Jerusalem even the chiefest of the Apostles were so far from putting any difference betweene their doctrine and mine or condemning mine as erroneous imperfect or insufficient in any point and were so farre from making any disparity betweene their persons and mine or preferring themselves before me and Barnabas in reputation and authority that contrarily they acknowledged us for their equals and assumed us into their society of the Apostleship as their copartners and fellow-labourers in the Gospel and in testimony of that their acknowledgement they gave us their right hands upon it When they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me The causes or occasions that manifested the equality and fellowship between the chiefest Apostles and Paul namely that the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw his Commission for preaching of the Gospel The Gospel of the uncircumcision i. e. The preaching of the Gospel among the uncircumcised who were the Gentiles for the words Circumcision and Incircumcision are often times put for the Circumcised and uncircumcised See Act. 10.45 and Act. 11.2 and Rom. 2.26 and Rom. 3.30 and Rom. 4.9 and Phil. 3.3 Of the Gospel there were not two severall sorts for the Gospel in it selfe was but one for the doctrine of it but there were two sorts of people notably different and separate in their maner of life and conditions to whom God commanded that the Gospel should be preached whereof the one sort was circumcised and the other uncircumcised And although personally some single persons who by birth were Gentiles became Proselites to the Jewish religion and were thereupon circumcised yet nationally and in generall those nations of the Gentiles who were not of the posterity of Abraham were uncircumcised But heer the word uncircumcision is not taken actually but morally as it is opposed unto Judaisme and the uncircumcised are accounted all those who were not of the Jewish religion although actually the foreskin of their flesh were circumcised and cut such as the Edomites and Ismaelites unto whom as to uncircumcised for religion though circumcised in the flesh Paul preached the Gospel in Arabia whither he went from Damascus immediatly after his conversion Was committed unto me The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That I was entrusted or put in trust with the Gospel for in our last English Translation that word is rendred sometime committed sometime put in trust See 1. Thess 2.4 and 1. Tim. 1.11 and Tit. 1.3 The charge of preaching to the Gentiles who were uncircumcised was committed or entrusted unto Paul who because in this charge he was separate from the rest of the Apostles is therefore called the separate Apostle as hath beene formerly noted Yet this charge to preach to these was committed unto Paul not solely for Barnabas and others were his fellow-labourers in that Province but unto Paul it was committed chiefly as the principall person to conduct the functions of that Ministery When they saw i. e. When the chiefe persons at Jerusalem saw or perceived that this charge was thus committed unto Paul and the meanes whereby they perceived it was by giving audience to him and Barnabas when they two declared in the Synod at Jerusalem what miracles wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them See Act. 15.12 As the Gospel of the circumcision was to Peter The preaching of the Gospel among the Jewes who were circumcised was committed unto Peter The charge of preaching to the Jewes was imposed not upon Peter onely but generally upon the Apostles at Jerusalem yet heere hee names onely Peter because hee was the principall person in that Ministery and naming him as principall the rest of his fellow-laborers in that Ministery are to bee understood as James John and Philip who planted the Gospel in all the Cities of Samaria Yet Peter was not so limited and restrained to the Jewes as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee also might preach among the Gentiles and did so as appeares by his vision of the sheete and his preaching thereupon to Cornelius who was a Gentile see Act. 10.11 and afterward in this Chapter vers 11. Wee shall finde him at Antioch among the Gentiles In like manner Paul was not so limited to the Gentiles as to preach to them onely but chiefely for hee had also power and authority given from God to preach among the Jewes who were the children of Israel See Act. 9.15 Heerein Paul doth not onely exempt himselfe from all subjection unto Peter but doth tacitly equall himselfe to Peter and in a manner prefer himselfe above him forasmuch as Pauls Province of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was far the larger of the two because it was extended over all the World VERSE 8. Text. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles Sense He. i. e. God by his spirit and grace That wrought effectually in Peter i. e. Who enabled Peter to the Apostleship Was mighty in me i. e. Enabled me Reason These words are inserted to insinuate another ground or cause of his equality to the chiefe Apostles and of his reception into their fellowship namely that as his Commission was equall to Peters so his execution of it was equally divine and equally effectuall for the same God enabled both Comment Gods efficacy in the Ministery of Peter and of Paul HEE that wrought
effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision He plainly intimates that the agent whom heere hee understands is the Almighty God for the Verbe whereby hee expresseth the action doth properly imply a divine Agent Hee that wrought effectually in Peter The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. he who enabled Peter or was effectuall in or by Peter But why it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the dative case without the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as elsewhere is commonly added to the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not worth the enquiry for whether we make Peter the subordinate cause upon whom God was effectuall or the instrumentall cause by whom God was effectuall it comes all to one sense because these are but severall expressions of Gods efficacy in Peters Ministery But that God was the supreame Agent or principall efficient in this efficacy it appeares from the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the sense of the Scripture doth principally signifie that working whose principall Agent is outward and Divine and whose action is inward and potent and this is commonly done when God by his spirit workes upon our spirit by exalting our spirit to that action whereto by naturall strength it could never attaine and by blessing the finall effect beyond that power which by us was applyed to the meanes And this word is also in Scripture opposed meanly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to cease or rest from working by being actually idle or doing nothing But extreamely it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to defeate or disable by rendring a thing so ineffectuall or impotent that it remaines deprived of all inward power to produce any outward act To the Apostleship i. e. to the exercise or Function of the Apostleship and to the efficacy thereof upon others by his exercise of it for to both these Peter of himselfe was unable had he not beene super-enabled by a divine power q. d. As the authority of Peters Apostleship to preach the Gospel unto the Jewes was divine for God had committed that Gospel unto him so Peters efficacy in the execution of his Apostleship was divine also for he did not execute by vertue of his owne abilityes and naturall parts but by the speciall grace of God who by his spirit wrought effectually in him for the execution and successe of his Ministery Now this Divine efficacy whereby God enabled Peter to his Apostleship appeared chiefely three wayes 1. By his Preaching when at one Sermon of his three thousand persons were converted Acts 2.41 2. By his Miracles as his restoring of the Cripple Acts 3.7 his destroying of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. his healing of Aeneas and raising of Dorcas Acts 9.34.40 3. By his deliverance when God by his Angel delivered him out of prison from the hand of Herod who meant to slay him Acts 12.6 7. The same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles Was mighty in me i.e. Enabled me for the word in the Originall is the same whereby Gods efficacy was expressed in Peter Toward the Gentiles i. e. To my Apostleship among the Gentiles for the word Gentiles is opposed to the word Circumcision in the former clause of this verse which there supposed for the Jewes q. d. The efficacy of my Apostleship was divine also wrought by the same grace of the same God whose spirit was as powerfull and as effectuall in me as in Peter so that betweene Peters authority and mine betweene his ability and mine and betweene his successe among the Jewes and mine among the Gentiles there is no difference or disparity seeing all are equally divine and all meere graces from the same spirit of God Now this divine efficacy upon Paul to his Apostleship consisted chiefely in his travels to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles even at the Emperors Court in his miracles which hee wrought for the confirming of his Doctrine in his afflictions which hee suffered and in his deliverances from persecution in all which particulars hee was extraordinarily supported by Gods gracious assistance as appeares by his history in the Acts of the Apostles And heere againe Paul makes himselfe equall unto Peter in that both their abilities for the exercise of their Ministery proceeded from the same supernaturall and divine power VERSE 9. Text. And when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto mee they gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should goe unto the Heathen and they unto the Circumcision Sense Cephas i. e. Peter The grace viz. Of the Apostleship Fellowship viz. In the Apostleship Should goe i. e. Should exercise our Ministery in the Greeke the Verbe is silenced Reason Another argument of his equality with the chiefe Apostles together with another ground or cause how it came to bee acknowledged namely that when they perceived the grace of his Apostleship they acknowledged it by giving to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship Comment The chiefe Apostles then at Jerusalem and their attribute their acknowledgement of Paul Barnabas and society or equality with them Of giving the right hand AND when James Cephas and John The names of the chiefe Apostles then resident at Jerusalem James i. e. James the yonger or the lesse whom hee mentioned before and gave him the attribute of the Lords brother cap. 1. ver 19. He names him heere in the first place therefore as it seems because he was constantly resident at Jerusalem and President in the Synod there for upon the controversie about Circumcision he gave the sentence Cephas i. e. Peter who was the brother of Andrew and whose proper name was Simon but Cephas which in sense is all one with Peter was his sirname for Cephas is but the Syriack word and Peter the Greek word which in English signifie a Stone so that Cephas Peter and Stone are three severall words in three severall Languages which signifie one and the same thing the name whereof was given unto Simon for a sirname for in Scripture it is often declared that Peter was the sirname of Simon See Act. 10 5.18.3◠and Act. 11.13 And this sirname of Cephas or Peter which is by the Evangelist interpreted a stone was given unto Simon by Christ when Christ first beheld him being presented unto Christ by his brother Andrew John 1.42 But seeing Paul mentioneth Simon by the 〈◊〉 of Peter in severall passages of this Chapter both before and after this verse why doth he heere and heere only call him Cephas The reason may bee because hee mentioneth him heere joyntly with other men whose names were Syriack as well as that of Cephas for that is Pauls manner that when hee speakes of Simon alone by himselfe hee calls him by his sirname of Peter but mentioning him among others hee commonly calls him Cephas See 1. Cor. 1.12 and
preaching among the Gentiles and they among the Jewes And this order wee concluded not originally from our selves but consequently and subordinatly to that former Ordinance of God whereby the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto mee as the Gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter as it is before vers 7. VERSE 10. Text. Onely they would that we should remember the poore the same which I also was forward to doe Sense Remember viz. To collect almes among the Gentiles The poore viz. Of the believing Jewes in Judea Reason An exception from his formal universall negation of adding nothing to him at Jerusalem excepting onely this that we should remember the poore of Judea Comment To remember put for taking care Ministers must be care full for the poore ONely they would that wee should remember the poore They would In the Greek there is no Verb expressed nor none supplied in the French translation but in the Italian it is supplied thus They admonished which word in our English apprehension is somewhat too high for equalls and fellowes doe not admonish or at least in this sense and therfore our English supply is more proper they would or requested Remember i. e. Be carefull viz. to make provision for the poor by collecting almes for them for to remember is often used both in the Scripture and in our vulgar speech for being carefull as contrarily to forget is used for be negligent The poore i. e. those poore Christian Jewes in Judea who believed the Gospel and were driven into poverty either by the fury of the persecution there or by the misery of the famine against they had formerly beene supplied by a collection at Antioch brought from thence to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas as was noted before q. d. All that which the Apostles at Jerusalem added there unto mee and Barnabas was onely this and yet this was no matter of Doctrine but of common Charity that wee should be mindfull and carefull of the poore among the believing Jewes who lived in Judea to collect almes for them among the believing Gentiles whose duty it was to minister to the Jewes in carnall things because they were made partakers of their spiritual things Rom. 15.27 And this was all our message from the Apostles to the Gentiles onely to collect almes among them and not to impose any legall ceremonies on them The same which I also was forward to doe The same which The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here redundant according to the manner of the Hebrewes as it is elsewhere in divers places See Mat. 6.4 and Act. 10.38 and 1. Pet. 2.20 q. d. This care for the poore wee willingly undertooke and carefully executed the charge thereof not failing in any place where wee could make any advantage for a collection in their behalfe as bound to this office not so much by any obligation layd on us by the Apostles as by the Law of Charity And heereunto there needed no Memento unto me for I for my part endeavoured it before and faythfully continued the practice of it afterward See Rom. 15.25 26. and 1. Cor. 16 1. and 2. Cor. 8. per tot and 2. Cor. 9. per tot And I suppose that Barnabas also continued it for his part though of him I can averre nothing for certaine because he and I departed one from another at Antioch and exercised our Ministery among the Gentiles severall wayes for hee went toward Cyprus and I toward Syria Act. 15.39 VERSE 11. Text. But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed Sense Withstood him i. e. Reproved him To the face i. e. Openly in a publick audience and before his face or in his presence To be blamed i. e. To be condemned Reason Another maine argument to assert his authority and his doctrine to be divine for having formerly declared his action at Jerusalem with the Apostles and therein shewed that he was no way inferiour to any of them but that the chiefest of them acknowledged him for their equall and fellow-Apostle hee now relates another action of his at Antioch where hee dealt with Peter as superiour unto him in reproving him publickly for a matter concerning the former Ceremonies and in shewing Peter his errour therein Whereby he would infer that he learned no point of doctrine from Peter but rather Peter was instructed by him Comment Peter at Antioch was opposed by Paul and justly blamed BVT when Peter was come to Antioch The time of this history of Peters comming to Antioch hath no certainty from the Scripture that I can finde yet the greatest probability is that it was after the Councell or Synod at Jerusalem concerning the acts whereof Paul hath treated hitherto because this is most agreeable to Pauls narration in recounting all his actions with the Apostles wherein hee seemes to follow the order and course of time according whereto they fell out for after the dissolution of the Councell at Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas immediately returned with Decrees unto Antioch where for a time they continued teaching and preaching the word of the Lord Act. 15.35 During this their continuance at Antioch very probable it seemes that Peter might come thither and then might bee the time of the action related heere betweene him and Paul because Barnabas who was also carried away with the dissimulation of Peter and other Jewes was then with Paul at Antioch after which time wee never finde them together for upon their next departure from Antioch which was not long after they finally departed one from another by reason of their dissenting about John their Minister as hath beene formerly noted And although Paul afterward came againe to Antioch and spent some time there as appeares Act. 18.22.23 Yet this action with Peter could not bee then because then Barnabas was not with him I withstood him to the face Withstood The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Literally I resisted or withstood but the sense is I reproved and this appeares partly from the reason in the near words why hee withstood namely Because hee was to bee blamed For to withstand one to bee blamed is to reprove him partly from the speech wherewith hee withstood him which at vers 14. such the forme of a Reproofe and partly from the nature of Reproofe for all Reproofe is a verball resisting or withstanding but not contrarily so that the generall word withstood is heere put for the speciall reproved To the face The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before his face face to face or in his presence for one of those wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is elsewhere rendred in our last English Translation See Luke 2.31 and Act. 3.13 and Act. 25.16 and 2. Cor. 10.1 Yet this Reproofe was not private in the presence of Peter alone betweene him and Paul alone but publick in the presence also of many others as it will
Peters offence or fault Legall Ceremonies why abrogated censured publickly and sharply To Gentilize Compulsiō by Exāple To Judaize and the danger thereof A Digression Three Parties of Christians 1. The sincere Christian his Cariage Examples of such 2 The Judaizer his Cariage Examples of this Sect the Cause of it the Effect of it 3. The Gentilizer The diversity of this Sect Their cariage Examples of it The Cause and effect of it Some agreements betweene the Judaizers Gentilizers 1 Both were Christians 2 Both erroneous 3 Both contentious 4. Both malicious 5. Both Tares in Gods field Yet not to bee extirpated The carriage of the sincere Christian towards Sectaries 2. Nor condemn them 3. Nor offend them 4 but to love them Examples of this cariage and in what cases it abateth Judaizers of two sorts 1 Natively Jewes 2 Natively Gentiles who exercised the Ministery for by-respects and are bitterly reproved BUT when I saw The adversative particle but signifies that the carriage of Peter was averse and contrary to the minde of Paul who addressing himselfe to reprove it publickly doth first professe his observance of the fact that hee saw the fault of it and saw withall just cause to reprove it For it had not beene reason to reprove publickly so great a person as Peter by way of heare-say from the bare suggestion of others that therefore the reproof might not seeme unreasonable or inconsiderate hee first declares that hee himselfe saw the fault and tooke speciall notice of it That they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Walked not uprightly the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. literally footed not uprightly or walked not with an upright foot which he opposeth to their dissimulation mentioned in the former verse because all dissembling is halting and all halting is contrary to walking uprightly And the sincerity or truth of the Gospel was the line or levell whereby they were to walke and according whereto if they did walke their walking would be upright But their conversation was not conformable to the incorrupt and sincere doctrine of the Gospel for they declined from the right path of it halting as it were between the Law and the Gospel leaning one while to the necessity of the Law and another while to the liberty of the Gospel The fault therefore by Paul reproved was that Peters fact might and did prove some hindrance to the progresse of the Gospel while Peter by his overmuch indulgence to the Jewish Christians did endanger the verity and liberty of the Gospel If an offence must needs have beene given one way or other safer it had beene to have offended the Jewish Christians there then to have given those of the Gentiles an occasion to stumble and to question that doctrine which hitherto they had learned for when we are necessitated betweene two scandals the greater is more to be declined then the lesse And besides it was a thing most reasonable that Peter and the rest of the Apostles should at last deale more freely and openly with the Jewish Christians in leading them on by degrees to the sincerity and truth of the Gospel in this particular especially seeing formerly the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem where the offence was most to be feared were sufficiently instructed by Peter and James that the Legall Ceremonies were not necessary to salvation For it was Gods good pleasure that upon his new Covenant the Ceremonies of the old should cease to the end that all Nations both Jewes and Gentiles should bee confederated under one Covenant and be incorporated into one body whereof Jesus Christ should be the Head which could never be done so long as those Ceremonies were of force for while they were in being men could hardly or not at all conceive how that old Covenant could bee antiquated and expired Besides wheresoever there remaine most Ceremonies there is commonly more superstition then true and sound Religion because betweene Ceremony and Verity there is a kind of antipathy This point not being rightly understood the benefit conferred upon us by Christ and the way of the new Covenant in justifying us by faith can never bee rightly conceived as may easily bee collected from this Epistle Wherefore it concerned the rest of the Apostles to afford their assistance unto Paul who chiefly laboured in this that at the least the Jewish Christians might not subduce and separate themselves from conversing and accompanying with their brethren of the Gentiles especially seeing Peter had already practised it before and might have continued alwayes to practise it for to him from Heaven this point was in speciall maner revealed and what grounds soever they were which induced Peter to eat with Cornelius and his family the same were still in force to continue his conversation with the Antiochian Christians who had in like maner received the Holy Ghost Peter therefore should have persisted in conversing with his brethren of the Gentiles whatsoever exceptions the Jewish Christians should take against it or at least should have first notified his intention to the Gentile-Christians that he desired to condiscend a little to the Jewish infirmity that the Gentiles might not bee troubled if for a time he abstayned from their company that he did it not because hee beleft those Ceremonies necessary to salvation but only because his brethren of the Jewes were so perswaded But Peter as it appeares neglected this caution and stoutly dissembled the contrary for which Paul blamed him before them all I sayd unto Peter before them all A circumstance of this reprofe from the place of it that it was publicke Before them all the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. literally before all men or in the presence and audience of all but in sense publickly for these words are all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. before men which is opposed to secretly or privately See Mat. 5.16 and Mat. 6.1 and Mat. 10.33 and Luke 12.8 9. And he therefore spake to him before all because the knowledge of the matter concerned all for it concerned the Gentile-Christians lest they should be troubled with the fact of Peter and thence take occasion of erring and the Jewish Christians it concerned lest they should persist to follow his example and besides this the offence was exemplary and publicke and a publicke offence deserves a publicke reproofe See 1. Tim. 5.20 Yet in reprooving Peter thus publickly Paul offended not against the order of brotherly reproofe in that he first gave him no private admonition because the publicke danger would not then admit that circumstance But he directs his reproof unto Peter only because he was chiefly in fault for he was the authour of that dissembling whereinto others were carried by his example and his Reformation being a person of so eminent authority with all would soon reduce all the rest If thou being a Jew livest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doe the Jewes The forme of
the reproof is by way of Interrogation which therefore redounds to the sharper reprehension for in demanding a reason of his action why he being a Jew compelled the Gentiles he seems to tell him that he had no reason at all for his action but rather his action was against all reason Yet the Interrogatory of his reproofe is but one and that one so concise that the language and the argument of it is contained and couched under a marvelous brevity q. d. seeing thou art a Christian Jew and by vertue of thy Christianity hast relinquished Judaisme and hast hitherto lived after the liberty of the Gentiles eating all sorts of meats after their maner for so thou didst eate till certaine Jewes came from James why art thou now become so contrary to thy selfe as to relapse back againe into Judaisme and in one fact to commit three offences for therein thou dissemblest with thine owne soule seeing thou hast declared thy judgement to the contrary and therein thou confirmest the Jewish Christians in their infirmity for by thy fact they will be hardened and therin thou compellest the Gentile-Christians to Judaize for thereto they are forced by the example of thy fact and for feare of thee Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as doe the Jewes Why some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. how but it matters not at all what the Interrogation should be for although the words be Interrogatory yet the sense is reprehensory thus certainely thou art too blame in compelling c. Compellest thou The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. necessitatest not by way of violence but by way of example whereby thou dost occasion and move them and by thy fact dost impose a kinde of necessity upon them to doe the like or at least that for fear of thee and of thy authority that dare not do otherwise For he is sayd to necessitate or compell who by force of reason or of example doth vehemently perswade or urge a thing to be done for in this sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used See afterward cap. 6. vers 12. and Luke 14.23 and Mat. 14.22 and Marc. 6.45 and Act 28.19 and 2 Cor 12.11 The Gentiles to Judaize i. e. The Christian-Gentiles to abstaine from certaine meats after the Jewish manner seeing neither that Ceremony nor any other part of the Law of Moses was ever by God imposed on the Gentiles for that Law to them was never given nor never binding q. d. Why dost thou now contrary to thy declared judgement and to thy former custome force the Gentiles to forsake their liberty and to apply themselves to the Ceremonies and observances of the Jewish Lawes whereto the Gentiles were never obliged this is not onely against all equity but against the liberty of the Gentiles and against the freedome of the Gospel The Law of Moses did not now binde the Jewes for by the accesse of the new Testament the old ceased and was expired much lesse should the Gentiles be compelled to it now being expired seeing formerly while it was in force it never obliged them But so great was the authority of Peter that any notable act of his was in a maner compulsory to prescribe and impose upon others especially when the rest of the Jewish Christians and even Barnabas himselfe followed the example of it Neither could all know that Peter herein dissembled for they might believe that he did it as moved in conscience and that now he corrected that errour whereinto before he somwhat swerved in love and courtesie to the Gentile-Christians Seeing then this fact of Peter might have occasioned great troubles seeing it might have disquieted the consciences of many and have much hindred the liberty of the Gospel therefore Paul had great reason to pluck off the vizard in publicke and to discover before all men the person which Peter had assumed For necessary it is that even great Persons when their example grows to a publick offence should undergoe a publick reproof yea the greater they are and the greater the danger that may arise from their example so much the greater should our care be that their authority which otherwise is to be maintained for the publicke good be not turned to the publicke ruine Hence for our better understanding of the former foure verses and of divers passages in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles wee may and must observe that in the Church of Christ there then were and still are and ever will bee three sorts of Christians or three severall parties which agreeing all in the faith of Christ differed much among themselves 1. The sincere Christian who was intirely and wholly a Christian believing in Christ and walking in Christ or as from Pauls words in this verse they may bee described who believed uprightly and walked uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel edifying their faith and composing their life according to the Doctrines Precepts and Rules delivered by Christ and his Apostles These laboured for the sincerity and purity of the Gospel to preserve the truth therof clean and free from the admixture leaven of all Religions Opiniōs whatsoever that therunto were alien and forraine These were inoffensive peaceable and quiet giving no scandall to any party who differed from them in judgement or practice not busying their mindes with foolish questions and fruitlesse disputes to no profit but exercising themselves not in the workes of the Law but in the workes of their callings and in the good workes of the Gospel by doing all Offices and Services of Love Charity Equity Mercy Courtesie and Kindenesse towards all men but especially towards the houshold of faith and chiefely one toward another These were the children of the Kingdome the good seede which Christ sowed in the field of the world and they were the Wheate among which his Enemy sowed Tares Of this sort were the Friends Landlords and Companions of Paul to whom and from whom in his Epistles hee sendeth salutes also Aquila and Priscilla and the Church in their house also the houshold of Cloe of Crispus Gaius and Stephanas in the Church of Corinth also the house of Onesiphorus and all those in the Church of Ephesus whom Paul salutes in these words Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and also those in the Church of Philippi to whom hee writes thus Phil. 1.9.10 And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that yee may approve things that are excellent that yee may bee sincere and without offence till the day of Christ 2. The second party of Christians were the Judaizers for by that name Paul seemes to denote them heere by using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to judaize or to live as doe the Jewes These in respect of their faith were Christians but by their life they were Jewish for they did believe
they might escape the crosse of Christ i. e. avoyd those persecutions and inconveniences which followed the sincere Christians for following Christianity And partly for their belly to procure the better maintenance from the Jewish Judaizers who thereupon were liberall and bountifull unto them for false Teachers easily finde by experience that false Doctrine doth bring more profit to the Teacher then to the Hearer Against these Gentilish Judaizers who tooke upon them to bee Teachers and to teach for their belly Paul is very vehement reproving them with divers bitter rebukes For those of Rome hee calls Make-bates or causers of Divisions and Offences Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren marke them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Those of Macedonia hee calls Belly-gods Phil. 3.19 Brethren bee followers together of mee and marke them which walke so as you have us for an ensample for many walke of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose god is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things Those of Creete hee calls unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers For there are many unruly and vaine talkers and deceivers especially they of the Circumcision whose mouths must bee stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake And those of Galatia hee will heere in the next verse call Sinners of the Gentiles VERSE 15. Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Sense Jewes by nature i. e. Originally and natively by Nation and birth And not sinners of the Gentiles i. e. And who never were idolatrous or sinfull Gentiles as were once the Judaizing false Teachers in Galatia Reason These words may have such a connexion with the former as if Paul seemed to continue his speech unto Peter untill the 17. verse following or as some thinke untill the end of this Chapter for at the beginning of the third Chapter hee manifestly addresseth his speech to the Galatians And it may well bee that by Paul in his discourse with Peter not for the instruction of Peter who was before sufficiently informed in the matter but for the instruction of those hearers who stood by these or the like words were spoken to Peter and were afterward heere inserted because they were very pregnant and pertinent to his purpose But whether the words bee continued to Peter or directed to the Galatians rather yet this coherence is manifest that Paul having sufficiently vindicated the authority of his Apostleship against the obloquies of his adversaries that it was neither humane nor no way inferiour to the chiefest Apostles doth heere enter upon the principall subject of this Epistle concerning Justification the Doctrine and verity whereof hee also vindicates from those Errours wherewith the Judaizing false Teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it Comment Jewish advantages twofold 1. Jurall 2 Legall Persons became Jewes 2 wayes 1 Natively by birth 2. Factively by favour these were called Proselites and initiated by Circumcision Gentiles of two sorts 1. Worshippers whereof some Examples 2 Idolaters called Sinners wherof Examples The sum of the Comment A Digression The word Sinner signifies three wayes whereof examples 2. Morally for the improbous Whereof Examples in the Old Testament and in the New 3. Jurally for the Calamitous who really is but a quasi sinner Sin put for the Effect of sin or a Sinner passively or Putatively The Calamitous of foure sorts 1. The Oppressed 2 The Blemished as the Bastard the Alien and the Bondslave 3 The distresed as Job and Lazarus 4 The Tainted as the children of the Ninevites of the Gibeonites of Saul of Gehazi and all the Children of Adam whose Judgement was hereditary Three observations on the three former sorts of sinners 2. For the Gentiles 3. For the Jewes VVEE who are Jewes by nature This whole verse being in it selfe incomplete and suspensive must for the due construction of it be carried forward and referred to these words in the next verse Even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ For between this verse and those words the principall Assertion of this Epistle is interserted namely That A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ The Jewes above all other Nations in the world had certaine prerogatives or advantages from whence besides their descent from Judah the chiefe tribe of Israel they were also denominated Jewes and these advantages were of two sorts 1. Jural in respect of their Rights and Privileges as they were the true Israel and peculiar people of God with whom God had Covenanted for the Blessing promised to Abraham for unto them that Blessing principally belonged because thereto they by Covenant had the originall Right For hence the Jewes are called the children of the Kingdome Mat. 8.12 They are called the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with Abraham that in his seed all the kindreds of the Earth should bee blessed Act. 3.25 Vnto them first God raysed up Christ and sent him to blesse them in turning away every one of them from their iniquities Act. 3.26 They are called the Israelites to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9.4 2. Legall in respect of their lawes and Ordinances which were all divine constituted and enacted by God himselfe not only concerning Religion and Piety for the worship and service of God but for Justice and Judgement to be observed betweene man and man For hence the Jew is sayd to Rest in the Law and to make his boast of God to know his will and to be instructed out of his law to be a Guide to the Blinde and a Light to them in Darknesse to bee an instructer of the foolish and a teacher of babes Rom. 2.17 18. Hence is the distinction of him who is a Jew outwardly in the letter from him who is a Jew inwardly in the spirit Rom. 2.28 29. Hence the Jew is sayd to have this advantage that Vnto them were committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1 2. And hence in the verse before to Judaize or to live as doe the Jewes was taken for the legall maner of their life But by the way we must carefully observe that in respect of time God setled upon the Jewes their Rights long before he imposed on them their Lawes for the promise of those Rights was made to Abraham before their first and great Law of Circumcision and the rest of their Lawes for the body of them as they were delivered by the hand of Moses were given above 400 yeares
the Iewes and some living among them as the Samaritans and many townes in Galilee which Mat. 4.15 was therefore called Galilee of the Gentiles All these idolatrous Gentiles were so abominable and odious unto the Iewes that Paul in contempt and disdayne doth heere tacitly call the false teachers of Galatia Sinners of the Gentiles i. e. Idolaters Because although they were now by fayth Christians and by sect Iudaizers yet by birth they were Idolaters for unto Christians they were not converted from being Iewes but from being Gentiles and from that sinfull sort of Gentiles who were not worshippers but Idolaters For in saying Wee who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles he sufficiently insinuates that those Iudaizers were once such sinners and therefore were once men of the basest and lewdest life in the world as persons most distant and remote from the Jewes by nature who by the prerogative of their birth accounted themselves in the highest degree of all those who worshipped God to be a holy Nation and the Saints of the Lord. The sence of the whole verse is q. d. Wee who are Jewes in the best and fullest maner both in respect of our Nation as wee are the seede of Abraham Jewes in respect of our Rights which God hath setled upon us and Jewes in respect of our Lawes which God hath prescribed us for Religion and Justice wee who have these advantages by the best title even by Nature and Birth-right as wee are borne to those Rights and under those Lawes wee who were never sinfull Gentiles borne and bred up in Idolatry as were the Judaizing false Teachers and therefore have better meanes then they to know by what meanes a man is justified Even wee have beene forced to forsake all these advantages even the workes of our Law and the wayes of our Religion to flye unto the faith of Christ for our justification that by faith in him wee may attaine to that Blessednesse which was promised to our Father Abraham No reason is there then that the Gentiles who heeretofore were alwayes aliens and strangers to God and our Lawes but now by Gods grace manifested in the Gospel are admitted unto Christ and endenized into the Kingdome of Heaven being made fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God should thereupon bee constrained to the workes of our Law and to the wayes of our Religion considering that those workes and wayes were unto justification so unavailable and so unprofitable that wee our selves have utterly forsaken them for how can those things advantage them which unto us were no benefit But in the word Sinners there is yet couched a further emphasis whereby the Apostle would prepare and lay a ground for his future Doctrine in the next verse concerning Justification whereof a Sinner is the proper subject and the onely person capable of that blessing That therefore wee may bee the better provided to understand what Justification is and what is the Justification of a Sinner wee must observe that in the Scriptures the word Sinner and his Synonyma's or equivalents beare three severall senses viz. a legall a morall and a jurall sense according to the three generall and notable words Lex Mos Jus. 1. The word sinner signifies legally quoad leges for one who is a transgressour in not doing that right which hee should and ought to doe by the Rules of the Lawes Statutes and Justice For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Law and Justice hee is unrighteous and a person unrighteous is a sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a legall sinner to bee a transgressor is some unlawfull act of his done by him against the Law Such sinners were our first Parents who by transgressing against the Law of Paradise were of mankinde the first sinners by whom sinne entered into the world Such a Sinner was David who in the case of Uriah transgressed the Laws against murder and adultety Such a Sinner was Jeroboam who made Israel to sinne and such was all Israel who did sinne by transgressing the Law against worshipping of Images Such a Sinner was the woman Luk. 7.37 Who washed the feete of Christ with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head and kissed them and anointed them with oyntment For shee was an Adulteresse Such a Sinner was the other woman John 8.3 Who was taken in adultery in the very act and was thereupon brought unto Christ to bee censured And such were the Sinners of the Gentiles mentioned before 2. It signifies Morally quoad mores for one who is Improbous in not doing that right which hee might should and ought to doe by the Rules of Morality Equity Decency Charity and Mercy For hee that doth not right according to the Rules of Equity Decency and Mercy hee is unrighteous and the person unrighteous is a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man to become a sinner morally or improbous is not an act of his that is unlawfull in respect of any Law for the act may bee lawfull and yet sinfull enough to denominate him a sinner But it is an act that is not honest and faire in respect of Equity and Decency Such a Sinner was Cham Gen. 9.22 Who seeing his Fathers nakednesse told his two brethren without This act of his was a sinne for it was punished with a heavy curse of perpetuall slavery Yet this was not a sinne legally against any Law or Statute then being in force which forbad that act but it was a sinne morally against the Rule of good Manners Equity and Charity for a sonne to bee so improbous unnaturall and unkinde as to blab of his fathers fault which hee should have concealed Such Sinners were they 1. Sam. 10.27 Who despised Saul and brought him no Presents This act of theirs was a sinne for at the beginning of the verse the offenders are called the children of Belial Yet this was no sinne legally nor an act unlawfull against any Law of Moses but a morall sinne of improbity against the Rule of Morality Equity and Decency for Subjects to despise their King and upon his Election to bring him no Presents Such a Sinner was Nabal 1. Sam. 25.10 Who sayd who is David and who is the sonne of Jesse There bee many servants now a dayes that breake away every man from his Master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee This saying was a sinne for vers 14. one of Nabals owne servants censureth it for railing and afterward vers 17. hee censureth his Master in these words Hee is such a man of Belial that a man cannot speake to him Yet this sinne of Nabal was no legall sinne against any Law of Moses But a morall sinne of improbity against equity and good manners that a man of a great estate
should bee so unmanerly unthankefull and unkinde as to deny a little provision to David and his followers who unto him had been so good as to be a defence to him and his goods Come we down somewhat lower to an example or two of this improbity from the New Testament Such an improbous Sinner was the wicked servant Mat. 18.28 who when his Lord had forgiven him a debt of ten thousand talents would neither forgive nor forbeare his fellow-servant who owed him onely an hundred pence but arrested and imprisoned him for it This act was a sinne for his Lord thereupon was so wrath that revoking his former pardon of the debt hee delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Yet this was no legall sinne against any Law because the act in it selfe was very lawfull for the Law allowes every Creditor to demand and sue for his debt but it was a morall sinne against morality equity and Charity for him to whom his Lord had forgiven a debt of ten thousand talents to exact from his fellow-servant a matter of an hundred pence Such a Sinner was Dives Luke 16.19 who was cloathed in purple and fared sumptuously every day letting Lazarus lye at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crummes that fell from the table This prodigality upon himselfe and parcimony toward the poore was a sinne not legall but morall against the rules of equity Charity and mercy Such Sinners were the Priest and the Levite Luke 10.31 who seeing a man lye in the way stripped wounded and halfe dead passed by on the other side This passage of theirs was no legall sinne against any Law but a morall sinne against the rules of equity humanity courtesie charity and mercy Lastly such sinners will the damned be found at the last day when the finall Inditement shall runne against them in this form Mat. 25.42 I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and ye gave me no drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited mee not Certainely these negligences are sinnes for the parties are cursed and punished with this finall Judgement to eternall damnation Depart from mee ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his angels Yet they are not sinnes legally against the Law of Moses but morally against the rules of equity charity and mercy 3. The word Sinner signifies jurally quoad jura for one who is Calamitous who either hath no Right at all or not that right which he should have or not that which he might have had but is either deprived or debarred from some right priviledge or capacity which by Law or favour is alowed unto others and is predestinated prejudicated decreed and doomed to be and abide in the state and condition of an offendour and thereby to suffer that misery of losse paine and shame which is commonly inflicted as a punishment upon offenders Yet unto the Calamitous the misery which he suffers is not a punishment but onely an affliction because no man is to be punished for having no right or for quitting his right much lesse for losing it if the losse be none of his fault but against his will Now according to the common rule and practice of denominations he that hath no right or not his due right but misseth and faileth of his right may be called unrighteous and must bee so called till wee can finde or make some other appellative that will fit him better and a person in this sense unrighteous is accordingly in Scripture called a Sinner And the fact which doth constitute or make a man thus a Jurall Sinner to bee calamitous woefull and wretched is no act of his owne but either the act of some Adversary who unjustly and without cause chargeth upon that sinne whereof hee is not guilty or the act of some Law or of some Curse which burdeneth him for that sinne whereof some other person is guilty whereby the calamitous who is innocent and guiltlesse is forced to suffer affliction or misery as if in himselfe hee were a Delinquent and guilty Yet the Calamitous as hee stands distinguished from the transgressor and the improbous should in strictnesse of speech be called rather a quasi-sinner then a Sinner because hee is not a Sinner properly but quasily i. e. hee hath manifest differences to cleare him from the proper nature of a Sinner and yet hath resemblances enough to draw upon him the name of a Sinner For properly and usually the word sinne doth signifie tha◠evill act which is an offence either against Law or Equity and so the Transgressor and the improbous are both offendors and both properly sinners But many times that word is taken improperly and figuratively by a Metonymy frequent in Scripture and in ordinary discourse and so it signifies not the evill act of sinne but that evill effect or consequent which followes the act of sinne and is commonly made the punishment of sinne as shame paine losse or any other Affliction Calamity Misery or Trouble especially Death which is mans finall suffering and his last enemy As Gen. 4.7 If thou dost well shalt thou not bee accepted and if thou dost not well i. e. If thou dost any act of sinne sinne lyeth at the doore i. e. the effect of sinne which is punishment and misery is ready to attach thee And Gen. 19.15 Arise take thy Wife and thy two Daughters which are heere lest thou bee consumed in the iniquity of the City i. e. in the destruction or punishment of the City And Gen. 31.39 That which was torne of Beasts I brought it not unto thee I bare the losse of it where the Hebrew word is Achtenah i. e. I sinned for it q. d. I suffered for it as if the sinne or fault had beene mine And Levit. 22.9 They shall therefore keepe mine Ordinances lest they beare sinne for it i. e. lest they suffer death for it as appeares by the words following which are but the sense of these and dye therefore And Levit. 24.15 Whosoever curseth his God shall beare his sinne i. e. Hee shall surely bee put to death For so the words are explicated in the next verse And Rom. 5.12 And so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned i. e. For that in Adam all dyed as afterward among the examples of the Calamitous shall bee more amply declared And Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners i. e. Were made mortall and necessitated to dye for the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Constituted ordained or appoynted sinners or mortall for in other places of our last Translation so many wayes that Verbe is Englished and heereto other vulgar Translations agree for the Italian hath it constituted sinners and the French rendred sinners But then by Sinners wee must understand mortall or made to dye because men
are not constituted ordained or appointed to sinne as sinne is properly taken but that men are constituted ordained or appointed to dye appeares by many Testimonies of Scripture And generally where wee read the phrase of bearing sinne and iniquity there sinne must not bee taken for the act of sinne but for the effect of it which is punishment or affliction because properly not the act of sinne but the punishment of it is the thing that is to bee borne And universally wheresoever sinne is joyned with forgivenesse or with any other word to that sense there sinne is put for punishment because the thing to bee pardoned or forgiven is not properly the act of sinne but the punishment or affliction which is the effect or consequent of sinne Againe the Calamitous is not a Sinner actively by committing any act of sinne against Law or Equity as were the two former Offenders who were properly sinners But hee is a Sinner passively by suffering that shame paine or losse which is commonly inflicted as a punishment on such as are sinners properly Lastly hee is not a sinner really in whom sinne is inherent for then it must needes follow that hee is properly and actively a Sinner But hee is a Sinner putatively because hee is accounted or reputed a sinner and having done no act of a sinner is put into the state and condition of a sinner to bee handled after the image and likenesse of a transgressour by suffering Afflictions like to those Afflictions which are denounced and executed as Judgements and Punishments upon transgressors as the Beasts which the Law declared uncleane were not in themselves uncleane really and inherently but imaginarily and putatively Thus the Jurall sinner is but a quasi-sinner because hee is so improperly i. e. effectually passively and putatively And of these Jurall sinners or Calamitous persons there are foure sorts 1. The Opressed who unjustly against Law and Justice yet under colour of Law and Justice are calumniated criminated condemned and executed as sinners and transgressours Thus after Davids death in case Adonijah had prevailed Bathsheba and Solomon should have beene sinners 1. King 1.21 Otherwise it shall come to passe when my Lord the King shall sleepe with his Fathers that I and my sonne Solomon shall bee counted Offenders Where the Hebrew hath it shall bee sinners as the Margin advertiseth But Naboth de facto was made a sinner for hee really was not a blasphemer Yet by the Letters of Jezabel hee was predestinated ordained and appointed to bee a blasphemer 1. King 21.9 And shee wrot in the Letters saying Proclaime a Fast and set Naboth on high among the People and set two men sonnes of Belial before him to beare witnesse against him saying Thou didst blaspheame God and the King and then carry him out and stone him that hee may dye And in dangerous times when the wicked watch for iniquity a word may make a man a sinner Esay 29.21 All that watch for iniquity are cut off that make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him that reproveth And with all Religious reverence bee it written such a sinner was Jesus Christ who although hee were true God and true man the truest and justest man that ever lived one who never did any sinne nor spake any guile Yet hee was made a sinner and suffered as a transgressour Esay 53.12 Hee poured out his soule unto death and was numbred with the transgressours i. e. Hee who really was no transgressour was made a quasi-transgressour and suffered among transgressours And Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh i. e. His sonne who really was not sinfull was made quasi-sinfull and suffered after the likenesse and maner of one really sinfull And 2. Cor. 5.21 For hee hath made him to bee sinne for us who knew no sinne i. e. Hee who really was no sinner him God made a quasi-sinner to suffer for us on the Crosse as a reall sinner for sinne in the abstract is heere put for sinner in the concret And Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us i. e. Hee who really was not cursed was made quasi-cursed in hanging on the Crosse as one really cursed 2. The blemished who justly according to the law of Nations are disabled and debarred from the common rights and priviledges of man to abide in that state and condition which is usually made a punishment for offenders In this ranke is a Bastard who being no reall transgressour against the Law is by an act of the Law made a quasi-transgressour whereby hee is debarred from the right of his birth forfeyting that inheritance or portion which by common course belongs to children as their birth-right For the poore Bastard is predestinated prejudicated decreed and doomed for a sinner before he is borne before hee hath done any good or evill before hee hath stirred in his mothers wombe and before his mother hath conceived him And whensoever he is to be conceived hee shall bee conceived a sinner because his conception being unlawfull and sinfull doth ipso facto render his parents actuall transgressours or sinners legally and himselfe a quasi transgressour or sinner jurally to lose his birth-right when he is borne And by the Law of God the Bastard lost not only his right of Birth but his right of Assembly to him and his heires for ever for hee and they successively stood as persons excommunicate and debarred from entrance into the Congregation of the Lord Deut. 23.2 A Bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to his tenth generation shall he not enter i. e. he and his posterity shall never enter for the tenth generation passeth for a perpetuity as the next verse interprets it Such a Sinner is an Alien forreiner or stranger inhabiting a Countrey wherein hee is disabled and debarred from the rights and priviledges of inheritances assemblies societies and other common benefits of the Lawes municipall which the natives of the Land enjoy and consequently he lives in a state and condition which is usually inflicted on sinners as a punishment for sin So the Romans Greeks and other Nations sojourning in Judea were by the Jewes accounted and called sinners because they were aliens and strangers who had no right to the lands and inheritances of that Countrey not to the assemblies congregations and ceremonies of Moses which by the Law were appropriated and entayled to the Nation of the Jewes and to such Proselites as were endenized or made free of their Nation For in this jurall sense the word Sinner is frequently taken in the Evangelists especially where it stands subjoyned with Publicans See Mat. 9.10 and Mat. 11.19 and Marc. 2.15 16. and Luke 5.30 and Luke 15.1 And lastly such a Sinner is a Villain i. e. a bond-slave borne who is no actuall transgressour
of those Legacies and promises and by his acceptance of Jesus Christ for the son and heir of God and for the Executor of Gods last Will and Testament For by the workes The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. because by the workes No flesh i. e. No mortall man Be justified i. e. Be declared upright in respect of the Law Reason Heere the Apostle enters upon the principall doctrine of this Epistle and to the end that hee might the more distinctly and clearly assert the verity thereof from those errours wherewith the Judaizing false teachers among the Galatians had corrupted it he delivers it bibartitely in two assertions 1. A Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law 2. An Affirmative that A man is justified by the fayth of Jesus Christ And therefore for the fuller understanding of this excellent Doctrine which declares the introduction and initiation of a man into Christ and discovers withall wonderfull comforts to the soul of a Christian I shall somewhat inlarge my selfe and distinctly explicate what is meant by Justifying what by The workes of the Law and what by Fayth in Jesus Christ Wherein though in my expressions I shall somewhat vary from the current of Expositors yet farre shall I be from that unprofitable and beggarly worke of Confutation which spends it selfe in a destructive way by cavelling at opinions or disgracing the writings of worthy men But I shall travaile only in the way of edification to rayse confirme and illustrate those instructions whereto the holy Scripture shall be the foundation Comment Justified is a derivative from the word Just or Righteous which signifies three wayes 1. Legally for the upright whereof examples 2. Morally for the kind man whereof examples and accordingly the word righteousnes signifies kindnes in the Old Testament and in the New The Hebrew Zedakah The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The legally and morally Righteous compared in 4 points 1. In their Conjunctiō in their subordination in their Dignity 4. in their opposite 3 Jurally for an Owner or an Heire or a Promissary Such was Abraham who is therfore called the Righteous man Such were the Israelites and are so called and so were the Proselytes The Owner compared with the Kinde man Righteous signifies like Gratious A Recollection Justified signifies made Just or righteous in 3 significations and in two consignifications 1. Declaratively by pronouncing a man upright and by pronouncing a man kinde 2. Efficiently either Procreantly or Conservantly Neither excluding necessarily the declarative sense Paul and James easily reconciled Jurall justifying illustrated from words of foure sorts 1. Of Circumstance 2. Of Contrariety 3. Of Affinity 4. Of Attribute and Co-heires Citizens and Freemen Justifying put for Freeing Justifying is a Court-word and a Chancery word and a word Testamentary for the sense of it Man is a sinner jurally legally and morally God is righteous jurally and Morally his kindnesses to Man and their conveyance by Testament which is a will ad pias causas in most ample maner The Nature of Justifying exemplified in Abraham in Rahab in the Jews and Gentiles The Names of it as adopting infranchising reconciling ingrafting ingratiating infeoffing seating allying inabling translating forgiving redeeming The matter of it is a Right of state two spirituall states one of bondage another of freedome which is the state of grace The state whereto we are justified or rather exalted The state from which we are justified Justification makes in us a change only jurall The Priviledges incident to that state exemplified in the Patriarks The degree of our right to the Priviledges exemplified in the Israelites in David in a Legatary The Manner of Justifying is factive exemplified in Moses Uriah and Araunah And that fact is testamentary A recollection KNowing that a man is justified First therefore for the meaning of Justified whereof I intend not in the first place so much the definition though that shall follow as the signification for the right and true English of it according to the Language wherein I write because the word Justified is a Latinisme The Greek word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies made righteous for the Apostle Rom. 5.19 expresseth that word by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. constituted or made righteous as our English Translation renders them whereto other Vulgar translations unanimously for the Italian hath it constituted just and the French rendred just Seeing then the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a derivative from the nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regularly therefore the verbe ought to pertake of those senses which are to be found in the primitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English is Just or righteous Which word carrieth in Scripture severall senses and these as it is the attribute of a person are principally three viz. a legal a moral and a jural sense For as the word Sinner in the verse before had severall senses so the word Just or righteous being contrary to Sinner must needs therfore have severall senses also and they severally contrary to those of Sinner yet where the word is taken chiefly in one of these senses the rest are not alwayes excluded but some one sense is principall and the other accessory 1. The word Just or righteous is taken legally quoad leges for one who is upright according to the Laws by doing right to all and giving every man his due by the Lawes in being sometime rendring that evill which by Law is due to a man but alwayes that good which is due unto him And all men ought to bee legally righteous especially Judges and Rulers whose uprightnes in other mens causes must be exactly legall for the Law is the Rule whereby they must give Sentence and execute Judgement declining neyther to the right hand nor to the left whether it concerne the good or the evill of the party whose cause is handled for that which no way declines to neyther hand is properly sayd to be upright To render evill for evill private men are not bound but now under the Gospel are wholly bound from it yet not so neither but that Masters of Families may reprove and correct their children and servants as the Law of reason shall require because Masters of Families in respect of their Families are petty-Judges and petty-Rulers to judge and Rule uprightly by the law of reason Thus the word Righteous is taken Exod. 23.7 the innocent Vezaddik and righteous slay thou not and righteous i. e. upright or legally righteous And 2 Sam. 23.3 Hee that ruleth over men must be Zaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just i. e. legally righteous or upright And Esay 26.7 The way Lazaddik of the Just is uprightnesse i. e. of the upright is uprightnesse And it is sayd of John the Baptist Marc. 6.20 that Herod feared him knowing that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e.
an upright man and of Zacharias and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous before God i.e. upright walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse and Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just before God i. e. upright before God And as in the concrete the righteous is put for the upright so in the abstract the word righteousnesse is put for uprightnesse Thus saith Jacob Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse answer for mee i. e. my uprightnesse And so Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse i. e. not for thy uprightnesse And Psal 45.7 thou lovest Zedek righteousnesse i. e. uprightnesse And Prov. 16.8 Better is a little Bezedakah with righteousnesse i. e. with uprightnesse And Esay 5.7 and he looked Lizdakah for righteousnesse and behold a cry i. e. he looked for uprightnesse And Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in righteousnesse i. e. in uprightnesse And 1 John 3.7 Hee that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnes is righteous i. e. he that dealeth in uprightnes is upright And in this sense the word righteous is opposed to the legall sinner who because he walketh not according to the Law but transgresseth it is therefore unjust and unrighteous 2. The word Righteous signifies morally quoad mores for one who is kinde and courteous liberall and bounteous by doing acts of benefit and mercy who is not onely ruled by the Law to give every man his due by Law but in many cases is over-ruled by his love to give men more then their due more good and lesse evill then by the Law is due unto them whose maner is to conferre and convey rights unto men by bestowing benefits and doing kindnesses by giving favours and forgiving trespasses For he who out of his love bestows some benefit favor or kindenesse upon me doth thereby create in me a right interest or claime unto the thing bestowed and consequently is thence rightly denominated a righteous man for if he be a righteous man who is upright and deales with me according to that right or claime which by Law I had before much more is he righteous and properly so called who by conferring some benefit or gift upon me doth create some right or claime which before by Law I had not and he that forgives my trespasse doth against the right of the Law give me a right of Release from that penalty which he by the Law might have exacted from me Now as all men ought to be legally righteous i. e. upright according to the Law so ought all men to be morally righteous i. e. kind and curteous according to good maners for no man upon earth is so indigent or poore as not to bee able some way or other to doe a kindenesse as at least to forgive a trespasse Yet eminently this vertue is required from persons of ability and principally from Princes whose Power and Offices lead them to give and forgive in many cases partly beyond the Law and partly against it So the word righteous is taken Psal 37.2 The wicked borroweth and payeth not againe Vezaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth i. e. the kinde and liberall man forgiveeth and giveth and Proverb 21.26 The slothfull coveteth greedily all the day long Vezaddik 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the righteous giveth and spareth i. e. the kinde and liberall man and Mat. 1.19 Joseph the Spouse of the blessed Virgin is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man Then Joseph her Husband being a just man i. e. a just or righteous man morally in being kinde and curteous because hee was not onely upright in accustoming to doe that which was right according to the Law but also exceeded the rule of the Law in being kinde and curteous an example of which kindenesse hee shewed to his Wife in resolving to put her away privily when by the Law hee might justly have questioned her openly And Luk. 23.50 Joseph of Arimathea is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good man and a just i. e. kinde and courteous Because hee was not onely upright in not consenting to the sentence of the Sanedrim when they condemned Christ But also further was so kinde and courteous that hee begged a kindnesse to bestow a kindenesse for hee begged the dead body of Christ to bestowe upon it an honourable buriall by wrapping it in linnen and laying it in his owne Sepulcher And Act. 10.22 Cornelius the Captaine is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just man i. e. a kinde and courteous man for hee was not onely upright in fearing God but also toward men hee was kind and courteous liberall and bounteous in giving much Almes unto the Poore as in the same Chapter is specified at the second verse Furthermore as in the concrete the righteous is put for the kinde man so also in the abstract the word righteousnesse is many times in Scripture put for kindnesse As 1 Sam. 12.7 Samuel speakes thus unto the people Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord eth col zedakoth of all the righteousnesses of the Lord which he did to you and to your Fathers i. e. of all the kindnesses which he did to you and to your Fathers where our last English translation in the margin renders it benefits and Psal 24.4 Hee that hath cleane hands c. shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation i. e. Hee shall receive kindenesse from God and Psal 112.9 Hee hath dispersed hee hath given to the poore Zidkatho his righteousnesse endureth for ever i. e. his kindenesse and bounty shall bee alwayes commemorated And Esay 60.17 I will also make thy Officers peace and thy exactors Zedakah righteousnesse i. e. They who used exaction upon thee shall doe thee kindenesse for unto exaction which takes more then is due kindenesse which gives more then is due is extreamely contrary And Mich. 6.5 That yee may know Zidkoth the righteousnesse of the Lord i. e. the kindnesses of the Lord for the word is of the plurall number And Mat. 6.33 Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his righteousnesse i. e. his kindnesse favour and mercy And Rom. 1.17 For therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of God i. e. the kindenesse of God is revealed from faith to faith for so the righteousnesse of God must heere signifie because in the verse following it is opposed to the wrath of God the contrary whereof must bee his kindenesse And Rom. 3.21 But now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested i. e. the kindenesse of God is manifested for Gods righteousnesse without the Law must needes bee his kindenesse in which sense also the word is often repeated in the following
verses 21.25.26 For the Apostle in other of his Epistles speaking to the same purpose doth expresse the very same thing by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English Translations render kindenesse as Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come hee might shew the riches of his grace in his kindenesse towards us through Jesus Chrisi now that of God which unto the Romans hee called Revealing manifesting and declaring of Gods righteousnesse heere hee termeth Shewing of his kindenesse And Tit. 3.4 But after that the kindenesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared kindnesse appeared heere is the very same with righteousnesse revealed and manifested before And againe 2. Cor. 9.10 Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower c. increase the fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your righteousnesse i. e. of your kindnesse in contributing and ministring to the poore Saints of Jerusalem Hence also that Chest of the Temple at Jerusalem which stood in the Treasury whereinto the people cast that money which they offered for the necessities and services of the Temple was by the Jewes called Cuphah Schel Zedakah the Chest of righteousnesse i. e. of kindenesse because it contained that money which was contributed by the voluntary kindnesse courtesie or bounty of the people Moreover that wee may bee no way imagined to enforce or obtrude this sense of kindenesse upon the word righteousnesse it is yet further observable that the Hebrew word Zedakah which ordinarily signifies righteousnesse is in severall passages of the Old Testament rendred by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies kindenesse See or consult the Learned for these passages Deut. 6.25 and Deut. 24.13 and Psal 24.5 and Psal 33.5 and Psal 103.6 and especially Dan. 4.27 And the Hebrew word Chesed which properly signifies kindenesse is always by the Septuagint rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies mercy But where the Hebrew hath Chesed and the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there our last English Translation doth render it two wayes indifferently sometime mercy sometime kindenesse and loving kindnesse But the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it properly signifie kindenesse yet wheresoever it is used in the New Testament and used it is there not infrequently yet onely by Mathew and Luke is perpetually in our last English Translation rendred Alms but in the Old Testament where it is also frequently mentioned it is never rendred Almes for there the word Almes is never read and the word Almes is not the Native English but the Grecisme of it to signifie that act or gift which proceedes from kindenesse for betweene these three words Mercy Kindenesse and Almes there is so neare an affinity that either may well bee put for the other seeing Mercy is that inward affection which exercising it selfe outwardly in the acts and deedes of Almes doth produce the habit and vertue of Kindnesse from which afterward proceede the morall acts and deedes of Almes for those acts are properly morall not which produce the habit but which the habit doth produce Because they proceede from such a person whose maner it is to use such acts and to use them frequently Hence by the way it may appear that about these words Mat. 6.1 Take heede that you doe not your almes before men there needs no great dispute what should in the Originall bee the word for almes whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly because it is far the more probable that the right Originall was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the most ancient Manuscripts have it so and apparent it is that so it was read by the Syriake and Arabick Interpreters so by the most Ancient Greeke Fathers so by almost all the Latine so translated by the Vulgar Latine and so by Beza a learned and diligent Interpreter And partly because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are unto a Greeke eare so concurrent in sense that they are but two words to signifie one and the same action either word being a glosse to explicate the other For unto the Orientall or Easterne Greekes living in Asia after whose language the New Testament is written the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was very usuall and familiar to signifie that kindenesse whose acts are Almes But unto the Westerne Greekes living in Europe that word in that sense was somewhat strange and was better expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense whereof was unto them better knowne And very probable it is as Grotius well conjectures that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was first adjoyned in the Margin and was afterward translated into the Text to exclude the other But of the word Zedakah which St. Mathew there followes the Syriake Interpreter notes thus on the place It is worth our observation saith hee that the word Zedakah which among the Hebrewes Caldyes and Syrians signifies Righteousnesse doth also signifie Almes And we may further observe that the Greeke phrase in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies to doe a kindnesse which is eminently done in doing of almes is but an expression of the Hebrew phrase frequent in the Old Testament gnasoth zedakah which in our last English is rendred sometime to doe justice sometime to doe righteousnesse viz. in a morall sense as justice and righteousnesse signifie kindnesse For an instance or two heereof see or consult the learned for these places Psal 15.2 and Psal 99.4 and Psal 106.3 and Proverbs 21.3 and Esay 32.17 and Esay 56.1 and Esay 58.2 and Jerem. 9.24 and Jerem. 22.3 and Jer. 33.15 And the Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth this of the Hebrew Gnasoth chesed frequent in the Old Testament which in our last English is rendred to shew mercy See Psal 18.50 and Psal 109.16 Now to doe kindnesse and to shew mercy are all one Really and differ onely verbally because the doing of kindnesse is a shewing of mercy for mercy is that inward affection which is shewed outwardly by the deeds of kindnesse Thus we have shewed two senses of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the just or righteous man first the legall for the upright or innocent man and then the morall for the kinde or courteous man and consequently for the abstract that justice or righteousnes doth signifie both uprightnes and kindnes If now we compare these two senses one with another we may observe foure things 1. That very frequently in Scripture they are coupled and joyned in one sentence not alwayes under these names but under words equivalent bearing these senses the places are too numerous for us to make instance yea that solemne Oath which Princes at their Coronation do ordinarily take to doe Justice and Mercy containes nothing else but uprightnes and kindnes in the senses premised for Justice and Mercy are not natively English but Latinismes 2. That these two Virtues are not opposite
or diverse but subordinate and graduall the latter being a degree or accesse unto the former and alwayes supposing it and affected with it at least in the concrete for every kinde man is also or should be upright but every upright man is not necessarily kinde for kindnes is uprightnes and somewhat more because true kindnes doth all the good offices which are due by Law and many more besides which by Law are not due For of Nabal we may say that he was legally righteous or upright to give every man his due but that he was morally righteous or kinde to bestow a courtesie we cannot say for he is branded to be such a man of Belial so unkind and churlish that a man could not speake to him and he reviled David instead of relieving him 1 Sam. 25.17 Of himselfe Paul saith that for legall righteousnes or uprightnes which was by the Law he was blameles Phil. 3.6 but from morall righteousnes or kindnes he was so remote that he was like a mad man against the Saints to persecute imprison and put them to death as he confesseth of himselfe Acts 26.10 3. That of these two virtues the latter is farre more excellent then the former and alwayes preferred before it for uprightnes is a low and servile righteousnesse but kindnes is high and noble the supreme and soveraigne righteousnes in the best and highest degree and is therefore in the Gospel called perfection for Christian perfection consisteth not in being sinles but in deeds of kindenes because uprightnes and kindnes being the two maine degrees of righteousnes he that hath onely the first degree in being onely upright he is imperfect he therefore that hath both degrees in being both upright and kinde he in the phrase of the Scripture is called perfect for though in each degree singly he may be and is very imperfect or peccant yet for having both and joyning both together he is accounted perfect Kindnes in God is Gods perfect righteousnesse whereby God is most glorified and wherein God himselfe doth most glory yea Gods kindnes is called his glory Rom. 3.21 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God i. e. stand in need of the kindnesse of God for seeing the words of this verse are a reason of those in the former therfore the glory of God here must needs be referred to the righteousnesse of God there which as was formerly shewed doth signifie the kindnes of God And kindnesse in man is mans perfect righteousnes for in this kind man hath no other perfection if he have this but his kindnes is a virtue so lovely and obliging beyond uprightnes that for a kinde mans sake some even dare to dye Rom. 5.7 For scarcely for a righteous i. e. an upright man will one dye yet peradventure for a good i. e. a kinde man some would even dare to dye 4. That the person wherein these two righteousnesses of uprightnes and kindnes do concurre and meet together is quite opposite and contrary to the legall sinner mentioned in the verse before who is a transgressour against the Law and therefore cannot be upright and being not upright he can never be truely kinde for he who is not upright toward me to give me that which is my due by Law will much lesse be kinde toward me to give me more then by Law is my due 3. In the third and last sense the word Just or Righteous doth signifie jurally quoad jura for one who is a Proprietary or Owner and hath a right claime or interest eyther in generall as a Communer or Freeman in some Kingdome or Common-wealth or in particular who hath some Free-hold or Estate of his owne in his owne right whether his right be a right in possession by enjoying the present use and fruit of his estate or whether it be a right in capacity by way of interest or claime to some future estate whereof the present possession lies yet in another Such a right of capacity or expectance have the Heyres and Legataries instituted in a Will or Testament unto the estate and goods of the Testator during the Testators life for although the Testators estate bee his owne both for the property and present possession during his life yet also during his life the Heyre by vertue of his nomination in the Will hath a present right or clayme to the future possession of it The like right clayme or interest is imputed given or conveyed in every promise for thereby the promissary hath a present right to the thing granted although the present possession remaine still in the promiser till such time as the promise be performed Such a right of capacity by a present interest or clayme had Abraham during his life to the Land of Canaan whereof by vertue of Gods promise and Covenant he was made heire for sayth Paul Rom. 4.13 The promise was that Abraham should be heire of the world i. e. Of the whole Land of Canaan but Abraham during his life never had the possession of that inheritance for sayth Stephen Act. 7.5 God gave Abraham no inheritance in Canaan no not so much as to set his foot on i. e. no inheritance in possession The man then who hath a jus or right whether in possession or but in capacity is in Scripture called a Just or Righteous man for so Abraham is called the righteous man Esay 41.2 Who called up the righteous man from the East i. e. The man who had the originall and primitive right from whence you derive all that right and interest which you clayme to the Land of Canaan which was first given to Abraham whom I exalted and raysed to the inheritance of that estate by calling him thereto out of the East to follow me he not knowing whither as the footman followes the step of his master to give him the lands of the Nations before him Yet this sense heere of Abrahams being jurally righteous doth not exclude the other two senses for hee was righteous every way both legally morally and jurally but heer in this place the jurall is chiefly respected So the Israelites who were the heyres of Abraham are in many places of Scripture called the Righteous partly in respect of aliens or strangers especially of those who living amongst them were debarred from the Passeover and other holy things and commonly had no right in their Lands or Lawes but were only under their protection and jurisdiction from whence they were called forreigners and strangers within their gates See Exod. 12.43.45 and Exod. 20.10 and Exod. 29.33 and Exod. 30.33 and Levit. 22.10.13 and Numb 1.51 Partly they were called the Righteous in respect of Canaan to the Lands whereof they had a right in possession as the Owners and Freeholders of it for the inheritances thereof were divided by lot among their tribes but chiefly they were so called in respect of God in whom by Covenant they had a right of alliance that hee on his part should bee
their Lord and God and they on their part should be his people and peculiar to have hold and enjoy their estates in fee from him For that in these jurall respects the Israelites are called the Righteous it may appeare from divers testimonies of Scripture as Psal 69.28 Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written vegnim zaddikim with the righteous i. e. with the Israelites who have the rights of inheritances in the Land as the Owners and Freeholders of it for among the Israelites and other Nations the names not of the legally or morally righteous but of the jurally righteous are written in bookes and entered into Records in respect of their Inheritances and Priviledges And Psal 72.7 In his dayes shall Zaddik the righteous flourish i. e. literally in the dayes of Solomon the Israelites who are the right Heires and Owners of the Land shall abound in peace But mystically the words refer unto Christ and to the Believers in him And Psal 92.12 Zaddik The righteous shall flourish like a Palme-tree i. e. The Israelite shall so flourish for in the Margin of that place there is a reference quoted to a parallell place Hos 14.5 Where the Prophet mentioning the like blessing doth instead of the Righteous put the word Israel I will bee as the dew unto Israel hee shall grow or blossome as the Lilly And Psal 118.20 This gate of the Lord into which Zaddikim the righteous shall enter i. e. The Israelite shall enter who hath the right of entrance for strangers had no right to enter within the gate of the Lord i. e. of the Temple but remained in the outward Court of the Gentiles And Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot hazzard dikim of the righteous i. e. The stranger shall not continue his Dominion and Possession over the Inheritance of the Israelite to whom the right of the Land was allotted And Esay 26.2 Open ye the gates that goi Zaddik the righteous Nation who keepeth the truth may enter in i. e. The Nation who is the right Inhabitant and Owner of the Land though for a time they were exiled and fled because they would not change their Religion but would keepe the truth And Esay 60.21 Thy people also shall bee all Zaddikim righteous they shall inherite the Land for ever i. e. Thy people even all of them who have any right of Inheritance in Judea shall returne from their Captivity in Babylon and shall henceforth enjoy their estates for ever without any more Captivity In all which passages the jurall sense of the word righteous is chiefely respected although the other two senses may bee also included And under the word righteous in this jurall sense are comprehended not onely the Native Israelites who discended from Jacob but also those factive Israelites who by Nation or Birth being Aliens became of the Jewish Religion professing it by the Ceremony of Circumcision and were thereupon by the Septuagint called Proselytes but by the Rabbins gerei Zedek advenae justitiae i. e. strangers of right Because they had a right interest and claime to the Rights Lawes Ceremonies and Priviledges of the Native Israelites and in many particulars the very same Rights with the Natives For the Proselyte had the same right for the Ceremonies as in eating the Passeover Exod. 12.19.48.49 and in keeping the Fast of Expiation Levit. 16.29 and in offering of Sacrifices Numb 15.14.15.16 and in the use of the holy water Numb 19.10 The Proselite had the same right for Judicature For one maner of Law must bee for the Stranger and for the Native Levit. 24.22 and one maner of Judgement Deut. 1.16 and one maner of punishment Numb 15.30 And hee had the same right for Priviledges the very same immunity from oppression Levit. 19.33.34 and the same Reliefe in case of Poverty Levit. 25.35.36 and the same benefit of Sanctuary Numb 35.15 Thus in the Land of Canaan the Native Israelite and the Proselyte are called the Righteous and so heere in England a Subsidy-man who is an Owner and enjoyes an Estate in Lands or Goods to a certaine yearely is in the Writts of our Common Law stiled homo probus legalis which wee can scarce English properly without the word Just or Righteous in this jurall sense or some other word thereto equivalent And as the concrete words Just or Righteous doe concretely signifie a proprietary or owner So the abstract words of the Hebrew Zedakah in the Old Testament and of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in our Translations are rendred Justice and Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime as shall bee more largely declared in the last verse of this Chapter upon these words For if righteousnesse come by the Law Compare we now the Proprietary or Owner who is a just or righteous man jurally with the kinde or bounteous who is a just or righteous morally and we may observe 3 things 1. That the Owner and his property is a necessary effect and consequent flowing from the kinde man and his kindnesse for he who out of his kindnes bestoweth a thing upon me doth thereby transferre his property and right thereto from himselfe and imputeth or conveyeth the right and property thereof unto me whereby necessarily I am made and become the true proprietary or Owner thereof 2. That the Owner who is jurally just or righteous is mainely opposed to the jurall sinner which as was shewed in the verse before signifies a stranger who either absolutely hath no right at all or none respectively to this or that thing in particular when therefore a stranger who before had no right to a thing attaines some right or claime thereto then he becomes just and righteous in a jurall sense 3. That the word Righteous carryes a variety of sense not much unlike to the word Gracious for as the word Gracious doth signifie sometime actively for one who doth shew grace and favour in which sense it is a frequent attribute of God in the Scripture and so a Prince is Gracious to his favourite and sometime passively for one to whom grace and favour is shewed so the Princes favourite is Gracious with his Prince and in this sense the word Gracious is taken Jer. 22.23 How gracious shalt thou bee when pangs come upon thee i. e. no grace nor favour shall be shewed thee in thy distresse so the word Righteous is taken sometime actively for him who is legally upright by doing right to all and for him who is morally kinde by doing kindnesses in granting and giving some right interest and claime and sometime passively for him to whom a kindnes is done to whom some right interest or claime is given or granted and who because he hath such a right is therefore in Scripture called Just or Righteous Thus the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the English
is Just or righteous doth in Scripture signifie in all three wayes 1. Legally quoad leges for one who is upright faciendo by doing right 2. Morally quoad mores for one who is kinde donande by giving a right 3. Jurally quoad jura for one who is an Owner habendo by having a right Yet in that one word in one and the same sentence there may concurre or bee implyed sometime two of those senses sometime all three as the circumstances may require a lesse or more generall acception thereof for one and the same person at the same time may bee a man upright kinde and an Owner Come wee now to the Greeke Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a derivative from the Nowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Latine Verbe Justifico which is a figurative compounded of Justus and facio and then the true genuine English of the Latinisme justified will bee this viz. to bee made just or righteous and because the Nowne Just or righteous hath three senses as was formerly shewed therefore consequently the Verbe justified being thence derived must regularly signifie three wayes Viz. 1. To bee made upright 2. To bee made kinde 3. To bee made an Owner And because the word made doth expresse unto us the forme of the third Conjugation Hiphil and Hophal in the Hebrew which regularly consignifies making therefore from that causall Conjugation wee must observe that in the phrase of the Old Testament and so likewise from the New where it imitates the Old as heere it doth such Making may and must bee understood sometime Declaratively only sometime Efficiently and sometime both wayes For these consignifications modifying the principall sense of the Verbe doe vary it into different and severall senses Yet so as that in some case they may concurre for a man may at once be declaratively pronounced righteous and efficiently made so and in some case againe they may be severed for a man may be declaratively pronounced righteous when he is not efficiently made so and contrarily he may be efficiently made so when declaratively he is not so pronounced For the declaring of a thing is not necessarily efficient to make the being of it as if it had no being before but it causeth that being to appeare which before appeared not by making that manifest and cleare which was in being before but the being was so obscure or doubtfull that it was in question and after that being is duly declared it admits of no proofe to the contrary Wherefore the verb justified besides the 3 principall sences which it derives from the nowne Just or righteous doth in Scripture consignifie chiefly 2 wayes viz. Declaratively onely and Efficiently whether the effect be declared or not 1. Declarative onely by pronouncing a person just or righteous and so it derives from the nown 2 senses 1. A Legall and so he is justified who is declared or pronounced upright to have done that which is just or right not to have offended against the Law nor to have done that wrong wherewith he is charged Hence Exod. 23.7 the Lord professeth of himselfe lo azdick I will not justifie the wicked i. e. I will not declare the wicked to be upright or innocent And Deut. 25.1 If there be a controversie between men and they come into judgement that the Judges may judge them vehizdik eth hazaddik then they shall justifie the righteous i. e. they shall declare him upright who is upright legally And Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be justified i. e. the hearers onely of the Law are not upright before God but the doers of the Law if there be any such shall be declared upright And here in the last clause of the verse in hand for by the works of the Law shall no flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be justified i. e. no flesh shall be declared upright See Job 33.32 and Psal 51.4 and Prov. 17.15 and Esay 5.23 and Esay 43.9 and Mat. 11.19 and Mat. 12.37 and Luke 10.29 and Luke 16.15 In all which places the verb Justifie doth not consignifie efficiently or any way causally to make him upright who before was not upright either by infusing into him a new uprightnes which was no where existent before or by imputing unto him that uprightnes which was before existent in another but it consignifies onely declaratively in pronouncing him upright who was upright before and had the quality of uprightnes inherent in him 2. It declares the Morall sense and so he is justified who is declared kinde bounteous and gratious that he not onely doth right in giving every man his due but also doth more then right in giving men more then their due by bestowing Gifts Graces and benefits upon them Hence Luke 7.29 And all the people that heard him and the Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justified God being baptised with the Baptisme of John i. e. the people and the Publicans declared God to be kind Gratious and bounteous in that counsell of his will which the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected as it appeares by the verse following and this kindnes bounty and Grace of God they declared by their deed in being baptised with the Baptisme of John and the end why they declared Gods kindnes was that thereby they might glorifie God for he that declares or sets forth Gods kindnes by shewing the goodnes and greatnes thereof doth in effect prayse and glorifie God And 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was justified in the spirit i. e. was declared kinde bounteous and Gratious by reason of the various gifts and wonderous workes proceeding from his holy spirit And here as before the verb Justifie doth not consignifie efficiently or any way causally to infuse or impute kindnes to him who was not kinde before but onely declaratively to manifest that kindnes which was before in being 2. The verb Justified consignifies Efficiently by effecting or making a man just or righteous and then it derives from the nowne the jurall sense of it and so he is justified or rather jurified who is efficiently made an Owner or an Heire in respect of some right interest or clayme imputed conveyed or settled upon him whether the effect be declared or not declared and this Jurall justifying is effected or made by the two maine degrees of efficiency 1. Procreantly and so he is justified or rather jurified who is made to have a right when a right clayme or interest which he had not before is created constituted imputed or ordained unto him for by this efficiency his Right is first made to initiate commence or begin unto him so the word is taken Esay 45.25 in the Lord all the seed of Israel Jizdeku shall be justified i. e. all the Faithfull who are the spirituall seed of the true Israel shall be procreantly jurified or made to have a right interest
of that right which it first created if fayth it selfe bee conserved but fayth cannot conserve it selfe without workes because by workes fayth lives and breaths but without workes is frustrate and dead as the body is without breath Workes therefore being efficient to conserve our faith must consequently needes bee efficient to conserve that right which by the efficiency of our fayth was created unto us for though fayth alone bee efficient to create our right yet faith alone is not sufficient to conserve or declare it without the co-efficiency of workes Wherefore workes are not only a signe of our right to declare it but also a cause to conserve it because they are a cause to conserve our faith which without them would be dead And this jurall sense of the Verb Justified may be further illustrated and confirmed from divers other words which carry a jurall construction and are referred to Justifying which words for better order may be distributed into fowre sorts 1. Words of Circumstance whereof some doe create or constitue a Right or Interest as Grace Gift Goodwill Will and Testament Covenant and Promise all which are jurall words signifying the principall motives and causes of our Justification some doe confirme or assure a Right as Seale and Earnest for the holy Spirit is sayd to be the Seal and Earnest of that Inheritance whereto wee are justified and some other words doe specifie a Right constituted and assured as Liberty Freedome Communion Fellowship Inheritance and Peculiar all which and many more are the results and effects of our Justification 2. Words of Contrariety which are opposite to Justifying as Injurying and Condemning for the two Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie Injurying and Condemning are both contrary and opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Justifying As therefore he who is Injuried is against Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law was due unto him and as he who is Condemned is according to Law made to lose some right which he had before and which by Law hee was to lose for all Condemnation effecteth on the condemned eyther the abolition or the abatement of some right which the party had before eyther in deed or in pretence so contrarily he who is justified is beyond or above Law made to have some right which before hee had not and which by Law was not due unto him And as Condemnation is the Imputation of a present sin to a future punishment so Justification is the Imputation of a present right to a future blessing for although Justifyng and Condemning be opposite and contrary one to another yet they agree in this that both are under one and the same genus which is Imputation Seeing then Injurying and Condemning are jurall words therefore so is Justifying because it is opposite and contrary to them both 3. Words of Affinity or nearenesse which are subordinate to justifying and comprehended under it as Naturalizing Legitimating Manumising Redeeming Pardoning Adopting and such like all which are severall kindes or sorts of justifying which is the genus to them all For Naturalizing is the Justifying of an Alien by imputing or giving the right of a Native to him that was borne in a forraigne Countrey Legitimating is the Justifying of a Bastard by imputing or giving the right of Birth to him that was born misbegotten Manumising or Infranchising is the Justifying of a Villaine or Bondman by imputing or giveing the right of freedome to him that was borne a Slave Redeeming is the Justifying of a Captive by giving the right of Liberty to him who before was a Prisoner to his Enemy Pardoning is the Justifying of an Offender by imputing or giving the right of impunity to him who stands by Law condemned Adopting is the Justifying of a Stranger by imputing or giving the right of a Sonne and Heire to him who was borne in another Family Any one of these acts severally is justifying and all of them concurring joyntly for concur they may upon one and the same person are no more saving that then the justifying is exceeding gracious for when an Alien a Bastard a Bondslave and a Captive and so much worse beside as to bee a Malefactor is made an Heire to some Kingdome such a Justifying in regard it passeth from one extreame to another is extreamely gratious and so gratious is our Justification by Christ as to an observant Reader will afterwards appeare 4. Words of Attribute whereby the justified are in Scripture stiled and called as Sonnes and Heires of God Gal. 4.7 Wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Sonne and if a Sonne then an Heire of God through Christ Co-heires or joynt-heires with Christ Rom. 8.16.17 The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the Children of God and if Children then Heires Heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ Fellow-citizens and Domesticks of God Ephes 2.19 Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forraigners but Fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God The Lords Freemen 1. Cor. 7.22 For hee that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords Freeman Which last Attribute of Freeman is a generall word including all the former for Citizens Sonnes and Heires are but severall sorts and rankes of Freemen and it is a word so jurall that the state of Liberty or Freedome is the Primitive Originall or Fundamentall Right whereon all other Rights and Priviledges are raised and without which none can subsist for a Bondman during his bondage hath no right at all neither can hee have any till first hee bee infranchised or made free seeing all the right hee hath before is onely a crooked right to accept or refuse freedome for a will to refuse freedome was by the Law of God allowed to a Bondman who otherwise hath no freedom of will Exod. 21.5 If the servant shall plainely say I love my Master my Wife and my Children I will not go out free then his Master shall bring him to the Judges c. And the word Freeman is so intimate genuine proper unto Justified that those 2 words are reciprocall adequate to denote the same person for Freeman is the proper name whereby a person justified is called a person justifyed is the proper essence or differēce which defines a Freeman seeing a Freeman is a person justified or made to have some right for hereby he is absolutely opposed to a bōdman who absolutely is not justified or hath no right at all heereby hee is respectively opposed to an Alien a Forraigner or Stranger who locally is not justified or hath no right in this or that place as none in such a Kingdome such a City or such a Family Hence in the Scripture the word Justified is sometime put for freed as Act. 13.39 and by Christ all that believe are justified i. e. freed from all things from which yee could not
bee justified i. e. freed by the Law of Moses and sometime it is translated by the word freed as Rom. 6.7 Hee that is dead is freed from sinne where the Margin shewes that the Originall word is justified From all those former jurall words thus referred to Justifying it plainely appeares that Justifying is not onely a jurall but also a curiall or Court-word Yet not borrowed from a Court criminall or any other Civill Court of Justice or Law where the suite is contentious and the sentence a judgement in which jus dicitur i. e. in which that right which was in being before is declared to bee according to the letter or meaning of the Law as heere in England is done in the Courts of the Kings Bench and of the Common Pleas where the Judges represent the King for his Justice But Justifying in the sense of the Apostle is rather proper to a Court of favour or grace where the suite is voluntary and the sentence is a Decree in which jus fit datur i. e. in which that right which was not in being before is made to bee according to the kindenesse favour goodwill and grace of the Prince wherein the iniquities and rigours of the Law are rectified pardons for offences are granted Patents and Charters for the Rights of Honours Profits and Priviledges are issued as heere in England is done in the Courts of Requests and the Chancery where the persons President represent the King for his Mercy and Grace and therefore are not called Judges as that word is properly signified by Judex But to avoyd the rough sense of the word Judges they are called by other names In effect therefore Justifying is a right Chancery-word whereby not onely our sinnes are cancelled crossed out and blotted but our Patent for blessednesse is granted and sealed But if wee may borrow a little light from the Civill Law or from those Courts wherein Wills and Testaments receive their Debates and Probates wee shall easily perceive that Justification is a Testamentary word Yet not for the letter of it for wee finde it not expresly used in Testaments But for the sence of it which is the very same or very neare with the Testamentary word of Institution Not as Institution is distinguished from Substitution But as it is opposed to Exheridation or disinheriting and signifies indifferently either for the ordaining of an Heire or for the devising of a Legacy In which ample signification Instituting is co-incident or equivalent with Justifying Both words carrying a sense either really the same or rationally consequent each to other For whosoever in a Testament is Instituted as an Heire or a Legatary that person is Justified or made to have a right to that Inheritance or Legacy which is therein conveyed or devised unto him And whosoever in a Testament is Justified unto any Inheritance or Legacy that person is thereto Instituted And the co-incidence or resemblance betweene these two words is the more proper Partly because Justification is a most gratious act proceeding from the meere favour and free grace of God without any previous Petition Motion or Request made by the party Justified As commonly Institutions are made in Wills and Testaments which are or should bee acts of meere favour and grace But chiefely because Justification is also a Testamentary act of God arising from his Will and Testament wherein all Believers are Instituted Heires to the Inheritance of everlasting life i. e. wherein they are Justified Having hitherto shewed the meaning of the word let us now gather nearer toward the nature of the thing to specifie more particularly what Right that is wee are made to have according to the purpose of the Apostle heere in saying that a man is justified Man is jurally a Sinner and ungodly i. e. a Calamitous person who is unto God an Alien and a Stranger who by his birth heere on earth hath no right to the Kingdome of Heaven For if a Native of England by his birth heere can claime no Inheritance in France nor in any other Kingdome on earth much lesse can a Native of earth claime any Inheritance in the Kingdome of Heaven And man is legally and morally a Sinner and ungodly i. e. Hee is unto God a Transgressour an Offendour and a Malefactour and by reason of sinne man is a Bondman and a Captive held a Prisoner in the Grave under Death and under Sathan who hath the Dominion and power of Death for because of sinne man is not onely debarred from Heaven but condemned to that earth from whence hee was taken even the uprightest man on earth can never bee found upright if God enter into judgement with him to take the examination of his life and marke what is done amisse Contrarily God is jurally Just or righteous i. e. hee is a Lord and Owner for hee is the universall and supreame Lord and Owner of all the whole World over all Owners Lords and Kings having the Soveraigne Dominion and Possession both of Heaven and Earth the Sea and all things else for the whole World and all the Creatures thereof are the workes of his hands and every workeman especially if hee worke upon his owne materialls is the Lord and Owner of his owne workes Unto God therefore doe belong not onely the things that may bee no mans and the things that may bee any mans but also the very things that are each mans as the Lands Goods and Chattells which each man possesseth For although God hath given the Earth to the Children of men and some men in respect of others are great Lords and rich Owners Yet all men even the greatest Kings in respect of God are but meane Lords and petty Owners or rather Tenants at will who have but a precarious use of earthly things the supreme seigniory and property whereof doth rest in God who still retaines to himselfe an absolute and full power to dispose of all things at his pleasure by giving and taking them away at his will See and compare Deut. 10.14 and Job 1.21 and Psal 24.1 and Psal 115.16 and Hos 2.8.9 and 1. Cor. 10.26 And God is morally Just or Righteous i. e. Hee is kind free and bounteous for hee is universally and supreamly kind free and bounteous to bestow in abundance his blessings upon all Creatures but chiefely upon man in a surpassing maner above all the rest Hence the Scripture is very serious and copious in setting forth Gods kindenesse for she magnifies it with the Attributes of great kindenesse Joel 2.13 and Jonah 4.2 of loving kindenesse Esay 63.7 and Jer. 31.3 and Hos 2.19 and in the Psalmes above 20. places of mercifull kindenesse Psalm 117.2 and Psalm 119.76 of marvellous kindenesse Psalm 17.7 and Psalm 31.21 and of everlasting kindenesse Esay 54.8 Shee extolls it with the praises of being Gods title that hee is the God of kindenesse Nehem. 9.17 and of being Gods exercise that hee makes it his delight Jer. 9.24 And the kindnesses which God
because after long disuse it was againe revived by Moses is called by Christ a Law of Moses Joh. 7.23 3. Judgements of divers curses penalties and punishments which in respect of those precepts were to be inflicted on the transgressours of them The word Law therefore is in respect of these three heads variously taken sometime strictly for some one of them singly sometime largely for two of them together sometime amply for all three and sometime extraordinarily eyther for the five Bookes of Moses or for all the Historicall Bookes of the old Testament as they are opposed to the Psalmes and the Prophets But among these varieties which of the senses ought to be taken in this or that place of Scripture must bee collected from the words annexed In this place heer it seemes to signifie strictly for that head which containes the precepts yet with some reflection also upon the promises Another distribution of the Law is into the Tables of the Law contayning the Decalogue or ten Commandements which were kept in the Arke and into the booke of the Law comprising all the residue which was kept by the High Priest Yet this Law in respect of the promises therein conveyed was also the Testament of God partly because those promises were workes of his kindnesse conferred upon the Israelites by way of legacies or blessings but chiefly because according to the nature of a Testament they were a just sentence of Gods will touching what he would have done after death yet not after his owne death because God is necessarily immortall and ever-living but after the death of some other creature who being mortall should die in his stead to confirme and establish his Will because all Testaments are established by death And although among men that establishment be alwayes made by the death of the Testator yet Gods Testament being a divine Will had therefore this prerogative that it might be established by the death of some other in his stead and thereupon it was actually established by the death and bloud of Calves and Goats sprinkled on the Booke of the Law and on the people Compare Exod. 24.5.6.7.8 with Heb. 9.19.20 In which respect the Law hath not only the definition but also the appellation of a Testament for hence 2. Cor. 3.14 it is called the old Testament and Heb. 9.18 the first Testament Againe the Law in respect of the other two heads viz. of the Precepts and the Judgements was also the Covenant of God because unto Gods Will for the observance of those precepts and judgements there was an agreement of the peoples will to observe them for to this purpose they professe their agreement Exod. 19.8 All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe And againe Exod. 24.7 All that the Lord hath sayd will we doe and be obedient And an agreement of Wills upon a just cause makes up the nature of a Covenant Yet the Law hath also the name of Gods Covenant most frequently in Scripture and the Arke which kept the Tables of the Law is commonly called the Arke of the Covenant and the Booke of the Law kept by the Priest is also called the Booke of the Covenant For this old and first Testament and Covenant of the Law was but the crayon or first draught of Gods Will to stand in force awhile untill the time of Reformation by his New and last Testament which for a distinction from the Old is named the Gospel and the Old to distinguish it from the New is called the Law By workes wee are to understand good workes because evill workes are not workes of the Law but against the Law And good workes taken generally and absolutely by themselves are of a larger extent then workes of the Law whereunto workes are heere restrained For before the Law of Moses was inacted those of the Patriarks who walked in a continuall obedience of God doing all those duties which by the light of nature or by divine Revelation they knew would bee acceptable and pleasing to him had good workes as had Abel Enoch and Noah And now since that Law is expired they who neglecting the Ceremonies thereof walke according to the Precepts of the Gospel persevering in the duties thereof have good workes and may bee rich in good workes The workes therefore of the Law doe implye two sorts of workes flowing from two severall Agents which working reciprocally one upon another are both heere excluded from Justifying or making free One sort is all workes or legall acts of man done by man in obedience to the Precepts of the Law The other sort is all workes or legitimate acts of the Law done by the Promises of the Law in recompence of mans obedience to the Precepts For as man hath his workes upon the Law to transgresse or obey it So reciprocally the Law hath her workes and effects upon man to condemne or justifie him because the Law is not onely a rule whereby man workes but is also a kinde of Ruler and Actor to worke upon man according to his workes When therefore the worke of man is sinne a worke contrary to the Precept of the Law then the worke of the Law is to Condemne and punish him for his worke hence saith Paul Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is a worke or effect of the Law to punish the worke of sinne And when the worke of man is uprightnesse a worke according to the Precept of the Law then the work of the Law is to Justifie him conservantly by continuing and maintaining that right of freedome unto him which hee had before hence saith the Law Levit. 18.5 Yee shall therefore keepe my statutes and my judgements which if a man doe hee shall live in them i. e. Hee shall thereby continue and prolong his life which hee enjoyed before secure from any violent death to bee inflicted by those Statutes and Judgements and againe Ezech. 18.9 Hee that hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgements to deale truely hee is just hee shall surely live i. e. Hee is thereby upright and by his uprightnes hee shall continue maintaine and prolong his life which hee had before on earth But when againe the worke of man is uprightnesse according to the Precepts of Law then for sound Doctrine wee must lay downe this Negative It is not the worke of the Law to justifie man procreantly to create constitute or make unto him any new right which hee had not before to bee acquired initiated and had by title of his uprightnesse or weighing the workes in the other skale let them bee referred unto man and then though the Negative vary in words yet the truth will bee the same It is not the worke or effect of mans legall workes to justifie man procreantly to create unto him the right of divine freedome by the title of his uprightnesse Thus wee have the meaning of the Apostles Negative concerning Justification by the workes of the Law but hee writing to the
Believing Jewes who knew the Law and were well acquainted with the tearmes and phrases of those times seemes very concise in his expressions sparing and couching his words as his maner is that unto them he might not seeme tedious though thereby unto us of these times hee becomes in many poynts obscure But for our further and clearer understanding of the Apostles Negative that a man is not justified by the works of the Law we are to observe that of the Law there is made in Scripture a two fold sense I say not a two fold sense of every part of the Scripture but of that part which is here called the Law whereat we are the lesse to marvell because in a manner there is the like difference of sense in the Lawes that are made by man for the remedy whereof in all well ordered States the Courts of Equity are erected The first sense of Gods Law is the History saying writing or as Paul calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the letter of the Law according to the proper signification and vulgar acception of those words and clauses wherewith the Law was first published spoken or written This sense of the letter was from the very beginning of the Law intelligible unto all the Israelites of ordinary discretion apprehended of all and acknowledged of all throughout all the passages of the Law excepting onely those ambiguities and doubts which fell out afterward in poynt of practice wherein the Priest or the Judge was to pronounce or declare that sense which they conceived For in vaine are those Lawes which carry not with them a literall sense because when that sense is not understood by the people on whom such Lawes are imposed the Lawes themselves can neither bee approved nor obeyed According to this sense of the letter the Promises of the Law were for terrene and temporall blessings consisting of a long and happy life abounding with plenty of all earthly things resting under the peculiar protection of God in peace and safety secured from the violences and injuries either of a Forraigne Enemy or of a Domestick Warre as any man may easily perceive who shall consult Levit. cap. 26. and Deut. cap. 28. and shall thence consider the large Declarations there expressed concerning the Legall Promises Yea the Originall Promises made unto Abraham long before the time of the Law were for the letter of them terrene and carnall namely the donation of the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance to him and his Heires for ever and a legitimate issue of his owne body that should multiply into a Nation to possesse it Contrarily the Judgements Penalties or Curses of the Law were for the letter quite contrary to the former blessings for their ordinary Penalties to bee executed by the Ruler upon Offendors were either a violent and untimely death by hanging burning stoning c. or corporall Corrections by Roddes and Whippes but their extraordinary Judgements inflicted on them by the hand of God when the Rulers hand was corrupt or remisse were all the miserable calamities of a wretched life by Warre Famine Plague and Diseases with divers other distresses which crossed the happynesse of this life as it plainely appeares in the two forecited Chapters The Precepts of the Law for the letter were terrene and carnall commandements proportioned to the nature of the Promises so fitted and suited to the rudenesse and childishnesse of the Nation that they did not much exceed the quality of humane Lawes and therefore afterward in this Epistle cap. 4. vers 3.9 they will bee called beggerly rudiments and elements of the world Their Moralities or morall Precepts of the Decalogue were the least and lowest commandements that are to bee found in the Law of Nature or rather were restraints from acts unnaturall ordained for men not of any good but of a bad and lewd condition for the tables of the Law were either barres from impiety to keepe men from being Atheists Idolaters perjurious and prophane or they were bridles from inhumanity to curbe men from being disobedient to Parents from being Murderers and Adulterers from being Thieves Lyars and Deceivers hence it is sayd 1. Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of Fathers and murderers of Mothers for manslayers for whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankinde for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons c. Yea their generall or capitall Moralities of Loving God with all their heart and of loving their neighbour as themselves which were the great Commandements of their Law are to bee taken in a construction accommodate and agreeable to the speciall Precepts of the Decalogue for those two generalls containe in them no more then all these specialls joyntly together Their Ceremonies were odious Institutes or Statutes positive so numerous chargeable and troublesome that they were like yokes on their necks and burdens on their shoulders and are in Scripture so called for they were all carnall Ordinances or Lawes upon the flesh serving either for carnall distinction to difference them from other Nations or for carnall oblations in sacrificing the flesh and blood of Beasts or for carnall purifications in washing their owne flesh and their cloaths Insomuch that the Priests of the Law though their Function were glorious yet compared to the Ministers of the Gospel whose Function is more glorious seemed but a kinde of Butchers Cookes and Laundresses Lastly the workes of the Law done in duty to the Precepts thereof were for the Letter externall and servile by a kinde of eye-service performed out of feare under the spirit of bondage Yea the best of their workes as their Moralityes were not really workes but properly not-workes as not to have many gods not to worship images not to be forsworne not to worke on the Sabbath not to murther not steale not lye not defraud for all these and the like were meere Innocencies or abstinencies from wickednesse which make but a negative and beggarly holinesse As for any positive holinesse they had little or none for their Priests and Levites who went for the holiest persons amongst them untill afterward the Pharisees by an Hypocriticall holinesse exceeded them in the opinion of the people were acquainted with no workes of kindnes or mercy though they met with a man in extream distresse by thieves stripped wounded and halfe dead as Christ discovers them in the parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10.30 c. And yet their workes how poore soever had a large abatement or allowance not onely of all errours and frailties but of some willfull trespasses for which God in his mercy granted the legall favours of Expiation by certaine sin-Offerings and trespas-Offerings which remitted onely temporall penalties and mitigated besides the rigour of the Law in exacting of those workes The second sense of the Law is the mystery minde meaning or as Paul
wherein Christ is the Precedent or Patterne according to whose right we are made to have our right in being made co-heires with him 4. Because Christ is the Person who by our faith doth Ministerially justifie us by Confirming unto us Gods last Will and Testament and by performing unto us the promises thereof for of Gods last Will Christ is the whole and sole Executor to publish prove and performe it And not by the workes of the Law Seeing the title whereby we are justified is our faith in Christ therefore all title by the workes of the Law is hereby excluded for where two titles unto any right are incompatible and cannot stand together he that claymeth by the one must necessarily relinquish the other No workes therefore of the Law in what sense soever we take it whether in the literall sense as it was delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the spirituall sense as it was declared by Christ and is now understood by the faithfull are of that efficacy and vertue to make us a true title whereby to acquire and have a true right and claym unto heavenly blessednesse And consequently seeing the finall cause or end of our faith in Christ is to be justified therefore a further end of our faith in Christ subordinate unto the former is no longer to rest in the literall works of the Law but wholy to relinquish it as an act of God which now unto us is expired and dead for so the Apostle would be here understood as appeareth by his reasoning at the 19. verse next following And seeing God by Christ hath declared and published his new Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore hereby his former Will of the Law though for the time of it very good and usefull is utterly infringed cancelled and voyd For by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek which is heer rendred For being a Conjunction causall doth playnly shew that the truth of this clause is the cause or reason of that truth which was delivered in some former clause For the principall Doctrine of this whole epistle concernes the title whereby a man is justified which for the clearer evidence thereof the Apostle delivers bipartitely in two severall assertions Whereof the first is a Negative that A man is not justified by the works of the Law and the second an Affirmative that He is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ These being thus proposed his next businesse is to produce arguments or reasons for the confirmation and proofe of these two severall assertions but first he begins with the first which is the Negative that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law And this Negative he proveth in the following verses of this chapter by three severall arguments or reasons whereof the first is contained in this clause For by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be justified No flesh i. e. No living man whose life is mortall For to call man flesh is an Hebraisme to put man in minde of his mortality because seeing hee is framed of flesh and blood which are materialls but weake and fraile therefore hee must needes decay and dye Be justified i. e. bee declared upright No mortall man whose life is tryed by the Law shall by his worke in observance thereof bee found so compleat and perfect as to bee pronounced upright and sinlesse For his workes shall never appeare so cordiall so liberall and so perfect as to have performed an universall and perpetuall obedience to every Precept of the Law in every sense thereof without transgressing any one at any time Formerly it hath beene shewed that the word Justified hath in the Scripture severall senses the Apostle therefore haveing in the former parts of this verse taken this word in a jurall sence for the imputing or conveying of a right interest or claim doth now in this last clause take the same word in a legall sense for declaring or pronouncing upright innocent or sinlesse For when a word doth beare severall senses and the Apostle hath expressed it in some one sense hee loves for the greater elegancy to repeate the same word againe in another sense if the matter will admit it as heere it will and doth for otherwise wee faile of the Apostles intent and lose all the force of his argument If therefore in this last clause of the verse the word Justified bee taken in the very same sense which it carryed in the first clause then is this last clause but a bare repetition of the first and no confirmation of it at all For of this assertion that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law how can this bee a reason or proofe For by the workes of the Law no flesh shall bee justified if in both clauses the word justified carry one and the same sense But if the sense be varied as we have glossed it then will this latter clause bee a pregnant proofe of the former and consequently it will excellently suit with the scope and minde of the Apostle And the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which elsewhere is constantly rendred Because doth both require and inforce this sense And that this Proofe or reason may carry the greater authority for the confirmation of his former Negative hee seemes to ground it on a testimony of Scripture and to produce it from Psalm 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant i. e. Doe not arraigne mee before thy Tribunall or Seat of Judgement to try my workes by the rigour of the Law and then to handle mee according to my deserts For in thy sight shall no man living bee justified i. e. Because if thou in thine owne person or before thy selfe shalt take the cognisance of any mans workes to examine them throughly by the rule of thy Law and to give sentence upon him according to his workes no man living can by thy mouth bee declared or pronounced upright or innocent So that Paul hath in a manner explained the sense of Davids saying in adding these words by the workes of the Law The reason therefore whereby the Apostle argues heere seemes to runne thus If a man will bee jurally justified by the workes of the Law i. e. If hee will clayme from God a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven by the title of his workes then God entring into judgement with him and in the sight or knowledge of God hee must by his workes bee legally justified i. e. Hee must bee declared or pronounced upright and innocent never to have beene an offendor against any Law of God For supposing but not granting that it is an effect or worke of the Law to Justifie a man jurally i. e. To give him a present right to the future Inheritance of Heaven Yet certainely the Law cannot produce this effect but onely in those who by the workes of the Law are legally
justified i. e. Are declared upright and innocent in the sight and knowledge of God For if in the sight of God a man bee found an offender or peccant against any one Law of God then in that case the effect or worke of the Law upon him is to Condemne him by imputing unto him a present guilt of a future punishment which is an effect quite contrary to that of jurall Justifying which imputes a present right to a future blessing For saith the Apostle Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath i. e. It is an effect or worke of the Law to bring the punishment of death upon every transgressour of it though hee offend but in some one poynt of it as it is expressed Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one poynt hee is guilty of all i. e. Hee that offends against one single Law whereof the penalty is death is in as bad a case as if hee had offended against all for by the breach of that one Law hee is guilty of death and of more punishment hee could not bee guilty if hee had beene guilty of breaking all the rest Because death is a finall punishment beyond which there is no other But to come now to the Assumption though before men at their seats of Judgement in their sight and knowledge of the cause some man may be and hath beene legally justified i. e. declared upright and innocent for in this sence Paul testifies of himselfe Phil. 3.6 that touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law he was blamelesse not that hee was blamelesse in the sight and knowledge of God but in the knowledge of men and of his owne conscience in that neyther himselfe nor any other man could iustly lay any legall blame unto him and in this sense God himselfe testifies of Job Job 1.8 that hee was a perfect and an upright man yet Gods testimony of Job must not be so understood as if Job were perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of God for that sense Job himselfe doth afterward disclaime but God saw and knew Job to be perfect and upright in the sight and knowledge of men in that no man could charge him with the breach of any Law and the like sense is to be conceived of Zacharias and Elizabeth of whom it is reported Luk. 1.6 that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Yet before God at his seat of Judgement or upon his sight and knowledge of the cause no man living except Jesus Christ ever was or ever shall be Legally justified i. e. declared and pronounced perfect and upright to be a man sinlesse and blamelesse no way peccant against any Law of God For by the sentence of God delivered in the Scriptures all men living of what Nation or Religion soever are declared sinners against his law and guilty of death For such are the Gentiles declared who had not the law but in doing by nature the things contayned in the law were a law unto themselves and such are the Jewes declared who rested in the law and made their boast of God See Rom. cap. 1. and cap. 2. per totum Yea the Jewes are declared in no wise better then the Gentiles but of both it is proved that they were all under sin Rom. 3.9 And the end of that declaration is to stop all mouths and to find all the world guilty Rom. 3.19 that every mouth might be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God and the reason of that guiltinesse is because all have sinned Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God But the finall or last end of that Declaration is that mans right to the inheritance of Heaven should come by promise and gift and his title to that right should bee by faith of Jesus Christ Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that believe Therefore to adde the Conclusion no man living shall bee jurally justified i. e. Shall have a present right to the future estate of blessednesse by the title of his workes The summe of the Apostles argument is briefely thus If a man have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes then hee must by his workes in the sight of God bee declared upright But no man living can by his workes in the sight of God be declared upright Therefore no man living can have a right to everlasting life by the title of his workes This is the debility of mans workes if wee consider them as a title whereby hee acquires and hath that right But if wee consider them as a tenure wherby hee preserves and holds his right then they may and must be of some efficacy as will appear afterward in this Chapter at the 18. verse VERSE 17. Text. But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sinne God forbid Sense Found sinners i. e. Found continuers in sin Is therefore Christ i. e. Himselfe and his Doctrine The Minister of sinne i. e. One that gives occasion and licence unto sin even unto impiety and wickednesse Reason These words are and well enough may bee translated interrogatively But as I conceive they are rather to bee understood illatively thus But if while wee seeke to bee justified by Christ wee our selves are found sinners then it will necessarily follow that therefore Christ is the Minister of sinne An objecti ∣ on Yet whether of these two wayes soever wee take them they containe an objection which would seeme to weaken and crosse the former Doctrine about Justification by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law for against that Doctrine some men did or might argue thus Yee that are Jewes by nature seeke to bee justified i. e. ye seeke a state of divine liberty or freedome whereby yee have a present right to the future possession of heavenly blessednesse whereof one particular is the Pardon of all your sinnes past present and to come And yee seeke this right by the title of your faith in Christ i. e. By your high esteeme of him for the sonne of God and by your acceptance of those promises wherein hee gives this divine state And yee make this faith your sole and onely title excluding all workes of the Law from any concurrence therewith But while yee have this present right to blessednesse and seeke the future possession of it by faith onely whereby yee are certaine and assured of it then hence it will follow that in the meane time yee may continue in sinfullnesse living in all kind of licentiousnesse as the sinners of the Gentiles lived before their accesse unto Christ And it seemes yee make account to live thus because yee speake so much against the Law which would bridle yee
make not also some benefit of it for that state is to no purpose from whence ariseth no benefit In my Justification therefore I am to consider both these meanes viz. not onely the meanes procreant or title whereby my state is constituted acquired or had but also the meanes conservant or Tenure whereby my state is continued preserved or held Because I am truly sayd to be justified as well by the tenure wherby I continue and hold this state as by my title whereby I acquire and have it For all states whatsoever not onely jurall but naturall of all creatures whatsoever whose existence hath any duration doe necessarily require a cause conservant meanes retentive or tenure whereby they may be continued or preserved to abide and remaine in being for otherwise their state would not be permanent at all but actually transient and sodainly passe away Yea the Earth it selfe whose state above all other elements is most firme and stable and the whole world whereof God is the sole cause procreant who created and established it for ever should he cease to be thereof the cause conservant would suddainely in a moment runne to ruine Much more is such a tenure necessary to my Justification which is my state of alliance unto God Because this state above all others is to mee most pretious and consequently the losse of it becomes most grievous 3. The Tenure whereby I am justified is workes I am not afraid to expresse this verity in these words because the phrase Justified by workes is the expresse saying of the Holy Ghost For Jam. 2.24 This Assertion that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone is the language and word of God as well as this that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ For the Scripture delivereth both these assertions mentioning neither of them obviously as it were in transitu But handling both equally purposely and by way of doctrine for shee proposeth both and presseth both insisteth upon both confirmeth both by severall arguments and illustrating both by Similies and examples And therefore I cannot use such partiality to bee so earnest for either as thereby to bee against the other but I must maintaine them both and maintaine both for current doctrine to bee duly taught in the Church of God Because both in their due senses are infallibly true and of great consequence as well to magnifie Gods grace as to edifie his Church But I must allow unto both their proper senses and due distinctions for if I side with the assertion of Paul and cast off James with a distinction or side with James and cast off Paul with a distinction then I doe not rightly divide the word of truth But I rather make that right-downe division which Paul himselfe condemneth 1. Cor. 1.12 I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ. As therefore my faith is the Title whereby I am justified viz. procreatively and acquisitively i. e. Whereby my Justification is created produced and constituted to have the originall existence and beginning or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance to bee the Sonne and Heire of God is acquired commenced and initiated So my workes are the Tenure wherby I am justified viz. conservantly and retentively i. e. Whereby my Justification is continued preserved and maintained to abide subsist and remaine in that existence which originally it had by faith or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance is prolonged for my finall continuance to bee the Sonne and Heir of God untill such time as I possesse and enjoy that inheritance in heaven whereto I am now the heire and have a present right For that the verbe Justifie as also many others of the like nature doth consignifie these two kindes of efficiency namely procreant and conservant hath beene formerly shewed And by workes I understand good and holy workes for if the workes which unjustifie mee by building againe the state of sin which I destroyed are evill and sinfull then the workes which sub-justifie or support my state of justification must needes bee good and holy For seeing my Justification which procures unto mee a divine alliance to bee the sonne and heyre of God is a state of sanctity and holines what can bee more suitable convenient and comely then that a holy state should bee preserved by holy workes In this sense James affirmeth that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone Which assertion hee prooves three severall wayes 1. By two reasons whereof one is Because faith without workes is dead i. e. the act of faith in justifying is frustrate voyd and of no effect as a Bill Bond or other writing whereto there is no hand nor seale For a man justified by faith if his faith be not seconded by workes to continue and maintaine his Justification he shall never possesse and enjoy that heavenly inheritance whereto hee was by faith justified and his faith falling of this effect is therefore voyd or dead The other reason is Because faith working with workes is by workes made perfect i. e. faith alone by it selfe is a thing imperfect and ineffectuall for in Justifying it doth but commence begin and enter the state of Justification and consequently it createth but an imperfect and weake right namely a right of Institution and Expectation a right of a son and heyre a right of interest clayme and hope a right escheatable and defeasable that may possibly bee destroyed But faith seconded accompanied and animated with workes is by workes made effectuall to continue consummate and 〈◊〉 the state of Justification into the state and assurance of salvation and consequently to procure a perfect plenary and full right namely a right of possession and fruition a right of peace rest and quiet an inheritance executed and seized subject unto no defeaâ—ance relapse or other casualty or as the Apostle calls it 1 Pet 1.4 an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not 〈◊〉 reserved in Heaven for us Secondly he proves it by two Similyes or comparisons 〈◊〉 of one is that Faith alone without workes is like the Devils Faith for they have a kinde of faith whereby they believe the existence and unity of God And their faith is alone without workes namely without good and holy workes but they are not without evill and wicked workes and their faith with evill workes hath this evill worke upon them that it makes them to tremble The other Simily is that faith alone without workes is like the body without breath for as the body without breath is dead so faith without works is dead also Thirdly hee proves it by two Examples One of Abraham Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the Altar i. e. The Justification of Abraham constituted long before by his faith whereby was imputed unto him a right of alliance and amity
constitute and produce the being of it And therefore against the Infirmity of these Paul in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and elsewhere stoutly maintaines this doctrine that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by faith only Wherin according to the quicknesse and shortnesse of his speech hee intends these two points 1. That no workes at all are the cause procreant to constitute and build mans Justification as was largely explicated verse 16.2 That no workes of the Law are a cause conservant to continue and maintaine mans Justification as shall bee discovered in the next verity For in these two points the Judaizers held the contrary as it plainly appeares partly by their practise and partly by his arguments against them But James in his assertion opposeth the Gentilizers who were a party quite contrary to the former and in opposition of them were Fiduciaries and Libertines standing onely for fayth and liberty neglecting despising and disgracing all maner of works as no cause at all of Justification neyther procreant to constitute or build the state of it nor conservant to continue and maintayne it as before was intimated after the 14. verse And therefore against the vanity of these James maintaynes this doctrine that A man is justified by workes and not by faith onely Wherein his meaning is as it was well enough understood of the Gentilizers that good workes â—ot of the Law but of Grace love and kindnesse were necessary both to faith and Justification as causes conservant to continue and maintaine both untill Justification bee consummated determined and finished into salvation for without such workes faith is dead but with and by them is made perfect Allowing therfore unto the word Justified being a Verbe efficient or factive these two senses of efficiency procreant and conservant and thereupon affirming that Faith only without workes doth justifie procreantly to constitute the state of Justification But faith with workes and by workes doth justifie conservantly to continue that state Then it will plainly appeare concerning Paul and James that neyther of their doctrines is a paradoxe that neyther is to other repugnant but each with the other is consistent and both are conducent to the verity and sanctity of Christianity Nay more the doctrine of James is to that of Paul a necessary consequent borrowing from Paul those principles whereby it is both raysed and proved For because as Paul teacheth my faith only without works doth procreate or build my Justification and because evill workes destroy the state of it and build againe my state of sinne therefore it must needs follow as Saint James teacheth that good workes doe continue and maintaine the state of it For although they doe not procreate or build that state yet they preserve and uphold it from that destruction and ruine which evill works would bring upon it Againe because as Paul teacheth my continuance in sin is the cause corrumpent and destruent to decay destroy my Justification which is to unjustifie me therefore as James teacheth my continuance in good workes is the cause conservant and restituent to preserve the state and to restore the decayes of it For in case I should fall my faith alone cannot restore mee but if I recover my faith working by workes of Repentance must be the meanes of my Recovery Besides because as Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13.2 Though I have all faith so that I could remove mountaines and have no charity I am nothing Therefore as James teacheth faith without workes is dead because the acts of charity are good workes and of all other the greatest Lastly because as Paul teacheth Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Therefore as James teacheth Faith working with workes is by workes made perfect that it may finally availe in Jesus Christ Thus James in his doctrine and in his reasons thereof secondeth Paul not differing from him in sense and truth but onely in words and tearmes and for that verball difference there was a just occasion For Paul being an Apostle to the Gentiles tempereth his doctrine with such words and tearmes that hee might give no offence either to the unbelieving Gentiles who thereupon would continue in their unbeliefe or to the believing Gentiles who thereupon might recede from their beliefe For hee made it his rule not to offend any party but to please all seeking to save as many as hee could labouring to plant the Gospel and to increase the Church of God as much as might bee And James being an Apostle to the Jewes and writing to the twelve dispersed Tribes doth correspondently carry himselfe with the like temper that hee likewise might give no offence either to the unbelieving Jew or to the believing Judaizer Yet let no Christian presume to censure this temperate carriage with temporizing seeing heerein these two great Apostles practized the great rule of Charity which is To walke without scandall or giving of offence especially to parties opposite but rather to please both A rule by Paul both taught and practised as appeares 1 Cor 10.32 Give no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved And seeing under the tearmes of Justifying by workes taken in different senses opposite Errours did trouble the Church who can say to the contrary but that these two Apostles might bee moved to use these very termes either by the spirit of God or by their owne agreement that each should confute those severall errours within his severall line namely James within the line of Circumcision and Paul elsewhere Concerning this seeming opposition between Paul and James whereof I spake somewhat before but not enough there are extant divers other Reconciliations whereof I oppose none but leave every man to that sense whereby hee may bee most edified 4. The fourth verity is this The workes which continue my Justification are acts of Love The tenure whereby the Israelites continued their Justification to the kingdome of Canaan to hold and enjoy it were the workes of the Law in the literall sense For thus speakes Moses to the people Deut. 5.33 You shall walke in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you and that you may prolong your dayes in the Land which ye shall possesse i. e. Your walking in Gods Lawes shall continue and prolong your possession in the Land whereto yee are justified or have a right And in after-ages when their children should aske them the meaning of these Lawes they must answer their children thus Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to doe all these statutes to feare the Lord our God for our good alwayes that hee might preserve us alive as it is this day and it shall be our righteousnesse if wee observe to doe all these commandements before
in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thankes to God and the father through him When I live thus ordering my humane actions in this maner and to this end then I may truly say of my selfe In that I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the son of God as it followeth in the next words Of the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I live in the faith or religion in that faith or religion of the son of God The particle that being placed after faith doth emphatically determine and specifie the Author of that faith and religion wherein he lived namely in that of the Son of God And there is another emphasis in the article affecting the son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in that faith or religion of that Son of God that hee might lay out a singular designation of Christ in distinguishing him from other sons of God For he hath reference unto that person whom in this verse hee had before mentioned by the name of Christ in saying I am crucified with Christ and Christ liveth in me Heere therefore hee againe mentions the same person by another name in saying I live in the faith or religion in that of that Son of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for me i.e. of Christ for these words are an eloquent and affectionat circumlocution or description of Christ Wherein are expressed two excellencyes or eminent qualityes of Christ the one of his Birth in relation to God that he was the Son of God the other of his death in relation to man whom he so loved that he dyed for his sake Every Angel every Prophet and every Believer is A son of God but Christ is The or That son of God in a most eminent and singular maner above all other persons that are sons of God whether they be men or Angels Because to omit all other reasons not serving to the Apostles scope in this place hee was begotten on a Virgin not by the power of any man or Angel but by the power of the Highest for as the Angel Gabriel certifies the Virgin Mary his mother Luke 1.35 hee was therefore called the Son of God And heere the Apostle understands no other filiation of Christ then that whereby he was a mortall man because hee argues from his death in saying who loved mee and gave himselfe to death for mee Hee describeth Christ by this attribute of the Son of God that thereby he might expresse another cause that moved him to forsake the Law and Religion of Moses to embrace the faith and Religion of Christ and thereby to regulate all the actions of his life namely because Christ is the Son of God Which first argues for his person that Christ is a person of farre greater dignity then Moses For although Moses were a great Prophet yet his ordinary stile in reference to God runnes but thus that hee was the servant of God and the man of God But the constant title and stile of Christ is to bee the Son of God For from this very difference of condition the Apostle argues the high prerogative of Christ above that of Moses Heb. 3.5 And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant c. but Christ as a sonne over his owne house And secondly heereby hee highly commends the Religion introduced by Christ beyond that which was setled by Moses as a Religion and service more agreeable to the will and pleasure of God For the Authour to the Hebrewes doth in this respect exalt the Religion of Christ in that God hath delivered the message thereof by his Sonne Heb. 1.1.2 God who spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his son Hence it will easily bee collected that the Religion of Moses being but the servant of God was but a servile Religion for the services thereof were very servile Heb. 9.10 which stood onely in meates and drinkes and divers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them untill the time of Reformation Hence that whole Religion is called Rom. 8.15 The spirit of bondage to feare because it wrought in the people a passion of slavish feare such as they commonly have who live under bondage or servitude Hence also the services thereof are called Gal. 4.3 the Elements or Rudiments of the World under which as under Tutors and Governours the Jewes though they were the adopted Children and Heyres of God were held in bondage in a condition nothing different from servants But the Religion of Christ who is that sonne of God is a filial liberall and noble Religion whose services are fitted for the sonnes of God according to the state and degree of sonnes in their plenage who are come to their perfect growth and fullnesse of time For so it followeth in the place fore-cited But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne to redeeme them that were under the Law in the condition of children and servants that they might receive the adoption of sonnes i. e. That they might receive their emancipation from the state of children to have their liberature according to the state and degree of sonnes in their plenage or full age The highest dignity which the Scripture ascribes to the Law or Religion of Moses is taken from the Publication of it in that it was ordayned and spoken by Angels and yet even in this respect she preferres the Religion of Christ before it because this was ordayned and spoken by that son of God who is the Lord not only of men but also of the Angels Heb. 2.2 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Heere hee addeth the other attribute or eminent quality of Christ expressing thereby another motive that caused him to forsake the Religion of Moses and to embrace that of Christ namely because Christ had thereto endeared him by dying for him who sayth he loved me and gave himselfe to death for me Whereby he would insinuate that Christ was far more excellent then Moses not only for the dignity of his person in being the Son of God but also for the dearenesse of his affection in dying for Beleevers for neyther of those are true of Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And delivered himselfe for me Yet heere and elsewhere it is well enough translated gave himselfe because the words give and deliver when they are used in this sense are many times interchanged and one put for the other But in the word Deliver standing thus single and applied to a person there is commonly an ellipsis or defect which is to be supplyed according to the exigency of the matter in hand and which for the most part is some evill
first loved mee therefore I must and doe love him 1. John 4.19 Wee love him because he first loved us And it goeth very well and happily with mee if Gods grace have this effect upon mee to bee seconded and followed with my workes of holinesse by way of gratefulnesse for his grace For this effect doth not follow necessarily but onely contingently which may bee or may bee not Seeing too manifest it is that in some men it followeth not Because otherwise Gods grace could not bee frustrated which the Apostle heere supposeth Yet I must constantly note that although my workes of holinesse bee not the cause procreant to produce the existence of Gods grace towards mee Yet they are the cause conservant to maintaine the continuance of it because otherwise his grace will bee frustrated Seeing then Gods grace is on Gods part the cause of my Justification unto this divine alliance and inheritance with him if therefore unto my workes I ascribe that cause which belongs unto his grace doe I not heereby frustrate the grace of God by denying it that effect which properly it doth produce Am I not heereby a Rejector and a Despiser of Gods grace as a thing superfluous and needlesse And consequently am I not an ungratefull and an ungracious wretch to magnifie the poorenesse of my workes above the richnesse of his grace Seeing unto workes of holinesse I stood bound before by the Law of nature as I am Gods Creature though hee had conferred upon mee no such grace of alliance as to make me his son and heir For if righteousnesse come by the Law A further confirmation and illustration of this last argument in the former clause of this verse comprising withall a prevention of a tacit objection An Obje ∣ ction For by reason of his former words some man might say why doe you speake of frustrating the grace of God Should you frustrate his grace if your right of inheritance should bee conveyed unto you by Gods Law and not by faith in Christ The An ∣ swer Heereto his Answer is affirmative that thereby he should frustrate Gods grace for saith hee if the right of inheritance come by the Law then Christ dyed without a cause and consequently the riches of Gods grace which appeared by the meanes of Christs death should bee made frustrate and void The word Righteousnesse in reference to God doth often signifie that vertue of God which is his Uprightnesse whereby all his actions are just and right according to that holinesse which unto him is naturall Sometime it signifieth his faithfulnesse in keeping and performing that promise which hee hath made But more frequently it signifieth his kindnesse which went before his promise and was the cause why hee made it For why doth God keep his promise The reason is because he is just faithful but why did he first make his promise the reason is because he is kind and gracious Of the word Righteousnesse in this latter sense we spake somewhat largely before in this Chapter verse 16. But heere in this verse the word signifies jurally for that right of alliance and inheritance which on my part is the effect or consequent of Gods kindnesse to mee and whereto his righteousnesse or kindnesse doth justifie mee All which amount in one word unto Justification as if the Apostle had expressed it thus if my Justification or the right whereto Gods kindnesse doth justifie come by the Law For Gods kindnesse his Justfying and my Right thence resulting are in this respect either put for the other Because they are all concurrent unto one and the same purpose for his righteousnesse or kindnesse is the cause whereof my Right is the effect and his Justifying is the act whereby through the meanes of my faith his kindnesse doth convey this Right unto me That therefore wee may heere performe what was before intimated in this Chapter vers 16. Wee are to observe that the Hebrew word Zedakah in the Old Testament and the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New which in our Translations are commonly Englished by the word Righteousnesse doe many times signifie the Latine word Jus whereof the English is a Right Interest or Claime As Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed in the Lord and hee counted it to him Zedakah for righteousnesse or a Right i. e. God upon Abrahams faith conveyed unto Abraham a right to the blessing which God had promised And Gen. 30.33 So shall Zidkathi my righteousnesse or right answer for mee in time to come when it shall come for my hire before thy face q. d. All the yong ones of the flock which shall fall out to bee spotted shall bee my hire for keeping the flock and my Right to these shall answer your question concerning my future wages for if you finde with mee any other then such let it bee theft in mee And Psal 35.27 Let them shout for joy and bee glad that favour Zidki my righteousnesse i. e. my right or as it is there translated my righteous cause And Proverb 16.8 Better is a little Bizdekah with righteousnesse i. e. with right for the words following require that sense then great revenues without right And Esay 5.23 Which justifie the wicked for reward and take away Zedakah Zaddikim the righteousnesse of the righteous from him i. e. the right of the righteous from him for no man can take away the uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse of the righteous from him but his jurall right may be and many times is taken from him Likewise in the New Testament the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth many times signifie a right As Heb. 11.7 And Noah became Heire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse which is by faith i. e. of the right which hee accepted by his faith For the matter whereto a man becomes heire is some right interest or claime and not uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse because such righteousnesse is not inheritable or deviseable to bee conveyed from one person to another as Rights and Interests may and doe And Rom. 4.4.5 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for righteousnesse i. e. for a Right for it hath reference to the thine former words Reward Grace and Debt which are jurall tearmes concerning matters of Right and plainely teach us this comparison betweene the Laborer and the Believer who agree in this that both have a good right interest or claime the Labourer to his wages and the Believer to his promise But in this they differ that the Labourer by title of his worke hath a right to his wages and his right is of debt But the Believer by title of his faith hath a right to his promise and his right is of grace And in the same Chapter vers 11. And Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the righteousnesse of the faith which hee had being uncircumcised that hee might bee the Father of all them that believe i. e. A seale of the right which hee had by faith being uncircumcised for a seale is not a signe of uprightnesse or morall righteousnesse but of a right interest or claime and the right sealed unto Abraham is heere specified That hee might bee the Father of all them that believe which condition in Abraham was not a morall righteousnesse but a jurall right of dignity And againe vers 13. For the promise that hee should bee the Heire of the World was not to Abraham or to his seeds through the Law but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the righteousnesse of faith i. e. through the right which hee had by faith for it hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heire which are jurall tearmes proper to matters of right for a Promise is an act which maketh a Right and an Heir is a person who hath a right The like sense the word Righteousnesse beareth in divers passages of that Epistle the recitall whereof would prove too numerous and tedious Yet for our further confirmation heerein wee may take notice that in the Old Testament the Hebrew word Zedakah doth not onely signifie a right but in King JAMES his translation is sometime so Englished As 2. Sam. 19.28 For all my Fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eate at thine owne table mah iesh li Zedakah what right have I therefore yet to cry any more unto the King The Right heere mentioned is the right of Inheritance which Mephibosheth had to his Land whereof he stood then disseised by the treachery and calumny of Ziba as it appeares by the words following And Nehemiah 2.20 Then I answered them and sayd unto them the God of Heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no portion Uzedakah nor right nor memoriall in Jerusalem The Right heere mentioned was a Right of Inheritance or of some speciall Priviledge which the three persons to whom hee spake could not clayme because they were not Jewes but Strangers for Sanballat was a Samaritan Tobiah an Amonite and Geshem an Arabian And Psal 9.4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou satest in the throne Judging Zedek right And Psal 17.1 Heare Zedek the right O Lord attend unto my cry Thus the Hebrew word Zedakah the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the English righteousnesse doth many times signifie a Right and is sometime so Englished Now that the same word doth also signifie a Right here in the Text which we have now in hand though here it be not so Englished it playnly appeares from a parallell place in the next chapter following verse 18. For if the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise For first both these sayings carry the same sense because every Inheritance is a Right though not contrarily every Right is not an Inheritance for there be divers other Rights besides Inheritances But an Inheritance is one speciall kind and indeed the best kind of Right when it comes to be in possession because it is an universall and perpetuall Right extended to a whole estate for ever What therefore in one place is meant by the generall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Right the same is expressed in the other by the speciall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Inheritance Secondly both these sayings carry the same reason because in both places hee argues for one and the same conclusion namely that a man is not justified by the Law which hee proves from the severall absurdities which upon a supposall of the affirmative will necessarily follow for if a man be justified by the Law or if his right come by the Law or if his Inheritance be of the Law for all these sayings are all one in effect then all is frustrate voyd without cause and of no effect for the grace of God is frustrate faith is made voyd the death of Christ is without cause and the promise is of no effect For when he saith It is no more of Promise hee seemes to say The Promise is of no effect for so hee sayth expresly in a place paralell to both these Rom. 4.14 For if they which be of the Law be heires fayth is made voyd and the Promise made of no effect Then Christ is dead in vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Dyed without cause This is the absurdity which will necessarily follow upon the former supposition that the right to blessednesse commeth by the Law The Greeke Adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie in vaine for that is in vaine which is without effect neither is it elswhere in the New Testament ever translated in vaine neyther is that sense the minde of the Apostle heere though that sense be a truth and will follow upon the former supposition But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies gratis i. e. for nothing or of gift without desert reward or recompence and in this sense it is commonly translated by the word freely as Rom. 3.24 being justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace Yet sometime and so heere in this place it signifieth causelesly or without cause and that is done causlesly or without cause for which there is no reason or at least no just weighty or sufficient reason So the word is rendred John 15.25 they hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause and so in this place it stands rendred in that English translation which was here in use before that of King JAMES q. d. If the Right of Inheritance unto blessednesse bee Legitimate and come by the Law then there was no just cause nor no sufficient reason can be given why God should deliver Christ and Christ should deliver himselfe up to death But heere in the Death of Christ must bee tacitly comprehended by way of Synecdoche all those other actions of his without which his death would have failed of that due effect for which it was purposed as his Doctrine before it and especially his Resurrection after it For when the Apostle declares the causes of his Death hee commonly also makes expresse mention of his Resurrection joyning it with his death in respect of causality As Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification And Rom. 6.4 Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father Even so wee also should walke in newnesse of life And Rom. 8.34 Who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe And Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and the living And 2.
worship and serve him with divine Honour for unto such honour God exalted him Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of persons in Heaven and in earth and under the earth i. e. that Christ might have divine worship from all maner of persons whether they be Angels in Heaven or men on earth or the dead under the earth For if the Angels of Heaven have a command to worship him as they have Heb. 1.6 And let all the Angels of God worship him much more is worship due to him from men on earth And lastly thereby he was constituted and ordained to bee the High Priest of Gods Church and the King of Gods Kingdome to set upon the throne of Heaven as the highest person in the world excepting onely the most high God 1 Cor. 15.27 For hee hath put all things under his feet but when hee sayth all things are put under him it is manifest that hee is excepted which did put all things under him Thus Christ was a vested Executor But his Executorship was conditionall For it was charged with the condition of his owne death he must dye before he can enter it and therefore dye that he might performe it Every Testament is a decree of things to be done after death But the New Testament of God had this strange Prerogative that it was of things to be done after the death of the Executor who was to doe the things of it after his owne death A course quite contrary to the Testaments of men wherein the Executor after his owne death is able to doe nothing Although Gods Testament were in force upon the confirmation of it yet the effect of that force for the execution of it must necessarily be suspended untill this condition was accomplished But as the case stood one and the same death of one and the same person was both a Confirmation of that Testament and the condition for the execution of it A condition somewhat difficult and burthensome unto flesh and bloud for it is an hard case that an Executor must dye to compasse his Executorship Yet unto Christ the condition was possible and lay in his power to performe for unto a person who is mortall what is more possible then death And unto Christ it was very feasable for seeing he must dye for the testimony of Gods testament and for the confirmation of it the same death also would serve as the condition for the execution of it And unto Christ this condition was very Necessary for his death was the Meanes by or through which that testament must be executed and without this Meanes it could not be performed And for the Necessity of this Meanes these are two reasons 1. Because without his death he could not receive his owne Inheritance For by meanes of his death he was prepared fitted and perfected to receive that Inheritance which was ordained unto him in the testament whereof he was the Executor as his universall power honour and glory to set upon the throne of Heaven as the perpetuall Priest and King over the people of God Because 1 Cor. 15.50 flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of God much lesse can it set upon the throne of God That mortall person therefore that will enjoy immortality must first be devested of mortality and the mortality of a person mortall is devested onely by the meanes of death or of a sudden change instead of death as shall be done at the last day Christ at the first was made flesh John 1.14 And the word was made flesh but afterward he was made a spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 The last Adam was made a quickning spirit And Christ at the first was made mortall for he was made a little lower then the Angels but afterward hee was made immortall for hee was crowned with glory and honour above the Angels and the Meanes through which this change was made from his mortality to immortality was by or through the suffering of death Heb. 2.9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for by or through the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour for the meaning of the Apostle is not that the death of Christ was the merit of his crowning but the meanes to it because betweene the two extreames of his mortality and immortality his death was the interposed Meane through which hee was to passe from one to the other 2. Because without his death hee could not discharge the Legacies given to Believers For through meanes of his death hee was prepared fitted and perfected to performe all the Promises of the New Testament For seeing every Testament is a Decree touching things to bee done after death and the New Testament was touching things to bee done after the death of Christ therefore Christ must needes dye before they can bee done and before hee can doe them that through his death hee might bee qualified and perfected for the doing of them God for the bringing of many sonnes unto glory will constitute Christ the Captaine of their salvation But for this Function hee will make Christ perfect through the suffering of death And this meanes of perfecting was so decent and comely that it became Almighty God to perfect him by this meanes Heb. 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sonnes unto glory to make the Captaine of their salvation perfect through sufferings Christ was the sonne of God who learned obedience by the things which hee suffered and through that suffering hee was made perfect to become the authour of salvation to all who obey him Heb. 5.8 Though hee were a sonne yet learned hee obedience by the things which hee suffered and being made perfect hee became the authour of salvation unto all them that obey him Christ is ascended into the highest parts of the Heavens for this end and purpose that hee might execute and fulfill all things that were to bee done according to the last Will and Testament of God But thither hee could not ascend unlesse hee first dyed and descended into the Grave which is the lower part of the earth Ephes 4.9 Now that hee ascended what is it but that hee also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth Hee that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all Heavens that hee might fill all things or rather fulfill all things for so it is in the Margin and should have beene so in the Text. Because in this place the word fulfill is a testamentary word which signifies the executing and performing of a Testament in distributing and discharging the Gifts and Legacies therein devised to fulfill the minde of the Testator For that heer the word beareth this sense it plainly appears partly by the words preceding ver 8. When hee ascended up on high hee led captivity captive